class 02 - research component

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Class 02Verify Text & Translation

Jeremee M. Tyler, November 15th

, 2013

Section #1. Preliminary Passage Overview

Professor Matthew Bryce Ervin, BIBL2302 - Hermeneutics

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Research Component

Passage chosen: Revelation 20:1-6

Translations studied: ESV, NKJV, NLT, and NIV

External Source(s) Referenced: Matthew Henry's Biblical Commentary

* Below, I have provided the ESV Version of this passage in its entirety. I only provided the

entire passage in one version due to its length; however I made it a point to identify all of the

variants I saw, and the differences that I found within this specific text.

" Then I saw an angel coming down f rom heaven, holding in h is hand the key to the

bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, which is the

devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut i t

and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer , until the thousand

years were ended. Af ter that he must be released for a l it tle whi le. Then I saw thrones, and

seated on them were those to whom the author i ty to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls

of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those

who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received i ts mark on their foreheads

or their hands. They came to lif e and reigned with Chr ist for a thousand years. The rest of the


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dead did not come to li fe unti l the thousand years were ended. This is the fi rst resur rection.

Bl essed and hol y is the one who shares in the fir st resur rection ! Over such the second death

has no power, but they wil l be pri ests of God and of Chr ist, and they wil l reign with him for a

thousand years" .

01) Variants and differences that I noticed:

In the NKJV version in verse 3, it states that by the hands of the angel who came down

from Heaven, the dragon was cast into a bottomless pit, and the angel shut him up. However, in

the ESV version, it states that the dragon was shut into the pit, and sealed in. The noticeable

differences are the uses of the word 'shut' in each sentence. If the reader is not aware that when

the NKJV version says "shut him up", it simply means locked him in, then one might assume it

means to make him quiet in the sense of the words the dragon spoke, or noises he made rather

than holding him captive. Another interesting point can be made all across the board for verse 05

in all four versions; all of them make clear that they are speaking of the first resurrection in the

verses that soon follow. In verse 06, there are no clear variants that can be found between the

NIV, and the NLT Version which was quite interesting to see. Both versions make known that

those who share (are a part of) the first resurrection are not only blessed, they are Holy as well.

Verse 06 finishes with a very interesting statement, it lets the reader know that in Christ the

second death has no power over them whatsoever, and on top of this, they will be Priests of God,

and of Christ, who will reign with him for a thousand years.


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02) Summarization:

In Revelation 20:1-6, we receive a clear depiction based upon a vision given of just how

restricted Satan is. Due to the unmatched power of Jesus Christ, there is no evil that will be able

to overcome the will of God. Christ's supreme authority provides the power to not only shut

Satan into captivity for all of eternity, but to seal him in the pit to guarantee he will never return

to earth. The saints will reign, and there will be mass amounts of prosperity in the church, but

since this is the first resurrection, it is important to keep in mind that all trials will not cease in

existence just yet. The second death appears to be one of agony, the first resurrection is life.

During the second death, it appears that false teachers will be all the more exposed, and while

this is taking place, God's glory will be even more evident to both Christ-followers and those

who deny God. The Holy Spirit will be flooding the world as well. Faith and holiness will win

against any, and all demonic forces that try to overtake that which God Himself has set into

place. Although there is no need to fear as a believer in this world today, the manifestation of

God's Spirit at work will solidify to an even higher degree within our hearts just how fearless we

can be in Christ.


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03) Summarization pertaining to my current understanding of this passage:

In summary, I came to understand that The Lord has an incredibly, beautifully

orchestrated plan for all of His followers. At times in this life, we can tend to worry about the

little things that should not matter so much. We can also tend to cause internal division within

the body, when we should be reminding ourselves, and one another that some things just aren't

worth arguing over, we should let the minors be the minors, and focus in the majors.

Remembering that this life is but a vapor and all of this will soon fade is so crucial in this life.

Reading Revelation reminds me of how important it is to keep the right perspective, and trust

God with the future. The prophetic statements made not only in Revelation 20, but in the entire

book of Revelation shows us that we can, and we will overcome because the battle is already

won. The victory is set in stone, and God's world reveals this to us.

04)Doctrinal presupposition I had when approaching this passage:

My presupposition coming into this passage was the thought that God's plan for His

saints will be revealed, this is why the entire book is titled Revelation. Based upon the title that

my ESV version provides, "The Thousand Years", I assumed initially that the vision would be

cast by the author of this passage, along with illumination of God's word the more that I

meditate, and request God's wisdom, and His discernment so that I may receive the

understanding of what is being stated within the text. Every time I read scripture, I have a goal to

comprehend it on a very deep intellectual level so that when I share it with the students I preach


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class 02 - research component

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