Revelation Sermon Series-Week 16 Preview

Chapter 20 is perhaps the most confusing chapter in Revelation and at the same time, the most well known. This is the chapter that gives rise to talk about Christ’s millennial reign, or the millennium (Rev 20:4). This chapter is also packed with insights into why the devil used the antichrist and the false prophet to do his bidding instead of him doing it directly – when the devil was kicked out of heaven, he was bound and thrown into the pit (Mt. 12:29; Mk. 3:27; Rev. 12:7-17). The devil was no longer able to control the world. That’s why he raised up the beast (aka the antichrist) and the false prophet (aka the false prophet, prostitute, and Babylon) for this purpose.
Chapter 20 is not only about the devil though, it is also about the Church and resurrection. Following Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus called the Church out to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. With each baptism new life, new birth, was given. “This is the first resurrection” (Rev. 20:5). These are the ones who have come to life to reign with Christ right now (the souls of the beheaded is a statement that death is not the end of being with Christ). The second resurrection of the dead occurs at Christ’s return, the Parousia.
Starting with verse 7, John sees the last battle for the third and final take. In this take, John sees that right before the Parousia the devil is going to be released and he will once again deceive all nations. This is when the antichrist and the false prophet come into full power and their forces converge for the great battle at Gog and Magog (aka Armageddon). But as has previously been revealed, there is no battle. Jesus simply wins. They cannot fight Jesus.
With regard to those who hold a “rapture” view of chapters 19 (premillennialists), and chapter 20 as a description of Christ’s 1,000 year literal millennial reign on earth, it warrants a closer look at verse 3 again. According to Revelation 20, Satan was bound for a 1,000 years “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer” (Rev. 20:3). Historically speaking, prior to Jesus’ resurrection, there is no question that every nation on earth was a pagan nation except Israel. After the resurrection, all that changed. The Church was free to spread the Gospel. By the time of Constantine, 312-313 AD, the Holy Roman Empire became Christian. Following that many nations were ruled by Christians and functioned as Christian nations. The devil has indeed been chained.
With regard to interpreting 1,000 as a literal 1,000 years, the issue there is that to be consistent you would then have to take the bottomless pit, chain, and dragon in this passage, along with beast and prostitute earlier, all as literal too. However, 1,000 is used in Ps. 90:4 and 2 Pet. 3:8 to denote a number that most naturally means, in God’s time. Furthermore, as we have seen throughout the book of Revelation, numbers mean something. In this case, 1,000 most simply means, in God’s full time.

This Week’s Verses: Isaiah 24:21-23, Psalm 147, Rev. 20:1-10, John 20:19-22