The Reign

Every four years, something important takes place in our country. No, I am not talking about the Olympics. I am talking about the election of the next president; whoever the nation chooses will significantly impact the entire country.

Each time we vote, we hope and pray that the next president is always better than the one before. As a new leader takes over, we hope and pray that they can move the nation forward in a way that betters the country.

No matter who that leader is, they will always have flaws. There will always be those who do not like the president. The good thing is that it will change in four to eight years.

Praise be to God that a day is coming when Jesus will lead the entire world. It will not be for four or even eight years, but for 1000 years and then throughout eternity. It will be a time of great peace on the earth.

Locked Up (1-3)

Revelation 20:1–3 CSB

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”

We know that our enemy is real. We know that he wants to hinder and hurt the advancement of the kingdom of God. We know that he wants to cause division among the church.

As we look at the text, we see that the power of Satan is limited.

We often think of Satan as more powerful than he is.

We see here that one angel can capture and lock him up.

He is not all-knowing, all-powerful, or all-present like God. He is limited in what he can do and where he can be.

As Chapter 20 begins, we see Satan being bound for 1000 years.

There are four names used for Satan, so there is no doubt as to who this is that is bound by an angel.

Once he is bound and locked up, he will not be able to deceive the people on the earth.

We know that Satan is in the business of influencing people in the world today.

At the end of the allotted time, he will be released and able to influence the world again.

During the time that Satan is locked up, there will be great peace on earth as Jesus rules and reigns.

Lived Out (4-6)

Revelation 20:4–6 CSB

Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The 1000 Years

This is what is known as the millennial reign of Christ.

Understanding the 1000 years is one of the most debated passages in Revelation.

Some believe the 1000 years to be an actual 1000 years where others see it as a metaphor for a very long time. 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

Within the millennial reign, there are three main views:

Amillennialism

The root “A” means no, so this means no millennial.

This view believes we are in the 1000-year time as Jesus rules from Heaven.

The dead are with Him, and the church rules on earth.

They believe the 1000 years is a long period between Christ's first and second coming.

For them, there is no literal kingdom set up on earth by Jesus.

They see Satan as already bound because he cannot stop the spread of the gospel.

Premillennialism

Pre means before, so the return of Jesus is before the millennial.

Jesus will return and set up a literal reign of peace on earth for 1000 years.

This view sees the events in chapters 19-20 as happening in order as they are written.

Jesus returns as King and sets up a literal 1000-year reign on earth; at the end, Satan will be cast into the lake of fire, there will be judgment of the lost, and then the new Heaven and Earth will come to be.

During the 1000 years, all the promises given to Israel will come to be. Promises such as given to David of the righteous one who will rule.

This is the view that your pastor holds.

Exalting Jesus in Revelation Introduction

Premillennialism makes the most sense because of its consistency in interpretation. Since the prophecies about Christ’s first advent were fulfilled literally, the prophecies about His second advent can be expected to be fulfilled in the same way.

Postmillennialism

Post means after, so the return of Christ is after the millennial.

They believe the word will get so good that it will usher in the return of Christ.

This was a popular view before the World Wars.

Basic Rules to Follow

When dealing with scripture, here is a great rule: If it makes sense literally, then we understand it literal

Examples:

Jesus says to get the log out of your eye. We know it is impossible to have a big log hanging out your eye, so we translate it figuratively.

Revelation tells us about a lady who sits on seven hills. I have not seen a woman big enough to sit on seven hills, so we translate that as figurative.

The 1000-year reign makes sense literally.

Essential Truths for Us to Remember:

We can spend all our time arguing the views of the 1000 years, or we can see the hope we have in Jesus to endure, knowing that the enemy will be defeated and we will be with Jesus.

Regardless of your view on the 1000 years, it will not change your eternal destination.

Where you spend eternity is based on your belief in Jesus as your Savior, not your millennial view.

A Time of Great Peace

The rest of this sermon will be preached from the premillennialist view.

This period is going to be amazing.

Those of us in Christ will get to be a part of it. See that it says I saw thrones, and they sat on them.

Revelation 5:10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.””

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 “Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!”

It is here that all the promises to the nation of Israel as a restored people come to be.

There will be peace on earth, and the great enemy will be bound so that he cannot cause problems or deceive people.

Listen to what this commentary says about those who will be on the earth at this time.

Exalting Jesus in Revelation After the Kingdom, Sinners Will Be Defeated (Revelation 20:7–10)

At the beginning of the millennium, two types of persons are on the earth: believers with glorified bodies and believers with nonglorified bodies who survived the tribulation. Nonglorified believers can and will have children. These persons, like all persons, will have the opportunity to say yes or no to Jesus. Outwardly it appears virtually all will say yes. Inwardly, however, in their heart, many will say no. When the opportunity comes to rebel against the most wonderful leader the world has ever known, they will jump at the chance. Their doom, however, is sealed even before the rebellion begins.

Those who know Jesus at this point need not fear The 2nd death.

The First Resurrection

John tells us that those with Jesus are a part of the 1st Resurrection, for we see that the rest of the dead do not rise until after the 1000 years, which is what we will discuss next week.

Those in the first resurrection do not have to face the second death.

The first death is when we naturally die or our Physical death.

The second death is eternal judgment leading to eternal death in the lake of fire.

We see that those who gave their lives to Christ came to life and reigned with Him for 1000 years.

This is the first resurrection or the resurrection to life.

Here, we see the promises of God in the Bible lived out by His people. It was promised of a day when the seed of David would take the throne, and there would be perfect peace on the earth. This is that time.

The Enemy Released

(7-10)

Revelation 20:7–10 CSB

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them. The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

After 1000 years, Satan will be released, and he will deceive and gather an army.

We have already seen how there will be people still on the earth who will have people born to them and have the ability to choose or reject Jesus.

This is where the army of Satan will come from.

Satan and his army of unbelievers come to attack Christ and His believers, and before they can even get there, they are destroyed by fire.

Because people will follow Satan after the 1000 reminds us of the depravity of man.

They have had peace and been under the incredible rule of Jesus for 1000 years, and yet they still join with Satan and rebel against Jesus.

Today, people hear the truth of Jesus and still choose to rebel and walk away.

Like the army we saw last week, this army will be defeated, Satan will be dealt with, and the he too will be thrown into the fire. Satan does not rule hell; it is where he will end up to be tormented for all time.

Last week, we saw Jesus return, win the battle, and throw the beast and false prophet into the lake of fire. Now we see Satan is thrown into the fire to join them.

Jesus will come, He will set up a perfect reign, and people will still reject Him.

Conclusion

The five R’s of the ends times, help us see how seriously we need to take our relationship with Jesus.

God is loving, patient, and kind but He will also judge those who reject Him.

Today, we have people who pretend to follow Jesus, yet they are far from Him. We can see that in how they live their lives. The Bible teaches that we will know them by their fruit.

How things pan out for us in the end is determined by our relationship with Jesus now.

How is your relationship with Jesus today?

Do you know Him?

Are you living for Him?

This leads us to the Great White Throne, which we will look at next week. We will see how this judgment differs from the Judgement seat of Christ and learn which of the two judgments we want to be at.

Invitation