REVELATION 20
THE ONE THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF CHRIST
We come now to the aftermath of that great turning point in Earth’s history when Christ fought the battle of Armageddon and returned again to Earth. Now, Revelation will take up the subject of Christ's long anticipated and prophesied thousand year reign. The theological term for this reign is the Millennium. This is a word that comes from the Latin word for one thousand. The Greek word is χίλια (chilia). It is used six times here in the first nine verses. Some theologians call those who believe in Christ’s literal thousand year reign on Earth, Chiliasts. There are three major theological positions in the Church today in connection with the millennial reign of Christ.
Post-millennialism is the view says that Christ will return after the Millennium. This position originated with Augustine who felt that the Church would dominate the world for a thousand years and then, afterwards, Christ would return. Many people hold various forms of post-millennialism. For many years, liberal Christianity held a humanistic post-millennialism that taught that man would get better and better until man himself would bring the Kingdom of God on Earth. But they didn't believe Christ would ever literally return. This position was popular early in the twentieth century but lost most of its adherents because of World Wars I and II.
A-millennialism says that there will be no Millennium. A-millennialists do not believe that Christ will literally reign on Earth but they do believe in his return. They simply see Christ as coming one day, judging the wicked and then going straight on into the new heavens and the new earth.
Pre-millennialism says that Christ will return before the Millennium. It is based on the literal, grammatical, historical interpretation of Scripture that interprets Scripture for what it says. Simply put, it says, If the literal sense makes sense seek no other sense. Pre-millennialists say that Christ's return to Earth will be followed by a literal thousand year reign just as the Bible predicts in Revelation 20:45. The pre-millennial view is the correct view, in my opinion, since it alone strictly adheres to consistent principles of Biblical interpretation. In other words, it is based on sound biblical hermeneutics. If you would like to read up on these all-important principles of Biblical interpretation, you might begin by reading Bernard Ramm's book, Protestant Biblical Interpretation.
The Old Testament is replete with prophecies that predict the future millennial reign of Christ on Earth. Before we proceed with our study here, it would be profitable for us to look at a few such prophesies from one Old Testament prophet that had a great deal to say about Christ’s millennial reign … the prophet Isaiah. He said:
There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 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; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faithfulness the belt of his waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek him, and his resting place shall be glorious. It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; together they shall plunder the people of the East; they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; and the people of Ammon shall obey them. The LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; with his mighty wind he will shake his fist over the River, and strike it in the seven streams, and make men cross over dry-shod. There will be a highway for the remnant of his people who will be left from Assyria, as it was for Israel in the day that he came up from the land of Egypt. Isaiah 11
I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. Isaiah 41:18-20
For the LORD will comfort Zion, he will comfort all her waste places; he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:3
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. Isaiah 55:13
As you can see from these words of Isaiah, the Old Testament scriptures speak in no uncertain terms about the future glorious and literal reign of Messiah on Earth. The Jewish people were, and still are, correctly anticipating it.
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Rev. 20:1-3
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
Following the battle of Armageddon, Christ will literally set foot on the Mount of Olives. And, as he touches down there, he will cause huge topographical changes to the entire area. Then, he will proceed on into Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate and proceed on up to the temple. There, he will remain to govern and reign over all the Earth for one thousand years. As you have it in Zechariah 14:34:
Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and the half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (KJV)
Our text states that Christ's first order of business will be to remove Satan from the Earth and confine him to the Abyss for a thousand years. Back in chapter 12, you will remember that Satan was tossed out of Heaven and restricted to the Earth at the beginning of the Great Tribulation. You will also remember, from that passage, that it was Michael the archangel and the other good angels of God who bodily expelled Satan and his demons from Heaven. I strongly suspect that the angel we find here, the angel with a great chain is Michael as well. My, how Satan will hate that, aye!? Satan’s demons will also be confined to the Abyss during the Millennium. Isaiah supplies us with that information:
It shall come to pass in that day that the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones, and on the earth the kings of the earth. They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his elders, gloriously. Isaiah 24:21-23
In addition, our text tells us that the purpose of Satan's confinement will be so, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. The presence of Satan on Earth complicates the nature of man’s sin problem today. Without Satan’s presence and influence, however, and in contrast to the righteous reign of Christ, the manifestation of man’s sin nature will become much more apparent and predictable. During the Millennium, no-one will be able to say, The Devil made me do it! On the contrary, all anyone will be able to say about their wickedness will be, Yes, I did it. So, for one thousand years the nature of man will be tested and displayed for what it truly is and man's total depravity will clearly be demonstrated apart from any interference or influence from Satan whatsoever (Romans 3:9-18).
Now, let’s consider the identity of the nations that our text mentions, who the Devil will no longer be able to deceive. Who might they be? Well, Jesus said there would be a judgment of the nations that would take place at the beginning of his reign on Earth. As you have it in Matthew 25:31-46:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, 'Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you? And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. 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: 'for I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
This famous passage is probably one of the most misunderstood, and often taken out of context, passages in the Bible. Jesus was not speaking about the Rapture of the Church, as is so often taught and preached on that passage. He was not even talking to the Church. As far as the Church is concerned, there will never be any dividing of saints from non-saints, anywhere or at any time. Christ specifically says that this event, described in Matthew, will follow his coming in glory with all his holy angels. This is a clear reference to his Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. As you have it in Second Thessalonians 1:7-9:
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God [battle of Armageddon], and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: [after the preaching of the 144,000, the two witnesses and God's angel who circumvented the globe] who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power…
So, Matthew 25 is all about the aftermath of Christ’s Second Coming and what will take place at the beginning of his millennial reign. At that time, those who are left alive at the end of the Great Tribulation, will be gathered before Christ Jesus to be divided like sheep being separated from goats. This is the Judgment of the Nations. The actual Greek word translated nations there is ἔθνη (ethnay). It refers to people from every ethnic group. This will be a very unusual and unique judgment. The sole criteria for this judgment will be precisely how each individual person from every remaining ethnic group on Earth has treated Christ's brethren during the dark days of the Great Tribulation. On that basis alone, people will either enter the Millennium … or be sent away to the Lake of Fire. In reality, this will be the final separation of the remaining Tribulation saints from the surviving wicked Earth-dwellers at the end of the Tribulation. At this judgment, the righteous (those saints who cared for and helped Christ’s brethern during the Tribulation), will be welcomed into his Millennial reign. Their faith, you see, was demonstrated by their actions. Real faith always demonstrates itself by its good works and also its love for the people of God. As you have it in First Peter 1:22:
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently… (KJV)
As a result of the Judgment of the ethnos, many people from a wide variety of ethnic groups and nations will enter and preserve their individual national identities in the Millennium. Both Zechariah and Jeremiah speak about these leftover seed nations who will constitute the new populations of the Earth during Christ's reign. Both Zechariah and Jeremiah speak of this.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations (following the Judgment of the Nations cited above) which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah 14:16
At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts. Jeremiah 3:17
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Rev. 20:4-6
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
20:4
There are two different groups of saints here who will have important administrative roles during the Millennium. The first group that John saw were seated upon thrones. John says, judgment was committed to them. This group is the Church. The scriptures are clear about the fact that the Church will one day sit on thrones and judge the world. During the Millennium, these promises will come to pass. Consider the following scriptures:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? First Corinthians 6:2
If we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. Second Timothy 2:12
And he who overcomes, and keeps my works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'; as I also have received from my Father… Revelation 2:26-27
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.’ Matthew 19:28
The Matthew 19 passage speaks of the special position that the Apostles, the founders of the Church, will hold in regard to Israel during the Millennium.
The second group of people who will reign with Christ are the Tribulation Saints. Our text identifies them as, those who had been beheaded for the witness to Jesus who had not worshiped the beast or his image. It says that they also, lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
This vision caused John to exclaim, Blessed and holy is he who has a part in the first resurrection. They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Both of the above mentioned groups will have a part in the first resurrection and will serve Christ on the Earth during the Millennium. Notice, they are said to be immune to the second death. Verse fourteen, defines what that is for us. It is important to understand that the first resurrection is not one single event in time. Rather, it is a concept that incorporates more than one event and more than one time. It is a theological term that refers to the resurrection of all righteous people regardless of when, where or how their individual resurrection might occur. The first resurrection has been called the resurrection of the just, as opposed to the second resurrection, which could be called, the resurrection of the damned. Dr. McGee likens the first resurrection to a parade. At the beginning of the parade is the Grand Marshal, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the firstborn from the dead. There will be many others who will follow him. Paul writes in Acts 26:23:
…that the Christ would suffer, that he would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.
Next in line in the parade of the first resurrection are the dead in Christ who will be resurrected at the Rapture of the Church. As you have it in First Thessalonians 4:16:
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Following them, still other saints will experience their part in the first resurrection. There will be the resurrection of pre-Mosaic Old Testament Saints (Adam to Moses). And, there will be the resurrection of Israel (Daniel 12:2). And finally, there will be the resurrection of the Tribulation Saints. Although we are not given the exact times in Scripture as to these last three resurrections, nevertheless it seems certain they will take place at or near the end of the Great Tribulation. Daniel, speaking of the resurrection of Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation, says:
At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:12
Notice that this prophecy, given to Daniel in the context of the events of the Great Tribulation, clearly places the resurrection of Israel at the end of the Great Tribulation. At that time, godly Israelites, who were under the Old Covenant, will be resurrected to enter Messiah's Kingdom on Earth, just as the Scripture promises them. For example, Ezekiel said that David himself would one day enter the kingdom to rule over Israel once again. We read:
Therefore I will save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. Ezekiel 34:22-24 (KJV)
The resurrection of the pre-law saints will also occur at the Lord's Second Coming, at or near the end of the Great Tribulation. Job fills in this piece of the puzzle when he says:
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me [i.e. ... frightened out of his wits]. Job 19:25-27
20:5
Our passage states, But the rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were finished. All other people who have died, from Adam's day to the last day, who did not have a part in the first resurrection, will not be resurrected until the thousand years are finished. This vast multitude of peoples will not experience their resurrection until all the ranks of the wicked of all time have been completely filled. Many such, I'm sorry to say, will die during the reign of Christ on Earth. Their resurrection is called, by default, the second resurrection. or the resurrection of the damned. It will consist exclusively of wicked human beings from all of human history. We will read the sobering account of it at the end of this chapter.
20:6
Without comment, let's simply read this wonderful verse again … Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Amen!
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Rev. 20:7-10
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 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. 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. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where [NU inserts “also”] the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
For a thousand years, the Earth will experience unprecedented peace and righteousness under the benevolent but strict reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. I say “strict” because that is what egocentric sinners will continue to require. This is why our text says that the Lord will rule them with a rod of iron. Saved sinners will enter the Millennium but multitudes of unsaved sinners will be born during the thousand year reign of Christ. Those offspring will possess the same sin nature that mankind has always possessed and they will need to be saved and sanctified by faith in the Son of God … just as people today need to be. Death will also exist in the Millennium but, according to the Scripture, it will be rare. Isaiah tells us the world will be repopulated during the Millennium and also that mankind will have its longevity restored. He prophesies that life spans will once again be as they were in the days of Methuselah, who lived nine hundred and sixty nine years (Genesis 5:25-26).
No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. Isaiah 65:2021
Doubtless, by the end of the Millennium, there will once again be billions of people on Earth. However, Isaiah also says, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. This statement makes it clear that for many, a thousand years of righteousness and absolute justice will wear very thin indeed. To those people, there will probably be nothing worse, in their thinking, than having to live one more day under the righteous rule of Christ. Zechariah referred to people of that “ilk” when he said:
And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah 14:17-18
This is an example of the exercise of Christ's rod of iron.
20:7-8
We come now to an amazing prophecy to consider. We read here that, after the thousand years has expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations. Why would Christ do that? Someone has said, Well, if you can tell me why God turned him loose the first time, I'll tell you why he turns him loose the second time! There is ample evidence here, however, as to just why Satan will be released. When he is released from the Abyss, this great archenemy of God, and his Christ, will go forth to serve like a giant magnet to once again draw and assemble together all of the world’s malcontents. They will come together to make one last desperate rebellion. Incredible as it sounds, once again multitudes will march against the Holy City and against our blessed Lord, just as the armies of their ancient forefathers had done, a thousand years before, at the great battle of Armageddon. It is at this precise point in time that Psalm 2 will actually be fulfilled in history. I give it here in its entirety.
Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath, and distress them in his deep displeasure: yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to me, 'You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.
Our text says, when Satan was released, he went throughout the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. The Old Testament prophecy of Gog and Magog is found in Ezekiel 38 and 39. It greatly amplifies this future, amazing, and final rebellion against Christ. There, Christ's final battle with the Evil One and his armies is given in great detail. Here are some of its more pertinent parts:
Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops; many people are with you. Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you. 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: you will say, 'I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates'; to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. Ezekiel 38:1-11
Clearly, these words can only apply to Satan's final rebellion at the end of the Millennium. Ezekiel continues:
Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes. … And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD, ’that my fury will show in my face.’… And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify myself and sanctify myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’ Ezekiel 38:15-16, 18, 22-23
Also, the next chapter, Ezekiel 39, has to do with the aftermath of the battle of God and Magog … not the battle of Armageddon as so many have taught. It is clear from Ezekiel 39 that the Millennium itself will continue the perfecting of Israel. Strange as it may sound, many Jews who will be born during Christ's thousand year reign, will not respond in faith to Christ and therefore will not understand who Jesus Christ truly is (keep in mind that we are still under the days of the seventh trumpet here and the mystery of God is still not complete). As for these biblical names, Gog and Magog, there has been much speculation. They refer to specific ancient cities in the territory of what is now Russia. Apparently, these cities will be restored during the Millennium and will reassume their ancient biblical names. It seems that they will also be hotbeds of discontent and rebellion that will play a major role at the end of the Millennium.
20:9
From Ezekiel's prophecy, we learn that Satan's final rebellion and subsequent invasion of the Promised Land (and its beloved city, Jerusalem) will come out of the north. At that time, just as Ezekiel predicted, (and also as it is seen here in our text) fire from heaven will consume Satan's enormous and last army. Then, we read, the Devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSING FLOW, Amen? The great tempter, deceiver, accuser of the brethren, liar, murderer, and tormentor of the human race will, on that great day, be permanently dealt with once and for all … never to be heard from again! Our Lord Jesus Christ will summarily consign him to the lake of fire and brimstone just as easily as he previously deposited the beast and the false prophet there at the battle of Armageddon. Satan's downward spiral will then be complete. Having fallen from Heaven to Earth, then from Earth to the Abyss, he will ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone … which will be his final and eternal abode.
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Rev. 20:11-15
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. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before [NU omits “God” adds “the throne”], 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. 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. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
20:11-12a
After Satan's final rebellion, at least seven months will go by. This is to allot for the time that Ezekiel said would be required to bury all the bodies of those who came up against the Lord. As you have it in Ezekiel 39:12:
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. (KJV)
Following that, the dissolving of this world and its present universe followed by the judgment of the great white throne will take place. As it is described here, the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. Peter put it this way:
But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. … But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Second Peter 3:7, 10-12
Jesus said:
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:35
On the day of which we are reading, these scriptures will be fulfilled. The universe, as we know it, will pass away with a great noise. The Big Bang theory is only half right. But, they have it backwards. The Big Bang comes at the end of the universe not the beginning. It did not create the universe but it surely will end it! Then, suddenly, like being caught like a thief in the night, the wicked of all time will find themselves resurrected and standing before a great white throne. Theologians call this The Great White Throne Judgment. No unsaved and ungodly person who has ever lived will be absent from this event. Verse thirteen says death, hell and the sea delivered up the dead that were in them. That just about covers it, doesn't it? All people from all time, who did not have a part in the first resurrection, will be raised at this second resurrection to stand for judgment before Almighty God at his great white throne.
I had a non-Christian friend once, with whom I discussed this judgment. He found it difficult to believe that God would be able to resurrect bodies from the sea after so many years had elapsed. He argued they would have simply disintegrated. I told him that his god was too small. He then replied, partially in jest but with a disturbing vein of seriousness, Well, I won't be judged there because I’m just not going to show up! The fact remains, however, that unless my college friend has since come to Christ (and I still pray that he does), he will absolutely have no choice. On that day, after the entire universe has been dissolved, he will find himself standing in the midst of all the rest of the wicked of all time at this fearful and final judgment.
20:12b-13
John says, and books were opened. God keeps track of men's deeds. And, He needs no books to do so. These books are for men's benefit to read, not his. I they wish, I suspect they will be free to read in them to their heart’s content. Verse thirteen says, And they were judged, each one according to his works. One can only imagine the sobering and fearful effect this will have on lost sinners as they are shown all the wicked words, thoughts and deeds they have ever been a party to during their lifetimes. All who have been summoned to the Great White Throne judgment will be examined and meticulously evaluated in light of what is written in the books before them. All will be fair. All will be accurate. Now, believe me, I surely would never want to stand before Holy God solely on the basis of my good works, would you?! Let me give you a few scriptures as to why:
But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isaiah 64:6
…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 2:16
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior: that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:5-7 (KJV)
Jesus said:
But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37
The second and third stanzas of that great old hymn, Rock of Ages, says it well:
Lost souls, who find themselves at the Great White Throne Judgment, will all too quickly discover just how inadequate the filthy rags of their own perceived good deeds will be … before Holy God. Before his righteous gaze, their multitude of evil deeds and words will be exposed to the light. The filthiness of each individual will be glaring and inescapable. Jesus said that not only will very wicked, thoughtless, blasphemous, and unloving, word will be brought up … but an explanation will be demanded for them as well. When the books are opened at the Great White Throne Judgment, men’s puny cases for their own righteousness will evaporate away like tiny puffs of steam in a hurricane. May we step aside here for a moment? Did you notice that sin wasn't mentioned here at all? Why is that? Well, it’s because the sin question was forever settled at the cross … not just in relation to you and I, but in relation to the whole world! The whole world has been reconciled to God, through the death of his Son, you see. As you have it in First John 2:2:
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
God's wrath towards sin has already been propitiated (satisfied) at the cross. It's no longer an issue between God and man. As you have it in Second Corinthians 5:18-21:
Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
I repeat … sin is no longer an issue between God and man. The issue today is, How has a person responded to this fact and to God’s Son? As you have it in John 3:36:
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
This is why sin is not taken up at the White Throne Judgment … just works … followed by the issue of whether or not one's name is found in the Lamb's Book of Life (verse 16). Notice that the destiny of those who will stand before the Great White Throne will be based solely on the presence or absence of their name in that one all-important book. The only question will be whether or not one's name is or is not found in that book. It will have nothing at all to do with men's works … which have just been examined. As far as eternal life is concerned, the only thing that God will hold man accountable for is how they have responded to his Son. As you have it in I John 5:11-12:
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
At the Great White Throne judgment, I believe that the books of works will be opened just to demonstrate the true nature of each life that chose to exclude God's Son and live out their lives apart from him. This thorough demonstration of the works of each person’s life will be fresh on their minds when the Lamb's Book of Life is opened to see if any of any of these wicked people are found written therein. But, they will not find a single one there. Only those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, having accepted the gracious gift of God's salvation through his Son’s shed blood, will have their names written in that book. That's why it’s called the Lamb's Book of Life (verse 8). It is not a book of works, as were the others. It is a record of faith. It contains the names of all those who have believed in Christ and have had their sins washed away forever in the blood of the Lamb … and have received his free gifts of righteousness and eternal life. Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 10:20:
Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
The Apostle Paul also speaks of this book.
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. Philippians 4:3
Doubtless, it will be a horror beyond description when people have lost any hope in their supposed good works and then hear the awful words, No, Lord, his name … her name … is not here. Dear reader, is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? Believe me, no one will ever enter Heaven on the basis of their good works. Faith in Christ alone fits one for that holy place. Second Corinthians 5:21 says:
For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
Righteousness is a gift, you see. It fits you for Heaven. It is imputed by God to anyone who places their trust and hope squarely in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you a real believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, you have Christ’s own righteousness. It has already been imputed to you. And, amazingly, you are now as righteous as he is! I say that reverently, because I have God's word on it. We believers have been given God’s own righteousness. It has been counted to us as our own (Romans 4:21-24). Isn't that wonderful? What a trade, aye? He took our sin and, in return, we have been given Christ's own righteousness. That’s why Romans 8:1 can say:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Let me say one more word about these books of works here at the great white throne. I strongly suspect that these books will also be used to determine the extent of punishment that each individual will experience in the Lake of Fire. Not all will be punished alike. Jesus spoke of the fact that some will have fewer stripes (Luke 12:48). That will be scant consolation, however, to all who must spend eternity in outer darkness. Nevertheless, there will be degrees of punishment there.
20:14-15
Finally here, John says death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. I like that. I like that a lot. My dad and mother died not too long ago and I have come to hate death more than ever. It bothers me to think about their bodies laying out there in the graveyard. But, praise God, death itself will be dealt with at the Great White Throne Judgment. There will be no more purpose for death or Hell after that, you see. There will be no more dying because there will be no more sinning. Hell, the temporary holding place today of all the wicked dead (Luke 16:19-31), will no longer have a purpose either. After the Great White Throne Judgment, all death and Hell and judgment will be past. The wicked will have been fairly judged and disposed of and all of Christ's enemies will have been put under his feet, including death and Hell itself. As you have it in First Corinthians 15:25-26:
For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
NOW ... THE MYSTERY OF GOD will be COMPLETE (10:6-7)! We have come to the end of the days of the sounding of the seventh trumpet, you see, and everyone … everyone in whole wide universe will know who Jesus Christ truly is. PRAISE GOD FOR THAT GREAT COMING DAY!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
