REVELATION 20

INTRODUCTION:

1. One of the most abused chapters in the Bible is Revelation 20.

2. People use this chapter to predict what the end of time will be like.

3. Because of Revelation 20 many believe that a literal period of a thousand years is coming.

4. Though the ideas vary, the general belief is something like this:

A. Christ will come and there will be a “rapture”.

B. God’s people and the righteous dead will arise to meet Jesus Christ.

C. Christ will be joined to His church.

D. Great tribulation will exist on the earth.

E. Jesus and the church will eventually return to the earth.

F. Jesus will reign in Jerusalem for a literal 1,000 years period.

G. During this time Jews will be converted and return to Palestine.

H. Old Testament worship (with some modifications) will be restarted.

I. At the end of the 1,000 years Satan will be released.

J. He will make one more attempt to destroy God’s work/church but he will fail.

K. The unsaved dead will be resurrected and the final judgment will occur.

I. WHEN WE COME TO REVELATION 20, WE NEED TO BEAR IN MIND THE THINGS THAT

WE HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR PREVIOUS STUDIES.

A. Rome had severely persecuted God’s people.

(1) You are probably tired of hearing me say that.

(2) This undeniable fact is central to understanding this book.

B. God said that He would destroy Rome; we have looked at that destruction in some detail.

C. When judgment day came for Rome would anyone else need to be punished?

D. Yes. The devil was ultimately behind the persecution.

E. Since John had shown that the Romans would be punished, he had to complete the story and

show that the devil will also be judged.

F. Revelation 20 simply continues a story about an evil empire.

G. If we know nothing else about this chapter we need to know this:

(1) Most of the religious world zeroes in on the number 1,000.

(2) This is not the subject or main point of Revelation 20.

(3) Rather, Revelation 20 is a continuation of the revelation.

(4) John has shown that Rome would be punished for her wrongs.

(5) Now John says: The devil will also pay.

(6) Satan is not going to get off scot-free.

(7) You see, while most of the world views Revelation 20 as a roadmap, the first 10 verses

are history.

H. Let’s look at what the devil will face after Rome was destroyed.

I. Revelation 20:1-2 – READ.

J. God was not going to let the devil escape punishment.

K. Looking at what John wrote:

(1) No one seems to believe this “chain” is literal.

(2) If we returned to some of the earlier parts of Revelation …

(3) We would find that most do not believe …

(4) That the sea beast was a literal monster.

(5) People do not believe that the “dragon” was an actual dragon.

(6) It is not believed that the “land beast” was really a beast.

(7) Many agree that several of the items in this book are figurative.

(8) When we get to Revelation 20, some things curiously become literal.

(9) Wayne Jackson authored a little commentary on Revelation.

(10) In dealing with Revelation 20, he wrote:

(11) It is certainly a novel view, to say the least, to contend

(12) that a figurative serpent was figuratively bound

(13) with a figurative chain and figuratively thrown into a figurative pit

(14) that was figuratively locked with a figurative key for a literal 1,000 years.

(15) This sounds crazy. It is!

L. Throughout this book we have had figures and pictures.

M. Numbers have been used to express ideas and truths.

N. Though we have seen these things again and again, when it comes to Revelation 20, the

“1,000 years” somehow become literal.

O. Though this is thought by many, there is no basis for it.

(1) The word “thousand” is used more than 20 times in this book.

(2) Most insist that it is only literal in Revelation 20.

P. In Revelation 20:1-10 – tonight’s text – John predicted what would happen in his time.

Q. After this John jumped forward in history to FINALLY reflect the end of time.

R. John doesn’t get to the end of time until very late in this book.

S. Only a small part of Revelation deals with the future.

(1) When I first heard someone suggest this, it sounded far-fetched.

(2) It was my firm belief that all of Revelation predicted what will happen in our future.

(3) An interest in the truth forced me to study this book.

T. Tonight, in the first 10 verses, we are dealing with the past.

U. The first point from the past is in Verses 1-2.

V. Look at the facts that inspiration has recorded for us:

(1) There is an “abyss”.

(2) The angel has a key – access to the place.

(3) The angel also has a “great chain”.

(4) This angel is strong enough to grab Satan.

(5) This angel also has the ability to bind Satan.

(6) Then from Verse 3, the angel puts the devil into the abyss.

(7) This pit is both shut and sealed. The devil cannot escape.

(8) Our adversary is in this pit for a thousand years.

W. Few, if any, believe in a literal key.

X. I know of no one who believes in a literal chain.

Y. Quite a few are a bit unsure about the devil being literally grabbed.

Z. If we continue to look at this book as being images and figures:

(1) The meaning is that the devil would be defeated and held in check,

(2) The “1,000 years” is a figure which would seem to indicate that the binding would be full;

complete; perfect.

A. Though many see the 1,000 years as being 1,000 literal years,

B. I am proposing, as quite a few others do,

C. That this number refers to a state of affairs.

D. This number describes the condition of things.

E. In the case of the devil, his condition will be one of total incapacitation.

(1) In Verse 4 it is said that Christians reign for 1,000 years.

(2) This again, I maintain, points to a condition.

(3) The condition of these brethren will be complete victory.

F. If it be asked how these conclusions are reached or if what is being suggested seems odd,

G. Consider what God Himself says about the number 1,000.

(1) In the Old Testament we find the number 1,000 in many places.

(2) God owns the cattle on a “thousand hills”. Psalm 50:10

(3) What about the cattle on hill number 2,000? Who owns them?

(4) Do these animals belong to someone besides God?

(5) The Psalmist understood numbers.

(6) The number 1,000 means that God’s ownership is total; complete.

H. Deuteronomy 7:9 says that God keeps his covenant for a thousand generations.

I. What about generation 1,001? The number 1,000 is not being used literally.

J. If the number 1,000 is applied to saints; it is complete, full, total.

K. In Satan’s case, the binding was complete and full.

II. WITH SATAN BOUND, JOHN TURNS HIS READER’S ATTENTION TO GOD’S PEOPLE.

UNDER ROMAN RULE, UNTOLD MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH HAD BEEN KILLED. WHAT

WAS HAPPENING TO THESE PEOPLE?

A. We may remember from Revelation 6 that souls were “under the altar”.

B. Mistreated believers were crying out, “How long, O Lord?”

C. Revelation 20 says that the cries from these saints were heard.

D. Verse 4 – READ.

(1) Those killed for the sake of Christ are now seen on thrones.

(2) Oppression has been exchanged for honor and rank.

(3) These saints were actually “reigning” with Christ.

(4) The number “1,000” is used to describe this reign.

(5) Again, I do not take this number literally.

(6) It is my proposal that this number indicates completeness, fullness.

(7) These saints were victorious in every way.

E. In Verse 4, martyrs are described (people who lost their lives because of their belief).

F. More information about these people is found in Verse 5, but Verse 5 is tricky.

G. In Verse 5 we have a parenthetical sentence.

H. Between Verses 4 and 5b, John squeezes in a little information about the unsaved.

I. For the moment we will skip the material in 5a.

(1) At the end of Verse 5 it is said, “This is the first resurrection.”

(2) This statement is connected to Verse 4.

(3) People gave their lives for Christ; many died as martyrs.

(4) What happened to these people? 5b

(5) They experienced a resurrection!

(6) What were they resurrected to? Thrones, glory, honor.

(7) These resurrected martyrs were entitled to something else.

J. Look at Verse 6. READ.

K. The “second death”, as most well know, refers to hell.

L. The faithful Christians who had suffered under Roman opposition would be saved from eternal

agony.

M. These people had been raised up to a state of blessedness. Death equaled gone to glory.

N. However, John wrote that not everyone will get to rest in glory.

O. Going back to 5a – READ.

(1) John also describes the unsaved.

(2) There would be no party for these people. No thrones, no more honor or glory.

(3) These unsaved could only die and then wait.

(4) They would wait for the day of judgment.

(5) These people would face a “second death”. Verse 6

P. If we wish to make a gross oversimplification of Verses 4-6, we may compare John’s statements

to Luke 16.

(1) Luke records that people are now being held in Hades.

(2) Two different compartments are in the Hadean realm.

(3) This is similar (though maybe not parallel) to Revelation 20.

Q. All of what we are seeing is a fulfillment of Chapters 2-3.

R. Skipping back to Revelation 2:26-29 and Revelation 3:21 – READ.

S. What Christ promised came true for these people.

T. Was life tough? Did it require grit and determination; life discipline?

U. God’s promises never fail.

III. IN THIS CHAPTER THE UNSAVED ARE BEING HELD FOR THE FINAL JUDGMENT AND

SECOND DEATH. THE RIGHTEOUS DEAD WHO WERE MARTYRED BY ROME ARE

PICTURED AS BEING RESURRECTED TO REIGN WITH CHRIST. WHAT ABOUT THE

DEVIL?

A. Verses 7-9 – READ.

B. Some think that just before the world ends, the devil will make an appearance.

C. This is possible but it is a little uncertain in light of Matthew 24.

D. The best that I can offer on Verses 7-10 is this:

(1) Through Rome, the devil had the world in his hands.

(2) The devil had done so much that he actually had gone too far.

(3) Just as we might erase a chalkboard,

(4) So God said, “We are going to start over.

(5) I am going to cage the devil for a while.’

(6) When things have cooled off, he will be allowed to again deceive.

(7) The devil will again be allowed an opportunity to trick and lie.

(8) This explanation corresponds to 1 Peter 5:8.

E. If this proposal is right, what may be said about Verse 10?

F. John records that Satan entered into a lake of fire.

G. The final judgment does not start until Verse 11.

H. Whatever we say about Verse 10, it cannot describe the end of time judgment.

I. The best I can make of this verse is that …

J. Even though Satan still has opportunities, every effort he puts forth will eventually fail.

K. Verse 10 is like our expression, “money down the drain”.

L. All of Satan’s hopes and dreams of victory will fail.

M. This creature and his allies cannot prevail against God.

N. If Satan could not win the battle with the forces of Rome, there is no true hope for him.

O. In spite of this, he will not stop trying.

CONCLUSION:

1. The first 10 verses of this chapter are really ironic.

2. The devil cannot win but he never stops trying.

3. God’s people have every chance to win but some quit.

4. Instead of staying the course and reigning with Christ some toss in the towel.

5. It almost makes the mind spin to think that:

6. The loser insists on finishing the course;

7. Those on the winning track say, “I quit.”

A. Brethren, we are on the winning track.

B. The devil is running right beside us.

C. The only way he can defeat us is if we stop running.

D. A crown and a place of honor have been prepared for us.

E. There are entities that are ready to meet us.

F. Heaven is standing on the sidelines watching us race.

8. What happens if tonight the race ends?

9. We know what happens to the devil – he is sent to hell.

10. What happens to us?

11. Will we share in the riches we see in Revelation 20?

12. There will be no rapture, earthly reign or second chance.

13. We are either running the race or we are not.

14. Only those who participate in the race win.

15. Not everyone can participate in physical competition.

16. In the race described in Revelation 20 all can have a part.