The Book that Promises a Blessing!

A study of the book of Revelation

by Pastor Frank Rice

Revelation 20:1-16

“What do you mean!?” The mention or thought of a “peaceful kingdom” conjures up all sorts of ideas! Who will be there? Who won’t? What will it be like? How in the world will it ever become a reality with so many different kinds of people and such diverse cultures? Is it even a possibility? There are a variety of factors that make the concept almost unbelievable! Most of us long for peace and quiet, some semblance of stability and sanity, and to experience security and contentment! The peaceful kingdom provides all of that and more… for those who qualify!

 

❖      An angel is authorized and sent out to serve the eviction notice, and to enforce the incarceration (v. 1)!

1. He descends from heaven, assuring his authority and ability!
2. He carries the key to the abyss (9:1) and an enormous chain. These are real and symbolic, and will immobilize the enemy!
3. Evil angels fall into two categories; demons are led by Satan and limited by God.  Some, guilty of gross indescribable sin had been incarcerated (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) but released during the Tribulation (9:3). Satan himself is their king (9:11).

 

❖      The angel identifies his target and forcefully takes action (vv. 2-3)!

1. The warrant for his arrest is justified by who he is and what he has done to destroy peace on earth and goodwill toward men!

(a)   He is the dragon, the age-old and widely held symbol of cruelty, power, viciousness, malice, and hatefulness.

(b)   He is the ancient serpent who appeared in the garden to deceive the first couple with his subtlety and craftiness.

(c)   He is the Devil; he slanders & causes division and doubt!  He disparages God’s plans, His motives, and His people.

(d)   He is identified as Satan, the adversary and enemy of God, His people, and all that is good. He is the target!

2. The action taken by the angel is decisive and forceful.

(a)   He will seize him forcefully! (This is apocalyptic literature!)

(b)   He will bind him with the huge chain! (Think calf roping.)

(c)   He will cast him into the abyss! (This is not his final stop.)

(d)   He will slam the door shut on him!

(e)   He will set a seal on him! There is no way he’ll get out!

3. The action taken by the angel is not without purpose.

(a)   He will be incarcerated so he cannot deceive the nations.

(b)   His length of confinement is a mere 1,000 years. This did NOT occur at Christ's first advent! [He en­tered Judas and tested Peter. He prowls and tempts.  He controlled Ananias, blinds men to the gospel, and hindered Paul. He is not bound now!

(c)   He will then be released for a season and a reason. His “future” is related to us in the next few paragraphs. Once you’ve got him, why let him go? Man blames the environment and everything but himself, including Satan for his sinful choices! The millennium is an opportunity to prove man’s culpability!

❖      This number 1,000 has been a source of debate “from the beginning!”

1. “Because of the frequent reference (six times) to a period of 1,000 years, this passage has become the most extensively debated of the entire book.”
2. “While numbers do have symbolic significance, the repeated numbers such as 42 months, 1,260 days, time and time and half a time, and the 1,000 year period emphasized here suggest that these periods are to be taken literally.”
3. “Even without the expressed statement of a period of time, the OT prophets abound with kingdom age expectation.” Isaiah provides a sample; 2:2, 11:6, 19:23-25, 35:1-2.
4. “There can be little doubt that the prophets themselves and certainly those who read their prophecies anticipated a literal fulfillment of those prophecies.” (Patterson)

(a)   Premillennialists believe that Jesus will return to establish a specific 1000-year kingdom.

(b)   Amillennialists generally believe that the 1000-year kingdom is symbolic for the present age.

(c)   Postmillennialists believe that Christians help establish the 1000-year kingdom on earth prior to Jesus return. (Most evangelicals today are premillennialists or amillennialists.)

❖      The following is an interesting possibility. It is ‘the armies’ not ‘the nations’ that are slaughtered (19:19, 21). There are still nations around during the millennium, possibly the earth-dwellers who supported but were not part of the army. They go through the millennium, and it is they who are ruled by the saints on the thrones. They then form the group who flocks after Satan when he is released. (Osborne’s view.)

 

❖      We’re introduced to a number of different groups who each have a part in this heavenly vision!

❖      There is a group sitting on thrones (v. 4a); they are granted the privilege/responsibility of ruling/judging. Are they the saints in glory or possibly the 24 elders? The former is likely.

❖      There’s the mass of martyrs who’d laid down their lives (v. 4b).

(a)   They had been faithful in their stand for Jesus Messiah.

(b)   They had stood firm on God’s Word and refused to back down when threatened and intimidated.

(c)   They had refused to worship the beast or his image.

(d)   They had refused to receive his mark of loyalty on their bodies. And they paid the “ultimate” price for their choices!

(e)   They received the ultimate prize for their faithfulness to Messiah! They “came to life” and reigned with Him for 1,000 years, the same as the enemy’s confinement!

 

❖      There are two groupings which are distinguished by the events in which they will or will not take part; resurrection & second death.

1. There is a group referred to as “the rest of the dead.”

(a)   This group will not “come to life” until after the thousand years have run their course.

(b)   This group will experience a second death.

2. There is a group who are called forth in the first resurrection!

(a)   There are two resurrections separated by 1,000 years! The first is believers only, the second is unbelievers. [Both OT and NT mention resurrection (Dan 12:2-3; John 5:28-29).]

(b)   Every harvest has phases (Matt 27:52-53; 1 Cor 15:20-23; 1 Thess 4:16-17a; Rev 11:11-12a. The term “first” has less to do with chronology than with quality!

(c)   This group will not experience the second death. BTW, no “second resurrection” is mentioned nor is a “first death.”

(d)   Those who participate in the first resurrection are called blessed and holy (set aside, unique)!

(e)   Not only will they come to life and reign with Messiah for 1,000 years, they will be priests of God and Messiah!

 

“All the saints – those persevering during the OT, NT, church age, and tribulation periods – will be present during this final period of history.”

“Perhaps the millennium is the final act of a gracious God to appeal to the fallen hearts in terms of what it is like to live under His compassionate rule.” (Patterson)

 

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!”