Mike Bickle emphasizes the significance of Revelation 20, portraying it as a literal and dynamic depiction of the Millennial Kingdom where saints reign with Christ for a thousand years while Satan is imprisoned. He explains that this period will be marked by peace and divine governance, contrasting the ultimate defeat of Satan and his forces at the end of the millennium. Bickle highlights the importance of understanding the chronological flow of events from Revelation 19 to 21, illustrating the victory of God's people and the final judgment of evil. He encourages believers to grasp the hope and assurance found in this prophetic vision, affirming that God's justice will ultimately prevail.

Chapter 20 is really a dynamic chapter in the Bible, and it's to be taken at face value. It means what it says and says what it means, and it's indescribable good news. I mean, it's good news beyond. When I read this chapter, just in preparing for it and praying over it, I go, oh Lord, I love this. This is fantastic. This isn't just a poetic, you know, figurative kind of passage of the Bible. This is real. This is fantastic. This is the future in advance. Well, in order to understand Revelation 20, we're going to look at verse 1 to 10, because we're wanting to understand the context for the millennial kingdom, the thousand-year reign of Jesus on the earth, and there's some really glorious things happening in that thousand-year period. The saints are reigning on the earth over all the spheres of life and all the spheres of government and society, and Satan and all of his demons are in prison. And it's a remarkable, glorious, Garden of Eden-type conditions that are spreading around the world. Well, we're going to look at six scenes from Revelation 19 to 21. There's six short snapshots that John gives us. Now, paragraph 8, Revelation 19, on to chapter 21, John describes, it's 1911 to 21a, John describes the end-time events in chronological order. There were no chapter divisions when John wrote this down. Because there's a chapter division, you can read chapter 19 and then chapter 20, and you think something new's starting, meaning it's a new portion of Scripture, and John's just continuing right on with the story. There is no break. And so just imagine the chapter's divisions are gone, and read a chronological unfolding of one glorious story from chapter 1911 to 21a. Now, we're going to look at these six different snapshots of events real quick, and the idea is to set a brief context for the Millennial Kingdom, then we're going to go back to chapter 20, verse 1 to 10, and look at a little bit more detail, so really fast at first. And then again, we're going to have a Q&A time at the end of this, so if questions come to mind, you can jot those down, just a little note to, we can bring it up in a few moments. Well, the first scene is Revelation chapter 19, verse 11 to 21. Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem as king. That's what's happening. He's entering Jerusalem as king. That's the context when you put the Old and New Testament together. He's marching into Jerusalem on a white horse with the armies of heaven with him, and they've come from heaven, and they're engaging in a battle that's surrounding the city of Jerusalem. I don't want to give too much detail on that kind of thing right now. That's for another day. So we find that happening here, and he captures the Antichrist, and he captures the false prophet, and throws them alive into the lake of fire. So the Antichrist and the false prophet, they're gone after chapter 19, verse 11 to 21. Let's just read a little bit of that. And he who sat upon the white horse, that's Jesus, in righteousness, he judges. He's making war because there's a great battle scene around, the armies of the nations are surrounding the city of Jerusalem. Now notice verse 14, this is very important. The armies of heaven are with him. That's all the resurrected saints, the raptured saints, and all the saints from history are with him. Note that verse 14, the armies of heaven, that's the resurrected saints. Verse 15, he will rule the nations. He's coming in context to be king over all the nations. Verse 16, he's king of kings. Verse 19, we're being ever so brief here. John said, I saw the Antichrist. I saw the kings of the earth, and we know from Zechariah 12 and Zechariah 14, they're surrounding the city of Jerusalem right now in this storyline. Their armies are gathered together, but they're making war against Jesus, but they're also making war against Jesus' army. There's the resurrected saints again. So we see the army in verse 14, and we see the Lord's army in verse 19, and those again are resurrected saints that have been raptured, and those that are in heaven, they get their resurrected body. They're all with the Lord, forever with him, never to depart from him. Verse 20, the Antichrist is captured, the false prophet, they're thrown in the lake of fire. Verse 21, the other kings of the earth, they're killed with the sword that comes out of his mouth. I mean, what a remarkable scene one. Scene two, well, the power behind the Antichrist and the false prophet is Satan. At this time, Satan will be taken hold of and cast into prison for 1,000 years. Verse 1, chapter 20, verse 1, I saw an angel having the great key to the, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He took hold of the devil and bound him for 1,000 years, cast him into the bottomless pit so he can't deceive the nations for this 1,000 year period. But when the 1,000 years are over, after these things, the end of verse 3, Satan is released out of prison. But notice the word, he must be released. For the purpose of God to be fulfilled, he must be released, and we're going to look at that in a few minutes, why he must be released. And he's going to test the nations one more time. Scene 3, again, there's no chapter breaks in any of this. The resurrected saints are given the governmental leadership over the earth. The resurrected saints, a few verses before, were the armies, they were the Lord's army who were with him. Back in chapter 19, verse 14 and 19, verse 19, they are now, I saw thrones and they set upon them. And I believe the they that set upon them is the army from verse 14 and verse 19 of the resurrected saints. And judgment was committed to them. And then he saw a subgroup of the Lord's people, those that were martyred, beheaded for their witness to Jesus, because they didn't worship the Antichrist. And they lived and reigned with Christ for 1,000 years. And over such, the second death has no power, for they'll be priests and they'll reign with him for 1,000 years. Now we go to the fourth scene. Again, there's six scenes, six snapshots, one after the other of the key events that take place in sequential order. One event after the other is being revealed. Chapter 20, verse 7 to 10, the fourth scene, Satan's now let out of prison. Verse 7, when the 1,000 years have expired, Satan's released from prison. He'll go out to deceive the nations, to test the nations one more time. He will gather them to battle. And the number that will join this demonic, satanic revolt will be, it'll be a vast number. It'll be a number as the sand of the sea. It doesn't say it's the majority of the earth, but it's a vast number. And it's like what the Lord told Abraham that his offspring would be like the sand of the sea. When he's talking about the bloodline of the flesh of Abraham, that his natural offspring would be like the sand of the sea. Then fire came down out of heaven and devoured the revolt, burned them all. And the devil then is cast into the lake of fire, it's over forever. He has now joined the false prophet of the Antichrist, it's over. There's never again an enemy that will emerge again on the earth. Scene number five, then all of the unbelievers that were in the holding pattern of hell are now, they stand before the great right throne and they go from hell, which is like the local jail, it's a holding pattern, and they're thrown into the lake of fire, which is like the federal prison. Then they're brought to their final place of judgment, which is the lake of fire. Scene number six, then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and earth had passed away. The new Jerusalem came down out of heaven to the earth is the idea. Now the new Jerusalem is on the earth forever, resting on the earth. In verse three, the ultimate statement of scripture in one sense, God's throne, God's tabernacle is dwelling on the earth for all the human race to interact with him openly on the earth. That was the original plan back in the garden of Eden. Not that the garden of Eden was the end, that God would come and dwell openly on the earth, that the supernatural realm of heaven and the physical dimension of the earth would come together on the earth and God's throne would be on the earth. Now look at verse one, just one quick phrase, it says the first heaven and earth passed away. It's that phrase passed away. I don't want to go into detail on this right now, but the debate among scholars is the earth renovated or is the earth annihilated? Meaning when it says the earth passed away, does that mean the earth is completely annihilated and it's a brand new earth or does that mean that the earth is renovated? And this is the exact same phrase, passed away, when it says that you're a new creation in Christ, old things have passed away, behold all things are new. It's the very same language I hear in Revelation chapter 20. And it's my opinion, there's about 15 verses on each side of the argument, but I believe that the earth is actually renovated and that what's passed away is all the old stuff and the earth is purged and rinsed with fire and all things are made new because there's a number of verses in the scripture, about 15 of them, I haven't actually counted them, where it talks about this world lasting forever and forever. But there's other verses that look like the earth is made new, it's not renovated, but it's annihilated and a whole new one. It doesn't really ultimately matter, it doesn't change anything either way or either position you take, but I'm just pointing that out real quick to you. Okay, let's go to top of page 2, because we're aiming for Revelation 20, I gave you that quick snapshot just to kind of give you the before and after of that thousand year period. Because that thousand year period, the millennial kingdom, that's what this course is about. Top of page 2, paragraph A, Revelation 20 is the most in-depth teaching on the millennium in the New Testament. Now there's many verses in the New Testament that reference the millennium, the saints reigning with Christ on the earth, those kind of passages. Those that are faithful in small things now will be over cities then, that's a reference to the millennial kingdom. Now the main themes of Revelation 20 are the victory of God's people on the earth, the earthly open victory of God's people on the earth, and the final defeat of God's enemies in terms of they're removed from the earth entirely. Those are the two primary themes in my opinion of Revelation chapter 20. This passage gives us insight into the length of the millennial kingdom. It tells us six times it lasts a thousand years. Now John isn't the first one to describe a period on the earth after the coming of the Messiah that goes on for hundreds of years. Back in Isaiah 65, Isaiah talked about a time where there would be those on the earth that would live for hundreds of years, and this is after the Lord's return. So Isaiah didn't lock the millennial kingdom in to being a thousand years, but he described the lifespan of people with natural body going on for hundreds of years. And so he's hinting to this prolonged period of time that's hundreds of years, and we don't know exactly the time, but John comes along by Revelation and says, I'll tell you exactly, Isaiah knew it was hundreds of years, but he didn't know how many hundreds, I'll tell you exactly, it's one thousand years. So John's the one that locked it in, in terms of the time frame. John is the one that developed the idea of the saints ruling on thrones for this thousand year period. Now in the Old Testament, it's clear the saints will rule, Daniel 7, they'll rule with the Messiah on the earth. It's through the teachings of Jesus, and through the teachings of the apostles, the saints will rule kings and priests with Christ, they'll have that ruling dimension, but here John develops and he says there's going to be a thousand year period where they'll rule, and it will be a specific time frame. And then John brings this whole new idea that Isaiah hinted at, Isaiah hinted at, we'll look at it in a little while, Isaiah 24, but the idea that Satan or demonic powers would be imprisoned. Isaiah hints at this, I mean he says it pretty straight forward in Isaiah 24, but he talks about the demonic powers and principalities in prison for a prolonged period of time, before their final judgment, but here John adds the idea it's Satan himself that's in prison, this is a new idea, it's not just demonic powers from Isaiah 24, but it's actually Satan that's in prison. And then John brings a whole other new idea where I don't know if it's anywhere else in the Bible, not to my, it doesn't come to mind, Satan's let out of prison to test the nations one more time, it's a surprising new development. Paragraph C, Revelation 20 has three sections to it, Revelation 20 verse 1 to 10, three sections, verse 1 to 3, we're going to look at this in a moment, Satan's imprisoned for a thousand years to begin the millennial kingdom. Verse 4 to 6, the saints will rule during the millennial kingdom. Verse 7 to 10, Satan's released out of prison at the end of this millennial thousand year reign to deceive the nations and to test the nations. Paragraph D, now there's three main interpretations of Revelation 20 verse 1 to 10, throughout church history, three main interpretations, and I believe that one of them represents the biblical intention, and I believe that the other two miss it, I mean I think anybody that holds one therefore assumes the other two are not representing what was in the Lord's heart, but again I think it's very important to say this, I have a lot of friends that hold different positions in that, and I have great respect for them and their teaching ministry and who they are in the Lord, so we can disagree about this but still honor one another and still serve the Lord together and walk in godly fellowship, so some folks get into a, this is the right way so you're wrong so you're bad, or this is the right way I'm right so I must be better than you or smarter than you, and that whole spirit of that argumentative, aren't I right and you must be wrong, that just is gross. I don't know what the biblical term for that is, that's not good, let's put it that way. We want to walk in love and unity, but I still believe that there is a biblical position that is clear, and we can hold it, we can hold it boldly, but we hold it with honor, we hold it with love. Number one, the first interpretation, which is the one that we take in this course here, the premillennial one, and this was the view, the church, the primary view of the church fathers for the first 300 years of church history, until Augustine come along and he introduced a different view. That's the literal interpretation of this passage, Revelation 20 means what it says directly, Satan's in prison a thousand years, the saints rule a thousand years, exactly what it says is to be taken at face value. The saints come alive, they're resurrected, and they're on thrones, I believe that's the view that's faithful to scripture. There's the amillennial view, many scholars buy this, they think that this is symbolic, and that the resurrection of the saints on thrones, they say well what that really means is you're born again and God's ruling in our life in this age. You're in the millennium now, and the resurrection of the saints, they came to life and they're on thrones, it really means you became born again, and you are now God's ruling and reigning in your heart when you resist sin, and so in that sense, you've come alive again and you're ruling with Christ. And that's just not convincing to me at all. And to take this passage and to reduce it to symbolism, and some say well it doesn't really mean that we're just born again and ruling with Christ now in this age, it really means it's the martyred saints in the intermediate state, they're right now with Jesus in heaven, and they're ruling, they don't have the resurrected bodies, but they're ruling now because they're all in heaven. And I don't think that's what Revelation 20 is talking about, I think it's talking about they come to life, get a physical body, they rule on the earth in a really straightforward way, I believe is the faithful representation of this passage. And many, many Bible teachers through history believe in the literal interpretation, and many believe in the amillennial, the symbolic interpretation. I just, I get so much encouragement out of Revelation 20, it is one of the grand chapters describing what's coming down the road. And then there's the postmillennial view, and I have here some who hold that view not all, but they would say the resurrection isn't really a spiritual resurrection, it's a resurrection of biblical principles. It's a resurrection of godly character that the martyrs exemplified when they stood faithful under pressure. Those different views of that, there's several different views, and again, that's not convincing to me as being faithful to what this passage is talking about. Okay, let's look at, let's go back to Revelation 20, verse 1 to 10, I mean the verses, and look at it with a little bit more detail. Paragraph A, we're in Roman numeral 3, paragraph A, now Satan's being cast into prison for a thousand years. Now, verse 1 to 3, now I believe this is one of the primary things that Satan is concerned about right now. This divine decree that he's going to prison. We sometimes get the idea that Satan's mostly focused on us, because he torments us and he attacks us. I believe that he torments us and attacks us, I'm talking about the body of Christ, because he hates people. He hates believers, he hates unbelievers. But I believe the number one thing probably on his mind is staying out of prison. I don't know that for a fact, but that's my opinion, that he looks at this passage and he says, I'm going to stay out of prison. That's what's on my mind, is somehow to avoid this whole situation here that's being prophesied in the Scripture. Then again, I'm not going to develop that, but I believe that's what's on his mind right here, this prison sentence that's facing him in the Word of God, because he knows the Word of God is true. It says here in verse 1, John saw an angel coming down out of heaven. The angel had the key to the bottomless pit. There's this abyss where demons are held captive. There's different chambers in the great abyss, in the bottomless pit. There's different chambers, and that's another topic for another time. And this angel had a great chain in his hand. Verse 2, he laid hold of the dragon. Now notice five verbs here. He laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, that is Satan the devil. He bound him, number 2, for a thousand years. Number 3, he cast him in the pit. Number 4, he shut him up. And number 5, he put a seal on him. So John, by the Holy Spirit, uses five different descriptions of what happens to the dragon, who is Satan, who is the devil. And the reason he's thrown into this pit, verse 3, is so that for a thousand years he can't deceive the nations. So the nations unfold for one thousand years. Now remember, born again believers, believers through history, the church has been raptured, the serpent of old, the saints through history have resurrected bodies, the raptured saints and all the resurrected believers throughout history, they're in the New Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem has come down to the earth. The New Jerusalem has come down to the earth at the beginning of the millennial kingdom, and it's in proximity to the earth. It's not resting fully on the earth, but it's in very close proximity to the earth, so much so that the kings of the New Jerusalem, they can bring their glory of their nations into the New Jerusalem, and the healing of the nations is in those leaves, and it's taken out of the New Jerusalem back to the millennial earth. Again, we'll look at that in future classes. But what's going on here is that the believers, I mean with resurrected bodies, live in the New Jerusalem, it's in close proximity to the earth, to the natural Jerusalem, they live in the New Jerusalem, but they reign and rule and serve on the earth. And just like an angel, and very rapid, they can be in the heavenly realm and they can be in the earthly realm, the transportation problem is not going to be a challenge. You'll be like angels come and go from the heavenly realm to the earthly realm, and I believe that the saints of the resurrected bodies will have, they could be ruling and reigning over a city, but living in the New Jerusalem with no challenge in terms of travel and distance whatsoever. But remember, there's people on the natural earth. I'm going to say that different. There's people that have natural bodies. The unsaved survivors of the great tribulation, they were not saved, therefore they were not raptured, but they had not taken the mark of the beast, so therefore they were not judged and executed. They continued to live on and have children, and several generations unfold, and it goes over a thousand years, and they're living their natural lives. And in the context of those natural lives, the devil's gone, the demons are all gone. Can you imagine a world in which the atmosphere has the presence of God in it? It's completely a cleansed environment, there's no demons at all. There is no temptation from demons. They're still born in sin with a sinful nature and propensity, and they still need to be born again, but they live to be hundreds of years old, and they live in the glory of God. Jesus is ruling in Jerusalem. I mean it's that Garden of Eden kind of context, and it spreads across the whole world throughout this thousand year period. But there is no devil tempting them, and Satan's not deceiving them at all for a thousand years. So it's this Garden of Eden paradise context that's developing on the earth. But it says in verse 3, after the thousand year period, the devil must be released. He must be released for just a very short time, because he's going to deceive the nations, and he's going to test the nations, and he's going to end up vindicating the justice of God. And we'll look at that in just a moment as to why he must be released. In order for God's justice to be fully displayed and to be expressed and validated and vindicated. Let's look at paragraph B. First, Satan, we'll look at this term called the bottomless pit. This is the abyss where the fallen angels, there are various categories of fallen angels, not all demons, but some are in prison there right now. Second Peter 2 and Jude talk about fallen angels that are held in prison right now. They're under judgment even throughout this six thousand years since Adam, six thousand plus or minus years since Adam, approximate six thousand years. They've been in prison from all these six thousand year period, again plus or minus, that's not an exact time. The angels, Jude 6, who did not keep their proper domain, but they left their own abode. God has reserved them, notice this phrase, in everlasting change. They're being reserved under darkness for the judgment of the great day. They're in prison in a way that other demons aren't. There's a category or maybe several categories of demons. I have written here in the paragraph, there are several other references to the bottomless pit in the book of Revelation. You can look at those notes on your own if that interests you. Top of page three. Now Satan is with a great chain. He is, the angel takes hold of him with a great chain in his hand. Now these are not natural chains. I think the chain is real. I don't think it's symbolic. I think it's literal. Natural chains obviously cannot restrain a demonic spirit. You can't chain up with a metal chain a demon. But these chains are referred to in Jude and second Peter as everlasting chains and as chains of darkness. Those are the phrases that the apostles use. Look at how Peter referenced this chain. And I believe this is the kind of chain that Satan will be bound with in the future. Second Peter chapter two verse four. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into hell and delivered them into chains of darkness. What an interesting phrase. And held them in judgment. They were reserved in judgment in these chains of darkness. And so there is a thousand year period where Satan will actually be in prison. And he will be unable to deceive the nations. Now the other millennial points of view, the all millennial, they say that Satan is in prison right now. When you ask them you say, okay the saints are raised from the dead. That's really they're just born again and Jesus is ruling in their heart. And you say, well what about Satan in prison for a thousand years? They go, well Satan's been in prison since the cross and resurrection. He was put into prison. We say, yeah but that's two thousand years not one. They go, yeah but the thousand years is symbolic so it could mean just an indefinite period of time. They say, yeah but you think Satan's been in prison for two thousand years? Well yeah, yeah theologically he's in prison. He's defeated at the cross. Therefore he's not really deceiving the nations right now. You think, really? That's, I mean many scholars really are strong about this. I go, so the reigning over on thrones is being born again and Satan's in prison now. Yes. I've had energetic conversations with really smart guys. I go, yes. I go, come on. Really? Yes. Okay. Okay. So anyway, paragraph D, again it's just not convincing that Satan's in prison right now. Verse 21, I mean Isaiah 24, this doctrine of there being powers and principalities in prison for a prolonged period of time before a final judgment was actually first or at least mentioned by Isaiah. Maybe someone before Isaiah mentioned it and I'm not aware of that passage. It talks about in verse 21, the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones. He'll punish those that are on high. I believe that's talking about demonic powers and principalities. Then He'll punish on earth the kings of the earth. So there's two different categories of beings that the Lord is going to punish when He returns. He'll punish on high, that's talking about the heavenly realm, the host of exalted ones. Then He'll punish the kings that are on the earth. Verse 22, they will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered into the pit. They will be shut up in prison for many days. Isaiah didn't tell you how many days, but John lets us know it's a thousand years. And then afterwards they will be punished and that's when Satan and according to here in Isaiah 24, in my opinion what this verse means, then the powers and principalities, the demonic ones are punished alongside of Satan and then after many days they're all thrown into the lake of fire. That's the final punishment. Then again this is the time of verse 21 when the punishment begins, when the punishment begins on the host of the exalted ones in verse 21. I'm here, I'm in verse, the end of verse 23 and I'm also referencing that this is the time frame when God, when the Lord punishes the kings of the earth in verse 21 and the exalted ones on high. Then at that time, which begins at the coming of the Lord, the moon will be disgraced, the sun will be put to shame because the Lord of hosts Jesus will be reigning on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and He'll be reigning in the glory of God before His elders. So at the time when this punishment is executed, where the heavenly host, demonic ones are thrown into prison and the evil kings of the earth are thrown into prison and they're put in this temporary prison before they're thrown into the lake of fire eventually. Again this is the very sequence laid out in Revelation chapter 20. The Lord at that time will be ruling before His elders in the glory of God in the city of Jerusalem. So Isaiah 24 gives us a snapshot of these developments and it goes in a unity and in sync with what John tells us here in Revelation chapter 20. Paragraph E. Now there's four names that Satan is given here in Revelation 20. And I believe that, I mean my idea is that these four names, they will be the basis on which Satan is charged at the bar of God's justice for his crimes against humanity. And these four names also reveal the way Satan attacks us. So these four names reveal why he's charged in God's court. And these four names reveal the different ways that Satan attacks the human race. Number one, he's called the dragon. And this denotes his cruelty. He's fierce and powerful and terrifying and cruel like a dragon. The antichrist is called the beast because of his cruelty. Because of his, even his great power. Number two, Satan is called the serpent of old. And I believe that this is referencing Satan in the Garden of Eden. The serpent of old back in Genesis 3. Because what's happening here in Revelation 20 is that Garden of Eden scenario is happening again on the earth. And Satan is going to be taken off the scene for a while. But as the snake was released in the garden back in Genesis, so God's going to let Satan out of prison after a thousand years and let him back into the garden again. And the way that Adam was tempted, he's going to come and tempt the whole earth which will be in the Garden of Eden environment. And we'll look at the reason why the snake will be released back to the garden again in just a few moments. But Satan, the serpent of old, depicts him as the father of lies. The liar, the twister, the deceiver. So that's what he's coming to, one of his primary ways that he attacks us is through deception. So he's not only cruel like a dragon and fierce, he's deceptive like the serpent of old that was in the garden in Genesis 3. Well his other name is the devil. The devil actually means the accuser. One of Satan's major ways of attacking you isn't just to deceive you about other things, but it's to accuse you for condemnation and guilt to get a stronghold in our thinking so we draw back and we have no confidence in the presence of God and we give in to his schemes because we're so overcome and weakened by a sense of condemnation and guilt and shame. We don't have a sense of boldness with who we are in Christ. That is the devil, the accuser. He accuses us night and day. And then the name Satan means the adversary. He's the one that opposes the will of God. He's continually attacking to undermine and to destroy the will of God in our life. He's the adversary. So these are the four titles that are brought forth before Satan's ultimate, before his prison sentence for a thousand years. So he's indicted along these four names, but he's also thrown into the lake of fire afterwards and I believe it's in context to these four things. He's the cruel, fierce dragon. He's the father of lies, the serpent of old. He is the devil, the accuser. He is Satan, the adversary of the human race and particularly of the people of God. And so that gives us insight as at the bar of God's justice as he's sentenced to prison, God actually lays the charges out before he's thrown into prison right there in Revelation chapter 20. Paragraph F, it's a thousand years. That's the length of the imprisonment of Satan and I believe them therefore the demonic powers of Genesis 24, I mean of Isaiah 24, the verse we just looked at, verse 21 to 23, the host on high that are thrown into prison and after many days that are thrown into their final judgment. So it's the length of Satan's imprisonment as well as the powers of principalities, the demonic ones. It's also the length of the rule and reign of the saints on the earth during this period. Now the number is emphasized, it's said six times. So there's no question about it. Now there's no, I mean many scholars say no it's just purely symbolic. But there's no precedent in Scripture for a number being used six times in one passage to be symbolic. There's actually no precedent for that and there's nothing in Scripture that contradicts this thousand year period. I believe when the Scripture says it's straightforward that we are to take it in its straightforward meaning. Now sometimes in the book of Revelation the meaning is symbolic but the text indicates, the passage itself indicates it's symbolic. I'm thinking, I don't remember the exact number but there's about 10 or 12 passages in the book of Revelation where the angel or John says this is symbolic. So when the Scripture, when the passage indicates it's symbolic take it that way. But if not the book of Revelation is to be taken in its straight, in its face value straightforward way. Numbers mean exactly what they mean. 144,000 means 144,000. That's a thousand years means a thousand years. And there's again nothing in Scripture that contradicts this thousand year time frame. And Isaiah certainly in Isaiah 65 indicates it would be hundreds of years he just doesn't tell us how many hundreds of years it is. Paragraph G again we mentioned that Satan is bound. He's kept in prison from influencing people on the earth for a thousand years. And the amillennial position says he's bound right now. Even the postmillennial position some of them will say he's bound right now. Well Satan was clearly not bound in the early church. The apostles did not think of Satan as bound that because Jesus' victory over Satan on the cross they didn't therefore think Satan was no longer operative on the earth. A few examples, I'll just give you a few that I have written here. I won't mention them all. Satan filled Ananias and Sapphira's heart it says in Acts chapter 5 to lie. It says that Satan hindered Paul's travels. 1st Thessalonians 2. Paul said Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers. He said Satan appears as an angel of light. Says in 1st Peter 5 Satan's an adversary roaming the earth seeking who he can devour. So the idea of the amillennial position and even some of the postmillennial position that this passage is purely symbolic that Satan is actually bound and in prison right now. Again it's just inconceivable to conclude that at least from the way that I read the scripture. I can't imagine that somehow Satan is not active on the earth right now through their theological grit. But again I have honor and respect for the teaching ministries but these specific points I just can't accept or endorse. Paragraph H. Satan is described in verse 2 and 3 in five different ways. And I find this a bit dramatic here. First it says this angel lays hold of Satan. That's the first description. I can imagine this dramatic moment where the angel lays hold of Satan. I don't know for a fact what I'm saying now is exactly how it is but I imagine Satan is so filled with hatred. He's a murderer from the beginning the scripture Jesus said. He's a murderer. The father of lies. He's filled with hatred. I don't imagine he's been hugged very many times throughout history. I don't imagine very many demons have come up and laid their hands on this prince. I mean this demonic spirit Satan himself. And so my point being I don't really know. There's nothing in the Bible one way or the other about this. But an angel lays hold of Satan and I can just imagine the drama that against his will another being actually takes hold of him. It's probably unprecedented. I'm assuming that. I'm just picturing the drama of that moment. And all the other demons are watching this or something like that. Again I don't know for a fact that's how it exactly is. But laying hold of Satan. I can't imagine too many times in history any being has laid hold of Satan. That just is wow what a dramatic moment. Then he's bound. He's put the supernatural chains are put on him. Where he's held against his will. And he can't go and deceive the nations. Now he's cast into a pit. Not only is he constrained by these chains. He's actually incarcerated. He's put into this place of prison. He's shut up. He has no ability to communicate with the nations. I mean this is a whole new setup. His relationship to the world is a very new dynamic. He cannot interfere. He cannot communicate. He cannot deceive. He cannot inspire. He has no plans that he could be involved in. He's shut up completely. And there's a seal on him where it's impossible for him to break free. He can't break out of prison. There's this divine seal that's over him. And anyway the verbs that John by the Holy Spirit piles up describing this dramatic scene I think are worthy of pointing out that the prison is really prison. He's not sort of in prison now. I mean he will really be in prison. Shut up. Cast into a pit. Set a seal. It's like John's making it in my opinion impossible to spiritualize this passage and to make it appear as though it's now. For these verbs to be taken at face value again I believe the scripture demands a literal thousand year reign and a literal thousand year incarceration of Satan. Top of page 4. Well this monumental development happens in verse 4 to 6. Is that the saints, the resurrected saints are given the leadership of the earth. I mean this is the Daniel chapter 7 verse 27 where the saints inherit the kingdom and all the thrones of the earth. Verse 4. John says I saw thrones. And here's the key phrase that ends up with some dispute and debate and confusion. They set upon them. And then right after this John says they set upon them and judgment was committed to these saints. Then John I believe highlights a subunit of those saints. Those are the ones that are martyred in those final years and they don't yield to the antichrist. They're martyred. But I don't believe the ruling and reigning is limited to the martyred saints. I believe that this category of saints that are martyred in those final years, those final three and a half years is the number is so vast it's the greatest global crisis in redemptive history of the people of God. Never have the so many of the people of God been martyred. That it warrants a specific line because I believe it will be the greatest crisis in history for the people of God in terms of martyrdom. No time like it. And so John gives them one line of special note. It's like we were talking and it was funny Bree said it's like they get one shout out for the saints that are being martyred at the end. You know one line here but I thought I said yeah that's kind of a little bit what's going on here. John says let me tell you about one category that will be under special need for encouragement and let's just give them this one shout out. They will need the encouragement because there will never be a crisis so vast where so many people this is applicable to as the end time martyrs. But I believe again that these saints, the end time saints are a subunit of the they verse 4 and I saw the thrones and they set upon them. The they goes backwards to a group that's already been referred to in chapter 19 verse 14 and 19 verse 19 that is the army of the resurrected saints that are with the Lord. I believe that that is the pronoun they is referencing that group there of the Lord's army of resurrected saints. And then he says yeah but there's a particular group that will need a real significant encouragement in that day and that's the saints at the very end. They will live and they will reign with Christ for a thousand years. And again I don't believe this means they're just born again and Christ ruling in their hearts in this age. I believe they lived and will reign with Christ for a thousand years means on the earth with resurrected bodies and reigning over cities and over nations. Verse 6 over such that the second death has no power they will be priests and they will reign with him for one thousand years. It says it over and over again. So paragraph B John highlights one of the I mean points out one of the great themes of the book of Revelation that is the governmental authority of the earth will be given to the saints. And this is the group that Daniel chapter 7 verse 27 highlights. Daniel saw the son of man having authority over all the nations but the son of man gave that kingdom to the saints in those positions of authority. Paragraph C it says they, they said and here I give you the verses I just mentioned a few moments ago that I believe they speaks of the saints of verse 14 and verse 19 of Revelation 19 and you can read that on your own just to compare those phrases together. I believe that saints will occupy the highest positions of government in the millennial kingdom. Paragraph E I believe that I mean the scripture highlights the two main functions of the saints are to be kings and priests. Those are not the only functions but those are the two primary ones and we'll look at those in a later session. Let's just end here in verse 7 to 10 real brief. Verse 7 now the thousand years have expired. Satan's released out of prison and he will again when you talk to the amillennial scholars I say when is the time Satan if he's in prison now when does he get out of prison? At the cross and resurrection Satan was thrown in prison is there a time he's let out of prison to be faithful to Revelation chapter 20 to the details of it. I've never received a good answer for that because I don't think there is one but there is a time John says that Satan will be released from prison he'll go out to deceive the nations Gog and Magog he'll gather them together to battle whose number is as the sand of the sea. Verse 9 and then the fire of God will come out of heaven and devour them and then the devil will be cast into the lake of fire. So what happens Satan comes out of prison after a thousand years he raises or he deceives a portion of the nations I don't believe it's the majority of the nations it never says that the sand of the sea it could be millions and millions and millions again that's the phrase where God described Abraham the number of his natural offspring and so I don't know how many millions that is but it doesn't mean billions it doesn't have to mean billions and billions it doesn't have to mean the majority of the earth but there will be a substantial number that are deceived and I trust the percentage will be small but the number will be large the percentage of the people on the earth because the glory of God will be covering the earth a number of other passages say at this time and Jesus' kingship will be honored across the earth and there will be this garden of Eden environment and the saints will be ruling and all the primary governmental positions will be under the saints and so though I believe that as Satan comes there's this revolt that comes in verse 9 then fire comes down from heaven it's like an Elijah moment again remember in first Kings 18 when Elijah called fire from heaven and all the false prophets of Baal were killed this is like an Elijah moment at the very end it's like the Lord under his authority sends fire from heaven I mean the greater Elijah I mean what a day that is witnessed on a global level and then the devil verse 10 is cast into the lake of fire there's no more struggle again from the anti-Christ from the false prophet from Satan from demons from powers and principalities never again will there be an adversary on the earth never again now just take just two more minutes here paragraph B it says in verse 3 that Satan must be released for a little while and I believe that he's released at the end of the millennial kingdom so that God will openly manifest the truth about the depravity of sin of human sin and he will manifest the truth about Satan as incurably evil and what I mean by that is that Satan has been in prison for 1,000 years when he comes out he is as evil as when he went in there's no rehabilitation going on in hell none whatsoever that's one of the points being made Satan is in no way reformed in his prison sentence so that gives us an insight of what happens in a place where there is no grace of God manifest on the demonic kingdom there is no rehabilitation going on and so God's judgment is just because there is no change whatsoever and then on the earth there will be multitudes through history that say the reason I lived in sin and the reason I rebelled against God's authority because my life circumstances were so difficult that God is unjust for judging me because if my life circumstances would have been better if I was born at a different time in history born in a different economic environment born in a different family setting I would not have sinned in the way I sinned and I would not have rebelled against God I mean I would have obeyed the Lord and the Lord says that's not true the reason you sin because you love sin they'll say no no no if my life would have been better and I can imagine the accusations coming from the unbelievers in hell you're unjust in your judgments if life would have been different I was given a fair dealt an unfair treatment and so for a thousand years the garden of Eden situation will happen again and the snake will come in the garden and many people will do just what great great granddad Adam did they will choose Satan over God having had an environment of Eden for a thousand years on the earth and the Lord will declare to the human race it wasn't the environment that made you sin and I have a historical record and the reason hell is eternal and the reason the judgment there's no out of the judgment because there's no rehabilitation that happens on the human spirit or the demonic spirit when they're in the lake when they're in hell they actually my guess is they get more and more bitter and more and more angry they don't rehabilitate and repent in that context and I believe that this my view of what's happening here in Revelation 20 Satan being let out it says he must be let out God is showing all of human history that his justice his judgments were just and fair and that he was nobody was mistreated that men sin because of what Jesus said in John 3 19 because men love darkness that's why they sin not because their environment was difficult because many people with a difficult environment still choose God and people with a good environment choose sin and they resist the grace of God and I believe that that's what's going on in this great drama that's unfolding that's John gives us insight in Revelation chapter 20 Amen let's stand I'm going to just pray over you for a moment and then we're going to have about two minutes of just kind of move around for a minute that we have a Q&A for whoever wants to be a part whoever doesn't