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Pastor Scott L. Harris
Grace Bible Church, NY
January 11, 2026
* The Fact of the Millennium
Revelation 20:1-10
Introduction
Turn to Revelation 20. This is a watershed chapter that reveals the hermeneutical approach, the method of interpretation, that is being used to study the book. I talked about the importance of this when began this series a year ago. (LINK) The decisive hermeneutical issue that comes up in this chapter is the interpreted meaning of the word civlia / chilia which is used six times in the first seven verses of this chapter. *The English translation of civlia e[th / chilia et is a thousand years. In Latin it is translated as annos mille from which get our theological term millennium, a thousand years. The method of interpretation being used by the theological system being followed results in widely divergent conclusions about the meaning of the millennium in this chapter.
* I am going to begin by just reading Revelation 20:1-10 so that you will have some familiarity with the flow of the passage. I will then summarize the main interpretive views. I emphasize it will only be a summary since there are many variations of each major view. I will group them by the interpretive method used to support each view. We will then examine the chapter in depth which will also demonstrate the proper interpretive method and the view that arises from it.
*Revelation 20:1–10 (NASB95)
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
*Overview
You can see from reading this text that other than some names and phrases such as four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and like the sand of the seashore, it is fairly straight forward and that the plain sense of it is not difficult to understand. *The timing of this passage is set by the description in Revelation 19:11-21 of the second coming. This is followed in Revelation 20:1-3 with Satan being bound and imprisoned in the abyss which removes his ability to interfere in the affairs of men by his deceptions. Verses 4-6 give a very brief description of those who reign with Christ for a thousand years. Verses 7-9 describes Satan’s release, his deception and the consequential destruction of those that follow him. It concludes in verse 10 with Satan’s final condemnation to the eternal lake of fire.
Why then are there so many different and divergent interpretations of a passage which in reality should be fairly simple to understand? *The answer is that different theological systems follow different hermeneutical methods or mixtures of them resulting in interpretations that may have only a very lose tie to the text. The loosest in this regard are the allegorical methods which at times can become quite mystical. Next is symbolism. While there is a lot of symbolism in the book, nearly all of it can be easily figured out from the near context, the context of the book, other New Testament writings or historical writings of the period. *Symbolism goes beyond that to also view non-metaphorical statements as symbolic of something else. Symbolism and allegory can intertwine, but symbolism tries to give some sort of reasoned justification for its interpretation as compared to allegory which is only limited by the imagination of the interpreter. These hermeneutical methods have resulted in the many forms of Amillennial or Post-millennial interpretations.
*Amillennial. The key feature of the many varieties of Amillennial interpretation is that the millennium, however it is defined, occurs between the first and second advent. *Nearly all Amillennial systems hold that the phrase “a thousand years” refers to a time period of an unknown length during which Jesus reigns either spiritually in heaven or mystically on earth. In these systems, it is thought that we are currently living in the “millennium.” At the end of this unknown length of time, that vast majority of Amillennialists believe Jesus will physically return to earth to quickly bring about the eternal reign. However, there are those that deny the physical return of Christ, but that is a step outside of Christian orthodoxy and into heresy since it is a direct denial of the many promises of Jesus and in the Scriptures that He is physically returning to earth. There were a few Amillennial systems that held to the millennium equaling an actual thousand year time span, but trying to time when it started and stopped would eventually destroy the system since Jesus did not return at the end of that time frame.
*In Amillennial systems the events and things John saw are interpreted allegorically which allows for the understanding of them to be wide ranging and divergent. That must be kept in mind in any conversation with anyone holding to an Amillennial view of eschatology. *One form of Amillennial thought, referred to as the preterist position, believes all the events described in Revelation were fulfilled by AD 70 when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. That idea destroys the prophetic nature of Revelation and removes any future significance of the book.
*Post-millennial. A second major view of eschatology is called the Post-millennial position. Those holding this view do not believe Revelation 19 flows chronologically into Revelation 20 and instead believe that the millennium precedes Jesus’ second advent instead of following it. In this regard it can be very similar to some Amillennial positions. *In general, Post-millennialists believe the gospel and the church will be triumphant in the last thousand years of the present age. The two world wars and cold war of the twentieth century squashed the idea that the world was getting better which had been fueled by the combination of technological advances and missions efforts in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is an idea that is gaining adherents at the present time being tied in with the hope of a conservative political resurgence. There can be a lot of variation in the details from interpreter to interpreter including whether the future thousand years is literal or figurative.
*Pre-millennial. The oldest eschatological position is Chiliasm which dominated the church until the early fifth century when the allegorical interpretation championed by Augustine swayed the church to Amillennialism. The key factor defining the Pre-millennial position is that *Jesus will set up His kingdom on earth and reign during a literal one thousand year period following His second advent and prior to the release of Satan for a short time, the final battle and final judgment of mankind prior to eternity. However, there are significant variations among those who classify themselves as Pre-millennial.
*Historic Pre-millennialism correctly understands the passages pointing to the millennial kingdom as prophetic to be fulfilled in the future. However, with variations, this view interprets Revelation 6-19 as having been largely fulfilled historically, so it resorts to allegorical or symbolic interpretations for much of it.
*The only view that consistently follows the grammatical-historical or literal method of interpretation is often referred to as dispensational Pre-millennialism, though there are variations within this too. It takes to heart Revelation 1:3 which states, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it, for the time is near.” That sets the events of Revelation 6-22 as prophecy to be fulfilled in the future. It interprets what is written according to its historical and literary context including literary type, grammar and the meaning of the words as used in that time period. That includes recognition of figures of speech and symbolism. This interpretive method strives to figure out how it would have been understood by those to whom it was first written before it makes any application of it in the current times.
*This view has been disparaged by those who think of themselves and their theological systems as intellectually superior, but the issue of understanding God and His will has never been about intellectual prowess. It has always been about properly fearing and seeking God and then yielding to Him. 1 Corinthians 1:25 applies here – “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” We are to pursue and understand God according to the revelation He has given of Himself in the Scriptures and not according to the musing of man regardless of the claimed intelligence of it. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, not literary theories propounded by man.
*More recently the Pre-millennial dispensational position has been disparaged by those who hate Jews because it plainly points out that God is not finished with the Jews for He will fulfill every promise He has made to Abraham and his descendants – both the curses and the blessings. We will see that in next week’s sermon on the prophetic descriptions of the millennium. I will again state as I have multiple times in this series since we examined Revelation 12, those who hate Jews because they are Jews are always demonically influenced whether they will acknowledge it or not. Beware of falling into the trap of the current rise in anti-Semitism being woven by those trying to make the Jews the scapegoat for their own troubles and those of the world. Get back into to your Bible and prayer to see the world from His perspective instead of man’s musings, and in this case man’s great ability to blame others combined with the devil’s hatred for God’s chosen people.
For the rest of this morning we will make a close examination of Revelation 20:10. As we do so I will be pointing out why only a grammatical-historical interpretation can bring a proper understanding of the text and therefore why the dispensational Pre-millennial view is to be preferred over all other explanations of eschatology.
*Binding the Devil – Revelation 20:1–3
Revelation 19:20-21 ended with the beast and false prophet being seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire followed by the rest of his army being killed by the sword from Christ’s mouth and their bodies being fed to the birds. Revelation 20:1 begins, “Then I saw,” which begins the fourth scene of the seventh bowl judgment which now focuses on what happens to Satan following the return of Messiah.
* John sees “an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.” The particular angel is not identified other than the location from which he proceeds and what he has in his hand. What the angel then does reveals his attributes and purpose. 2 . . . And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him.”
The angel comes down from heaven because that is where Satan is at after having been thrown down to earth earlier in the tribulation period when he and his demons lost their war with Michael and the good angels recorded back in 12:7-9. The angel’s purpose is to seize Satan and secure him in four ways which is why he had the key to the abyss and a great chain.
There is no doubt about whom this angel lays hold of because he is identified in four ways. First, the dragon, a name first used for him in Revelation 12:3 and then again thirteen more times. This name points to Satan being a fierce and dangerous monster. Second, he is called “the serpent of old,” which is a direct reference to his use of the serpent in the garden of Eden to entice and deceive Eve into sin. To ensure clarity of identification John adds, “who is the devil.” That name means “slanderer” which is how he deceived Eve by slandering the nature and character of God in claiming God’s command was meant to oppress her instead of bless her. The last name, Satan, means “adversary,” and indeed he is the opponent of God and seeks evil for all mankind by turning them away from God toward sin.
*We know that Satan is an angelic being of the highest order being the “anointed cherub that covers” (Ezek. 28:14) and “the star of the morning” (Isaiah 14:2). In Jude 9 we are told that even Michael the archangel would not make a railing judgment against the devil. That means this angel from heaven has to be an angel of the highest order or one especially endowed with power to be able to grab hold of the devil and then bind him. This is not Jesus since He had already returned to earth as the conquering king as described in 19:11-16.
*This angel has a great chain which is used to bind (devw / de , to tie up, bind) Satan for a thousand years. The objection that Satan is a spirit being and therefore cannot be bound by a physical chain is foolishness. First, it fails to recognize that John is simply describing the appearance of what he is seeing and not the intrinsic qualities and abilities of what he is being shown. Second, reading man’s experience with metal chains forged by men cannot be applied since this a great chain that is brought by the angel from heaven. It is a great chain forged in heaven, not earth. Finally, if John can see the appearance of both Satan and the chain and that Satan was tied up with it, then it must be concluded that the chain is of a nature that enables it to fulfill its purpose. This all should be obvious, but I am pointing it out here because this kind of reasoning is common among those whose interpretations restrict God to their own experience or understanding.
*Verse two ends with the first statement of the length of time the devil will be restricted. It will be for one thousand years. John could not “see” that length of time. That information would have to have been told to him.
* Verse three begins with a statement about more layers of security that are placed on the devil to ensure his confinement for the entire period of time. This angel has the key to the abyss, and he throws the devil into it and then shuts and seals the opening to the abyss.
*We first encountered the abyss in Revelation 9:1 when the key to the abyss is given to a “star from heaven” – an angel – who then opens it to let the demonic “locusts” out to torment those without the mark of God on their foreheads. This could be the same angel or a different one, but this time the door of the abyss is being shut instead of opened. As we saw in our study of Revelation 9, the abyss, also translated as bottomless pit, is itself a place in which demons are detained and punished.
The devil is bound, and thrown into the abyss which has its opening shut it and sealed over him. Since the angel has the key, it must be assumed its purpose was to lock the opening to the abyss. The seal is a security feature to ensure that no one would tamper with the opening. Recall that Jesus’ tomb was secured with a guard and a seal set on the stone. To break the seal was to risk the wrath of the authority that set the seal. In this case, it would be the wrath of God since it is under His authority that the angel seals the abyss.
*The very purpose of the devil being bound, cast into the abyss with its opening shut and sealed is stated directly in the rest of verse 3. “. . . so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.” This not just a restriction on the devil’s activity, it is a complete elimination of him being able to “deceive the nations any longer.” In fact, he will not be able to have any kind of influence on any kind of being outside of the abyss in which he is bound and confined. The nations is specifically mentioned because when the thousand years end and he is released he will go out to deceive the nations (vs. 7-8). This confinement is presented as an absolute fact without metaphor or symbolism. *Only the Pre-millennial position concurs with this. All other millennial views must take this as a partial restriction on him and not an elimination. History, and the reality of life in the present age contradicts that. The devil is very active deceiving people and the nations at the present time, so it is a blatant falsehood that we are presently in the millennial age in any sense.
*Consider the following verses pointing out the current deceptive activities of Satan: Acts 5:3, But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?” 2 Corinthians 4:3–4, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 11:13–14, 13 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”1 Thessalonians 2:18, “For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.” 2 Timothy 2:25–26, 25 “with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” 1 Peter 5:8, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 4:7, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
*I think all of that plus your own experience whether personal or by observation makes it very clear that Satan is very active in the present age. We are not in the millennium in any way shape or form, and all views that only restrict Satan’s activity instead of eliminate it during their version of the millennium are in contradiction to the clear statements here in verse 3. *This also makes it clear that Revelation 20 cannot be a recapitulation of Satan being thrown out of heaven and cast down to earth in Revelation 12. That is not being honest with the texts for they are opposite each other. He cannot be on earth and active and at the same time be bound and confined to the abyss and inactive on earth. *No form of recapitulation – that Revelation 20 is a retelling of an event that happened earlier – is based on the texts of Scripture. All rely on the musing of man appealing to a very malleable “analogy of faith” which would be better labeled “allegory of faith” or even more accurate, “speculative religious thoughts.”
*The Millennial Reign – Revelation 20:4-6
In verse 4 John introduces the next scene, the fifth one since its start in Revelation 19:11 with the now familiar, 4 “Then I saw.” It follows chronologically and logically after Satan is bound, because now the fullness of the prophesied millennium can be fulfilled without hindrance.
*What John sees first are“thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.” John does not specifically identify either how many thrones he sees or who is sitting on them. That opens the door to a lot of speculation, and there is a lot of that in the commentaries. However, the following groups do not fit well in this context. A) The martyrs for they are not resurrected until after this opening scene. B) The twenty-four elders since they are always specifically identified with their number in every other reference in Revelation. C) The apostles and perhaps other specific saints of the old and new covenant since there are not even allusions to them in the near context. Certainly all of these show up in some Scripture passage as being among those that will reign with Christ in the millennium, but again, none fit well as a specific group for this opening scene in the millennium. The group that is in the near context are the armies that return with Christ from heaven in chapter 19. Further support is given to this idea if those armies are made of the church since judgment is given to those sitting on these thrones. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 that the saints, a reference to those who make up the church in that context, will judge the world and even angels. However, since John is not specific, we should be charitable with the speculations to try to identify them.
*What John notices next are the martyrs. Please note that the “I saw” in the next phrase is implied and not actually in the text. It should be in italics or brackets in your translation. What John sees are
“the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand.”
These descriptions come from the earlier ones of the martyrs in Revelation 6:9; 12:11 and 13:15. The word beheaded (pepelekismevnwn / pepelekismen n) is only used here and is derived from the word for axe and literally means “to cut off with an axe.” The term became applied to execution by beheading regardless of the instrument used. This then describes the common means of execution of the martyrs.
*John then notes that these martyrs “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Both the context and the word used, e[zhsan / ez san, point to resurrection of the physical body since that is the meaning of the word in both the very next verse (20:5) and earlier in Revelation 2:8. This is not a spiritual coming to life since their souls were already alive and under the throne of God during the tribulation period (Rev. 6:9-10). At the beginning of the millennium they are resurrected to life.
It is then specifically pointed out that these resurrected martyrs will then reign with Christ for one thousand years. *Other passages point out that other saints are also involved in reigning with Christ. Rev. 5:10 points to those from every tribe, tongue, people and nation that have been purchased for God by Christ’s blood. That is prior to the opening of the seals and the tribulation period. *Jesus specifically promised the apostles in Matthew 19:28 that they would “sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” I already pointed out from 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 that the saints, the church, will judge the world and angels. 2 Timothy 2:12 promises that those who endure will also reign with Him. In Revelation 2:26 the overcomers will be given authority over the nations, and in Revelation 3:21 the overcomers will sit down with Christ on His throne. *And note that Jesus is referred to by His title, the Christ, here, which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew, Messiah, the anointed one. This is one of the many ties between the Hebrew prophecies of a future kingdom and the millennial reign of Jesus, the Christ.
*Reigning with Christ does not mean that everyone will have the same authority and responsibility as already alluded to by the differences in the verses already cited. Each one will have their own role to play in the reign of Christ during the millennial kingdom. This will be the first time a government bureaucracy will actually work properly for it will have a perfect king reigning with sinless saints carrying out His rule.
*Verse 5 confirms that the coming to life of the martyrs is a physical resurrection because it is contrasted with a later resurrection. 5 “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.” The “came to life” is here specifically equated with resurrection, ajnavstasiV / anastasis, coming back to life after having once died. The rest of the dead are the wicked dead from all the ages since the rest of the chapter will continue on to describe their resurrection to judgment after the millennium. *At present and in the future through the end of the millennium, the souls of the wicked are kept in a section of Sheol, referred to as Hades in the New Testament, as they await their resurrection. Jesus describes this in Luke 16 as a place of torment and agony of flame, but it is not the lake of fire, which will be described in Revelation 20:14 as the second death.
*Verse 6 continues on to describe the blessing of being part of the first resurrection. 6 “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” There is no fear for those who are part of the first resurrection because they will not be subject to the second death which is the consequence of being condemned at the Great White Throne judgment after the millennium (Rev. 20:14-15). They are blessed and holy serving as priests of God and of Christ. *They will be the ones to teach those born during the millennium about God and Christ and mediate with them on their behalf. And it is again stated they “will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
*The references to the first resurrection is not of a singular event but rather to the order and purpose of it compared to the later second resurrection which had a different purpose. Jesus Christ is the first fruits of those raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23), so this cannot be first in an absolute sense of order. *In addition, while the first resurrection in verse 5 certainly includes the martyrs in verse 4, the phrase in verse 6 includes all those which will not be subject to the second death and will reign with Christ which we have already seen includes multiple groups. To miss the first resurrection is to be subject to the second resurrection and its condemnation to the second death. *There are therefore multiple resurrections of saints that are included in this. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is the resurrection of those who are part of the church that die prior to the rapture. *There is the resurrection of the righteous in Luke 14:14 and Acts 24:15. There is the resurrection of the dead in Luke 20:35-37 who are sons of the resurrection that become like angels in the sense that they do marry and are not given in marriage. In John 5:29 Jesus spoke of a resurrection of life to those who did good and a resurrection of judgment to those that did evil. * Daniel 12:1-2 speaks of a future time such as never occurred for the nation of Israel and that those found written in the book will be rescued, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” That points to a resurrection of Old Testament saints at the end of the tribulation period.
*The Devil’s Deceptions & Doom – Revelation 20:7-10
We will cover the details of the devil’s deceptions and doom in a couple of weeks. All I want to point out about it this morning is that his deceptions of the nations, the final battle and his being thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone for eternity where the beast and false prophet will already be cannot happen until “the thousand years are completed” when “Satan will be released from his prison” as stated in verse 7. That is the sixth time the one thousand year time period is specifically stated.
*Conclusions
A general rule in all interpretation is that when something is repeated multiple times it is being emphasized as an essential point. The one thousand year time period, the millennium, is pointed out six times. It is an essential point. 1) It is the length of time the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, is bound (vs. 2). 2 – It is the length of time Satan is in the abyss with it shut and sealed so that he cannot deceive the nations any longer (vs. 3). 3 – It is the length of time the resurrected martyrs reign with Christ (vs. 4). 4 – The rest of the dead cannot come back to life until that length of time is completed (vs. 5). 5- It is the length of time those who are part of the first resurrection will reign with Christ (vs. 6). 6 – It is the length of time Satan must be imprisoned before he is released for a short time (vs. 7).
*There is nothing in the text or book to indicate this thousand years is symbolic or allegorical. Throughout Revelation ordinal numbers are consistently presented as actual numbers, and unknown amounts are consistently presented as descriptions. It is 7 letters, 7 churches, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, 12,000 from each of 12 tribes equaling 144,000, 2 witnesses, and here in chapter 20, 1,000 years. Two examples of unknown amounts are the “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” of angels around God’s throne in Rev. 5:11, and the “great multitude which no one could count” of martyrs in Rev. 7:9.
There is also nothing in Revelation 19 and 20 to indicate anything other than a chronological and logical sequence of events. Those holding to other views of eschatology are forced to acknowledge * that a plain reading of Revelation 19:11 – 20:15 interpreted according to normal rules of grammar yield the Pre-millennial dispensational view. All other views must read into the text allegory and symbolic meanings foreign to the text itself, but required to force it to fit into the preconceived theologies. The actual Biblical basis for the other views is shallow at best.
Next week we will see even more clearly the realities of the truth of the physical reign of Jesus Christ for one thousand years – the millennium – as we examine the descriptions of it given in the Old Testament prophecies about it. God will fulfill all of His promises, both the blessings and the curses.
Sermon Notes – 1/11/2026
The Fact of the Millennium – Revelation 20:1-10
Introduction
The phrase civlia e[th / chilia et is used ______times in Rev. 20 – it means one thousand years in English
The interpretive views will only be ________summarized because there are many variations of each one
Overview
Revelation 20 is fairly ______________ and its plain sense is easy to understand
It follows the _____________ Coming and briefly covers the millennium from beginning to end
The many divergent interpretations are due to different ______________systems & hermeneutical methods
Symbolism goes beyond the text & context, allegory is only limited by the interpreters _______________
Amillennial: The 1,000 years is usually __________of an undetermined length of time between the advents
Jesus’ reign is _________in heaven or mystical on earth and current and will end with Jesus’ physical return
Specific interpretations vary greatly – the preterist position believes all of Revelation was fulfilled by ______
Post-Millennial: Denies the chronology of Rev. 19-20 believing the millennium is _______ Jesus 2nd coming
The gospel & church _________to bring in the Millennium which some hold as literal and other as symbolic
Pre-Millennial: The _____position – Chiliasm – dominated until the 5th century due to allegory of Augustine
Jesus establishes His _____________Millennial reign after His Second Coming
Historic Pre-Millennialism uses allegory to interpret Rev. 6-19 as being fulfilled ______________
Dispensational Pre-Millennialism interprets Revelation as literal _________(Rev. 1:3) fulfilled in the future
This view has been disparaged by those thinking their theological system is intellectually _____________
Those who hate Jews disparage it because it concludes that God will keep all of His promises to the ______
Binding the Devil – Revelation 20:1–3
This starts the 4th scene of the 7th bowl judgment as the focus turns to what happens to _____at Jesus’ return
The angel comes from heaven to ___________Satan, throw him into the abyss, shut & seal it for 1,000 years
The angel is not identified, but he is of the highest order or especially ____________by God for the task
The chain is from _________& accomplishes the task – don’t restrict God by man’s experience or reasoning
The length of time, ______ years, must have been revealed to John because he could not see a length of time
Four levels of ____________ – bound with chain, thrown into the abyss, the opening shut and sealed
The abyss, also translated as the bottomless pit, is a place in which ____________are detained and punished
The purpose of binding & imprisoning the devil is so that he ____________________the nations any longer
Only Pre-millennialism _______________the devil’s deception – all others demand only a partial restriction
Satan is still very ______- Acts 5:3; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 11:13-14; 1 Thess 2:18; 2 Tim. 2:25-26; 1 Pet. 5:8; Jm 4:7
All views that only ____________the devil’s deceptions contradict vs. 3 – We are not in the Millennium!
Rev. 20 cannot be a recapitulation of an earlier time. He cannot be ____active on earth & bound in the abyss
Only the Pre-Millennial position does not rely on the musing of man’s ______________religious thoughts
The Millennial Reign – Revelation 20:4-6
This is the 5th scene which follows ___________________& logically after Satan is bound & imprisoned
John does not specifically identify how many thrones or who is on them – near context points to the _______
John next notices the ___________of those martyred during the tribulation period – they had been beheaded
The martyrs came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years – a physical _________________
Other groups that also reign with Christ: _________from every tribe, tongue, people & nation – Rev. 5:10
The ___________- Matt. 19:28. The ____________- 1 Cor. 6:2-3. Those who ___________- 2 Tim. 2:12.
The __________- Rev. 2:26 & 3:21. The Christ = The _________One = Messiah. Ties OT to Millennium
Different groups / people will have _____________authority / responsibilities in reigning with Christ
Verse 5 confirms a ____________resurrection – which happens for the rest of the dead after the Millennium
The rest of the dead = the ___________who are currently held in a place of torment in Sheol / Hades
Those who are part of the first resurrection are not subject to the ___________death – Rev. 20:14-15
Those who are part of the _______resurrection are blessed, holy, priests of God & Christ reigning with Him
The first resurrection refers to ____and purpose and not a singular event – Jesus is the first (1 Cor. 15:20,23
Others included in the first resurrection include: The multiple groups that are part of with Christ
___________members who die before the rapture (1 Thess. 4:16).
The resurrections mentioned by Jesus – Luke 14:14; 20:35-37; John 5:29
________ Testament saints at the end of the tribulation period – Daniel 12:1-2
The Devil’s Deceptions & Doom – Revelation 20:7-10
Occurs after Satan released at the _________of the Millennium – to be covered in detail in 2 weeks
Conclusions
The 1,000 year period is pointed out 6 times – it is an ______________point
Nothing in the text ___________it is symbolic or allegorical or that chapters 19 -20 are not chronological
Only the dispensational Pre-Millennial position interprets Revelation in a _________, literal manner
KIDS KORNER
Parents, you are responsible to apply God’s Word to your children’s lives. Here is some help. Young Children – draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. Explain your picture(s) to your parents at lunch. Older Children – Do one or more of the following: 1) Count how many times are the words one thousand and millennium said? 2) Discuss with your parents the meaning and importance of the millennium.
THINK ABOUT IT!
Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Why are there so many different and divergent interpretations of Revelation 20? Describe the main characteristics of Amillennialism, Post-Millennialism and Pre-Millennialism. What system of interpretation is used for each system? Distinguish between historic and dispensational Pre-Millennialism. What 4 levels of security are used in the devil’s imprisonment? What is the purpose of his imprisonment? How long does that last? What is the devil’s level of activity in the present time? What different groups will reign with Christ? How long does that last? When are the martyrs resurrected? What groups are part of the first resurrection? Why is that a blessing? What happens to those who are not part of it? How would a plain reading of Revelation 20 be interpreted? What must be assumed to interpret it differently?
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