Revelation 20
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.
an angel- Perhaps Michael, who had earlier cast Satan to earth. (12:7-9)
the key- he has authority to open & shut the abyss.
a chain- he has authority to bind.
As demonic beings were bound in ages past (2Pet 2:4; Jude 1:6),
so Satan will be bound in the Millenial age to come.
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent,
which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Satan alone, of the unholy trinity, remains to be dealt with.
The beast & false prophet were previously cast into the Lake of Fire (19:20).
1000 years- Satan's binding is required prior to Christ's Millenial reign of righteousness.
Three views concerning the Millenium:
  • Post-millenial view- The millenium is figurative of the Church Age.
    The Church will present a fully Christian world to Christ at His (post-millenial) return.
    According to this view, Satan was bound at the start of the Church Age.
    On the contrary: cp. 1Pet 5:8
    Also, the normal reading of ch. 19-20 places Satan's binding after Christ's return.
  • A-millenial view- There is no literal millenial kingdom on earth.
    The 'millenium' is merely symbollic of heavenly things.
  • Pre-millenial view- Christ will bodily return to earth to bring in the Millenium
    which is the literal Davidic Kingdom foretold by ALL of the biblical prophets (major & minor).
    cp. 2Sam 7:12-17; Psa 89:34-37
    Only in Rev. 20 is the length of that kingdom given (stated 6x in this ch.).
Neither the post-mil nor the a-mil view sees the 1000 years as literal.
Yet, all other time references in Rev. are literal (eg., 42 months, 1260 days).
The persons, events, and time periods in ch. 20 should also be taken literally.
The literal reading assumes that God is capable of saying what He means.
20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit {ie., the abyss},
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 {ie., be finished}:
and after that he must be loosed a little season {ie., a little time}.
the abyss- is a temporary holding area, distinct from the Lake of Fire (cp. v.10).
shut him up- as in prison (cp. use of this word in Acts 5:23).
set a seal- to secure his prison (cp. Mat 27:66)
deceive the nations- Armies were destroyed at Armageddon, but nations survive.
For 1000 years, they will be in submission to the King of kings (Zech 14:16),
until Satan foments a rebellion.
Why is Satan loosed after 1000 years? Dr.L.S.Chafer, quoted by McGee:
"If you will tell me why God let Satan loose in the first place,
I'll tell you why God will let him loose in the second place."
God has not fully shown us His purposes in allowing evil.
Yet, the child, who does not fully understand his father's wisdom, is wise to trust him.
(At v.8, we are given a glimpse of God's dispensational purpose.)
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 {lit., killed with an axe}
for {because of} the witness of Jesus, and for {because of} 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.
They lived- ie., came to life again. cp. word usage in Joh 11:25; 14:19.
These are the saints of all ages including...
20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
This [is] the first resurrection.
the rest of the dead- The unsaved remain in hades
awaiting their judgment at the Great White Throne, where all are condemned (v.11-15).
the first resurrection- is of the Just. The last... of the Unjust.
Wherever these two resurrections are mentioned together, it is always in this order.
cp. Dan 12:2; Luk 14:13,14; Joh 5:28,29; Acts 24:15
The Resurrection of the Just is "first" because it preceeds that of the Unjust.
However, it is not one isolated event. The first resurrection includes:
Resurrection- GK= anastasei, to stand up.
Those who deny bodily resurrection have difficulty explaining how this applies to a spirit. [McGee]
20:6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection:
on such the second death hath no power {ie., authority},
but they shall be priests of God and of Christ,
and shall reign with him a thousand years.
holy- The first resurrection is of the saints (holy ones).
cp. Mat 5:8; Col 1:21-23; Heb 12:14; Rev 22:11
Note: The supposed fires of purgatory cannot make dead men holy.
After 1000 years in hades, the unsaved remain unsaved. (v.11-15)
the second death- (see v.14)
they shall be priests... and shall reign...-
  • These offices are mentioned elsewhere in reference to Israel and the Church.
    But here, all who participate in the first resurrection seem to be included.
    Ex 19:6; Rom 5:17; 2Tim 2:12; Rev 5:10
  • The verb tenses are future.
    We will not reign until He occupies His earthly throne. Mat 25:31; 1Cor 4:8; cp. Isa 2:1-4
20:7 And when the thousand years are expired {finished},
Satan shall be loosed out of his prison {ie., the abyss, v.1-3},
20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations
which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog,
to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea.
to deceive- Satan remains incorrigible despite 1000 years of incarceration (v.3).
Mankind remain sinners at heart despite 1000 years of righteousness. Jer 17:9; Rom 8:7
Thus, the seventh dispensation, like those preceding it, demonstrates the utter failure of man.
(See the study on the Seven Dispensations, in "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth" on the Intro & Resource Menu.)
Since the Millenial Kingdom begins with few men in the flesh (Isa 24:6),
and since only the righteous will enter the Kingdom of Messiah (Mat 25:31-34),
from where does this rebellious multitude come?
These are apparently the unregenerate offspring of righteous parents.
(Children will be born during the Millenium. cp: Isa 11:4-10; 65:18-25)
Gog & Magog- Does the war of Ezekiel 38-39 fit here?
Compare the following differences:
Ezekiel 38-39Revelation 20
An army -- from the North (39:2)-- from the 4 quarters of the earth
An army -- led by Gog (38:1,2)-- led by Satan
Objective -- to take a spoil (38:12)-- to make war with the saints
Timing --
-- before Armageddon (39:17-20)		.
-- at the end of Christ's 1000 yr reign
-- before God sets His glory
among the nations (39:21)		-- during the Millenium, the Glory of God
dwells among the nations, in Christ.
-- in the latter days (38:16),
which would be during the
Tribulation or the Millenium.		-- at the end of Satan's 'little season',
which is after both the Tribulation
and the Millenium.
McGee suggests that as we speak of distinct world wars (eg. WWI and WWII), we should also consider Gog & Magog I (Eze 38-39) and Gog & Magog II (Rev 20) as distinct conflicts.
JBSmith suggests that the defeat of Gog & Magog just prior to, or, early in the Tribulation (at 'Gog & Magog 1'), makes this people group an insignificant factor during the Tribulation. This may result in an unusually high survival rate and a corresponding advantage of influence during the period of the Millenial Kingdom, thus explaining their prominence at 'G&M 2'.
20:9 And they {ie., the deceived nations} went up on the breadth of the earth,
and compassed {ie., encircled} the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:
and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
the beloved city- ie., Jerusalem, the dwelling place of the Beloved One.
cp. Psa 78:68; 87:2; Isa 1:24-26; 2:1-5 (cf. Rev 11:8)
20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet [are],
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
the devil that deceived- The biblical account has come to its end. Satan's first act
of deception is recorded in Gen. 3, his last in the third chapter from the end.
The first prophecy regarding Satan is the last fulfilled: Gen 3:15
There will be no future seasons of release for him. Justice is sealed permanently.
Note that the Lake of Fire is not symbollic of annihilation:
  1. After 1000 years, the beast and false prophet are still there.
  2. Their torment is "forever and ever". These words are used elsewhere to describe the eternal continuance of God, His Glory, and Dominion. (cp. 1:18; 4:9,10; 5:13,14; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 15:7) Hell is no less enduring. Mat 8:12; 13:42; 25:41; Mark 9:44
20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away;
and there was found no place for them.
a great white throne-
The lack of the definite article indicates that this is a special throne for judgment,
distinct from the normal throne of God (which, at John's first glimpse of it, was referred to as ''a throne'' (4:2), but as ''the throne'' in the 32 subsequent occurrences).
This throne of judgment may be located in space, since it is apparently neither in earth nor heaven.
him that sat- lit., the one sitting thereon. Rev 3:21; Joh 5:22,26-29
earth and...heaven "fled away"- has a similar sense to "pass away".
cp. Mat 24:35; 2Pet 3:10,13; Rev 21:1
20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God;
and the books were opened:
and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life:
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
the dead- ie., "the rest of the dead" (v.5)
These are the unsaved dead, who were not included in the First Resurrection.
small & great- God is no respector of persons. The ground is level before His throne.
the books... another book...- A single book holds the roll of the redeemed.
But volumes are required to record the names and deeds of the unsaved.
the dead were judged-
  • out of those things written- The record of each man's life.
    Psa 90:8; Luk 12:2; 1Cor 4:5
  • according to their works- God is fair and just.
    But by his own works, no one measures up to God's standard of righteousness.
    Rom 2:5-12; 3:10,11
Note: This event should not be confused with the Judgment Seat of Christ (cp. 2Cor 5:10; 1Cor 3:11-15), which is a judgment of believers.
Judgment Seat of Christ Great White Throne Judgment
Subjects: --Those who are alive in Christ--Those who are dead in their sins
Timing: --Shortly after the Rapture--After the Millenium and Satan's little season
Basis: --According to their works--According to their works & the Book of life
Consequence: --Degree of reward--Eternal damnation
20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it;
and death and hell {hades} delivered up the dead which were in them:
and they were judged every man according to their works.
the sea gave up- The resurrection to judgment is not limited to those who are stored
neatly away in graves. All will be present, including those beyond man's accounting.
death and hades- All will return from physical death and from the place of lost spirits.
Christ will raise them up for the final accounting. (1:18; John 5:25,28,29)
20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
cast- GK= ballo, thrown out (ie., as trash), also: poured out, emptied.
The unsaved (the content of death & hades) are dumped into Hell, not to be retrieved.
But death & hades themselves are also cast out, no more to affect the saved (21:4).
the second death- It is ''second'' relative to their preceding physical death in unbelief.
The first death is physical & temporal (ended by an appointment with God, Heb 9:27).
The second death is spiritual & eternal (unending separation from God).
The only escape from the second death is the second birth. Joh 3:3; 8:21,24; Eph 2:1-5
20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life
was cast into the lake of fire.
not found- ie., after search was made
the book of life- There is no escape from sin's consequences apart from the Lamb (13:8).
Claims for exception, based on works, are rejected. Mat 7:21-23
A sinner can do only one acceptable work: Joh 6:29

Click here to continue the study in Revelation 21
Return to Revelation - MENU page.

Limited permission is granted to copy & distribute these notes from www.theBookWurm.com

Go to The Book opening page.