Revelation 20:1-19 The Final Judgment Copyright (c) 2014, John W. (Jack) Carter. All rights reserved. Recently there was a popular television program in which contestants are asked a series of questions, resulting in the dramatic increase of a cash prize as a sequence of questions is answered correctly, or all is lost with an incorrect response. As play continues, the amount of the prize becomes very large and the pressure on the contestant can be enormous. Prior to the contestant s making a commitment to an answer, the host asks the question, Is that your final answer? Once the contestant says, Yes the singular final judgment of the answer is made. Contestants win or lose it all as a result of that one judgment. Some understand the Christian experience as one long struggle to maintain some level of righteousness as one is embattled in the conflict between the culture of this world and the culture of faith. However, God s purpose is that this burden would be lifted from those who place their faith in Him. 1 Rather than giving us a series of more difficult questions or onerous tasks to perform, God simply asks one simple question: Do you love me? 2 People are eternally lost or saved as a result of their answer to that one simple question. God will perform one final judgment at the end of the age, his verdict will be based every individual s answer to this one singular and simple question. Consequently, the LORD does not choose our future for us. We choose our own. Revelation 20 describes the act of God's final judgment of evil in another of John's vignettes of graphic symbolic images. Because of a variety of interpretations of the symbolism used, this Chapter is considered 1 Matthew 11:30. 2 John 21:15 ff.
by many to be the most controversial book in the Bible. "The interpretation given Revelation 20:1-10 affects one's whole doctrine of eschatology. Not only is this passage central to the student's eschatological outlook, but it has given rise to a study of such important teachings in the New Testament as the establishment of the kingdom, the purpose of the church, and the nature of the gospel dispensation. Therefore, the solution to the problem is imperative." 3 The reasoning behind the controversy concerning these verses is rather simple. Many people want to read the Revelation as they read other scriptures and come away with historical data that John never intended to present. Up to this point, John has not provided any material that would lead the readers to form a chronology of events as his vignettes jump between heaven and earth in an almost random historical manner. "This is the only passage in the New Testament that mentions specifically a period of one thousand years, and that seems to have a chronological sequence that can be related to the events of the consummation." 4 This has allowed those who are searching for literal answers to the "mysteries" of the Revelation to form their own systems of solution. Many have offered any of a wide variety of chronological-historical "solutions," that often lead their adherents far from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have gone so far as to hold that these few verses in Chapter 20 are the key to unlocking the entire sequence of eschatological events. 5 Christians have used their interpretation of these verses to divide themselves into theological camps 3 Dan Danner. "A history of interpretation of Revelation 20:1-10 in the Restoration Movement." Restoration Quarterly, 7(4), (1963): 217. 4 Merrill Chapin Tenney. "The importance and exegesis of Revelation 20:1-8." Bibliotheca Sacra, 111(442), (April 1954): 5 Following his "map" of the Revelation, Derwood Smith states, "We are thus able to discern within the book of Revelation a coherent structure based on a chronological framework. According to John, history under the control of God is moving toward its final consummation." Derwood C. Smith. "The millennial reign of Jesus Christ: some observations on Revelation 20:1-10." Restoration Quarterly, 16(3,4), (1973): 230
and by doing so are acting in disobedience to God s basic purpose. Many have used their solutions to "calculate" the calendar dates of the end of the age, leading their adherents to commit acts ranging from foolishness to suicide. Consider Jesus prayer, recorded in John 17: John 17:20-21. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me Instead of being united, many have alienated themselves into camps determined by their views of an historical millennium described in Revelation 20:1-6. The variety of interpretations of this chapter is great, but there are probably a few predominant camps of thought, with many other opinions having characteristics similar to these: Historic Premillennialism. Jesus return to the earth will be preceded by signs and followed with a period of 1,000 years when Jesus will lead all peoples on this physical earth as its reigning King. "His return is "pre," that is, "prior to" or "before" the millennium. This view has also been known as chiliasm, because of the Greek word χιλιάς ("thousand"). A straightforward reading of the passage leads to this view, and it is the most common historic interpretation of the early church." 6 The return of Christ and the rapture are the same thing. "Most modern commentators agree that the apostle John here taught the premillennial return of Christ." 7 (Papias, Irenaeus, 6 David J. MacLeod. "The fourth 'last thing': the millennial kingdom of Christ." (Rev 20:4-6). Bibliotheca Sacra, 157(625), (January 2000): 46. 7 Ibid, MacLeod. A very comprehensive list of scholars holding to the premillennial view is cited on page 47.
Justin Martyr, Tertullian, George E. Ladd, J. Barton Payne, Alexander Reese, Millard Erickson.) Dispensational Premillennialism. Jesus will come for his church in the rapture, followed by a 7-year tribulation on earth among those who remain. Jesus will then again return to the physical earth with the church to earth to reign for 1,000 years. (J.N. Darby, Cyrus I. Scofield, Lewis S. Chafer, John F. Walvoord, Charles Feinberg, Charles Ryrie.) 8 Postmillennialism. "Originating from Augustine's teaching in "The City of God," and developed largely within the Roman Church of the Middle Ages," 9 this view holds that the millennium is the earthly period of increasing peace and prosperity as the gospel is taught through teaching, preaching, evangelism and missionary activities. This age started with the ascension of Jesus. This age will be followed with Christ s return, and the end of the age. (Augustine, Loraine Boettner, S. Hodge, Charles Hodge, W.G.T. Shedd, A.H. Strong, B.B. Warfield, Daniel Whitby, James Snowden.) Preconsummationism. The binding of Satan represents Christ's victory over the powers of darkness accomplished at the cross. The 8 "Dispensational premillennialists are partly identified as such because of their firm belief that a future intermediate kingdom of Christ will be established on the earth immediately following his return for the partial purposes of consummating the OT prophetic promises to national Israel. In contrast, nonmillennialists reject the dispensational mandate for any future millennial era subsequent to Christ's return and contend instead that the role of OT Israel in the unfolding of redemptive history has been replaced by the NT Church, hence the label "Replacement Theology.'" C. Everett Berry.. Highlighting the link between the millennium and replacement thought: Augustinian nonchiliasm as a test case. Criswell Theological Review ns 3(1), (Fall 2005): 71-72. 9 Merrill Chapin Tenney. "The importance and exegesis of Revelation 20:1-8." Bibliotheca Sacra, 111(442), (April 1954):
one thousand years are symbolic of a long, indeterminate period corresponding to the age of the church. At the end of the present age Satan will be loosed briefly to wreak havoc and to persecute the church. The fire coming from heaven to consume the wicked is symbolic of Christ's second coming. A general resurrection and the judgment of the wicked and the righteous will occur at Christ's coming, followed by the creation of the new heavens and a new earth. 10 (R. Fowler White) Amillennialism. The millennium is a symbolic metaphor, not a literal event. "According to this view there will be no future reign of Christ on this physical earth (the Latin prefix a means "no"). It is not really precise to say that amillennialists do not believe in a millennium. They do not believe in a future millennium; they believe that the millennium is now." 11 We are living in the millennium as good and evil are growing in parallel. Jesus is reigning now in the hearts and minds of the faithful through his Word, his Spirit, and his church. Jesus second coming will terminate the age and immediately precede the final judgment. (Louis Berkhof, G. Berkouwer, William Hendriksen, Abraham Kuyper, Leon Morris, Anthony Hoekema, Reformed theology, Roman Catholic Church). 12 Each of these camps seeks to define in a very speculative, subjective and specific manner the sequence of historical events that will take place at the end of the age, doing so based on these few verses of 10 Steve Gregg, ed. Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997: 457. Cited in Charles E. Powell. "Progression versus recapitulation in Revelation 20:1-6." Bibliotheca Sacra, 163(649), (January 2006): 95. 11 Ibid., McLeod: 48. 12 H. Wayne House. Charts of Christian Theology and Doctrine. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992: 133-136.
scripture with limited consideration of the broad biblical context. 13 However, "in the end the symbolic nature of Revelation warns us against being overly dogmatic about any position." 14 The firm establishment of such a historical sequence is not the intent of this text, and the paucity of literal details makes any attempt to determine the exact sequence of, or nature of, future events impossible, necessitating grossly assumptive speculation. 15 The context and content of the scripture, and John's Revelation in particular, does not focus on these historical matters, but rather serves to teach us the basic truths of God s purpose of redemption and judgment. Recall that John is writing to those who are in desperate need of encouragement following generations of seemingly fruitless persecution. They are wondering if the forces of evil, that seem to be totally in control of the world, will win. Will the persecution always continue? Will their faith be vindicated? What is God s plan for the wicked? These are the questions that these verses address. Had John's purpose been to give us a calendar of future events, he would have done so. 13 "A careful interpretation of a book of twenty-two chapters does not begin three chapters from the end. If we want to understand Revelation 20, we must begin at the beginning. The opening verse of Revelation says that God ' ' signified' ' what must ' ' shortly come to pass' ' by his angel to his servant John (KJV). The Greek word translated "signified" means "showed by signs." Revelation is a series of symbolic messages given to John by the Holy Spirit to assure Christians under persecution in the last decade of the first century that Christ would ultimately be victorious. The church must keep itself pure, and through Christ she will triumph over her enemies." Harold Hazelip. "Revelation 20 and the millennium." Restoration Quarterly, 18(4), (1975): 231. 14 David Mathewson. "A re-examination of the millennium in Rev 20:1-6: consummation and recapitulation." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 44(2), (June 2001): 251. 15 The interpretation of Rev 20:1-6 continues to influence significantly the premillennial exposition of biblical eschatology. Objections have been lodged against attributing such importance to the pervasively symbolic, hence less interpretively accessible, apocalyptic literature of Revelation. Pre-millennialists, however, have clung arduously to their views, arguing for the chronological progression of Revelation 19-20, the futurity of Satan's imprisonment, the physicality of "the first resurrection," and the literalness of the "one thousand year" duration of Christ's post-second-advent interregnum. At the root of these claims is a more basic concern for hermeneutical consistency in the interpretation of the Bible's apocalyptic and non-apocalyptic literature and of Rev 20:1-6 particularly. R. Fowler White. "On the hermeneutics and interpretation of Rev 20:1-3 : A preconsummationist perspective." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 42(1), (March 1999): 55.
When it comes to millennial viewpoints, it is arguable that none of them are fully correct based upon (1) their mutually exclusive beliefs, (2) the lack of biblical clarity concerning the sequence of events of the end times, and (3) Jesus declaration that the details of the end times are to remain hidden. 16 The only millennial view that is totally defensible is one that accepts on faith that God will do what He has promised to do in His own time and in His own way as He judges evil and vindicates the faithful. This view might be humorously proffered as panmillennialism: it will all pan-out in the end. Rather than provide a clear road-map of the future, these verses reveal to us a sequence of fundamental truths concerning what will ultimately happen to evil and those who live by it. How will God deal with the evil in the world, and how will He reward the faithful? These are the questions that John s revelation provides answers to. 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. Herein John introduces us to another vignette of symbolic imagery. It is easy to visualize the picture that John paints with words. We see a messenger from heaven that is carrying a key to a great hole, and a very large and heavy chain. What do the key, the abyss, and the chain represent? (1) A key represents sole authority of access. Only when one has the key to a locked door, does one have the power to open it. (2) The Abyss, also named the "bottomless pit," is referred to seven times in the Revelation, and as we will later observe, it is also referred to as the "lake of fire," the place where Satan, the Beast, the antichrist, and 16 Matthew 24:36
those people who have submitted their lives to Satan will be separated from God for eternity. Using similar physical terms to describe an eternal setting, other references describe the Abyss as a lake of burning sulfur. The variety of names and descriptions work together to illustrate one simple truth: to be thrown into such a place would be characterized by extreme and relentless torment and agony. The consequence and context of being separated from God for eternity, surrounded only by the unfettered, exercised, power of Satan is unimaginable. We may think that the circumstances of this world are already characterized by the torment and agony of sin and evil. However, the evil of this world is still tempered by the power of the Holy Spirit in every place where God s power is evident as God interacts with all mankind, seeking to redeem any who would give their hearts to Him. (3) The messenger also carries a large chain, one that is particularly designed to bind a prisoner. The image gives us the clear impression that this messenger is coming with a well-defined purpose that involves the bottomless pit and the binding chain. He has come to bind someone and place the prisoner in this bottomless pit, a location that is far removed, a place from which the prisoner has no influence outside of its boundaries, and cannot escape. "This seems obvious to many, but some students of Revelation find in the prophecy a pattern of recapitulation. They see the whole book as a series of several visions usually seven - each going over the same ground, with each vision beginning with Jesus' first coming and extending to His return. Thus at 20:1 they argue that John went back to the Lord's first advent, and so the binding of Satan refers to what Jesus accomplished at His crucifixion." 17 17 David J. MacLeod. "The third 'last thing': the binding of Satan (Rev 20:1-3)." Bibliotheca Sacra, 156(624), (October 1999): 472.
Revelation 20:2-3. 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. The binding of Satan, that old serpent 18 for a thousand years is the climax of the divine judgment. The period of time here is often referred to as the millennium of the messianic kingdom. To the ancients, the thousand years was understood to refer to forever, or almost forever, a period of time beyond all imagining. However, later ideas were that the earth is inherently evil, or is inherently temporal, and is therefore not suitable for the permanent kingdom. The numerology of 1,000 has many and various interpretations. The number is the largest that was commonly used during this ancient period, and referred to an unimaginably large value. In today s culture we might consider a billion or trillion to be a similar unimaginably large value. The metaphor of a thousand years certainly refers to a very long time. It is generally accepted by most millennial views that Satan is bound during the millennium. 19 If these thousand years is considered to be the same thousand years as in the verses that follow, some amillennialists and postmillennialists will have a hard time explaining how we could now be experiencing the millennium unless they somehow rationalize away the binding of Satan that is described in the third verse. At first glance this seems to mean that Satan, for this period, ceases entirely to be a source of danger to the faithful, or to man in general. But there is always the possibility of taking such a sweeping enunciation in a restricted sense as, 18 Genesis 3:1, 3:1-14;. 19 Isaiah 24:21-22.
e.g., that he should no more directly, or by himself, deceive people. 20 This does not imply that Satan can do no harm whatever while he is bound. It means only what John says here, while Satan is bound he cannot deceive the nations in such a way as to keep them from learning about the truth of God. 21 In the current age, this ability to deceive is the primary power that Satan wields, but that power is weak as he can only give us moral choices. Because of the power of Holy Spirit on earth today, Satan's power is extremely limited. This binds Satan, even today. Note that in John's description it is not God, nor is it Jesus who binds Satan, but rather it is God s messenger, the angel. "Some people think of Satan as God's equal. Surely, they think, God will send Christ Himself to wrestle with the dragon. But He will send an angel. He will not send a cherub, a seraph, the archangel, or one of the principalities and powers. He simply sends a nameless messenger." 22 The basic message here is that Satan is so powerless when confronted by the power of God that all is necessary is for one of God s messengers to step into the scene and deliver the truth of the gospel to totally dominate and defeat Satan, removing him in a such way that the faithful will no longer be tormented by him. This idea emphasizes the true powerlessness of Satan and his minions, a powerlessness that is in stark contrast to that which we might come to understand when we see him exercising his efforts on this earth to bring death and destruction. The abyss that is referred to here is described using a word that is similar to what the ancients believed was the lowest of three levels of 20 Paul Gaechter. "The original sequence of Apocalypse 20-22." Theological Studies, 10(4), (December 1949): 487. 21 Norman K. Gottwald. The Hebrew Bible: A Socio-Literary Introduction. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1985. 22 George R. Beasley-Murray. "The Book of Revelation." in New Century Bible. New York, NY: Harper-Collins Distribution Services, 1974: 284.
Hades, the level that is reserved for Satan and his demons, separated from God, a place where there is great wailing, and gnashing of teeth. 23 The abyss is first mentioned in the first woe of Revelation 9:1-2. Satan's release from the abyss is described in 11:7 and 17:8 wherein he comes out of the abyss only to experience his final destruction. Some hold that the purpose of Satan's release is to demonstrate his incorrigible nature: "As soon as he is released, he will demonstrate that neither his plans nor his nature have changed." 24 When these earlier verses are considered we find that Satan is set free only so that his destruction can be seen by all since the final battle that brings about his demise takes place, not through military warfare, but by the word of God that is proclaimed by Jesus, the rider of the white horse, 25 and witnessed by the white-clothed army of the faithful. Revelation 20:4-6. 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. In these verses John gives the persecuted readers a word of special encouragement concerning those who had been, and are yet to be, martyred. The people needed to know that their martyrdom was not in 23 Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30; Luke 13:28. 24 David J. MacLeod, "The fifth 'last thing': the release of Satan and man's final rebellion (Rev 20:7-10)." Bibliotheca Sacra, 157(626), (April 2000): 204. 25 See Revelation 19:11 ff.
vain. In fact, John s description of their state shows that those who were faithful to Christ, even unto death are given a special place in the Kingdom. They will be given authority to take part in the judgment to come. They will spend a special period of time with Jesus prior to the general resurrection when all of the dead are judged. Described as a "thousand years," this alludes to a very long period of time. There has been a tremendous amount of interest in, and opinions expressed, concerning the nature of this thousand year reign. Some hold that this thousand years refers to the same thousand years of Satan's binding, mentioned in verse 3. There is also great controversy among millennialists as to whether this reign will take place on earth, or in heaven. 26 However, if we can maintain the symbolic nature of John's presentation and resist the temptation to turn John's words into an historical narrative, we can avoid such speculation. 27 One hint may be observed by the simple statement that John sees "thrones" in his vision, a sight that is frequent in the Revelation, and in every occurrence those thrones are located in heaven. It should also be noted that the thousand years, a term repeated six times in the Relation, does not exist in any other book of the Bible. It is not drawn from Old Testament prophesy, nor do the other biblical writers refer to the millennium in any way. This alone may calm the need for intense 26 For an excellent treatment of this controversy, see Michel Gourgues. "The thousand-year reign (Rev 20:1-6): terrestrial or celestial?" Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 47, (October 1985): 676-681. 27 "No passage of the Bible has occasioned more controversy than this paragraph. I believe its interpretation lies in a comparison with an earlier paragraph of the book: Revelation 6:9-11. There the souls of those who had been slain for adhering to God's word were under the altar crying for judgment. Here the souls of those who had been executed are empowered with Christ for 1000 years. God's inevitable judgment has come. What did fearful Christians who received Revelation see in this paragraph? The triumph of martyrs, not on earth, but in the spirit world. Their reign is the positive aspect of the binding of Satan. God's people had appeared to be defeated, but now they are victorious." Harold Hazelip. "Revelation 20 and the millennium." Restoration Quarterly, 18(4), (1975):234.
speculation as one steps back and considers what John is communicating through this symbolic language. John believes there will be no faithful survivors on the earth at the end of the age; all will have suffered martyrdom before the day of the Lord comes, and the remainder will be brought to the throne on that day, the day of rapture. 28 And, it is not all who have "died in the Lord" who are to share in his reign with him. Only the martyrs will have this particular reward, given for their loyalty. It is these who are given authority to judge. 29 In Revelation 6:11 each of the martyrs is given a white robe while they wait for their roll to be completed, again a metaphor for one s being clothed with the righteousness of God. Here the roll is now complete and the host of martyrs rises in the first resurrection, in which the rest of the dead take no part. This concept is peculiar to John's writing, and illustrates John's intense focus on persecution and martyrdom. Note that the martyrs are referred to as priests of God and of Christ. 30 This may imply a special function assigned to the martyrs. It also indicates a particular reward for the martyrs as they will be with Jesus, at peace, for a very long time. They will have a time of special fellowship with Jesus. Note that the martyrs are those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. When we interpret the mark of the beast in a physical, literal sense, we tend to assign these actions to the wicked in the end times. 28 Isaiah 26:19. 29 The premillennial view holds that there will be two kinds of people living during the thousandyear reign of Christ on the earth. "There will be the resurrected, glorified immortal people of God. They will walk the earth in sinless perfection, with bodies like that of the glorified Christ (Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:2). However, some people will enter the millennium without resurrection bodies. These will be born-again believers converted to Christ during the time of the Tribulation." David J. MacLeod. "The fifth 'last thing': the release of Satan and man's final rebellion (Rev 20:7-10)." Bibliotheca Sacra, 157(626), (April 2000): 30 Exodus 19:6.
However, the martyrs of whom John refers date back all the way to the ascension of Jesus. From this we begin to get a picture of what the mark of the beast truly is. If the early martyrs did not take on the mark of the beast, it is evident that they had the opportunity to do so. Therefore, the mark of the beast is not exclusively eschatological, that is, indicative only of the end times. Recall that God said of the faithful that his word would be as a frontlet before their eyes. 31 What is the mark of a Christian? What one trait marks every Christian for all ages? The mark of a Christian is the seal of the Holy Spirit, manifested in agape-based fruits in a Christian s life. The marks of the beast parallel this same point. Just as the faithful are characterized by God's Word in what they see, say, and do, the unfaithful are characterized by rebellion against God in what they see, say, and do. What is the one trait that marks every lost person for all ages? It is the lack of the Holy Spirit in their lives. They never accepted God due to their life-long rebellion against Him. Therefore, it is that rebellion that is the mark of the beast. That is, the mark of the beast is a lifetime of rebellion against God that will serve as the testimony in the final judgment. Their names are not written in the Lamb s book of life. Furthermore, rebellion in action is idolatry, a concept consistent with the Babylon passages of the revelation. The mark of the beast is that evidence of a spirit of Babylon, a spirit of idolatry, a spirit of rebellion against God. The metaphor for this rebellion, the number 666 that characterizes the mark, is simply another way of expressing this same thought as the practice of idolatry is also evidence of the lack of the Holy Spirit in an individual s life. According to these verses, if this book is taken in sequence, the first resurrection involves the coming of Christ and the resurrection of the martyrs. The second death is the death at the end of the Messianic 31 Deuteronomy 6:8, Deuteronomy 11:18, et. al.
kingdom after the Last Judgment, as distinguished from the physical death which is experienced by all humanity. The first death is physical death, and the second death is spiritual death, the same death that Adam and Eve experienced after their rebellion. Revelation 20:7-10. 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. 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. At the end of the thousand years, Satan is loosed and re-attempts to organize the nations against God. He is cast into the lake of fire where the Beast and the False Prophet have already been cast. Many have interpreted Gog and Magog to be specific world countries, always the enemy of the interpreter. Gog, a proper name, is from the land of Magog in Ezekiel. 32 In Genesis 33 he is called Magog, son of Japeth. Elsewhere they are both leaders in battle against God and Messiah. Consequently, here they may represent all of the faithless upon the earth. 34 Those who attempt to apply a literal interpretation of an earthly thousand-year reign with Christ, doing so in a perfect earthly world, can 32 Ezekiel 38:2, 39:1-6 33 Genesis 10:2 34 "How can Gog and Magog refer to a battle in Revelation 19 before the millennium and this battle at the end of the millennium? The most likely explanation is that Antichrist is Gog and will be defeated at the Second Coming.... with Satan leading the new 'Gog and Magog.' Satan will meet his "Waterloo" - his "Gog and Magog." Just as Antichrist fulfilled the Gog and Magog prophecy at the beginning of the millennium, so the rebellious millennial nations will fulfill it as well, at the end of the one thousand years." David J. MacLeod. "The fifth 'last thing': the release of Satan and man's final rebellion (Rev 20:7-10)." Bibliotheca Sacra, 157(626), (April 2000): 209.
find a desperate need for rationalization at this point when we see the revolt of Gog and Magog taking place at the end of the thousand year reign. If this is taken as literal and historical those rebellious peoples and nations are sharing the millennium with Jesus and the Saints on earth. 35 When loosed, Satan still takes the offensive in an attempt to destroy the remaining faithful, the LORD fulfills His promise to protect them, 36 and does so by devouring the enemies of the faithful with fire, 37 and casting Satan and his minions into the lake of fire. What would a message like this communicate to those first-century Christians who saw no end of the success of evil in their world? They can understand that God will defeat Satan utterly and with finality. What will God use to defeat Satan? Recall that Satan is defeated by the power of God s Word, 38 the two-edged sword that comes from the mouth (or voice) of the rider of the white horse, Jesus Christ. 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. Here we see a great white throne representing the final and ultimate seat of judgment. Though there have been many thrones, or many authorities, described in the Revelation, this single throne stands out. Its greatness is symbolized by great size, representing great authority. White represents purity, so the judgment that will take place at this throne will be 35 "For whatever reasons, premillennial commentaries on Revelation and books about Bible prophecy have paid meager attention to the fact that Revelation 20 presents the millennial society as a mixture of saints and sinners. The Gog and Magog nations revolt against the King at the end of the thousand years, but they exist as groups of wicked people throughout the entire course of the age." Arthur H. Lewis. The Dark Side of the Millennium The Problem of Evil in Revelation 20 1-10. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1980: 5. 36 Deuteronomy 23:14. 37 2 Kings 1:9-12; Ezekiel 38:22, 39:6. 38 See Revelation 19
one that is pure, holy, and just. This is quite a contrast to the Greek, Roman and Jewish, courts that the persecuted Christians have experienced. Though the identity of the judge is not specifically identified here, He is clearly Christ as described from his other similar attributes. Jesus said, "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son." 39 Early Jewish thought held that at the end of time all things would be destroyed and replaced anew. "The primary point of interest for our discussion is the verb used to describe the activity of the earth and heaven in the presence of the One who is seated on the throne. John uses the verb pheugö, which generally means 'to flee.'" 40 By heaven and earth fleeing away, this could be the concept that some of these would understand. Some also argue, it could also be that in light of the Glory of the throne, and the significance of the judgment about to take place, they were of no consequence and went unnoticed. Some (dualists, particularly) argue that the earth and sky were unholy and not fit for God s presence. However, God created the earth and sky, and when His creative act was complete, these He declared as good. "The point of the earth and heaven not finding a 'place' symbolizes the fact that no one and nothing can hide from this judgment. The earth and heaven and all people and things will be judged before the great white throne of God. There is no escape." 41 John s eschatological narrative does not imply in any way that the earth and sky are cast into the lake of fire and destroyed along with Satan and his followers. This seems to go unnoticed by so many eschatological experts who seem to miss one simple truth: The earth and sky make up 39 John 5:22. 40 Gale Heide. "What is new about the New Heaven and the New Earth?: a theology of creation from Revelation 21 and 2 Peter 3." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 40(1), (March 1997): 41. 41 Ibid.: 42.
the cosmos, the entire universal creation that we now experience. It is this earth and sky that God created in the seven days of Genesis 1. When the end of the age comes, this physical cosmos will not be taken up into heaven because it is not eternal. It will no longer be needed. Regardless of what God s plan is for the cosmos after the second coming of Jesus, there will be no place for the physical components of the cosmos in heaven. Revelation 20:12-15. 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. Who is being judged when the books are opened? 42 Some argue that only the wicked dead are judged here. 43 Others argue that all, including the faithful and the martyrs are judged here. A close look at the scripture makes this question relatively easy to answer: All of the dead are implied here. Paul wrote that every man will be judged according to his deeds. 44 Hades was believed to be the intermediate state of the righteous, so those who argue that only the faithless will be judged have to explain away this usage. It is Hades, or Abraham s Bosom, where the patriarchs of the 42 Daniel 7:10. 43 "At the rapture believers will be resurrected and then evaluated for rewards at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). The believing dead will participate in "the first resurrection." Revelation 20:12-13 refers to a different resurrection, the resurrection of "the rest of the dead," that is, the unbelieving wicked." David J. MacLeod. "The sixth 'last thing': the last judgment and the end of the world (Rev 20:11-15)." Bibliotheca Sacra, 157(627), (July 2000): 44 Romans 2:6.
faith were traditionally held, along with all other faithful prior to the coming of Christ. The sea may again refer to the chaotic and rebellious worldly state as it has previously in this book. If so, it may refer to those people who are still alive. (Are there any?). Death may refer to Sheol, the state of the wicked dead. Each person is judged here. If anyone in all mankind is not judged here, it might be the martyrs, since this is the second resurrection in the sequence of this text. All of the deeds done in the flesh, good and bad, are judged. 45 Some have a hard time resolving this concept with God s promise of forgiveness. Perhaps we do not love deeply enough to understand how one can fully forgive another God is omniscient. That is, He knows all things. It is impossible for God to literally forget anything. It is what God does with his knowledge that makes Him the Just, Merciful, and Holy God. The faithful will be held accountable for every willful act of disobedience, every idle word and deed; they will be accountable for the entire ministry that God has called them to and have willfully refused. If this is so, why is there no evidence here of a punishment for the accounting that takes place when the books are opened? God's promise to the faithful is to forgive their sin. They will not be punished or condemned for them, a truth demonstrated by the white robes that were given to them. There is only one punishment for sin, and that is death: eternal separation from God for those who have rejected Him, for those whose names are not "found in the book of life." 46 We all, because of our sin nature, deserve to be thrown into the lake of fire, but His promise of salvation for those who trust in Him is sure, and all who have trusted in God are written in the book. 47 45 Psalm 2:12. 46 Psalm 69:28. 47 Daniel 12:1.
Death and Hades are utterly destroyed, since there will be no need for the experience of death, or the use of the grave once the spirit of a person has passed on to eternity. There will be no more need for a state to be placed between physical death and spiritual resurrection, a necessity to those who do not differentiate between physical time and the eternity of heaven. It is even implied that these places are unclean, not fit for the glory of God's kingdom. It is also clear, that like the earth and sky, there is no longer a need for them. However, condemnation is not based upon the judgment of deeds, nor is it based on the character of the one judged, but rather upon the singular contents of the Lamb's book of life that contains the identification of those in Christ, those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit at the point of their salvation. 48 Christians have no need to fear the final judgment. Most likely when the books are opened, we will remember what we have missed because of our disobedience, and some scriptures imply that our heavenly state will be affected by the level of our obedience. Certainly we see the faithful martyrs given places of special honor. However, the only thing to be feared at this judgment is the lake of fire, the eternal separation from God, the eternal spiritual existence with Satan and his demons who, free from the power of the Holy Spirit, will reign over the wicked for all eternity. (Not a good place to be.) It is this that should be feared, and we should understand that every lost soul around us is facing this final judgment, from which there is no escape. Let us praise God for his grace and mercy, as He has chosen to reach down to us and save us through the vicarious death of Jesus. Then, let us seek to be obedient to God, and to be available to him in service to His kingdom so that, through us, more people can be saved. 48 Exodus 32:32-33.