INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER UNIVERSITY MIKE BICKLE THE MILLENNIUM: HEAVEN ON EARTH

Transcription

1 INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PRAYER UNIVERSITY MIKE BICKLE THE MILLENNIUM: HEAVEN ON EARTH Session 4 The Millennium: Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) I. WE INTERPRET REVELATION 19:11-21:8 IN A CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE A. In Revelation 19:1-21:8, John described the end-time events in chronological order. Revelation 20 is a really dynamic chapter in the Bible that has to be taken at face value. It means what it says and says what it means. It is indescribable good news. It is good news beyond. When I read this chapter just in preparing for tonight and was praying over it, I said, Lord, I love this. This is fantastic! This is not just a poetic, figurative passage of the Bible. This is real. This is fantastic. This is the future in advance. We are going to look at Revelation 20, verses We are looking at the context for the Millennial Kingdom, the 1000-year reign of Jesus on the earth. There are some really glorious things happening in that 1000-year period. The saints are reigning on the earth over all the spheres of life and all the spheres of government and society. Satan and all of his demons are in prison. There are remarkable, glorious, garden-of-eden type of conditions that are spreading around the world. We are going to look at six scenes from Revelation There are six short snapshot descriptions that John gives in Revelation 19:11-21:8. He describes the end-time events in chronological order. There were no chapter divisions when John wrote this down. Because there is a chapter division now, you can read chapter 19 and then chapter 20 and think something new is starting because it seems to be a new portion of Scripture. But John is just continuing right on with the story, and there is no break. Just imagine the chapter divisions are gone and read the chronological unfolding of one glorious story from chapter 19:11-21:8. We are going to look at these six different snapshots of events really quickly to set a brief context for the Millennial Kingdom. Then we are going to go back to chapter 20:1-10 to look at a little bit more detail. B. Scene #1: At Jesus coming, He will capture the Antichrist and False Prophet (Rev. 19:11-21). 11 He [Jesus] who sat on him [the white horse] in righteousness He judges and makes war 14 the armies in heaven followed Him on white horses 16 He as on His robe King of kings and Lord of lords 19 And I saw the beast [Antichrist], the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him [Jesus] and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet These two were cast alive into the lake of fire 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. (Rev. 19:11-21) The first scene is Revelation 19: Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem as King. That s what is happening here. He is entering Jerusalem as King. That is the context when you put the Old and New Testament prophecies together. He is marching into Jerusalem on a white horse, the armies of heaven with Him. They are engaging in a battle that is surrounding the city of Jerusalem. I do not want to give too much detail on it; that is for another day. We find that happening here. He captures the Antichrist and the false prophet and throws them alive into the lake of fire. The Antichrist and the false prophet are gone after chapter 19: Let s read a little bit of that. He who sat upon the white horse Jesus in righteousness He judges. He is making war because the armies of the nations are surrounding the city of Jerusalem. Notice verse 14; this is very important, The armies are with Him. Those are all the resurrected saints. The raptured saints and all the saints from history are with Him. Verse 15, He will rule the nations. He is coming in context to being King over all the nations. Verse 16, He is King of kings. Verse 19 we are being ever so brief here John said, I saw the Antichrist, I

2 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 2 saw the kings of the earth, and we know from Zechariah 12 and Zechariah 14 that they are surrounding the city of Jerusalem right now in this storyline. Their armies are gathered together, and they are making war against Jesus, but they are also making war against Jesus army. There are the resurrected saints again. We see the army in verse 14 and we see the Lord s army in verse 19. Those again are resurrected saints who have been raptured from the earth and those in heaven who have all gotten their resurrected bodies they are all with the Lord, forever with Him, never to depart from Him. Verse 20, the Antichrist is captured. The false prophet is thrown in the lake of fire. Verse 21, the kings of the earth are killed with the sword that comes out of His mouth. What a remarkable scene one! C. Scene #2: Satan will be cast into prison for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3). 1 Then I saw an angel having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit...so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (Rev. 20:1-3) Scene two. The power behind the Antichrist and the false prophet is Satan. At this time Satan will be taken hold of and cast into prison for 1000 years. Chapter 20:1, I saw an angel having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He took hold of the devil and bound him for 1000 years. He casts him into the bottomless pit so he cannot deceive the nations for this 1000-year period. When the 1000 years are over, after these things, Satan is released out of prison. Notice the word he must be released. For the purpose of God to be fulfilled, he must be released. We are going to look at that in a few minutes, why he must be released. He is going to test the nations one more time. D. Scene #3: Resurrected saints will be given the governmental leadership over the earth (Rev. 20:4-6). 4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus who had not worshiped the beast And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years 6 Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4-6) Scene three. Again, there were no chapter breaks in any of this. The resurrected saints are given governmental leadership over the earth. The resurrected saints a few verses before were the Lord s army who were with Him back in chapter 19:14 and chapter 19:19. Now, I saw thrones and they sat upon them. I believe the they who sat upon them is the army of the resurrected saints from verse 14 and verse 19. Judgment was committed to them. Then he saw a subgroup of the Lord s people, Those who were murdered, beheaded, for their witness to Jesus lived and reigned with Christ for 1000 years. Over such the second death has no power. They will be priests and they will reign with Him for 1000 years. E. Scene #4: Satan will be released to deceive the nations after the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10). 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea 9 And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:7-10) We go to the fourth scene. There are six scenes, six snapshots, one after another, of the key events that take place in sequential order. One event after another is being revealed. Chapter 20:7-10 is the fourth scene. Satan is now let out of prison. Verse 7, when the 1000 years have expired, Satan is released from prison. He will go

3 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 3 out to deceive the nations, to test the nations one more time. He will gather them to battle and the number that will join this demonic, satanic revolt will be a vast number. It will be a number as the sand of the sea. It does not say it is the majority of the earth. It is a vast number. It is like what the Lord told Abraham, that his offspring would be like the sand of the sea. When He was talking about the bloodline of the flesh of Abraham He said that his natural offspring would be like the sand of the sea. Fire came down out of heaven and devoured the revolt, burned them all. The devil then is cast into the lake of fire. It is over forever. He now joins the false prophet and the Antichrist. It is over. There is never again an enemy that will emerge on the earth. F. Scene #5: God s final judgment of the human race will be at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15). 11 I saw a great white throne 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened the dead were judged by the things which were written in the books 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Rev. 20:11 14) Scene five. Then all of the unbelievers who were in the holding pattern of hell now stand before the great white throne. They go from hell, which is like the local jail, a holding place, and they are thrown into the lake of fire, which is like the federal prison. They are brought to their final place of judgment, which is the lake of fire. G. Scene #6: God dwells in face-to-face fellowship with His people on the new earth (Rev. 21:1-8). 1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away 2 I saw the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven 3 Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and God Himself will be with them 4 God will wipe away every tear (Rev. 21:1-3) Scene six, Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and earth had passed away. The New Jerusalem came down out of heaven to the earth is the idea here. Now the New Jerusalem is actually on the earth forever, resting on the earth. Verse 3 is the ultimate statement of Scripture in one sense that God s throne, God s tabernacle, is dwelling on the earth for all in the human race to interact with Him openly on the earth. That was the original plan back in the garden of Eden. Not that the garden of Eden was the end goal, but that God would come and dwell openly on the earth. That the supernatural realm of heaven and the physical dimension of the earth would come together on the earth and God s throne would be on the earth. Look at verse 1, just one quick phrase. It says, The first heaven and earth passed away. It is that phrase passed away. I do not want to go into detail on this right now. The debate among scholar is this: Is the earth renovated or is the earth annihilated? When it says the earth is passed away, does that mean the earth is completely annihilated and it is a brand new earth? Or does that mean the earth is renovated? It is my opinion there are about fifteen verses on each side of the argument I believe the earth is actually renovated and what is passed away is all the old stuff. The earth is purged and rinsed with fire. All things are made new. I believe this because there are a number of verses in the Scripture about fifteen of them. I have not actually counted them here it talks about this world lasting forever and forever. There are other verses that it looks like the earth is made new. It is not renovated, but annihilated and a whole new one made. It does not ultimately matter. It does not change anything either position you take. I am just pointing that out really quickly to you.

4 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 4 II. INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 20 A. Revelation 20 contains the most in-depth teaching on the Millennium in the New Testament. The main themes are the victory of God s people and the final defeat of His enemies. It also provides insight into the length of the Millennium, the exaltation of the saints who reign as kings and priests, the imprisonment of Satan for one thousand years, and his release to deceive the nations. We are aiming for Revelation 20. I gave you that quick snapshot just to give you the before and after of that 1000 year period. That 1000-year period, the Millennial Kingdom, is what this course is about. Revelation 20 is the most in-depth teaching on the Millennium in the New Testament. There are many verses in the New Testament that reference the Millennium or the saints reigning on the earth. For example, those who are faithful in small things will be over cities then. That is a reference to the Millennial Kingdom. The main themes of Revelation 20 are the victory of God s people on the earth. That is, the earthly, open victory of God s people on the earth and the final defeat of God s enemies in terms of them being removed from the earth entirely. In my opinion those are the two primary themes of Revelation 20. This passage gives us insight into the length of the Millennial Kingdom. It tells us six times that it lasts 1000 years. John is not the first one to describe a period on the earth after the coming of the Messiah that goes on for hundreds of years. Back in Isaiah 65, Isaiah talked about a time where there would be those on the earth who would live for hundreds of years. This is after the Lord s return. Isaiah did not lock the Millennial Kingdom into being 1000 years, but he described the lifespan of people with natural bodies going on for hundreds of years. He is hinting to this prolonged period of time that is hundreds of years long. He did not know exactly the time, but John comes along and by revelation says, I will tell you exactly. Isaiah knew it was hundreds of years. He did not know how many hundreds. I will tell you exactly. It is 1000 years. John is the one who locked it in in terms of the length and timeframe. John is the one who developed the idea of saints ruling on thrones for this 1000-year period. In the Old Testament it is clear that the saints will rule. Daniel 7 says they will rule with the Messiah on the earth. It is through the teachings of Jesus and the teaching of the apostles that we understand the saints will rule kings and priests with Christ. They will have that ruling dimension. Here John develops it and says that there is going to be a 1000-year period when they will rule, and it will be a specific timeframe. John also defines this whole new idea that Isaiah hinted at we will look at it in a little while in Isaiah 24 the idea that Satan or demonic powers would be imprisoned. Isaiah says it pretty straightforward in Isaiah 24. He talks about the demonic powers and principalities in prison for a prolonged period of time before their final judgment. Here John adds the idea that it is Satan himself who is in prison. This is a new idea. It is not just demonic powers from Isaiah 24, but it is actually Satan who is in prison. John brings a whole new idea. I do not know if it is anywhere else in the Bible. It does not come to mind. Satan is let out of prison to test the nations one more time. It is a surprising new development. B. The Millennium is a term that speaks of a literal 1,000-year period in which Jesus rules the earth. The word millennium is from the Latin mille (one thousand), referring to one thousand years. C. Revelation 20:1-10 has three sections describing events pertaining to the Millennium. 1. Revelation 20:1-3: Satan is cast into prison for 1,000 years at the beginning of the Millennium. 2. Revelation 20:4-6: Resurrected saints will rule the earth during the Millennium.

5 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 5 3. Revelation 20:7-10: Satan is released from prison to deceive nations at the end of the Millennium. Revelation 20 has three sections to it. Revelation 20:3-10, three sections. Verse 1-3, we are going to look at this in a minute. Satan is imprisoned for 1000 years to begin the Millennial Kingdom. Verse 4-6, the saints will rule during the Millennial Kingdom. Verse 7-10, Satan is released out of prison at the end of this thousand-year millennial reign to deceive the nations and to test the nations. D. The three main interpretations of Revelation 20 are premillennial, amillennial, and postmillennial. There are three main interpretations of Revelation 20:1-10. Throughout church history we find three main interpretations. I believe one of them represents the biblical intention. I believe the other two miss it. I believe anyone who holds one therefore assumes the other two are not representing what is in the Lord s heart. I think it is very important to say this. I have a lot of friends who hold different positions in that. I have great respect for their teaching ministry and who they are in the Lord. We can disagree about this, yet still honor one another and still serve the Lord together and walk in godly fellowship. Some folks get into This is the right way, so you are wrong, so you are bad. Or, This is the right way. I am right, so I must be better than you or smarter than you. That whole spirit, that argumentative I am right and you wrong that is gross. I do not know what the biblical term for that is. That is not good. Let s put it that way. We want to walk in love and unity, but I still believe that there is a biblical position that is clear and we can hold it. We can hold it boldly, but we hold it with honor, and we hold it with love. 1. Premillennial: This is a literal interpretation, in which Jesus reigns on earth for 1,000 years. This was the main view of the church fathers for the first 300 years of church history. The first interpretation, which is the one we take in this course here, is the premillennial view. This was the primary view of the church fathers for the first 300 years of church history until Augustine came along and introduced a different view. This takes a literal interpretation of this passage, meaning Revelation 20 means what it says directly. Satan is in prison for 1000 years. The saints rule for 1000 years. It means exactly what it says. It is to be taken at face value. The saints come alive. They are resurrected, and they are on thrones. I believe this is the view that is faithful to Scripture. 2. Amillennial: In this interpretation, the saints reigning in the resurrection speaks of them being born again and of God s reign over the heart of His people. Amillennialists believe that the Millennium began at Jesus first coming and continues through the Church age. Some see the first resurrection as the martyred saints entering into the life of an intermediate state. Thus, the Millennium is the heavenly reign of the dead in Christ with the resurrected Christ. There is the amillennial view. Many scholars buy into this. They think it is symbolic. Of the resurrection of the saints on thrones, they say, Well, what that really means is that you are born again and God is ruling in our lives in this age. You are in the Millennium now. The resurrection of the saints, where they came to life and they are on thrones, really means you became born again and God is ruling and reigning in your heart when you resist sin. In that sense you have come alive again and you are ruling with Christ. That is just not convincing to me at all. To take this passage and to reduce it to symbolism. Some say, Well, it does not mean we are just born again and ruling with Christ in this age. It really means the martyred saints in their intermediate state. They are right now with Jesus in heaven. They are ruling. They do not have the resurrected bodies. They are ruling now because they are all in heaven.

6 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 6 I do not think that is what Revelation 20 is talking about. They come to life, get a physical body, and rule on the earth in a really straightforward way. That is what I believe is the faithful representation of this passage. Many, many Bible teachers through history believe in the literal interpretation and many believe in the amillennial or the symbolic interpretation. I get so much encouragement out of Revelation 20. It is one of the grand chapters describing what is coming down the road. 3. Postmillennial: This view teaches that Jesus will return after the Millennium after the Church christianizes the world. Some postmillennialists see the resurrection as a resurrection of biblical principles and godly character, as seen in the lives of the martyrs. Then there is the postmillennial view. Some who hold that view, though not all, would say the resurrection is not really a spiritual resurrection. It is a resurrection of biblical principles. It is a resurrection of godly character that the martyrs exemplified when they stood faithful under pressure. Different views of that. There are several different views. Again, that is not convincing to me as to being faithful to what this passage is talking about. Let s go back to Revelation 20:1-10 and look at it with a little bit more detail. III. SATAN WILL BE IMPRISONED FOR 1,000 YEARS (REV. 20:1-3) A. An angel with a great chain will bind and cast Satan into the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. (Rev. 20:1-3) Satan is cast into prison for 1000 years. Verse 1-3. I believe this is one of the primary things that Satan is concerned about right now: this divine decree that he is going to prison. We sometimes get the idea that Satan is mostly focused on us because he torments and attacks us. I believe he torments and attacks us I am talking about the body of Christ because he hates people. He hates believers. He hates unbelievers. I believe the number one thing probably on his mind is staying out of prison. I do not know that for a fact. That is my opinion. He looks at this passage, and he says, I am going to stay out of prison. That is what is on my mind. To somehow avoid this whole situation here that is being prophesied in the Scripture. I am not going to develop that. That is what I believe is on his mind right here, this prison sentence that is facing him in the Word of God. He knows the Word of God is true. It says here in verse 1, John saw an angel coming down out of heaven. The angel had the key to the bottomless pit. There is this abyss where demons are held captive. There are different chambers in the great abyss, in the bottomless pit. There are different chambers. That is another topic for another time. This angel had a great chain in his hand. Verse 2, He laid hold of the dragon. Notice five verbs here. He laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, that is the devil. He bound him, number two, for 1000 years. Number three, he cast him into the pit. Number four, he shut him up. Number five, he put a seal on him. John by the Holy Spirit uses five different descriptions of what happens to the dragon who is Satan who is the devil. The reason he is thrown into this pit, verse 3, is so that for 1000 years he cannot deceive the nations. The nations continue on for 1000 years. Remember, the church has been raptured and the saints through history have resurrected bodies. The raptured saints and all the resurrected believers throughout history are in the New Jerusalem, and the New Jerusalem has come down to the earth at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. It is in proximity to the earth. It is not resting fully on the earth. It is in very close proximity to the

7 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 7 earth. So much that the kings of the earth can come and go in and out of the New Jerusalem. They can bring their glory into the New Jerusalem. The healing of the nations is in those leaves in the New Jerusalem. They are taken out of the New Jerusalem and back to the Millennial earth. We will look at that in future classes. What is going on here is the believers with resurrected bodies live in the New Jerusalem. It is in close proximity to the earth, to the natural Jerusalem. They live in the New Jerusalem, but they reign and rule and serve on the earth. Just like an angel, very rapidly they can be in the heavenly realm and then they can be in the earthly realm. The transportation problem is not going to be a challenge. It will be like angels who come and go from the heavenly realm to the earthly realm. I believe the saints with resurrected bodies can be ruling and reigning over a city, but living in the New Jerusalem with no challenge of travel and distance whatsoever. Remember there are people on the earth who have natural bodies. The unsaved survivors of the Great Tribulation were not saved. Therefore they were not raptured, but they had not taken the mark of the beast. Therefore they were not judged and executed. They continue to live and have children. Several generations unfold. It goes on for 1000 years. They are living their natural lives. In the context of those natural lives, the devil is gone and the demons are all gone. Can you imagine a world in which the atmosphere has the presence of God in it? It is a completely cleansed environment. There are no demons at all. There is no temptation from demons. People are still born in sin with a sin nature and propensity towards sin, and they still need to be born again, but they live to be hundreds of years old. They live in the glory of God with Jesus ruling in the New Jerusalem. It is that garden-of-eden type context, and it spreads across the whole world during this 1000-year period. There is no devil tempting them, and Satan is not deceiving them at all for 1000 years in this garden-of-eden-paradise context that is developing on the earth. Verse 3 says that after the 1000-year period, the devil must be released. He must be released for a very short time because he is going to deceive the nations and be used to test the nations. He is going to end up vindicating the justice of God. We will look at that in a moment as to why he must be released in order for God s justice to be full displayed and to be expressed, validated, and vindicated. B. Bottomless pit: This refers to the abyss where fallen angels (demons) are imprisoned (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). Demonic locusts from this pit will be released on the earth at the fifth trumpet (Rev. 9:3); the Antichrist will ascend from the bottomless pit (Rev. 11:7; 17:8). Four demonic angels currently bound at the Euphrates River will be released to kill one-third of the human race (Rev. 9:14-15). 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. (Jude 6) We will look at this place called the bottomless pit. This is the abyss where the fallen angels are being held now. There are various categories of fallen angels. Not all demons are imprisoned there right now, but some are. 2 Peter 2 and Jude talk about fallen angels that are held in prison right now. They are under judgment even throughout this 6000 years since Adam, 6000 years plus or minus since Adam, approximately 6000 years. They have been in prison from all of these 6000-year period, plus or minus. That is not an exact time. The angels, Jude 6, who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, God has reserved them notice this phrase in everlasting chains. They are being reserved under darkness for the judgment of the great day. They are in prison in a way other demons are not. There is a category, or maybe several categories, of demons. I have written in the notes several other references to the bottomless pit in the book of Revelation.

8 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 8 C. Chains: Natural chains cannot restrain demonic spirits. These chains are referred to as everlasting chains (Jude 6) and chains of darkness (2 Pet. 2:4). 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment (2 Pet. 2:4) Satan is chained with a great chain. The angel who takes hold of him has a great chain in his hand. These are not natural chains. I think the chain is real. I do not think it is symbolic. I think it is literal. Natural chains obviously cannot restrain a demonic spirit. You cannot chain up a demon with a metal chain. These chains are referred to in Jude and 2 Peter as everlasting chains and as chains of darkness. Those are the phrases that the apostles use. Look at how Peter referenced this chain. I believe this is the kind of chain that Satan will be bound with in the future. 2 Peter 2:4, For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into hell and delivered them into chains of darkness what an interesting phrase! and held them in judgment. They were reserved in judgment in these chains of darkness. There is a 1000-year period where Satan will actually be in prison. He will be unable to deceive the nations. The amillennial point of view says Satan is in prison right now. You ask them, Okay, the saints are raised from the dead. You say that means they are really born again and Jesus is ruling in their heart. What about Satan in prison for 1000 years? They say, Satan has been in prison since the cross and resurrection. He was put into prison. We say, Yeah, but that has been 2000 years, not They answer, The 1000 years is symbolic. It can mean an indefinite period of time. You say, You think Satan has been in prison for 2000 years? Yeah, theologically he is in prison. He is defeated at the cross. Therefore he is not really deceiving the nations right now. You think, Really? Many scholars are strong about this. I say, So the reigning on thrones is being born again and Satan is in prison now? Yes. I have had energetic conversations with really smart guys. They insist, Yes. I reply, Come on. Really? Yes. Okay. Okay. D. Demonic spirits and evil kings at the end of the Great Tribulation will be imprisoned in this pit. 21 The Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones [demonic principalities, etc.], and on the earth the kings of the earth. 22 They will be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit [bottomless pit], and will be shut up in the prison [as in Rev. 20:3]; after many days [1,000 years] they will be punished [in the lake of fire]. Then [when v. 21 occurs] the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; for the LORD of hosts [Jesus] will reign in Jerusalem [in the Millennium] and before His elders, gloriously. (Isa. 24:21-23) Again, it is just not convincing to say that Satan is in prison right now. Isaiah in Isaiah 24 mentioned powers and principalities being in prison for a long period of time before a final judgment. Maybe someone before

9 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 9 Isaiah mentioned it; if so, I am not aware of that passage. Isaiah 24: 21 talks about how the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones. He will punish those that are on high. I believe that is talking about demonic powers and principalities. He will punish on the earth the kings of the earth. There are two different categories of beings that the Lord is going to punish when he returns. He will punish on high that is talking about the heavenly realm the host of exalted ones. Then He will punish the kings that are on the earth. Verse 22, They will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered into the pit. They will be shut up in prison for many days. Isaiah did not tell you how many days. John lets us know it is 1000 years. Afterwards they will be punished. That is when Satan is punished and also here in Isaiah 24 in my opinion what this verse means the powers and principalities, the demonic ones are punished alongside of Satan. After many days they are thrown into the lake of fire. That is the final punishment. The time of verse 21 is when the punishment begins on the host of the exalted ones. Now we are to the end of verse 23, and I am also pointing out that this is the timeframe when the Lord punishes the kings of the earth in verse 21 and the exalted ones on high. Then at that time, which begins at the coming of the Lord, the moon will be disgraced and the sun will be put to shame because the Lord of hosts, Jesus, will be reigning on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. He will be reigning in the glory of God before His elders. At the time when this punishment is executed where the heavenly hosts the demonic ones are thrown into prison, and the evil kings of the earth are thrown into prison, they are thrown into this temporary prison before they are eventually thrown into the lake of fire. Again, this is the very sequence laid out in Revelation 20. The Lord at that time will be ruling before His elders in the glory of God in the city of Jerusalem. Isaiah 24 gives us a snapshot of these developments. It goes in unity and in sync with what John tells us in Revelation 20. E. Four names of Satan (20:2): These four names will indict Satan at the bar of God s justice for his crimes against humanity. Each title depicts different crimes and reveals the ways in which he attacks us. The same names are used in Revelation 12:9 in the same order. There are four names of Satan given here in Revelation 20. My idea is these four names will be the basis by which Satan is charged at the bar of God s justice for his crimes against humanity. These four names also reveal the way Satan attacks us. So these four names reveal why he is charged in God s court and these four names reveal the different ways that Satan attacks the human race. 1. The dragon: This denotes his cruelty. This is the name John used most (Rev. 12:3, 4, 7, 13, 16, 17; 13:2, 4, 11; 16:13), and is parallel to the Antichrist being called the beast. Number one, Satan is called the dragon. This denotes his cruelty. He is fierce, powerful, terrifying, and cruel like a dragon. The Antichrist is called the beast because of his cruelty and because of his great power. 2. The serpent of old: This refers to the garden of Eden, where his nature as the father of lies was seen (Gen. 3; Jn. 8:44). Deception is one of his primary tactics against us. Number two, Satan is called the serpent of old. I believe that this is referencing Satan in the garden of Eden, the serpent of old back in Genesis 3. What is happening here in Revelation 20 is that garden of Eden scenario happening again on the earth. Satan is going to be taken off the scene for a while. As the snake was released in the garden back in Genesis, so God is going to let Satan out of prison after 1000 years and let him back into the garden again. In the way Adam was tempted, Satan is going to tempt the whole earth, which will be in the garden of Eden environment. We will look at the reason why the snake will be released back to the garden again in just a few moments. Satan as the serpent of old depicts him as the father of lies, the liar, the twister, and the deceiver. One of the primary ways that he attacks us is through deception. He is not only cruel like a dragon and fierce, he is deceptive like the serpent of old who was in the garden in Genesis 3.

10 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page The Devil: The word devil means accuser. He accuses the saints continually (12:10). His other name is the devil. The devil actually means the accuser. One of Satan s major ways of attacking you is not just to deceive you about other things, but to accuse you so that condemnation and guilt get a stronghold in your thinking. We draw back and we have no confidence in the presence of God. We give into his schemes because we are so overcome and weakened by a sense of condemnation of guilt and shame. We do not have a sense of boldness of who we are in Christ. He is the devil, the accuser. He accuses us night and day. 4. Satan: This means the adversary. He is our enemy, who opposes God s will in our life. Then the name Satan means the adversary. He is the one who opposes the will of God. He is continually attacking to undermine and destroy the will of God in our lives. He is the adversary. These are the four titles that are brought forth before his prison sentence for 1000 years. He is indicted alone by these four names. He is also thrown into the lake of fire afterwards. I believe it is in context to these four things. He is the cruel, fierce dragon. He is the father of lies, the serpent of old. He is the devil, the accuser. He is Satan, the adversary of the human race, and particularly of the people of God. That gives us insight at the bar of God s justice. As he is sentenced to prison, God lays the charges out before he is thrown into prison right there in Revelation 20. F. One thousand years: The length of Satan s imprisonment will be 1,000 years. This number is emphasized six times (Rev. 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Nowhere else in Scripture is a symbolic number repeated six times. Nothing in the rest of Scripture contradicts this 1,000-year period. One thousand years is the length of the imprisonment of Satan and, I believe, therefore the demonic powers of Isaiah 24, the verse we just looked at. Verse 21-23, the host on high who are thrown into prison and after many days they are thrown into their final judgment. It is the length of Satan s imprisonment as well as the powers and principalities, the demonic ones. It is also the length of the rule and reign of the saints on the earth during this period. The number is emphasized. It is said six times so there is no question about it. Many scholars say, No, it is purely symbolic. There is no precedent in Scripture for a number being used six times in one passage being symbolic. There is actually no precedent for that. There is nothing in Scripture that contradicts this 1000-year period. I believe when the Scripture says it straightforwardly, that we are to take it in its straightforward meaning. Sometimes in Revelation some things are symbolic, but then the text itself, the passage itself, indicates it is symbolic. There are about ten or twelve passages in the book of Revelation where the angel or John says, This is symbolic. When the passage indicates it is symbolic, take it that way. If not, the book of Revelation is to be taken at a face-value, straightforward way. One hundred and forty-four thousand means one hundred and fortyfour thousand. There is nothing in Scripture that contradicts this 1000-year timeframe. Certainly Isaiah 65 indicates it will be hundreds of years. He just does not tell us how many hundreds of years it is. G. Satan is bound: Satan will be put in prison to keep him from influencing the people on earth for 1,000 years. Satan was not bound in the early church. For example, Satan filled Ananias heart to lie to the Spirit (Acts 5:3); he hindered Paul s travels (1 Thes. 2:18); he blinded the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:3-4); he appeared as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14); and unbelievers lived according to his power (Eph. 2:2), being taken captive by his tactics (2 Tim. 2:26). Satan as an adversary roamed the earth as a lion, seeking to devour the saints (1 Pet. 5:8). Again we mention that Satan is bound. In prison he is kept from influencing people on the earth for 1000 years. The amillennial position says he is bound right now. Even the postmillennial position will say he is bound right

11 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 11 now. Satan was clearly not bound in the early church. The apostles did not think of Satan as bound. Despite Jesus victory over Satan on the cross, they did not therefore think Satan was no longer operative on the earth. I have written here a few examples; I will not mention them all. Satan filled Ananias and Sapphira s hearts in Acts 5 to lie. 1 Thessalonians 2:18 says that Satan hindered Paul s travels. Paul said Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:3-4) and that Satan appears as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). In 2 Peter 5:8, Peter said that Satan is an adversary roaming the earth seeking whom he can devour. The idea of the amillennial position and even some of the postmillennial position that this passage is purely symbolic and that Satan is actually bound and in prison right now is just inconceivable to conclude at least from the way I read the Scripture. I cannot imagine somehow Satan is not active on the earth right now through their theological grid. Again, I have honor and respect for their teaching ministries, but these specific points I just cannot accept or endorse. H. Scripture describes Satan as being bound in five ways (Rev. 20:2-3). 1. Laid hold of: speaks of a dramatic event which Satan resists with rage (v. 2) 2. Bound him: supernatural chains put on him so he could not deceive the nations (v. 2) 3. Cast him into the pit: incarcerated in prison for the demonic spirits (v. 3) 4. Shut him up: kept from communicating or acting on the earth (v. 3) 5. Set a seal on him: speaks of it being impossible for him to break out of prison (v. 3) Satan s binding is described in verse 2-3 in five different ways. I find this a bit dramatic here. First it says this angel lays hold of Satan. That is the first description. I can imagine this dramatic moment where the angel lays hold of Satan. I don t know for a fact what I am saying now is exactly how it is. I imagine Satan is so filled with hatred. He is a murderer from the beginning. He is a murderer. He is filled with hatred. I cannot imagine he has been hugged very many times throughout history. I do not imagine very many demons have come up and laid their hands on this demonic spirit, Satan himself. My point being, I do not really know. There is nothing in the Bible one way or another about this. An angel lays hold of Satan and I can just imagine the drama that against his will another being actually takes hold of him. It is probably unprecedented. I am just picturing the drama of that moment. All the other demons are watching this or something like that. Again, I do not know for a fact that is how it exactly is. Laying hold of Satan. I cannot imagine too many times in history any being has laid hold of Satan. That is just, wow! What a dramatic moment! Then he is bound. The supernatural chains are put on him where he is held against his will. He cannot go and deceive the nations. Now he is cast into a pit. Not only is he constrained by these chains, he is actually incarcerated. He is put into this place of prison. He is shut up. He has no ability to communicate with the nations. This is a whole new setup in his relationship to the world; it is a very new dynamic for him. He cannot interfere. He cannot communicate. He cannot deceive. He cannot inspire. He has no plans that he can be involved in. He is shut up completely. Last, there is a seal on him making it impossible for him to break free. He cannot break out of prison. There is this divine seal that is over him. The verbs that John by the Holy Spirit piles up describing this dramatic scene are worthy of pointing out that the prison is really prison. He is not sort of in prison now. He will really be in prison. Shut up, cast into a pit, set a seal. It is like John is making it, in my opinion, impossible to spiritualize this passage and to make it appear as though it is now. I believe he means for these verbs to be taken at face value. Again, I believe the Scripture demands a literal thousand-year reign and a literal thousand-year incarceration of Satan.

12 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 12 IV. RESURRECTED SAINTS GIVEN THE LEADERSHIP OVER THE EARTH (REV. 20:4-6) A. Resurrected saints will be given the governmental leadership over the earth (Rev. 20:4-6). This is one of the great highlights in the book of Revelation. The leadership over all the nations will be given to the saints (Mt. 19:28; 25:23; Lk. 19:17-19; 22:29-30; Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 6:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4-6). 4 I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus who had not worshiped the beast And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years 6 Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev. 20:4-6) This monumental development happens in verse 4-6. The resurrected saints are given the leadership over the earth. This is Daniel 7:27 where the saints inherit the kingdom and all the thrones of the earth. Verse 4, John said, I saw thrones. Here is the verse that ends up with some debate and confusion, They sat upon them. Then right after this, John says, They sat upon them and judgment was committed to the saints. After this I believe John highlights a sub-unit of those saints. Those are the ones who are martyred in those final years, and who do not yield to the Antichrist. They are martyred. I do not believe the ruling and reigning is limited to the martyred saints. I believe the number of this category of saints who are martyred in those final years, in those final three and a half years, is so vast. It is the greatest global crisis in redemptive history of the people of God. Never have so many of the people of God been martyred that it warrants a specific line. I believe it will be the greatest crisis in history for the people of God in terms of martyrdom, no time like it. So John gives them one line of special note. We were talking backstage, and Bri said it was funny It s like they get one shout out for the saints who are being martyred at the end. I said, Yeah, that s kind of a little bit of what is going on here. It s as if John says, Let me tell you about one category that will be under special need for encouragement. They will need the encouragement because there will never be a crisis so vast where this is applicable to so many people as to the end-time martyrs. I believe, again, that these saints, the end-time saints, are a subunit of the they of verse 4, And I saw the thrones and they sat upon them. The they goes backwards to a group that has already been referred to in chapter 19:14 and chapter 19:19. That is the army of the resurrected saints that are with the Lord. I believe that is the pronoun they is referencing, that group of the Lord s army of resurrected saints. Then he says, Yeah, but there is a particular group that will need a really significant encouragement in that day, and that is the saints in the very end. They will live and they will reign with Christ for 1000 years. I do not believe this means they are just born again and Christ ruling in their hearts in this age. I believe they lived and they will live with Christ for 1000 years means on the earth with resurrected bodies and reigning over cities and nations. Verse 6, Over such the second death has no power. They will be priests and they will reign with Him for 1000 years. It says it over and over again. B. They sat: The saints of Revelation 19:14 and 19 are the subject of the phrase they sat in 20:4a. 14 The armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses 19 I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him [Jesus] who sat on the horse and against His army [the saints in verse 14]. (Rev. 19:14, 19)

13 Session 4 The Millennium: The Saints Victory and Satan s Defeat (Rev. 20) Page 13 John points out one of the great themes of the book of Revelation: the governmental authority of the earth will be given to the saints. This is the group that Daniel 7:27 highlights. Daniel saw the Son of Man having authority over all the nations. The Son of Man gave that kingdom to the saints in those positions of authority. C. The saints will occupy the highest position of spiritual government on earth in the Millennium. This will be parallel to the position and role of angels in the government of the nations in this age. They sat. I give you the verses I just mentioned a few moments ago. I believe the they speaks of the saints of verse 14 and verse 19 of Revelation 19. You can read that on your own just to compare those phrases together. D. The two functions most emphasized for the saints are priests and kings (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). Saints with resurrected bodies will be made the rulers over different spheres of life. 10 have made us kings and priests to our God we shall reign on the earth. (Rev. 5:10) I believe saints will occupy the highest positions of government in the Millennial Kingdom. The Scripture highlights the two main functions of the saints: to be kings and priests. Those are not the only functions, but those are the two primary ones. We will look at those in a later session. V. SATAN RELEASED TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS (REV. 20:7-10) A. Satan will be released to deceive the nations after the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10). 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea 9 And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:7-10) Let s just end here in verse 7-10 really briefly. In verse 7, the 1000 years have expired. Satan is released out of prison. Again, when I talk to the amillennial scholars, I ask, When is that time? If Satan is in prison now, when does he get out of prison? If at the cross and resurrection Satan was thrown in prison, is there a time he is let out of prison, to be faithful to the details of Revelation 20? I have never received a good answer for that because I do not think there is one. There is a time, John says, that Satan will be released from prison. He will go out to deceive the nations, Gog and Magog. He will gather them together, whose number is as the sand of the sea, to do battle. Then the fire of God will come out of heaven and devour them. Then the devil will be cast into the lake of fire. So Satan comes out of prison after 1000 years. He receives a portion of the nations. I do not believe it is the majority of the nations. It never says that, but as the sand of the sea. It could be millions and millions and millions. That is the phrase where God described to Abraham the number of his natural offspring. I do not know how many millions that is, but it does not have to mean billions and billions. It does not have to mean the majority of the earth. There will be a substantial number who are deceived. I trust the percentage of the people on the earth will be small, though the number itself large, because a number of other passages say the glory of God will be covering the earth at this time. Jesus kingship will be honored across the earth. There will be this garden of Eden environment. The saints will be ruling, and all the governmental positions will be under the saints. Though I believe that as Satan comes there is this revolt that comes in verse 9. Then fire comes down from heaven. It is like an Elijah moment again. Remember in 1 Kings 18 when Elijah called fire from heaven and all the false prophets of Baal were killed. This is like an Elijah moment at the very end. It is like the Lord sends fire from heaven under His authority. The