Understanding The Apocalypse

THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
Revelation 20:1-10
Chapter 35

Revelation 20, is a "litmus test" chapter of the Bible. How one interprets the events described in this chapter, reveals much about his overall approach to Biblical prophecy.

To those who do not take Biblical prophecy seriously, Revelation 20, is an allegorical account, subject to a variety of interpretations. However, to those who believe in the literal fulfillment of Biblical prophecies, this is a chronological account of the events before, during, and after the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Although, these two view-points are central to differing systems of eschatology, there are many who subscribe to an admixture of both. Therefore, many different viewpoints exist and because this study of the Millennial Kingdom will, more than likely, not agree with many of them, before continuing the reader may want to review the approach used to interpret the Revelation, at the beginning of Chapter 18, in this book.

I. The Removal of Satan From the Earth

"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, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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" (Revelation 20:1-3).
Following our Lord's return in power and glory as King of kings and Lord of lords, John's account reveals He will purge the earth of evil workers by first, casting the Antichrist and his false prophet, alive, into the Lake of Fire. He will then destroy the army assembled against Him at Armageddon. This is followed by the removal of Satan and his evil influence from the earth.

The removal of Satan and his followers is necessary for the establishment of a kingdom that is free from the curse of sin. According to the prophecies of Isaiah 11 and 35, death, sickness, infirmities, strivings, destruction, all of which are the results of sin, will not exist among the inhabitants of the Kingdom.

This is confirmed in Joel 3:17, which says, "So shall ye know that I am the Lord, your God, dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain; then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more." When the Lord returns, establishes His Kingdom in Jerusalem, and dwells among His people, Jerusalem will be holy.

Adding to this, Zechariah 14:16-21, says the Gentile nations will be required to come every year to worship the Lord and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Those who do not will not receive rain and if they continue in their disobedience the Lord will smite them. However, during this Kingdom Age, the City of Jerusalem will be holy and there will be no Canaanites in the house of the Lord of Hosts.

From this information in Isaiah, Joel and Zechariah we know sin will exist in the earth during the Millennial Reign of our Lord but that sin will not be allowed to enter into Jerusalem, that is, the Millennial Kingdom itself. To keep sin from entering the City of Jerusalem, the City of the Throne, the Millennial Kingdom itself, Satan will be confined, the Antichrist and false prophet will be cast into the Lake of Fire and the Gentiles who sin will die.

The primary emphasis of Revelation 20:1-3, is the binding of Satan during the Millennial Kingdom. Notice, it is an angel from heaven who takes care of this chore. I think it is noteworthy that John did not call this angel "mighty" or otherwise describe him in a way that would indicate he is anything other than a "rank and file" angel, for the following reason:

Satan is the one who said he would be like the Most High, who ruled the kingdoms of the earth and amassed an army to oppose the Lord at His return. Now, he is subdued by a mere angel from heaven. This is not to belittle the angel but to point out that if Satan has no power against one of God's messengers, he surely has no power against the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Many believe this angel is the Lord Jesus Christ because he confines Satan. They believe this vision signifies the binding of Satan that occurred with the death and resurrection of our Lord and that he continues bound whenever the truth of the gospel frees men from his lies.

To these, the thousand years is not the literal reign of Christ on the earth, but is representative of God's program that began with the birth of Jesus and will conclude with His Second Coming. Therefore, they believe we are presently living in the Millennium and the members of the Kingdom are those who have been born-again.

One obvious question to this theory is: If Satan is bound today and we are living in the Millennial Kingdom, why are sin and its results rampant, around us and in us? We cannot rightly deny the existence of sin in this present age nor in our own lives, according to 1 John 1:8, which says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Not only does the existence of sin refute the belief that we are living in the Millennium, mentioned in Revelation 20, but the effects of sin also refute this theory. Saints and sinners alike feel the effects of sin through sickness, infirmities, heartaches, tribulations and certainly death. These are not the attributes of the Kingdom the prophets and our Lord, Himself, said He would establish on the earth. They are attributes of the kingdom ruled by the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), who is Satan, and wrought by sin.

There is also ample comparative evidence in our text that Satan is not bound during the age in which we now live. This evidence is revealed by careful examination of the six responsibilities the angel is given, concerning Satan:

(1) To lay hold on Satan. "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, who is the Devil and Satan" (Revelation 20:2). To lay hold on Satan is to arrest him or take him into custody. When one is under arrest he is not free to roam at will or do as he pleases. He is certainly not free to ply the trade for which he was arrested. If Satan is, in this age, free to roam about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, as 1 Peter 5:8 says, then he cannot be under arrest.

(2) To bind Satan. "And bound him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:2). Considering Jude 6, says the fallen angels are bound in everlasting chains awaiting judgment, it is not unreasonable to think the angel will bind Satan with the great chain he carries. Just as prisoners throughout history have been restrained in chains, to restrict their use of arms and legs, thereby preventing mischief during confinement and adding to their torments, Satan will also be bound in chains. However, in the present age, he is not in chains or bound. Rather, as the originator of sin, he is the one who binds mankind with sin.

(3) To cast Satan into the Abyss. "And cast him into the bottomless pit" (Revelation 20:3). The last time the key to the bottomless pit was used (Revelation 9), the abyss was opened and demon locusts swarmed to torment the inhabitants of the earth. This time when the bottomless pit is opened it will be to cast Satan into it. We might think of this bottomless pit as a dungeon into which Satan is cast and because the angel who arrested and bound him has the key, evidently Satan cannot leave this place without his permission. Because he cannot come and go as he pleases he will not be able to roam to and fro in the earth as he does today.

(4) To shut Satan up. "And shut him up" (Revelation 20:3). While this may be a reference to shutting Satan in the abyss, I prefer to think of it in the sense of stopping his mouth. Surely, Satan's mouth has not been stopped during this present age. He is called the "accuser of our brethren" in Revelation 12:10 and a "liar" by our Lord, in John 8:44. Just as Satan deceived Eve with the words of his mouth, he continues to deceive mankind with his lies today. However, his lying mouth will be stopped during the Millennial Kingdom because he will be confined to the bottomless pit where he can make all the noise he wants and it will have no effect.

(5) To seal Satan. "And set a seal upon him" (Revelation 20:3). One understanding of this phrase says the pit or abyss will be sealed over Satan after he is placed in it. However, it may also be that to set a seal upon Satan is to determine that his fate is fixed and certain, as with all confined to the bottomless pit. This proves he is a fallen angel, doomed to everlasting torments in the Lake of Fire.

Following the documentation of these five responsibilities the angel has concerning Satan, is the clear reason for the arrest, binding, casting into the abyss, stopping the mouth and sealing of Satan. It is, "That he should deceive the nations no more" (Revelation 20:3).

Many who say Satan was bound by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, interpret the phrase, "that he should deceive the nations no more" to mean, he no longer can deceive mankind because the gospel message makes them free. They believe this is the only way in which Satan has been bound and therefore, he is free to work evil in those who do not believe the gospel. This is their explanation for the continuation of sin, and its effects, in the "millennium" they believe exists today.

Not only is it uncertain that freeing someone necessarily binds another, this viewpoint seems to ignore the rest of Revelation 20:3, which says, "...till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season." Whether one believes the thousand years is the Millennial Kingdom reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the present age, it is obvious there is a limit to the time Satan will be bound. This limit is the end of the thousand years.

To those who believe we are presently living in the "millennium," the second coming of Christ will be the end of the period. This must also be, according to Revelation 20:3, the time when Satan is released or no longer bound.

If, according to their theory, Satan was bound by the death and resurrection of Christ, meaning, he is unable to deceive the nations because the gospel has the power to free them. Does the release of Satan mean the gospel will no longer have the power to free men, particularly, after our Lord has revealed Himself in power and glory? Surely not!

If, one believes the thousand years to be the Millennial Kingdom reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, and understands that Kingdom will be free from sin and its effects, then one understands the confinement of Satan is necessary, to prevent him from deceiving the nations during the Kingdom Age.

It is evident from this text that Satan and his influence will be totally removed from the earth because he cannot deceive the nations, and that his confinement lasts one thousand years or the entire time of the Millennial Kingdom.

This brings us to the final responsibility the angel has in dealing with Satan:

(6) To release Satan. "And after that he must be loosed a little season" (Revelation 20:3). "After that" means after the Millennial Kingdom. Satan will be released from his prison for a short time, at the conclusion of our Lord's Millennial Kingdom reign. Perhaps, the best explanation for Satan's release is that he will be used to test those who have lived for one thousand years in an environment free from sin.
Again, the primary emphasis of Revelation 20:1-3, is that the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ will be free from the influence of Satan because he will be helplessly bound and removed from mankind during this time. However, we can also see that this particular Kingdom will be limited to one thousand years, after which, Satan will again be released to roam among men.

Following John's account of the angel's removal of Satan from the earth, his attention is directed to,

II. The Saints in the Kingdom

"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 who had not worshiped 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; 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" (Revelation 20:4-6).
This is a very difficult passage for those who do not believe in the literal earthly reign of Christ to interpret, for at least two reasons:

First, it contains many elements that must be addressed such as, thrones, judgment, reigning, resurrection, second death, the rest of the dead, and a thousand years. It is reasonable to think that an accurate interpretation would explain all of these elements.

Second, the one thousand years is mentioned in each of the verses. Because this is the point of reference, insofar as the timing of events is concerned, any interpretation of the events must consider this time frame.

In Revelation 20:4-6, John wrote about three groups and three major events that will be the primary subjects of this discussion. The groups John wrote about, listed in order of their appearance in the text, are:

(1) The Saints who sit on thrones in judgment. "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them." In Matthew 19:27, Peter asked the Lord Jesus what he and his fellow disciples would receive for following Him. Our Lord replied in v:28, "Verily I say unto you that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Clearly, our Lord promised the disciples who followed Him and were born-again that they would sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Incidentally, the requirement for being born-again would exclude Judas and more than likely mean that Matthias would take his place, as he did on earth, in the Kingdom to come.

The time for the twelve to "sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," is when our Lord "sits on the throne of His glory." Jesus said in Matthew 25:31, "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." This clearly postpones the Lord's reign in His own throne until the time of His return in glory, with the heavenly hosts.

According to Hebrews 1:3, 13; 12:2, our Lord is presently seated at the right hand of His Father's throne. The words of Jesus in Revelation 3:21, confirm this, "I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

Therefore, those John saw on thrones, given judgment, must include the twelve apostles. The conditions for their enthronement are right, in that this follows the return of Christ in Glory, as King of kings and Lord of lords. This also means our Lord Jesus Christ is One of those enthroned. This must be the literal reign of Christ in the Millennial Kingdom.

There is another group that will serve as judges according to 1 Corinthians 6:2-3, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?"

Because Paul wrote this to the Church and because he is a member of the Church it is clear the Church will judge the world and angels. Because there will be no world to judge following the Millennial Kingdom, it is reasonable to think their time to judge will be during the Millennium.

Of course, the twelve apostles who were promised they would be judges, were also members of the Church. Therefore, we can say those whom John saw sitting on thrones judging, are the Saints of the Church.

(2) The Tribulation Saints. "I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped 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."

In all of Scripture, there is only one group fitting this description. These are the Saints martyred during the Great Tribulation because they would not worship the Antichrist. John's clear statement concerning this group is "they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

Many believe this statement is a reference to spiritual life and not to physical resurrection. Evidence in their favor is that John specifically said he saw the "souls" of those who were martyred. However, the verb "lived" is translated from the compound Greek word, "anazao" and means to recover life, or to live again. Because humans were created in the image and likeness of God, and according to 1 Thessalonians 5:23, have a body, a soul, and a spirit this gives us a clue concerning what John meant when he said, "they lived."

The soul is that part of a person containing the consciousness, the will, the intellect and the emotions. Once created the soul of a human never dies, meaning, the consciousness, will, intellect and emotions never cease to exist. The soul lives on, either in the presence of God or in the Lake of Fire. Therefore, John cannot be saying he saw the souls of these martyrs recover life or live again. For that to happen the soul would have to die.

The spirit is that part of a person capable of fellowship with God. However, the spirit is dead in trespasses and sins and must be born-again to live. This new birth is the result of faith and once reborn, the spirit is alive forever.

That these martyrs were slain "for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God," is ample evidence they were born-again, before they physically died on the earth. It is after this that John says, "They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Therefore, this cannot be referencing their spiritual births because that took place on earth before they were martyred. Also, for John to see their spirits recover life, or live again, after their physical deaths, their spirits would have to die again. This is impossible. Once one is born-again, his spirit can never die.

Because the body is that part of man that is subject to death and will wait to recover life or live again, evidently, John witnessed the bodily resurrection of the Tribulation Saints. These are participants in the first resurrection, raised from the dead to reign with Christ, in His Millennial Kingdom.

There is no mystery here. John simply revealed what he saw concerning the martyred saints sequentially. He first saw the souls of those who were martyred, he then saw them bodily resurrected and then he saw them reigning with Christ.

(3) The Rest of the Dead. "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." The third group John writes about are the dead who will not live again until the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

Because the Great White Throne Judgment will occur following the Millennial Kingdom, many believe these are the spiritually dead from all the ages, resurrected to face that judgment. This then, is viewed as a reference to the second resurrection, as opposed to the first resurrection mentioned in the text.

While there is no questioning that the spiritually dead will be raised to face the Great White Throne Judgment, it is possible John was not referring to them when he said, "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished."

In Revelation 20:4, John is describing the Saints who will reign with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom. However, only the Church Age Saints and the Tribulation Saints are mentioned. This raises the natural question, "When will the saints from other ages be resurrected?" The answer may be that they will be raised when the thousand years are finished.

The idea that all those in the resurrection following the Millennial Kingdom are condemned is not supported by this text. To say, those in the first resurrection are blessed and the second death will have no power over them, does not necessarily mean all those in a subsequent resurrection will be condemned.

A single resurrection including both the just and unjust is not a concept foreign to the Scriptures. Daniel 12:1-2 says,

"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
The resurrection Daniel mentioned is limited to the Children of Israel, it follows the Great Tribulation, it includes "many" not, "all" the dead, and "some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." This sounds like a resurrection that includes both the just and the unjust.

In John 5:28-29, our Lord Jesus also made a very clear statement concerning a resurrection including both the saved and the lost. "Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

The final resurrection that will occur after the Millennial Kingdom and before the Great White Throne Judgment is probably the time when all the Saints John did not mention will be raised. This is also the time when those who will stand before the Great White Throne will be raised.

This brings us to Revelation 20:6, where the three main events about which John wrote are summarized. They are:
(1) The First Resurrection. "This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection." There can be no doubting, those who are included in this first resurrection are blessed and holy, neither are they subject to the second death and they will reign with Christ for one thousand years. Again, this does not preclude another resurrection of those who are saved.

The advantage these Saints who participate in the first resurrection have is they will reign with Christ for one thousand years. John only mentions the Church Age Saints and the Tribulation Saints as having this privilege. However, to be blessed, holy, and not subject to the second death are privileges all the Saints from all the ages will enjoy for ever and ever.

We also need to note the word "first," used to describe this resurrection does not mean first, in order of appearance. Rather, it is first in importance or best. From this viewpoint there are only two resurrections possible--the best, which is the resurrection of the just to life everlasting and the resurrection of the unjust to everlasting condemnation.

There are several resurrection times mentioned in the New Testament, for example, Matthew 27:52-53 says, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints that slept were raised, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

Because there are several resurrection times, we understand that all who are raised to everlasting life are part of the first or best resurrection, regardless of when their resurrection occurs. Therefore, the Saints from both the Church Age and the Great Tribulation are part of the first resurrection, even though the bodies of the Church Age Saints will come back to life at the rapture of the Church and the Tribulation Saints will be resurrected following the Great Tribulation.

(2) The Second Death. "On such the second death hath no power." According to Revelation 20:14, to be cast into the Lake of Fire is the second death. It is the clear statement of the text that those included in the first resurrection will not be subjected to the second death. However, this does not necessarily mean that all those resurrected later, will be condemned to the Lake of Fire. None who are counted righteous because of their faith will ever taste the second death, regardless of when they are resurrected.

(3) The Reign of Christ. "But they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." To believe this thousand years is anything other than the literal reign of Christ on the earth, one must ignore the context as well as the clear statement that He will reign for one thousand years.

If the thousand years is the present age and refers to the heavenly reign of Christ, then when the present age ends with the return of Christ in power and glory, this implies His reign is finished. It is far more plausible to believe the King of kings and Lord of lords will come in power and glory to establish His Kingdom on the earth for one thousand years. Then, at the conclusion of this time, He will judge the wicked by casting them into the Lake of Fire and continue to reign forever in the New Jerusalem.

Not only will our Lord Jesus Christ reign during the Millennial Kingdom, the text says those mentioned who are in the first resurrection will reign with Him. Again, the two groups identified in the text are the Church Age Saints and the Tribulation Saints. To reign with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom seems to be a reward specifically for these two groups. One of the great privileges for those who trust Christ as Savior is to reign with Him in the Millennial Kingdom.

III. The Testing of The Nations
"And when the thousand years are ended, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. 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" (Revelation 20:7-9).
One of the primary doctrines of various world religions is the belief that humanity is inherently good. The idea that people are depraved sinners, unable to do anything deserving of righteous standing before God, is peculiar to the Bible and those faithful who believe it.

Most of the religions that reject the doctrine of the depravity of mankind, teach that if people are placed in an environment free from the temptations of sin, their inherent goodness will prevail. Therefore, they think if they avoid temptation they are avoiding sin and their resulting "goodness" qualifies them righteous before God. Even among those who call themselves "Christians" there are people who think they can contribute to their salvation by doing good deeds.

This viewpoint fails to recognize that temptation is not sin in and of itself and that temptation has no effect on one who is truly righteous. This was proven by our Lord Jesus Christ who according to Hebrews 4:15, "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

However, the most important thing this viewpoint misses is that righteousness does not come by keeping the law, but by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 2:16 says, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

The release of Satan following the Millennial Kingdom will demonstrate that mere abstinence from sin does not change the true intents and purposes of the human heart.

The Old Testament prophecies, along with the arrest of Satan, make it clear the Millennial Kingdom will be a time of enforced righteousness, absent Satanic solicitation to evil. Yet, in spite of the absence of Satan and an environment of righteousness, unregenerate humans will still be depraved and at enmity with God. A thousand years of righteousness will not change mankind's relationship with God nor humanity's ability to resist Satan's temptations because people are not inherently good, they are inherently sinful.

According to Revelation 20:7-8, Satan will embark on two objectives as soon as he is released from his prison:

(1) "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog."

(2) "To gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea."

Here we see the incurable and unrelenting rebellion of Satan against the Lord God. Even after serving a thousand years in prison, he will still think he can defeat the King of kings and Lord of lords. Satan's plan, already known to God and those who read His Word, is to gather the nations and attack the City of Jerusalem. To accomplish this he must first deceive the nations into thinking he is greater than God, else they will not join in his rebellion.

While Satan thinks he is gathering an army to destroy the Lord and His people, his true purpose is to test the nations and thereby, prove the sinful nature of humanity. This is the very reason God has allowed Satan access to humanity beginning in the Garden of Eden when Adam believed Satan's lies and fell into the depravity of sin. Satan is a liar and a murderer who seeks to destroy humanity through sin, but God uses him to test people and thereby, prove the intents of their hearts.

We can see demonstrated in the Millennial Kingdom that mankind, if placed in a perfect environment free from the influence of Satan will outwardly appear righteous, but within the heart there is sin lurking, waiting, to appear at the first opportunity.

These who will fall into sin at the solicitation of Satan are no different from Adam who lived in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden.
They are no different from Noah who stepped off the ark into a world purged of sin by the Great Flood.
They are no different from people today who fall for Satan's lies because in their hearts they are not inherently good. Rather, they are inherently depraved.

Notice, the participants are from "the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog." The exact meanings of the words "Gog and Magog" are uncertain and there is no explanation in the text. However, many Bible scholars reference Ezekiel 38 and 39, where they interpret "Magog" to represent a coalition of Northern European nations headed by Russia and "Gog" as the ruler of this coalition.

We do know from the text that these in rebellion will be gathered from "the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth" and that all the earth will have been under the rule and reign of Christ for one thousand years.

During this reign there will be ample opportunity for everyone to come to faith in Him as King of kings and Lord of lords, the only true God and Savior, but clearly they will not. Whatever else "Gog and Magog" are intended to represent, they surely represent the forces of evil.

In Revelation 20:9, we read the result the nations will reap because of this, humanities final rebellion, against God. Fire will come down out of heaven and devour them. For the final time, God will be forced to destroy an innumerable group of people who rebel against Him.

Those who join forces with Satan in rebellion toward God demonstrate their rejection of Christ and prove that mankind, even when placed in a perfect environment, is still at enmity with God, apart from faith in Christ. It is faith alone that God counts for righteousness, and these who rebel against Him by joining forces with Satan will not only be consumed by fire from heaven, they are eternally condemned because they reject Christ.

This is no different from today. The call to faith in Christ will go out then as it does today and anyone who does not trust Christ as their Lord and Savior is in rebellion toward God and condemned for eternity.

IV. The End of Satan

"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 forever and ever" (Revelation 20:10).

The lake of fire is the final destination for the one called the "deceiver of nations," the "accuser of the brethren," the "father of lies." Not only is Satan the deceiver of mankind, he first deceived himself by thinking he could be like the Most High. For ages, he has walked to and fro in the earth, seeking whom he may devour. So powerful is Satan in the world that Paul referred to him in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 as the "god of this world." However, in the end, his destiny is to be "cast into the lake of fire...tormented day and night forever and ever."

Roman Church dogma teaches there are three possible afterlife destinies other than heaven. These are: Limbo, for those who die innocent of personal and/or mortal sins; purgatory, for those who have committed personal sins but not mortal sins; and hell for those who have committed mortal sins.

Incorporated into this belief system is the notion that those in limbo or purgatory are able in time, after meeting certain conditions, to move to heaven, into the presence of God.

Vestiges of this dogma and related beliefs permeate many Protestant groups today and there is an abundance of erroneous teaching concerning the lake of fire, such as: denying the literal existence of the lake of fire; escape is possible; only Satan will be there; and many others too numerous to mention.

In rebuttal to these heresies that are resurgent in religions today, there are some things we can glean from Revelation 20:10, concerning the lake of fire and those who are in it:

(1) There is only one lake of fire and it alone is the final destiny of all who rebel against God. Notice, the use of the definite article "the" describing "Lake of Fire." This is not "a" Lake of Fire, that is, one among two or more, this is "the" Lake of Fire, the one and only.

This is the same lake of fire the beast and false prophet are cast into and it is "the" Lake of Fire that is the destination for those whose names are not written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15).

The Lake of Fire is the final destiny of all who rebel against God throughout the ages, whether angel or human.

(2) Those cast into the Lake of Fire are not annihilated. Many have the idea that being cast into the Lake of Fire is a "flash in the pan" experience. They think there might be a few moments of pain as one instantly burns and then it is finished. However, the existence of the beast and false prophet in the Lake of Fire, at the time the devil is cast into it, presents an entirely different picture.

In Revelation 19:20, John saw a vision of the beast and false prophet being cast alive, into the Lake of Fire, before the destruction of Armageddon, the binding of Satan, or the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. At the time the devil is cast into the Lake of Fire, the beast and false prophet will have been there one thousand years. If they have not been burned up in one thousand years, it is doubtful they ever will be. The Lake of Fire is not a place of annihilation, it is a place of consciousness. Its occupants are alive.

(3) It is a place of torments. Another proof that those who are cast into the Lake of Fire are conscious is the text says they are tormented. The Greek word used here, has as its root meaning, torture. To be tormented in the Lake of Fire is to be much more than uncomfortable in one's surroundings, it is to be actively tortured, something that does not happen to one who is unconscious or dead. Certainly, to be alive in the fire that is never quenched, in a body that never burns up, is the ultimate torture.

(4) It is everlasting. Perhaps the most sobering fact about the Lake of Fire is that it is everlasting. The text says those who are there "shall be tormented day and night forever and ever."

The human mind has no ability to fully understand eternity. Because we are finite beings everything we experience in this world has an end and Satan uses this experience to convince people that even if something as terrible as hell or the Lake of Fire exists, it cannot last forever. Hence, the teaching of many religions is that hell is the temporary abode of the transgressor and when he has served his time, he will either be restored to life on earth or allowed into the presence of God. Don't you believe it. Just as surely as heaven is everlasting, the Lake of Fire is everlasting and it is a place of torment, day and night, forever and ever.

(5) There is no escape. The statement that those who are in the Lake of Fire "shall be tormented day and night forever and ever" is evidence there is no escape, once one is condemned to the fiery pit. If Satan, perhaps, the most powerful of all created beings cannot escape from the torments of the Lake of Fire it is unreasonable to think a mere human could do so.

Truly, mankind has no power of its own, to escape the Lake of Fire. The only way to escape the Lake of Fire is to avoid it and the only way possible to avoid the Lake of Fire is by depending on the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, at Calvary.

Sin is rebellion against God and the destiny for those who participate in sin and the rebellion it demonstrates is to be cast into the Lake of Fire, forever. However, because God loves humanity, the Bible tells us He gave His only begotten Son to pay the penalty, in full, for our sins. All we need do, in fact, all we can do to avoid the Lake of Fire is believe Christ died in our place, for our sins and rose from the grave.


From "Understanding The Apocalypse"
A book of sermons by Pastor Jim McColloch, Th.M., Th.D.
© Copyright 1994, 1999

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