Revelation 20Satan Bound, the Thousand Years and the Great White Throne

“An angel coming down out of heaven”: this is a high-ranking angel, powerful enough to handle Satan. That’s the level of fight this is. Satan isn’t even close to the same level as God. God handles the final judgments, but an angel handles this fight against Satan, seemingly an angel on the same level, as powerful as Satan.

So why can a peer bind him? He says this is a little bit of speculation, but there’s good reason for it. Satan’s power has been degraded through the millennia of him being ravaged by fear, anxiety, depression and hatred: all the things he puts on other people, he’s being ravaged by too. He’s become a horrifying, grotesque shell of his former angel-of-light status, and now he can be bound and locked up easily by a peer angel he would have fought toe to toe with before.

“The Abyss” (Jude 6; Luke 8:31) was understood in the first century as a vast subterranean cavern that served as a prison for disobedient spirits awaiting judgment. Luke 8 is the story where the demons beg Jesus not to send them into the Abyss, and He sends them into the pigs instead. Some translations render the word differently there, but it’s the same word in the Greek as here. The demons didn’t want to be bound up for judgment too early. “I don’t know how all that works in the spiritual realm, but there’s a reality there.”

“The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan”: four different names. God is revealing to John and to us who the enemy is, taking off the mask and showing us clearly. He was there in the garden as the ancient serpent (Genesis 3). This is the first and only time that connection is made in Scripture, so this is how we know it wasn’t some other kind of serpent, and how we know Genesis 3 is not an allegory. There was a real supernatural being acting against the first humans in that moment.

John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is pulling a thread all the way from Genesis 3 to the end of the book. The ancient serpent is the original deceiver. He’s the one who incited things against Israel, the one who tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the one who entered Judas to betray Jesus, the dragon who has been coming after the church throughout the church age, the one whose head Jesus will crush. And now he’s the one who gets bound up.

“Bound him for a thousand years”: imprisonment by God until a future season echoes Isaiah 24:22, “shut up in prison and be punished after many days,” and 2 Peter 2:4.

“To keep him from deceiving”: Satan is a deceiver (Genesis 3:13, “The serpent deceived me”; Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10). Earlier in the book we saw that Satan is an accuser (12:10); here we clearly see his lies again. Jesus said it in John 8:44: “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

So Satan has desires: murder, deception, destruction. (Jesus was talking to some religious folks there, and “a murderer from the beginning” puts Satan in Genesis 4 with Cain and Abel.) Satan has no truth in him. Lies are his native language; he’s the father of lies. The concept of Satan as deceiver is certainly not new, and it’s consistent all the way back to Genesis 3. The thread on Satan is being pulled through, and it’s almost complete.

The tables discussed: What are some ways that we defeat the deception and accusation of Satan? (“I’m talking for your life personally.”)

“The nations”: these are the people left after the battle in Revelation 19. Jesus took out the army amassed against Him in the valley of Armageddon, for sure, but it seems there are others left. Whether everyone left at that time is a believer is not 100% clear. Some scholars believe only believers make up the nations here; some believe Christ destroyed only the army and there are others left. What we do know is that for a thousand years believers reign with Christ over these nations, and at the end of the thousand years Satan comes back and deceives more people. Those could be the descendants of those initial believers, or descendants of anyone who was left. Either way actually works in context.

His own leaning: the believers are clearly there, because some of them are reigning with Christ, but there are also other people to be reigned over. So he tends to think there are people who weren’t part of that army, and might not have been believers, who are still around, because at the end of the thousand years Satan deceives the nations again and some of them form another army. “That’s how I tend to view it, but either way actually works.”

“Locked and sealed it over him” echoes the sealing of Daniel in the lions’ den with the king’s signet ring (Daniel 6:17) and the sealing of Jesus’ tomb (Matthew 27:66).

“Thrones … given authority to judge”: these are the overcomers throughout the church age. The letters to the churches (Revelation 2:7–11, 17, 26–28; 3:5, 12, 21) use the same phrases for the overcomers as are used here.

So these are the ones who reign with Christ: the overcomers, and also the martyrs. The martyrs get raised, and they reign with Christ too.

“Thrones” to judge alongside God echoes Daniel 7:9, “thrones were set in place.” “Authority to judge” echoes Matthew 19:28 and Revelation 3:21.

“Testimony about Jesus” (see also 6:9; 12:11, 17; 17:6; a key phrase in the book worth studying): their testimony is their salvation eternally, and the reason they’ll be killed on earth!

“Reigned with Christ a thousand years”: many scholars and theologians call this the Millennial Reign. (It ends up in a ton of statements of faith, he said, in the section on the end times.)

“The first resurrection”: this term contrasts with “the second death” (2:11; 20:6), and it includes the rapture of the church, the catching away of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; 1 Corinthians 15:51–53; Matthew 25; Luke 14:14; Philippians 3:11; Titus 2:13).

The exact timeline of the rapture in Revelation is tricky. Some say it’s Revelation 11:12, “Come up here”; some say Revelation 19, right before the last battle; and there are various other spots, including here. In the prophetic spiral helix, all of those events are included in “the first resurrection,” and they could even be all one event. However, it’s nearly impossible to pinpoint the timing exactly, as it should be, since we always need to be ready!

Someone in the room added some history behind the phrase: priests guarded the temple at night, and if the high priest came and found one asleep, he’d set his clothes on fire, so he’d run out naked. That’s what was in their heads when they heard “Look, I come like a thief!” and “Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed” (16:15). “Well, as we’re going to learn in the armor of God, don’t fight naked.”

Old Testament echoes of this resurrection: Isaiah 26:19–21; Daniel 12:2, 13. New Testament echoes: Matthew 27:52–53; John 11:25–26; 14:19; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 52. (Any of these lists, he said, are good studies: go back through them, dig in and chew on them for a while.)

“The first resurrection” is the resurrection of the righteous, and there is a resurrection of the wicked at the end of the millennial reign, in order to judge them. We must be part of the first resurrection. If you’re not part of the first resurrection, you’ll only be raised to be judged and to experience “the second death.” The second death is eternal death, eternal separation from God. As there is a second and higher life, there is also a second and deeper death here.

The second resurrection is not good. You don’t want to be in that one. You want to be in the first one, because if you’re in the first one, you don’t experience the second death.

“Blessed”: this is the fifth of the seven blessings of Revelation.

“They will be priests”: this concept of the priesthood of all believers is in 1 Peter 2:5–10; Revelation 1:6; 5:10 and 20:6, and it’s hinted at in 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19. Those who are resurrected will be priests (holy ministers before God), full-blown, in God’s literal presence!

He traced it from Moses: introduced first as a prayer and wish of Moses in Exodus 19:6, that all God’s people would be priests and come into the presence of God. Then Peter says that now, in the new covenant, we all are: “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9).

The tables discussed: What are the jobs of a priest in the church age? In other words, what’s your job, as you minister before God?

Diane pointed out that Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, a different priesthood from Aaron’s, and that the very first thing Melchizedek does when he comes to Abram is bring out bread and wine (Genesis 14:18): a king, a type of Christ, giving him communion as his first order of business. “I love those threads that get pulled through the whole Scripture. And priest is one of them.” The conversation went on: being a kingdom of priests means learning to be intercessors, because Jesus “always lives to intercede” (Hebrews 7:25). If we don’t know how to do that now, we’re going to be late to the party when we get to heaven.

“Will reign with him”: we are called kings and priests in God’s kingdom (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:5–10; Revelation 1:6; 5:10). Those two concepts go together often throughout Scripture. We’re called royalty, and we’re called priests.

“Satan will be released”: at this point Satan has deceived himself that he can still defeat God, and so he continues deceiving people. The people he succeeds in deceiving are people among “the nations” who have already started deceiving themselves about the reign of Christ and the saints. They’re convincing themselves, and then being deceived, into thinking that Christ is evil, despite the harmony, prosperity, peace, safety and human flourishing that is happening. This is the last gasp of rebellion against Christ.

“Gog and Magog,” much speculated about, comes from Ezekiel 38–39, and much of the verbiage in these verses comes from there too. Magog is also listed as a son of Japheth in Genesis 10:2. In Ezekiel, Gog is a ruler “of the land of Magog” (Ezekiel 38:2), which is to the north of Israel, probably modern Turkey. Here in Revelation, as in other apocalyptic literature, Gog and Magog represent the nations and leaders who will come together for the final assault in rebellion against God. There’s no need to tie them to a location, since all nations will be represented in this group.

“The four corners of the earth” (like Isaiah 11:12; Ezekiel 7:2; Revelation 7:1) represents the whole earth! It’s simply taking the four directions, north, south, east and west, and calling them corners as a poetic way to say all the earth.

(Someone in the room added that once a year in London, figures of Gog and Magog are brought out and paraded through the streets for the Lord Mayor. “I did not know that.”)

This army, “like the sand on the seashore,” echoes the 200-million-man army of Revelation 9:16 and the army of the beast (the antichrist) and the false prophet in Revelation 19. It’s another deceived army, amassed to fight against God and His people. Remember the spiral helix: we’re looking down through it and the events seem to be repeating, but they all point to a conclusion. This is the last army. We’re almost at the pinnacle of the spiral.

“The camp of God’s people” is like the camp of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 14:19; Numbers 2:2; Deuteronomy 23:14). The same verse then identifies it as “the city he loves,” but in Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy the camp is the camp of God’s people.

“Fire came down from heaven and devoured”: all done. Battle over. This time they’re not defeated by the sword from Conquering King Jesus’ mouth, like last chapter. God Himself gets in on the action: fire from heaven! Annihilation of the enemies of God, all done. No more rebellion. This echoes Revelation 13:13; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 2; Ezekiel 38:22; 39:6; Luke 9:51–54.

It’s not like a medieval battlefield where there’s this clash of armies. Just like the first battle in chapter 19, where the sword comes out of Jesus’ mouth and wipes out everybody, here it’s the fire from heaven. Battle over.

“The devil … was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur”: the devil gets the same end as the beast (the antichrist) and his false prophet (19:20). The torment will never end; it is complete.

Isaiah’s lament against the king of Babylon in Isaiah 14:9–17 takes a supernatural tone that John echoes here.

The Great White Throne Judgment is the final judgment of unbelievers. This scene contrasts with “the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10–12; 2 Corinthians 5:10), which is a scene of Jesus judging believers to give them rewards and crowns.

On the judgment seat of Christ, see also John 5:22; Luke 14:14; 19:11–26; Romans 8:1; Matthew 10:41–42; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 9:24–27; James 2:12; Matthew 12:36; 2 Timothy 2:5; 4:1, 8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10; 22:12.

It’s a term that gets floated around, and people act like they know what it means. But here it is. You do not want to be a part of the great white throne judgment. This is not a good one.

“Him who was seated on it” (variations of this in Revelation 4:2, 3, 9; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 20:11; 21:5) is Father God, the righteous judge. He’s shrouded in mystery throughout Revelation. This seems to be the first time John fully sees Him, although action and words have been coming from the throne throughout the book. We see further revelation of Him who sits on the throne in chapters 21 and 22.

The tables were given two questions here: Why is it important to have revelation of God the Father? How can you have more revelation of God the Father? (For the sake of time, he kept going.)

“The earth and the heavens fled from his presence”: this seems to be the moment the earth and heavens are destroyed. It’s referred to in Revelation 21:1, but here it is, and it echoes Isaiah 51:6; 65:17–25; Matthew 24:35; 2 Peter 3:7, 10–12. This world is disposable. It’s going away, the heavens and the earth. God sits down to judge, that signals the end, and earth and heaven are no more, making way for chapter 21, when everything is made new.

“The book of life” is from Exodus 32:31–33 (also Psalm 69:27–28; Daniel 12:1; Malachi 3:16; Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12–15; 21:27). It is the register of the names of those who belong to God, and it is the property of the Lamb of God. This is His book! Isaiah also talks about those who had been recorded for life, “all who are recorded among the living” (Isaiah 4:3), though he doesn’t say “book of life.”

“Books were opened” (like Daniel 7:10): the book of life is being checked here to make sure these people are not on it. However, these other books are determining the severity of the punishments. These books show the deeds, good and bad, while the book of life shows the names. The point is that believers’ deeds will be judged for reward purposes, and unbelievers’ deeds will be judged for punishment purposes. There will be levels of reward for believers, and levels of punishment for unbelievers. What we do matters.

However, remember Psalm 84:10: “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

(After verse 15 was read: “I keep having the ‘Ring of Fire’ song going through my head. This is not what this is referring to. I don’t know what Johnny Cash was referring to.”)

Death and Hades (Luke 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31) are finished and dealt with. This is the end of all things as we know it. In Revelation 1:18 Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades. In Revelation 6:8 one of the four horsemen is named Death, and Hades follows close behind, with power to kill.

Paul prophesied this moment in 1 Corinthians 15:26: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” See also Isaiah 25:8 and 1 Corinthians 15:54–55. Death first came because of sin (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). This is the last enemy. The beast (the antichrist) is handled, his prophet is done, Satan is gone, and all who followed them shared their fate. Now, and only now, is death destroyed.

“Judged according to what they had done” is in verses 12 and 13, and it echoes Psalm 62:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; 1 Peter 1:17. Again: what we do matters.

“Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire”: the final end and judgment. This echoes Romans 2:9; Mark 9:43; Matthew 10:28; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:30, 41, 46; 26:24; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 2:4; Hebrews 10:31.

Jesus said that “the eternal fire” was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

This isn’t for you. It’s His will that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9). It’s not built for you. But if you follow the enemy, you will end up in his punishment place.

Someone in the room added that too many people think they’ve got plenty of time, that they can still get it somewhere down the road, and by then it’s too late. “Yes. And that’s the point of Revelation, right? We have to be ready. You have to be ready all the time.”