MHB 166 – Revelation 20

Welcome to The MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my 166^th episode. In this episode I want to continue our study of the book of Revelation. We are in chapter 20. This chapter represents another set of prophecies which should be terrifying for the wicked, but immeasurably hopeful for those who are found in Christ. It’s likely the events described in this chapter point toward some future occurrence. It’s not uncommon for Christians to become obsessed with end-times prophecy and to hold a viewpoint so strongly it diminishes their ability to love others. That’s definitely the wrong way to think about chapters like this one. The truth is we don’t know exactly when all of these things will take place or exactly what they will look like when they do. So our best bet is to make general observations and to keep our interpretive practices filled with the humility of not knowing. This chapter brings us an account of the binding of Satan for a thousand years. It tells us about the reign of the saints which will also last a thousand years. Then it discusses the release of Satan as well as the church’s conflict with Gog and Magog. The chapter finishes with a scene of Judgment Day – a scene which should strike terror into all those who defy God. But the finality and the irresistible nature of this judgment also means everlasting peace for the redeemed in Christ. Let’s read verses 1-10:

Rev 20:1  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

Rev 20:2  And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Rev 20:3  and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

Rev 20:4  Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Rev 20:5  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

Rev 20:7  When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,

Rev 20:8  and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

Rev 20:9  And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

Rev 20:10  And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

This passage looks ahead to Satan’s future imprisonment. This period will mark a time of peace and prosperity for the Church because Satan’s power will be greatly diminished. The world has never experienced so great a time as the thousand year reign of Christ will be – but there have been moments in history where Satan’s influence was largely reduced. One such moment is when Christ ascended and His disciples were given the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel far and wide. You can also argue that Rome adopting Christianity as its official religion caused the Church to see tremendous growth as well. There have been times in history when powerful, evil empires were brought down by the forces of good. The 20^th century is a good example of that with the fall of Nazi Germany as well as the Soviet State. God has demonstrated great victories over Satan’s wicked forces all throughout history. But it’s never a good idea to allow your victories to lull you into a state of complacency. The evil side of your heart is sneaky, clever, and remains dangerous so you must be aware of it and guard yourself against it.

As with God’s great victories of the past, this passage shows us His binding of Satan. We see Satan captured and bound by an angel from heaven. It’s possible this angel is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Satan is a powerful creature but he’s no match for Jesus. Satan has no tools which are sufficient to overcome the omnipotent power of God. When evil forces corrupt the heart of a human being they’re often subtle and clever about it. One of the mistakes Christians make is assuming their resistance to evil will be cut and dry. It’s as if they think evil will be clearly marked and easy to distinguish. But I think the worst forms of evil appear to us as temptations. It’s tempting to demonize an enemy you really hate. It’s tempting to let your ego subvert the will of God in your life. It’s tempting to justify genocide if doing so means security and prosperity for yourself and your family.

You should always remind yourself that the great works of evil which have taken place throughout history only happened because enough people wanted them to happen. Satan is clever and he knows exactly how to manipulate the human condition. He tried this sort of thing with Christ when he tempted Him in the wilderness. He offered Jesus worldly power if only Jesus would submit to him. But this temptation had no impact on Christ because earthly power is as nothing compared to the heavenly power of God. Jesus holds the keys to the kingdom of heaven as well as the keys to hell. He used a chain to bind the ancient serpent. Once Satan was in His grasp there was no getting away. The serpent is cast into the bottomless pit with force and vengeance. You have to imagine all the moments of suffering and evil he had caused – all the lives lost without justice and all the senseless misery. The Lord has vengeance stored up for such things and rightfully so – He is a just and righteous God.

The place where Satan is sent is something like a prison which was made for him. His time of deceiving the nations and the churches is put on pause as he lays there in chains. Christ shuts him in the prison and seals the enclosure. When Jesus closes a door there are none who can open it. Not even Satan himself can break the locks which are set by God’s authority. This is useful to keep in mind when you’re trying to make decisions in your own life. One way of helping the process is to pray and ask God to close the door if it’s not meant to be. Then if the door closes you can rest assured there was no other way. Nothing will rob you of your peace of mind faster than regretting the path not taken. So it’s a little easier to deal with big decisions when you realize that other path was never actually available to you because it was sealed off on the authority of God. If God takes something away from you there’s zero chance of you being able to strong-arm Him or outsmart Him into getting it back. You can rest easy on faith that He knows what He is doing and His judgment for your life is perfect.

Satan is closed into this prison for a thousand years. This coincides with the thousand year reign of Jesus. It will be a beautiful era of peace and prosperity. But the end will not yet come. After the thousand years Satan will be set free for a short time and the Church will face more trials. We can speculate about why God would release Satan again after imprisoning him for a thousand years – but these sorts of questions are shrouded in mystery just as much as the question of evil is to begin with. We can come up with some answers that makes sense of things, but ultimately you want your heart to rest on the knowledge that God is doing these things in order to usher in the ultimate good. If you have faith in Jesus, then this ultimate good means an eternity in perfect paradise with God.

We mentioned that Christ’s thousand year reign coincides with the thousand year imprisonment of Satan. The passage goes on to describe the reign of the saints while Satan’s power is diminished. The saints in this passage are characterized as those who had suffered for Jesus and faithfully adhered to Him. These faithful had not received the mark of the beast and had refused to worship the beast’s image. They remained clear of the various forms of idolatry which are so attractive to humanity. The saints were honored by being resurrected from the dead. You can think of this literally or symbolically. I want to be careful here. I’m not suggesting there is no literal resurrection – I’m not suggesting that at all. I’m simply saying there are often multiple layers of meaning to an idea. If you think of this resurrection symbolically then you might suggest the saints’ status in the social hierarchy was resurrected. This means their values, rights, and liberties became ascendant in the culture once again. This kind of thing has happened before throughout history and the church refers to it as a revival. We’re seeing a lot of idolatry and destruction in the western ethos right now, so it’s possible we are on the cusp of the greatest revival in Church history. One can only hope.

Observe how the saints are given thrones of great power and judgment. They were given honor, interest, and authority. When we think about this we can’t help but think of it from worldly terms. When we picture power we picture world leaders like presidents and C.E.O.s of major companies. But this isn’t the case in the kingdom of God. Jesus said in the kingdom of heaven the last will be first and the first will be last. This is an illustration of the fact that the established order in the kingdom of heaven is so far different from the order on earth that it’s almost the inverse. Faith, hope, integrity, love, and humility are the qualities which bring you power in the kingdom of heaven – whereas these same qualities are frequently not found in the most powerful people on earth. Jesus is the King of kings and He humbled Himself to wash His disciples feet in order to demonstrate servant-leadership which will be one of the fundamental power dynamics in the kingdom of heaven.

The saints will reign with Christ for a thousand years. When you share in the suffering of Jesus you are sealing your future as being able to share in His reign as well. The difficulties of this life are leading to a moment where every tear will be wiped away and suffering will be no more. You will be joined with Jesus in glorious conformity to His wisdom, His righteousness, and His holiness. Such a spiritual condition goes far beyond any that are attainable here on earth. This process of entering into glory with Christ is called the first resurrection. Those who will enjoy the first resurrection and participate in the thousand year reign of Jesus are those who have served Him and suffered for Him. The wicked will have no part in this resurrection. They will not be raised up or restored to power again until the thousand years is over and Satan is released from his imprisonment.

When we think about the servants of God in this passage perhaps their most defining characteristic is happiness. Happiness in earthly terms can be difficult to define. You could say it’s something like the absence of negative emotion – or the absence of pain and misery. But I don’t think this definition captures all of it. If you’re sufficiently ignorant or malevolent it’s possible for you to feel the absence of negative emotion all the while causing misery to those around you. I think a better definition of happiness is to be made holy by the Spirit of God and to be blessed by Him. You can’t truly experience the blessing of God unless you are holy, and all who are truly holy will experience blessedness.

You might ask what about all the Christians in the world who are persecuted? I think this goes back to the fallacy of happiness being the absence of negative emotion, pain, and misery. There are countless cases of people who live peaceful lives of material prosperity and yet they can’t escape the crushing unhappiness which weighs on them. I think in many cases this unhappiness is caused by a sense of meaninglessness. You need a sense of meaning like you need food and water. It’s not optional for your mental and spiritual well-being. If you lack a sense of meaning then no amount of material or circumstantial prosperity will be able to make you happy. If your life has a profound sense of meaning, then your mental and spiritual well-being will be made durable enough to withstand many negative circumstances which might pop up in your life.

The ultimate sense of meaning comes from pursuing Jesus Christ so that His Holy Spirit might bless you and sanctify you to make you holy as He is holy. This pursuit provides a layer of meaning to your life which is transcendent in nature – and that means it functions independent of your difficult earthly circumstances. It will maintain your spiritual well-being even while the things of this world seek to destroy it. This passage also tells us that the faithful are secured from the power of the second death. The second death is the death of your soul and your eternal separation from God. This is the experience Christians are talking about when they discuss being saved. If you repent of your sins and have faith to make Jesus Lord of your life then you are already saved from this second death.

After the thousand year reign of Jesus, Satan’s imprisonment is concluded and he is released from his chains to bring trouble back onto the Church. It is a mighty and terrifying conflict but it’s also decisive and short. You can think of it like a last ditch effort on behalf of Satan despite the fact that it’s permitted by God. Something we should keep in mind is that while this world remains fallen the power of Satan is always active – even if it sometimes appears diminished. The worst societal dysfunctions emerge when enough people begin to take goodness for granted and operate on the false assumption that evil no longer exists. Even after being imprisoned for a thousand years, Satan goes right back to his ancient work of deceiving the nations upon his release. He stirs up a war between the godless and the faithful. Remember this war is completely futile. It makes no sense to wage war on God because to do so means your cause is the wrong one and you’ve already lost. So why would anyone do that? The reason is because they are deceived. Satan is called the Father of Lies because he deceives the nations into thinking their defiance of God is not only good but also achievable.

Satan’s final rally is more grandiose and more fatal than any he had done before it. We can think of this muster of forces in preparation for battle as a hopeless and foregone conclusion, but I have to imagine there will be many people who fall into the deceptive trap. Understanding the omnipotence of God is not an excuse to take temptations lightly. Sometimes Christians become complacent because of their faith in God’s final victory. There is no doubt that God will have the final victory, but it’s not self-evident that you’ll be there to enjoy it if you give in to wickedness. If you trust in the promises of God you have nothing to worry about. Satan’s deceptions are powerful but they’re no slight of hand. You have the free will to choose your master.

At the end of days Satan will have raised a mighty army the number of which is as the sand of the sea. The top commanders of Satan’s army are called Gog and Magog. Some interpreters claim to know who these names represent – but I don’t think we can say definitively. The forces gathered for this battle will be from all over the world so it could be anyone. There is a Magog mentioned in Genesis who is one of the sons of Japheth. Magog settled in Syria but his descendants spread out to many other parts of the world. Satan’s army will march forward and surround the faithful in Jerusalem which is referred to here as the beloved city. The people in Jerusalem set up camps outside the walls of the city in an effort to defend it – but the enemy had forces far superior to their own.

This is another great act of faith demonstrated by God’s people. They set up their own defenses and were ready to die for their city in their efforts to protect it. You might be facing your own battles in which your odds of victory are very small. But you always get to choose how you will react to these battles. Will you have the faith to do your best while depending on God to show up? Sometimes God doesn’t show up in the way we expected or the way we hoped for, but you can rest assured that God will always work for the ultimate good of His people in accordance with His own will. In the case of this final battle, God Himself destroys the forces of Satan in a spectacular display of fiery destruction. This stunning and decisive victory was foretold by the prophet Ezekiel. After Satan’s army is destroyed, he is cast into hell along with the beast and the false prophet. This final defeat marks the end of tyranny and idolatry forever. Let’s read verses 11-15:

Rev 20:11  Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them.

Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds.

Rev 20:14  Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

Rev 20:15  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Following the destruction of Satan and his army is the account of Judgment Day. This is the moment when all people will be judged according to their deeds. It would be hopeless for us to face such a judgment without the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. That’s one reason why Christ calls Himself the door and says that no one will come to the Father except through Him. All the powers of this world will be subdued and even the mightiest of rulers will face judgment before the great white throne. The judgment seat of Christ will be both glorious and terrifying depending on your spiritual condition. His judgment is perfectly righteous so the strongholds of wickedness have no fellowship with Him. The appearance of Jesus Christ as Holy Judge will be so majestic that the broken nature of reality will crumble and flee at His presence. Peter says the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat until the earth and all its works are discovered.

The judgment of God will be all-encompassing and there will be none who are exempt from it. The faithful will be saved by the righteous covering of Christ which is imputed onto them. No person will be rich enough or poor enough to escape the judgment of God. There are none powerful enough to resist it. Even the dead from the ages of history will be given up by the grave to face judgment. Hell will surrender the souls of the wicked and the sea will return all those who have been lost to it. During the judgment several books will be opened. One book represents God’s omniscience and His knowledge of all things inside and out. Another represents the conscience of the sinner – the fully exposed reality of who you are. Also there is a book which represents the holy statutes of God which we know as Scripture. The Scriptures are the framework by which right and wrong is determined. The rule of God determines what ought to be and the book which represents the conscience of the sinner reveals what actually is.

And then there is the book of life. This is the book by which the faithful may hope to understand God’s eternal counsels. Those whose names are found in the book of life are saved by the righteous blood Jesus. We will see the Judgment Day but we will be justified and acquitted by the gospel. The only way to avoid condemnation for your sins to allow yourself to be forgiven for your sins. There is no avoiding the judgment of your works. The only pathway to forgiveness runs through the cross of Jesus. The self-righteous and the wicked have made a covenant with death and on the Judgment Day they will be required to adhere to that covenant. This means destruction and eternal separation from God. The faithful will no longer need to fear death, hell, or evil because all of these will be gone.

Discussions of judgment and hell-fire can be quite scary to think about. But you have nothing fear if you’ve responded to the gospel and found your Savior in Jesus Christ. As Christians we should endeavor to live a life which honors God and is characterized by a Christlike mode of being. But even when you stumble and make mistakes you have an advocate at the judgment throne of God. This advocate is the Spirit of God inside your heart and Jesus the Christ seated at the right hand of Power in heaven. God doesn’t want you to fail. He’s working in your life right now to bring you home to Him and His grace is sufficient for anything you might have done wrong. It’s not too late to allow yourself to be turned around and to walk boldly into a brighter future. Jesus will give you what you need to do this, and you shall be justified when you stand before the throne on that great day of the Lord.

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