Sermon for Pilgrim Church on Revelation 20
In chapter 17 and 18 Babylon was judged. In chapter 19, the armies who tried to fight against the Lamb were defeated completely and the beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur. Chapter 20 completes the narrative of the final judgment. The devil is judged and then the dead are judged. After the final judgment we hear only about the saints, the glory of the church and the wonder of the new heaven and new earth. That is in chapters 21-22.
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Rev. 20:1-6 NIV)
This passage is possibly the most controversial of all the passages we have read so far, and indeed in the whole book. There are three well-established views on what this means: post-millennialism, pre-millennialism and amillennialism. Post-millennialism is the idea that the church will set up the kingdom of God on earth for a thousand years and Jesus will return after that. This is not a popular view at the moment and it is difficult to justify biblically. The most popular in the western Christian world at the moment is pre-millennialism. The idea is that after Jesus returns, he will set up his kingdom on earth for a thousand years, untroubled by the devil in any way. There are lots of ideas attached to this view that I won’t go into. Although this is the popular view, it makes no sense at all to me for various reasons, primarily because it does not seem to match up with the rest of the New Testament or the rest of Revelation. I am going to explain the passage based on an amillennial view instead because that makes much more sense to me.
Like every other passage in Revelation, 20:1-6 is symbolic. We cannot assume that this follows chronologically from what happens in chapter 19. We have already seen how the time in Revelation resets and there are cycles of events, beginning in the church age and ending with the final judgment. I believe that this is the same here. The thousand years begins with the death and resurrection of Christ and ends just before the final battle that we have seen previously in ch 11, ch 16 and ch 19. Hopefully, this will become more evident as I work through it.
The angel has the keys to the Abyss. The Abyss is the abode of demons or the realm in which demons operate rather than a geographical location. The one who holds the keys in Revelation is the Lord Jesus. He has the keys to Death and Hades (1:18). He holds the keys of David (3:7) and what he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open. In 9:1 he gives charge of the Abyss to an angel and the angel opens the Abyss to let the demons out to torment people. Those demons are always under the control of God as is evident because it is God who unleashes the trumpet plagues. In 20:1 the angel does not let the devil out of the Abyss but rather chains him up and shuts him in the Abyss. As the one with the key of David, Jesus opened the Abyss in 9:1 and no one could prevent the plague of demonic torment. Jesus shut the Abyss in 20:1 and no one can let the devil out again, but only God in his own time. Opening or shutting appear different but in truth this is about who has control over the devil and his minions. The devil is under the control of Jesus because he has been defeated by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The thousand years is of course not meant to be a literal thousand years. Since 10 means “all”, 10x10x10 would imply an unspecified time during all of which the power of Christ over the devil is exercised. How do we understand “bound”? Since the devil is a spiritual being, it is obvious that no lock or chain could constrain him in any way. What restrains him is the power of Christ because Christ has overcome the devil by his death and resurrection. “Bound” is explained as the devil being unable to deceive the nations for a thousand years. As it is clear that the devil does deceive people, it is difficult to understand this. What we do know is that the devil cannot prevent people from hearing the gospel, knowing the truth and coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. The binding of Satan is not absolute. Several times in the book we have seen that the devil is defeated and yet has a resurrection of sorts, meaning that he continues to act as if he is not defeated (13:3; 17:8). In other words, his defeat appears partial. The binding of the devil in chapter 20 also appears to be partial.
Verses 4-6 are equally controversial. They speak of the resurrection of the martyrs who did not worship the beast or its image or receive his mark. We have encountered the martyrs before the throne of God previously (6:9-11; 15:2-4). This is simply a different perspective on that same situation. The resurrection to life is not the final resurrection of the dead, but only a resurrection to life in heaven with the Lamb. We know that these verses to do not refer to the final resurrection of the dead because everywhere else in the Bible speaks about the resurrection of the dead as if there is only one resurrection at the end of the age. There are not two resurrections. What is going on here? The saints who have lost their lives for the sake of the testimony of Jesus seem, at least from the perspective of the earth, to be dead and buried and gone. But they are not dead but alive. When Jesus was questioned about the resurrection by the Sadducees, he said of God, “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mark 12:27). The martyrs are indeed alive to God and present in heaven with Christ. From there they share in the reign of Christ over the world. This “resurrection” of the dead is supposed to encourage those who risk their lives for the name of Christ, that death is not the end and they are not abandoned.
“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.” At the end of the age, there will be a resurrection of both the good and the evil. Daniel 12:2 tells us, “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” Jesus referred to this in John 5:28-29—“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out– those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” Paul also mentions it in Acts 24:15. In the case of Rev 20:5, those who are raised later are unbelievers and, according to Dan 12:2 and John 5:29, they are raised to shame and everlasting contempt. We know that these are not believers because of what comes next: “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them.” Believers cannot experience the second death (2:11). The second death is the lake of fire (20:14; 21:18). This means that there are not two physical resurrections, which would be contrary to the rest of the Bible. Instead, this passage is using the word “resurrection” in a different, more symbolic sense.
“They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” refers to the reign of the heavenly martyrs from heaven. It begins from the moment of their physical death. They reign with Christ now and will reign with Christ forever. They are already seated on thrones (20:4) as Jesus promised in 3:21, but there is more to come (22:5). The fact that the martyrs serve God as priests in heaven is the first stage of their eternal reward.
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth– Gog and Magog– and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Rev. 20:7-10 NIV)
After the thousand years are over, the devil is let loose for a short while. What he will do when let loose is to deceive the nations into going to war against the Lamb. This final battle has already been discussed in 11:7; 16:12-16 and 17:12-14. During the church age, the devil cannot succeed in gathering his army for his final attempt at destroying the church utterly. But when he is released for a short time, he will succeed in deceiving the nations, the kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the earth into believing that they can successfully rid themselves of Christians forever.
The nations are called Gog and Magog. This points us to Ezek 38-39, which mentions Gog and Magog several times, and it is the only book to mention them aside from the genealogies in which the names of people called Gog and Magog appear. In these chapters, God himself draws Gog and Magog into battle with the nation of Israel. They will devise an evil scheme to plunder Israel. But God is in charge of their plan and orchestrates this in order to demonstrate his holiness. When Gog and Magog attack, then God will judge them with a great earthquake, plague, bloodshed, rain, hailstones and burning sulphur on the troops of those nations. This will show the nations that he is the LORD. The birds will eat the flesh of the dead. This list contains elements that we are familiar with from previous chapters of Revelation.
Instead of being two specific nations, in Rev 20, Gog and Magog are equated with every nation of the earth. But the general idea is the same. The nations will gather to come against the people of God. They will surround “the camp of God’s people, the city he loves”. This describes the church. The camp of God’s people was in the wilderness in Exodus and Numbers. In Rev 12 (vv. 6, 14), the church is in the wilderness, where she is looked after by God. The city God loves is Jerusalem without doubt. In Rev 21:2 (see also 3:12; 21:10) the church is described as the new Jerusalem, so it is not merely the nation of Israel who the nations attack but the whole church of God. The number of people against the church is “like the sand on the seashore”, which is a way of saying that the troops are uncountable. The odds are very much against the church from a worldly perspective. They cannot fight off their attackers. But God makes short shrift of them: “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” Having lured them into this trap by allowing the devil to deceive the nations, God then brings swift judgment upon them all. There is no question in this scenario of who is victorious. God demonstrates to all that he alone is God, he alone is to be worshipped and he alone is holy. He decisively defeats the devil and his armies.
“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Now the devil is finally and totally judged, never to be allowed to do anything anymore. The beast and the false prophet share this eternal punishment as we saw in chapter 19. The NIV translation: “where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown” implies some sequence, and is therefore probably incorrect. The final judgment of Satan, the beast and the false prophet takes place simultaneously, not in sequence. It is hard to describe simultaneously, but we can understand that it all happens at once. This punishment is eternal – “forever and ever” – and it is awful. They are tormented. Hell is not a picnic for the devil. He is not enjoying himself there, running the show. That idea is a false one, probably perpetrated by the devil himself.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. (Rev. 20:11-12 NIV)
The final Day of Judgment has arrived. There is a terrifying quality about this scene that should cause us to look on in reverent fear. There is a great white throne and one seated on it. We know who is seated on the throne – it is the Lord God Almighty, the Ancient of Days (Dan 7:9). His throne is white because he is utterly pure and holy. His judgment is therefore pure and holy. Near enough is not good enough on that day. “The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” The old creation has been corrupted by sin and death and these things have no place in the presence of God. They are done away with and will be replaced by the new heavens and the new earth (21:1), which is incorruptible and perfect.
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.” The dead have been raised, as Dan 12:2 predicts. The resurrection of the dead is either to glory or to shame. The judgment will determine this. But either way, every person who ever lived and died will face God in a resurrected body. They are great and small. In the present world, being great, that is, wealthy and powerful and famous, tends to mean that you can get away with things. But not so before the great white throne of God’s holy judgment. Yet neither are the small irrelevant. They too will have to give account for their choices.
“And books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” There are two kinds of books that will be opened on that day: the books containing the record of everything everyone has ever done or thought, and the book of life. The books are the basis for the judgment. This is only reasonable since God is just. No one will be able to argue that what happens on that day is unfair. There is no court of appeal and the judgment is final. The book of life is different to the record of actions and thoughts. Those whose names are in the book of life are the redeemed. It is the Lamb’s book of life (21:27) and his death is the basis of who is written in it (13:8). Those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of life are spared the judgment. However, since no one can deal with their own sins, if you do not have your name in the book of life, the judgment will not go well for you.
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:13-15 NIV)
All the dead, wherever they have been kept awaiting the judgment, are brought together and judged according to what they have done. Trust me, you do not want to be judged according to what you have done. God’s judgment is just. What have we done that is not tinged with impure motives? Even the most wonderful acts of charity can be done with our own glory in mind. But most of the world does whatever they want. They are restrained by government and cultural expectation for sure, but are still self-seeking, if not downright wicked. The result of the judgment of those not in the book of life is the same as the judgment of the devil, the beast and the false prophet; they are thrown into the lake of fire.
What is the lake of fire like? It is the second death. The first kind of death, that is, physical death, is bad enough. When someone you love dies, you experience the grief of separation. Those who die and those who are left behind are unable to do anything together anymore. The second death is not physical as such but it does involve a separation. It is a separation from the presence of God and his goodness. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the goats will be told, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41). Similarly, 2 Thess 1:8-9 tells us that those who do not obey the gospel “will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”
Even the wicked experience good things from God in this life (Matt 5:45 – he sends rain on the just and the unjust), but separation from God means no more of those good things, no more of the things which people sought after instead of seeking after God. There will be no more friendships or enjoyment of the world, because these are God’s gifts to us. Without God’s good gifts, there is nothing for the person who experiences the second death but to live with themselves forever. Since the unbeliever has no knowledge of God’s forgiveness and nothing to distract them from what they have done, guilt and shame must accompany them eternally. There will be nothing else to think about. The pain of the second death is primarily psychological, but because people are resurrected just prior to the judgment at the great white throne, perhaps they will also experience physical pain.
This chapter has good news and bad news. The good news for believers is that when they die, whether for the sake of the gospel or simply after living a life of service to Christ, death is not the end. The resurrection of the dead may be in the future, but in the meantime, there is life in heaven with Christ. Death is not final. Risking your life for the sake of Christ and his gospel is not in vain. The other good news is that God will never allow the devil to destroy the church utterly. The devil will try to do so, but his destruction will be swift and total. No matter how bad things get, God is sovereign even over the final battle.
The bad news for those who do not trust in Christ is that they will be judged according to what they have done. Believers are judged on the basis of what Jesus has done. He died for us and forgives our sins. But there is no forgiveness of sins for those who refuse the gospel. Nothing good awaits them in eternity. God will give them over permanently to their own guilt and shame. This is terrifying.