The Thousand Years (Revelation 20)

The time of world peace will finally come. Whether it is a literal or symbolic period of a thousand years is not as important as its arrival. It will be here at last, as described in Revelation 20.

Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

The ultimate cause of all world problems, the chief of rebellious angels will be dealt with by a powerful angel who has the key to the abyss, the place of restraint (2 Peter 2:4).

Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

He is bound for a time, symbolized by a thousand years of peace, prevented from deceiving the world.

Revelation 20:3 And 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.

Apocalyptic literature is symbolic. It is therefore not wise to be dogmatic whether the thousand years is literal or not. What is plain is that after this period of peace, the evil one will be allowed a short period to test humanity and its loyalty to God.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The resurrected saints are those who do not worship this world’s ways, nor are marked in their thoughts or deeds by beastly world ideals, but the opposite, the sign of God, the seal of the Holy Spirit marks their lives. They will rule with Jesus.

Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

This points to the first and not the second resurrection. The righteous and unrighteous will be resurrected at different times. The first resurrection is to life, a thousand years before the second resurrection.

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

This first resurrection of the saints takes place at Christ’s return as the thousand years begin. They do not die again, by the death of the soul in eternal separation from God. One theory states that they will reign with Christ a thousand years “upon the surface of” the earth (Revelation 5:10). Another possible meaning is that they will reign “over” the earth, but from heaven.

Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

At the end of this period of restraint and the resulting world peace, times of trouble are about to return from the four directions of the compass, symbolized by Gog and Magog, once ancient enemies of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39).

Revelation 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

This futile battle is similar to the evil angels who tried to invade heaven, utterly useless.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The good news at this point is that the devil is done, forever.

The Judgment

Revelation 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

This great white throne is elsewhere described as the throne of His glory (Matthew 25:31). This is a throne of pure, blinding judgment.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.