NOTE: This Bible study on the end times comes from the perspective of a pre-tribulation Rapture.
Tonight, we will be looking at Revelation chapter 20. We are going to start by examining what happens during the 1000-year period after the battle of Armageddon, by observing how Satan is bound and how believers will reign with Christ. We are also going to discuss the devil’s final rebellion and the Great Judgment. Therefore, I want to encourage you to be filling out the provided handout, so you can keep track of all this information.
(Refer to Handout: “The Symbolism of Chapter 20”)
Satan is Bound for 1000 Years
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 20:1-3:
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
• Who is the dragon that is mentioned in the book of Revelation?
The answer is Satan, or the devil.
On your provided handout, for The Dragon, fill in “Satan.”
• What happens to Satan here?
He is placed in the bottomless pit and bound with a great chain for 1000 years. He is also sealed up so tight he can no longer deceive the nations.
On your provided handout, for Satan Bound, fill in “For 1000 Years.”
The bottomless pit is not hell. We find references to the “abyss” in Luke 8:31 and Romans 10:7. The “abyss” is a place of confinement. John Walvoord says it is “the home of demons and unclean spirits.” The “abyss” might be hades or something like it. In Revelation 1:18, Jesus is said to hold the keys of death and hades. One commentary says, “The purpose of the confinement is not punishment. It is to prevent [Satan] from deceiving the nations. The elaborate measures taken to ensure his custody are most easily understood as implying the complete cessation of his influence on earth, rather than a curbing of his activities” (Hindson).
• What happens to Satan after 1000 years?
The answer is that he will be released for a little while.
The Saints Reign with Christ
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 20:4-6:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
• What is the event in these verses commonly called?
It is called the “Millennial Reign of Christ,” or the “1000-Year Reign.”
On your provided handout, for Jesus Reigns, fill in “For 1000 Years.”
• Where will Christ reign during this period?
The Bible commentator Richard Hindson tells us that during the Millennial Reign, Jesus will establish His kingdom “here on the earth.” Notice in Revelation 20:1, how the angel came “down,” as in coming to the earth. In Revelation 20:8, when Satan is released, he goes throughout the “earth,” as in this present earth.
• In verse 4, there are some people sitting on thrones who live and reign with Christ for 1000 years. Who are these people?
They are “the martyrs of the Tribulation period.” Though not stated, this group might include “all other Christians” who descended from heaven to fight in Armageddon.
On your provided handout, for People on the Thrones, fill in “Martyrs and Christians.”
In verse 6, the “first resurrection” is the term used for this raising of the Tribulation Martyrs and all other Christians. The website GotQuestion.org, however, says that the “first resurrection” simply refers to the raising of all believers. It does not say anything about the Martyrs. The website continues to state that the “first resurrection” corresponds with Jesus’ teaching of the “resurrection of the just” in Luke 14:14, and the “resurrection of life” in John 5:29.
• In verse 5, who might be “the rest of the dead who did not live again until the thousand years were finished”?
They are all the people who opposed God and were slain in the Battle of Armageddon; and all other unbelievers throughout history. They are later raised from the dead to face judgment. This would be the “second resurrection,” and it takes place after the Millennial Reign.
The website GotQuestion.org says that “second resurrection” comprises the wicked judged by God at the great white throne of judgement prior to being cast into the lake of fire; and that the “second resurrection” is the raising of all unbelievers. This website continues to state that “the second resurrection is connected to the second death.”
On your provided handout, for The First Resurrection, fill in “When the Tribulation Martyrs are Raised,” but you might want to add “all Christians.”
• In verse 6, why are those in the first resurrection called blessed?
The reason why is because the second death has no power over them.
• What are the first death and the second death? Can anyone define them?
The first death is physical death, or the death of one’s body. The second death is spiritual death, or the death of one’s soul.
On your provided handout, for The First Death, fill in “Physical Death.”
Also, on your provided handout, for The Second Death, fill in “Spiritual Death, or Eternity in Hell.”
Christians do not have to experience the second death, since they are saved by the precious blood of Jesus.
• Look on down in verse 14, and tell me what the punishment of the second death involves.
It involves being cast into the lake of fire, or hell.
Satan’s Final Rebellion
Turn with me in your Bible’s, and let’s read Revelation 20:7-10:
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
• According to verse 7, what happens after Christ’s 1000-year reign?
Satan is released from his prison in Hades.
• In verses 8-9, what does Satan do when he is released?
He goes throughout the earth trying to deceive people into following and worshiping him, and he gathers these people together for battle against Jesus and His saints at Jerusalem.
There are still unbelievers on the earth during the Millennial Reign, as not everyone was present at the Battle of Armageddon. Tim LaHaye says that the influence of Christ’s Kingdom on earth will lead to even more people coming to Christ during the Millennial Reign!
On your provided handout, for Satan is Released from Prison, fill in “Satan’s Final Rebellion.”
When Satan is released, he goes into Gog and Magog. Easton’s Bible Dictionary tells us that “Gog is the name of a district in the wild north-east steppes of central Asia, north of the Hindu-Kush, now part of Turkestan, a region about 2000 miles north-east of Ninevah.” Gog is the “region,” and Magog are “the people of that region.”
Easton’s Bible Dictionary also says, “The Latin father Jerome says that this word denotes ‘Scythian nations, fierce and innumerable, who live beyond the Caucasus and the Lake Maeotis, and near the Caspian Sea, and spread out even onward to India’.” This would be the modern-day region of Armenia and Georgia, extending into Russia; just southeast of Ukraine and Crimea.
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Ezekiel 38:14-23:
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes’.”
17 “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them? 18 And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ says the Lord God, ‘that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,’ says the Lord God. ‘Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord’.”
(See Also: Ezekiel 39:1-8)
• In Revelation 20, verse 9, what happens to those who side with Satan?
The answer is that they are burned with fire from heaven. They had gathered for battle, but no battle occurred, as God put an end to their warmongering immediately!
• In verse 10, what happens to Satan?
He is cast into hell with the Antichrist and the False Prophet, to be there forever and ever, and to be tormented for all eternity. But the unbelievers who gathered with him are not judged until verses 11-15.
The Great Judgment
Turn with me in your Bibles, and let’s read Revelation 20:11-15:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
• What is the event mentioned in these verses?
It is the Great Judgment (great white throne judgement) and the Judgment Seat of Christ.
• According to verse 12, who all will stand before the judgment seat?
The answer is the dead. Back in verse 5 we read, “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.” Remember, they are the people who opposed God and were slain in the Battle of Armageddon; and also, all other unbelievers throughout history. They were raised from the dead to live again only for a moment while they are judged.
On your provided handout, for The Great Judgment, fill in “The Dead are Judged.”
• We have already discussed the First Resurrection, so what event do we see recorded in verse 13?
The answer is the Second Resurrection, which we read about as the sea giving up the dead.
On your provided handout, for Sea Giving up the Dead, fill in “The Second Resurrection.”
The King James Version says that “death” and “Hell” delivered up the dead. The New King James Version renders this as “death” and “Hades.” Hades is the original Greek word here, and it does not mean Hell. This word means, “the grave.” Death and the grave delivered up the dead; and down in verse 14, it was death and the grave that were cast into the lake of fire, or hell.
On your provided handout, for Hades, fill in “The Grave.”
Hell is the second death, and death and the grave are so wretched that even they will be burned in hell; also meaning that physical death shall be no more.
• In verse 15, what is the fate of those whose names are not found written in the book of life?
They are cast into the lake of fire, or hell; meaning they will suffer the second death.
Over in Revelation 21:27, the Book of Life is called the “Lamb’s Book of Life.” We have already discussed that the Lamb is Jesus Christ. This means that in order to have your name written in the book of life then you must know the Lamb, Jesus Christ, as your Savior and Lord.
On your provided handout, for The Book of Life, fill in “Also Called the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
