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The Millennium and Beyond

Revelation 20: "Satin's Future"

Topical Index

Let's Get Started

This chapter reveals something that is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible: The thousand year reign of Jesus on earth or, as we have already called it, the Millennium. Before it can begin, though, two things must happen: Jesus must return, and Satan's rule must come to an end. Chapter 19 covered the Second Coming of Christ, so now its time to look at the demise of Satan.

What Others are Saying:

Jack Van Impe: To have a thorough understanding of the word millennium, lets look at the original language derivatives for this word. In Latin, mille means thousand; annus means years. The Greeks also had a term for this which they called chilias meaning one thousand. Whenever we use the terms millennial, millennialism, or chiliasm, the meaning is always a thousand years. ^20-1

The Key to The Abyss

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.

An unnamed, but seemingly ordinary, angel will come from heaven to earth. He will have the key to the Abyss that will be taken from Satan when the devil is cast out of heaven in Revelation 12:7–9. The angel will also have a great chain in his hand.

Key Symbols:

• The Unnamed Angel
• key
• open the Abyss
• great chain
• to bind Satan

What Others are Saying:

J. Vernon McGee: It is true that the Millennium is mentioned only in one chapter, but God mentions it six times. How many times does he have to say a thing before it becomes true? He mentions it more than he mentions some other things that people emphasize and think are important… ^20-2
David Jeremiah with C. C. Carlson: How else can we respond to the disciple's prayer, Thy kingdom come (Matthew 6:10 kjv), without the literal establishment of that kingdom? The Millennium is needed to redeem creation. We have been told of the terrible devastation of our planet; now it will be made new and beautiful once more. ^20-3
Hal Lindsey: The heart of the Old Testament prophetic message is the coming of the Messiah to set up an earthly Kingdom over which he would rule from the throne of David. The only important detail which Revelation adds concerning this promised messianic Kingdom is its duration, one thousand years. ^20-4

Not Before The Time Is Come

Revelation 20:2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

Obviously, since God is omnipotent, he could seize Satan anytime he wants. But the Bible says Satan's arrest will come at the end of the Tribulation Period. God will not jump the gun and violate his own Word. When the Tribulation Period is over, he will send one ordinary angel to seize and bind Satan for a thousand years.

Key Symbols:

• The Dragon
• Satan/Devil
• the ancient serpent

What Others are Saying:

Hal Lindsey: I don't really have any problem believing that God could make such a key and chain, since Satan has never really been free anyway. He's only been able to do what God has permitted. God has had him on a long leash, and now the time has come to pull it in! ^20-5
Jack Van Impe: These are the words (millennial, millennialism, chiliasm) of the early Church fathers, the leaders during the first three hundred years of Christianity. If, in their day, you did not believe in chiliasm, the reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years, you were considered a heretic. ^20-6

On the Brink

Revelation 20:3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

The angel will cast Satan, bound and chained, into the Abyss. This will keep Satan from deceiving the nations during the Millennium. Survivors from the Tribulation (the Tribulation Saints and the living Jews) will repopulate the earth, and people from all nations will go to Jerusalem once a year to worship Jesus (Zechariah 14:16).

Multitudes will be born during the Millennium. During that time, the offspring from the Tribulation Saints and Jews will not know what temptation (Isaiah 2:4; 11:9) is. There will be no real test of their faith. Satan will be released one more time to try them, and unfortunately, many will fall.

What Others are Saying:

Jack Van Impe: The Targum (Aramaic paraphrase of the Old Testament), Talmud (a vast compendium of Jewish law and lore), and Midrash (an interpretive method to penetrate the deepest meaning of a Hebrew passage) all have concluded there will be a literal thousand-year period when the Messiah will reign on earth. ^20-7

Raised At Last

Revelation 20:4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge refers to the Church and martyred Tribulation Saints. They will sit upon thrones and reign with Jesus during the Millennium. They will even be given the authority to judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2, 3).

The souls of those who had been beheaded refers to the martyred Tribulation Saints. They were beheaded for two reasons: because of their testimony for Jesus, and to fulfill the Word of God. These will be Gentiles and Jews who refused to worship the Antichrist or his image, and refused to take his Mark. After Satan is bound and chained, their souls will appear, and they will be raised from the dead in the fourth and final phase of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23; more on this in next verse).

Key Symbols:

• Thrones
• judgment seats for Christians

Remember This…

• You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).

Resurrection of Life

Revelation 20:5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

Jesus said, Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned (John 5:28, 29). The first resurrection is called the resurrection of life or the resurrection of believers. The second resurrection is called the resurrection of damnation or the resurrection of unbelievers. This verse reveals that there will be a thousand years between the two.

Perhaps some clarification would help. Some people think that the first resurrection means only one resurrection, but that is not the case. The first resurrection is a resurrection that began over 1,900 years ago and occurred in four phases (see Time Line #5):

The First Resurrection Phase 1: the resurrection of Christ and some Old Testament Saints Phase 2: the resurrection of the Church at the Rapture Phase 3: the resurrection of the two witnesses Phase 4: the resurrection of the Tribulation Saints and the remainder of the Old Testament Saints (Matthew 27:52-53; Daniel 12:1-3) at the end of the Tribulation Period

The Second Resurrection   the unbelievers at the end of the Millennium

The 144,000 and those believers who survive the Tribulation Period will not be resurrected since they will still be alive at the start of the Millennium.

Key Symbols:

• First Resurrection
• Resurrection of Life
• believers
• 4 phases
• Second Resurrection
• Resurrection of Damnation
• unbelievers
• end of the Millennium

A Thousand Year Reign

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

This tells us six things about those who will have a part in the first resurrection:

1. Blessed, they will be happy in their eternal state
2. Holy, they will be separated or identified as God's special people
3. Priests, they will minister to, and serve in the presence of God
4. Reign, they will be both a royal and a political priesthood (Revelation 5:10, 1 Peter 2:9)
5. A thousand years, the length of their earthly reign with Jesus
6. The second death has no power over them, they will never suffer the consequences of their sin by being cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20; 20:10) because they have been redeemed

Not Him Again

Revelation 20:7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison

With Satan bound during the Millennium, people will be shielded from temptation and sin. Sickness and disease will not exist and people will live to be hundreds of years old (Isaiah 65:18-24). A population explosion will occur. However, God is no respecter of persons. Those born during the Millennium will have to be tested just like everyone else. When the Millennium is over, the Abyss will be opened one more time, and Satan will be released to resume his old ways.

Key Point:

• Those born during the Millennium will be tested!

World War IV, One Last Try

Revelation 20:8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth — Gog and Magog — to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.

When Satan is released he will pick up where he left off. He will go out once again to deceive the nations.

Tempting those who were born during the Millennium will prove that eliminating sin is not as simple as changing our environment. Something is wrong with the very nature of man's heart (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 8:7, 8). Rebellion is our nature, and unless we are born again, we will never see change.

At the Battle of Gog and Magog Satan will repeat what he tried at the Battle of Armageddon. He will try one final time to become greater than God (Isaiah 14:12, 13; Revelation 12:9) by gathering a great horde of people from all over the world, including those from Gog and Magog.

Key Point:

• Rebellion is man's nature, and unless we are born again, we will never change.

What Others are Saying:

J. Vernon McGee: Because the rebellion is labeled "Gog and Magog," many Bible students identify it with the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38–39. This is not possible at all, for the conflicts described are not parallel as to time, place, or participants — only the names are the same. ^20-8
Hal Lindsey: War is one of his (Satan's) favorite enterprises. He gets together some of the descendants of the enemies of Israel (Gog and Magog) who were born during the Millennium, and surrounds Jerusalem. ^20-8

Foiled Once Again

Revelation 20:9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, the City of God (Psalm 87:2, 3; the camp of God's people), during his Millennial reign. Satan's army will march across the earth and surround the city, but just as God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24), he will again consume Satan's army with fire from heaven.

"God is love" is one of the great truths of the Bible, but we should also remember that God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). It is interesting that the only thing stopping the attack on Jerusalem is fire from heaven and the destruction of Satan. The message here is to not harm the things God loves.

Key Symbols:

• Camp of God's People
• Jerusalem (City of God)

Gone Forever

Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Satan will not be allowed to lure people into destruction any longer. His deceptive career will be brought to an end when he is captured and thrown into the Lake of Fire where the Antichrist and False Prophet already reside. Unfortunately for them, they will not be destroyed, but will suffer unending torment.

Key Symbols:

• Lake of Fire
• Lake of Burning Sulfur
• hell
• Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet, and unbelievers

What Others are Saying:

David Hocking: Those who are cast into hell are not annihilated as some religious groups teach. They experience torment forever and ever; it is an everlasting fire into which they are cast. Satan deserves it, and the justice of God demands it (Matthew 25:41). ^20-10
Hal Lindsey: I'm sure this doesn't bring any joy to God's heart. This creature, Satan, was God's most beautiful creation and here he ends in terrible infamy. ^20-11

The Great White Throne

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.

This is the judgment seat of Almighty God. The one who will be seated on it is not identified, but we have already seen that all judgment has been committed to Jesus (John 5:22). When preachers say people will have to face the judgment of God, this is the judgment most people think about. However, the only ones who will appear before this judgment seat are those who are lost.

Earth and sky fled from his presence is something that little is known about. The consensus seems to be that earth and heaven will be moved to make room for the new earth and new heaven (Isaiah 66:22). There was no place for them appears to indicate the old earth and old heaven will be destroyed (Matthew 24:35) after being removed.

Key Symbols:

• Great White Throne
• God's judgment seat for unbelievers

What Others are Saying:

John Hagee: When Scripture tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, you can be sure that this world will definitely end. There will be a last baby born, a last marriage performed, a last kiss, a last song, a last hurrah. ^20-12

They Get What They Have Coming

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The dead will stand before Jesus as he sits upon the Great White Throne. They will come from all walks of life: small and great, poor and rich, laborers and managers, peasants and kings. They will all stand before the court's judgment bar to be sentenced. Several books will be opened, each one is a "book of works" or a "book of deeds." These books will contain the thoughts, words, and deeds of each individual, and by these things they will be judged.

Another book will be opened, the Book of Life. It will contain the names of every person who ever lived, except those whose names were blotted out for sinning against God, denying Jesus, or adding to or taking away from the Scriptures. When a person is born, their name is recorded in the Book of Life. It remains there until they become accountable for their sins and choose to reject Jesus in their life.

When the judgment begins, the dead will get what they knew they had coming. They will be judged by their divine record, their deeds as recorded in God's own books. A surprise will come their way though, for none of them will reach heaven (Galatians 3:10). Only one thing remains, punishment. No mention will be made of salvation or the names in the Lamb's Book of Life, because these people did not accept Jesus as their Savior.

Key Point:

• By their thoughts, words, and deeds they will be judged.

What Others are Saying:

John Hagee: On one day still to come, every man, woman, and child will stand before Jesus Christ the Judge and acknowledge that he is Lord. ^20-13
Hal Lindsey: Some persons standing there will have so hardened their hearts that they accepted the Mark of the Beast during the Tribulation, and their names were immediately blotted out of the "Book of Life." ^20-14

Remember This…

• The Book of Life (Exodus 32:33; Revelation 3:4, 5; 22:19) is the list of all who were born once (every person who ever lived) minus the names of those who were removed for sinning against God, denying Jesus, or adding to or taking away from the Scriptures.
• The Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 21:27) is the list of all who were born twice (every person who truly accepts Jesus as their Savior).

All Will Be There

Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

Everyone will stand before the judgment seat, even those from the bottom of the sea. No one will escape the judgment of God because he will raise them all from the dead. He will even raise them from Hades, the temporary abode of the souls and spirits of the wicked. All will be judged as individuals according to their deeds.

The Bible teaches that man is destined to die once (Hebrews 9:27), and then he will face judgment. But believers and unbelievers will be raised separately and judged separately. Believers will go before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10) where their works will be judged. The purpose of this is not salvation or we would not be raised at this time. This is a judgment of works for the purpose of receiving rewards or crowns (see Remember This, Revelation 2:10). Unbelievers will go before the Great White Throne where their works will be judged also. The purpose of this is not salvation, but degrees of punishment.

What Others are Saying:

David Hocking: The word Hades is used eleven times in the New Testament and is to be distinguished from the word Gehenna, which refers to the final hell, the Lake of Fire. Hades is certainly like hell, a place of terrible torment, but it is the temporary abode of the wicked dead who await the Great White Throne Judgment and their final sentencing. ^20-15

By their thoughts, words, and deeds they will be judged.

Death and Hades Destroyed

Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

This will be the end of the first death, physical death. This is good news for believers but terrible news for unbelievers. They will want to die physically when they are raised from the dead, and cast into hell (Matthew 25:41), but that will no longer be possible. They will have new bodies that cannot be destroyed in the Lake of Fire, so their suffering will be eternal.

This will also be the end of Hades (1 Corinthians 15:26). An intermediate abode for the lost will no longer be necessary. When the earth is destroyed, people will be in one of two places: the heavenly city, or hell. (Time is running out!)

Will Your Name Be There?

Revelation 20:15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

When the sentence is rendered, one's eternal destiny will not be determined by their deeds, but by what is written in the Book of Life. God will make a careful search of the heavenly list.

The names of those who did not accept Jesus before they died will have been blotted out of the Book of Life. Their names will not be found, and they will join Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet in the Lake of Fire forever.

What Others are Saying:

Hal Lindsey: When God opens this book at the Great White Throne Judgment, the only names left in it will be the names of those who have believed in Christ as Savior and Lord. That's why the name of the book is changed from the "Book of Life" to the "Lamb's Book of Life." 20-16

Study Questions

• What will be the crime of those who will be beheaded during the Tribulation Period?
• What will be the position of those who are raised in the first resurrection?
• By what will those who stand before the Great White Throne be judged?
• Is there such a thing as degrees of punishment for unbelievers?
• Why will individuals be cast into the Lake of Fire?

Go to Answers

Chapter Wrap-up

• An angel, carrying a great chain, will bind Satan and cast him in the Abyss for a thousand years to keep him from deceiving the nations. (Revelation 20:1–3)
• Those believers who died during the Tribulation will be raised in the last phase of the first resurrection and will reign with Christ for the Millennium. Those who take part in the first resurrection will be blessed because they will not face the second death. (Revelation 20:4–6)
• After the thousands years, Satan will be released once again to test the faith of the nations. Unfortunately, many will fall and make war against God, but God will destroy them with fire and cast Satan into the Lake of Fire where he will suffer unending torment. (Revelation 20:7–10)
• Christ will sit on the Great White Throne and judge the dead. Those who's names are not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire to suffer the second death. (Revelation 20:11–15)

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