Bible Strands
Revelation 20:1
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The visionary records a sequential revelation given by the risen Christ, occurring immediately after the judgment of the great prostitute and the defeat of the beast. The vision unfolds as a direct observation of heavenly action preceding the binding of Satan.
The words — εἶδον (eidon) translates literally as "I saw," marking the visionary's direct perception, while καταβαίνοντα (katabainonta) means "descending," describing the angel's movement from the heavenly realm to earth.
The thread — The imagery of divine keys and chains echoes Revelation 1:18, where Christ holds the keys of Death and Hades, and aligns with 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6, which describe God restraining rebellious angels with chains.
Why it lands — The text states that a heavenly agent arrives with binding instruments to restrain the source of deception, establishing that cosmic rebellion is subject to sovereign judgment. It demands recognition that divine authority operates through appointed means and that evil's power is strictly limited by God's decree.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Cross-references
- Revelation 1:18 the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.
- 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
- Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.
- Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth, and it was given the key to the pit of the Abyss.
- Revelation 10:1 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head. His face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire.
- Revelation 18:1 After this I saw another angel descending from heaven with great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his glory.
- Luke 8:31 And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.