Revelation 20

A Brief Look at Revelation 20

            In Revelation 20, the reader is being taken to the point of time that we would refer to as the Millennium, or the Millennial reign of Christ.  Before this time occurs, there will be two major events concerning two different people groups.  The two groups that will be dealt with are the church and the nation of Israel.  For the church, the very next event to occur is the Rapture of the church.  As we know, this event is eminent, meaning that there is nothing preventing this event from happening.  It can be at any moment.  The second event that will occur will deal with the nation of Israel, and that is the time we refer to as the tribulation period, or the seventieth week of Daniel, also many times referred to as the time of Jacob’s trouble. After these events come to their conclusion, the next event in the eschatological timetable is the time of the millennial reign of Christ.  So, let’s take a brief look at this time period. First, the very word “millennium” means one thousand.  This is the one-thousand-year time period that comes after the tribulation period. After the seven-year tribulation comes the second coming of Christ to rule on earth for those thousand years.  In Psalm 2:8, we see the invitation from the Father to His Son to rule the nations.  It says, “Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.” 

            There are three main thoughts pertaining to the millennium.  The first view is a millennialism that believes the thousand years are not literal, but rather a symbolic number representing the age we are currently in.   The second view is that of the postmillennialism.  This view holds also that the thousand years are not literal, but rather that the church will usher in a golden time of peace, and after that time the Lord will return.  Finally, the third view is that of premillennialism.  This is the view that I hold, and I pray that you also hold to this view.  This view states that Jesus will come again after the time of the tribulation to rule on earth for a literal one thousand years.

            So now that we have an introduction to the idea of the millennium, let’s look at a bit of Scripture from Revelation 20.  In verses one through three, we see that the devil is bound and cast into the abyss for the thousand years. The word abyss means bottomless pit.   It is interesting that John wants us to know for sure who it is that is being bound for these thousand years.  Notice in verse two, he uses four names for Satan. He uses the names dragon, serpent, Devil and Satan.  Satan will be bound in this abyss for a thousand years. By the way, he is not ruling this abyss.  He is there as a punishment and is in chains, so you can imagine the anger that is brewing over a thousand years and how angry he will be when released one thousand years later.  We know that after these thousand years, Satan will be released for a brief time according to verse seven.  The good news comes just a few verses away in verse 10 where we see that Satan will then be eternally doomed to Hell and punished with the beast and the false prophet, and this torment will be forever, day and night.

            In verse four, we see the idea of judgment and resurrection. John speaks of two groups here.  First is those enthroned in Heaven with the authority to rule who are those saints from the church age or the bride of Christ.  John also sees all the martyrs of the tribulation period who refused to take the mark of the beast.  Both of these groups will reign with Christ during the millennium.  In verse five, it says that the rest of the dead did not rise until after the millennium.  Those spoken of here are the unbelievers of all the ages.  We are also told that this is the first resurrection.  The idea of the first resurrection refers back to verse four.  The first resurrection is not a single event, but rather an event that consists of multiple resurrections.  This resurrection includes the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:23), the resurrection of those who are Christ’s when He raptures the church, (1 Thes. 4:13-18), the resurrection of the two witnesses whose bodies will lie in the street (Rev. 11:11), and the resurrection of the tribulation saints.  To sum this idea up, the first resurrection includes the resurrection of Christ and all true believers, though they are raised at different times and occur in several stages. 

            In conclusion, this chapter ends with judgment of Satan and all the unbelievers.  Take notice that the beast and the false prophet are still in hell after one thousand years, and thus, this disproves the false teaching of annihilation or the thought that you are just done at death; you just no longer exist.  This is a false teaching that tries to extinguish the flames of Hell.  In verse eleven, we are introduced to the great white-throne judgment.  This is referred to as white because of the purity and perfection of the decisions handed down.  As the books are opened, all the unbelievers are righteously judged.  It says that the sea gave up the dead which were in them, and they were judged according to their deeds.  If any of these who will be judged who will not have their names written in the book of life, they will be thrown into the lake of fire forever.  At this judgment, none of these being judged will find their names in the book of life.  

            For the believer, those who are born again, we see that death has been defeated at this time.  Death has been thrown into the lake of fire.  What a terrible thought to think that those in Hell will not only have to deal with the eternal torment of Hell, and the eternal separation of God, but they will also be in a place where death remains.  As a born-again believer, we are truly blessed. We will forever more be with the Lord.  Let’s make sure we are prayed up, and keep looking up, for soon, we as believers, are going up.  

Pastor Jeff