Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Millennium

The English language has always used the word millennium to indicate a period of great happiness, and that is one of the meanings still found in the dictionary.

But more precisely the word means a period lasting one thousand years and refers to a period of that duration during which Jesus Christ will rule on the earth.

This will be earth’s golden age.

But before King Jesus can reign, all opposition must be swept aside.

Armageddon will demolish nearly all the forces of revolt, leaving but a single revolutionary on the earth.

The one who started it all and who has led the rebels throughout history must yet be conquered before Christ’s kingdom can come.

And so as the birds of the skies are cleaning up the carnage of Armageddon, an angel will come from heaven to bind the devil and to confine him in the abyss for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2–3).

That will truly be a millennium—Jesus Christ as head of world government, and Satan totally inactive in the affairs of men.

At long last will come the answer to the prayer Christ taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Although the catastrophes and judgments of that terrible time of tribulation will have radically changed the topography of the world, it is to this earth that the kingdom will come.

And the Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Zechariah 14:9

[Charles Caldwell Ryrie, The Best Is yet to Come (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1981), 135.]

Sub-intro:

With the Tribulation over, the focus is upon the binding of Satan, the Millennium, and its dramatic conclusion in the Battle of Gog and Magog.

The chapter concludes with Satan being cast into the lake of fire forever and then are details of the Great White Throne Judgment.

[David H. Sorenson, Understanding the Bible, An Independent Baptist Commentary - Hebrews through Revelation, vol.

11, Understanding the Bible, An Independent Baptist Commentary (Northstar Ministries, 2007), 536.]

I. Satan Restrained (Rev.

20:1-3)

- The Devil Is Arrested, Bound and Locked Up in the Abyss for One Thousand Years

A. The Dragon's Chains (Rev.

20:1-2)

Slide - Second Century House Keys from the “Cave of the Letters” in the Judean Desert.

Satan may have had his great Babylon, but God’s chains for the Devil are greater yet!

B. The Dragon's Confines (Rev.

20:3)

Note - “bottomless pit” = abyss (lit.

“without a depth”)

...the reference is to the lower regions as the abode of demons, out of which they can be let loose, Rev. 11:7; 17:8, it is found seven times in the Apocalypse, Rev. 9:1–2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3; [W.

E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 75.]

Satan’s career began in Heaven, descended to earth, and now concluded in the bottomless pit.

He ruled earth for approximately six thousand years, and Isaiah described his reign through his precursor (the king of Babylon), saying, “He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth” (Isa.

14:6).

Now, according to the Johannine vision, Satan’s rule is basically over.

[Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 856–857.]

II.

Saints Reigning (Rev.

20:4-6)

- God's Saints Reign With Christ in Judgment for A Thousand Years

A. The Reward of God’s Faithful in the First Resurrection (Rev.

20:4)

B. The Rest Remain Dead Until the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev.

20:5)

Note - See Rev. 20:11-15 below

C. The Rejoicing of Those Who Shall Reign with Christ (Rev.

20:6)

Note - What it means in blessing [WA Criswell]

A.  For Israel

1.  Restored

2.  Regenerated

B.  For the Gentiles

C.  For the whole creation

See also Isaiah 11:6-9; 35:5-6

D.  For Christ

1.  Hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus‘ Name"

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

Author: Rev. Edward Perronet

Composer: Oliver Holden

Tune: Coronation (Holden)

Scripture: Rev. 19:16

1 All hail the pow’r of Jesus name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all.

Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all.

2 Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,

Ye ransomed from the fall;

Hail Him who saves you by His grace,

And crown Him Lord of all.

Hail Him who saves you by His grace,

And crown Him Lord of all.

3 Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe,

On this terrestrial ball,

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of all.

To Him all majesty ascribe,

And crown Him Lord of all.

4 O that with yonder sacred throng

we at His feet may fall!

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all.

We’ll join the everlasting song,

And crown Him Lord of all.

[Logos Hymnal, 1st edition.

(Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995).]

III.

Satan's Ruin (Rev.

20:7-10)

- The Devil & His Dupes Meet Their Final Doom (Rev.

20:7-10)

A. Society’s Final Anarchy (Rev.

20:7-9a)

Deception is a real danger

News: It was one more tragedy for the Kennedy family.

When John F. Kennedy Jr. took off from Essex County Airport with his wife, Carolyn, and sister-in-law, Lauren, on July 16, 1999, he thought they were destined for a short trip up the coast to Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

Kennedy had received training as a pilot but was not instrument-flight rated.

In other words, he was dependent on his own perceptive accuracy to make appropriate adjustments.

In this case, that dependence proved deadly.

Flying over open water at night through difficult conditions, JFK Jr. lost the horizon, became disoriented, and flew into the ocean—all the while convinced he was flying true.

As believers, we must beware of deception.

It is easy, if we depend on our own perceptions, to be led astray.

We must fix our eyes on the Word, the “instrument panel” for our journey.

To miss this is to risk even more than crashing a plane.

[J.

Scott Duvall, Revelation, ed.

Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 266.]