Revelation, Chapter 20
With the destruction of beast and false prophet at the battle in the
valleys around Mt. Megiddo, all adversity toward the LORD of the heavens,
all antisemitism against the nation and the people of Israel is restrained.
"All things" are nearly complete. Among the remaining inhabitants of the
world the fear of God is no longer an abstract concept. They now know that
God is, and that He is a rewarder of those who put their trust in Him.
Their fear has become a living, literal knowledge in the experience of
how the LORD is the master over the working of the heavens and of the earth.
The goodness of the LORD -and His severity toward those who rebel against
His Word - has been shown to all men. Rebellion must and will be restrained.
1 And I saw an angel descending from the heaven having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
"Angel descending;" katabaino, 2597. To go down. Vine identifies the definition as: Come, No. 19. The communication structure between heaven and earth is not simplistically laid out in the Christian Scriptures, except in the Parable of the Wind (the Spirit), John 3:1-9,10-22, where Jesus explains the means to Nicodemus. The wind blows where it has a mind to! The Spirit goes where God sends it to go. God sends His angels to do His will. Those who have no spiritual perception cannot tell which way the wind is blowing, even in a gale; but can judge tomorrow's weather by the color of today's sunset.
So an angelic spirit is sent from heaven in possession of the key to the pit, and with a large chain in hand. The picture is rather graphic. When such a spirit so depicted approaches the dragon, his knowledge toward apprehension is definitely alerted. The spirit of Zionism working throughout the world for the past century has alerted the enemies of Israel to their danger. The hatred of Israel's enemies and their adversity is provoked by greed for world dominion, for power, and in jealousy against the continued survival and persistent prosperity of the "chosen" people in the land.
The antichrist severe hatred is a direct affront to God, who in ancient years divided the nations into their own lands, and laid the boundaries not to be crossed; and against Him Who gave His warnings to the nations and to His people. The day of reckoning now comes upon all antichrist rebels wherever they are found throughout the earth.
Instances of the work of the angel of Destruction may be found in the Hebrew Scriptures. The manners and means of Destruction's work are found by definition in the Book of Proverbs.
"Key to the abyss;" abussos, 12. Compare with "the deep things of Satan," 2:12-26; 12:9. Luke 8:31 and Romans 10:7 indicate that this "pit" is below the surface (of sea or ground). In these two texts the translation of abyss is made as "bottomless pit."
In The Revelation the "key to the bottomless pit" is under the charge of this angel. The spirits of Destruction sent from God are most active throughout the day of the LORD. This angel oversees the deadly events activated by the fall of the star from the sky, 9:1-2. He manages the deadly events pertaining to the beast from the pit, 11:7; 17:8. And when the Day comes to its end, this angel must restrain the powers attributed to the dragon for the ensuing 1,000 years, 20:1-3. This angel's power first appeared in 9:1-11. The ruler in charge of the key is identified there. To the Hebrews he is known as Abaddon. To the Greeks he is known as Apollyon. To the English speaking world he is known as the angel of death - whose Greek and Hebrew names translate as, Destruction; the destroying angel.
"Chain;" halusis, 254. The "great chain" is thus a metaphor for
the strength and power that is required to safely and surely manacle the
Serpent's evil spirit of envy, hatred and adversity toward others. "Satan"
no longer has any favor in the heavenly places.
2 And he laid hold of the dragon - the ancient serpent who is a devil and adversary and bound him a 1,000 years.
"Laid hold;" kateo, 2902. To be strong, mighty, to prevail. He
captures the dragon - as should be the expected outcome of the war in the
heaven against Michael, per Chapter 12. There the dragon was in the process
of being "cast into the earth and his angels were cast with him," 12:9.
The evil powers of men who oppose the "sons of God" that continually
accused "our brethren" (the Jews) are during these last - 1,260 to 1,335
- days physically; and in spirit, reduced and subdued by the heavenly angels.
"Dragon." The verse self defines the dragon as "the ancient serpent who is a devil and adversary" of the LORD. It is everywhere "a deceiver", the evil spirit which creates an error of understanding in people's minds. This is the exact description of the dragon as given in Chapter 12:9 also. See Jeremiah 5:(21) all.
The "dragon," who has been intensely "wroth" with "the woman" of 12:1, 6, 14, for three and a half years, is now put under the "great chain" and the prison of earth locked over him for the duration.
"Bound;" deo, 1210. He is fettered and imprisoned for a long while. From the ancient days of Adam's willful transgression against God's Word the "Satan" has physically bound all men, and women, Luke 13: 16, in body and spirit to the power of Death. During the millennium Life flourishes under Christ, while the power of the dragon is bound, until all death is finally is abolished.
The "dragon;" drakon, 1404 appears in: Rev. 12:3,4,7,9,13,16,17;
Rev. 13:2,4,11; Rev. 16:13, and Rev. 20:2. Revelation is the only book
where the word "dragon" is found in the New Testament Scriptures. (In O.T.
prophecy it seems the "dragon" is allied or related to Gog, and the Magog
of the Hebrew Scriptures, especially in the prophet Ezekiel, 38:1-7, 14-18;
39:1-6,11-15, where a number of words and word phrases are identical to
the same words in Revelation.)
3 And cast him into the abyss and shut and sealed over him, so that he should not mislead the nations still until the 1,000 years were ended, and with things he must be loosed a little time.
"Cast into the abyss." Quite literally the many graves that pit the earth in the day of the LORD will illustrate the manner in which the dragon is restrained, "shut and sealed over" in the earth itself. The bones of the beast and its allies - evidence of Destruction's work - lay scattered over the land when the dragon is captured, caged and sealed in the abyss for the millennium.
"He should not mislead the nations." The inference is that the dragon did mislead the nations until the war of Armageddon ended, when he is shut up and sealed over.
"Thousand years." The whole period of the Lord's rule and evil's restraint.
"Expired;" teleo, 5055. Ended, finished, fulfilled. At its end.
"With things;" meta tauta. The better translation is "with this" expiration of the millennium. When Christ's rule nears its 1,000 year end. The null state of the dragon revives at the kingdom's end.
"Loosed;" luo, 3089. Released, in the same manner as the seven seals of the little book, and as the four angels who were bound over the Euphrates. He/it is then allowed to work the final evil deed.
"A little;" micros, 3398. A short or a small period of time.
"Time;" chronos, 5550. A year; period of chronology. Death and
Grave must be released (i.e., opened) for judgment, in order to gather
another harvest at the final resurrection when all elements of evil are
removed from the earth.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them and judgment was given to them, even the souls of those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus and on account of the word of God, even those who did no worship of the beast nor his image and did not receive the mark upon the forehead and upon their hand, and they lived and reigned with Christ a 1,000 years.
This verse addresses some of the details of "the end." This is the second detail explained for the comfort of the reader; to reassure "the last" who are called out during the final days of the Christian era. All will receive rewards together in the first resurrection of the just. James says, "Lo, we call those blessed who endure. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you saw the end of the LORD, that the LORD is full of tender mercy and compassionate." They will stand in their lot in the resurrection of the just, as Daniel was reassured.
"Thrones;" thronos, 2362. John perceives the seats of the ruling powers. The language used in this verse echoes the language of Daniel 7:9,26. Daniel was shown the apocalypse of the Lord Jesus Christ by a "sum of the matter," i.e., with a brief word of summary of his "day."
"They sat upon them." "They" who sit upon the thrones refers to the "blessed" who are called to the supper of the marriage of the Lamb, 19:9, when Babylon falls, 18:1-24. Each blessed one has been given a "mansion" (a room; a place) in the Father's house.
"Judgment;" krima, 2917. The sentence. Quite often translated as either "condemnation" or "damnation," but in this instance - as clarified in verse 12-13 - "a judgment is produced for them..."
"Given;" didomi, 1325. To yield over, to produce. As the remainder of the verse explains, the judgment is confirmed for good.
"Them;" This word refers to those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus and on account of the word of God; those who did no worship of the beast or of his image, and who did not receive the mark upon the forehead or upon their hand.
"Souls;" psyche, 5590. The life, see 12:11, in which "our brethren" overcame the sin of the flesh by losing their lives. "Soul" is Old English form of our animate "self."
"Beheaded;" pelekizomai, 3990. The word means to be smitten; perhaps executed by illegal decree. It is a strange way that the translators have used the word beheaded here. The only other N.T. uses of the English word beheaded (apokephalizo, 607) are in reference to John, the Baptist, who was unjustly beheaded by Herod. See Matthew 14:10; Mark 6:16, 27; and Luke 9:9.
"They lived and reigned." Both the life and the rule was obtained in and through the redemptive work of Jesus.
"With;" meta, 3326. With or during; certainly not the "after," which is favored by expositors of the "continuous history" and "continuing church age" theories. The division made by such exposition is basically anti-Semitic, since the theory carefully provides for the doctrine of supercessionism held by the "Christian church" in its opposition to the Jew, the Torah and his synagogue worship. Church history proves that the majority of "Christians" have been taught antisemitism in doctrine and in deed.
"Christ." The messiah of Israel. Meaning the anointed ruler who rules for God.
"Thousand years." And, the duration of the rule with him.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not until the 1,000 years may have been ended. This is the first resurrection.
"But." This word introduces an exception -- concerning all those others who are left to remain in the grave. Those who die after "the day of the LORD" is completed will not live again until the Lord's appointed reign is finished.
"Rest of the dead." But the rest of the dead are not called forth by name in the first resurrection, prior to the millennium. They are held responsible to the lack of knowledge of God, and will be judged and destroyed at the end of the 1000 years along with all the rejected and condemned who die during the millennium.
"First resurrection." The verse speaks of the resurrection of
those worthy to live during the 1000 years. The first resurrection pertains
to those who have died prior to "the day" when the word that "There is
no more time" was proclaimed. "The day" itself is the beginning and the
end of all things on either side of the first resurrection day. The first
resurrection begins the rest of the LORD. The first resurrection produces
the rulers of the millennium!
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority except they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him for a 1,000 years.
"Blessed;" makarios, 3107. As stated in Daniel 12:12. See note on 19:9.
"Holy;" hagios, 40. There is a dichotomy of definition in this word, if the translators are to be heard. It seems that at times they are uncertain whether the "saints" and the "holy" people do not live in two different camps. For, the original commandment was never changed: "Be ye holy, for I am holy." It is the singular people of God who are expected to be "a holy people" dwelling in Zion and in a new Jerusalem. These are the king priests of the coming age.
"Second death." When the blessed die in the Lord, 14:13; they have "put away sin through his sacrifice... And forasmuch, it is appointed to all "men to die one time" (the first death) "for with this is judgment," as meted out in Genesis 2:17; Hebrews 9:26-27. They are freed from the errors of sin by the first death which ends the existence of every mortal. The second death proves which man is corruptible and unable to inherit immortality and life during the millennial reign of Christ.
The "lake of fire" is the second death; it is the unquenchable fire which burns for the age; Tophet which is ordained from old, (Isaiah 30:15-33). John, the Baptist, said of Jesus: "he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
"Authority;" exousia, 1849. Death is permitted to reclaim those who are appointed to that "ancient serpent; who is the devil" and all "his angels." They are the corrupt, under judgment of not having the mind of Christ, who are returned to Death and to the Grave. (Rev. 6:7-8; 20:13-15).
"Priests of God and of Christ." After the order of Melchizedek, who was both the king and the priest of the city of Salem, (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110), an ancient name for the hill of the Jebusites which was renamed Jerusalem.
The order of Melchizedek is discussed in Hebrews 5:1 - 7:17, as portending one change from the Law of Moses, in expectation of "some better thing" from heaven.
"Reign with him." The Levitical priests were always to be righteous
teachers of the Law and rulers of the religious life of the nation; and
governors of the house of the LORD. Like the kings, they failed to perform
faithfully in the office. The new order of king priests are pre-qualified
in all these areas for faithfulness.
7 And when the 1,000 years are expired the Satan will be loosed out of his prison.
"Expired;" teleo, 5055. Ended, finished, fulfilled. In v. 3 and 5. As the millennium ends, adversity to God resurfaces. Here a third detail is explained: the millennium itself will have an end.
"Adversary;" ho satanas, 4567. The corporate power which bears hatred against God and the nation of Israel is revived.
"Loosed;" luo, 3089. Released from within the earth, as related
in verse three. His strength is reincorporated.
8 And will go out to mislead the nations which are in the four corners of the land, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for war - of whom the number is as the sand of the sea.
"Will go out." Probably in the same manner as at Armageddon, like the dragon, the beast and the false prophet sent forth the frog like spirits to mislead the nations surrounding the nation of Israel in the prior millennium.
"Gog and Magog." These are the nations which are again to be misled because of their aversion toward God. Presumably their lands are the same territories which are spoken of in the book of Ezekiel's prophecy.
"War;" polemos, 4171. Military action.
9 And they went up over the breadth of the land and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of the heaven and devoured them.
Another "Satan" will repeat the patterns of the deception of the previous
millennium, acting within Gog and Magog. The same event will happen to
those nations as happened before. See Ezekiel 38:2-18; 39:1-11.
10 And the devil who misleads them was cast into the lake of the fire and brimstone, where are the beast and the false prophet. And they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of the ages.
"Devil;" He is not the same man, the same "devil" in person who before misled the world, but he will operate within the same persona of deviltry.
"Cast." Tossed into the fire. All adversity toward the LORD will have an end.
"Lake of fire and brimstone." The site is opened during the physical upheavals of the earth during the close encounters with the "locust" cavalries of strange "horses" in the LORD's host. An area southeast of the Dead Sea for the lake is suggested by Old Testament prophecies. Tophet in the valley of Hinnom, was southwest of Jerusalem's temple site, gai hinnom, where is to be the "fire where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched," Mark 9:44-50.
"Where are beast and false prophet." The implication is, cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet were burned. The site of the "lake" is unchanged.
"Tormented;" basanizo, 928. Torment is a wound that is self-inflicted on account of false hopes. "They" who are tormented are those who were misled by the "devil" during the millennium. The idea is that their torment was caused from the restriction of evil-doing. The obedience required of them by God is a continual source of chaffing and irritation as long as the nations exist, because of the chastening iron rod that rules over the whole earth.
"Ages;" aion, 165. The changing times during the passing 1000
years of the future reign of Israel's Messiah; the aeonian times, the Olam.
11 And I saw a great white throne and him who sits on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled, and a place was not found for them.
"Great white throne;" thronos, 2362. The use of the adjectives indicate that the throne of the LORD is vast, and exhibits the intensity of the light, and of the light bearers, which surround it. The word list for "throne" is quite comprehensive of the throne's characteristics, while the word list for "white" shows the magnitude of the white color. The context of Daniel 7:9-10 is not to be overlooked.
"Him." The pronoun undoubtedly refers to the Supreme God, Who has delegated, (given), John and 2 Timothy 4:1, all the judgment to the Son during the millennium's duration because he is the Son of man. His Son is able to feel the infirmities of men as they judge themselves and so to agree in or disagree with their own judgment at the end.
"Heaven and earth." This can only mean the actual earth and its heavens which are now made distant - from "the far country" - from the realm of the presence of God Almighty. Because, these are placed under the dominion of the Son for his 1,000 year period of rule.
"Fled;" phugo, 5343. Quickly departed; disappear. See 9:6; 12:6; 16:20.
"Place;" topos, 5117. The Greek provides the English word, topography. Region. Evil has been banished for ever more.
"Found;" hurisko, 2147. To find; to discover. The earth and its heaven is no longer a region for the work of the powers of the Almighty God. "It is done," 16:16; 21:6. All things have come to pass as written. The LORD rests, in His full glory.
"Them." This might also refer to the final work of the LORD upon
the earth; for at the end of the millennium, the heaven and the earth will
be placed within the full dominion of the Father.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened, and another book was opened, which is (the book) of the life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books according to their works.
This is a recap - at the end of all things done on behalf of the Christ - repeating things previously shown integrated with the events of "the day.".
"Dead;" nekros, 3498. These are the long time dead who have been awaiting the day of vengeance "under the altar, the souls," 6:9-11. The "little while" they were required to wait is now past, the [1,260] days in which both their "fellow servants and their brethren" were killed are over.
"Books;" biblion, 975. Accounts of their lives. The books are compared with the names written in each; and the nature of their works written.
"Judged;" krino, 2919. This event processes the whole judgment of the world. The estimation or judgment for life is "according to the works." It is the working quality of faith in God that is under scrutiny. No man needs to be judged for works for death; he is born into the world under the judgment of the first death brought by Adam and his wife, and remains under the judgment of the second death unless he has been redeemed for salvation by Jesus Christ.
But the ungodly who blasphemed his name, and those whom otherwise made a false vow, raised to witness the judgment of the life and the reward of good works in Christ, are thrust out from any inheritance in eternal life. See Mark 16:16; Luke 12:46-47; then, Romans 5:16-18; 8:1.
The sin brought on the world by the man made out of the earth was annulled
in order to deliver the followers of the man who was made from heaven to
justification for eternal life.
13 And the sea gave up the dead in it, and the death and the grave gave up the dead in them; and they were judged each according to their works.
"Sea;" thalassa, 2281. The seas, major and minor, where no doubt the Flood carried many of the dead...
"Dead." As above.
"Death;" thanatos, 2288. Death, in and through which the Lord annulled its power to hold men, Hebrews 2:14, must release the dead.
"Grave;" hades, 86. The keys of Death and Grave are in possession now of the First and the Last One, 1:18.
"Gave up;" didomi, 1325. To give; delivered via "the keys."
"According;" kata, 2596. Against or beside their works.
"Judged;" krino, 2919. Sentence pronounced.
"Works;" ergon, 2041. The word here means the work initiated
by the spirit; not the labor caused by the evil spirit which easily deceived
Eve by its subtle structure. A man's "work" is first generated in the mind.
14 And the death and the grave were cast into the lake of the fire. This is the second death.
"Cast;" ballo, 906. Put or placed. See 20:3,10,14,15.
"Into;" eis, 1519.
"Lake;" limnee, 3041. The lake was introduced at 19:20. It is fueled by thion; a sulphurous compound commonly called brimstone.
"Of fire;" pur, 4442. The range and nature of the "fire" is an interesting terrain. The word list gives some ideas that may be pursued in the abstract sense, but to what profit is unknown. The concept of Gehenna, the continual burning fire in the valley of Hinnom, is probably the only idea presently associated with the lake of fire. See "hell," 1067, in a concordance.
"Second;" duteros, 1208. The second in order. The first death destroys the physical body for the time until the resurrection; the second death destroys that body and its spirit of evil permanently; it is blotted out of existence in its judgment. See under verse five.
The event of judgment under consideration here is relevant only to the application of the second death. Consignment to the lake of fire completely consumes the tinder, leaving only natron.
"Alive, into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone," 19:20.
By-passing the judgment for the first death by issuing the decree for the
second death to take effect immediately.
15 And if anyone was not found written in the book of the life, he was cast into the lake of the fire.
"Found;" hurisko, 2147. Discovered to have no record in respect to God.
"Written;" grapho, 1125. To be written for immortal life; eternal.
"Book of the life." The book contains information only on those names written therein, whose "earnest" of the Holy Spirit made them eligible to live and rule with Christ.
"Cast;" ballo, 906. Put to the fire; as chaff and tares to burn.
"Lake of the fire." The fire was ignited by the "horses" of Abaddon. The evil-doers against God and Christ (who are raised to judgment in the first resurrection) are consigned to their second death in this "lake" of fire outside the holy city's wall.
Thus ends the judgment at the first resurrection of the just and of
the dead in Christ. Those who said, "Lord, lord..." but were found to be
unworthy of the Name of God are rejected and are cast into the destroying
fire.
We are all greedy and self serving; so we will all die unless help comes. Except that the Creator of the heavens and the earth has not left Himself without a way out of the corruption which has taken over the whole world. From the beginning of the present order of mankind, the LORD of the heavenly hosts has worked to prepare a people for the new order which will succeed to the government of the current generation of nations.
The work began in earnest with the election of Abraham's "seed" to be both the chief ruler and as the foundation stone of the people chosen by God. The exodus of the children of Israel, who before his conversion was named Jacob, was the first historical movement of this people to the land promised to "the fathers" of Israel. Notwithstanding the long history of Israel's failure to attain to the glorious heights expected by their Creator, the nation has yet to receive the inheritance of the promises, but to receive only under the conditions stipulated by their Father! There is no other way for any man to "receive the kingdom" except in accordance with the rules which govern the establishment of that nation.
Consequently, when one hears the advocacy of supersessionist views - in other words, such a view is a teaching of the Church which claims that "the Church" is the dominion or kingdom of God upon the earth now - it should be recognized that the speaker very well may be a part of that system of apostasy from God. Some form of the teaching is universally held by the denominations of Christianity despite its separation into sects during the Reformation. The next Reformation of Christianity will not be decided by men but by God.
The kingdom to come on earth will be ruled as the kingdom of God is ruled in the heavens: by the just, the righteous, and the holy workers of God's will. We shall inherit the power and the glory of the angels, who continually follow the will of the Father without question and murmuring, or rebellion, which is disobedience to His expressed Word.
For this reason Jesus advised his disciples: "After this manner therefore
pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Let thy
kingdom come. Let thy will be done in earth as in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is
the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen," Matthew 6:9-13.