The Revelation Of Jesus Christ – Chapter 20
I. Things Which Thou Hast Seen – Rev 1
II. Things Which Are – The Church Age – Rev 2-3
III. Things Which Are To Come – Rev 4-22
A. The Throne Of God – Rev 4
B. The Seven Seals Book – Rev 5
C. The First Six Seals Are Opened – Rev 6
D. The Sealing Of The Saved – Rev 7
E. The Lamb Opens The Seventh Seal – The First Four Trumpets Sound – Rev 8
F. Sounding of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets – Rev 9
G. The Little Book – Rev 10
H. The Measuring Rod – The Two Witnesses – The Seventh Trumpet Sounds – Rev 11
I. The Woman and the Dragon – Rev 12
J. The Beasts – The Unholy Trinity – Rev 13
K. The Lamb on Mount Zion – Rev 14
L. The 7 Vials Of God’s Wrath – Rev 15-16
M. God’s Judgment On The Great Harlot – Rev 17
N. God’s Judgment On Babylon – Rev 18
O. The Marriage Of Christ And His Bride – Rev 19
P. The Millennial Reign of Christ – Rev 20
The Millennium
The subject of Revelation 20 is the Millennium – the thousand year reign of Christ before Satan is set free for a short period of time. This chapter is only 15 verses long but it reaches a span of time that is 1000 years long.
Rev 20:1-3 (NASB) “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 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.”
1. John sees (The first vision in this chapter) – v. 1-3 Satan bound
A. an angel – v. 1
(1) coming down from heaven
(2) holding the key of the abyss
(3) holding a great chain in his hand
(4) taking hold of the dragon – v. 2
a. the serpent of old
b. the devil
c. Satan
(5) binding the dragon for a thousand years
(6) throwing the dragon into the abyss – v. 3
(7) shutting the abyss
(8) sealing the abyss
a. to prevent the dragon
- from deceiving the nations for a 1000 years – Rev 12:9
*he will be released for a short time after this
This is not the final judgment of Satan. He is placed into the abyss as a holding place for a thousand years.
In our day the Devil gets the credit for a lot of sin. Friend you ought to understand something’s about the Devil.
1. He is not God … therefore he is not omnipresent… he cannot be in more than one place at one time.
2. He is not God … therefore he is not omnipotent … he cannot make you do anything.
3. He is not God … therefore he is not omniscience … he does not know all things. He does know your yesterday or tomorrow.
The devil is our enemy but he is not our greatest enemy. Who is our greatest enemy – it is us – it is what we call the flesh. The Bible says:
Jas 1:13-15 (NASB) “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
Rev 20:4-6 (NASB) “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 forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.”
2. John sees (The second vision in this chapter) – v. 4-10 Christ’s 1000 year reign
A. thrones – v. 4
B. they who sat upon the thrones
(1) would pronounce judgment
C. the souls of martyred saints
(1) who were beheaded
a. because of their testimony of Jesus
b. because of the word of God
c. because they did not worship the beast
d. because they did not worship the beast’s image
e. because they had not received the mark of the beast
*on their forehead
*on their hand
(2) come alive - *the first resurrection – v. 5
a. to reign with Christ for a thousand years
D. the rest of the dead – v. 5
(1) did not come alive
a. until the thousand years has ended
The first resurrection is spoken of here in verse 5. Those who are resurrected now will reign with Christ for a thousand years. But there will be another resurrection coming.
Rev 20:6-10 (NASB) “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. When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in 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. 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. 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.”
*Blessing of the first resurrection – v. 6
Blessed is the one who has a part in the first resurrection
Holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection
Over these the second death has no power
They will be priests of God
They will be priests of Christ
They will reign with Christ for a thousand years
E. Satan – v. 7
(1) released from his prison
a. when the thousand years is completed
(2) will deceive the nations – v. 8
a. in the four corners of the earth
F. Gog and Magog
(1) will gather a great army for war
a. whose number is like the sand of the seashore
(2) will come up on the broad plain of the earth – v. 9
(3) will surround the camp of the saints
(4) will surround the beloved city
*fire will come down from heaven and devour them
G. The Devil – v. 10
(1) who deceived the nations
a. will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone
-where the beast is
-where the false prophet is
- will be tormented day and night – forever and ever
In verse ten we find the final judgment upon Satan. He is cast into the lake of fire to be tormented there day and night – forever and ever.
Rev 20:11-15 (NASB) “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 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. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
This section of Scripture is God’s final dealings with all unbelievers. This is known as the Great White Throne Judgment. Some would say this is the final judgment of mankind. It is the judgment spoken of in the book of Hebrews where it says:
Heb 9:27 (NASB) “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
3. John sees (The third vision in this chapter) v. 11-15 – The Great White Throne Judgment
A. a great white throne – v. 11 **Matt. 25:31-46
Mat 25:31-46 (NASB) "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
B. Him who sat on the throne
(1) from whom earth and heaven fled away
a. no place was found for them
C. the dead – v. 12
(1) great and small
a. coming from the sea – v. 13
b. coming from death and Hades
(2) standing before the throne
(3) being judged
a. from what was recorded in the books
-according to their deeds
D. books opened
(1) another book was opened
a. which is the book of life
E. death and Hades – v. 14
(1) thrown into the lake of fire
a. this is the second death – the lake of fire
The defendants are called the Dead, the DEAD…great and small.
1. Great men and women will be judged:
Those who are in positions of authority: managers, foremen, supervisors, officers of corporations, owners of businesses, rulers, and kings. They shall all be judged. Those who misuse their authority, abuse, and take advantage of others, who ignore and neglect others, and in some cases destroy and kill others. They shall be judged. Those who sin with a daring and a flair, who love their sin and revel in it. They shall be judged.
2. Ordinary men and women will be judged:
Those who are the average and common people of the earth; the blue collar worker, the employees and workers of the earth. They shall be judged. Those who are the slaves and servants of the world. They too shall be judged. Those who commit the sins that society considers somewhat small and sometimes understandable: sins of selfishness, hoarding, banking, complaining, laziness, slothfulness, indifference, arguing, gossiping, backbiting, criticizing, immorality, stealing, and lying. They shall be judged.
Unlike a trial on earth in which we have to uncover the facts based upon testimony we are going to have two books that do the talking. These two books are called “the book of deeds” and “the book of life”.
All the dead are judged as it says here in verse 12 on the basis of the things written in the books, according to their works. But note what it says in verse fifteen.
“And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – v. 15
It seems to me – it does not matter if you have all kinds of “good deeds” if your name is not written in the Book of life – your fate is sealed.
