Fulfilled Promises

Revelation 20 (NKJV)

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Introduction:

The twentieth chapter of Revelation presents the fulfillment of some of God’s greatest promises to the believer.

The millennial kingdom.

The Saints ruling and reigning with Christ.

The enemy destroyed.

The final judgment of the wicked.

As God’s people, we take great comfort in these scriptures because they provide us with a clear picture of what we will realize, which transcends everything and anything this world could offer. It also demonstrates that fretting over anything in this life is not worth the glory that shall be revealed in us.

For the Christian, the first thing we see in this chapter is...

I. The Model Government. Vs. 1-6

If you think about this, it is no small promise.

Just look at the dissatisfaction people have and express every four years in this country alone!

How many nefarious governments have gone down in the history books only to be one upped by another more nefarious one than them?

But these will all be put to rest and the world will be enlightened when Christ rules in perfect righteousness for a thousand years.

There will be no need for affirmative action, Black lives matter, or any hate crime’s bill.

We won’t need to have border patrols or borders at all.

There will be no lawyers, or summons served.

Because every wrong doing will be perfectly judged by immortal beings, who represent Christ.

So let’s look at the particulars:

A. Satan is locked up for 1000 years.

B. The saints rule and reign with Christ for 1000 years.

As I said in the introduction, we will rule and reign with Christ, but not as mortal beings but immortal.

There will not be a biased bone in our body!

We will not solicit favors, nor will there be any inequity, we will judge with the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 6:1–2 NKJV

1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

C. The blessedness of the first resurrection. Vs. 6

II. The Final Deception and Judgement. Vs. 7-15

A. Satan deceives the wicked.

No sooner that he is released from the bottomless pit, Satan is able to seduce the mortal beings that lived through the millennial kingdom.

This is amazing, because God will prove how wicked the human heart is, that when all temptation and the tempter is removed from life, and God directly intervenes with people. providing a perfect utopian government; man once again turns his back on God.

B. They gather for the battle, and are crushed.

C. Satan cast forever in the lake of fire.

D. The eternal judgment of the wicked.

Hell and death cannot escape.

Anyone not found in the book of life is condemned.

Conclusion:

As children of the most High God, we must never forget that we are united to God in Christ, and that He has a perfect plan for our lives and our future.

He will never leave us nor forsake us, and will not leave us comfortless.

Stop looking at the world in fear!

Stop wishing for bygone days!

Stop worrying about what anyone can do to you!

Serve the Lord with gladness in your heart, and live everyday as though it was your last!