The Thousand Years. Satan s Doom. The Dead Are Judged. Revelation 20:1-15

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1 1 The Thousand Years Satan s Doom The Dead Are Judged Revelation 20:1-15

2 2 The Thousand Years Satan s Doom The Dead Are Judged Text: Revelation 20:1-15, 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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. 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. 5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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. 7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. 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. 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.

3 3 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. 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. 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. 13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Commentary: 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. I. Key is equal to authority to open and close doors. II. God s people are to be protected against Satan. 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, I. The angel bound the dragon, the old snake known as the devil and Satan for a thousand years. II. Serpant reminds us of the Garden of Eden.

4 4 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. I. The thousand years represent a long extended period of time when the gospel could flourish. II. After this long period of restraint, Satan would be loosed for a short while. 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. I. Martyrs were honored during this period. II. John saw souls on the thrones, not bodies. Revelation 20:5, But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. I. First resurrection is the first awakening from sin to live according to the gospel. II. The first resurrection and the second death are spiritual operations. 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.

5 5 I. Those who live the Christian life are free from the second death and shall reign with Christ a long time (1,000 years). II. Thousand years equals the entire church era. Revelation 20:7, And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, I. Satan s influence again is felt in his opposition to the church. Revelation 20:8, 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. I. Gog and Magog ungodly nations. II. Ezekiel 39:11-18, And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD. And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land. And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of

6 6 the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. III. Satan s followers will be numberless. IV. The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, page 473, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1950, reads: The signification of Gog and Magog shows in what sense the nations is used. It is in the limited sense of the ungodly of the world. Magog in Genesis is mentioned among the sons of Japheth who were the ancestors of the northern nations. Hence the name Magog is used to denote the northern tribes, whose invasion of Palestine and adjoining parts took place about B.C From Ezekiel xxxix. it seems that Gog was originally a leader among these tribes; and from Ezekiel xxxviii. 17 it seems that Ezekiel took these names to be symbolical of all the foes of the people of God. Jewish tradition makes use of these names to indicate those nations who were expected to war against Jerusalem in the last days, and to be overthrown by the Messiah. Hence the employment of the terms here by St. John as denoting the ungodly people of the world, amongst whom Satan still exercises his power, through that power is limited to these, and he is completely bound as regards true believers. To gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea; to the war; the article points definitely to the war of chapter xix. 19 and xvi. 14. It is a prolonged war, not a battle, because it lasts throughout life. The vastness of the hosts of Gog and Magog is alluded to Ezekiel xxxviii. 9, 16. V. The holy city represents the church which Satan is fighting. Revelation 20:9, 10, 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. 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.

7 7 I. Beast, false prophet, and Satan cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. II. This is the end of evil! 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. I. The Judgment before the great white throne begins no one can escape. II. A record of all deeds of each of us is on file. It leaves nothing out. It is absolutely accurate. 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. I. John 5:22, 23, For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. II. Acts 17:31, Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. III. 2 Timothy 4:1, I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Revelation 20:13, And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

8 8 I. Matthew 25:31-46, When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. II. We are to be judged by our deeds coupled with mercy, grace, and forgivness. III. Everyone who has ever lived will be there! Revelation 20:14, And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

9 9 I. Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (Hell), into eternal spiritual death, everlasting separation from God. II. Facts: A. All people must face a day of accountability to God; no one is exempt. B. What we do on earth determines our ultimate destiny. C. God loves all people, and we as individual human beings are called to do the same. D. People have the ability and the resources to meet the needs of others. E. God is with us daily, cares for us, and knows us personally. F. God s standard of judgment is different from the world s standard. God s standard is: How deeply have you loved? Revelation 20:15, And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. I. Everyone whose name was not written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. II. This is a most powerful clarion call for us to evangelize the world! The Reign of Christ Described: I. Love II. Justice III. Peace IV. Honesty

10 10 V. Health VI. Service VII. Gentleness Song There s a Great Day Coming 1. There s a great day coming, a great day coming, There s a great day coming by and by; When the saints and the sinners shall be parted right and left, Are you ready for that day to come? 2. There s a bright day coming, a bright day coming, There s a bright day coming by and by; But it s brightness shall only come to them that love the Lord, Are you ready for that day to come? 3. There s a sad day coming, a sad day coming, There s a sad day coming by and by; When the sinner shall hear his doom, Depart, I know ye not, Are you ready for that day to come? Will L. Thompson, 1887 Will L. Thompson, 1887

11 11 Questions Revelation 20: List all the designations you can by which the devil is known. 2. Who bound the devil and for how long literally and figuratively was the devil bound? 3. What is the first resurrection? 4. What is the second death?

12 12 5. Who were Gog and Magog? What do Ezekiel and Revelation say about them? To whom do Gog and Magog refer in Revelation 20:8? 6. Describe the judgment as mentioned in Revelation 20:11 and referred to elsewhere in scripture. 7. Give facts about the judgment. 8. Is your name written in the Lamb s Book of Life? How do you know?

13 13 9. Describe the reign of Christ. 10. What books will be opened at the judgment? What is in each of them? Can anything in the books be erased, changed?.

Truth Ephesians 6:14

Truth Ephesians 6:14 Text: Ephesians 6:14 Ephes. 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; Introduction: The greatest theme with which