The Thousand Years
This is a verse by verse breakdown of Rev. 20.
Rev 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.” God sends a cherubim with a symbolic key. Rev 20:2 “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,” The angel (cherubim) then locks Satan away for God’s appointed time (actually one thousand years).Rev 20:3 “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.” This is stating that the devil is simply a tool to be used again at God’s pleasure.
Rev 20:4 “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.” This is a picture of the saints (all believers) ruling with Christ during the reign on earth (See Rev 5:10).
Rev 20:5 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” This is a simple statement that is literal: The rest of the dead will live again.Rev 20:6 “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.” This is restating verse 4 with the saints ruling on earth with Christ. It also says there is no further judgement for these first fruits saints.
The Defeat of Satan
Rev 20:7 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,” Now we are at the end of the millennial reign and Satan is released for the White Throne Judgement (the little season).An aside here: I will reserve analysis on verses 8 through 10 until later.Judgment Before the Great White Throne
Rev 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.” This is a picture of this White Throne Judgement. We are given an example in Isaiah 65:17-25 subtitled “New Heavens and New Earth.”This little season will last one hundred years. As per: Isa. 65:20 “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” It says they will not remember their former lives vs. 17. Now, God will distribute the Holy Spirit freely (see vs.24). Rev 20:12 “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.” Instead of this being a giant courtroom setting, a judgement can consist of a time period, like during the period of the Judges in our bibles.Rev 20:13 “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.” It goes on in vs. 13 the sea and the grave gave up the dead, and will be judged during this time.Now we go back and pick up verse eight: Verse seven had just loosed Satan:Rev 20:8 “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.” True to his nature, Satan still thinks to defeat God’s plan.Rev 20:9 “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.” There are some people so given to evil, they will even reject the HS anointing and side with Satan and be destroyed.Rev 20:10 “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.” Here we see God destroying Satan because He is done using him (see Ezekiel 28:14-19). Note: the “are” was added for clarification. This verse should read “where the beast and false profit were cast.” When you throw humans into fire, they die.Rev 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Because they will no longer be needed, death and the hades (Greek grave) will be eliminated.
Rev 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” This is a simple literal statement wrapping it all up.
This is a verse by verse breakdown of Rev. 20.
Rev 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.” God sends a cherubim with a symbolic key. Rev 20:2 “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,” The angel (cherubim) then locks Satan away for God’s appointed time (actually one thousand years).Rev 20:3 “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.” This is stating that the devil is simply a tool to be used again at God’s pleasure.
Rev 20:4 “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.” This is a picture of the saints (all believers) ruling with Christ during the reign on earth (See Rev 5:10).
Rev 20:5 “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” This is a simple statement that is literal: The rest of the dead will live again.Rev 20:6 “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.” This is restating verse 4 with the saints ruling on earth with Christ. It also says there is no further judgement for these first fruits saints.
The Defeat of Satan
Rev 20:7 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,” Now we are at the end of the millennial reign and Satan is released for the White Throne Judgement (the little season).An aside here: I will reserve analysis on verses 8 through 10 until later.Judgment Before the Great White Throne
Rev 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.” This is a picture of this White Throne Judgement. We are given an example in Isaiah 65:17-25 subtitled “New Heavens and New Earth.”This little season will last one hundred years. As per: Isa. 65:20 “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” It says they will not remember their former lives vs. 17. Now, God will distribute the Holy Spirit freely (see vs.24). Rev 20:12 “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.” Instead of this being a giant courtroom setting, a judgement can consist of a time period, like during the period of the Judges in our bibles.Rev 20:13 “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.” It goes on in vs. 13 the sea and the grave gave up the dead, and will be judged during this time.Now we go back and pick up verse eight: Verse seven had just loosed Satan:Rev 20:8 “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.” True to his nature, Satan still thinks to defeat God’s plan.Rev 20:9 “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.” There are some people so given to evil, they will even reject the HS anointing and side with Satan and be destroyed.Rev 20:10 “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.” Here we see God destroying Satan because He is done using him (see Ezekiel 28:14-19). Note: the “are” was added for clarification. This verse should read “where the beast and false profit were cast.” When you throw humans into fire, they die.Rev 20:14 “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” Because they will no longer be needed, death and the hades (Greek grave) will be eliminated.
Rev 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” This is a simple literal statement wrapping it all up.
