Revelation 20

Chapter 20 THE LORD OF THE EARTH A. SATAN IS BOUND AND THE SAINTS REIGN AND . 20:1-6 B. SATAN AND SINNERS ARE JUDGED. 20:7-15

1. Reign of Christ on the earth. 20:1-6
2. Release of Satan on the earth. 20:7-10
3. Righteousness of God upon all unbelievers. 20:11-15

There are 2 major ways to interpret this chapter:

I. Pre-millennialism:

Interpreting the millennial reign of Christ on the earth in a literal way. (This is the view of the teaching manual)

II. A-millennialism:

Interpreting the millennial reign of Christ on the earth in a allegorical way.

Revelation 20:1-6

1. Satan is bound and the Saints Reign and Resurrect. 20:1-6 V.1 a) Great chain of the angel -

I. The Angel of Authority - The Sheriff with the key and handcuff.

II. Authority to:

A. Cast into the pit.

B. Chain unto powerlessness.

III. This angel possesses 2 things that the Devil fears:

A. A key that lucks him inside a scary place called the Bottomless Pit. 2.Peter 2:4 B. A chain that luck him to a limited place by Binding him Powerless.

V.2 b) Gloom day of Satan -

I. Characteristic of Satan:

A. The great dragon (Gr. drakon) - Refer to him as a wild Ancient beast.

B. The Devil (Gr. diabolos) - Refer to him as an Accuser and slanderer.

C. Satan (Gr. satanas) - Refer to him as an Adversary.

II. Caught the Dragon.

A. It didn’ t need God to capture the Devil just an angel,

B. Notice the response of man to this little creature called Lucifer in Isaiah 14:16 III. Chained the Devil.

He is chained during the 1000 thousand years reign of Christ on the earth.

V.3 c) Great peace on the earth -

I. Shut up.

A. The bottomless pit is a place lower than Hades, where God has imprisoned the special disobedient fallen angels. (High Evil Contamination) Jude 6-7

1. This place is called in Greek: Tartaros 2.Peter 2:4

2. The angels that are in Tartaros are imprisoned. 2.Peter.2:4; Jude 6

3. Tartaros is not Hades but a place that is bottomless:

4. Hades is the place of imprisonment of human spirits.

5. Tartaros is the place of imprisonment of fallen angels.

B. The fallen angels that are imprisoned in Tartaros, are connected to some extreme sexual sins on earth. Jude 6-7; Gen.6:1-7 C. Demons fear the bottomless pit. Luke 8:31 D. The beast will ascend from the bottomless pit. 11:7; 17:8

E. Satan will be locked up in this place for a thousand years. Rev.20:1-3 F. The fallen angels will also be thrown into the bottomless pit with Satan. Isaiah 24:21-23 II. Sealed in.

A. When Christ was put into the grave the soldiers sealed Him inside the grave, but He broke the seal after 3 days Matt.27:66, the Devil cannot break loose but has to wait to he is released after the Millennium.

B. If the Millennium period had already begun then the Devil’ s chain is very long.

C. Millennium is a Latin word, mille means 1000 and annum means year.

III. Purpose - Stop deceiving.

Satan is sealed up in this place so that deception will not be released upon the earth.

IV. Prophecy - Short time afterward to deceive.

The people that are borne during the Millennium, has not had the chance to choose between God or the Devil, therefore God is releasing him for a little season, so that those that does not want God get a chance to say no to Him.

V.4 d) Government of the saints on the earth -

I. Two qualities of:

A. The Saints that came with Christ.

1. Rule in righteousness.

The saints that descend from heaven with Christ are given the authority to judge nations and people. Luke 19:11-27 2. Reign with Christ. a. The saints will be reigning with Christ on the earth during the Millennium. b. All those that are a part of the first resurrection are “ They” referred to in this verse. (The Old Testament saints, the Church and the tribulation martyrs and saints) Dan.7:9-10, 22; Matt.19:28; 1.Cor.6:2; Rev.2:26-27; 5:10 c. The reign of Christ will be on this earth during the Millennium. 2.Sam.7:10-16; Psalms 2:8; Isaiah 65:17-66:24; Dan.7:27 B. The Souls that are martyrs of God. Rev.6:9-11; 7:9-17; 15:1-4

1. Kept the Word of God.

2. Knelt not in Worship of the beast.

The martyrs comes to live, they are resurrected at the beginning of the Millennium. John 11:25 II. The Millennium period:

A. Scriptures referring to the 1000 years of Christ’ s reign on the earth.

Psalm. Ch.2; 24; 45; 72; 96; 110; Isaiah. 2:1-5; 4:1-6; 9:6-7; 11:1-9; 12:1-6; 30:18-26; 35:1-10; 60, 61:3-62; 63:1-6; Ch.65-66; Jer.23:3-8; 30:8-11; 32:37-44; Ezek. Ch.40-48; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:13-14; 12:2-3 Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:1-8; Zeph.3:14-20; Zech. 8:1-8; 12:10-14:21; Matt.19:28; 25:31-46; Acts 15:16-18; Rom. 11:25-27; Jude 14-15; Rev.2:25-28.

B. Will last for 1000 years. Rev.20:4 C. Only the book of Revelation describes the length of the reign of Christ on earth during the Millennium.

D. Age of man will be long on the earth during the Millennium. Isaiah. 65:20 E. The earth will experience a physical change. Isaiah 35:1-10 F. The curse of the earth will be taken away. Isaiah 11:6-9 V.5 e) Groups of resurrection -

I. The last resurrection of the unbelievers.

All the unbelievers will not be resurrected until they are going to be judged, this resurrection is the 2nd resurrection.

II. The first resurrection of the believers.

A. All believers throughout all the ages until after the Millennium are a part of the 1st resurrection. Dan.12:2; John 5:28 B. The first resurrection is also called in Scripture:

1. Resurrection of the just. Luke 14:14

2. Resurrection from the dead. Luke 20:34-36

3. Resurrection of life. John 5:29 C. There are 6 resurrections of Scripture in the 1st resurrection:

4. Christ was first resurrected. 1.Cor.15:23

5. Some Old Testament Saints resurrected right after His resurrection. Matt.27:52-53

6. The Church during the Rapture. 1.Thess.4:13-18

7. The 2 witnesses will be resurrected. Rev.11:11-12

8. The tribulation martyrs and the Old Testament saints will be resurrected at the beginning of the Millennium. Rev.20:4

9. After the Millennium the believers who came to faith during the Millennium will be resurrected. 20:12

V.6 f) Glad Day of the saints -

I. The 1st resurrection - Eternal living.

A. Partakers of the 1st resurrection - Resurrection.

1. They are blessed by being a part of this resurrection.
2. They are holy because of accepting Christ’ s sacrifice. B. Priests to God - Relationship.

The saints will eternally be priests before God.

C. Power with Christ - Reigning.

The saints will share the power of Christ during the Millennium.

II. The 2nd death - Eternal dying.

D. Powerlessness of death - Rescue.

The eternal dying called the 2nd death and the lake of fire has no power to Cast or Condemn them into it. John 5:24; 8:51

Revelation 20:7-15

2. Satan and Sinners are judged. 20:7-15 V.7 a) Last chance to deceive -

I. Expiration of the Millennium.

After the Millennium the end has not come yet.

II. Evil Creature and Cherub released.

The Devil with his evil and deception will be released from the bottomless pit.

V.8-9 b) Last battle ever -

I. Going out to deceive.

A. Some of those who didn’ t know anything else but Christ’ s rule and His peace on earth will be deceived and follow the Devil.

B. That man is deceived after the Millennium proofs that Perfect environment does not create a Pure heart.

II. Gog and Magog.

A. Magog is a people, the former Russian union. B. Gog is the leader of this region of Russia. C. This war is not the war referred to in Ezekiel Ch.38-39, the war of Ch.38-39 can happen any time and will happen before the Millennium period.

III. Gathering of the army.

A. This battle is the last battle of man against God, which happens after the Millennium.

B. The great army comes up against all the saints in Jerusalem.

C. Christ will dwell in Jerusalem during the Millennium. Isaiah 24:23; Jer.3:17; Ezek.43:7; Mic.4:7 D. God destroys the great army with fire.

E. Man has not learned anything from history. Rev.19:11-21 IV. Great number of the army.

A. It’ s not a small number but great in size because of Christ reign and the paradise condition on the earth.

B. There will be borne many children during the Millennium period. Isaiah 11:6; 65:20 C. There will be a population explosion during the Millennium, for very few dies during this period.

If a generation starts with 4 children:

it takes 5 generations to reach 96 people, it takes 10 generations to reach 3070 people, it takes 20 generations to reach 3.12.000 people, it takes 30 generations to reach 3 billion and 220.000 people.

V.10 c) Lake of fire receives the Devil -

I. The Deceiving Devil Dethroned and Damned forever.

A. The Devil is Fallen, his plan to dethrone God Isaiah 14:12-15 has Failed. Gen.3:15 B. The Devil is thrown eternally down into the lake of fire, not to cause man to suffer but the Devil will suffer everlasting punishment. Matt.25:41; Mark 9:48 C. The Devil will never be released from the lake of fire, there is no exit in this place and there is no second chance, when a creature first is thrown into the lake of fire he will never come out again.

D. The Devil ruled in Hades, he was imprisoned in the bottomless pit and released again, but he will never leave the lake of fire.

II. The Devil joins the Destination of the 2 Deceivers.

The beast and the false prophet has been suffering in the lake of fire for 1000 years already, now the Devil joins and receives what he deserves.

V.11 d) Last and only Big Bang -

I. Positioning of the great white throne.

A. The Throne - The great white throne is a throne of judgment prepared at the end. Dan.7:9-10 B. The Judge - Jesus will be the Judge on the throne. John 5:22-23, 26-29; Acts 10:42; 17:31 C. The Judged - Unbelievers will appear before this throne. Rev.20:12-15; D. Christ will judge from 2 different seats:

1. The great white throne (Gr. megas leukos thronos)

The judgment seat of unbelievers. Rev.20:12-15 2. The judgment seat of Christ (Gr. Bema)

The judgment seat of believers. Rom.14:10; 2.Cor.5:10 E. Christians will appear before the (Gr. Bema) seat of Christ.

1. The ancient “Bema” seat was a place where man received rewards or judgments.

2. The (Gr. Bema) seat of Christ is a place where believers receive rewards and not judgment. John 5:24; 1.Cor.3:8-15 II. Perishing of the universe.

A. The universe is burned with a fervent heat and totally destroyed; it does not exist anymore. 2.Peter 3:7, 10-12 B. Because the whole universe is corrupted by sin and rebellion God will destroy it, there will be no more contamination and memories of it.

V.12-13e) Last judgment -

I. The dead Enter before the Judge.

All man stands before God, no one can run away for its judgment time.

A. Dragged up from the Sea Place.

All man died in the water is dragged up to receive their judgment.

B. Delivered from the Spiritual Prison.

All man captured by Death and Hades was released from this prison place.

II. The dead Experience judgment from:

A. Books.

There are different kinds of books of God in heaven: Rev.20:12

1. Book of life. Dan.12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil.4:3; Heb.12:23; Rev. 13:5,8; 17:8; 20:15; 21:27

Those that will inherit eternal life.

2. Book of the living. Ex.32:32-33; Deut.29:20; Psalm.69:28; Isaiah.4:3 Those that is alive on earth, the saved and the lost.

3. Book of the lost. Rev.20:12 A book that contain the names of the lost and their deeds.

4. Book of remembrance. Mal.3:16 Those who fears and meditate on God’ s name.

5. Book of works.

All whatever man has done in their lifetime.

6. The Holy Scripture will eternally exist in heaven. 1.Pet.1:25; John 12:48 B. Book of Life.

Certain facts concerning the Book of life:

1. The Book belongs to the Lamb and connected to His death. Rev.13:8
2. All the names in the Book were written in it before creation. Rev.17:8
3. No one can enter the city of God without their name in the Book. Rev.21:27
4. All those whose names are not in the Book are thrown into the lake of fire. Rev.20:15 C. The unbeliever’ s punishment varies according to what they have done. Their Deeds Determines their Degree of Destruction. Matt.11:20-24; 1.Peter 1:17 D. There will be a judge, but no jury.

There will be a prosecution, but no defence. There will be a sentence, but no appeal.

E. Christians has a defence; His name is Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life for our pardon, unbelievers have no defence and no pardon.

V.14 f) Lake of fire receives Death and Hades - The killer and receiver is judged.

I. Death experiences the 2nd Dead.

A. The chief spirit of death is thrown into the lake of fire. 1.Cor.15:26, 54-55 B. The lake of fire is the 2nd death; it is to eternally die. Matt.10:28 C. No Believer will ever die anymore.

II. The Prison of the dead experiences the Perishing Power of the 2nd dead.

Hades either as a spirit or the place itself is thrown into the lake of fire. Rev.6:8 III. 1st death is a physical death, which is a separation of the body and soul. 2nd death is a spiritual death, which is a separation of the soul from God.

V.15 g) Lake of fire receives all unbelievers -

I. Faith in Christ determines who is not Found in the Book of life.

The only way to escape the lake of fire is by believing in Christ and be washed cleaned by His blood, that will cause our name to be in the Book of Life.

II. Everlasting Farewell into the lake of Fire.

A. The Greek word “hades” and the Hebrew word “ Sheol” are called hell in many English translations and is the temporary prison place of the dead.

B. The Hebrew word “Gehenna” or the Aramaic word “Gehinnom” is the valley of Hinnom Joshua 15:8 and a place were children were burned to false gods. Jeremiah 7:31 This place is a picture used in Scripture to describe the Lake of fire.

C. All man that has not received Christ goes into the lake of fire; man will never come out from this suffering again, they suffer eternally in a lake that is full of fire.

D. Believers receives the greater life and unbelievers the greater death. Believers never experience death anymore and unbelievers never experience life anymore. Believers lives eternally and unbelievers dies eternally.