REVELATION CHAPTER 20

Revelation 20:1-6

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.

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

This "angel" is not Jesus Himself but is a ministering spirit that Jesus has given authority to. This angel comes from heaven (near the throne). We can assume from this that Jesus has turned the key to the bottomless pit over to this specific angel and has given him power and authority for this job. This "great chain" in this angel's hand, shows the power God has given him over the devil for this task, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.

The key shows authority, and the chain depicts imprisonment and binding. Before the millennial kingdom begins, Satan is bound in the Abyss. Satan

When he bound the devil for the 1000 years, the angel put him in the abyss, not in the burning hell. This burning hell was reserved for his final punishment.

Here we see the devil spoken of as the dragon which we read about in a previous lesson. We also see him recognized as the serpent. You see, he was the one who deceived Eve in the garden. The devil will not be here on the earth to harass the Christians until the millennial 1000 year reign of Jesus is over.

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.

The seal indicates God's authority and guarantee that Satan will not be released until a thousand years have passed. During the Millennium (Latin for "one thousand years") Satan will not be able to tempt or deceive the nations. Any temptation to sin during the Millennium must come from within those people who are born after the kingdom begins. It must be assumed that all of Satan's demons or fallen angels are also imprisoned at this time (Isaiah 24: verses 21-23).

Isaiah 24: verses 21-23

Christ will reign on earth without opposition, and His kingdom will be characterized by righteousness, peace, and love (Isaiah 2: verses 3 and 4; 11: verses 3-5, 2; Dan 7: verse14; Zech. 14: verse 9). However, after the thousand years Satan will be released for a short while (v.7-9).

Isaiah 2: 3 Many people shall come and say, " Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Isaiah 2: 4; He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Isaiah 11: 3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

Isaiah 11:5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.

Dan 7: 14; Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Zech. 14: 9 And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be --- " The LORD is one," And His name one.

At the end of the 1000 years, Satan will once again be released to deceive the nations. He will find many unsaved descendants of those who lived through the millennium. There will be a very large number as we are told in verse eight as they will be like the sand of the seashore or a vast uncountable multitude.

Satan's deceptive way of getting those sinners to revolt against God is not revealed, but it will fit into God's plan when He destroys those rebels. These rebels will come from the four corners of the earth is and this is also known as Gog and Magog. The first mention of Gog and Magog was in Ezek. Chapters 38 and 39 (which I suggest reading), and is mentioned here in verse eight. Gog and Magog

20:4 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.

Many of the writers do not believe that this thousand years is a literal time. I personally do. They believe that this is spiritual, and that Jesus bound the devil when He defeated him on the cross. If that were so, who is this terrible thing that has been nipping at my heels all the time that I have been working for God. The devil is real. Just as he brought trials and tribulation (with permission from God) on Job, Christians are allowed to go through tribulation here on this earth to make them strong. Believe me; the devil is not locked up now.

In the scripture above, we find that the martyrs and those who refuse to take the mark of the beast will reign with Christ right here on this earth. Christians, from all generations, will live here on this earth during the millennium and will rule and reign with the Lord Jesus. We will rule with Christ during those years but we will not be equal as we will reign as His subordinates. Won't it be wonderful to reign with the martyrs like Stephen?

The thrones represent the administration of the messianic kingdom. Those whom John sees come to life are the Tribulation martyrs, who refused to worship the beast.

Christ will rule through three classes of kingdom administrators:

1.     Old Testament saints, who will be resurrected at this time;

Daniel 7:21       Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

            1 Cor. 6:2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?

2.     The apostles and the church (Matt. 19: verses 28); and

So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

3.     Tribulation saints. Only believers will enter the Millennium at its beginning (John 3: verses 3 - 5).

John 3:5 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4     Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

5          Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God

5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Two set of people will resurrect

1.     Resurrection of righteous people

2.     Resurrection of Wicked People

Dan 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

John 5:29  and come forth --- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Now we will see righteous resurrection

1.     The resurrection of the church (the dead in Christ - 1 Cor. 15: v.23; 1 Thess. 4: v.16); and

1 Cor.15: 23         But each one in his own order: Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

Revelation 20 : 7-10

Rev. 20:7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

Rev. 20:8        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.

Rev. 20:9        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.

Rev. 20:10      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.

Rev. 20:7        Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison

Event already mentioned in the verse 4 end of the 1000 year satan loose for a while.

Now the 1000 years were completed so the satan released from his prison. As we know satan quality will be deceive the people. Even revelation

Rev 12:9  So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Rev. 20:8        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.

When he released from his prison he started his job  to deceive the nations, that mean people. Here it mentioned 4 corners of earth that mean entire earth.

Gog & Magog

About the Gog & Magog we can see in Ezekiel 38 & 39. Ezekiel mentioned about the great war there. In the same way in the last days we will get the final war between Good and evil. For in this war only Satan gathered in unbelievers and start fight with Jesus and believer.

Rev. 20:9        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.

This fight was take place mainly to attack the beloved city that called Jerusalem because all right now all the saints are staying here only. But God destroy the satan by his fire from heaven.

Rev. 20:10      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.

Finally the devil casted out into the lake of fire. Here after no more devil. No more devceing the people.

^{Revelation 20:11-15}

Rev. 20:11           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.

Rev. 20:12      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.

Rev. 20:13      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.

Rev. 20:14      Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Rev. 20:15      And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev. 20:11      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.

- God is Spirit and therefore earth and sky cannot dwell in his presence. Notice the similarity with the effect of Christ’s presence at the second coming recorded in the sixth seal (6:14) 'The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place', and the seventh bowl (16:20) 'Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found'. His throne is white indicating the holiness of the person seated on it. Daniel saw a throne and 'the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze' the whiteness of his clothing indicating purity and the whiteness of his hair indicating age and wisdom. Osborne has "fled from his face" rather than presence, cf. 6:16 "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" cf. the saints in 22:4 "They will see his face".

Rev. 20:12      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.

 - In Daniel's vision of the Ancient of Days it is a court scene and books were also opened (Dan 7:10). The books record what each man has done.

Dan 7:10         We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.

The book of life (Psa. 69:28, Phil 4:3, Rev 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27) records those chosen before the .

Psa. 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, And not be written with the righteous.

Phil. 4:3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

creation of the world (Eph 1:4, Rev 17:8).

Eph. 1:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;

The books contain the record of each man’s actions, and they were judged by what they had done (Mat 16:27, 25:41 ff., Acts 17:31, Rom 2:6, 1 Cor 4:5, 2 Cor 5:10, 2 Tim 4:1, 1 Pet 4:5, Heb 4:13, Jude 1:14-15). Our works reveal whether our faith is true faith (James 2:14-18). Even Paul, the preacher of justification by faith alone, insisted that God's judgement is according to works (Rom 2:6-16, 14:10-12, 1 Cor 3:13-15, 2Cor 5:10, 9:6, 11:15, Gal 6:7 cf. Col 3:35, Eph 6:8, 2 Tim 4:14). The parable of the sheep and goats reveal those who belong to Christ by what they had done, those who do good to God's people are doing good to Jesus (Mat 25:31). Those who persecute God's people are persecuting Christ as Paul found out (Acts 9:4).

Rev. 20:13      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.

 - Hades is the abode of the dead (Isa 24:22). The mention of sea giving up its dead is to emphasise that everyone will be judged, there is no escape. Again as in the previous verse this verse indicates that each person is judged by what he has done (see also 22:12). The anglican prayer book, written by reformers, has ‘in thought, word or deed’. Do our actions, by which we are judged, include our thoughts?

Rev. 20:14      Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

- Hades contains all the people who have died, Hades gives up its dead and then it is thrown into the fire because its job is done, it is no longer needed. Physical death no longer occurs so therefore death was thrown into the fire to become the second death. Death and Hades form a couplet as in Rev 6:8 because after death Hades becomes the abode of the dead, neither are needed and so they go to the lake of fire. The Lake of fire is where the beast, the false prophet and the devil are already in torment. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 1 Cor. 15:26.

1 Cor. 15:26 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.

Rev. 20:15      And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

 - The lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels (Mat 25:41),

Mat 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

those who side with Satan will join him eventually (Rev 13:8, 20:10). This is not impersonal suffering, but it is in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb (14:10). The only way to avoid going to the lake of fire is to be in the book of life (Ps 69:28, Phil 4:3, Rev 3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 21:27), that is to be an overcomer in this life and over the beast and his image (Rev 3:5, see also 21:7-8). Those whose names are in the book of life will be delivered (Dan 12:1) and will live in the new Jerusalem (21:27). The sinners in Isa 33:14 ask 'Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?'

This verse should be seen in the context of all the NT teaching. It shows the end of all those who persist in rebellion against God. However the NT is clear that Jesus came into the world to save mankind, John 3:16-21, Rev 1:5-6. We need to remind ourselves that the symbol of Christ used in Revelation is that of a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain (5:6). In 1:5 Jesus is the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood. In 7:14 the great multitude from all nations have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev 22:14 has a blessing for those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city, the New Jerusalem. We are reminded in 21:6 of the promise from God himself "To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life." There is also the dual invitation in Rev 22:17 "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life". This invitation comes from the Spirit and the bride, that is the church, the church on earth issues the invitation to all who will believe, this invitation is also given by God Himself (21:6). Nothing could be clearer, God does not delight in the death of the wicked. It is not God, but our deeds that put us into the lake of fire, we are judged by God, for what we have done (20:13).  Our deeds follow us into the next life whether good or bad (see 14:13). See also the comments at the end of the section on ‘The message of Revelation’.

Fortunately, God sent Jesus into the world to save sinners. Let us repent while it is still “today” and the last trumpet has not yet sounded.