Rev 20 The Millennium
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Rev 20 Millennium
Here we begin to see things in the distant future. In some ways things that are harder to grasp than perhaps the things up to this point. How should we interpret the millennium, literally or figuratively?
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
V1 -3 Another angel is seen coming out of heaven with tools and a specific job and purpose.
· His job is what? To bind Satan and throw him into the abyss and seal him in for a 1,000 years.
· His tools are the key to the abyss and a chain.
· Purpose: to keep Satan from deceiving the nations for 1,000 years and release him at the end of the 1,000 years.
This brings up many interesting questions.
· Who is this angel? What does this unnamed angel imply about Satan? Satan is not the equal of God. He is powerful yes, but still serves God’s purposes.
· Is the abyss a physical place and if so where is it?
· What kind of chain will bind Satan?
· What will the Millennium be like? Is 2:1 - 5, No War, Is 11:6 – 9, Vegetarian?, animal nature is changed, Is 65:20 -25, Longevity and health, Ez 40 – 48 New Temple,
· Most difficult, why must he be set free again at the end of the millennium?
V4 – 7 Thrones with Judges
4 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.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
· Who are the judges? Perhaps the twenty-four elders representing the church (Revelation 4:4) or the apostles (Matthew 19:28) or the company of saints as a whole (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).
· Why does John only mention the Tribulation saints? They are specifically mentioned so as to encourage them, while not implying others will be left out. This is special vindication for Tribulation saints. They suffered under Antichrist who had said, "I will rule the earth;" now they are in authority and Antichrist is destroyed. So, these martyrs are literal, but also representative of all that give their lives in faithfulness to Jesus.
· Beheaded is actually broader word than it seems; the ancient Greek word really means "executed."
· The first resurrection: This first resurrection is the granting of resurrection life in resurrection bodies to all those who are dead in Jesus. A resurrection of blessing, power, and privilege.
· The rest of the dead: Those who do not have part in the first resurrection are as cursed as those who do have part in it are blessed. They are not blessed, they are under the power of the second death, and they are without privilege. In John 5:28-29, Jesus described two resurrections: Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth - those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
· The two events are separated by this 1,000 year period, because the rest of the dead are not given their resurrection bodies until the thousand years were finished.
· If the first resurrection is a singular event, it argues well for a post-tribulation rapture, because it implies that all saints receive their resurrection bodies at the same time, immediately before the rule and reign of Jesus Christ.
· If the first resurrection is an "order" or "class" encompassing previously dead believers (who are at once with the Lord), the raptured church (already in heaven) and saints from the Great Tribulation, then the idea fits in a pre-tribulation framework.
· Donald Barnhouse says of the phrase first resurrection: "It must be especially emphasized that our phrase in the Apocalypse covering this resurrection is a retrospect that looks back over all three phases (of resurrection)."
· "'The 'first resurrection' is not an event but an order of resurrection including all the righteous who are raised from the dead before the millennial kingdom begins." (Walvoord)
V8 – 9 Satan’s doom
8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
Satan gathers the rebellious from the four corners of the earth to battle against and destroy Jesus and the righteous, but it’s not much of a battle.
Who are the rebellious and why? Discuss: Maybe to erase the excuse of circumstance or environment.
· Fire from heaven devours them
· Satan is thrown into the lake of fire with the A/C and the FP to be tormented forever and ever. Literally never ends. Eternity is a long time…there is no such thing as annillelation. "There would be no way possible in the Greek language to state more emphatically the everlasting punishment of the lost than here in mentioning both day and night and the expression 'forever and ever,' literally 'to the ages of ages.'" (Walvoord)
V11 -15 The great white throne judgement
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
· And Him who sat on it: Who is this? The Bible tells us that the Judge is Jesus (John 5:22-27); or more likely, the fullness of the Triune God.
· Earth and heaven flee from this throne, but there was found no place for them. There is absolutely no hiding from this throne. No one can escape the judgment that it represents. Many - even most - Bible scholars believe that Christians will never appear before this great white throne. It isn't because we can hide from it - no one can. The idea is that we are spared from this awesome throne of judgment because our sins are already judged in Jesus at the cross. We don't escape God's judgment; we satisfy it in Jesus.
· Christians stand before Bema seat of Christ – 2 Corinthians 5:10 says, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
· “At the judgment seat of Christ, what we have done will be judged. Our motives for what we have done will be judged. Paul presents essentially the same idea in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, where he speaks of a coming assessment of each one's work before the Lord. In that passage, he makes it clear that what we have done, and our motive for doing it, will be tested by fire, and the purifying fire of God will burn up everything that was not of Him. We won't be punished for what was not done rightly unto the Lord, it will simply be burned up, and it will be as if we never did those things. We will simply be rewarded for what remains. Sadly, some will get to heaven thinking they have done great things for God, and will find out at the judgment seat of Christ that they really did nothing.”
· The dead outside of Christ are judged according to their works. All the books are opened. There is a record of everything we have ever done or not done…even our thoughts and intentions. Ultimately if we are not in the Book of life we are lost eternally.