The Book of Revelation: Chapter 20
Scripture References:
Introduction: From the Battlefield to the Bottomless Pit
We have been slowly making our way through the book of Revelation together, and in the last post we covered Chapter 19 with the return of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon. The King of kings and Lord of lords spoke a single word, and the armies gathered against Him were destroyed. The beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire.
That victory sets the stage for Chapter 20, one of the most theologically rich chapters in all of Scripture. In these verses we move from the binding of Satan, to the glorious thousand-year reign of Christ, to Satan's final and futile rebellion, and finally to the Great White Throne Judgment. It is a chapter that stretches from the depths of the abyss to the very throne of God, and it has something to say to every person who has ever lived.
Satan Bound for a Thousand Years (Verses 1–3)
Chapter 20 opens with an angel descending from heaven holding the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He seizes the dragon (Satan) and binds him for a thousand years. This bottomless pit is not hell or the lake of fire; it is the abyss, the same temporary holding place from which the beast and other demonic forces emerged earlier in Revelation. Satan is sealed in this prison so that he can deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are finished, after which he must be released for a short time.
It is worth pausing to see the full picture of Satan's fall. Back in Revelation 12:9, we saw Satan cast out of heaven. Now, here at the start of Chapter 20, he is cast out of the earth as well. With his chief instruments (the beast and the false prophet) already in the lake of fire, and now Satan himself removed, every enemy of Christ has been dealt with. Jesus is free to establish His righteous kingdom on this earth. We can never have true and lasting peace on this earth until the Prince of Peace rules, and until the god of this age is finally removed.
Understanding the Millennial Reign: Three Views
Before looking at the wonderful promises of verses 4–6, it is worth pausing to understand how different Christians interpret the "thousand years" mentioned six times in this chapter. This is a good opportunity to walk through three major views on the millennial reign of Christ.
The first is amillennialism. Those who hold this view do not believe in a literal, future thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. Instead, they interpret the numbers and descriptions in this chapter symbolically. Amillennialists generally take the promises God gave to Israel in the Old Testament and apply them to the New Testament church. As your pastor, I do not hold to this view. I believe in a literal millennial reign, and I do not believe the church has replaced Israel in God's prophetic plan. Israel continues to have a distinct and future role, one we will see play out even in these very chapters.
The second is postmillennialism. As the prefix "post" suggests, those who hold this view believe Christ will return after a thousand years of peace on the earth. They believe that through the faithful preaching of the gospel, society and culture will gradually improve until a golden age of peace is ushered in, at which point Christ returns. Looking honestly at the state of our world, however, it is hard to argue that culture is getting better and better. In spite of the gospel going forth to more nations and languages than ever before, our culture is, by most measures, growing worse rather than better. It is little wonder that very few people hold to this view today.
The third is premillennialism, which is what we teach and believe here at First Baptist Church Hill. Just as "post" means "after," "pre" means "before." We believe Jesus must return before the thousand years of peace can begin. We believe He will come in power and glory and will rule and reign in person from Jerusalem for a literal thousand years, and that during this time God will give the nation of Israel a second opportunity to repent and be restored to the greatness He promised her.
These are important distinctions, but they are ultimately secondary issues. Bible-believing brothers and sisters can and do land in different places on the timing and nature of the millennium, and that disagreement should never be allowed to divide the body of Christ. The primary issue, the one that truly matters, is how a person comes to salvation. Let us keep the main thing the main thing.
The Millennial Reign and the First Resurrection (Verses 4–6)
With that foundation laid, we come to one of the most encouraging passages in the entire book. John writes, "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them." Who is "they"? It is the saints of God, the church. After the tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon, Jesus Christ will literally reign on this earth for a thousand years, and we, the redeemed, will reign and rule alongside Him.
Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Has His will been done on earth as it is in heaven? Not yet. But it will be, fully and finally, when He returns to establish His millennial kingdom.
John also sees another group on those thrones: the souls of those who were beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who refused to worship the beast or receive his mark. These are the tribulation martyrs, and they are raised from the dead and given their glorious thrones and rewards. This is part of what verse 5 calls the first resurrection. The church, the bride of Christ, was already raised at the rapture and given new bodies at that time. Now, at the start of the millennium, the tribulation martyrs receive theirs. Many Bible students also believe that Old Testament saints are raised at this point as well, pointing to passages such as Daniel 12:1–4 as support.
The Bible teaches two resurrections, separated by a thousand years. The first is of the saved and leads to blessing. The second, which we will see later in this chapter, is of the lost and leads to judgment. Verse 6 describes the special blessing of those who share in the first resurrection: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years." These resurrected believers did not earn this blessing; it is simply part of our inheritance in Christ. We will never experience the second death that awaits the unrepentant later in this chapter.
Who exactly will we reign over during this thousand years? We do not know precisely how many people were saved during the tribulation, but Scripture indicates it was a great multitude, and many of them will survive to enter the millennium in their natural, mortal bodies. The immortal ones (the resurrected saints) will reign and rule over the mortal ones (those who survive the tribulation in their earthly bodies). As the years pass, that number will grow. Consider that the world's population around A.D. 1000 was roughly 300 million; today it is over 8 billion. Now imagine the growth that will take place over a thousand years in a world free from disease, natural disaster, and violence. Our responsibilities as those who reign with Christ will only increase as time goes on, and that is something to look forward to, not dread. There is a deep sense of fulfillment in laboring for and alongside King Jesus, and the millennium will be filled with meaningful work, not idle rest.
John MacArthur captured this beautifully when he wrote that the saints will reign with Christ for a thousand years in a rule that is universal, absolute, and righteous. Spiritually, it will be a time when the believing remnant of Israel is converted, in fulfillment of passages like Jeremiah 30:5–8 and Romans 11:26, and the nation is restored to the land God promised Abraham in Genesis 13:14–15. Physically, it will be a time when the curse is lifted, food is plentiful, and health and long life abound.
During this age of peace and plenty, people will marry and have children, just as they do now, and this sets the stage for the sobering events that close out the chapter.
Satan's Final Rebellion (Verses 7–10)
When the millennial reign began, every person left alive on the earth was a believer; God had already dealt with the unrepentant at the Battle of Armageddon. But as generations are born throughout the thousand years that follow, not everyone born into that perfect environment will choose to follow Christ. As it has been said, God has children, but He has no grandchildren. One generation knowing the Lord does not guarantee the next generation will as well, and this remains true even under the literal, visible reign of Jesus Christ Himself. It is a sobering reminder of just how deep human depravity runs. Even in a perfect environment, with the Prince of Peace ruling in person, some will still choose rebellion.
After the thousand years are completed, Satan is released from his prison for a short time. Verses 7–8 tell us he immediately goes out to deceive the nations, called here Gog and Magog, gathering them for battle. Their number is described as being like the sand of the sea; this is not a small uprising but a rebellion involving millions upon millions of people. Satan will move with great purpose, having had a thousand years to formulate his plan.
Verse 9 tells us these armies surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city, Jerusalem. But there is no real battle. Fire comes down from heaven and devours them instantly. Those of us who reign with Christ will have already witnessed His power on display at Armageddon a thousand years earlier; there will be no fear or uncertainty in that moment, only the confidence that comes from having walked with the King of kings for a thousand years.
Verse 10 then tells us that Satan is captured once more, and this time he is cast into the lake of fire to join the beast and the false prophet, who have been there for the entire thousand years. Popular culture often pictures Satan as the ruler of hell, gleefully tormenting souls. That picture is not biblical. Satan does not welcome souls to hell or delight in arranging their suffering; he himself is a victim of that place, just as every other soul who rejects God's grace ultimately is. For a brief window in eternity, hell will contain only three occupants: Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. Tragically, they will soon be joined by countless others.
The Great White Throne Judgment (Verses 11–15)
This brings us to the conclusion of the chapter. John writes, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them." In other words, there will be no hiding from God in that moment. John then sees the dead, both small and great, standing before the throne. Books are opened, and another book, the Book of Life, is opened as well. The dead are judged according to their works, as recorded in those books.
Between verses 10 and 11, an event takes place that is easy to miss: the second resurrection. All those who died during the millennial reign, along with every unbeliever from all of human history, are raised and brought before God. Resurrection, then, is not something reserved only for believers; it awaits every person who has ever lived. Jesus Himself spoke of this in John 5, telling the religious leaders of His day that the Father had committed all judgment to Him, and that the hour is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, some to the resurrection of life and others to the resurrection of condemnation. This is precisely the event described here in Revelation 20. A mortal body cannot withstand the fires of judgment, which is why even the lost are given resurrected bodies suited to bear the eternal consequences of sin.
One by one, the small and the great stand before the throne. Anyone whose name is found in the Book of Life is welcomed into their eternal reward. But for anyone whose name is not found there, the verdict is guilty, and they are cast into the lake of fire along with death and Hades themselves. Verse 14 tells us plainly that this is the second death.
It is important to remember that Revelation describes two distinct judgments. The first is the one we have just read, the Great White Throne Judgment, reserved for unbelievers. This is not to be confused with the judgment seat of Christ, where believers will one day give an account of their works, not for salvation, but for reward.
Friends, hell is real. But the good news of the gospel is that the only way anyone ends up there is by choosing to reject the free gift of salvation God has offered in Christ. As Warren Wiersbe wrote, "in light of the cross, no lost sinner can blame God for their condemnation. God has provided a way of escape and has patiently waited for sinners to repent, without ever lowering His standards or altering His requirements. Faith in His Son remains the one and only way of salvation."
Conclusion
Before God can usher in the new heavens and the new earth, which we will see in Chapter 21, He must finally and fully deal with sin. That is exactly what takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20 takes us from the binding of Satan, through a thousand years of Christ's righteous reign, through humanity's final act of rebellion, and finally to the throne where every soul who has ever lived will stand.
The question this chapter leaves each of us with is simple and eternal: is your name written in the Book of Life? That question is answered not at the throne, but here and now, by whether we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ. The invitation is still open today. Let us not waste the time we've been given to point as many people as possible to the Savior before that day arrives.
All for Him,
Pastor Dustin
- Revelation 20 — Satan bound for a thousand years, the millennial reign of Christ, the first resurrection, Satan's final rebellion and defeat, and the Great White Throne Judgment.
- Revelation 12:9 — Satan's original expulsion from heaven, which finds its counterpart here as he is now cast out of the earth as well.
- Daniel 12:1–4 — Daniel's prophecy of a resurrection to everlasting life.
- Jeremiah 30:5–8 — Jeremiah's prophecy of Israel's deliverance from bondage, pointing forward to the conversion and restoration of a believing remnant in the millennial kingdom.
- Romans 11:26 — Paul's declaration that "all Israel will be saved," describing the future conversion of the nation that finds its fulfillment in Christ's millennial reign.
- Genesis 13:14–15 — God's covenant promise to Abraham of the land, a promise finally and fully realized when Israel is restored to it during the millennium.
- John 5:22 — Jesus' declaration that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, the very authority on display at the Great White Throne.
- John 5:28–29 — Jesus' teaching that all who are in the graves will hear His voice and rise, some to life and some to condemnation.
Introduction: From the Battlefield to the Bottomless Pit
We have been slowly making our way through the book of Revelation together, and in the last post we covered Chapter 19 with the return of Christ and the Battle of Armageddon. The King of kings and Lord of lords spoke a single word, and the armies gathered against Him were destroyed. The beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire.
That victory sets the stage for Chapter 20, one of the most theologically rich chapters in all of Scripture. In these verses we move from the binding of Satan, to the glorious thousand-year reign of Christ, to Satan's final and futile rebellion, and finally to the Great White Throne Judgment. It is a chapter that stretches from the depths of the abyss to the very throne of God, and it has something to say to every person who has ever lived.
Satan Bound for a Thousand Years (Verses 1–3)
Chapter 20 opens with an angel descending from heaven holding the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He seizes the dragon (Satan) and binds him for a thousand years. This bottomless pit is not hell or the lake of fire; it is the abyss, the same temporary holding place from which the beast and other demonic forces emerged earlier in Revelation. Satan is sealed in this prison so that he can deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are finished, after which he must be released for a short time.
It is worth pausing to see the full picture of Satan's fall. Back in Revelation 12:9, we saw Satan cast out of heaven. Now, here at the start of Chapter 20, he is cast out of the earth as well. With his chief instruments (the beast and the false prophet) already in the lake of fire, and now Satan himself removed, every enemy of Christ has been dealt with. Jesus is free to establish His righteous kingdom on this earth. We can never have true and lasting peace on this earth until the Prince of Peace rules, and until the god of this age is finally removed.
Understanding the Millennial Reign: Three Views
Before looking at the wonderful promises of verses 4–6, it is worth pausing to understand how different Christians interpret the "thousand years" mentioned six times in this chapter. This is a good opportunity to walk through three major views on the millennial reign of Christ.
The first is amillennialism. Those who hold this view do not believe in a literal, future thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. Instead, they interpret the numbers and descriptions in this chapter symbolically. Amillennialists generally take the promises God gave to Israel in the Old Testament and apply them to the New Testament church. As your pastor, I do not hold to this view. I believe in a literal millennial reign, and I do not believe the church has replaced Israel in God's prophetic plan. Israel continues to have a distinct and future role, one we will see play out even in these very chapters.
The second is postmillennialism. As the prefix "post" suggests, those who hold this view believe Christ will return after a thousand years of peace on the earth. They believe that through the faithful preaching of the gospel, society and culture will gradually improve until a golden age of peace is ushered in, at which point Christ returns. Looking honestly at the state of our world, however, it is hard to argue that culture is getting better and better. In spite of the gospel going forth to more nations and languages than ever before, our culture is, by most measures, growing worse rather than better. It is little wonder that very few people hold to this view today.
The third is premillennialism, which is what we teach and believe here at First Baptist Church Hill. Just as "post" means "after," "pre" means "before." We believe Jesus must return before the thousand years of peace can begin. We believe He will come in power and glory and will rule and reign in person from Jerusalem for a literal thousand years, and that during this time God will give the nation of Israel a second opportunity to repent and be restored to the greatness He promised her.
These are important distinctions, but they are ultimately secondary issues. Bible-believing brothers and sisters can and do land in different places on the timing and nature of the millennium, and that disagreement should never be allowed to divide the body of Christ. The primary issue, the one that truly matters, is how a person comes to salvation. Let us keep the main thing the main thing.
The Millennial Reign and the First Resurrection (Verses 4–6)
With that foundation laid, we come to one of the most encouraging passages in the entire book. John writes, "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them." Who is "they"? It is the saints of God, the church. After the tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon, Jesus Christ will literally reign on this earth for a thousand years, and we, the redeemed, will reign and rule alongside Him.
Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Has His will been done on earth as it is in heaven? Not yet. But it will be, fully and finally, when He returns to establish His millennial kingdom.
John also sees another group on those thrones: the souls of those who were beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who refused to worship the beast or receive his mark. These are the tribulation martyrs, and they are raised from the dead and given their glorious thrones and rewards. This is part of what verse 5 calls the first resurrection. The church, the bride of Christ, was already raised at the rapture and given new bodies at that time. Now, at the start of the millennium, the tribulation martyrs receive theirs. Many Bible students also believe that Old Testament saints are raised at this point as well, pointing to passages such as Daniel 12:1–4 as support.
The Bible teaches two resurrections, separated by a thousand years. The first is of the saved and leads to blessing. The second, which we will see later in this chapter, is of the lost and leads to judgment. Verse 6 describes the special blessing of those who share in the first resurrection: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years." These resurrected believers did not earn this blessing; it is simply part of our inheritance in Christ. We will never experience the second death that awaits the unrepentant later in this chapter.
Who exactly will we reign over during this thousand years? We do not know precisely how many people were saved during the tribulation, but Scripture indicates it was a great multitude, and many of them will survive to enter the millennium in their natural, mortal bodies. The immortal ones (the resurrected saints) will reign and rule over the mortal ones (those who survive the tribulation in their earthly bodies). As the years pass, that number will grow. Consider that the world's population around A.D. 1000 was roughly 300 million; today it is over 8 billion. Now imagine the growth that will take place over a thousand years in a world free from disease, natural disaster, and violence. Our responsibilities as those who reign with Christ will only increase as time goes on, and that is something to look forward to, not dread. There is a deep sense of fulfillment in laboring for and alongside King Jesus, and the millennium will be filled with meaningful work, not idle rest.
John MacArthur captured this beautifully when he wrote that the saints will reign with Christ for a thousand years in a rule that is universal, absolute, and righteous. Spiritually, it will be a time when the believing remnant of Israel is converted, in fulfillment of passages like Jeremiah 30:5–8 and Romans 11:26, and the nation is restored to the land God promised Abraham in Genesis 13:14–15. Physically, it will be a time when the curse is lifted, food is plentiful, and health and long life abound.
During this age of peace and plenty, people will marry and have children, just as they do now, and this sets the stage for the sobering events that close out the chapter.
Satan's Final Rebellion (Verses 7–10)
When the millennial reign began, every person left alive on the earth was a believer; God had already dealt with the unrepentant at the Battle of Armageddon. But as generations are born throughout the thousand years that follow, not everyone born into that perfect environment will choose to follow Christ. As it has been said, God has children, but He has no grandchildren. One generation knowing the Lord does not guarantee the next generation will as well, and this remains true even under the literal, visible reign of Jesus Christ Himself. It is a sobering reminder of just how deep human depravity runs. Even in a perfect environment, with the Prince of Peace ruling in person, some will still choose rebellion.
After the thousand years are completed, Satan is released from his prison for a short time. Verses 7–8 tell us he immediately goes out to deceive the nations, called here Gog and Magog, gathering them for battle. Their number is described as being like the sand of the sea; this is not a small uprising but a rebellion involving millions upon millions of people. Satan will move with great purpose, having had a thousand years to formulate his plan.
Verse 9 tells us these armies surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city, Jerusalem. But there is no real battle. Fire comes down from heaven and devours them instantly. Those of us who reign with Christ will have already witnessed His power on display at Armageddon a thousand years earlier; there will be no fear or uncertainty in that moment, only the confidence that comes from having walked with the King of kings for a thousand years.
Verse 10 then tells us that Satan is captured once more, and this time he is cast into the lake of fire to join the beast and the false prophet, who have been there for the entire thousand years. Popular culture often pictures Satan as the ruler of hell, gleefully tormenting souls. That picture is not biblical. Satan does not welcome souls to hell or delight in arranging their suffering; he himself is a victim of that place, just as every other soul who rejects God's grace ultimately is. For a brief window in eternity, hell will contain only three occupants: Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. Tragically, they will soon be joined by countless others.
The Great White Throne Judgment (Verses 11–15)
This brings us to the conclusion of the chapter. John writes, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them." In other words, there will be no hiding from God in that moment. John then sees the dead, both small and great, standing before the throne. Books are opened, and another book, the Book of Life, is opened as well. The dead are judged according to their works, as recorded in those books.
Between verses 10 and 11, an event takes place that is easy to miss: the second resurrection. All those who died during the millennial reign, along with every unbeliever from all of human history, are raised and brought before God. Resurrection, then, is not something reserved only for believers; it awaits every person who has ever lived. Jesus Himself spoke of this in John 5, telling the religious leaders of His day that the Father had committed all judgment to Him, and that the hour is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, some to the resurrection of life and others to the resurrection of condemnation. This is precisely the event described here in Revelation 20. A mortal body cannot withstand the fires of judgment, which is why even the lost are given resurrected bodies suited to bear the eternal consequences of sin.
One by one, the small and the great stand before the throne. Anyone whose name is found in the Book of Life is welcomed into their eternal reward. But for anyone whose name is not found there, the verdict is guilty, and they are cast into the lake of fire along with death and Hades themselves. Verse 14 tells us plainly that this is the second death.
It is important to remember that Revelation describes two distinct judgments. The first is the one we have just read, the Great White Throne Judgment, reserved for unbelievers. This is not to be confused with the judgment seat of Christ, where believers will one day give an account of their works, not for salvation, but for reward.
Friends, hell is real. But the good news of the gospel is that the only way anyone ends up there is by choosing to reject the free gift of salvation God has offered in Christ. As Warren Wiersbe wrote, "in light of the cross, no lost sinner can blame God for their condemnation. God has provided a way of escape and has patiently waited for sinners to repent, without ever lowering His standards or altering His requirements. Faith in His Son remains the one and only way of salvation."
Conclusion
Before God can usher in the new heavens and the new earth, which we will see in Chapter 21, He must finally and fully deal with sin. That is exactly what takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20 takes us from the binding of Satan, through a thousand years of Christ's righteous reign, through humanity's final act of rebellion, and finally to the throne where every soul who has ever lived will stand.
The question this chapter leaves each of us with is simple and eternal: is your name written in the Book of Life? That question is answered not at the throne, but here and now, by whether we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ. The invitation is still open today. Let us not waste the time we've been given to point as many people as possible to the Savior before that day arrives.
All for Him,
Pastor Dustin
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From the Pit to Praise: Finding God's Purpose in Dark TimesThe Two Paths of Life: Choosing Blessing or DestructionThe Book of Revelation: Chapter 1 (Part 1)The Power of a Godly Legacy: Walking in Faith and Leading by ExampleThe Book of Revelation: Chapter 1 (Part 2)The Path to Restoration: Finding Grace in Our Darkest MomentsThe Book of Revelation: Chapter 2
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