Alpha and Omega, Part 48, Revelation Part 25
A Thousand Years to Sin’s Final Defeat
Revelation 20:1-15
Introduction
- Been studying Revelation together, to understand God’s plan for creation
-- REM: Redemption of sin is granted through Jesus; and yes, we have a choice
-- After today, there is only one or two more messages in this series
- Last week, we unpacked the Battle of Armageddon
-- Discussed that it will be the end of human history (as we know it)
- We saw the defeat of Satan’s armies (these are the nations that followed him)
-- We also saw the punishment of the Antichrist and False Prophet
- This is an eternal punishment, planned (created) for all who refused Christ
-- The Antichrist and the False Prophet are the first two eternal residents
- Background:
-- Hades (“hell” in the KJV) is described as a “place of torment”
-- Scripture’s teaching is that all who die in their sins will go to Hades
-- This is where they remain, until summoned to the Great White Throne Judgment
-- Key item to remember: sep. from God they are conscious of their despair
- The lake of fire, the place of eternal punishment, was never intended for us
-- God created the lake of fire for Satan and his fallen angels as punishment
-- Yet for those who refuse Christ it is there: Matthew 25:41, “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.”
- Today, we will see God’s final plan for rebellion and prayerfully be encouraged
-- How? If you know Jesus today – then this is what we must tell people about
-- The time to mince words and “hope for the best” has passed (or is passing)
- As we read this, you must see the plea of God in these words …
-- Remember (Gen 1 and 2) He called His creation “very good”
-- This is not the eternity meant for those who mean everything to God
-- YET, if Jesus is not your Lord, this is what eternity looks like for you
-- Christmas message? Absolutely! Why? Because He was born to die for us!
- Read Revelation 20:1-15 / Pray
Point 1 – The imprisonment of Satan
- Let’s first address the adversary of humanity and his eventual defeat
-- What God has continually promised is that Satan will be defeated
-- RE: His lie to humanity is that somehow he can win, and we can/should follow
- FACT: His lies are quite legendary in this aspect:
-- From the Garden: “Did God really say you’d die?”
-- To today: “You don’t need to repent, God won’t send you to hell.”
- He is referred to by John as the old serpent, Satan, the enemy of mankind
-- He is the spiritual & physical power that lies, murders, and leads people to sin
-- Saw this last year: 1 Peter 5:8, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.”
- He is imprisoned by one of God’s angels (prob Michael):
1. He is physically removed (think manhandled) with a chain
2. He is confined for 1,000 years but will be allowed to return again
- One would think that God would just defeat Him, right? But there is a plan!
-- We will now see 1,000 years of Jesus Christ reigning on this Earth
-- It will be a time of peace, of calm, without the burdens of sin or evil
- Satan is placed in the bottomless pit for this time to wait
-- RE: We saw this same pit in Revelation 9 … it is where he ascended from
-- However, in this instance he no longer has freedom – he is literally bound
- Why? So that he will no longer have opportunity to deceive the world!
-- Prophecy of this to come: Isaiah 24:21-22, “In that day the Lord will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be rounded up and put in prison. They will be shut up in prison and will finally be punished.”
- TR: Once Satan is imprisoned, what do we have to look forward to?
Point 2 – The millennial reign of Jesus Christ
- During this time, there are THREE important items that we must acknowledge:
1. The resurrection & rule of all believers (v4)
- John sees thrones and people sitting on them with authority to judge
-- He also sees the millions of believers who were martyred for their testimony
-- They have been given a place of honor, authority in heavenly realm to serve
- Big question: What happens during the millennium?
-- This is when Jesus will establish His government upon the Earth
-- It gives weight to the truth that there will be “work” for believers in eternity
- Believers shall be given responsibility to govern (bible says “judge”, or rule)
-- This is given based on their works for Christ here, and is amplified in eternity
-- EX: Someone who was faithful in leading a small group may lead thousands
2. The resurrection of unbelievers doesn’t happen yet (v5)
- During the millennial reign, only believers are to be resurrected
-- This could not be said any clearer or mean anything else (“came to life again”)
-- Those who are resurrected will be called blessed to share in this time
-- EX: If you are blessed, you are favored – not rebuked, not separate from God
- What we must know is that there will be 1,000 years that need to pass
-- There’s 1,000 years of waiting to see Jesus and be judged
-- RE: Unbelievers are in Hades, a place without God’s peace or blessing
3. There is a great privilege of being a believer (v6)
- GR: makarios; happy, blessed, to be envied
-- This is saying there is joy and satisfaction in being a part of this
-- One would be completely fulfilled and full of peace to be in this time
- Those who are resurrected will be considered holy, to be perfected in Christ
-- APP: This is because our righteousness comes from Him, from His work
-- NOTE: Again, scripture relays us back to what Jesus has done for us
- What is the ultimate blessing? To not be part of the second death! (reread v6)
-- The second death (coming in v15) is the eternal punishment for wickedness
-- This death will have no power (or place) in our lives if we are resurrected
- Key Items to Remember:
-- The first death is when we leave this earth and our earthly bodies behind
-- The second death is an eternal punishment … a total separation from God
- BIG: To not be a part of the second death is the outcome of trusting in Jesus!
-- Paul told us this: 1 Cor 15:54, “Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
-- What scripture was Paul quoting? Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken!”
- APP: To live as a priest (think servant) of Christ should be the goal you want!
-- Why? Our promise is that we shall be with Him and He shall be with us!
- TR: 1,000 years of peace sounds wonderful … but … then what?
Point 3 – The final defeat of Satan
- When Satan is finally released after 1,000 years his purpose is clear: (v7)
-- To persuade humanity to again rebel against God and Christ
-- RE: There are people who have survived Armageddon and the judgements
-- So, there will be people who are born during the 1,000-year reign!
- Those are the people that Satan will target, to rally to his side
-- APP: It’s no different that today: we each have a choice to follow
-- Satan is counting on humans (led by ego) who do not want to follow Christ
-- IMP APP: Not everyone living in the Millennium will be believers!!
- So, when Satan is set loose it is only for a VERY short time
-- There will be many who are just going along to go along – just like today!
- Think: Even with Jesus residing in God’s City (Jerusalem) they will not believe
-- However, they will be about survival and not incurring God’s wrath
-- So, their hearts will burn to rebel as soon as they have an opportunity
- Kind of like today: You don’t have to believe, you can live/do what you want
-- Humanity will not be different in this time … except for those who reign
-- Those who are blessed, they have authority, because they will be transformed
-- They will not have the desire to rebel because they are holy (changed by Him)
- KEY: People didn’t believe in Jesus when He came the first time either
-- So, this 1,000 reign will be God offering humanity another chance to come …
- Satan sets out to bring those together to once again war with God
-- The specific nation he targets are in north (Magog is the name of this area)
-- Ezekiel 38 and 39 tells us about this – they refer to the leader (Gog) and Magog
- They will gather around Israel, and fire from Heaven shall destroy them
-- It is in this final battle, that Satan is defeated once and for all and destroyed
-- He is cast into the lake of fire to join his henchmen and his fallen angels
- Question: Is this a literal lake of fire that is described? 4 words used:
GR: limné; a lake GR: pur; of fire
GR: kaió; burning GR: theion; brimstone, sulfur
- Terrifying: This anguish never ends (day and night); but why is that called out?
-- TR: Because in our last point, we see that humanity will also be here …
Point 4 – The Great White Throne Judgment
- John is then shown the final judgment of mankind, and it should scare us (v11)
-- In one swift motion, the inhabitants of the Earth are brought before Jesus
-- The Earth, and all of its created elements, are removed from His sight
- Consider: Everything God created is removed in one swift command
-- The inhabitants of the Earth have made their possessions what matter to them
-- So, with one swift motion all of those are removed and it’s just them
- Then, we see the second resurrection: all those who’ve died without Christ (v12)
-- The judgment serves one purpose, to answer God’s one pivotal question:
-- “What did you do with my son, Jesus, and His free gift of Salvation?”
- Ordinary men and women will be judged, great men and women will be judged
-- APP: Every unbeliever who denied Christ’s salvation will be judged
-- This will be the moment when all of Hades is opened up and stands before Him
- No unbeliever will be exempt, and as you can see, the method is very clear
-- God has kept a record of your life, of all of the deeds you have committed
-- APP: Every thought, every action, ever reaction, every secret deed is noted
- Might ask: How do we know this judgment is so complete?
-- Romans 2:16, “And this is the message I proclaim - that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.”
- You’ll notice that the book of Life is mentioned – this orig. contains every name
-- It had within it, the name of every person who has ever lived on this Earth
-- If one has Christ as Savior, who IS life, your name remains written in it
-- Those who have denied Him shall have their name removed from this book!
- Exodus 32:32-33, “But now, if you will only forgive their sin - but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” But the Lord replied to Moses, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me.”
-- APP: If your name is removed from this book, you have no right to Heaven
-- Deeper: You have no claim to any of God’s rewards b/c you are not His!
- Jesus Christ will check the books or records showing all works
-- The book of life has already told Him whether or not a person is doomed to hell
-- These books show the level of punishment that is to be given based on works
-- One might think that hell is hell, what’s the difference? There is a difference!
- Jesus taught & warned on this very topic and spoke clearly about eternity
-- Turn to and read Matthew 11:20-24, “Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.”
-- If those towns had repented they’d still be there; but your torment will be worse!
-- Jesus will level out measures of punishment; based on the sins committed
-- APP: Every unbeliever will receive what he/she has earned, and it will be just
- Death & Hades are thrown into the lake of fire (no more need for them) (v14)
-- Death (the grave) and Hades are not the same: Hades is a holding location
-- It is a place apart from God where those who have denied Him wait for this day
- IMP: All who are found before this throne will be cast into the lake of fire (v15)
-- This is the second death, which was orig. reserved for Satan and his fallen angels
-- However, because of man’s denial of Jesus, humanity will be punished as well
-- Consider: Satan denied Christ – if we deny Christ punishment is same location
- This is the eternal punishment of those who have denied Christ, denied Salvation
-- This punishment is based on their choice: did they not choose to know Christ
-- We will not be able to lay the blame on God here … can’t even plead to God
-- When an unbeliever stands before this throne, they are judged for their choice!
-- “Depart from me, I never knew you …”
BIG IDEA
- APP: God has already given you all that He can to bring you blessing in eternity
-- He has given you a path to salvation and grace and fellowship with Him forever
- However, to willingly choose to deny Him makes His next action clear
-- It doesn’t mean it is easy (because He died for you), but it makes it perfect
-- This is why we had to see all of this in context today … AND!
- This is what the church must be prepared to share far and wide
-- If you know Jesus and you’re not telling this, we will have to answer for it
- To see our name stay in the book of life is the first goal (receive Jesus)
-- The 2nd ought to be to ensure as many as we can are written in there also
- It is why John is so vivid in the portrayal of what comes after it
-- To be cast into the same place as Satan, Antichrist, and False Prophet
-- That place is prepared for them … so why would we choose to go there?
-- Pray
