1000 Years in a Day

God has permitted others to take control of it—in a limited way—for a time—ultimately that we might be pulled back to this point—God has always been, is now, and forever will be the rightful ruler of everything. And only He can do with creation that which His perfection and His glory demands.

God may well have permitted the rule of His creation to be mediated by man (Rom 13), but it does not change the fact that He alone is High King of all.

And in the end, God will remove all opposition to His kingdom.

That is what we see happening in Revelation 20.

God’s Kingdom will not be denied.

The Removal of All Opposition - Revelation 20:1-3

Revelation 20:1–3 ESV

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

As we begin to look at these first three verses, we see the culmination and completion of scripture. At this point, in future chronology, all things will come to their appointed end—in Christ.

This is the fulfillment of Psalm 110:1-7.

Psalm 110:1–7 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” 2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” 5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

God’s enemies…all of them…have been made a footstool for His feet.

Make no mistake, God does reign and He does rule over all—including His enemies. The enemies of God are nothing more than a footstool for His feet.

Here, at the end of the Tribulation, and throughout the duration of the millennial reign of Christ on earth—It will never be more clear.

The nations of the world have been defeated. (Armageddon) Revelation 19:21

The antichrist and false prophet have been cast into the lake of fire. (The first two occupants) Revelation 19:20

The goats have been separated from the sheep and have been sent to eternal punishment. Matthew 25

AND NOW, Satan himself—Hell’s chief rebel—will be removed from the equation—for a time. He will be bound in the bottomless pit, the abyss, for 1000 years.

An angel—undisclosed but many speculate Michael, the archangel who they view as Satan’s arch enemy, as the angel who gets the honors.

The angel will be holding keys to the bottomless pit — signifies his authority and access.

The angel holds a chain — signifying his task to bind and depose Satan.

The abyss, the bottomless pit is the same one we saw earlier from which the imprisoned demons were released to judge the earth as part of the wrath of God.

This may also be the same abyss that the demons who did not remain in their abode but who came and procreated with man in the days of Noah have been bound (Gen 6:1-4, Jude 6; 1 Peter 3:19-20)

This is different than the Lake of Fire. Later, those in the abyss will be tossed into the lake of fire.

Prior to Revelation 19:20, Scripture gives us no named occupants of the Lake of Fire. The beast and false prophet are the first explicitly said to be cast there; Satan will join them later.

The abyss is a different and temporary prison—though, just as much a place of torment (Jude 6) as the Lake of Fire is.

Though it does not explicitly say his demons are also, it is most likely that they are as well.

What we see happening cannot be understated—

All supernatural, external opposition to God, to His rule and authority is being removed.

Think about the implications of this for a moment.

What are the implications of all external supernatural opposition being removed?

This is a reality that only exists in imagination for us. I think that it is truthfully beyond our ability to grasp. I am not even sure my imagination is big enough to conjure up an image of a world like this.

You remember the old statement “The Devil made me do it”?

Now, you and I know that the devil can never actually make us do anything. He can tempt and entice, but the decision to do something at his enticement is ours and ours alone.

BUT—what Satan’s binding does mean is this: That statement will never be more true than this point in history. Satan and his minions will not be an exerting influence on any part of God’s creation. For 1000 glorious years—before sin’s permanent eradication—there will be no external stimulus to sin, other than that which comes from fellow sinful mankind.

And, as we will soon see, in a world where perfect justice exists, even that influence will be muted.

Which means

Any sin that does exist (and it will sill during the reign)—exists primarily because of the one committing it. From an internal source. - James 1:13-15; Jer 17:9; James 4:1-3

It will expose what has always been true — it is the sinful heart of man that is the root of all sin.

James 1:13–15 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

James 4:1–3 ESV

1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

The ultimate source of our sin is not external enticement but the sinful desires of our own hearts.

Satan may well bait the hook, but it is we who take the bite.

Satan’s removal highlights one essential truth — The devil has never been the primary problem. Man’s wicked heart is.

Listen, the rejection of salvation can never be excused on the lack of information - Rom 1:18-20

Romans 1:18–20 ESV

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Creation is enough to convince of God’s existence and therefore it is enough to condemn.

The information is there. It is available. It is clear. Man cannot deny it.

Salvation’s rejection is rooted in man’s love of sin - John 3:19

John 3:19 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

Men loved—what?

Darkness, rather than light.

What is the consequence of the fact that men love darkness rather than light?

They will receive judgment for their wrong doing—yes

BUT—the other consequence of loving darkness more than light is this—it means that will keep choosing darkness over light.

Listen—this is true for ALL humanity: When man rejects salvation—it is because they want to reject salvation. They are choosing the god they want to to serve.

No one is FORCED to go to Hell.

No one is FORCED to deny God.

No one is FORCED to reject salvation.

No one rejects Christ against his will. Man rejects Christ because, apart from grace, his heart loves darkness. And no one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him and God gives him life.

Indecision and uncertainty are a choice—John 3:36

John 3:36 ESV

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

The wrath of God—What?

REMAINS on Him.

Man, from the moment He is born, is under the wrath of God.

The only thing that removes that wrath—is repentance and faith.

Indecision is a choice—to remain where you are—under His wrath.

Only repentance and faith in Christ—graciously granted and genuinely exercised—bring a sinner out from under condemnation.

So, the removal of Satan is certainly a good thing—

—BUT—

The removal of Satan is not yet the removal of sin.

Nevertheless…

Satan’s removal will dramatically change the nature of the world.

Because, as we noted and seen—time and time again from scripture—Satan (while not all powerful and no contest with stacked next to God) is a formidable foe. Considered how he is referred to even in this text.

Satan is called…

Dragon - Bestial nature; ferocious; oppressive; cruel

Ancient Serpent - Garden Terminology

Devil - slanderer, malicious gossip

Satan - The enemy of God

What do these names reveal/imply about Satan?

Satan is

The prince of power of the air - Ephesians 2:2

The god of this world - 2 Cor 4:4

Satan has long been

The accuser of the brethren - Rev 12:10

The father of lies - John 8:44

The deceiver of the whole world - Rev 12:9

The deceiver of the nations - Rev 20:3,8

He plants lying hypocrites in the church - Acts 5:3

He schemes against believers - 2 Cor 2:11; Eph 6:11

He disguises Himself as an angel of light to deceive - 2 Cor 11:14

He attacks God’s people - 2 Cor 12:7; Eph 4:27

He hinders those in ministry - 1 Th 2:18

He leads the brethren astray - 1 Tim 5:15

And therefore, in every wake of life, he must be resisted - James 4:7

We are in a battle!

A battle that for 1000 years, God is going to remove.

Why?

Because God wants to show us that…

Big Idea: The millennium will highlight the absolute goodness, righteousness, and holiness of God—making no mistake who is the rightful ruler of all.

They will still have their own internal issues to deal with—but the battle with the adversary will be removed.

Neither Satan nor his minions will be able to exert any influence over God’s created order.

He will no longer be able to go about deceiving the nations.

The father of disorder has been chained.

And with this this chaining—Christ’s millennial kingdom will officially commence.

The Millennial Kingdom - Revelation 20:4-6

Revelation 20:4–6 ESV

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority 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 its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

John saw Thrones

Most likely these depict both Judicial and royal power.

They reflect the right to rule and to judge.

Who are sitting on these thrones?

Revelation 20:4 tells us that they are the martyrs of the tribulation.

Revelation 20:4 ESV

This next specifically identifies those who endured the tribulation and who were killed because of their refusal to reject Christ once they had come to see Him for who He is. They faith, their sacrifice has validated their fate and be responded to by God with blessing by them partaking in the first resurrection and by them being granted the right and privilege to rule and reign with Him.

They came to life…

This is a physical resurrection of their bodies, since spiritually, they are already alive.

Their bodies will be resurrected and they will go into the millennium, sit on these thrones, and reign with Christ during these 1000 years, literal years, literal thrones, in a literal kingdom of earth.

However, throughout scripture, we are given others who are told that they will rule and reign with Him during this millennial kingdom.

OT Saints - Daniel 7:27

Daniel 7:27 ESV

27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’

Disciples - Matthew 19:28

Matthew 19:28 ESV

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

NT believers - 1 Cor 6:2; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26; 3:21

1 Corinthians 6:2 ESV

2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?

2 Timothy 2:12 ESV

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

Revelation 2:26 ESV

26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,

Revelation 3:21 ESV

21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

All the redeemed who have been raised—the church, the Old Testament saints, and the Tribulation martyrs—participate in what Revelation calls the first resurrection. The believing survivors identified as sheep in Matthew 25 enter the kingdom in their natural bodies.

All other resurrections wait til the end of the millennium.

Revelation 20:5 ESV

5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

This first resurrection is the resurrection of the righteous; the saints. Lk 14:14; Acts 24:15

Luke 14:14 ESV

14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

This is the resurrection for those who are in Christ — 1 Cor 15:23

Hebrews calls this the better resurrection - Heb 11:35

(for obvious reasons)

It leads to life.

To blessing.

To reward.

These who are resurrected as part of the first resurrection will go into the millennium as overcomers, as blessed because of their repentance and faith.

The rest of the dead, will await their resurrection until the end of the millennium.

The second resurrection, at the end of the millennium, will lead to judgement and death.

But the first? Leads to life.

Those who experience the first resurrection (the better one), are spared the second death - Rev 20:6

Revelation 20:6 ESV

6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The second death is defined for us just a few verses later.

The second death - Rev 20:14

Revelation 20:14 ESV

14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

The second death IS the lake of fire—Eternal torment and judgment.

Where the antichrist and false prophet have been most recently tossed into, unceremoniously I might add.

The second death is about wrath. It is the end result of God’s just wrath for man’s unrepentance and rebellion.

This is not for those who are the redeemed.

Church, I cannot emphasize enough—No true child of God ever faces God’s wrath - Rom 8:1; 1 Th 1:10; 5:9; Rev 5:9

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

BECAUSE for God to exercise His wrath upon His own, when it was already satisfied in Christ on the cross, would be to declare the the wrath Jesus took for us was insufficient.

And it would make Jesus a liar when He said, “It is finished.”

The redeemed DO NOT NOW, nor will they ever, face the wrath of God. It is done for us.

1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV

10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 ESV

9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Revelation 5:9 ESV

9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

It is for this reason, I am convinced we will not face the tribulation. The wrath is for unrepentant and unredeemed sinners.

If these verses are true—and they are because they are here—what would happen if we endured the wrath of God by living through the Day of the Lord (the tribulation) or even some other display of His wrath?

If God were to pour upon His redeemed the same judicial wrath that Christ bore for them upon the cross, it would deny the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice and contradict His declaration, “It is finished.”

Listen…

Even during the coming days of judgment, God will continue to extend mercy. Through the testimony of His witnesses, the proclamation of the gospel, and the clear revelation of His power, many will yet repent and believe.

Not all—but many.

But we who have already repented and believed will never face God’s condemning wrath. Christ has borne that wrath completely and finally in our place.

I respectfully recognize that many faithful believers understand the timing of these events differently and believe that the church will live through some or all of the Tribulation. I do not question their love for Christ or their confidence in the sufficiency of His cross.

Nevertheless, because of these texts and the broader testimony of Scripture, I remain convinced of a pretribulational rapture. I believe the church will be gathered to Christ before God pours out His eschatological wrath upon the rebellious world. God has not destined His children for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The saints resurrected here were not part of the church gathered to Christ at the rapture. During the Tribulation, God mercifully brought them to repentance and faith. Many suffered and died because they refused to worship the beast or deny the name of Christ, but they were eternally delivered from the wrath their sins deserved.

At the rapture, the dead in Christ—the church—will be raised first. Those believers who are alive at His coming will be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air. For the church, this is our participation in the first resurrection.

Then, in connection with Christ’s return and the establishment of His earthly kingdom, the remaining redeemed saints of the ages will be raised to enter and reign with Him.

And together, we will all serve with Christ during His earthly millennial reign.

Death will hold no power over any of us who are His redeemed.

His wrath will never be directed at us.

Thus

Revelation 20:6 ESV

These ones are blessed! The second death (eternal judgment—defined in verse 14 as the Lake of Fire) will hold now power or authority over them. They will not taste death.

These ones are priests to God and to Christ.

They are given the blessed responsibility and privilege to serve Christ.

Do you understand it is a privilege and blessing to serve Him?

It’s not degrading

Or slavery

Or duty

Or obligation

It is privilege

It is blessing.

We will not be idle in the millennium, any more than we will be in eternity.

We will not be idle in the millennium, any more than God is idle now.

We will be busy about the work and worship of the King.

The millennium will be like nothing you and I have ever beheld from earthly government.

Christ’s rule will be complete

Universal - Ps 2:6-8; Dan 2:35

Absolute - Ps 2:9; Is 11:4

Righteous - Is 11:3-5

It will be like nothing the kingdoms of the world have ever experienced.

It will be a period of life dominated by goodness, justice, peace.

No wars

No unjust verdicts

No unfair treatment

No poverty

No oppression

Interpersonal relations, commerce, education, government will run perfectly, justly, fairly.

Joy and peace will abound

Health and life long will prevail.

Consider the words of…

Isaiah 65:17-25

Isaiah 65:17–25 ESV

17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. 24 Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.

This text has presented challenge for many scholars. Some view it as referring to the millennium and others view it as referring to the eternal state after the millennium.

Honestly, I think it may well refer to BOTH.

Once Christ establishes His earthly rule and reign, scripture is clear, it will never end. He will never cease to be King and rule earth.

There may well be a transition point from the specific 1000 years into the eternal state, but power and authority and rule do not shift or change.

THUS, Isaiah 65 could well refer to both, and it certainly has elements of both. A good portion of the text really seems to reflect the eternal state, post millennium, better.

BUT the reference to death in verse 20 suggests millennium kingdom since death does not exist in the eternal state.

It would seem that in Isaiah’s vision and prophecy, he is compressing the future reality into one state. And in truth, what is 1000 years in light of eternity? 1000 is just the beginning. And the beginning will still have death as a present reality before it is finally and fully, once and forever removed.

But the other elements…

Weeping no more

Building house and planting vineyards

Not laboring in vain

Not bearing children for calamity

Wolf and lamb grazing together

Lion eating straw like the ox

These all could well be elements that also reflect life during the 1000 year millennial reign of Christ.

So, in truth, Isaiah 65 probably reflects BOTH the millennial kingdom and the eternal state—compressed into one singular view.

And that view gives us a glimpse into life during the millennium—life that will be unlike anything any earthly kingdom has ever experienced.

Since sin will persist, it will not be trouble free, but it will be the most just, peaceful, righteous period in humanities existence.

Without Satan’s influence…

With the redeemed ruling at Christ’s bequest…

With Christ on the throne…

Conclusion

Big Idea: The millennium will highlight the absolute goodness, righteousness, and holiness of God—making no mistake who is the rightful ruler of all.

Perhaps the natural question we find ourselves asking is this: Why bother with a literal, 1000 year reign on earth? Why not just go directly into the eternal kingdom?

One possibility—it eradicates the plethora of excuses we have made up over the centuries. It removes the false saviors that man has leaned into. It reveals that—

perfect government cannot save sinners

perfect environment cannot save sinners

perfect justice cannot save sinners

Satan’s absence cannot save sinners

Christ reigning visibly cannot save sinners

Only regeneration can save sinners.

Every excuse man has ever offered will be removed.

“If only government were better…”

“If only Satan weren’t tempting me…”

“If only Christ were visibly reigning…”

God will say, “Very well.

Here is perfect government.

Here is perfect justice.

Here is My Son ruling visibly over the nations.

Now what will you do?”

And even then…sinful humanity will rebel.

God will highlight HIS absolute goodness, righteousness, and holiness. And even in the face of that, man will rebel. Man will reject.

But there will no longer be any excuses, any justifications that can be held up as reason for it. Man’s sinful and rebellious heart will be exposed.

And at the end of the 1000 years, when Satan is released for “a little while,” he will lead the unbelieving world into one final rebellion.

But to that—we will return next week.

Church, while we are not yet living in the earthly rule and reign of Christ, make no mistake, Christ is on the throne. He possesses all right and might to rule and reign.

How are you living for Him now?

How are you serving Him now?

How are you eagerly awaiting His return?

What will you be doing when He does come?

Will you be found faithful?

God is absolute goodness—

—absolute righteousness—

—absolute holiness—

God has the right to rule—unequivocally.

Don’t you think He is worth devoting every moment of lives—here and in the future—to be growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of His magnificent name!

Pray

Application

What does Satan’s binding in Revelation 20:1–3 reveal about God’s authority over Satan and every opposing power?

Why does sin continue during the millennium even though Satan is bound and Christ rules with perfect justice? What does this teach us about the human heart?

Where are you most tempted to blame your circumstances, other people, or spiritual opposition for sin that Scripture calls you to own and repent of?

In what ways are Christians tempted to place too much hope in political leaders, government, cultural change, or improved circumstances? How does Psalm 103:19 correct that tendency?

What aspect of Christ’s millennial reign—His justice, holiness, peace, authority, or presence—most increases your longing for His return? Why?

Revelation 20 describes believers reigning and serving with Christ. How should the future privilege of serving Him affect the way we view Christian service today?

How can our homes, church, work, and relationships reflect the goodness, righteousness, and holiness of the coming King this week?

How should the certainty of Christ’s future reign strengthen our courage and faithfulness when the present world appears chaotic or unjust?

Related Media

Related Sermons

Earn an accredited degree from Redemption Seminary with Logos.