“Reigning with Christ” (Revelation 20:1–10)

“Reigning with Christ” (Revelation 20:1–10)
Cameron Jungels/Eastside Baptist/Sunday PM/April 26, 2015

Revelation 20:1–10 (NIV)

The Thousand Years

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Interpretive Challenges
⦁    Is this text chronologically after the events of 19:11-21 or is it a flashback, looking more closely at an event already described?
⦁    Are these events on earth or in heaven?
⦁    What is the abyss and where is it?
⦁    To what extent is Satan bound during the time described? What are his limits?
⦁    Should the 1,000 years be understood literally or figuratively for a long but indefinite period of time?
⦁    Is this “1,000 years” future or figuratively descriptive of an event already passed or currently happening?
⦁    Why will Satan be set free after this period of time to deceive the nations again?
⦁    Who are those seated on the thrones? Are they the martyrs described in verse 4?
⦁    What does it mean that these martyrs came to life? Is this bodily resurrection or a spiritual resurrection?
⦁    Do only the martyrs come to life?
⦁    Who comes to life after the 1,0oo years? What kind of resurrection is theirs? Spiritual or Physical? Who is raised at the second resurrection? Only the wicked or also including believers who were not raised at the first resurrection?
⦁    Does the blessing of verse 6 mean that all believers are raised at the first resurrection or is this just a particular blessing on the martyrs who are raised then?
⦁    Who are Gog and Magog?
⦁    Is the battle of verses 7-10 the same as 19:11-21 or different?

Views on the Millennium
⦁    Premillennialism
⦁    Amillennialism (or Realized Millennialism)
⦁    Postmillennialism

Premillennialism
⦁    Jesus Christ will return to earth and then will set up a literal 1,000 year kingdom on earth, Satan being bound.
⦁    Release of Satan and deceiving of the nations
⦁    Final battle that Christ wins
⦁    Judgment of Satan
⦁    Final Judgment of all people
⦁    Eternity – new heavens/new earth

Amillennialism
⦁    Not a literal 1,000 years, but refers to the current reign of Christ from heaven over the world through his church.
⦁    Satan is partially bound while the gospel advances, followed by a great deception at the end of the age.
⦁    Deceased saints reign with Christ in heaven (resurrection is spiritual).
⦁    Christ returns, final judgment, eternity

Postmillennialism
⦁    Literal or figurative 1,000 years
⦁    Not the whole church age, but a climactic age which will see the triumph of the gospel in the world affecting all elements of society.
⦁    Christ will return to a world Christianized by the gospel and the Spirit.
⦁    Final judgment and eternity

Key Question
⦁    Does Revelation 20 describe an intermediate kingdom reign of Christ subsequent to the present age of the church and previous to the eternal state of a new heavens and new earth?

The Intermediate Kingdom
⦁    The events of 20:1-10 are subsequent to 19:11-21.
⦁    Christ returns and defeats foes who persecuted his church
⦁    Raises his church bodily from the grave and reigns with them on earth for 1,000 years.
⦁    After one final deception, Satan is judged.
⦁    A general resurrection of all before final judgment.
⦁    New heavens/new earth.

Main Reasons
⦁    The description of the binding of Satan does not fit the current age.
⦁    The use of “come to life” strongly favors a bodily resurrection. A two-stage resurrection favors an intermediate kingdom.
⦁    Fits with OT Prophets’ presentation of a future messianic kingdom.
⦁    Jewish apocalyptic literature anticipated an intermediate messianic kingdom.

Walkthrough Revelation 20
⦁    The binding of Satan will limit his ability to deceive the peoples from embracing Christ and the Gospel.
⦁    When Christ returns he will raise all of his redeemed who lived faithfully for him in this world.
⦁    Christ’s resurrected saints will reign with him on earth in an age of peace, prosperity, and righteousness.
⦁    Toward the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ, Satan will be set free to deceive the nations one last time.
⦁    All those in opposition to Christ (represented by Gog/Magog) will be defeated.
⦁    Those not raised in the 1st resurrection will be raised to be judged.
⦁    In keeping with Daniel 12 and Matthew 25, the final judgment will separate once and for all the righteous from the wicked.
⦁    The wicked will be punished for all eternity; the righteous will enter into the eternal kingdom in a new heavens/new earth.

Main Idea of Revelation 20
⦁    Those who are faithful to Christ and suffer for him can look forward in hope to the future time when they will share in Christ’s glorious reign.
⦁    The struggles and persecutions of this life for Christ are not in vain, but will be rewarded in his coming kingdom.