Revelation 20:2a
Bible, KJV Translation:
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Re-evaluation Translation:
20:2 This message restrained the power and confusion of the global socio-economic system for a thousand days, from 5 October 2005 to 30 June 2009.
Significant Words and Comments:
Commentary on Revelation 20:2 (11 July 2008): “He laid hold on,” or took a firm grasp of, held in check, restrained, as discussed in notes on Revelation 7:1. Laid hold on, restrained, here, is the counterpart word to loosed in Revelation 20:3. Laid hold, from krateo [G2902], means “to have power, be powerful, to be chief, be master of, to rule; to get possession of, to become master of, to obtain; to take hold of, to take hold of, take, seize; to lay hands on one in order to get him into one’s power; to hold, to hold in the hand; to hold fast, as to not discard or let go; to keep carefully and faithfully; to continue to hold, to retain; of death continuing to hold one; to hold in check, restrain.” Krateo is used nine times in Revelation [2:1, 13, 14, 15, 25; 3:11; 7:1; 20:2; 22:17] and there are additional notes on most of these verses.
“The dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,” the present global socio-economic system which so violently opposes Yehuveh’s ways. See the discussion of this dragon in the article, “A Great Red Dragon”, and in notes on Revelation 12:9, 13, 15, 17; 9:11.
“A thousand years (days),” used six time in Revelation 20 [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] has confused researchers and commentators for centuries. It is high time this phrase be read aright. Years, in the Greek, is from etos [G2094], which James Strong says is “apparently a primary word” meaning “year.” Etos is translated year all forty-nine times it is used in the New Testament. No new insight there! However, the Hebrew word translated year is shaneh [H8141], meaning “a year (as a revolution of time).” Shaneh is also translated year all 807 times it is used in the Old Testament. However, the Hebrew language provides other insights: While usually translated year, the foundational meaning of shaneh describes any repetition of a time-cycle—a day (repeated rotation of the earth), month (repeated revolution of the moon around the earth), or year (repeated revolution of the earth around the sun). Thus, while the Hebrew writer may have used shaneh to indicate years, it is equally valid, and far more in harmony with the seven-year scope of Revelation, to recognize that this thousand repeating cycles of time describe a thousand days rather than a thousand years.
Going deeper provides yet additional insight. Shaneh is from the primary root shanah [H8138], meaning “to fold, duplicate; to transmute.” This primary root is identical to both shanah [H8140], the Chaldean word “year,” and the Hebrew word, “sleep” [entries H8139 and H8142, with their primary root, yashen, H3462], a distinctly daily activity. Here is a powerfully appeal to consider the translation of shaneh as a thousand sleeps, that is, a thousand days.
Pulling all these insights into the text, “bound him a thousand years,” should read, “bound this system a thousand days.” When tied to the previous phrase [which, because of its direct repetition of Revelation 12:9, establishes the beginning date of this thousand days], this identifies a firm, defined ending date. Yehuveh’s 1260-days of special instruction and His ongoing war against this fire-breathing-dragon-socio-economic system began with the sign in the heavens on 5 October 2005. Following that day, for one thousand days, this dragon is bound, restrained, held in check, by Yehuveh Himself, though throughout this time it is indeed gearing-up for its final fierce fight against Yehuveh’s ways and people. [These are simple evening-morning days. See notes on uncounted days pertaining to the Hebrew text of Daniel 8:14, 26.] Bound, from deo [G1210, “to bind tie, fasten, bind with chains, put under obligation, forbid, prohibit, set a limit on, declare illicit; bind by marriage or contract”], is used only twice in Revelation [9:14; 20:2].
Gael Bataman
Originally Written: 11 July 2008
Latest Update: 18 September 2009
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