seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
a. Revelation 20:4 Or God; I also saw those who
This is from the easy English site.
An angel came down from heaven. He had a key and a great chain in his hands. The key was to open the entrance of the hole whose depth has no end. This hole is a description of the place where demons live. They have to wait there for the time when God will punish them.
This is a description, but it describes real things. There can be no key for a hole. And nobody can bind a demon with a chain. But the meaning is that the angel has control of that place. The angel will be able to bind Satan during that time. Satan will not be able to work on earth for those 1000 years.
The angel seized the dragon and bound him with the chain. The dragon means the devil and his name is Satan. That chain will bind him for 1000 years. He will not be able to do anything during that time. He will have no power whatever.
The angel threw Satan into the hole and locked the door. The angel made certain that nobody could open it. Satan had to remain there during the 1000 years. He will not be able to affect the nations during that time.
At the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be free for a short period.
Many people died because they would not worship the beast. They had refused to give honour to the image of the beast. They had not received the mark of the beast. They had obeyed the Lord Jesus. They believed and they spoke the word of God. God made these people alive again. They sat on thrones.
Christ will rule the earth for 1000 years. Those who sit on the thrones will rule with him. They will be the judges of the nations. They will live on earth for the whole 1000 years.
These who rule in the 1000 years, God has made alive. Nobody else will live again until the end of the 1000 years. Then God will raise all of them from death and they will live. Then, he will be the judge of all people.
God has been kind to those whom he raises at the start of the 1000 years. They will not suffer the second death. The second death means the lake of fire. They are safe and they will live with the Lord always. God will be the judge of the rest of the people after the 1000 years. Only those who have trusted the Lord to save them from their sins will be safe. They will always live with the Lord. But many people have not trusted the Lord. And they will suffer in the lake of fire. In other words, they will die the second death.
At this time, Christ had ruled the earth for 1000 years. But the character of people had not changed. When he is free from his prison, Satan works his evil deeds again. He lies to the nations. They believe what he says. He causes them to come against Christ and his people.
The armies come ready for war from nations all over the world. These nations are called Gog and Magog. Gog and Magog were countries far from the north of Israel. But here these names mean all the nations of the world that will oppose God.
There are so many soldiers that nobody can count them.
All the armies joined as one great army. This great army came and surrounded the city of Christ. That city is Jerusalem. God’s people were there and God loved that city.
As the army attacked, God sent fire from heaven. He destroyed the whole army.
Satan was responsible for this war by his lies. The Lord did not kill him with the fire from heaven. Instead, the Lord threw him into the lake of fire. Antichrist and the false prophet were already there. They will suffer in that awful place. The pain and trouble that they have there will never end.
John saw a great white throne. And God, who has all power, sat on that throne. He shone with glory and power.
Earth and heaven disappeared. They seemed to run away from that glory and power. So, the earth and the sky as we know them did not still exist. Isaiah had said that the skies would vanish like smoke. And the earth would wear out like clothes (Isaiah 51:6). Peter writes that heaven and the earth will burn up with fire (2 Peter 3:10-12). The old earth and sky have to go before the new earth and sky can come. There will be a new heaven and a new earth. Sin spoiled the old earth. The new earth will be perfect.
Then every person who had died stood in front of the throne. All people from Adam to the end of time were there. This may not include those whom God raised at the start of the 1000 years. But all the rest were there. Nobody was too important to be there and nobody was too unimportant.
There, God was the judge of each person. The record of each person’s life was in front of God. And God knew all that person’s acts, words and thoughts.
There was another book in front of God. This is the book of life. These two books had all the evidence that God needed. So, he decided what the future should be for each person.
John makes it clear that all people were there. Those who died at sea were there. All who were in the world of dead people were there. Everyone who had died was there in front of the throne. The full account of all that each had done was there. On that record, God gave his judgement.
The Jews understood that dead persons went to Hades. God threw that place and death itself into the lake of fire. The second death is the lake of fire. That lake of fire continues and it never ends. Those who go there will exist in it. They will be with Satan, Antichrist and the false prophet who will be there already.
Those whose names were in the book of life did not go into the lake of fire. These are God’s people. These people believe in Christ. They believe in the real God. They do not suffer any punishment because Jesus Christ has taken all their sins. He suffered on their behalf and God accepts them because of the Lord Jesus.
For those who do not suffer in the lake of fire, there is no more death. God has destroyed death, the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26). God has raised them to life without end. That life is with God and with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who are not in the book of life will go to the lake of fire.
This addition to the commentary for today is from enduringword.com.
Who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus… who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark: All those who overcome in Jesus will rule and reign with Him (Revelation 2:26-28, 3:12,22, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3). Why does John only mention the Tribulation saints?
They are specifically mentioned so as to encourage them, while not implying others will be left out. This is special vindication for Tribulation saints. They suffered under Antichrist who had said, “I will rule the earth;” now they are in authority and Antichrist is destroyed. So, these martyrs are literal, but also representative of all that give their lives in faithfulness to Jesus.
Beheaded is actually a broader word than we might think. The ancient Greek word really means “executed.”
Satan will be released: For the thousand years of the direct reign of Jesus over this earth, Satan was bound and inactive. But after the thousand years are over, he will be released and successfully organize many people of the earth in another rebellion against God.
Gog and Magog: These are prophetic enemies of Israel in Ezekiel 38-39, but the battle described in those chapters of Ezekiel seems to be distinct and different from this final battle.
John seems to borrow the term and use it as a symbol. Seemingly, the battles described in Ezekiel 38-39 take place before the return of Jesus, perhaps right before or during the tribulation. This final battle clearly takes place at the end of the thousand-year reign of Jesus.
Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them: We shouldn’t even call this a final battle, because there is no battle. The fight is over before it begins. At this point, God finally deals with the devil and his followers forever.
This is a really heavy chapter. I am thrilled to have posted it.
At this point in John's vision..... Jesus has arrived.... He road a white horse back to earth... and He came with so many soldiers no one can count them. The Anti-Christ and the fake prophet are locked up.... well down.... in a firey pit.... no food.. no water... no idols.... no money.... no tv.... nothing to do but sit in a pit and burn for forever.
The battle will be really quick..... All the armies of the world will surround Jerusalem.... ready to do battle.... and then God will destroy those armies of the ten kings.... done. It's ok... they all had the mark of the beast or his name on their arm or their forehead. They aren't drafted into the army of the ten kings.... they chose to be there on the side of the Anti-Christ. They don't get a second chance.... only those who have no mark... the ones who resisted... they are the ones who are going to get a second chance at eternity in Heaven..
So.... One last chance for the humans who are on earth who didn't decide to go with the Anti-Christ crowd. For a thousand years.... everyone will live without temptation. They will go about their lives without a care in the world.... lots of time for being kind to one another.... and lots of time for being thrilled that they are alive. See.... when Jesus arrives.... all the calamity stops. All the earthquakes, hunger, famine, wars, and well, anything that would make a man cry in desperation.... are all gone.... it's quiet now... calm.... people are starting to smile again.
At the end of the 1000 years..... Satan will come back one more time..... and those who have not made a choice will have to take one side or another. They have been enjoying a life without sin.... and when Satan returns... sin should be something that defines the choice..... if they go back to their old ways.... well those humans get to join the Anti-Christ.... it's their decision. Those who choose to stick with Jesus.... well they will have a "Heavenly" life.
The point is.... there will be one more period of death..... and it won't be pretty.
This is the judgement.... The throne is not a beautiful rainbow of color anymore.... it's white... pure white.... free of sin.... God is in control..... humans get two choices..... Satan or God.
God has out the books.... God has no need to check the books twice.... God knows if we've been bad or good. God knows the story of us... He knew it before we were us.
There will be a judgement.... and yep... some who didn't agree to go with the anti-christ will get to have their lives examined. Those will have to answer up for why they never decided to follow Jesus. God already knows why they never decided.... but these humans will have to admit their sins.... a second chance at eternity..... because God already knew why they did what they did.......
Humans will get one more chance to explain.
