Revelation Chapter 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.
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,
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.
The Millennium
The only place in the Bible where this is mentioned
Angel came down from heaven
Bound the dragon
The dragon, which is the devil
Shut up for 1000 years
Premillennialism – Christ return before the millennium
Sees chapter 20 of sequential to chapter 19
Physical return, physical kingdom
Physical binding
Postmillennialism – Christ return after the millennium
One of the arguments against continuity is the repetition of “gathered together for war”
Zechariah 14:2
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
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.
The dragon - paganism
The restraint of paganism by even false Christianity
Restrained by the truth of One God, the Creator
One thousand years – an indefinite long period of time
Then loosed a short time
Meanwhile, we are given a view of what is going on in heaven
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.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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.
Souls lived
Not on earth
Comparison
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Rev 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Rev 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
First resurrection – spiritual
Second death – eternal death
Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
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.
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.
After a long time, loosed again
The replacing of the truth of God with error
It is the rise of humanism, the belief that man is sufficient for himself
No need of a god
Humanism is a form of paganism (began with Voltaire)
Has given rise to a worship of the state
Lillie McCutcheon saw this a communism in the 60’s and 70’s
I believe it to be the larger umbrella of Humanism, and its varying forms of socialism and communism
Always hostile to Christianity
Fire came down from heaven (like Elijah)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The devil, and the beast and the false prophet cast in the lake of fire and brimstone
Great White Throne and judgement
From whose face the earth and heaven fled away
All the dead, small and great, stand before God;
Caste in the lake of fire, the second death
Whosoever not found written in the book of life