Lectionary Calendar

Saturday, November 23rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33

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Bible Commentaries
Revelation 20

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Verses 7-15

Intro:
1. But why this 1000 year reign?
  1. Literal 1000 years. χιλιοι (khil-ee-oy)

1. 1. John doesn’t give us too much detail about the conditions of the millennium itself.
  2. [1] An answer to 2000 yrs of prayers of Christians for “His kingdom to come!”
  3. As a fulfillment of prophecy given to Israel(i.e. “they will beat their swords into plowshares”, & “nation will not take up sword against nation”)
  4. The demonstration of how man should live on earth(the last Adam will overcome the 1^st Adam’s failure)
  5. It is the period for rewards for God’s servants, especially the martyrs.
  6. It is a further revelation of the glories of the Messiah.
  7. It reveals the deep-seated problem in the human heart. (i.e. mans problem isn’t primarily with Satan, or a sinful environment, but his own heart.)
THY KINGDOM CAME! (7-15)
1. SATAN RESTRAINED! (1,2)
2. One angel is all it took (not even Jesus, nor an arch-angel, was needed)
3. Antichrist & false prophet are gone. Satan bound, life should be sweet.
  1. But even in the best environments choices still need to be made. (i.e. the garden)
  2. The forbidden fruit was in Eden not to tempt Adam & Eve, but to give them a choice of whether or not to follow God.
4. SATAN REVOLTS! (7-9)
5. (7) See vs.3 “he must be released for a little time.”
  1. People continue with regular life during the millennium. They marry & have babies. Thus, Children are born into the millennium…but not all submit to Christ.
  2. Satan will lead his final charge against the city of God.
6. Not a shot is fired. Not a Saint harmed.
  1. This is a fireball from heaven…& God doesn’t miss!
  2. Here, Satan is unbound to allow them a choice of whether or not to go along with what they had been told!
7. As soon as Satan is loosed, it’s right back to business for him. He has no trouble finding a following. He deceives & collects recruits “in the 4 corners of the earth” to oppose God’s people.
8. SATAN’S RUIN! (10)
9. Release & capture! – Pheasant, chucker hunts. Swing them until they’re dizzy, tuck their head under wing, lay them on that wing. {Chucker – lay on back & stretch legs out for about 30 sec till appears to be in a trance}
  1. Pheasant Hunt story – Friend that was so desperate for a pheasant. Came upon one the dog found. It wouldn’t fly…had to kick it, then blasted it.
    1. That’s what I picture when Satan is released only to be dealt with.
10. (9,10) Satan’s henchmen are consumed by the fires of heaven, while Satan himself is consumed by the fires of hell.
  1. Our legends about Satan as the sneering overlord of the underworld are not the least biblical. (The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Book of Revelation; Pg.161.)
  2. He’s not shown as ruler of hell…just another tormented inmate.
11. Q: If God would & could do something about Evil…why hasn’t He???
  1. Argument: If God is all-good, He would destroy evil. If God is all-powerful, He could destroy evil. But evil is not destroyed. Hence, there is no such God.
  2. Rebutal: If God is all-good, He will defeat evil. If God is all-powerful, He can defeat evil. Evil is not yet defeated. Therefore, God can & will one day defeat evil. [This is that day!]
12. Since Lucifer’s rebellion, God had permitted him to work on this earth, but he has always kept him as a dog on a chain.
13. (10) Satan’s ultimate downfall is fulfilled in stages:
  1. Ever since his original defiance of God & onward…his “retirement plan” was fixed!
  2. The prophecy – crush his head.
  3. The promise – Jn.12:31-33 ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. ³² And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” ³³ This He said, signifying by what death He would die. [Now, meaning because of the cross!]
  4. The Sentence! – “the eternal fire was prepared for the devil & his angels.” It would only be a matter of time.
  5. The Decline! – 1^st kicked out of abiding in heaven(originally/Pride); 2^nd kicked out of even visiting heaven(12:9, mid-trib); Then, cast into the pit(20:2); Now, “The Devil gets fired” literally thrown into the Lake of Fire(20:10).
14. Who else shares in his fate? - Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” Mt25:41
15. WHITE THRONE! (11-15)
16. Different from the Bema Seat(explain).
  1. An evaluation of their stewardship.
17. Different from the judgment of the Nations (Mt.25:31-26)
18. This judgment involves ONLY the lost, & follows the 2^nd resurrection or the resurrection to condemnation.
  1. They were judged according to theirs works: Not to get into heaven but to determine the degree of their punishment.
  2. Meted out by God…not Satan!
  3. This judgment is based on the “books” – i.e. it is objective!
    1. Everything man has done is recorded. {all of the secrets of the mind heart are known}
    2. A Permanent record – see Job 19:23.
  4. The “book of Life” belongs to the Lamb(21:27).
19. (13) The sea, death & Hades – It doesn’t matter when or where a person died.
  1. The bible is clearly against any teaching on reincarnation or annihilation.
20. Hades – OT used Sheol, NT uses Hades for the holding cell for souls awaiting judgment.
  1. It is a place of conscious punishment, but not the eternal destination of those souls.
  2. When translated Hell it is speaking of Gehenna, the Lake of Fire. Usually associated with fire, like “hell fire”.
  3. Separate from God’s presence, but never from His wrath!
21. Hell is: A witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin!
  Hell is: A witness to man’s responsibility!
  Hell is: Also a witness to the awfulness of sin.
  1. If we once saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as Hell exists!
  2. God will not lower His standards, or altar His requirements!
22. Because of sin, we incur guilt. Guilt is the liability(debt) to be punished.
  1. So our sin brings about guilt(culpability, fault); which results in punishment(sentence); & ultimately condemnation.
  2. The Christian will not be condemned because Jesus bore the guilt, the sin, the punishment on the cross! (Shepherd’s Notes; pg.88)
    1. We are exempt because…Jesus was judged in our place & has taken our hell!
23. Sinners who reject Christ will face Him: "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,” Jn.5:22
24. Sinners who reject Christ will hear Him: say, “I never knew you, Depart from me”!!!
  1. This ought to move us to pray for the lost, be a witness to them, & share our faith with them.
  2. There is justice for those who demand it! (i.e. wont accept His Mercy!)
    1. “His mercy is new every morning!” for them will read, “His justice is new every morning!”
25. Still 2 chapters left, still plenty of time for a happy ending!

return to 'Top of Page'

Verses 7-15

Intro:
1. But why this 1000 year reign?
  1. Literal 1000 years. χιλιοι (khil-ee-oy)

1. 1. John doesn’t give us too much detail about the conditions of the millennium itself.
  2. [1] An answer to 2000 yrs of prayers of Christians for “His kingdom to come!”
  3. As a fulfillment of prophecy given to Israel(i.e. “they will beat their swords into plowshares”, & “nation will not take up sword against nation”)
  4. The demonstration of how man should live on earth(the last Adam will overcome the 1^st Adam’s failure)
  5. It is the period for rewards for God’s servants, especially the martyrs.
  6. It is a further revelation of the glories of the Messiah.
  7. It reveals the deep-seated problem in the human heart. (i.e. mans problem isn’t primarily with Satan, or a sinful environment, but his own heart.)
THY KINGDOM CAME! (7-15)
1. SATAN RESTRAINED! (1,2)
2. One angel is all it took (not even Jesus, nor an arch-angel, was needed)
3. Antichrist & false prophet are gone. Satan bound, life should be sweet.
  1. But even in the best environments choices still need to be made. (i.e. the garden)
  2. The forbidden fruit was in Eden not to tempt Adam & Eve, but to give them a choice of whether or not to follow God.
4. SATAN REVOLTS! (7-9)
5. (7) See vs.3 “he must be released for a little time.”
  1. People continue with regular life during the millennium. They marry & have babies. Thus, Children are born into the millennium…but not all submit to Christ.
  2. Satan will lead his final charge against the city of God.
6. Not a shot is fired. Not a Saint harmed.
  1. This is a fireball from heaven…& God doesn’t miss!
  2. Here, Satan is unbound to allow them a choice of whether or not to go along with what they had been told!
7. As soon as Satan is loosed, it’s right back to business for him. He has no trouble finding a following. He deceives & collects recruits “in the 4 corners of the earth” to oppose God’s people.
8. SATAN’S RUIN! (10)
9. Release & capture! – Pheasant, chucker hunts. Swing them until they’re dizzy, tuck their head under wing, lay them on that wing. {Chucker – lay on back & stretch legs out for about 30 sec till appears to be in a trance}
  1. Pheasant Hunt story – Friend that was so desperate for a pheasant. Came upon one the dog found. It wouldn’t fly…had to kick it, then blasted it.
    1. That’s what I picture when Satan is released only to be dealt with.
10. (9,10) Satan’s henchmen are consumed by the fires of heaven, while Satan himself is consumed by the fires of hell.
  1. Our legends about Satan as the sneering overlord of the underworld are not the least biblical. (The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Book of Revelation; Pg.161.)
  2. He’s not shown as ruler of hell…just another tormented inmate.
11. Q: If God would & could do something about Evil…why hasn’t He???
  1. Argument: If God is all-good, He would destroy evil. If God is all-powerful, He could destroy evil. But evil is not destroyed. Hence, there is no such God.
  2. Rebutal: If God is all-good, He will defeat evil. If God is all-powerful, He can defeat evil. Evil is not yet defeated. Therefore, God can & will one day defeat evil. [This is that day!]
12. Since Lucifer’s rebellion, God had permitted him to work on this earth, but he has always kept him as a dog on a chain.
13. (10) Satan’s ultimate downfall is fulfilled in stages:
  1. Ever since his original defiance of God & onward…his “retirement plan” was fixed!
  2. The prophecy – crush his head.
  3. The promise – Jn.12:31-33 ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. ³² And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” ³³ This He said, signifying by what death He would die. [Now, meaning because of the cross!]
  4. The Sentence! – “the eternal fire was prepared for the devil & his angels.” It would only be a matter of time.
  5. The Decline! – 1^st kicked out of abiding in heaven(originally/Pride); 2^nd kicked out of even visiting heaven(12:9, mid-trib); Then, cast into the pit(20:2); Now, “The Devil gets fired” literally thrown into the Lake of Fire(20:10).
14. Who else shares in his fate? - Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” Mt25:41
15. WHITE THRONE! (11-15)
16. Different from the Bema Seat(explain).
  1. An evaluation of their stewardship.
17. Different from the judgment of the Nations (Mt.25:31-26)
18. This judgment involves ONLY the lost, & follows the 2^nd resurrection or the resurrection to condemnation.
  1. They were judged according to theirs works: Not to get into heaven but to determine the degree of their punishment.
  2. Meted out by God…not Satan!
  3. This judgment is based on the “books” – i.e. it is objective!
    1. Everything man has done is recorded. {all of the secrets of the mind heart are known}
    2. A Permanent record – see Job 19:23.
  4. The “book of Life” belongs to the Lamb(21:27).
19. (13) The sea, death & Hades – It doesn’t matter when or where a person died.
  1. The bible is clearly against any teaching on reincarnation or annihilation.
20. Hades – OT used Sheol, NT uses Hades for the holding cell for souls awaiting judgment.
  1. It is a place of conscious punishment, but not the eternal destination of those souls.
  2. When translated Hell it is speaking of Gehenna, the Lake of Fire. Usually associated with fire, like “hell fire”.
  3. Separate from God’s presence, but never from His wrath!
21. Hell is: A witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin!
  Hell is: A witness to man’s responsibility!
  Hell is: Also a witness to the awfulness of sin.
  1. If we once saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as Hell exists!
  2. God will not lower His standards, or altar His requirements!
22. Because of sin, we incur guilt. Guilt is the liability(debt) to be punished.
  1. So our sin brings about guilt(culpability, fault); which results in punishment(sentence); & ultimately condemnation.
  2. The Christian will not be condemned because Jesus bore the guilt, the sin, the punishment on the cross! (Shepherd’s Notes; pg.88)
    1. We are exempt because…Jesus was judged in our place & has taken our hell!
23. Sinners who reject Christ will face Him: "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,” Jn.5:22
24. Sinners who reject Christ will hear Him: say, “I never knew you, Depart from me”!!!
  1. This ought to move us to pray for the lost, be a witness to them, & share our faith with them.
  2. There is justice for those who demand it! (i.e. wont accept His Mercy!)
    1. “His mercy is new every morning!” for them will read, “His justice is new every morning!”
25. Still 2 chapters left, still plenty of time for a happy ending!

return to 'Top of Page'

RevelationRev 19 RevelationRev RevelationRev 21

Copyright Statement
These files are the property of Brian Bell.
Text Courtesy of Calvary Chapel of Murrieta. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Revelation 20". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/revelation-20.html. 2017.

Bible CommentariesRevelation 20

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 7-15

Verses 7-15

Bible Commentaries
Revelation 20