THE THOUSAND YEARS

with the defeat of the harlot, beast, and false prophet in chapter 19 the main story of Revelation has been completed

heavy persecution is coming from the Roman Empire

it will seek to force them into emperor worship

they need to be faithful, even in death

God will take care of them and will eventually bring the persecuting power down

Epilogue

Satan the dragon remains. What happens to him?

what does it say

John sees an angel with a key to the abyss and a great chain and locks it and imprisons him for 1,000 years. The reason this is done is to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore.

still symbolism!!! Satan isn’t really a dragon, God doesn’t actually bind him with a chain and throw him into a bottomless pit

but the message remains, satan is going to be restrained

Has Satan always been bound? Has Satan always been under limits?

YES!!! God has never allowed him to do whatever he wants. Notice Job

Job 1:6–12 NASB95

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.” Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power, only do not put forth your hand on him.” So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

Job 2:1–6 NASB95

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. “However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.”

Matthew 12:29 NASB95

“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

had satan not been bound how could Jesus have entered the house and cast out demons

Colossians 2:15 NASB95

When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

he won a victory over satan and certainly put severe limits on him

Revelation 12:9 NASB95

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

satan was cast down, defeated, and limited in that he could no longer be the accuser of the brethren

God has always held the upper hand and has limited satan in different ways and different times

When does the binding begin?

after the fall of the Roman Empire (end of chapter 19 and beginning of chapter 20)

What’s the binding for?

to keep Satan from deceiving the nations anymore

what had he done earlier in the story?

deceived the nations and collected them into the Roman Empire.

coalition of nations to join him in trying to wipe out the church.

I LET HIM DO IT ONCE BUT I WILL NOT LET HIM DO IT AGAIN!

not same binding that happened when Jesus died on the cross. Limitation on what Satan was just allowed to do.

he can still tempt others to sin

he can still work against the church in some ways

but he will not be allowed to try to wipe out Christianity by persecution through a world-wide empire.

(during that 1,000 years another event is taking place)

Souls are Reigning for 1,000 years

Who reigns with Christ?

those who had been beheaded (killed)

Revelation 20:4b NASB95

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

We have seen these people before, have we not?

asking how long?

Revelation 6:9 NASB95

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;

In chapter 7 they are wearing white robes and serving before the throne of God

Chapter 14 joined by the martyrs & 144,000 and they all followed Lamb and sang a song that only they could sing.

Chapter 15 the same martyrs were gathered around the heavenly sea where they sang the song of Moses and the Lamb and were identified as those who were victorious over the beast.

Chapter 19 they shout Hallelujah because the harlot has been judged, and then they join Christ as he rides in victory over the two beasts

these are the martyrs of the Roman persecution, they passed thru the fiery trial, they were killed for refusing to worship the beast.

nothing is said about anyone else reigning with Christ during this time.

Why do they reign with Christ?

what just happened in the context of the story?

chapter 19 the Roman Empire and the cult of emperor worship were thrown into the lake of fire.

two great enemies of the church have been defeated

those who thought to persecute the church out of existence have failed

satan is bound so he can’t do again what he has just done.

What would Christ and the martyrs to naturally as a result of all this?

celebrate

This 1,000 years is a victory celebration

what is the celebration like?

long celebration - symbolic 1,000 years

like a Resurrection because their cause lives on and their cause survives

not a bodily resurrection but a revival, a declaration that the second death, lake of fire, has no power over them

As a victory celebration

Where do they reign with Christ?

nothing is said directly about where they are. Certainly nothing is said about their reign being on earth. But there are plenty of clues to tell us where Christ and the souls are.

notice they are in the status of “souls” - souls with no bodies do not live on the earth, they live in the spiritual realm

the souls have been in the spirit realm since we met them in 6:9 under the altar

they were in heaven serving God in chapter 7

were in heaven with Christ chapter 14

were in heaven praising God in chapter 15

were in heaven praising God for the destruction of the harlot in the early part of chapter 19

were riding with Christ in a spiritual battle over the beast at the end of chapter 19

none of these would suggest that the souls are physically on earth

Christ has been in heaven

since chapter 5 when he came before the throne as a Lamb that been slain

in heaven where the martyrs followed him in chapter 14

and in chapter 19 where Christ rides in victory over the beast and the false prophet, he achieves this by the “power of His Word” (19:15). Not by leading an earthly military.

Christ and Martyrs sit on thrones

When do they reign with Christ?

some believe that this will take place after Christ returns

beginning point is the fall of the roman empire the beast

when we realize that those who reign with Christ are the martyrs of the roman persecution it only makes since that their reign would begin when Rome falls.

When does it end?

1,000 years = symbolic. Up until this point the numbers like the 144,000 42 month, 1260 days were not literal why would it be here.

chapter 20 gives us some other clues

in v.11-15 we have a picture of the final judgment when all the dead are gathered before the throne of God.

time in between v. 6 and 11 is a little or short time (v.3) not a definition time but a description of the time.

1,000 years is a figurative period to describe the time, however long it is, from the victory over the Roman Empire to the end of time

to those who say that the thousand year reign begins with Christ return and that he will reign earthly.

the nature of his kingdom is spiritual not physical

John 18:36 NASB95

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Mark 1:15 NASB95

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 9:1 NASB95

And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Acts 8:12 NASB95

But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

Colossians 1:13 NASB95

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Revelation 1:9 NASB95

I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Revelation 12:10 NASB95

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.

1 Corinthians 15:22–26 NASB95

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

John 6:39 NASB95

“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.

John 6:40 NASB95

“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:44 NASB95

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:54 NASB95

“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

christ was raised form the dead, later he will return and raise the dead, thus defeating His last enemy death. Then he will return the kingdom to God

from after the fall of Rome until shortly before Christ reign