Revelation 20

Revelation 20:1-3

SECTION FIVE

 

THE "" AND THE

Revelation 20:1-15

 

 

Revelation 20:1-10 has been made the battle ground for more conflicting theories, perhaps, than any other passage of scripture. This fact suggests caution and modesty in approaching it as commentator. Where so many have fallen must be dangerous ground. A few introductory considerations may aid in reaching satisfactory conclusions.

 

1. The word “millennium” is not in the. Bible, but by common use has been given a permanent place in religious literature. It is a Latin word, meaning “a thousand years,” and is generally substituted for that expression which is used six times in this passage. This is the only place in the Bible where this period is mentioned. If a distinct age in which Christ will reign personally on earth, it is remarkable that neither he nor any of the apostles in their plain teaching said anything about it. Why should so important a matter be mentioned only in a book of symbols and in a highly figurative passage?

 

2. The popular notion that the millennium is a period of absolute and universal peace, righteousness, and felicity is pure assertion; the word has no such meaning. The assumption is based upon the statement that Satan is to be “bound” during that period, which is supposed to mean literal binding and a complete destruction of his influence. Neither of these conclusions is true. If any wicked people are left on earth in the millennial age, Satan’s personal binding would be of no special benefit; for his servants here could still torment and deceive the righteous. The wicked are his “ministers” now (2 Corinthians 11:15), and will be while here.

At Christ’s coming all the wicked are to be destroyed (Revelation 19:19-21) and the righteous living and dead are to receive immortal bodies (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.) If he comes to establish the millennium, then there can be no literal kingdom, for there will be none in the flesh either to rule or be ruled. Hence, the literal throne of David idea is false; the passage must be explained figuratively.

 

3. Many, including some pioneer preachers of the church of Christ, seemed to think the millennium would be introduced and perpetuated by the gospel prevailing over evil; that it would continue to win its way to men’s hearts till all evil would be rooted out by the inherent power of the truth. The rapidity with which the restoration work succeeded probably led to this idea but it evidently was a delusion. The notion overlooked the setting of this millennial passage, as well as man’s ability to reject any and all kinds of moral influences. The history of mankind for nearly sixty centuries is unmistakably against such a view.

 

4. Whatever the millennium may be, it precedes the final judgment. This is conceded by all. If the judgment occurs at Christ’s coming (a fact taught by the Scriptures), the doctrine that he comes to inaugurate the millennium is of necessity false. Peter makes the “coming of the day of God” the time when the heavens will be dissolved by fire and the elements melt with fervent heat. (2 Peter 3:12.) Paul says Christ will be revealed from heaven “in flaming fire” to render vengeance upon the disobedient and be “glorified in his saints.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9.) The rewarding of both bad and good will be at the judgment. (2 Corinthians 5:10.) Jesus plainly teaches that both classes will be raised at the same time. (John 5:28-29.) These passages show clearly that the coming of Christ, the resurrection of both righteous and wicked, and the judgment will all occur after the millennium, which renders a thousand years reign of Christ on earth an impossibility.

 

Jesus divides “all that are in their tombs” into two classes those raised to life–eternal salvation–and those raised to judgment–condemnation. The following conclusions are evident: If Jesus comes before the millennium, none can be raised bodily after it; for all are to be raised to be rewarded when he comes. Hence, the theory that only the wicked dead will then be raised is not true. If he comes after the millennium, none can be raised bodily before it, and the view that only the righteous dead will then be raised is also untrue. In either case the premillennial view of this passage is false. This fact will be more fully developed as we examine the language of the text.

 

6. To know the true setting of this passage is necessary to its correct understanding. The symbols in Revelation 20:1-9 do not reveal events that are to follow chronologically after those of Rev 19:19-21. These verses describe the casting of the beast and false prophet into the “lake of fire”; Revelation 20:10 tells of Satan being cast into the same place–that is, it completes the story partly told in Revelation 19:19-21 and must refer to the same time. The millennial passage is a recapitulation of things described in preceding chapters with different symbols. Reviewing the same periods with changed scenes is common to this book.

The seven seals that closed with the end of the world stop with Revelation 11:18. The vision of the pure woman (true church) in her struggles against the dragon, beast, and false prophet, under the emblems of pouring out bowls of wrath, covers practically the same time, and the same final end is shown in Revelation 16:17-21. Next the destruction of the false church, represented as a drunken harlot and a great city, is symbolically pictured in chapters 17 and 18, followed with a song of triumph by the redeemed. (Revelation 19:1-10.) In Revelation 19:11-18 is told the means by which this overthrow of evil is to be accomplished. Finally Revelation 19:19-21 and Revelation 20:10 describe this overthrow and bring us for the third time to the end of the world, for the “lake of fire” in Revelation 20:14 is defined as the “second death.”

 

The evident purpose of Rev 20:1-10 is to give a brief review of Satan’s overthrow from the time his power was restrained until banished in the lake of fire forever. This recapitulation is appropriate here because it was Satan who did and will furnish the beast and false prophets with the power by which they operate against the truth. Christ’s personal coming ends the career of these three enemies; this event is after, not before, the “millennium.” 

 

1. THE BINDING OF SATAN

Revelation 20:1-3

 

1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,–Perhaps it is well to observe again that we are here dealing with a symbolic vision that appeared to John. As noted several times before, the vision and the thing it represents must be kept distinct. As in other visions an angel is the medium of revealing the scenes, which guarantees that true facts are represented.

 

having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.–“Key” represents the angel’s authority to open and close doors, but here must mean his right to force Satan to remain in his own place and be restrained from the unlimited use of his power which he had been exercising during the long period of papal usurpation. Being bound with a “great chain” signifies this restraint. No reasonable person will contend that the words “key,” “abyss,” and “chain” are to be understood literally. All that is necessarily implied is that the followers of Christ would have such protection against Satan’s power that they would be free to obey Christ, if they desired. Anything more than this would ignore man’s responsibility for his conduct, and make God a respecter of persons. No doctrine that conflicts with these two principles can be true as long as man dwells in the flesh.

 

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, –In the vision John saw the binding actually take place, but the thing it represents was far in the future when he wrote. See notes on Revelation 4:1-2. He figuratively describes the dragon as the “old serpent” which is doubtless an allusion to the serpent in Eden. Then he drops the figure and plainly states that the dragon represents Satan. Beginning with deceiving Eve in the garden, it has been his business to deceive mankind ever since. His effort then was and ever afterward has been to discredit or pervert God’s word–make people believe that God does not mean what he says, or means what he does not say.

 

Satan being a spirit, the only “chain” that can effectively bind him–restrain or defeat him–is God’s word. In what was the world’s greatest battle between right and wrong, Jesus defeated the devil at every turn with “it is written.” (Matthew 4.) When God’s word has free course in directing human life, the individual can safely protect himself against any device of Satan. When mankind has the right to use that protection at will, Satan is “bound” in the only way that is consistent with man’s nature. Satan’s binding does not mean the destruction of all evil; though under restraint, Satan still operates through his angels who pose as ministers of righteousness. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15.)

 

The duration of this binding is stated as a thousand years. Is this a symbolic or literal number? As usual expositors are disagreed. To apply the day-year theory would give the enormous amount of 365,000 years. This appears wholly out of proportion with other numbers in this book that seem to fit the theory. If to be taken literally, the exact beginning and ending of the period could not be fixed definitely.

With these difficulties to meet, it seems better to consider it a symbolic number. Other numbers such as 3, 7, 10, and 12 appear to carry a spiritual significance. In Ezekiel 39 we have a description of the overthrow of Gog, and verse 9 says the Israelites should make fires of their weapons for “seven years.” Certainly this means the complete destruction of their implements of war, not that it would take seven literal years to burn them. Through Moses God threatened Israel with seven times more, or seven times, punishment if they persistently rebelled against him. (Leviticus 26:18; Leviticus 26:21; Leviticus 26:24; Leviticus 26:28.) Evidently this does not mean exactly seven times, for their sins required punishment far more times than seven. It means that they would be fully punished as their sins deserved. So the definite number-1,000 years–is probably used for a long but indefinite period. “Showing lovingkindness unto thousands” (Exodus 20:6) means showing it to all of the class mentioned ; “thousands of thousands” (5:11) means a countless number.

So in this text the word “thousand” most likely means an indefinite length of time, but long enough for the symbols to find complete fulfillment.

 

3 and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him,–In vision John saw the woman driven into the wilderness for 1,260 day-years (Revelation 12:1-6), yet that did not occur till several centuries later, when the apostate church was fully developed. Shutting and sealing the abyss indicates the certainty of the influence of Satan’s power being restrained. The true church apparently disappeared as one does who goes into a wilderness; but, though unseen as an organized body, it still existed in the hearts and lives of individual faithful saints. So Satan during the thousand years has his power restrained, yet he still has through his unseen agents and workers means for deceiving those who are willing. During the 1,260-year period he exercised a practically unlimited power through the papacy and the kingdom it controlled. The millennium–the period of his being bound–must of necessity begin after that power was broken; and, for the same reason, it must have begun when that power was broken.

 

that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished:–As the purpose of the binding was to prevent Satan’s deceiving the nations, then the binding would consist in changing the situation which made the deception easily effective. During the papal supremacy the Bible, man’s only real protection against the devil’s power, was practically taken away from the people. With the Bible removed, it was no trouble for him to deceive the nations by superstition, false miracles, and pretended infallibility. When the Protestant Reformation broke the Roman religious yoke of bondage by giving the Bible back to the people with liberty to read and obey it without human dictation, Satan Was bound in the fair meaning of the text. Through this right has come the privilege of restoring and maintaining apostolic congregations, which is a most fortunate and happy time for those who really desire to be pleasing to God. For emphasis the main thought is repeated.

The millennial period is not a time of absolute and universal righteousness upon earth but a time of such restraint of Satan’s power that all may have the privilege to serve God as the Scriptures teach, if they so desire. It is a period in direct comparison with the previous one of supreme papal authority. With this view we must conclude that we are now in the millennium. When it will end we do not know. This position, at least, has the plausible advantage of harmonizing with plain facts of religious history and leaves man free and responsible for his own conduct–a thing that must be true while men are in the flesh.

 

That this view may be clearly understood a brief review of the main changes in church history is here repeated. It required about 300 years for the church to pass through the pagan Roman persecutions and receive recognition from the Emperor Constantine. Something over 200 years more were necessary to develop the papacy–Paul’s “man of sin.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3.) This came through the slow process of corrupting divine truth with the “precepts of men”; or, viewing it from another standpoint, exalting men to unscriptural positions until the bishop of Rome was declared the Universal Bishop of the church. This was followed by the 1,260 years of papal rule, after which began the millennium. Any true interpretation must harmonize with these well-known historical facts.

 

after this he must be loosed for a little time.–That is, after the millennium ends, Satan must be loosed, not permanently, but for a “little time.” There is no way to determine how long the “little time” may be, but it is the period that divides the millennium from the final judgment. It may be short in comparison with the 1,000 years, or with the whole history of the church up to that time.

Revelation 20:4-6

2. THE

Revelation 20:4-6

 

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:–In the vision John saw thrones and persons sitting upon them, and describes in the next statement who they were. The word “judgment” is evidently used in the sense of rule which is the idea implied in the word “thrones.” It means that those whom John saw were reigning in some sense. The particular sense will be discovered in the remainder of the paragraph. It is clear from the language that verses 7-10 logically followed verse 3 to complete the story begun with Revelation 19:19. The narrative is interrupted at verse 3 and this paragraph is interposed to describe things that would transpire during the thousand years which had just been mentioned. It is an explanation of how Satan’s binding, the first big event in his overthrow, would affect the church during the millennial period.

 

Both judge and rule carry the idea of authority to command, approve, or condone. One can reign in a secondary sense when he is authorized to state or enforce the laws of the actual ruler. In this sense the apostles rule under Christ as our king. He conferred upon them the right to express the conditions of pardon which he gave them–thus to remit and retain sin. (John 20:21-23.) In harmony with this is the reply of Jesus to Peter’s question in Matthew 19:27-28. He said: “Ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” “The regeneration” means the Christian dispensation–that is, the time when men can be regenerated or born again. The apostles had followed Jesus; hence, they were given the right to rule by his authority.

There can be no mistake about this, for in Luke 22:28-30, a parallel text, Jesus said he appointed them a kingdom “that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.” This refers to the Lord’s Supper and shows that the apostles were in the kingdom while they lived on earth. If so, then they sat upon the thrones and judged while on earth. But Jesus said they would do this while he was sitting upon the throne of his glory. This incidentally shows that Jesus began his reign on Pentecost, as taught in Hebrews 10:12, 1 Corinthians 15:25, and disproves his supposed millennial reign on earth.

 

There is also a figurative sense in which Christians may rule: either by influencing others to correct living, or to condemn by implication the disobedient through faithfulness to God. Such is the teaching of Mat 5:16 Hebrews 11:7. Nothing is more certain than that the lives of men, both good and bad, continue to rule in the hearts and lives of others long after death. See Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 14:13; Hebrews 11:7. It is a solemn thought to know that the final salvation or damnation of men can depend upon how their lives, as examples, have ruled over others.

 

and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand;–This tells who were sitting upon the thrones. The definite statement is that John saw “souls”; no mention whatever of “bodies.” Selecting the term “souls” could not have been accidental, and certainly indicates that the resurrection in this passage is not that of bodies. This alone is fatal to the idea that Jesus will come personally at the beginning of the 1,000 years. By a figure of speech soul sometimes stands for the whole man, but in such passage a soul in the body –a living man–is clearly indicated. See Acts 2:41; Acts 27:37. The Greek word for soul (psyche) often means life, as the following texts will show: Matthew 6:25; Matthew 10:25; Matthew 16:26-27.

The “souls” John saw symbolically represented the lives of the classes which he immediately mentions. They reign with Christ because their lives are imitated by saints on earth who, like themselves, would die before becoming traitors to the faith, or by accepting false doctrines.

Those on the thrones are further described as “souls” of those who had been “beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God,” which means they had been killed because of their belief in Christ and refusal to deny him or God’s word. Beheading, which was a common form of dispatching the condemned, probably stands for all kinds of martyrdom. It may be questioned whether the whole description here applies to martyrs only, or includes a second class of such as would not worship the beast and his image and refused to receive his “mark.” The grammatical construction will allow either view; hence, neither one can be declared as absolutely certain. It is immaterial, however, which is accepted; for in either case they were saints who distinguished themselves by enduring persecution or death for the church. Only the lives of servants of God who have distinguished themselves would fit the symbol of reigning spiritually for a thousand years.

 

Another distinguishing feature of these who are here said to reign is the fact that the thing which gave them their position is that they resisted the power and influence of the beast. They must have lived then before Satan was bound–that is, when the apostate church exercised supreme power. Their millennial reign is put in direct contrast with the period in. which they suffered. This is no mean proof that the millennium–time when Satan is bound–began when the papacy lost its supreme power. This is also proof of two important facts –namely, that we are now in the millennium and that Christ did not come at its beginning. On the “mark” of the beast see notes on 13:16, 17.

 

and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.–“They lived” does not mean that souls were brought to life, for souls do not die in the literal meaning of death. Those who obey Christ can never die (John 5:25), but bodies of saints and sinners will die. Spiritually they continued to live in the sense that their work was vindicated and their names honored through those who perpetuated the same truth for which they suffered or died. Figuratively, that would be as though they had been raised and were reigning in person. This, as a fact, was true of the apostles and other martyrs long before the papal beast came into existence. This passage, however, speaks of a special class of martyrs that fought the corruptions of the apostate church.

We know that the apostles, though dead in body, do reign with Christ on earth now. Why not allow that those who were a later set of martyrs do the same?

 

It is also a fact that living Christians whose lives are sufficiently noted reign, which, of course, is with Christ. So teaches Paul in Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 4:8. Such lives cannot be without influence after death. This is the direct promise of Heb 11:4.

 

5 The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished.—“Lived not until the thousand years should be finished” implies that they would live after that time. “Lived not” evidently is in contrast with “they lived” (verse 4), which, in the latter part of verse 5, is called “the first resurrection.” An important question here is this: Will the living again of the “rest” (an implied second resurrection) come immediately after the thousand years end or some time later? It must be remembered that a comparatively short period, called a “little time” (verse 3), will intervene between the thousand years and the judgment. In this period Satan will be “loosed,” which means that wickedness will again prevail and all his evil forces will be marshaled for the last struggle against the church. The vital point that must be considered is, will the second resurrection occur at the beginning of the “little time” or at its close? This cannot be ignored in any fair interpretation of this millennial passage.

There is probably no text in Revelation about which commentators are more hopelessly disagreed than this verse. Only four views seem to have enough plausibility to merit consideration. They are: (1) That it refers to the bodily resurrection of all the wicked dead at the end of the thousand years, or, maybe, at the end of the “little time.” The advocates of this theory do not seem very definite on the exact time. (2) That the word “rest” means the remainder of the same class–that it includes all the righteous dead except the martyrs and others distinguished for service to God. (3) That it refers to the noted persecutors of saints–such as Nero–who will figuratively be raised in the lives of their imitators during the “little time.” (4) That it refers to all the dead –both good and bad–who will be raised bodily at the judgment.

 

The first theory is a premillennial view. The decisive fact that proves it wrong is that Jesus himself places the bodily resurrection of both saint and sinner at the same time. (John 5:28-29.) Until this passage is proved false, that point is settled.

 

If the second theory means that the inconspicuous righteous dead will be raised ‘at the end of the millennium, it is pertinent to ask for a reason. If the passage has noted saints reigning during the millennium when Satan is bound, it would hardly be consistent to represent inconspicuous saints as reigning during the “little time” while Satan is loose. If such saints are to be raised at the judgment, then the theory is true so far as the resurrection of the righteous dead are concerned. But it does not express all the truth on the question, for all the dead–righteous and wicked–will be raised then.

 

Regarding the third theory, it may be remarked that it would be no violation of either facts or consistency to represent noted church persecutors as being figuratively raised in the lives of those who imitate them in wickedness in the “little time.” However, this would forbid the resurrection to be understood as that of the body. It would be the “souls” of the wicked, similar to the “souls” of the martyrs in verse 4, and, therefore, obviate any charge of logical inconsistency.

 

An apparent objection to the fourth theory is that it violates the law of consistency by making the “first” resurrection figurative and the “second” (which is implied) literal. It is enough to reply that if verse 6, which mentions first resurrection, refers to the body, it also mentions second death which refers to the soul. But there is no unvarying law that prevents words being used in a figurative and literal sense in the same passage. Usually they should be given the same sense, but plain facts may require a different sense. Jesus uses “born” in John 3:6 in both a literal and figurative sense. In John 5:24-25 “life” and “live” unquestionably imply a spiritual resurrection, while the language in John 5:28-29 just as clearly means a literal one.

There is, then, really no inconsistency in saying that the “first” resurrection is a moral, spiritual, or figurative one and the “second” (implied) is a literal one. Verses 11-15 of this chapter are a vivid description of a literal resurrection of all classes at the judgment. This is at least strong presumptive proof that the fourth view is correct. It is consistent with words of Jesus and probably the true meaning.

 

To make the first resurrection a literal one involves the following insuperable difficulties, based upon Jesus’ words in John 5 that all will be raised at the same time: If Jesus comes before the millennium, all the righteous and wicked will be raised then; hence, there can be no wicked left to be raised at the end of the millennium. If he comes after the millenium, then there will be no righteous dead raised at its beginning. If he comes after the “little time”–that is, at the judgment, then there will be none of either class raised either at the beginning or end of the millennium. In either case the premillennial theory is bound to be false. That Christ’s personal coming will be at the judgment is the plain teaching of 2 Thessalonians 1:7. If the first and second resurrections come at the beginning and end of the millennium, and are to be literal resurrections of the body, then there will be three literal resurrections unless there should be none at the judgment. To deny a literal resurrection of the body at the judgment conflicts with verse 13 of this chapter, for there can be no question about what it teaches.

 

This is the first resurrection.–That is, of those mentioned in verse 4, not the “rest” of verse 5.

 

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; –Those who faithfully contended against the beast, false prophet, and all wicked doctrines till death certainly were entitled to the salvation Jesus promised. (Matthew 24:13.) They not only reign during the millennium, but are made sure against being hurt by the second death. The members of the church at Smyrna were urged not to fear what the devil would do to them, and promised that if they were faithful unto death they would “not be hurt of the second death.” (Revelation 2:10-11.) The reason for that is that they are in a state where Satan’s power can never reach them. If raised bodily and reigning personally, as the literal kingdom theory demands, he could reach them unless their ability to sin has been removed. If so, then the devil could not deceive them when loosed for a season, as verse 8 says he will do.

 

but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.–Those here who are guaranteed freedom from the second death not only resisted false teachings “unto death,” but were faithful worshipers of God. Hence, figuratively they are represented as reigning and also officiating in the services of God–they are kings and priests. Peter declares that saints are “an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.” (1 Peter 2:9.) A royal–kingly–priest-hood agrees exactly with John’s description in this book. (Revelation 1:6.) The idea is a kingdom of priests. Since Peter and John both teach that Jesus had already made that kingdom, then we know that the reign of “souls” in the millennium is through those on earth who imitate their fidelity. Any interpretation that conflicts with John’s own words about the kingdom must be wrong. John the Baptist is called Elijah. (Matthew 11:12-14.) He came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17)–another way of saying that Elijah was raised from the dead in the person of John. Ezekiel represented the restoration of the Jews from Babylon to their own land as a coming “out of your graves.” (Ezekiel 37:12-14.) Those who are old may be “born again,” and those naturally alive may die, be buried, and raised without changing their physical state. (Colossians 2:12.) Who can deny the metaphysical use of terms, especially in a book filled with symbols?

Revelation 20:7-10

3. SATAN AND

Revelation 20:7-10

 

7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,–The view here advocated is that the binding of Satan means the return to the people the right to read and obey the Bible without human dictation; his loosing, then, would be his regaining in some way the power to prevent or hinder such voluntary obedience.

 

8 and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.–Though we do not know how or exactly what means he will use, yet it is not improbable that increasing infidelity, superstition, and idolatry will be main contributing factors. Whatever is involved in his loosing, it is safe to say that wickedness will prevail as never before. In this “little time” will occur the events recorded in Revelation 19:17-21 and Revelation 20:7-10; it will be Satan’s last struggle against the church in which not only he but his chief aides–beast and false prophet–will be overcome and banished to the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10.) This victory will not be gained by a carnal sword, but by the word that proceeds from the Lord’s mouth. (Revelation 19:15.) These enemies will be slain and the war against the church ended by the brightness of the Lord’s coming and the breath of his mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8) as suddenly as the 185,000 in the Assyrian army were slain by an angel of the Lord. (2 Kings 19:35.) In the time preceding the thousand years Satan deceived the nations largely through false religious doctrines and practice, virtually suppressing the Bible by demanding the acceptance of papal interpretations. That similar means will be used to deceive after the thousand years is certainly probable. The existence of nations to be deceived after the millennium is proof that the nature of mankind then will be the same as now, and harmonizes with the question, “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8.) “In the four corners” means that the nations will be scattered over the whole earth as now. This is further indicated by the fact that the number shall be “as the sand of the sea.”

 

According to the doctrines of the premillennial coming of Christ, nations to be deceived by Satan after being loosed presents insolvable problems. The theory calls for the banishment of the beast and false prophet and the death of all the wicked (Revelation 19:19-21) at Christ’s coming; the wicked dead to remain unraised (Revelation 20:5); the righteous dead to be raised and with the righteous living all to receive spiritual, incorruptible, and immortal bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:44; 1 Corinthians 15:54.) The theory requires all these resurrections to be of the body. The following difficulties are apparent for which no solution can be offered other than pure guesses: Will children be born during the thousand years? If so, will they inherit incorruptible and immortal bodies from their parents? If so, how can beings with such bodies be deceived by Satan? If they can be deceived with such bodies, how can they be safe during the millennium when many of his devices are recorded in the Bible?

Can they receive corruptible and mortal bodies from parents with incorruptible bodies, without a fundamental law–seed bearing after its kind–being violated? Will their birth of parents put them in the kingdom? If not, how will they get in? If by obedience to the gospel, that is no improvement on the church. It is hard to see how Satan when loosed can deceive people with incorruptible and immortal bodies.

 

The wicked dead for whom the theory provides no resurrection till Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years are already deceived, having lived and died in his service. So they cannot be the nations he will deceive. It is a significant fact that the advocates of a literal reign of Christ on earth have no solution but guesses for these problems. Nothing is satisfactory but to make the millennial reign figurative, and the coming of Christ and the bodily resurrection of the dead at the judgment.

 

On Gog and Magog see notes on Revelation 16:14-16. The reference here in verse 8 and in Revelation 19:17-18 are both made in allusion to Ezekiel 39:11-18 and show that this paragraph is parallel with Revelation 19:17-18; hence, it follows that Revelation 19:17-21 and Revelation 20:7-10 contain a complete story of the defeat of the enemies of the church that will occur after the millennium. Read the passages in connection, omitting 20:1-6, and this fact will appear evident.

 

9 And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:–The figure here is that of contending armies. Satan’s forces are represented as coming from all directions to besiege the beloved city. The imagery is borrowed from Israel’s encampments, systematically planned for defense and convenience. Divested of all figures, the thought is that wicked powers will make a general attack on the church, under the influence of Satan. To make the final struggle a carnal battle against literal Jerusalem is to miss the symbolic teaching of the passage. Spiritual Jerusalem–the true church–will be scattered over the earth just as are forces of evil, and the conflict will rage everywhere.

 

and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.–Fire has been a common instrument when God visited capital punishment on incorrigible sinners. Note the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:24); Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3); Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Numbers 16:35). Christ will come “in flaming fire” and the earth shall be burned tip in the day of the Lord’s wrath. No emblem could more appropriately indicate the sudden and complete overthrow of Satan and his servants than to say fire came down from heaven and devoured them. The defeat of the same enemies referred to in Revelation 19:21 is said to be accomplished by the sword “which came forth out of his mouth.” The wicked at the judgment are to depart “into eternal fire.” Symbols must be construed in harmony with plain truths literally stated.

 

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; –Jesus said the fire was prepared for “the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41.) In vision John had seen the beast and false prophet cast in this lake; now he sees the devil cast in with them. This is another proof that this paragraph is a completion of the story in Revelation 19:19-21.

 

and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.–This means endless duration, and agrees with the plain statements of Jesus in Matthew 25:46 and Mark 9:48-49. Whether the “fire” is to be construed literally or figuratively is immaterial; the lesson taught is intense and endless punishment. No more expressive emblem could have been used.

Revelation 20:11-15

4. THE

 

Revelation 20:11-15

 

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it,—-In this paragraph John describes the great judgment scene, closing with the final disposition to be made of the wicked. The word “throne” means authority to exercise power of some kind. It may indicate either reign or judgment; here the latter is certainly indicated. This is the same throne mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 25:31 in describing the final judgment; it is there called the “throne of his glory.” From the language there we know it will be Jesus himself who will sit upon the judgment throne. it is called the judgment seat of God in Romans 14:10, and the judgment seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:10. This is not a contradiction, for God and Christ are one in the purpose of saving men. Then the Father bath committed judgment to the Son (John 5:22), and Christ’s judgment is, therefore, the judgment of the Father also.

 

from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.–The disappearing of the heaven and the earth is what John saw in the picture; and their disappearance was final. Whether this is to be understood symbolically to indicate a complete change of religious systems or the final change in the material world, as described in 2 Peter 3:7; 2 Peter 3:10-12, is an immaterial matter; for the judgment will bring a radical change in both. The old system in both will disappear forever–their purposes will have been accomplished.

 

12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; –Jesus said there would be gathered before him all nations. In the emblem John sees the scenes enacted as predicted. “The great and the small” is a general expression that includes all, both evil and good. This is in perfect agreement with plain statements in nonfigurative language. Jesus said “all nations” would appear before his throne; Paul says we shall “all” stand before the judgment seat; and that “each one” may receive the things done in the body. This makes it universal.

 

and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:–Both Old and New Testaments use the figure of man’s name and deeds being recorded in a book. The following passages give clear proof of that fact: Exodus 32:32; Malachi 3:16; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 18:8; Revelation 21:27. The thought is that God’s infinite memory will enable him to reward properly both bad and good just as if a written record had been kept. His knowledge of men’s acts is just as accurate as a perfect writing. Some commentators interpret the “books” to mean the record God keeps of men’s conduct, and the “books of life” to be the roll or record of the names of the righteous. But since we are to be judged by the words of Jesus (John 12:48), it seems more probable that one of the books, at least, should represent the Bible which contains the law by which mankind shall be judged.

The other two could be the record of man’s deeds and a register of the names of the saved. Whatever distinction we make in the application of the books, it is certain that men are to be judged in harmony with God’s law and according to their deeds. A failure to have our names on God’s record, or to have them rubbed out because of our sins, will be fatal to us. That is the important thing to remember.

 

and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.–This is a plain statement of what is already implied in the text. The “dead” is an unlimited term that means all the dead, unless the context or language limits it to some special class of the dead. The language here has no such limitation, but on the other hand the implied contrast between the saved and lost runs through the entire paragraph. Why say “according to their works” if only the wicked dead were in view? In that case it would have been necessary only to say that the dead were raised to be punished.

 

13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them:–The Bible definitely shows that it is the body that dies, in the common use of the word die; death can be affirmed of the soul or spirit only in a moral or figurative sense. That leaves the soul alive in the natural sense of the term “live.” James says “the body apart from the spirit is dead” (James 2:26), but no inspired writer anywhere says the spirit apart from the body is dead. Luke 16:22-25 and Acts 2:27 are final proofs that the souls in the Hadean world are not dead in the sense that the body is dead. Since the judgment is the door through which the final state is entered, of course a resurrection must precede. Hence, Hades must give up all souls, and the tombs be opened for the resurrection of bodies. But as the sea has claimed a large share of dead bodies, it must give up those in it.

The resurrection must be complete and final. The language here forces the word “sea” to have its literal meaning; the word “earth” is implied in the resurrection of those buried in tombs.

 

and they were judged every man according to their works, –Once more the universal nature of the resurrection is indicated by the expression “every man.” Doubtless repeated for emphasis.

 

14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.–The language means that both death and Hades will cease to exist at the judgment. The abolishment of death will render it impossible to have dead bodies for tombs in either earth or sea. If there will be no bodies for the tombs, there will be no disembodied spirits for Hades. No longer needed, naturally they will cease to exist. Personified, as if human beings, their final end is represented as in the lake of fire, called the second death. This is a forceful way of saying they are eternally banished, and the saved will no longer have reason to fear what does not exist.

15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.–Returning to the destiny of men, John says anyone not written in God’s book will be cast into the lake of fire. While this is the last act in the career of the wicked, the implication is evident that those whose names are in the book of life will escape the second death. This event, of course, is still future, yet John said “was” cast into the lake of fire. As John was permitted to see the judgment in a pictorial representation, the whole matter appeared done; hence, symbolically it was finished, but in reality was then, and yet is, future. This judgment scene pictures what Jesus revealed would take place when he comes again. (Matthew 25:31-46.)

 

At this point the curtain drops upon the earthly drama in which mankind has played its several parts. The acts will not be repeated; the stage and all furnishings will give place to that which will be suitable to the eternal nature of man in his final abode. The curtain will never rise again upon the lost; their doom is left to our imagination from the pictures already drawn. Not so with the redeemed; for with the most entrancing visions and the sweetest and most alluring promises John lays before his readers Revelation’s last words concerning the mansions Jesus has gone to prepare for his own.

 

LESSON 24.

THE YEARS AND THE FINAL

Read Rev. 20

1. Who was seen coming down out of heaven? Ans. Revelation 20:1.

2. What did the angel have in his hand? Ans. Revelation 20:1.

3. Whom did he bind and for how long? Ans. Revelation 20:2.

4. Where was Satan confined and for how long? Ans. Revelation 20:3.

5. What would Satan not be able to do and for how long? Ans. Revelation 20:3.

6. For how long would Satan be loosed after the thousand years were finished? Ans. Revelation 20:3.

7. What was given to those who sat on the thrones? Ans. Revelation 20:4.

8. Whose “souls” did John see? Ans. Revelation 20:4.

9. What did these “souls” do for a thousand years? Ans. Revelation 20:4.

10. What of the rest of the dead? Ans. Revelation 20:5.

11. What is the “first resurrection?” or, what is the antecedent of “this” in the sentence, “This is the first resurrection?” Ans. See the last clause in Revelation 20:4.

12. What blessings and privileges are bestowed on the “souls” that have a part in the first resurrection? Ans. Revelation 20:6.

13. What shall Satan do when the thousand years are finished? Ans. Revelation 20:7-8.

14. Against whom were Satan and his hosts planning to make war? Ans. Revelation 20:9.

15. How was this prevented? Ans. Revelation 20:9.

16. What is Satan’s final destiny? Ans. Revelation 20:10.

17. How long shall the devil, the beast, and the false prophet be tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone? Ans. Revelation 20:10.

18. From whose face did the heaven and the earth flee away? Ans. Revelation 20:11.

19. Who was seen standing before the throne? Ans. Revelation 20:12.

20. Out of what, and according to what, were the dead judged? Ans. Revelation 20:12.

21. Name three things that gave up their dead. Ans. Revelation 20:13.

22. Into what were death and Hades cast? Ans. Revelation 20:14.

23. What is the “second death?” Ans. Revelation 20:14.

24. Who else was cast into the “lake of fire?” Ans. Revelation 20:15.

 

FOR CLASS

I. Is there anything in this chapter that teaches that the “souls” who lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years were on earth while reigning?

II. Is there anything that teaches that these “souls” were in resurrected bodies while reigning a thousand years?

III. Discuss the danger of reading into this chapter what is not there.