Sermon Tone Analysis

The Millennial Reign of Christ

Revelation 20:1-6

Revelation 20:1-6 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

This [is] the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:1-6 (KJV)

Introduction

The wrath of God poured out upon the earth and man through three judgments are completed.

The Antichrist and the false prophet were not killed in the battle but cast alive into a “lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

The scene of the fowls of the air feasting on the flesh of the fallen now changes for John.

This chapter as well as 17, 18 and 19 are clearly set in the future.

And like those chapters, the 20th chapter is chockfull of action.

It chronicles three major events:

· The 1,000-year reign of Christ on the earth

· the defeat of Satan

· the Great White Throne Judgment.

The first section, verses 1-6, are without a doubt the most controversial in the Book of the Revelation.

Not because they contain images or characters that are difficult to pin down, but theologians are hotly divided into three theological camps.

They contain what is popularly called the “millennial reign of Christ” although this passage only uses the term 1,000 years.

Jesus will set up an earthly monarchy for the 1,000 years in this short lived or interim kingdom.

The word “millennium” is Latin for “thousand years” (mille, one thousand, annum, year), is found six times in the first seven verses.

Consequently, they provide a platform on which three different schools derive their biblical prophetic interpretation: premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism.[1]

If I was a member of one of the seven churches receiving this letter of judgment while going through persecution on many different fronts, I would want to be presented with a hope of rescue by Jesus.

I think I would like to know that living a life for Christ, even though that may cost my life was worth it.

I would want to be know that the one who is causing the suffering and afflictions would be destroyed by the Savior I love.

That is the message of this passage.

Hope!

The defeat of Satan and the Great White Throne judgment are not controversial and are presented as more of a “matter of fact” style from John.

The Bottomless Pit

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomless pit…”

We first met an angel who had the key to the “bottomless pit” in Revelation 9 (Rev 9:1-2).

Revelation 9:1-2 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

We learned that “the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them (the two witnesses), and shall overcome them, and kill them.”

(Rev 11:7)

We concluded that the beast who came out of the “bottomless pit” is the Antichrist.

In the seventeenth chapter, the beast that ascended out of the bottomless pit will have an agreement with the “woman”, which is Babylon.

(Rev 17:8).

What is the bottomless pit?

The bottomless pit or abyss(Greek, abyssos) is a very deep or bottomless hole in the ground, found in the lowest parts of the earth.

The bottomless pit is never identified or used as sheol in the Old Testament, meaning the place of the dead.

However, in the New Testament it means a place of despair where demons are imprisoned.

“…and a great chain in his hand…”

The “great chain,” in the Greek halysis, is defined as chain used to bind hands or feet for imprisonment.

John sees this angel holding the key which locks or unlocks the entry to the bottomless pit.

In his hand is a chain used to bind prisoners.

We find the angel’s purpose in the next verse.

Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan…”

The term “laid hold on” infers being seized by strength of force.

In much the same fashion as Michael and the angels casting Satan and the fallen angels from heaven to the earth (Rev 12:8-9).

Satan is powerless to withstand being captured and held by this angel.

John ensures the seven churches that the one being captured, Satan, is known by several names in the book of Revelation:

· dragon (Re 12:3-4, 7, 9, 13, 16-17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13; 20:2)

· old serpent (Re 12:9; 20:2)

· and devil (Re 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10).

Destroyer.

By comparing Revelation chapter 12 and this chapter, we get as much of the history of the dragon as Revelation provides.

Coordinating the teachings of Revelation on the rise and fall of the devil with the rest of the Bible’s teachings is difficult.

Revelation teaches the following:

1.

The great red dragon appears in heaven (Rev 12:3).

2.

He attempts to destroy Christ at his birth (Rev 12:4).

3.

He comes down to the earth for a “short time” deceiving the nations (Rev 12:12).

4.

He is cast into the bottomless pit and held there until a thousand years should be fulfilled (Rev 20:3).

5.

He is released and deceives the nations for a season (Rev 20:8).

6.

He is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone…and shall be tormented day and night forever (Rev 20:10).

“…and bound him a thousand years…”

Revelation 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

“And cast him into the bottomless pit…”

The angel has the power from God to capture to throw Satan into the abyss and he does.

How easily the angel completes his task.

There is no battle.

The angel simply “lays hold on the dragon and binds him for a thousand years.”

“…and shut him up…”

The Angel also has the power to “shut him up.”

The angel slams the bars to his cell and locks up Satan.

Satan’s power over the earth will be temporarily stripped from him as well.

“…and set a seal upon him…”

There are several ways in which seals are used historically and in the bible.

· to put something under seal for keeping or protection like “canning.”

· in ancient times a seal would be placed upon wounded soldiers so that the medical staff could identify those that needed attention with the highest priority

· to put a stamp of approval, or as identification of the rightful owner; signet ring of a king given to stewards so that items could be set aside or purchased for the king

· the seal of a king, prince, or a noble represented a “lock” for security.

For some prisoners under lock and key, a seal was placed upon the lock preventing any contact with the prisoner.

The seal identified the prisoner was being held with special circumstances that only the bearer of the signet could change.

a.

For example, when King Darius cast Daniel into the lion’s den, he placed his seal upon the entrance, meaning that no one could open the gate without his permission.

Anyone doing soul so would forfeit his life (Daniel 6:17).

b.

The day following Jesus’ crucifixion, the chief priests and Pharisees approached Pilot and asked that a guard be placed to ensure that the disciples of Jesus would not steal His body.

Once the disciples had placed Jesus body in the tomb, it was “sealed”, and a group of soldiers were placed to watch over the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66).

In the seventh chapter of Revelation, 144,000 men of the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed by God (Rev 7:4).

“…that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled…”

For a millennium, Satan’s influence upon mankind will be canceled.

The earth will turn move on from the destruction of the judgments to a world where the influence of the deceiver will not be felt for one thousand years.

“…and after that he must be loosed a little season…”

After the earthly reign of Christ, Satan will be let loose from the abyss, for a “little season.”

“Little season” is just that, a short time which is not identified.