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Revelation 20

The Old Testament spoke of the coming of Messiah, the Day of the Lord and the Age To Come as one single climactic event.  As what would seem almost an afterthought to the theology of previous prophets, John the Revelator introduced a one thousand year delay. 

John's new disclosure of time--the postponement of the judgment of the righteous and unrighteous, and the setting up of the new earth and New Jerusalem--can clarify an otherwise baffling series of Old Testament predictions.  The apostles anticipated the conquering Christ in their day and were surprised by the delay.  Why?  Because the Old Testament Scriptures spoke repeatedly of Messiah's victory, while the evidence for the suffering and sacrificed Christ lay in a few obscure passages, a mystery of God.

Once Christ's victory was gained at the cross, and with His resurrection and ascension, He could have immediately returned in power to defeat Satan and take His rightful kingdom.  Nonetheless, God's plan included a two thousand year delay that many more individuals might be saved in review of His great sacrifice. Should we then be surprised that a further delay pushes back the judgment of God?  

Much like the other visions of Revelation, chapter 20 is not entirely chronological.  For example, in Revelation 21:2 John sees the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven; then at verse 10, he repeats the movement of the City of God to earth but with added details.  Therefore, the student must reconstruction the events of chapter 20 in a way that properly lead ups to the Great White Throne Judgment and the ushering in of final peace.  The lesson that follows will attempt to organize the sequence of events that finalize the thousand years, including the great judgment, the final battle and fiery demise of all sinners, the old earth and the skies above. 

1. What is symbolized in the key, great chain and Abyss (Revelation 20:1-3)?

Satan is bound for one thousand years. Because the Devil is judged as unfit to reign by the Heavenly tribunal (Daniel 7:9-10, 26), he will be stripped of his status as prince and power of the air (Ephesians 6:12) but will remain alive and alone that he might long ponder his wickedness and where it has brought him.

John calls Satan the "dragon" and "ancient serpent".  The craft, wisdom and slyness of the serpent are things insisted on in the Scriptures as qualities that distinguish them from other animals (Genesis 3:1).  Jesus recommended to His disciples the wisdom of the serpent (Matthew 10:16).   A snake bites with poisonous venom with his mouth, and his heart is under the throat and very near his head.  Maybe for this reason God told the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel," Genesis 3:15. The low and lonely dust would be the hated serpent's trail, and the dark desolate Abyss will be the Serpent's cursed abode.

Revelation 12:9 calls the Devil a Serpent, both because he hid himself in the body of a charming serpent when he seduced the first woman, and because he will hide himself once again in the body of an enchanting minister during the final appointed time (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).  He has a serpentine disposition, being a subtle, crafty, and dangerous enemy to mankind, and he will mix truth with error as in the Garden and thereby march the masses head-long into their eternal graves.

The Dragon signifies very "old serpents grown with age to a prodigious size," with wings (Cruden's Concordance), which are often found in uninhabited places, in the ruins of cities and in rubbish ( Isaiah 13:22; 34:13; Jeremiah 9:11).  In Revelation 12:9 Satan is not only called the Dragon for his great strength and bloody cruelty against the saints, but also to signify the Serpent grown to full strength of evil.  He is so enormous that he can give them authority to rule (Revelation 13:2-4) and push the entire world's governments in any direction he chooses; his tail overthrows a third of the righteous angels in battle and flings them to their demise (Revelation 12:3-4; 7-9), and yet he cannot fully overcome Michael and His great army whose heel he can only bruise.  Satan is seized and bound for one thousand years. His release will be only short-lived, for the Dragon's head will eventually be crushed ( Isaiah 27:1; Isaiah 51:9), and his fiery demise is foretold-- "a horrible end and [he] will be no more," (Ezekiel 28:17-19).

2. Although sketchy in details, what did John connect to the one thousand years as the primary reason for the lengthy delay (Revelation 20:4)?

A group will be given authority to judge, just as the twenty four elders described earlier (Revelation 4:4). Paul spoke of how saints would one day judge (make decisions in behalf of) both the world (mankind) and angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3), and thereby render verdicts of life, reward and death.  Jesus also promised His disciples "twelve thrones" from which they would be "judging the twelve tribes of Israel," (Matthew 19:28). 

3. A specific group is described as coming to life who "reigned with Christ a thousand years," (Revelation 20:4). Who are they?

This are the saints of the last days; and more specifically, the martyrs of the appointed time identified as having been "beheaded" for having endured against Antichrist's worship, image and mark to follow the "testimony of Jesus" (prophecy's advice--Revelation 1:1-3; Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 3:12-15).

4. The prophet Daniel writes of a resurrection at the onset of the "time of distress," the Great Tribulation (12:2-3). Who are included?

Daniel speaks of a "multitude" both saints and sinners coming to life from the dusty earth.  Revelation 1:7 states that "every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him."  Evidently, Messiah's most cruel adversaries will be raised to life temporarily to see His triumphant return. Revelation 7:9-14 also identifies a large group of all nationalities--a "great multitude"--as coming out of the Great Tribulation to stand triumphant in the heavenly Temple.  These victorious martyrs are found in Heaven before the seven plagues are poured out (Revelation 12:10-11; 15:1-8).

5. How long do the "rest of the dead" remain in death's sleep--those not included in the "first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5)?

Outside of the last-day martyrs, no others are identified as included in the first resurrection in Revelation 20.  All remaining saints and sinners who have been laid to rest or died in the course of human history will not come to life until the thousand years are finished.

6. What is the blessing for those who are raised in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:6)?

The second death has no power over them.  That is to say, this "great multitude" of saints cannot be condemned or judged unworthy of God's kingdom at the Great White Throne Judgment, for they have already proven themselves as "holy" and worthy to become "priests of God and of Christ" in His holy Temple above. Therefore, this limited group have a priestly position in God's Sanctuary: "they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His Temple," Revelation 7:14-15. 

7. How does Hebrews 9:27 depict the progression of life, death and judgment?

When life ends there is death's sleep, then resurrection to judgment for either eternal punishment or eternal reward. God knows how to reserve the fallen angels and wicked men for the long-foretold day of judgment to be punished (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; 2 Peters 2:9).  We all must appear before the judgment seat of God to give an accounting of our actions and decisions (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10).