Rev 20- Millenial Reign
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· 21 viewsGods millenial reign is now and his binding of Satan has allowed for the Gospel to the world.
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This is quite possibly the most debated passage in the book where it seems almost every passage is debated
The Rapture and the Millenium- can get you kicked of some places
This topic become so heated for various reasons but as we have tried our best to handle each passage carefully we will take it piece by piece as best we can
Acknowledging we can and may actually be wrong
This isnt a topic tier doctrine
A visible return of Christ to get his people and take them into his eternal kingdom- non negotiable
A pre, post, mid, trib rapture and premillenial, dispie, amill, post mill views are negotiable
So tonight as we begin, we will read the whole chapter and get a feel to where we are going and then address the first 6 verses
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 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.
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. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 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.
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This chapter is clearly showing how God will eternally handle Satan, Beast, Dragon, Antichrist, Prostitute, and all who follow after the beast- Clearly in verse 10 and 14
But what about the Millenium thing, binding Satan, 1st and 2nd resurrections, 1st and 2nd deaths?
Upon some of these notions- 4 dominate views are raised that can drive the way you and i can view the book based on these 6 verses
I have tipped my hand at times to my personal view and we have discussed some struggles among differing views
Here tonight I have 4 images once again that I think help us have a picture of each view in our mind
Premillennialism-
-church is here for the tribulation but Christ comes before the Millenium
-Believers are taken up and then brought back down for millenial reign
-not always viewed as 1000 literal years but saints rule on earth over unbelievers until Christ finally judges all at the GWT
-during the reign satan will be deluding the remaining people to war against Gods people until Jesus judge them
-heaven for saints and then lack of fire ungodly
Dispensational Premillennialism-
-church is raptured out before the Tribulation and then brought back down to rule over sinners during the millenium
-of which during that time Satan corrals his forces and deludes the minds of all the world until the GWT
-New Heavens and Earth and eternal state
-Most prominent due to the Scofield study bible- one of the first study bibles- can you guess what view it taught?
Postmillennialism
-church age will bring about a golden era of effectiveness for the Gospel
-At the end which will be the coming of Christ to judge all- GWT and then the eternal state
-Post millennial view most always interprets the millennium as symbolic
Amillennial
-Always interprets the millennium as symbolic
-From the first Advent of Christ to the second Advent of Christ- the church sits in the millennium
-The church age is the millennium
-identifies 2 ages- now and the one to come
-Satan has been bound in his ability to deceive the nations
-allows for the finality of the Day of the Lord- when its done it is done
-Believers and unbelievers given fitting eternal bodies and evil judged
So the charge of the Premillennial guys is that the Amil and Post guys dont interpret Scripture literally in chap 20
Amill guy says you throw away what that previous 19 chapters has already said
The Dispensational joins in but starts making claims that are nowhere stated in the entire book
No one really listens to the Post mil guy- we all know he aint right-
So tonight lets think about Chpter 20
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
So for Premil guy who says you must take Scripture literally- he is stuck- because no one really think this is a steel chain and key
-they will say its symbolic just like they will say the dragon is symbolic of Satan in verse 2
-they are ok with symbols until doesnt agree with them
-The Amil guy says the whole book is symbols- beast- talking birds- lampstands-numbers- 7 headed dragons
-But will be accused of not taking the bible literally
-The problem becomes when you literally chronologically Chapt 20 doesnt fit
-Chp 19 is the destruction of the world- its over- the fat lady has sung
-chap 20- We have satan who is bound up from deceiving the nations
-Hold on? what nations? how did he get out? how is anyone alive?
-Reason is just as we have said- John has given us differing viewpoints to view the same events from
Instant Replay in football- man appears to score before he is tackled
-replay will look at 5 differing angles and give greater clarity
Thats what John has done
Rev 20 is that picture from another angle once again which appears to look alot like Rev 12
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
there is a heavenly scene
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
Rev 20- the deciever is cast down
Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Rev 20:3- he will be released for a short time
Not to mention multiple other chapters that are seeing the same thing from differing angles
So here is no different
The real problem lies in verse 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.
-Satan is in the pit, so how can there be evil
Voddie Bauchum gave an excellent point
1- Satan is bound not you and I- we dont need his help
2- Satan binding is limited in scope- deception of the nations
Thats is key
I think that has occured and is occuring- read the book of Acts- Gospel doesnt just stay with the Jews
Its goes everywhere
Jesus himself will even declare the kingdom of God is now- while he was on earth
Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
Now he was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,” while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe;
Jesus has bound the strong man
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
He is already triumphant
Voddie also said of the binding of Satan doesnt occur till the Millennium- then how is the Great Commission every accomplished
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
There is not 3 ages- Now, millenium and eternal
Scripture points to two
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
Since Christ first coming we have been in the last days awaiting his glorious return
“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
Christ comes- the end
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
All believers with him forever- on the day of the Lord
But dont miss the end of verse 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.
There is a great delusion, deception, a time when Satan deception is not hindered- thats a scary thing
So what do we do now?
We live boldly for Jesus knowing he wins and has called us to persevere to the end