Revelation 20:1-6

Revelation chapter 20 and verses 1 to 6. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up. set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more for the thousand years should be fulfilled. And after that he must be loosed a little season. 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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. resurrection. On the second death, on such the second death hath no power, that they shall be priest of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. God blessed to us is sacred and holy word this morning. We said that the matter of the millennium is only taken up here in Revelation chapter 20. We don’t find this. idea really anywhere else. And it’s become an essential part of the eschatology of today’s church. The problem is there are many doctrinal errors associated with this chapter. And I think your understanding of this thousand-year period is very important to your grasp of the meaning of the chapter. But there is questions about the meaning of Satan being. bound for a thousand years. There’s a question about the character of Christ’s reign for a thousand year, whether it’s on earth and it’s an earthly carnal kingdom or whether it’s in heaven, therefore it’s a spiritual kingdom. The duration of the thousand years, whether it’s literally a thousand years, or whether this is just an extended period of time. And the beginning of the thousand years, does it await a future fulfillment? or is it occurring right now? Is it realized at this particular time? Now, last week, we looked at the binding of Satan. We think that the angel that did the binding here would probably refer to Christ from Matthew chapter 12, verses 26 to 28. He’s the strong man that binds, the stronger man that binds the man that binds the man that is strong and takes his goods. So he binds Satan and then takes from his kingdom souls and adds them to the kingdom of Christ. We talked about the binding is not in all areas, but in one particular area that he cannot deceive the nations any longer, so that the gospel will go out into all the world and that people will be saved. We talked about the length of the binding, only being. symbolic, a thousand years we felt was from the time of Christ really his death and resurrection all the way to his second coming. The same thousand years that second Peter three talks about when he says when we why where’s the promise of this coming the question comes up and he says well with the Lord you know one day is a thousand years a thousand years is one day and so this period of time goes by before Christ returns. That brings us to the second section here, which is verses 4 to 6. We’re not going to quite get through it all this morning, but let’s look at the reign of the saints from this passage. Now the crucial question here is where does this reign of the saints take place? The pre-millanualist, the post-millanualist must have an earthly reign of the saint of the saint must have an earthly reign of the saint. during the millennium. Both expect some type of carnal, earthly kingdom that’s visible where the saints have dominion over this world. The pre-millanalists actually have Christ literally sitting on the throne at Jerusalem, ruling all the nations as king and exercising some type of judicial rule over them. His reign along with the saints will usher in a time of universal peace and prosperity, longevity of life, great productivity of the earth with its crops, its fruit trees, and so forth. The post-millanialist has the Church conquering the nations with the Gospel, so that there is a Christianized world, at least a name, if not in substance, with the saints imposing godly rule over the world. Even though there will be unbelievers, they will have to be submissive to the majority who are believers, and they will impose some type of political rule over them. The all-millanialists claims that this heavenly rule of the saints who reign with Christ is actually in heaven. It’s not on the earth. This is a heavenly scene, we’re told. It’s not an earthly one. And there’s nothing here about a carnal earthly kingdom. There’s not a single word about that. The martyrs ascending to heaven join the rest of the saints who are already there and are ruling and reigning with Christ as kings and priests. A careful examination of this. text, I think, proves that the all millennials are correct. This is a heavenly scene. Now, what’s interesting is the first three verses give us what’s happening on the earth during the thousand years. Satan is bound. The gospel goes forth to the nations. In verses four to six, we have what’s happening in heaven. And here we have a shift here of perspective. In heaven, the souls of the departed. saints are reigning above with Christ. This provides a complete picture of what is happening during the millennia. This is a heavenly scene then now in contrast to the earthly scene in verses 1 to 3. Now, if you go through the book of Revelation, you’ll find heaven is the place where the thrones are located. When we get look at the thrones that are mentioned, they’re all in heaven. You get chapter four, the throne of God. He’s caught up into heaven. He sees God sitting upon the throne. Chapter 5, Christ appears as a lamb that has been slain. He goes to the throne. He’s going to sit with the father on his throne in heaven, ruling and reigning there, and he takes the book from the father, that he’s going to open the sealed book. And so when we look at this, It’s not heaven, it’s not difficult to realize that this is the case. Look at chapter 12 and verse 5 of Revelation. Here we have the woman who brings forth the man child. And she brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations of the rod of iron. Her child was caught up unto God and to his throne. Caught up to heaven, you see. And that’s where he’s the throne of God is and that’s where he is. I mean, Acts chapter 2, Peter argues that Christ was resurrected, ascended to the Father, sits on the throne there with the Father, is going to rule and reign until all his enemies be put under his feet. That’s part of the sermon on the day of pentacles. Look at chapter 3 of the Book of Revelation in verse 21, because the saints are mentioned here as joining with Christ. Verse 21, as he writes to the church at Laeoticaa, To him that overcometh why grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my father in his throne. The Father’s throne is in heaven. Christ is sitting on that throne. We join him and we overcome on that throne. So we sort of have a very clear indication here that the throne in Revelation are spoken of as being in heaven. So there’s not an earthly scene. Now, if you would, turn with me to Daniel Chapter 7. Daniel Chapter 7, if you read the first eight verses, we have these four beasts that come out of the sea. We have the Babylonian beast, the Medo-Persian beast, the Grecian beast, the Grecian beast, and then the fourth beast, which is indescribable, really, but it’s the monstrous beast, which is the monstrous beast, which is the Roman Empire. And so we find here in verse 9, I beheld the thrones were cast down, and the ancient of days did sit. There were many thrones put down, and the ancient of thrones, or the Father, God the Father, is sitting on his throne, whose garment was white as snow, the hair of his head, like pure wool, his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A vahiri stream issued, came forth from him, thousands and thousands ministered unto him, and 10,000 times 10,000 stood before him. The judgment was set. The books were open, and I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horned, spake. The horn is on the fourth beast, which we said was a picture here of the anti, what we want one we shouldn’t say antichrist, but a picture of the beast, who is the evil one in Revelation, who was Nero and his line of Caesars and so forth. I beheld, even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame. So here we see their ancient of days, we see the thrones in heaven, we see judgment is being set, and this beast is going to be put to death. Now this is the beast, you’ll notice according to verse 22, or the beast, excuse me, in verse 21, I beheld the same horn made war with the saints prevailed against them until the ancient of days came and judgment was given, notice to the saints of the most time. And the time came that the saints possessed it came. There was some type of judgment that was permitted to the saints of God at this time. They’re sitting on the thrones around the God to Father. And then you’ll notice also verse 26. But the judgment shall sit and they, they, the saints, along with God the Father here and the son, of course, shall take away his dominion, the beast’s dominion, and consume and destroy it under the end. And so we see here the same idea of this judgment given to the saints and the punishment and the punishment of the beast. that has persecuted the people of God. So the saints are sitting on thrones in heaven, and it’s this fourth beast that wages war with the saints, but they are going to be slain. Revelation 20 speaks about those martyred by the beast, by Roman Empire, Nero in particular, and the divine vengeance that would be meted out because of that. So both Daniel 7 and Revelation 20 speak about the glorified saints in heaven and their participation in the judgment of the saints, less sitting on thrones in heaven. So heaven is the place where the thrones are located. Heaven is the place where disembodied souls of the martyrs go. Now, John sees the souls of these saints, which have just been martyred, put to death, because their bodies are here on earth. They’re buried on earth, but their souls are in heaven. There’s no physical resurrection here until we get the verses 11 to 13 when Jesus Christ returns, and we have the physical resurrection. So what you have here is, the spirits of just men made perfect that Hebrews chapter 12, verse 23, talks about awaiting their resurrected bodies. Sometimes souls do refer to persons in Scripture. In Genesis 46, 27, all the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt were three score and ten or seventy. But whenever it speaks about souls as actual persons, they’re always numbered. It tells you how many there were. But here we read about the souls that were beheaded in verse 4, and that sort of gives us an indication. We’re not talking about people that are living on Earth, but people who have been put to death, and therefore their disembodied spirits have gone to heaven. I think that should be obvious if we read it, unbiased. I think that’s pretty clear. So this speaks of what we call the intermediate state. That period of time between Christ’s first coming and then his ascension and so forth and his second coming. While we’re awaiting the second coming, this is what’s taking place. So these souls reign only 1,000 years. Why don’t they reign forever and ever with Christ? Well, they will. But we’re only talking about the thousand-year period. So he’s saying they rule and reign with Christ for this period of intermediate period. And then when you get to chapter 22 in verse 5, the same spirits now glorified with body and a soul, they have a glorified body and their spirit has been added. They’re said to reign for ever and ever then. So it’s not that they don’t rain forever and ever, it’s just in doing during this period of time, they rain for this thousand years until Satan is loosed. they’ll continue to rain of course but he’s just saying for this period that we’re talking about this is the what happens so heaven is the place where disembodied souls of the martyrs go any questions about this so far we’re covered yes no question it just it makes sense the i mean you’re only talking about those that have you know have died already and so you know they’re the ones that are reigning with Christ then and just their souls but then in eternity it’s you know they’ve got their bodies with them but also they don’t all the those saints that were alive when Christ came were with them so it’s you know it’s it is during that period this is this is what it is you know the very different picture they’re both right they’re still raining throughout it but it’s not just them and not just their souls if we see that he’s just focused on the thousand-year period here yeah he’s not trying to tell you what’s going to happen afterwards until later he’ll tell us but right now he’s saying do in this period this is what’s happening so the martyrs are with christ and they’re reigning with christ and they’re going to be participating in the judgment of the beast not beheaded makes it clear obvious yeah it makes it pretty clear we’re talking about people without bodies it should it should make it clear heaven is also the place where christ lives in rains and we’ve talked about this um they lived in the rain with christ and we know that we know from what we’ve already studied that christ is raining in heaven and he will he will reside in heaven until his second coming and we’ll pick that up when we get the verses nine and ten we’ll see christ’s second coming coming into play but remember what it says in acts 321 whom speaking of the lord jesus christ whom the heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things which god has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began so heaven is the place where christ is he’s going to be there until the restitution of all until we get the new heavens and new earth and all the renewal of everything and so he’s in heaven so if christ is in heaven and we’re ruling and reigning with christ then we’re not on earth we’re in heaven. I think that’s clear enough. So the crucial question is where does the reign of the the saints take place? And I think the all-millennial position is correct. It’s taking place in heaven. Now, secondly, here, the martyrs live and reign with Christ. According to verse four, and I saw the thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given under them and I saw In addition to that, I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, which had not worshiped the beast nor his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads and on their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. So those already in heaven are able to sit on on thrones, and then we see that these martyrs in particular are also singled out as participating in the judgment as well. So the they who sit on the throne are the saints. And they’re heavenly, they’re represented in heaven by the 24 elders earlier on in the book, and they are the redeemed from all the different nations and so forth. The dead, those who have died in the Lord are there. And these beheaded people, in particular are singled out where they have been martyred and they will participate. as well. Judgment was given under them. Implies here that as kings, which we know from chapter one, that they, I believe it’s verse five, in chapter one were kings and priests under God and one of the functions of a king is to rule, to make judgment. And so kings exercise judgment. We exercise that judgment along with Christ, just as revoked. Revelation 321 indicates. But this, the beheaded group here who have just been beheaded, just they’re going to join in. They were put to death for their witness for Christ, for their faithfulness to the Word of God, for their not worshiping the beast or his image, or receiving the mark of a beast. and so these martyred saints are said to have lived joining the other believers in reigning with Christ during this thousand-year period. 2 Timothy 2, 11, and 12 says this. It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. So if we die, we go to be with the Lord. And if we are suffering, let’s say we are beheaded, well, you’re going to reign with Christ too. So we live and reign with Christ. So the martyrs live and reign with the Lord. And then we have this phrase in verse 5, but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. Who are the rest of the dead? Well, if the righteous dead are taken up in the first part here of this, verses 4 to 6, and verse 4 in particular, then the rest of the dead must be the unrighteous debt. They must be the ungodly. They must be those who are unbelievers. For this group is contrasted with the souls of the martyrs and the other believers who died in the faith who refused to worship the beast. If lived here means a physical resurrection, and verses 4 and 5, it doesn’t really fit very well with the passage. The saints live now in heaven, but the resurrection of their bodies awaits another time. The point is, We’re not in some soul sleep somewhere. We’re living after we die. We’re living with Christ in heaven. Verse 13 will take up the of this chapter, will take up the resurrection. Death and hell delivered up the dead that were in them. The unrighteous who lived not until the thousand years were finished do not receive a physical. resurrection at this point. That places the final resurrection of the wicked too early. Remember that after the thousand years are over, Satan has to be loose for a little season. We’re not told how long that little season is, but there is a period of time in which he will go out and deceive the nations and bring a final rebellion against Christ and his kingdom. Versus 7 to 10 of this chapter. So verse 5a should not be construed to mean that the rest of the dead lived at all or ever came to life. The proposition here until denotes only that the unrighteous dead do not live during the thousand-year period. That’s all. It says nothing at all beyond that period. The fact of the matter is they never. live. Let me give you a couple quick examples what I mean. Suppose I said, I gave up eating wheat at 30 years of age, and I ate not wheat again until the years of my life were finished. Now, would you think that I ate wheat after, or would you say, well, that means the rest of his life he didn’t eat any wheat? Suppose I said this. At 75, I sold my car. I drove not again until the day of my death. Did I drive on the day of my death? You see how you, it’s all on how you look at this word until. But let me give you some biblical examples, because this will make it clear. Look at Hebrews 9, verses 8 to 10. The Holy Ghost, this signifying, that the way of the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while at the first tabernacle, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present, and which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse washings and carnal ordinances in public, on them until the time of the Reformation. Now, the coronal ordinances of the Mosaic law were imposed here, according to verse 10, until the time of the Reformation, these sacrifices and so forth. You can’t read into this that after the time of the Reformation that the carnal ordinances will be reinstitimate. We can’t read it that into it. It’s just that up until that point they would be taking place and then afterwards they never take place again. Look at Luke 1616 with me. The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has preached and every man presseth into it. Now, the law and the prophets were until John, until John the Baptist arrived. on the scene, which he was going to announce Christ and the coming of the Messiah and so forth. But the Lord does not mean that after John dies, the law and the prophets would be reintroduced at some future period of time or something like that. Look at Luke 2124 while we’re here in Luke. This has to do with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. And we read here, and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Now the Lord means here that the old Jerusalem, one of his day, would be trodden down permanently. We saw that the harlot in the book of Revelation, which is Jerusalem, and chapter 18 permanently, gets removed from the scene. Never recovers. Until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled then, does not imply that a resurrection of Jerusalem of some sort is going to take place after the times of the Gentiles. No, we don’t have that listed here. Look at Galatians chapter 3, verses 18, and 19. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to death. Abraham by promise. Wherefore then served the law, it was added because of transgressions till, or might say until, until the seed should come, to whom the promise was made, and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. The law of Moses was added to the Abrahamic covenant because of the transgressions. It was a way to restrict the Jews from sinfulness. It was added until, or till the seed should come, which is Jesus Christ. There is no implication here that after Christ’s time on earth and his return to heaven, that the various ordinances and ceremonial ordinances of law would somehow rather be reinstated, like in some future millennial period. That’s not what this text is talking about. So Revelation 25 here, does not have the words, then they also shall live again. It doesn’t say that. The wicked will experience a bodily resurrection on the last day that they never live because it’s a resurrection under the second death. While the righteous dead live and reign with Christ, the rest of the dead are suffering in hell. And when they get to the general resurrection, they’ll get a body that attached to their soul, and then that will go into the lake of fire. And so there’s nothing, you know, we can’t classify that as living in any sense of the work. So that is what we have with regard to the rest of the dead. And I’m going to stop at this point. Is there any questions about this? This section here on the first resurrection and so forth, it’s going to be a little more detailed on how we’re going to handle that. So I want to take, I’m not going to build to squeeze it in this. morning. So let’s just stop with where we are then.