Rev. #70~20:1-4 RESURRECTED SAINTS 9-11-10
Today Lord willing we’ll try and talk about some of the great truths we find here in these verses. Last time we talked about the fact of a 1000 year Messianic Kingdom right here on earth, we read many O.T. scripture pointing this out, and of coarse the Lord Jesus Christ will be the reigning King, His saints will have the wonderful privilege of reigning with Him, that’s one reason that we should work for the Lord now on this side of the rapture, if we’ll be busy in some capacity of witnessing and pointing others to Him it will pay big dividends on the other side of the rapture.
Ø JESUS ILLUSTRATED IN the parable of the talents: Matthew 25:21 Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:--
We’ll find out at the Judgment Seat of Christ if we’ll be rewarded in reigning with Him in such a capacity, it seems to me that the saints will be appointed certain territories, or perhaps a city, or any number of positions some where in the Kingdom.
As you can see there’s much that we’ll just have to wait and see to know for certain to do with some of these things, I believe that when we do finally arrive there in that city of gold that most of us are going to be in for a big surprise, it’ll be so much grander and more wonderful that we ever imagined, we think on things as we’re used to seeing and knowing them here on earth, but there’s going to be such splendor there that our little minds have never even considered, PAUL Said this in;
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Ø Listen as I read Rev.20:1-4
1And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Last time we talked on these verses, but I want to point a great truth out here once again.
The angel that will subdue Satan is not named, it’s not Jesus Himself, nor is it any other high-ranking angel.
This angel comes down from heaven and he has been given the key to the bottomless pit, and he also has been given the authority and power to subdue Satan.
This certainly reveals to us that Satan is not any where close to being God’s equal; and that God could easily stop Satan’s activity at any time. Yet God allows Satan to continue, because even in his evil and wicked ways that we cannot understand, God’s purposes are being served.
This unnamed angel bounds Satan with a chain, and this unnamed angel cast Satan into the bottomless pit.
The word “abyss,” in the Greek, means “boundless or bottomless.” This is the prison place of fallen angels (demons or unclean spirits). It is the same place called “tartaros”
In 2nd pt. 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell,**(tartarus) and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;--
We read about “hell” in several places, but the word “hell” here in this verse has a different meaning than any of the other places, here it is called in the Greek,(tartaros) and it means “the holding place for a certain group of fallen angels”, demons is what we mostly refer to the fallen angels today.
It’s a place of gloom and doom; it’s a place of darkness. The fallen angels that are there right now is made up of the angels that sinned back in Noah’s day found in Gen. 6
But not all of the fallen angels are bound in Tartaros, only a certain group, there’s millions that are still here on earth today, and they make up satins army of demons, they’re here at this present time carrying out satins orders, Satan is not OMNISCIENT, that is he don’t know every thing, Satan is not OMNIPRESENT, that is he can’t be every place at the same time like HOLY SPIRIT can, Satan is not OMNIPOTENT, that is he’s not all powerful.
So Satan has appointed certain of his demons over certain jobs, listen as I read to from Daniel 8:15-16 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.”notice: Gabriel has the appearance of a man, and he talks like a man.”
16And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
This voice is apparently God, telling Gabriel to explain these things to Daniel.
As Daniel sought for the meaning of the vision, a voice commanded Gabriel, who is one of God’s angels and who is always God’s messenger, to help Daniel understand the vision.
This was Gabriel’s first appearance in Scripture, though he comes once again to Daniel (9:21) and also appeared to Zachariah (Lk 1:19) and Mary (Lk 1:26) he also talked to Joseph in a dream about leaving and going down to Egypt until Herod died, these contacts were over 500 years later at the beginning of the New Testament.
Ø Let me remind us that the reason I’m reading you these things are to show us that Satan has his demons out doing his work,
Listen-- Daniel 9:20-23 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,(8:15-16)*** being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
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“23At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”
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DAN.10:9-16 listen, here is what I want you to see—Daniel say’s Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
10And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 11And he said unto me, “O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent.” And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
12Then said he unto me, “Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince*(a fallen angel working for Satan) of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: (3 weeks) but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
This is the first biblical reference to Michael the Archangel.
. 14Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.”
Daniel--15And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.
16And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men (looked like a man)touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me,” O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.
17For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.”
18Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me,
19And said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong.”
And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.”
20Then said he, “Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
Gabriel tells Daniel that now he’s going to return and help Michael in the fight with the prince (fallen angel) of Persia, but tells Daniel as soon as he leaves that this other fallen angel of Satan’s will come to hinder Daniel, and he was “the prince of Grecia”
21But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
Michael is the guardian angel of ISRAEL, HOW POWERFUL HE MUST BE.
Dan.12:1- And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people.
Michael is the Warrior Angel of God; he leads Gods warrior angels when the time calls for such battle, and we read about such a battle in Rev.12:
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But these verses clearly teach us that Satan has placed some of his angels over certain territories to hinder, distract, confuse, and try and interfere with the things of God.
The devil wants to damn every soul that he possible can to hell, he has our society today entertained with all kinds of seductive attractions, and like we saw in the things to do with “the prince of Persia and the prince of Grecia”, fallen angels, you can rest assured he has his fallen angels posted over every country, it’s not hard for us to understand how Satan is behind all the bad leadership we have at this time in our country, he’s out to tear this country all to pieces if possible, and he’s doing a pretty good job of it thus far.
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Lets get back now to the bottomless pit that we find in our text today.
Why is the bottomless pit called bottomless? There must be a reason, the bottomless pit is so called in 7 places of the Revelation, 3 times in chapter 9, once in chapter 11, once in chapter 17:, and twice here in chapter 20:.
If there was no significant meaning or reason for the word ”bottomless” John would have left it out.
Let me give you my opinion, all want agree with me I’m sure, but here it is any way.
We all know about gravity.-
When we step on the bathroom scales the gravitational pull of the earth, pulls us down on the scales, this is how we find our weight.
I believe that since this place “TARTAROS” is in the heart of the earth, the center of the earth, that there’s no gravitation pull causing it to be bottomless, it would be as though the person is just floating around, much like we some time see these Astronauts perhaps.
Now it may not be any thing like that at all, but please tell me why the word “bottomless” is there. If the word “bottomless” had been left out, it still would have made scents, then the verse would say,-- 3And cast him into the = pit, and shut him up,--
“Bottomless” is there for a reason, you’ve heard my thought on it but I don’t know for sure that my thought is right, but “bottomless pit” surely has a meaning.
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4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:
Who are the occupants of the thrones?
The church; O.t. saints, tribulation Martyred are also raised at this time.
The Old Testament saints who will rule as vice-regents of the King and His Queen, the church.
The O.T.saints and the tribulation sainted Martyers are raised just after the tribulation.
If the saints of the Old Testament are raised at this time, they too may be the objects of divine judgment and reward.
The Lords Apostles will sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Mt 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The martyred through the Tribulation Period, and those who resisted the idolatry worship of the beast, will also reign in some capacity with Christ in the Millennium.
The thrones represent the administration of the messianic kingdom. Those whom John sees come to life are the Tribulation martyrs, who refused to worship the beast. They will rule the earth with Christ for a thousand years.
Christ will rule through three classes of kingdom administrators: (1) Old Testament saints Is. 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
(2) The apostles and the church (3) Tribulation saints Luke 19:12–27).
