Revelation 20: An Exposition

Revelations 20: An Exposition

The twentieth chapter of the Revelation has been a battle ground for ages. It is the only possible foothold Premillennialists can find in the Bible. If it can be established that the events of this chapter are not to be interpreted literally, then their wild speculative system falls to the ground.

Revelation Is A Book of Figures And Symbols

This is indisputable fact. Notice a few examples. In 1:1, John tells us the book was "signified" unto him. The root of this word is sign. In 1:13-18, John saw Jesus but used numerous similies and metaphors to describe him. "His eyes were as a flame of fire." "His feet were like into burnished brass." "Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword." None would take these descriptive terms literally. In chapter 1:20 John saw seven stars and golden candlesticks which he explains are seven churches and their angels. In 12:3 and 9 he saw a great red dragon which was said to be symbolic of Satan. He saw a harlot which he identifies as the great city that ruled over all the world, obviously Rome.

Chapter 20 is also filled with symbols. We see an angel, a chain, a serpent, an abyss with a lid, 1,000 years and evil forces named Gog and Magog. Even the Premillennialists understand all of this as symbolic save the 1,000 years. But it is unreasonable and inconsistent to explain all these as figurative and then single out the 1,000 years as literal.

The Symbols Identified

Who is the angel of chapter 20? First, we ask what is an angel? The word simply means messenger, it may be a heavenly, a diabolical or a human one. The angel of this passage is likely Jesus. He alone has the power to do what this angel does. He has the keys of death and Hades (Rev. 1:10). All judgement and authority are his.(John 5:22-27). He came to bind the strong man Satan, that he might rescue those held in Satan's domain (Matt. 12:28-29). Christ is "the angel of the Lord" in the Old Testament. Compare Exodus 23:20 and I Corinthians 10:4, to see the evidence of this. For a fine discussion of this question the reader is referred to the book, The Divinity of Our Lord, by Canon H. P. Liddon. When we say Christ is the angel or messenger of Jehovah, we in no way deny his deity. Nor do we argue that he is in nature an angel, i.e., a created being. The word is used for its definition, i.e., a messenger.

Who is the dragon? John answers this for us in 20:2 by saying it is the Devil and Satan. Like the fierce dragons of ancient myth, Satan threatens all of humanity.

What is the chain that bound Satan? That chain is the gospel. When Satan tempted Christ, the Savior successfully resisted his every attempt with the aid of the word of God (Compare Matt. 4:1-11). That which is the power of God to salvation is also his power to restrain Satan's power (Rom. 1:16).

When was Satan bound? If we can determine this from the Scripture, we will know for sure when the 1,000 years began. The Bible shows that by his coming, his death and resurrection, Christ bound Satan. Notice again Matthew 12:24-29, Christ argues, "But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house." The fact that Jesus cast out demons. that he now saves men from sin, is proof that he has bound the strong man, Satan, who is god of this world (II Cor. 4:4). As Jesus contemplated his forthcoming death he said, "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31). In Colossians 2:14-15, Paul reasons that when Christ was nailed to the cross he "despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." The expression principalities and powers has reference to the evil spiritual powers, i.e., he stripped them of their power and authority. Again, Paul says that Christ "brought to naught him that had the power of death, that is the devil" (Heb. 2:14). John says that Christ was manifested to the end that he might destroy the works of the devil (I John 3:8).

Some cannot believe that Satan is presently bound since so much sin and wickedness yet abound in the world. The verse says, "Satan is bound "that he should deceive the nations no more" (Rev. 20:3). With respect to the nations and sin, Satan is bound in a relative sense. He cannot stop the spread of the kingdom. He cannot stop the spread of the gospel (Matt.24:35). We say that Satan's binding is relative or partial as concerns the world, even as reflected in Jude 6. Angels that fell from their sinless state, God has "kept in everlasting bonds under darkness until the judgment of the great day." Yet Satan and his fallen helpers are allowed some degree of freedom to tempt mankind even while this heaven-imposed restraint is in place.

With respect to the saints of God, Satan is absolutely bound. In John 10:28, Jesus said of his disciples, "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand." So long as the disciple is faithful, Satan is incapable of separating him from God. With the whole armor of God we can stand against the whiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11-13). The man begotten of God, who does not make a practice of sinning, keepeth himself and the evil one toucheth him not" (John 5:18). We can illustrate this by likening Satan to a vicious dog bound to a chain of 10 feet. If we stay outside the circumference of the chain the dog cannot touch us. But if we wander within his boundary, he can devour us. The chain is God's word. Keep that word between you and Satan and you are safe. Ignore the word at your own peril. Satan was bound at Calvary when the seed of the woman bruised the serpent's head (Compare Gen. 3:15). He will continue bound until the little season just prior to Christ's second advent.

Who Reigns With Christ? In Revelation 20:4, John saw the souls of martyred saints reigning with Christ. Here is a vision of men from the earth, not of men on the earth. This is the pre-resurrection state of martyrs for Christ. Notice that these martyred saints were presently reigning with Christ. Early in Revelation, Jesus had promised persecuted disciples that if they would be "faithful unto death" he would give them a crown of life (2:10) In 3:21, he said, "He that overcometh I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in His throne." Faithful saints who die for the Lord reign with him now. Nothing is said of a future reign on earth!

Where Do They Reign? John says that these triumphant saints reign with Christ (20:4) But Christ's throne is in heaven, not on the earth. We notice in Revelation 3:21 that he promises that the overcoming saint will sit down with him in His throne even as he sat down with the Father upon his throne. In Acts 2:32-36, Peter argues that the resurrected Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father. Again, Paul argued that he must depart this earth to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23). Therefore, the knowledgeable Bible student does not look for an earthly reign of Christ.

What Is The First Resurrection? Premillennialists argue for two bodily resurrections, One of the righteous at the time of Christ's alleged return to earth, the second for the wicked at the end of that reign. They seem to forget that the term “resurrection" can have a spiritual import. For example, in Romans 6:4-5 our salvation and baptism are likened to a death burial and resurrection. The same illustration is used in Ephesians 2:1, 4-6, and Colossians 2:12-13 and 3:1-4. These cases prove that we need not interpret the word literally. In John 5:24-29, Jesus speaks of salvation as a resurrection and then mentions the literal resurrection of the body in the same context. "He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life”, The saved man has experienced one resurrection (a spiritual one) and at the last day he will be raised to the resurrection of life. Thus the first resurrection is he result of salvation. For those who have experienced that first resurrection there is no fear of the second death because their sins are forgiven and they will be raised to eternal life (See Rev. 20:6, 14-15).

What Is The Thousand Years? Already we have shown that both the book of Revelation and its twentieth chapter are highly figurative. Throughout the Bible, numbers especially are given figurative or spiritual meanings. The number seven is the most commonly used symbolic number, usually it means completeness or perfection. Also, the numbers twelve and forty often have meanings beyond their numerical value. "The word thousand is used more than twenty times in the book of Revelation. Not once, we believe, is it to be taken literally" (R. B. Jones, The Latter Days, p. 152). The expression "thousand years" means a long period of time in contrast to the "little seasons" of 20:3. "The figure of one thousand represents a definite period of time, measured by and known to God" (G.L. Murray, Millennial Studies, p. 184). It is the period of time extending from the Lord's first advent and victory over Satan until the little season which will occur just prior to his second coming. It is the time when Satan is bound (Rev. 20:2). But we have already shown that Satan is bound now. It is the time of the first resurrection (Rev. 20:5). But the first resurrection is our experience in salvation which occurs now. It is the time of the martyr's reign with Christ.(20:4). But those who overcome Satan reign with Christ now (Rev. 3:21). Therefore we conclude that the thousand years is the period of the Christian age while Christ sits at his Father's right hand in heaven, reigning on David's throne (Acts 2:32-36)

What Is The Little Season? There are a number of points we can glean about this matter. It is a brief period of time just prior to the coming of the Lord in final judgment. It will take place after a long period of time in which the departed saints have reigned with Christ. It will be a relatively brief period of unusual Satanic activity (Rev. 20:7-9) Other passages also speak of extremely wicked and anti-Christian conditions will prevail before the Lord comes (See II Peter. 3:3-4; II Tim. 3:1-5) It appears that the little season will involve a world-wide persecution of the Lord's true church. It will be Satan's last attempt to crush the cause of Christ. The little season of persecution will end with the Lord's second coming whereupon he will save the saints and judge the wicked.

Who Are Gog And Magog? The nations which Satan will deceive are called Gog and Magog (Rev. 20:8) We also find Gog mentioned in Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, but there are numerous distinctions in the two records. In Revelation Gog is a nation, in Ezekiel he is a prince. Ezekiel's Gog comes from the north, in Revelation he comes from the four corners of the earth. John speaks of two persons, Gog and Magog, while Ezekiel speaks of Gog out of the land of Magog. Gog and Magog represent future enemies of the church whose true identity are as yet unknown. There is no evidence at all that would justify us applying these references to Russia, China or Iran.

What Is The Camp of the Saints? In Revelation 20:9, the church is likened to a military camp under fierce attack, completely surrounded by its enemies. The situation seems hopeless by human standards. But God intervenes to save her. The figure is probably borrowed from the time of the Exodus when the nation of Israel was organized as a military camp in the wilderness with hostile forces on every hand.

John also styles the church as "the beloved city" which could only refer to Jerusalem. But this would not be the old material Jerusalem which had perished some 26 years before. It would be the new, spiritual Jerusalem as mentioned in Hebrews 12:22. We see a picture of the church under persecution by worldly forces far greater and more powerful than herself. The case looks fatal to human eyes.

What Is The Fire That Fell From Heaven? Just when it appears that the forces of Satan will overwhelm the Lord's cause, fire will come from heaven to destroy the enemy. It reminds us of God's judgment upon Sodom (Gen. 19:24). God had promised Ezekiel that he would send fire upon Magog (Ezek. 39:6) This surely refers to the Lord's coming in fiery judgment upon the wicked as described vividly by Paul in II Thessalonans 1:7-9.

What Is The Great White Throne of Judgment? In this section (Rev. 20:11-12), John describes a universal judgment, for all the dead were summoned to stand before the throne. It will be a personal judgment in which each individual will give account of his conduct. This judgment will be righteous in nature for the Lord will be the judge and the individual's own personal record will be measured by God's book. The whiteness of the throne suggests the purity of the judgment to be meted out. It will be the final judgment, punishment of the wicked will be the final punishment of the lake of fire. Christ will be the judge upon the great white throne (Matt. 25:31-32).

What Revelation 20 Does Not Say. Through the years, our brethren have refuted premillennial speculations on this passage of scripture by noting the many things not mentioned therein that are essential if the premillennial theory is to be established. The careful reader will note the silence of the chapter on the second coming of Christ; the bodily resurrection; an earthly reign; the throne of David on earth; Jerusalem or Palestine; living, earth-bound Christians; or the final resurrection. We do read, however, of curses pronounced upon those who dare to add anything to the words of this book (Rev. 22:18-19).

Rather than Revelation 20 teaching the thousand year reign of Christ on earth, it teaches the present reign of Jesus in heaven with his saints and a second coming which will bring judgment upon the wicked.

Sincerely,

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