Thank you for the interpretative question, “Are 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 and Revelation 20:1-3 talking about the same time period and events?”
As I read the context of both passages, the passage is speaking about the same time period: The Tribulational Period and the events within the Tribulational Time Period are different.
II Thess. 2 says this, “3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. (NIV).
Rev. 20 says this, “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time (NIV).
In my opinion, the parallel events of II Thessalonians 2 fits more so with Revelation 13 which the Antichrist will arise. The Antichrist is held back for now until he is removed from the earth. Some scholars interpret the removing of the person refers to the Holy Spirit in which the lawless one will come and rule over the earth.
This Antichrist person will be worshipped by all of the world’s people and will defile the Temple in Jerusalem. The events appears to be the first three and half years of the Tribulational Period while in the latter three and half the greater judgments of God will fall on the earth.
At the return of Jesus Christ at the end of the Tribulational Period, Jesus will rescue the Jewish people and defeat the Antichrist. Rev. 19 says this, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh” (NIV).
Satan will be bound during the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ. At the end of that reign, Satan will be released for one more great battle. In the Millennial Kingdom, some of the people born during this time period would reject the kingship of Jesus.
Since Satan is bound, the people of earth can’t blame Satan or the demons for causing evil. It is a righteous rule, but some of the people object to the rule of Jesus. When Satan is released, those people will join Satan in the great rebellion whereby upon their defeat, there is the Great White Throne judgment of all the ungodly dead people for the final judgment.
Books will be open that has recorded the words and works of every ungodly person. Their own conscience will condemn them who opposed God from Cain to Satan. They will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, a place of separation from the presence of God forever. Since they didn’t want God in their lives, God has granted their wish and they receive their reward for their life on earth.
Hope this help. I am sharing my understanding of the text and future events. Other Christians hold to a different viewpoint.
SUMMARY: II Thess. 2 and Rev. 20 are descriptive of the Tribulational Time Period but the events in the time period is different. One is at the beginning of the Tribulation and the is at the end of the Tribulation or more correctly the end of the Millennium.