The Millennium

Chapter 20

Revelation

By: Michael FronczakBible Study Resource Center

564 Schaeffer Dr.Coldwater, Michigan 49036

mikefronczak@gmail.com

Copyright © 2005, 2007Revelation 20 The Millennium

Man has dreamed (and tried to achieve) a “utopia” and failed. Only Jesus, on David’s throne, will establish this perfect kingdom. This view on this passage divides eschatological views into its two basic divisions:

Premillennialism: (literal view) Amillennialsim: (allegorical view)

Millennium: from Latin, mille (1000) and annum (year). Also, chiliasm, from the Greek, which is the way the early church spoke of it. Christ will reign over the nations of the earth and Israel will enjoy the blessings promised through the prophets. There is more prophecy in the Scripture concerning the Millennium than of any other period.

The Pre-Millennial ViewThis view takes the “1000-year reign” literally, as the fulfillment of the numerous promises, in both the Old and New Testaments. Gabriel committed the rule of the Throne of David to Mary at the Annunciation (Lk 1:31-33).

(Luke 1:31-33) 31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

The prophetic destiny of Israel is also the issue. The Bible indicates that the entire world is going to go to war over this issue (Zech 12; Ps 2; et al.). It is about to begin. Read your newspapers.

The Amillennial ViewAmillennialism is usually accompanied by a post-tribulational view. Amillennialism makes God guilty of not keeping His unconditional covenants to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: The Jews.

Promise of the Land (Gen 12:7; 13:15-16; 17:7-8). Promise of the land, a kingdom, and a greater Son of David (Messiah) as King (Ps

89:27-37). Promise of restoration to the land of Israel from worldwide dispersion and the

establishment of Messiah’s kingdom (Jer 31:37; Ezek 36,37 38, 39, etc.). Promises that a remnant of the Israelites will be saved (Rom 11:25-29; Zech

13:8,9; Isa 10:20-22).

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Interpretations of Revelation 20:1-6

Postmillennial Amillennial Premillennial*

Christ will return after the 1,000 years. A golden age on the earth is ushered in by the triumph of the gospel through the church.

The 1,000 years is viewed literally by some but symbolically by others.

There is no literal 1,000 years of Christ’s reign on the earth.

Christ is viewed as presently reigning either in:

(1) the hearts of men(2) heaven, or(3) the churchThe 1,000 years is

understood symbolically as representing an extended period of time.

The return of Christ will precede the establishment of His literal kingdom on earth.

Christ and His saints with Him will reign on the earth in fulfillment of O.T. and N.T. prophecy.

The 1,000 years is understood as predicting a literal future reign of peace and righteousness in the earth.

*This view best explains Ch. 20 and is the one affirmed in the study notes.

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History: From Augustine to Auschwitz

Amillennialism began with Augustine (A.D. 345-430), leaning upon the allegorizations of Origen. Foundation for anti-semitism (Jer 31:35-37). This view is becoming widespread again.Upon the conversion of Constantine, the Edict of Toleration made Christian Church legal throughout the Roman Empire. Constantine’s successors later made it the official state religion. However, the “premillennial” view—that the Lord Jesus Christ was going to return to rid the world of its evil—became unpopular with then current Roman leadership!

Allegorical methods, adopted by 3rd century theologian Origen, led to Augustine developing the “amillennial view”—that Jesus was to rule “spiritually” rather than literally. This view ultimately became the dominant view of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Reformation, while dealing with many doctrines in its “back to the Bible” emphasis, failed to re-examine the eschatology of the Medieval church, and thus amillennialism became the view assumed by most mainline Protestant denominations. Literal interpretation, however, was favored by Irenaeus, Sir Isaac Newton, et al. Throughout the centuries, a minority of scholars have held to a literal approach to the Scriptures.

The Post-Millennial View

Rarely encountered today; popular a century ago when optimism assumed that the world was getting better and better. The realities of the 20th century has rendered this view obsolete.

The Millennium

Essential: (fulfillment of promises to Israel and Christ). Promised to David (2 Sam 7:12-17; 23:5) under oath (Ps 89:34-37). Predicted in the Psalms and the Prophets (Ps 2; 45; 110; Isa 2:1-5; 4:1-6; 11:1-9;

12:1-6; 30:18-26; 35:1-10; 60, 61:3-62; 66; Jer 23:3-8; 32:37-44; Ezek 40-48; Dan 2:44-45; 7:13-14; 12:2-3; Mic 4:1-8; Zech 12:10-14:21).

Promised to Mary (Lk 1:32; Mic 5:2; Isa 9:6, 7; Dan 2:44); reaffirmed to apostles (Lk 22:29-30).

Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come”; “For thine is the kingdom (Mt 6:10, 13; Acts 1:6; Ps 45, 46, 47, 48).

Rule (Ps 2; 110) with a “Rod of Iron” (Rev 12:5; 19:15). Every knee must bow (Phil 2:6-11). Preview of this in Mt 17. Melchizedek = type—King and Priest (Zech 6:13). at Millennial Temple (Isa 3:17, 22; Ezek 43:7; 44:2; 46:1-3). in Zion (Isa 2:2-4; Jer 23:3-6). David? (Ezek 37:24, 25; 34:23, 24; Jer 30:9; Hos 3:5). [Walk of Prince? Ezek 46:4-12.]

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The entire creation will be changed: Physical changes (Zech 4:9,10; Isa 35:1-10); Curse lifted (Isa 11:6-9); Creation redeemed (Gen 3 => Rom 8:20-22); Earth full of knowledge of the Lord (Isa 11:9; Hab2:14).Yet, it is not eternity these two should not be confused: there is death and sin (Isa 65:20); Each to have land (Micah 4:15); Fruitful (Amos 9:13).

This Chapter introduces the glorious reign of Christ known as the Millennium. Mille (Lat.) means “thousand,” while annum (Lat.) means “years.” These are the characteristics of that reign: (1) the binding of Satan in the abyss, i.e., “bottomless pit” (vv. 2, 3); (2) the reigning of previously glorified saints along with Christ (v. 4); and (3) the monumental reversal of the curse of sin upon the earth (cf. Isa 2:1-5; 11:1-9; Jer 31:31-34; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Mic 4:1-5; Luke 1:31-33; 1 Cor 15:24-28). The purposes of this kingdom age may be summarized as follows: (1) to fulfill the prophecies of the O.T. and the N.T. which prophesy such an era; (2) to demonstrate the blessings of God when the conditions of His economy are met; and (3) to demonstrate that even under utopian conditions with Satan himself bound, men born during the Millennium demonstrate the innate sinfulness of the human heart, and at the conclusion of the age rebel against a good and merciful God.

Like the calm after a storm, chapter 20, which catapults us into the millennial reign of Christ, brings a great sigh of relief with the binding of Satan and the resurrection and reward of the Tribulation martyrs. In the overall outline, this chapter is the second part of the third main section of Revelation (cf. Rev. 1:19). Remember that this third section, chapters 4-22, is all futuristic. The first part of the third section described the Tribulation (4-l9). The second part describes the Millennium and great white throne judgment (20), and the third part takes us into the eternal state (21-22).This is one of the greatest and most important chapters of the Bible. It presents in summary the tremendous series of events that encompass the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. Many Bible expositors believe that it is in this future period that many Old and New Testament prophecies will find their ultimate fulfillment like Isaiah 2:1-4; 4:2-6; 11:1-10; Jeremiah 23:5-6; portions of Matthew 24 and 25; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; and 2 Peter 3:10-12.

However, the view that Revelation 20 is speaking of a literal thousand-year reign of Christ is also one of the most controversial and a bewildering array of diverse interpretations may be found in regard to this passage.

Van Impe Introduction: Chapter 20 introduces us to the most beautiful, peaceful, and rewarding age this world will ever know-the Millennium, or the one-thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. He will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem, and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end (Isaiah 9:6,7). Before beginning our study of this chapter, may I take a moment to refute the reasoning of critics who deny this doctrinal truth? Those who oppose the teaching of a

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literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ upon earth are in direct opposition to the Word of God! Their claim that the doctrine is dangerously built on a single chapter of the Bible proves that they are not good students of God's Holy Word, for many passages both teach and reflect this truth. Let's investigate. First of all, if Israel has no future, dozens of Old Testament prophecies immediately go down the drain. For example, Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33, with all of their benedictions upon the people of Israel, must be scrapped if there is no place upon earth where they find fulfillment. To spiritualize or allegorize the literal truths concerning Israel's future is to be willfully blinded. I have spent thousands of hours in God's Book and could never honestly or intellectually arrive at such a conclusion. Secondly, there must be a Millennium, or scores of verses become hollow platitudes of meaningless predictions. Consider the following texts-they could never depict heaven because they occur on earth. If so, there must be a time and place for their fulfillment, because none of them has yet occurred. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb (as nature is tamed) (Isaiah 11:6).But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid (Micah 4:4). Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness (Isaiah 32:1). And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. . .and it shall stand for ever (Daniel 2:44). The Lord...shall suddenly come to his temple (Malachi 3:1). Ezekiel describes this Temple, built and located upon the earth (see chapters 40 through 48). Israel will be the head-not the tail-of the nations in that day (see Zechariah 8:23). And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them (Isaiah 65:21). The Lord Jesus Christ referred to the period of time during which these events take place as the regeneration. And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). Likewise, Peter declared, And [God] shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:20,21). The word restitution means "a reconstitute" and is similar to the regeneration of Matthew 19:28. In addition, Paul stated in Ephesians 1:21 that there is an age which is to come. This same age is called the dispensation of the fulness of times (Ephesians 1:10). Again these terms refer to the rule of Christ and His people over the earth-not angels, as the spiritualizers would have us believe. Angels ruling the earth is an impossibility, for unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come (Hebrews 2:5).Instead, the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men (Daniel 4:17). The title, the most High [God], or the most High is Christ's millennial title throughout the Psalms, the Book of Daniel, and the Book of Hosea. The most High [God] will also bear the title King of Israel in that day (John 1:49). All upon earth will obey Him for [He] shalt break them with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9). The result: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power (Psalm 110:3). Earth's inhabitants will love the Lord Jesus so much during the kingdom age that

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daily shall he be praised (Psalm 72:15). Yes, His name shall endure forever (Psalm 72:17). The center of all this kingdom activity is Jerusalem, not heaven's golden shores. Proof? Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion (Psalm 2:6). Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3). [They] shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13). And the Redeemer shall come to Zion (Isaiah 59:20). The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem (Joel 3:16). Thus saith the Lord.. I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:3). Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem (Zechariah 8:22). The preceding evidence is proof enough! Only the spiritually blind can deny the fact of a literal Millennium. Only the willfully ignorant can claim that the teaching is based on just one chapter of the Bible. Our brief review has but touched the hem of the garment concerning millennial truth. Believe God, not men. Now, since mille means "thousand" and annum means "years," let's beg in our study of chapter 20 which presents the mille annum, Millennium, or the one-thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth.1

Revelation 20:1And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

This is a continuation and flow from Chapter 19.

The chapter divisions are not “inspired”; they were devised by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury in the early 13th century.

[an angel come down from heaven] Because of the power displayed over Satan some have understood this to refer to the Lord. But this is unwarranted and without evidence from the passage. This is a holy angel who is given authority from heaven and who operates at the command of God.

[bottomless pit] abussos, (G12), ab'-us-sos; from Greek 1 (a) (as a negative particle) and a variation of Greek 1037 (buthos); depthless, i.e. (special) (infernal) “abyss” :- deep, (bottomless) pit. (geocentric – the center of the earth) Translated "bottomless pit" 7X (Rev. 20:1,3; Rev. 9:1-2,11; Rev. 11:7; Rev. 17:8) and deep (Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7).

[key of the bottomless pit] Rev. 1:18; Rev. 9:1; cp. Rev. 3:7; Isaiah 22:22.

The fact he has the key and the chain shows he has been given authority and power from heaven to carry out this assignment. The word “abyss,” the Greek abussos, means “boundless or bottomless.” This is the bondage place of fallen angels (demons or unclean spirits). It is the same place called “tartaros” in 2 Peter 2:4. Literally, 2 Peter 2:4 reads, “and to pits of darkness (gloom), he committed them by casting them into tartaros” (the verb here is tartarao„, “to cast into tartaros”). This and other verses tell us: (1) that

1 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe

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tartaros is an abyss of gloom or darkness, (2) that it is a prison of fallen angels, and (3) that the fallen angels that were bound there were those who sinned in the days of Noah in Genesis 6 (2 Pet. 2:5; Jude 6-7; Luke 8:31).

Chuck Smith: Now, earlier under the fifth trumpet there was a fallen angel that had the key to the bottomless pit, the abusso, and he opened it and released upon the earth a horde of demonic beings. Now, the angel comes with the key and the purpose is not in releasing those in the abusso, but in incarcerating now in the abusso. So, he had a key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2

Revelation 20:2And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

Some believe the Millennium has already begun. If so, Satan’s chain is too long...Paulwas certain that Satan was loose (Eph 6:10ff; John agreed with him: Rev 2:13; 3:9).

He was cast out of heaven in Rev 12:9; now he is cast out of earth. [Ps 90:4 and 2 Pet 3:8 are used to justify “allegorization”: 1000 yrs = 1 day, etc.]

[laid hold] Greek: krateo (G2902), to be strong and mighty; to rule; hold sway; to lay hold of; become master of; subdue. Translated "lay hold upon" (Rev. 20:2; Matthew 12:11; Matthew 14:3; Matthew 26:55-57; Mark 3:21; Mark 6:17; Mark 12:12; Mark 14:51; Hebrews 6:18); "lay hands on" (Matthew 18:28; Matthew 21:46); "hold fast" (Matthew 26:48; Hebrews 4:14; Rev. 2:13,25; Rev. 3:11); "obtain" (Acts 27:13); "take" (Matthew 22:6; Matthew 26:4,50; Mark 14:1,44-49; Acts 24:6); "take by" (Matthew 9:25; Mark 1:31; Mark 5:41; Mark 9:27; Luke 8:54); "hold by" (Matthew 28:9); "keep" (Mark 9:10); "retain" (John 20:23); and "hold" (Mark 7:3-8; Luke 24:16; Acts 2:24; Acts 3:11; Col. 2:19; 2 Thes. 2:15; Rev. 2:1,14-15; Rev. 7:1). This proves that angels can actually lay hold of the bodies of each other and can be confined to material places in material chains and with doors and locks (Rev. 20:2; Rev. 9:1,14; Rev. 12:7-12; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6-7; Isaiah 24:22-23). They can also take hold of the bodies of people (Genesis 19:10,16; Genesis 32:24-32).

[that old serpent] ancient serpent (Rev. 12:9).

[a thousand years] You will notice that the thousand years are mentioned two times in verses 1–3; they are mentioned a total of six times in the twentieth chapter. It is true that the Millennium is mentioned only in one chapter, but God mentions it six times. How many times does He have to say a thing before it becomes true? He mentions it more than He mentions some other things that people emphasize and think are important just because they occur once or twice in Scripture. Six times the thousand years are mentioned, and here it is in relationship to Satan.

2 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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The Targum (Aramaic paraphrase of the Old Testament), Talmud (a vast compendium of Jewish law and lore), and Midrash (an interpretive method to penetrate the deepest meaning of a Hebrew passage) all have concluded there will be a literal thousand-year period when the Messiah will reign on earth.

While it is true that 1,000 years, or the Millennium, is found only here in Revelation 20, the belief in the Messianic Age does not rest on this passage alone. In fact, it hardly rests on it at all. The basis for the belief in the Messianic Age is the numerous prophecies of the Old Testament that speak of the coming of the Messiah who will reign on David’s Throne and rule over a peaceful kingdom. There is a great amount of material in the Old Testament pertaining to the Messianic Age. The belief in a Messianic Age rests on the basis of a literal interpretation of this massive material.

Two things not revealed in the Old Testament:1. The prophets foresaw a long period of time of a peaceful messianic reign,

however they did not reveal exactly how long this would last.2. It was unknown by the prophets the circumstances by which the Kingdom

would come to an end and how this would lead into the Eternal Order.

David Jeremiah with C. C. Carlson: How else can we respond to the disciple’s prayer, Thy Kingdom Come (Matt 6:10), without the literal establishment of that kingdom? The Millennium is needed to redeem creation. We have been told of the terrible devastation of out planet; now it will be made new and beautiful once more.3

Hal Lindsey: The heart of the Old Testament prophetic message is the coming of the Messiah to set u an earthly Kingdom over which he would rule from the throne of David. The only important detail which Revelation adds concerning this promised messianic Kingdom is its duration – one thousand years.4

JNTC: The dragon, that ancient serpent, etc. (see 12:9–10) must be chained, his powers severely limited for a period; afterwards he “must be set free for a little while” (vv. 3, 7) to deceive the nations (vv. 3, 8) and Israel (v. 9a) before his final defeat and eternal punishment (vv. 9b–10). The ideas of binding demonic beings and of punishing them with eternal fire are also found in the Jewish apocrypha (Tobit 8:3) and pseudepigrapha (1 Enoch 10:4–17, 18:12–19:2, 21:1–6, 54:4–6; Testament of Levi 18:12; Jubilees 48:15–16), and in Christian apocrypha (Acts of Pilate 22:2). See also 2 Ke 2:4&N, which quotes 1 Enoch 10:4–6. 5

Chuck Smith: And so Satan is not put into Gehenna, but he is put into the abusso for a thousand years. Later he will be put into Gehenna, but at this point chained and put into the abusso.

3 Jeremiah, David, with C>C> Carlson, Excape the Coming Night, Pg 2004 Lindsey, Hal, there’s a New World Coming Pg 240-2415Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:2). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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The various names for Satan; dragon, serpent, that is the one who came to Eve in the garden in the form of a serpent, and Devil. The word Devil means slanderer or accuser, and "Satan" which word means the adversary.6

Revelation 20:3And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Here is evidence that the deception of the nations comes from Satan. Satan is not bound alone, but his demons with him (Isa 24:21-23).

[bottomless pit] Greek: abussos (GSN-12), bottomless; unfathomed; enormous; abyss; unbounded; immeasurable depth. Translated "bottomless pit" (Rev. 20:1,3; Rev. 9:1-2,11; Rev. 11:7; Rev. 17:8) and deep (Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7). (geocentric)

[shut him up] Six things an angel will do to Satan (Rev. 20:2-3):

1. Lay hold on him (note, Rev. 20:2). 2. Bind him with a literal chain. 3. Cast him into the abyss. 4. Shut him up in prison. 5. Set a seal upon him for 1,000 years. 6. Loose him for a little season.

[set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more] Sealed the abyss over him to keep him there so he could not deceive the nations for 1,000 years. Greek, "over him," that is, sealed up the door of the abyss over his head. May be allusion to geocentric hades.

“And threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him” (vs. 3a). This is designed to stress the fact that Satan will definitely be put out of commission and will absolutely not be a problem to man in the Millennium, at least for the thousand years.

“So that he should not deceive the nations any longer…” (vs. 3b). This states the purpose—to stop the deceptions of Satan, the master of deceit. Deceit or deception is one of the keys, if not the key characterization given to us in the Bible of Satan. Satan cannot operate in the realm of truth, but he operates in the realm of a lie. He is a liar and the father of lies. Why does he lie? To deceive and lead astray (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:3; 2 Thess. 2:10; Rev. 12:9).

It is important to know that Satan’s key deceptions concern the Word of God, which of course is the Word of truth. His greatest attack and deceptions concern the integrity of God, both the living Word (Jesus Christ and His person and work) and the written Word (the Holy Bible). It is in this way that he deceives the world (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10-12).

The Millennium will be a time when the whole “earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:9). For this to take place fully and completely, 6 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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Satan will be removed so that the earth may prepared for the kingdom of God, a time of truth and the knowledge of God.

[little season] If the little season here is the same as the short time (Rev. 12:12) and the short space (Rev. 17:10), it will be only 3 1/2 years (Rev. 12:12-14; Rev. 13:5).

“After these things (i.e., the one thousand years) he must be released for a short time” (vs. 3c). It is significant to note that Satan “must be released” (italics mine). “Must” is the Greek verb dei which points to a logical as well as a moral necessity. It looks at a constraint arising from the divine appointment or purpose of something. Why is he not permanently bound or cast directly into the lake of fire? Why is it necessary for him to once again be released? This is an important question, but since verses 7-9 are devoted to his release, we will save the answer and discuss it then. But let’s not miss the fact that his release is for a short time only.

Jack Van Impe: the Targum (Aramaic paraphrase of the Old Testament), Talmud (a vast compendium of Jewish las and lore), and Midrash (an interpretive method to penetrate the deepest meaning of a Hebrew passage) all have concluded there will be a literal thousand year period when the Messiah will reign on earth.7

Van Impe: What a victorious sight John now sees-an angel coming from heaven with a key and a chain in his hand for the purpose of opening the bottomless pit and binding Satan for one thousand years. Some scholars believe the angel to be Christ himself because he has the keys of hell and death (chapter 1, verse 18). This is a distinct possibility. However, one who possesses keys often loans them to another when help is needed. Thus, the angel might be Michael, the archangel. The important observation here is that Christ's ownership of the keys-which open the pit of the abyss for Satan-is by virtue of His completed work upon Calvary's cross. Remember His statement in verse 18 of chapter 1: I am he that liveth, and was dead; [Calvary]; and, behold, I am alive for evermore [the Resurrection], Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. The chain carried by the angel is used to bind the villain of the ages-called the dragon, that old serpent...the Devil, and Satan-for 1,000 years. What horrid titles the evil one bears! Dragon, in Hebrew, pictures a hideous monster. The term old serpent portrays the slithering snake who brought ruination upon the entire human race through his deceitful work in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:1-6). Satan means "slander," for he is the accuser of [the] brethren as we learned in chapter 12, verse 10, and he is also the father of slanderers and gossips (see John 8:44). Devil means "adversary" or "foe," and surely Satan has been a foe of Christ and His followers until this present moment in our text. Now, at last, he is cast into the bottomless pit, shut up and sealed for a Millennium (verse 3). The bottomless pit is not the lake of fire into which the beast and false prophet were cast in chapter 19, verse 20. Rather, it is a temporary prison where Satan is incarcerated for ten centuries in order that peace, prosperity, happiness, and holiness may exist on earth during Christ's millennial reign. At the end of this time, he is loosed [for] a little

7 Van Impe, Jack, 2001: On the Edge of Eternity, Pg 28

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season, leads one final revolt against God, and is subsequently cast into the eternal lake of fire. . .where the beast and the false prophet are (chapter 20, verse 10).8

McGee: You will notice that the thousand years are mentioned two times in verses 1–3; they are mentioned a total of six times in the twentieth chapter. It is true that the Millennium is mentioned only in one chapter, but God mentions it six times. How many times does He have to say a thing before it becomes true? He mentions it more than He mentions some other things that people emphasize and think are important just because they occur once or twice in Scripture. Six times the thousand years are mentioned, and here it is in relationship to Satan.

There are some expositors who separate this section from the Millennium, classifying it as the closing scene of the Day of Wrath. This view takes the edge from the sharp distinction that there will be on earth at the removal of Satan. His incarceration and total absence from the earth change conditions from darkness to light. He is the god of this age; he is the prince of the power of the air, and his power and influence in the world are enormous—beyond the calculations of any computer. His withdrawal makes way for the Millennium, for with him loose, there can be no Millennium. Therefore, we see that Satan’s relationship to the Millennium is this: he must be removed from the earth’s scene before it can take place. Men talk about bringing peace on this earth, about producing prosperity, and all that sort of thing. The world system will finally be headed up in the Antichrist, and he will not be able to accomplish peace and prosperity, although for a while it will look as if he will. But as long as Satan is abroad in this world, you cannot have a Utopia down here. You cannot have an ideal situation with him loose.

“An angel…. laid hold on the dragon”—Satan’s great power is reduced, for an ordinary angel becomes his jailor and leads him away captive (see Jude 9; Rev. 12:7–9).

“The abyss” is a better description of the prison than is “the bottomless pit.” In either case, it is not the lake of fire, which we shall see in verse 10.

“After that he must be loosed for a little time” is one of the imponderable statements of Scripture. Why is Satan loosed after God once had him put in the abyss in chains? Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer’s answer to this question is significant: “If you will tell me why God let him loose in the first place, I’ll tell you why God let him loose in the second place.” Why did God let him loose? God has a great purpose in it. This is the great problem of evil: Why has God permitted it? Well, I believe that God is working out a tremendous program which is the mystery of God that is yet to be revealed to us. It is going to be revealed someday, and all He is asking us to do is to walk with Him by faith. We need to trust God and know that whatever He is doing is right.

I remember one time when my dad took me with him on a trip in his horse and buggy. A storm came up out there in west Texas and, being just a boy, I was frightened. The wind was blowing up a real storm, and we were getting wet. I never shall forget that my dad put his arm around me and said, “Son, you can trust me.” I just snuggled right up to him and trusted him, and we got through the storm. My earthly father gone—he died when I was fourteen. I didn’t have my earthly father very long, but I have had a heavenly Father now for a great many years whom I trust through the storms of this life. In all these problems that come up, I wish I had the answers to give you, but I don’t—so let’s both trust Him.

8 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe

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I once read a book on the problem of evil. When I finished the book, we still had the problem of evil—the author did not solve it. It took him about two hundred pages to say what I can say in one sentence: I do not know the answer to the problem of evil. But, my friend, we will get the answer someday if we walk by faith.

God had Satan incarcerated for one thousand years because there could not be a Millennium without that.9

Chuck Smith: Satan at the present time is in control of the world system. Paul the apostle said, "At one time you all walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air that even now is working in the children of disobedience among whom you all once had your manner of living" (Ephesians 2:2). But he called Satan the prince of this world. Jesus refers to him as such. Satan is in control. It belongs to him. When Jesus came, He came to redeem the world back to God. Satan offered Him a deal. "Bow down and worship me and I will give you the kingdoms of the world and the glory." And Jesus said, "It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shall you serve." But Satan was offering a compromise. He was offering an escape from the cross. But Jesus paid the price and redeemed the world that it might be God's once again. And when He comes, he is coming to claim that which He redeemed, to claim His purchased possession. And so the world is still in Satan's hands. Technically, it now belongs to Jesus. He paid the price to redeem it, but He has not yet taken possession of that which He has purchased; will do that in the near future. To me it is interesting that it has been under Satan's power and control for about six thousand years. If you go back to the time that Adam disobeyed God and turned the world over to Satan and was ejected from the garden, that was just about six thousand years ago; short just a few years. And I believe the Lord is going to allow Satan to have it for six thousand years. When a man was sold into slavery he remained a slave for six years and our period of bondage and slavery to sin is about over. Satan has just about had his time, his realm. The day of redemption is at hand. And all creation groans and travails as they wait together for the manifestations of the sons of God to wit the redemption of our bodies. So, now the time has come and Satan is cast into the abusso during the thousand years that Jesus reigns upon the earth with His church. Satan will be bound. He will not be deceiving the nations, but Jesus will be reigning. His kingdom will be here on earth and His will being done here on earth even as it is in heaven.10

Chuck Smith: So, these first thrones that he sees are the thrones upon which the church does sit. Jesus said to the church of Laodicea, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throne even as I have sat down with my Father on his throne"(Rev 3:21). And so the promise of sitting on their thrones and judgment given unto them. "Know ye not," Paul said, "that you are going to judge the angels"(1 Corinthians 6:3). So, those martyred saints during the Great Tribulation period who had faced the antichrist and had been killed by the antichrist for their refusal to receive the mark, they

9McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1055). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.10 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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too will be numbered with the class who reign with Christ in his reign upon the earth for a thousand years.11

Revelation 20:4And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Four classes of participants:1. OT Saints (Dan 12:1-4; Isa 25:8-9);2. Church (Rev 5:10; 2:26-28; 3:12, 21; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Tim 2:12);3. Tribulation Martyrs (Rev 6:9);4. Tribulation saints, living, “worshipped not the beast.”

[And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them] The thrones here are those that saints will have, proving that all saints will rule with Christ in some capacity as kings and priests (Rev. 1:6; Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 3:21; Rev. 5:10; Rev. 12:5; Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 22:4-5; Luke 22:30; Romans 8:17; 1 Cor. 6:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:12; Hebrews 12:28; Psalm 149:6-9; Daniel 7:18,27).

Looking at Scripture as a whole, the kingdom will be inhabited in the beginning by two categories of saints. First, there will be resurrected saints in glorified bodies like that of our Lord (Phil. 3:21). This will include Old Testament saints, church age saints (the bride of Christ), and Tribulation martyrs. Second, there will be those Tribulation saints who escaped death and were preserved through the Tribulation to go into the kingdom of our Lord (Matt. 24:13; 25:10, 30, 32-34; Rev. 14:1). These believers will have mortal bodies like ours today and during the course of the Millennium they will beget children. These children will also, regardless of the personal and glorious presence of Christ, need to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior by faith. This fact will provide the potential for a third category of people in the Millennium, unbelievers in mortal bodies, men and women susceptible to the deceptions of Satan. These will form the constituency for the last-time revolt under Satan’s final deception.

These verses are complicated by a lack of specifics respecting just who is included here. Who are these sitting upon the thrones with judgment given to them? Also are there two groups here or three? Some see three groups: (1) those sitting upon the thrones with judgment given to them, (2) those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and (3) those who had not worshipped the beast. Most likely, however, we have only two groups with the so-called third being only a further description and reason why the second group was beheaded. We could translate, “… and because of the Word of God, even those who had not worshipped the beast or his

11 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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image,…” In the first description we are told of the method of their death along with the ultimate cause of their death—their witness for Jesus and the Word. In the next description we see the more immediate cause and the effect of their faith in Christ and the Word—their refusal to worship the beast.The first group undoubtedly refers to church saints because of the many specific promises given to the church regarding judgment and ruling with Christ (cf. Luke 22:29-30 [the apostles were members of the church and represent the church], 1 Cor. 6:2-3; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21).

Two Classes of Eternal People (Dake’s Notes)

If one will keep in mind that there will be two classes of eternal people, eternal conditions on earth will be simple to comprehend.

1. Natural people will live from the future tribulation period through the Millennium and then on into the New Earth forever—if they do not commit sin or rebel with Satan at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10; Matthew 13:39-50;25:46).

2. Resurrected people who have part in the first resurrection will be the eternal rulers of the eternal generations of natural people (note, Rev. 20:4). The resurrected people will not marry or give in marriage (Matthew 22:30); but the natural people who are alive at the second coming and who are permitted to be subjects of the eternal kingdom will marry, have children, and carry out the natural program as God intended when He created Adam. They will live forever by virtue of the tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2), not by virtue of a resurrection and a change from mortality to immortality as with glorified saints (1 Cor. 15:51-58; Phil. 3:21).12

[beheaded for the witnes of Jesus] Six reasons for their beheading:

1. For the witness (testimony) of Jesus2. For the Word of God3. For not worshiping the beast4. For not worshiping his image5. For not taking his mark upon their foreheads6. For not taking his mark in their hands

They (the tribulation saints) lived (were resurrected) and reigned with Christ 1,000 years.

Van Impe: John now observes thrones occupied for judgment. Who sits upon them? Members of the first resurrection-which includes the Old Testament saints, Church Age saints, and Tribulation saints. The resurrection of the Old Testament believers is described in Daniel 12:1 and 2, and the resurrection of New Testament saints in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:15-54. As we have seen, the resurrection of the martyred Tribulation saints undoubtedly occurs at the glorious appearing of Christ (Titus 2:13) when He returns to earth. Chapter 6, verses 9 through 11, presented this view. At that point these martyrs awaited their resurrection but were told to wait yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.12 Dakes Study Notes

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Thus, we see that the thrones are occupied by resurrected believers from Adam onward, inclusive of the last Tribulation martyrs. Each has been a participant in the first resurrection. These saints are entitled to sit upon thrones because they are members of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9). Christ has made them kings and priests (chapter 5, verse 10).13

JNTC: Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them received authority to judge …. They came to life and ruled with the Messiah for a thousand years. Compare Daniel’s prophecy: “As I looked, thrones were placed, … and millions … sat in judgment …. And the time came when the holy ones possessed the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:9–10, 22)

According to G. E. Ladd, “[Revelation 20:4–6] is the only passage in the entire Bible which teaches a temporal millennial kingdom, and there is only one other passage in the New Testament which may envisage a temporal reign of Christ between his parousia [coming] and the telos [consummation, final goal]: I Cor. 15:23–24.” (Revelation, p. 267)

But elsewhere Yeshua promises to share his rulership with believers (2:26–28, 3:21, 5:9–10; Mt 19:28; 1C 6:2).

Also those who had not worshipped the beast …. Greek kai could mean not “also” but “in other words,” in which case there is only one group ruling with the Messiah, not two. 14

Revelation 20:5But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

There are two resurrections:Dan 12:2; Jn 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Lk 14:14 (“of the just”). The first resurrection is a “category,” not a single event. This can get confusing.

[This is the first ressurection] The resurrection of the tribulation saints and the two witnesses (Rev. 6:9-11; Rev. 7:9-17; Rev. 11:12; Rev. 15:2-4; Rev. 20:4-6) complete the first resurrection of all the righteous dead before the 1,000 years.

(Dan 12:1-4) 1And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 2And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 4But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book,

13 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe14Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:4). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

First resurrection – category more than event resurrection to everlasting life, and second resurrection to shame and everlasting contempt.

[resurrection] Greek word for resurrection: anastasei: “to stand up”; a bodily resurrection. The thrones are literal; the martyrs are literal; Jesus is literal; the resurrection is literal; the thousand years are literal.

[rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished] The wicked dead who were not blessed and holy and who were not in the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-5). This proves 1,000 years between the first and second resurrections—the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked (Rev. 20:4-6,7-15).

(John 5:28-29) 28Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

The first resurrection is called the resurrection of life or the resurrection of believers. The second resurrection is called the resurrection of damnation or the resurrection of unbelievers. This verse reveals that there will be a thousand years between the two.The first resurrection is in four phases:

Phase 1 the resurrection of Christ and some Old Testament SaintsPhase 2 the resurrection of the Church at the RapturePhase 3 the resurrection of the two witnessesPhase 4 the resurrection of the Tribulation Saints at the end of the

Tribulation Period.Second Resurrection: the unbelievers at the end of the Millennium.

“The rest of the dead…” (vs. 5a) refers to all unbelieving dead of all time, from Cain through the end of the Tribulation. This does not refer just to the spiritually dead, but to all the unbelieving dead in the grave (the body) and in torments (the temporary abode of souls of all unbelieving dead) until the second resurrection of the unjust to the great white throne judgment. The exceptions are the beast and the false prophet (Rev. 19:20), and perhaps those judged by the Lord in the judgment of the Jews and Gentiles at His return to earth (Matt. 25).

Van Impe: The closing sentence of this verse, This is the first resurrection, should have been the conclusion of verse 4. The transition from verse 4 to verse 5 would then be: And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. [This is the first resurrection.] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This clarifies

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the issue. The dead of verse 5-raised a thousand years later-could not be part of the first resurrection (those of verse 4)-because...15

Chuck Smith: Now the first resurrection began with Jesus Christ. He is the first fruits of those who rise from the dead. When Jesus rose from the dead, he lead the captives from their captivity, those Old Testament saints that were waiting in faith with Abraham for the promises of God to be fulfilled. Jesus went into the prison, preached to those souls in prison and when He came out he lead them from their captivity. "He who has ascended," Paul said, "is the one who first of all descended into the lower parts of the earth and when he ascended he lead the captives from their captivity"(Ephesians 4:8-9). And he opened the prison to those that were bound. And He set the captive free according to the prophecy in Isaiah sixty-one. That is the beginning of the first resurrection. The first resurrection will be complete when the final person is martyred, who is to be martyred by the antichrist during the Great Tribulation period. That will make up the group in the first resurrection. Going back to the time of Adam and Abel, those righteous of the Old Testament who waited for the promise of God, on through to the church and beyond the church, to those martyred saints during the Great Tribulation all making up the first resurrection.16

Revelation 20:6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Sixth of the seven beatitudes in Revelation. (Final: 21:70); cf. Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8.

[the second death] Twice dead? (Jude 12) If we are born twice we only die once, if we are only born once we die twice.

Physical Death (1st): Separation of the body and soul;Spiritual Death (2nd): Separation of the soul from God.

“...shall be priests...shall reign with him”: Kings and priests. Reigning with Him; incredible!! [Cf. 24 Elders...]

Van Impe: Since the remaining dead come forth one thousand years later, we immediately understand that they cannot be part of the first resurrection. Those who take part in the first resurrection reign with Christ during the Millennium, while the members of this group remain in their graves. They, in turn, are raised for the Great White Throne Judgment after the 1,000 years.17

McGee: Many are going to die for Christ in the Great Tribulation Period, but they will live again and reign with Christ one thousand years. The tribulation saints are going to 15 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe16 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation17 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe

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trade in three and one-half years for one thousand years. I would say they are getting a pretty good deal. Those three and one-half years will be rugged and terrible, but the thousand years are going to be wonderful—imagine living and reigning with Christ upon this earth!

This prophecy is like any other prophecy in Scripture: “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Pet. 1:20). That is, you cannot just lift out a verse of Scripture and base doctrine on it; you need to have the corroboration of other Scriptures. When this passage here is treated as a dignified statement of literal facts, it becomes reasonable, and it fits into the entire program of prophecy which we have been following. Any attempt to reduce it to the lowest common denominator of fanciful and figurative symbols makes the passage an absurdity. To spiritualize this passage is to disembowel all Scripture of vital meaning, making the interpretation of Scripture a reductio ad absurdum.

The thrones are literal; the martyrs are literal; Jesus is literal; the Word of God is literal; the Beast is literal; the image is literal; the mark of the Beast is literal; their foreheads and their hands are literal; and the thousand years are literal. It is all literal. A thousand years means a thousand years. If God meant that it was eternal, I think He would have said so. If He meant it was five hundred years, He would have said so. Cannot God say what He means? Of course He can, and when He says a thousand years, He means a thousand years.

The Greek word for “resurrection” is anastasei, which means “to stand up, a bodily resurrection.” It is rather difficult for a spirit to stand up, and those who spiritualize this section are at a loss to explain just how a spirit stands up! This is the same word used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 for the resurrection of Christ and believers.

“And I saw thrones and they sat upon them” is the one statement that is not entirely clear. Who are “they”? It is my judgment that they must be the total number of those who have part in the first resurrection, which includes the saved of all ages.

The first resurrection began with the resurrection of Christ. Then it is followed by the resurrection (at the Rapture) of His church sometime more than nineteen hundred years later—but before the Great Tribulation (see Rev. 4). At the end of the Great Tribulation is the resurrection of both the tribulation saints (“the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God; and whosoever worshipped not the wild beast”) and the Old Testament saints (see Dan. 12:1–2). The diagram above gives the resurrection as a parade. Christ, the firstfruits of resurrection, leads the parade.

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It is a rather simple and naïve notion to think that somehow or another the world is going to end, Jesus will come, the dead will be raised, He will put the good guys on one side and the bad guys on the other, they will move into eternity, and that is it. My friend, God follows a very definite program; He always has, and He moves intelligently.

The tribulation saints and the Old Testament saints will evidently reign on this earth with Christ. I believe that David will be His vicegerent. The church, which is the bride of Christ, will reside in the New Jerusalem where she reigns with Him from that exalted place and, I believe, over a great deal of God’s creation. Christ will commute from the New Jerusalem to the old Jerusalem on this earth. And I suppose that the church also will travel back and forth between its heavenly home and the earth.

Multitudes of both Israel and the Gentiles will enter the kingdom in natural bodies, not having died. These are the ones, together with those who are born during the Millennium, who are tested during this millennial period. As Christ in a glorified body mingled with His apostles and followers, so the church in glorified bodies will mingle with the multitudes in their natural bodies here on the earth. In glorified bodies, the church will be able to move out into space. That will be the first time I will do any space traveling, I can assure you of that. Gravitation will not be able to grab me by the seat of my pants and pull me back to the earth in that day.

“They shall be priests of God” refers to the entire nation of Israel. This was God’s original purpose for Israel: “And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel” (Exod. 19:6). Abraham was a priest in his family. Levi was the priestly tribe, with the family of Aaron serving as high priest. In the theocratic kingdom here on this earth, the entire nation of Israel will be priests.

In Scripture there is more prophecy concerning the Millennium than of any other period. The kingdom was the theme of the Old Testament prophets. I do not know how else you would interpret it. In our day we hear very little about the minor prophets. There is a great silence, a great vacuum and void, when it comes to the teaching of the minor prophets, yet all of them look forward to the Millennium, that kingdom which is coming on the earth.18

JNTC: The first resurrection is the coming to life of God’s holy people, as described in vv. 4 and 6. The second resurrection is not mentioned as such; it is implied by the parenthetical remark that the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over (see v. 12), at which time they are alive only long enough to experience the second death (see v. 14, 2:11), which has no power over the believers.

They will be cohanim, “priests,” of God and of the Messiah. “You [the people of Israel] shall be for me [God] a kingdom of cohanim and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). “You [believers in Yeshua] are … the King’s cohanim” (1 Ke 2:9, alluding to Exodus 19:6, Isaiah 61:6). These promises reach their fulfillment here. 19

18McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1057). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.19Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:5). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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Chuck Smith: So, this millennial reign of Christ in which we will reign with him upon the earth for a thousand years. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment upon the earth was a prophecy by Enoch quoted in the book of Jude. Paul said, "When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). And so coming with His saints to establish His kingdom upon the earth. Now, this is different from the rapture of the church. Then He is coming for His saints. When He comes again in power and glory, He will be coming with His saints. I expect to have a part in both.20

Revelation 20:7And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Satan bound 1000 years. Yet future (or his chain is too long!) Why? Explain to me the first time, and I’ll explain the second!

Satan is always unwillingly performing the will of God. We will not understand this until we have the whole picture.

Previously, in verse 3, this release of Satan was anticipated and presented as a must, a moral necessity in the fulfillment of the plan and purposes of God for human history. This was followed by a brief mention of the reign of Christ and the reward of saints who will reign with Him for the thousand years. But nothing of the character and nature of the Millennium is given in Revelation 20. However, the nature of the Millennium is the subject of much Old Testament prophecy as in Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:7-9; and Psalm 72. Here in chapter 20 it is assumed that the reader knows and understands this so that aspect is not covered. Remember that it is a time of unprecedented peace, prosperity, justice, righteousness and holiness-politically, physically, spiritually and morally. This is due to two important facts of the Millennium, i.e., (1) the removal of Satan and his demon hosts, and (2) to the presence and perfect reign of the Lord Jesus Christ as the glorified Son of God in all His perfect wisdom and power.

[are completed] Again as in verse 5 we have the aorist passive of the verb teleo„. The passive voice brings out God’s activity and involvement in the outworking and accomplishment of this age of a thousand years. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist and looks at the results, i.e., what this period will prove or demonstrate. The verb teleo„ means not simply “completed,” but “brought to its goal and purpose.”There are several doctrinal principles which can be gleaned here: (a) God has special purposes in the outworking of each dispensation (or economy) and the culmination of each does not simply end them, but accomplishes and demonstrates certain goals and purposes that God has for history during that administration of His plan. (b) Each dispensation provides new conditions and opportunities to test man from every conceivable angle as well as new opportunities to reveal the character and nature of Satan

20 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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and man under those different conditions. (c) It also provides new ways to demonstrate God’s glory, character, mercy and grace, and divine provision for man. The Millennium is the seventh and final test which accomplishes this effect. We will look at the purpose of the Millennium followed by the release of Satan below.

[Satan shall be loosed out of his prison] Satan's post-millennial career and doom:

1. When the 1,000 years are up it will be time for the separation and destruction of all rebels, including Satan and the renovation of the heavens and the earth by fire, which will result in the New Heaven and New Earth (2 Peter 3:10-13; Rev. 20:7-10; Rev. 21:1-22:5).

2. Satan, his angels and demons will be loosed from the abyss (Rev. 20:7; Isaiah 24:22).3. Satan and his hosts will go throughout the earth to deceive the nations who have not

wanted the reign of Christ and who, in their hearts, have longed for an opportunity to get rid of such strict laws and rigid suppression of their lusts (Rev. 20:8; Ephes. 2:1-3).

4. The rebels will mobilize in the land of Gog and Magog, north of Palestine in Asia and ascend upon Jerusalem from the north (Rev. 20:8; cp. Ezekiel 38-39 which refers to the same part of the earth, but to an event before the Millennium).

5. The rebels from all parts of the earth will surround the camp of the saints and the capital, Jerusalem (Rev. 20:9).

6. Fire will come down from God out of heaven and devour every rebel (Rev. 20:9; 2 Peter 3:10-13).

7. The devil will be taken and cast into the lake of fire forever (Rev. 20:10).

Revelation 20:8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

[And shall go out to deceive the nations] declares the immediate purpose for Satan’s release. As a fallen angel who is confirmed in his rebellion, this prison term will have no effect on Satan. He will still be ho satanas, the adversary, the arch enemy of God and confirmed in his rebellion and perversity. Thus, immediately upon release he will engage in his age-old schemes of deception, disruption, and war.

[Gog and Magog] show up again? Magog is a people; but how can Gog still be alive after 1000 years? He is a demon king. Amos 7:1(LXX) “King of the Locusts” (vs. Prov 30:27; cf. Rev 9 notes.)

These names are used appositionally to describe the nations though they are used without any explanation; they are simply introduced as a description of the nations from the four corners of the earth. Though expositors disagree in their understanding of Gog and Magog, this is not the same as Ezekiel 38 and 39. This is evident from several things: (a) The invasion in Ezekiel comes from the north, but this one comes from all directions; (b)

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Ezekiel’s battle seems to occur about the first or the middle of the Tribulation when the people of Israel are trusting in the treaty with the beast, but this battle occurs over a thousand years later, after Christ comes to earth; (c) In Ezekiel, Gog and Magog are the names given the ruler from the north and his land, a territory now occupied by Russia, but according to Ezekiel these will be decisively wiped out in the Tribulation.

So why use this term here? Because, from its use in the Ezekiel passage, these names stand symbolically for a rebellious and war-like people and for the nations in rebellion against God and His people (Psalm 2) who will be crushed. As Walvoord suggests, it may be used like we use “waterloo” to express a disastrous battle, but one not directly related to the historic situation. The ties are the nature of the people, rebellious, and their defeat, complete disaster!

Amos 7:1 Earlier text, LXX: “The Lord hath shown me, and, Behold, a swarm of locusts were coming, and behold, one of the young devastating locusts was Gog the King.”

This is not to be confused with Ezekiel 38-39: which is from the north, not from the four corners of the earth, and is before the Second Coming, etc. The time, place, and participants are all different. Gog and Magog has become an idiom by then. This is a second occurrence of a “final” battle. Armageddon is not the final battle.

[The nations which are in the four corners of the earth] shows his deceptions will reach out to the entire earth. But who will he be able to deceive? Walvoord says:

These who are tempted are the descendants of the Tribulation saints who survive the Tribulation and enter the millennium in their natural bodies.…The children of those entering the millennium far outnumber the parents, and undoubtedly the earth is teeming with inhabitants at the conclusion of the thousand year reign of Christ. Outwardly they have been required to conform to the rule of the king and make a profession of obedience to Christ. In many cases, however, this was mere outward conformity without inward reality, and in their experience of real temptation they are easy victims of Satan’s wiles.21

Walvoord quotes William Hoste in his book, The Visions of John the Divine:The golden age of the kingdom will last a thousand years, during which righteousness will reign, and peace, prosperity, and the knowledge of God will be universally enjoyed. But this will not entail universal conversion, and all profession must be tested.…Will not a thousand years under the beneficent sway of Christ and the manifested glory of God suffice to render men immune to his [Satan’s] temptations, will they not have radically changed for the better, and become by the altered conditions of life and the absence of Satanic temptations, children of God and lovers of His will? Alas! It will be proved once more that man whatever his

21 Walvoord, p. 302.

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advantages and environment, apart from the grace of God and the new birth, remains at heart only evil and at enmity with God.22

JNTC: To deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth, God and Magog, to gather them for battle. Compare the structure of Ezekiel 36–48 with Revelation 20–22. Ezekiel 36–37 speaks of Israel’s salvation, with David ruling over them (compare this chapter, vv. 1–6). In Ezekiel 38–39 Gog from Magog interrupts this rule with an eschatological battle, in which the nations come against the Kingdom (compare this chapter, vv. 7–10). The final order is described in Ezekiel 40–48 in terms of a rebuilt temple in a new Jerusalem (compare Revelation 21–22). In both places a temporal kingdom is followed by an eternal kingdom after a final war.

Ezekiel writes that Gog, from the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshekh and Tuval, will come with armies from a number of other places against the Jewish people regathered into the Land of Israel from the other nations and living at peace in unwalled towns. Those nations are the same in Ezekiel 38 as in Ezekiel 27, in the lament against the king of Tyre, who is, as is clearest from Ezekiel 28:11–19, a stand-in for Satan.23

Chuck Smith: It is amazing that after one thousand years of Christ reigning upon the earth that people living in the reign of Christ will be deceived and turn with Satan to try to destroy Jesus Christ again. Multitudes of them will try, as many as the sand of the sea. That is a numberless multitude. You say how could that be? I don't know. How could it be that man rebels today? I don't see how a logical thinking reasonable man could really set himself against God and rebel against God. I don't see how a person could do it, except that Satan has blinded their eyes that they cannot see the truth. They are really blind spiritually. "The natural man does not understand the things of the spirit neither can he know them" (1 Corinthians 2:14). And that is the only explanation I can give. Having eyes to see, they will not see. There is none so blind as those who will not see. And there are people who just say, "I don't want to see it or don't want to hear it. Don't confuse me with the facts. I have made up my mind. Just leave me alone." And they just set their mind against it. And why and for what purpose? I don't know. For God only has your good at His heart. God is only interested in what is best for you. Why should you fight that? You are fighting against your own good and your own welfare, your own destiny. And why a person would want to do that I cannot understand, but such is and shall be the case. Now, these souls that Satan deceives are those who are born during the thousand-year reign of Christ. We will be in our glorified bodies. Now what all the capacities of these bodies will be, I do not know. "We are now the sons of God. It doth not yet appear what we are going to be, but we know when He appears we are going to be like Him. We will see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2). I am certain we are going to have a lot of interesting marvelous capacities in our new glorified bodies. For one I am not going to have to get on a stupid 747 to get all the way over to Israel and take seventeen hours in the air and arrive there weary and tired from jetlag. I really

22 Walvoord, p. 302, quoting William Hoste, The Visions of John the Divine, pages 160-161.23Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:8). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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believe that in my new body I will be able to get there, zip, in a moment of time. "Hey, let's cruise over to Jerusalem and see what is going on." Poof. We're there. I think there are going to be a lot of capacities in our new bodies that the Lord has for us. They are sort of a universal body. We can say, "Hey, let's head out to the moon and see what is happening there." They are adaptable for anywhere. This body is only adaptable for the planet earth. It is out of the earth and for the earth. I am going to have a new body, which is of the heavens and universal. We are born in the image of the earth, earthy, so shall we bear the image of the heavens. So, I am sort of excited about the new body. I know it is not going to have gimpy knees and crumbling teeth and fading eyesight. In fact, we'll probably have telescopic type of sight right through the walls of the houses. I think that we will have precognition. I think that we will know in advance when someone is planning to do something wrong. So, zip, we are right there and we can say, "No, no, no." And if they persist then, "bong", ruling with a rod of iron. It is going to be interesting to say the least. So, Satan deceived them that have been born during the thousand-year reign of Christ, who have never really had an opportunity to express their rebellion against God. They have been forced to serve Jesus Christ. They have been forced to live by the laws of God. And man will reveal once and forever the righteousness of God's judgment in ridding the world and the universe of such rebels. The fact that after living for a thousand years in the ideal environment of God's kingdom and at that they rebel. Now, notice that Satan is really a tool of God and under God's control. When God wants, He can chain him and will, and then release him again for a short time and then incarcerate him forever. But he is just serving a purpose of God. But it sort of points up the fallacy that some people so foolishly declare, and that is, hey, God says that all are sinners. So by my sin, I am only proving that God tells the truth. So how can God judge me for sinning when I am only proving that He is a true God? Such type of reasoning deserves its own judgment. "Let us do evil that good might come, because where sin abounds grace overflows" (Romans 3:8). Well, then lets go out and sin, so God can show His grace.24

Revelation 20:9And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

There will probably be more people in this period than any other due to the perfectenvironment: no disease or lack of anything, etc, the curse will be lifted.

Even after 1000 years of perfect rule, there is enough evil resident in the heart of man that, given an opportunity, he still rebels... We belong to a fallen race, and every human being is born with an essentially evil nature. A perfect government, and environment still reveals the fallen nature of man. A perfect environment cannot produce a perfect heart. The serious nature of our own heart can only be known by the Word of God.

24 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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(Jer 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

[camp] The word “camp,” the Greek parembole„, refers to those in battle, an army in battle array, hence a “fortified camp, fortress,” or “citadel.”

Walvoord suggest that, … here the term seems to refer to the city of Jerusalem itself which is described as ‘the beloved city’ (cf. Psalm 78:68; 87:2). Apparently Christ permits the army to assemble and encircle the capital city. No sooner has the army of Satan been assembled, however, than fire comes down from God out of heaven, and the besiegers are destroyed, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This shatters the last vain attempt of Satan to claim a place of prominence and worship in attempted usurpation of the prerogatives of God.25

But please note something else: here also ends the vain idea of man that if he just had a perfect environment, the world would be a wonderful place without war and conquest. If man just had a perfect environment he would willingly serve others and the God who created and redeemed him. But this is false because it fails to take into account the fallen nature of man and his desperate need of the redemptive work of Christ. So even in the perfect situation of the millennial reign of Christ, countless numbers immediately respond to the first temptation to rebel. However, they are quickly destroyed and this brings an end to the rebellion of the nations and to Satan’s career.

Throughout the history of mankind, but especially in the last days of apostasy, man in his human viewpoint and satanic viewpoint has tried to believe that man is basically good, that within man is a divine spark which only needs fanning, i.e., good opportunities, the perfect environment, the great society, etc. In other words, take away all the inequalities, give everyone a fair shake, and we will have a wonderful world. Today we hear a great deal about reforming the criminal element, they only went bad because of a bad environment, etc., which of course cannot change as long as Satan is around and Jesus Christ is absent. Man has also believed, especially today, that what we need is a one-world state with an international police force and that this would bring world peace and an end of wars. But as we have seen in our study of Revelation, this will only pave the way for the beast and his godless system of tyranny and murder.

25 Walvoord, p. 304.

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Remember that God’s purpose with the various economies is to give new opportunities and tests from every conceivable angle. In the Millennium, therefore, God gives man his great society, one which exceeds anything man could ever dream of, a society and world order with a perfect environment. Then at the end he releases Satan. Again we ask WHY? To the above reasons let me add the following for further reiteration:

1. To show the frightfully and totally bankrupt condition of man and that what he needs is not a great society with all evils removed (a perfect environment), but that any effective and lasting change must come from within through God’s grace plan of salvation which regenerates and gives new life and spiritual capacity. Nothing else can permanently change man.

2. To further substantiate God’s case against Satan, that Satan is the liar, the slanderer, and the deceiver, and a large degree the cause of man’s misery.

3. To show that God is absolutely just in His sentence of Satan to the lake of fire (vs. 10—his permanent, eternal prison); and that God is perfect holiness and His actions are always consistent with His character.

Van Impe: This portion of Scripture has caused many people great concern. They ask, "Why should Satan be loosed for a short season? What purpose could God have in unchaining this monster after one thousand years of blessed peace?" The answer is, "The free will of man." All persons who enter the Millennium are redeemed people (Isaiah 60:2 1 and Joel 2:28). However, one must remember that procreation still takes place during this era of time because those who survived the Tribulation hour enter the Millennium with human bodies. The believers upon the thrones possess resurrected bodies and do not bear children, but the others do. Consequently, the children born during this one-thousand-year period are born with the old Adamic, or sin, nature which has been an inherent part of man ever since the fall of Adam and Eve. Many of them, of course, accept Christ as their personal Saviour, but many do not! In addition, since Satan is bound, there is little to tempt them. They simply do not face the problems and trials which have confronted mankind in past ages. Satan's release, then, is to determine whether or not Christ is real to these children of the Millennium, or whether they have been submissive simply because He ruled with a rod of iron (chapter 19, verse 15). The truth is revealed as millions follow the devil. Yes, even after living with the Lord Jesus Christ for ten centuries, much of mankind rebels. Verses 8 and 9 inform us that Satan deceives the nations internationally (pictured by the four corners of the earth), and gathers them together for one last battle. The army is gigantic in number...as the sand of the sea. Once again the camp of God's people-the beloved city of Jerusalem-is surrounded, just as the armies of the Tribulation hour gathered against Jerusalem to battle (see Zechariah 14:1). Then, in an instant, God destroys them all with a devouring fire from heaven. To whom do the names Gog and Magog refer? In Ezekiel 38 and 39, they identify Russia. Not so in verse 8. Instead, they most likely indicate the memory of past brutality-much like the names Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and Iraq do today. As Gog and Magog (Russia) invades Israel and comes against Jerusalem during the Tribulation hour, such an indelible impression is left upon all the world that now- one thousand years later-the

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details are still vivid. Thus, this past war, fought in the same area, is brought to mind as Satan once again attempts to destroy Israel.26

McGee: Although the entire Book of Revelation deals with last things, especially do these last few chapters. Here is the last rebellion of Satan and man against God. The Millennium is a time of testing of man under ideal conditions, as this passage demonstrates. As soon as Satan is released, a great company, who have been under the personal reign of Christ under ideal circumstances, goes over to Satan. From where did such a company come is a worthy question. The answer lies in the fact that not only do multitudes enter the Millennium, but multitudes also are born during the Millennium (see Isa. 11:6; 65:20). This will be the time of the earth’s greatest population explosion. Disease will be eliminated. Since the curse of sin will be removed from the physical earth, it will produce enough foodstuffs to feed its greatest population. The human heart alone remains unchanged under these circumstances, and many will turn their backs on God and will go after Satan. This seems unbelievable, but what about today? Satan is doing pretty well in our day.

This rebellion following the Millennium reveals how terrible the heart of man is. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). You and I do not know how vile we really are. We just cannot bring our old nature into subjection to God. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). These folk will live under ideal conditions during Christ’s thousand-year reign, and I think they will get a little tired of it. When He reigns, He is really going to be a dictator—you had better stay in line or else. But they do not like staying in line; therefore, when the opportunity is offered to them to rebel, they rebel. The nations of the earth again will come under the spell of Satan and will plot a rebellion.

Because the rebellion is labeled “Gog and Magog,” many Bible students identify it with the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38–39. This is not possible at all, for the conflicts described are not parallel as to time, place, or participants—only the names are the same. The invasion from the north by Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38–39 breaks the false peace of the Antichrist and causes him to show his hand in the midst of the Great Tribulation. That rebellion of the godless forces from the north will have made such an impression on mankind that after one thousand years, that last rebellion of man bears the same label—Gog and Magog.

We have passed through a similar situation in this century. World War I was so devastating that when war again broke out in Europe, involving many of the same nations and even more, it was also labeled a World War, but it was differentiated by the number two. We have World War I, World War II, and people today are predicting World War III.

I can use a further illustration from my personal life. In my family there were so many Johns on both sides of the family that my mother decided I should be J. Vernon McGee. My “J” stands for John, but I have never been called John. An uncle, two grandfathers, and my dad were all named John. So you will understand why I bear the name of J. Vernon—I had to be separated from that crowd. Just because we had a similarity of names does not mean that we were all the same person.

26 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe

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The war in Ezekiel 38–39 relates to Gog and Magog I, and the reference here in Revelation 20:8 is to Gog and Magog II. Although the names are the same, this is a different war, the last rebellion of Satan. Just because the two events involve the same names does not mean they are the same.

In verse 9 there is the dropping of the last “atomic bomb.” The phrase, “from God,” is actually not in the best texts. It simply means that natural forces which destroyed Gog and Magog I will destroy Gog and Magog II.

This last resistance and rebellion against God is as foolish and futile as man’s first rebellion in the Garden of Eden. Here it is not the beginning but the ending of man’s disobedience to God. It is the finality of man’s rebellion. Nothing remains now but the final judgment.27

Revelation 20:10And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

After 1000 years, the “terrible twosome” is still there; there is no “annihilation” in theBible... Not where they were, not where they were destroyed, not where they were consumed, not where they were annihilated; but where they are.

[Into the lake of fire…] The lake of fire is literal. It is not just a figurative expression for hell on earth or for separation from God. It is a real, literal place. It is also everlasting. The Scripture does not teach that there will one day be a universal salvation of all mankind after they have suffered a while. This teaches the opposite idea—there will be no annihilation of the wicked. The lake of fire is not symbolic for annihilation. The word expressly teaches that there is a literal place in which there will be everlasting and constant torment.

[where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever] The beast and false prophet were cast into the lake of fire 1,000 years before this (Rev. 19:20). They are still there after 1,000 years, proving that hell and eternal torment are realities. If one cannot burn up in 1,000 years he will never do so (Rev. 14:9-11; Matthew 25:46; Isaiah 66:22-24).

[for ever and ever] This is very strong and literally means “unto the ages of the ages.” The beast and the false prophet are still there after a thousand years; they are not annihilated. Mark 9:43-48 shows that it does not end. Matthew 13:41-42; 8:12; 22:13; and 25:30 speak of weeping, etc. This shows there is not annihilation, but continual torment. Matthew 25:46 states the punishment is everlasting punishment and looks at what the person suffers. In Matthew 10:28 the reference to the destruction of the soul does not refer to its annihilation, but to the loss of its meaning and purpose of existence.

27McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1058). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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The Software is the resident of the hardware. The real you is software not hardware, software has no mass, not subject to gravity or time, therefore it has no time, and will go on for eternity.

Chuck Smith: "Aionios perusi aionos:" from the ages to the ages. It is the Greek word for eternity. Is Gehenna then eternal torment and punishment? Is that fair for God? I am not going to touch that issue. That is what it says here. Now, you may do what you want with it to explain it or explain it away or whatever, but I am not going to touch it. For over in chapter twenty-two I read, "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away His part out of the book of life and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in the book. If any man adds to the words of this prophecy, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book" (Rev 22:19). So, I am not going to touch it. You do what you want with it, but I am going to accept it as it is. You say, "Well, I don't understand it?" I don't understand it either, but I'm just going to leave it alone.28

Van Impe: This is the end for the deceiver of the ages. He is cast into the place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Many centuries were required for this slanderous culprit to reach his final destination. Now that he has arrived, he will experience nothing but continual torment-day and night-for ever and ever. Amen! We need to digress for a moment at this point, because many persons-Christians included-harbor a misconception about hell. Whenever they see or hear the term, they picture a place where a little red-suited gremlin stokes the fires and torments his victims with a pitchfork. Satan is neither the stoker nor does he torment his followers-and, as we have observed, he does not enter hell until after the Millennium. As we have already learned, Satan is the god of this world [system] (2 Corinthians 4:4), the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), and the ruler of heavens one and two-the aerial and stellar heavens. He retains this position until he is cast out of heaven (see chapter 12, verses 7-9). He then reigns on earth for the final forty-two months of the Tribulation period. Upon Christ's return to earth, Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, and then, following the Millennium, is released for a short season. Finally, he is cast into hell, or the lake of fire and brimstone, where he is tormented for all eternity. An understanding of these truths is essential to both victorious living and correct interpretation of the Book of Revelation. We now come to the most awesome portion of Scripture in the entire Bible-the judgment of the wicked.29

McGee: This is a most solemn statement, and it is rejected by this lovey-dovey age in which we live. However, it is a relief to God’s child to know that the enemy—both his and God’s—will at last be brought to permanent justice. There is nothing here to satisfy the curiosity or the sadistic taste. The fact is stated in a reverent reticence which is awe-inspiring. If man had written this, having said this much, he could not have restrained himself from saying more. In what Sir Robert Anderson calls “the wild utterances of

28 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation29 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe

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prophecy mongers,” we see that men do not hesitate to go farther than does the Word of God. The Word of God is very restrained—very little is said about this subject of hell, or even of heaven.

There are several facts here that contradict popular notions. First of all, the Devil is not in hell today. He is the prince of the power of the air. He is the one who controls this world to a large extent. God has limited him in our day, of course, but in the Great Tribulation Period, he will have full rein for a while.

In the second place, the Devil is not the first to be cast into hell. The wild Beast and the False Prophet will precede him by one thousand years.

Finally, hell is described as a lake of fire and brimstone. The Lord Jesus is the One who gave the most solemn description of hell. Consider these Scriptures: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12).

This ought to make anyone stop and think: How can hell be outer darkness and also a literal fire? Jesus Christ also said: “And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:42). “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44). In my thinking, fire is the best symbol that could be used of the reality that hell is. For instance, how are sins that men have committed in the spirit to be punished in the body? I believe that to be in outer darkness and the abyss is to be separated from God and to look back upon a life which has been misspent in this world. Can you think of any fire that would be hotter than for a man in hell to hear the voice of his son saying, “Dad, I followed you down here”? This is a solemn thing. A man asked Dr. Bill Anderson, “Suppose we get over there and find out that what you preach about hell is not true at all?” Dr. Anderson replied, “Then I will just have to apologize and say that I must have misunderstood the Lord. But suppose we get over there and find that it is true? What then?” My friend, it is true; this is the Word of God that we are looking at. We love John 3:16, but what do we think about this?

Fire is a very weak symbol of the reality of what it means to be lost, to be separated from God for eternity. You cannot reduce these descriptions to something less than the reality, because a symbol is always a poor representative of the real thing. Nor can you dissolve this into the thin air of make-believe. The reality far exceeds the description, and human language is beggarly in trying to depict the awful reality. Hell is a place; it is also a state. It is a place of conscious torment. This is the language of the Word of God—you cannot escape it.30

JNTC: This is the final event in the long and wicked history of the one who originated rebellion against God. Already at the beginning, after enticing Adam and Eve to commit the first human sin, God knew and said what the end would be: “I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman [Eve], and between your seed [all who sin and rejoice in the sin of others, whether angelic (Ep 6:10–13) or human (Ro 1:32)] and her seed [her descendants, i.e., humanity; but more particularly, the unique “seed” spoken of in Ga 3:16&N, Yeshua]; he [the Hebrew is singular, referring to Yeshua, not plural] will bruise [or:

30McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1059). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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crush] your head, and you will bruise their heel [the Hebrew is plural; humanity can be injured, Yeshua cannot].” (Genesis 3:15)

This prediction of Satan’s ultimate downfall is fulfilled in stages. Thus when Yeshua said, “Now is the time for this world to be judged, now the ruler of this world will be expelled” (Yn 12:31), he was speaking of how his death on the execution-stake would defeat the Adversary (compare Revelation 12). The Messianic Community also has a part in causing Satan’s ruin, as Sha’ul writes, “God, the source of shalom, will soon crush the Adversary under your feet” (Ro 16:20). In vv. 1–3 above that Adversary is chained in the Abyss, and here he is hurled into the lake of fire and sulfur (on this see v. 15) to be tormented forever and ever. 31

Revelation 20:11And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

Not to be confused with the Bema Seat.

[great white throne] Great White Throne Judgment (Dead): vs. Rev 4; Dan 7:9-11; Isa 6; Ezek 1; 1 Kgs 22:19; Ex 24:9-11.

Judge = Christ: Jn 5:22, 27, 29; Mt 19:28; Acts 10:42; 17:31.

No believers (Jn 5:24; cf. Mt 7:22-23).

The Great White Throne is what men mistakenly call the general judgment. It is general only in the sense that all the lost of all ages are raised to be judged here. All who are saved have been raised in the first resurrection. Even the tribulation saints had part in the first resurrection. This is the second resurrection in which the lost are raised to be given an equitable, fair, and just evaluation of their works in respect to their salvation.

Here is the last and final judgment of history following the close of the Millennium. It is an awesome and solemn scene and one which should cause deep concern to our hearts for many of our friends and even relatives will be here, those who have never received Jesus Christ as their Savior. All who have scoffed at God, denied His being, rebelled at His rule, or rejected His sovereignty, and in the process, have also rejected His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, must at this time stand before this throne to be condemned to eternal judgment. May the study of these verses make us more concerned and more committed to reaching the lost for Christ.

Heaven and earth are seen fleeing from the face of Him who sits on this throne. In other words, they are destroyed, dissolved (2 Pet. 3:7, 10-12). The point is the great white throne judgment does not occur on earth or in heaven as we know it, but somewhere

31Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:10). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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beyond, perhaps in extreme outer space. The indication is also clear that it does not occur in the new heaven and earth which is not created until after this event.In other words, God has removed Satan and demons, the false prophet, and the beast, etc., and He is about to judge the rest of the unbelieving dead. It is only fitting then, that He also judges the earth and heaven which has been the scene of the struggle with Satan, sin, and sinners. This evidently takes place after the resurrection of the unbelieving dead from the grave and Hades. They are resurrected, gathered before the throne and behold this destruction as heaven and earth are dissolved before their eyes. Then the judgment will proceed.“And no place was found for them,” i.e., for heaven and earth. In the eternal state there will be no place for that which reminds men of the rebellions of Satan and man with all their wickedness and sorrow (cf. 21:4; 22:3).

Note: Ecologists are doomed to failure—you cannot save the earth (Isa 65:17; Mt 24:35; 2 Pet 3:10-12; Heb 1:10-12).

(Isa 65:17-25) 17For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. 18But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. 19And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.

McGee: The Great White Throne is what men mistakenly call the general judgment. It is general only in the sense that all the lost of all ages are raised to be judged here. All who are saved have been raised in the first resurrection. Even the tribulation saints had part in the first resurrection. This is the second resurrection in which the lost are raised to be given an equitable, fair, and just evaluation of their works in respect to their salvation.

A man on his deathbed said to me, “Preacher, you just don’t need to talk to me about the future. I’ll take my chances. I believe God is going to be just and righteous and let me present my works.”

I told him, “You are right. He is just and righteous, and He will let you present your works. That is what He says He is going to do. But I have news for you: At that judgment

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nobody is saved, because you cannot be saved by your works. When you stand in the white light of the righteous presence of God, your little works will seem so puny that they won’t amount to anything at all.”

The other day our little grandson brought to his grandmother some flowers that he had picked. I want to tell you, they were a sad looking bunch of flowers. With great pride he gave them to his grandmother, and his grandmother patted him on the head and thanked him for the lovely flowers. As I looked at that scene, I could not help but smile, but I also immediately recognized how solemn it is going to be when a lot of these goody-goody boys stand with their little, bitty bouquets in the presence of a Christ whom they have rejected. They expect that He will be like a grandmother who will pat them on the head and say, “What a smart boy you were!” My friend, this is solemn, and this is serious. You need Him as Savior in order to stand in His presence; you need to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. Don’t you know that without this we are sinners and we are lost?

We like to compare ourselves with other people: “I’m as good as the Joneses down the street.” Sure you are, but you ought to know about the Joneses! It was Samuel Johnson who said, “Every man knows that of himself which he dares not tell his dearest friend.” You know yourself, don’t you? You know things that you have covered up and smothered that you would not reveal for anything in the world. The Lord Jesus is going to bring them out at this judgment; while you are presenting your little bouquet, He is going to tell you about yourself. My friend, you need a Savior today.

This is the Great White Throne, and the holiness of this throne is revealed in the reaction of heaven and earth to it: “from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.” Of this, John F. Walvoord, in his book The Revelation of Jesus Christ, comments:

The most natural interpretation of the fact that earth and heaven flee away is that the present earth and heaven are destroyed and will be replaced by the new heaven and new earth. This is also confirmed by the additional statement in 21:1 where John sees a new heaven and a new earth replacing the first heaven and the first earth which have passed away.

The One seated on the throne is the Lord Jesus Christ: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son…. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:22, 26–29).

What is the work of God? It is to “… believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29). Those who have done good are they who have accepted Christ, and they come forth unto the resurrection of life—that is the first resurrection. They who have done evil come forth unto the resurrection of damnation and condemnation—that is the Great White Throne judgment.32

JNTC: The One sitting on the throne is Yeshua. Although he shares the throne with God the Father (3:21), it is through Yeshua alone that God renders the final judgment (see also v. 12aN). According to Yochanan’s Gospel,

32McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1059). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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“The Father does not judge anyone, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son …. [The Father] has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be surprised at this; because the time is coming when all who are in the grave will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to a resurrection of life and those who have done evil to a resurrection of judgment.” (Yn 5:22, 27–29)

What the Gospel calls the “resurrection of life” is in this chapter called the first resurrection, for believers only; while the “resurrection of judgment” applies to “the rest of the dead” (v. 5), who experience the second death (v. 14). See Yn 5:22N and compare Ac 17:31.

Earth and heaven fled from his presence and no place was found for them, because they are corrupted by sin, unholy and impure (Ro 8:19–22). Although in the present age the impure defiles the pure, when God himself appears in glory his purity banishes the impure, for his holiness cannot abide that which is corrupted by sin (see Mt 9:20&N). The only remedy is “a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had passed away” (21:1).33

Revelation 20:12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

What books? [note the plural.] The basis of the judgment is what is found in the two sets of books: the books which were opened, and the other book, the book of life. Note that the text says “and the books (plural) were opened, and another book (singular) was opened, which is the book of life.” So we have two sets, the books, and the book which is mentioned also in verse 15a.

The Books The identity of the books is not specifically revealed. We can only speculate from a comparison of other Scriptures and from the nature of these verses.The first book opened will probably be the Scriptures, the Word of God which contains the revelation of God’s holy character, the moral law, the declaration of the sinfulness of man and God’s plan of salvation by faith in the Savior. This book also reveals that even when men do not have the written Word, they have the law of God written in their hearts (Rom. 2:14-16) and the revelation of God consciousness in creation (Rom. 1:19-20). Because of this they are without excuse (Rom. 1:20; 2:12). All men are responsible for the revelation they have and stand at this judgment because of their own negative volition to God’s grace (Rom. 1:18; 2:4, 14; John 7:17). So then, Scripture will be used to demonstrate the clearness of the plan of God and that man is without excuse (cf. also John 12:48-50; and 1 John 3:23).

33Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:11). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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The second book will be the book of works (deeds). Verses 13 and 14 state that the unbelieving dead will be judged according to their deeds (works). Undoubtedly, one book is the book of works which contains a record of their deeds as a witness of the true nature of their spiritual condition.“Deeds”’ is the Greek ergon which refers to anything that is done, a deed, action, or work. It is used of good deeds (Matt. 26:10; Mark 14:6; Rom. 2:7), of evil deeds (Col. 1:21; 2 John 11), of dead works (Heb. 6:1; 9:14), of unfruitful deeds (Eph. 5:11), of ungodly deeds (Jude 15), of deeds of darkness (Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:11), and of works of the Law (Rom. 2:15).The principle here is that Jesus Christ died for their sins, for their evil deeds, to forgive them and to provide them with a righteousness from God so that they might have a perfect standing before Him. But when men reject the knowledge of God and His plan of salvation, they determine to stand on their own merit or in their own righteousness. So, the book of works will contain a record of all their deeds, good and bad, to demonstrate Romans 3:23, that they fall short of God’s righteousness and have therefore no basis upon which to stand accepted (justified) before God. This judgment proves them sinners and in need of Christ’s righteousness by faith.

The Book of Life This book contains the names of believers, all who have put their faith in Christ and His plan of salvation through the suffering Savior. To put it another way, it is a record of those who have not rejected God’s plan of salvation and who have responded to Him in faith; for these their faith is reckoned for righteousness (Rom. 4:22).At the great white throne the book of life is produced to show that their name, because of their rejection of Jesus Christ, was not found written in the book of life. They, therefore, have no righteousness and cannot be accepted before God, but must be cast into the eternal lake of fire. The book of life contains the names of believers who have been justified by faith and who have a righteousness from God imputed to their account. These are accepted by God and will spend all eternity with Him (Rom. 3:20-26; Phil. 3:9).

God’s Word: “the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (Jn 12:48).

“Works” do not save; they simply mitigate sentences. A judge, but no jury; a prosecution, but no defense; a sentence, but no appeal. Different from the Behema seat – rewards for faithful service.

Note “dead” occurs 7X in v.12-14. (this is grim stuff.)

[the dead, great and small] those who had no part in the first resurrection (20:5-6). This of course refers to the unbelieving dead of the second resurrection (John 5:29).“The dead, great and small” emphasizes that no one is exempt; all who have died without Jesus Christ, regardless of their status in human history, religiously, politically, economically, or morally, must stand before this throne to face the judgment of Jesus Christ. This excludes the beast and the false prophet (19:20), and perhaps those unbelievers judged at the judgment of the Gentiles and Jews (Matt. 25:41) because they are seen to be sent directly to the eternal lake of fire.

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Like any courtroom, if you know the right people, you can avoid the whole thing: get God’s Son to stand in your place. How many of you know the president of the United States? How many of you does the President know?

Before God can usher in His new heavens and new earth, He must finally deal with sin; this He will do at the Great White Throne.

JNTC: 12a     I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. “All of us will stand before God’s judgment seat …. For we must all appear before

the Messiah’s court of judgment, where everyone will receive the good or bad consequences of what he did while he was in the body … on a day when God passes judgment on people’s inmost secrets. (According to the Good News as I proclaim it, he does this through the Messiah Yeshua.)” (Ro 14:10, 2C 5:10, Ro 2:16) 12b     Books … another book, the Book of Life. There seem to be two elements in the Final Judgment. First, there is judgment for eternal salvation (v. 5) or damnation (vv. 14–15) on the basis of being written in the Book of Life. Second, there is judgment according to works from what was written in the books (plural); this concept appears in the Tanakh at Daniel 7:9–10. From these books God judges all our deeds (see Ro 2:6&N), both public and secret, and even our innermost thoughts (see vv. 11–15, v. 12aN). For the saved this judgment determines rewards (1C 3:8–15&N), while for the lost it determines degrees of punishment (Lk 12:47–48). But third, in traditional Judaism there is yet another meaning to these books—they determine what a person will experience in this world, not in the world to come.

The Hebrew term “sefer-chayim” (“book of life,” “book of the living”) appears in the Tanakh only at Psalms 69:28–29(27–28),

“Add iniquity to their iniquity, don’t let them come into Your righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of life And not be written with the righteous.”

(Incidentally, this is a continuation of the passage quoted at Ro 11:9–10.) The first reference to such a book is in Exodus 33:32–33. After the Israelites made the

golden calf, Moses prayed that God would forgive them for this great sin, “and if not, then I pray that you blot me out of your book which you have written” (compare what Sha’ul writes at Ro 9:2–4a&N). Adonai’s response to Moses was, “Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.”

Other places in the Tanakh referring to a book containing individual destinies in the ˓olam haba are Malachi 3:16 (“a book of remembrance was opened”) and Daniel 12:1 (“every one whose name shall be found written in the book”); while Psalm 139:16 (“your book”) seems to refer to the ˓olam hazeh. In the New Testament the term “Book of Life” appears at Pp 4:3 and MJ 12:23 (and compare Lk 10:20), as well as six times in Revelation (3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27), always signifying eternal salvation. There are other references in the Pseudepigrapha (Jubilees 30:22, which mentions a second book, the book of those who will be destroyed, with the possibility of having one’s name transferred to it from the Book of Life; 1 Enoch 104:7; 108:3, 7; 1 Baruch 24:1) and in early Christian literature (Vision of Hermas 1:24, Similitude 2:12). In the Mishna it is spoken of in Pirkey-Avot 2:1 (quoted above in vv. 11–15), 3:17.

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From God’s answer to Moses in Exodus, together with 3:1–5 above, we learn that it is possible to fall from grace, to have one’s eternal destiny changed from salvation to condemnation, in consequence of unrepented sin in one’s life, even though such passages as Ep 1:3–14 and 1 Ke 2:9 suggest that salvation is predestined. One way to deal with this antinomy is to suppose that everyone’s name is initially written in the Book of Life—babies who die before the age of responsibility go to heaven. But upon reaching the age of responsibility, everyone sins (Ro 3:23); and only those who turn to God through Yeshua the Messiah (Yn 14:6) can know that they are saved. A name is not removed from the Book of Life unless the person has committed the unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit, of finally and definitively rejecting God and his Son Yeshua (Mt 12:32&N).

The term “book of life” finds a prominent place in the liturgy for the High Holy Days. Thus the final blessing of the ˓Amidah is expanded so as to conclude: “May we and all your people, the house of Israel, be remembered and inscribed in the book of life, blessing, peace and prosperity, so that we will have a life of goodness and peace. Blessed are you, Adonai, the maker of peace.”

Some Messianic Jews take exception to the customary greetings for Rosh-HaShanah—“Shanah tovah tikatevu” (“May you be inscribed [in the book of life] for a good year”)—and Yom-Kippur—“Chatimah tovah” (“[May you have] a good sealing [of your destiny in the book of life]”)—on the ground that as believers in Yeshua our names are already written in the Book of Life. This is unnecessary scrupulousness, for here the “book of life” is not concerned with eternal salvation but with life in this world. The tradition is that on Rosh-HaShanah God opens the heavenly books and judges people according to their works, writing in them who will die and what kind of life the living will enjoy during the coming year. The Ten Days of Penitence, Rosh-HaShanah through Yom-Kippur, are thought of as offering an opportunity for repentance that will influence God to change these fates for the better. But on Yom-Kippur these fates are fixed or “sealed.” All of this is portrayed most clearly in the important High Holy Days prayer Un’tanneh Tokef (literally, “Let us recount the authority” of this day), quoted in full at MJ 9:22N.34

Revelation 20:13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Judged by works—deadly! Even by their own standards, they fail.

[sea gave up the dead which were in it] Pember, et al: demon forces agitated the sea (Mt 8:26); demons took temporary refuge in the sea (Mt 8:30); disembodied spirits from earlier inhabitants?? Jesus rebuked the storm while walking on the sea. There may be something mystical here far deeper than we might think.

34Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:12). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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(Job 26:5) Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

They come from: (a) “the sea,” i.e., those who died at sea and were not buried in the earth, (b) “death,” those who were buried in graves in the ground, cremated, or destroyed in any other way on earth, and (c) “Hades,” a reference to the place of torments, the compartment which contains the souls of unbelievers (Luke 16:23). The sea and death (i.e., the ground) contain the bodies and Hades contains the souls. At this second resurrection, the soul and body are reunited and the person is brought up before the throne.It appears that the lake of fire will contain spirit beings in spirit bodies (Satan and his demons) and even unbelieving people will have some kind of imperishable resurrection body as well (cf. Rev. 19:20).

David Hocking: The word Hades is used eleven times in the New Testament and is to be distinguished from the word Gehenna, which refers to the final Hell, the Lake of Fire. Hades is certainly like hell, a place of terrible torment, but it is the temporary abode of the wicked dead who await the Great White Throne Judgment and their final sentencing.35

McGee: Yes, my friend, you will be able to get a fair trial there. Your life is on tape, and Christ happens to have the tape. When He plays it back, you will be able to listen to it, and it is not going to sound good to you, by any means. Are you willing to stand before God and have Him play the tape of your life? I think He will have it on a television screen so that you can watch it, too. Do you think your life can stand the test? I do not know about you, but I could not make it. Thank God for His grace—“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8).

The dead are classified as the small and the great. They are all lost, for evidently none have their names written in the Book of Life. They had never turned to God for salvation. The Lord Jesus said that in His generation “… ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). These folk standing before His throne had not come.

These are books which record the works of all individuals. God keeps the tapes, and He will play them at the right time. There will be a lot of politicians who will have their tapes played in that day, and there will be a lot of public figures—even preachers—who will have their tapes played in that day, and they are not going to be happy about it. If you are saved, you are not going to stand before this judgment. Your works are to be judged as a child of God at the judgment seat of Christ, which will be for the purpose of rewards (see 2 Cor. 5:10). The Great White Throne judgment is the judgment of the lost. Multitudes want to be judged according to their works. This is their opportunity. The judgment is just, but no one is saved by works.

“And the sea gave up the dead that were in it.” Multitudes who have gone to a watery grave in which the chemicals of their bodies have been dissolved in the waters of the sea will be raised. God will have no problem with this. After all, they are only atoms. He just has to put them together again. He did it once; He can do it again. The graves on earth

35 Hocking, David, The Coming world Leader, Pg 290

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will give up their bodies; and hades, the place where the spirits of the lost go, will disgorge for this judgment.36

Chuck Smith: Now, who are the dead which are in the sea? I don't know. Maybe the sea covers a previous civilization that also rebelled against God. There are indications that Genesis one is not original creation, except in verse one. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth", "barra", out of nothing and brought something into existence. "And the earth was without form and void." God doesn't create things without form and void as a general rule. On each of the days of creation, God saw that He created and said, "It's good." We are told in Isaiah forty-eight that God did not create the earth wasted and desolate. He created it to be inhabited. The Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters. The word "moved" in Hebrew is brooded as though in anger. It would seem that perhaps there was another civilization that existed on the planet earth prior to man in our present form that was destroyed in the wrath and the anger of God covered with water. The earth was then covered with water, the great ice age, and the pervious civilizations buried. It could be that there is something to the legends of the lost continents of Atlantis and all. Who knows? I don't. But here it is interesting, it could just mean those that were buried at sea or those whose ashes were spread out over the sea, because no matter where your body is placed when you die, if you are unrighteous your soul is in hell. So, hell will disgorge its inhabitants separate from those in the sea. The sea gives up those, which are within it. "And death and hell deliver up the dead which are in them." So, hell is not eternal. It is not the place of eternal punishment. It will come to an end as it disgorges its inhabitants that they might stand before the Great White Throne Judgment of God. Then when the sentence is pronounced upon them at that point, they are sent into Gehenna which is the second death and that is permanent. So, "The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them."37

Revelation 20:14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

The death of death (see v.6).

NT = Hades, OT= sheol, is temporary – the grave. Gahanna is “permanent”; that is, outside our time domain, the outer darkness – the second death.

Both the body and soul are eternally separated from God in the eternal lake of fire, a very real and literal place. It is important to note that the emphasis here (the real issue) is on whether their name is in the book of life and not on their deeds. Salvation is by faith in

36McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1060). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.37 Chuck Smith Calvary Chapel, Commentary on Revelation

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Jesus Christ and the loss of salvation is brought about by the one sin which separates man from God—failure to trust in Him (John 3:16, 36; 16: 8-11).

JNTC: All the dead who have not participated in the first resurrection are now resurrected and judged (see vv. 5–6 above). There is no longer any need for Sh’ol, where the dead are held for judgment, since this is the judgment. Nor is there need for death, the punishment for sin, since sin is now being banished from the universe, as foretold by Sha’ul at 1C 15:54–55. Likewise the sea, a biblical metaphor for death, destruction and turmoil (see Isaiah 57:20, Ezekiel 28:8, Psalm 107:25–28), harboring fearsome, Satanic creatures such as Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1, Psalm 104:27, Job 40:25–41:26(41:1–34)) and the beast of 12:18–13:8 above, releases its dead for judgment, so that, having served its purpose, it too disappears (21:1). 38

Revelation 20:15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Whose book? Who keeps it? Jesus Christ.

[Book of Life] Ex 32:32, 3; Ps 69:28; Rev 21:27; Phil 4:3; Rev 13:8; 17:8. Names of believers, not deeds Lk 10:20; [Works: Rom 2:11, 12.]

Book of Remembrance, Mal 3:16, “them that thought upon His name,” vs. 1 Cor 3:14,15?

Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God; Hell is a witness to man’s responsibility. God does not send people to hell: they send themselves by rejecting the Saviour (Jn 3:16-21; Mt 25:41). No one goes to hell because of what they have done.

If we saw sin as God sees it, we would understand why a place such as hell exists.

Are you written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Or are you planning on defending yourself before The Great White Throne, the final judgment?

Van Impe: Again John says, I saw. The term is found thirty-seven times in this book. What a privilege was his! This time he views the gloomiest hour of history- the judgment of the wicked-as well as Christ sitting upon a white throne. White is the symbol of purity, justice, and holiness in Scripture. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white (chapter 19, verses 7 and 8). Since "white" stands for all that is honorable and right, what does it symbolize? Integrity-for Christ, Who is the truth (John 14:6), is himself the Judge. Notice that the term is Great White Throne. This pictures a great judgment that is about to fall on those who have rejected the "so great salvation" question (see Hebrews 2:3).

38Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:13). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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How does one know that the tender, loving Jesus is the One who sits upon the throne as Judge? The answer is found in John 5:22: For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Again, the Father hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man (John 5:27). The One raised from the dead-the Lord Jesus Christ-is the Judge, according to Acts 17:31: [For] he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. That moment is now before us! What a solemn scene as unregenerate mankind comes face to face with God for the investigation of all their evil deeds. Every transgressor is present: presidents and paupers, high society snobs and skid row derelicts. Yes, this group includes every Christ-rejecter of the ages, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life [the first resurrection]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [the resurrection for judgment] (John 5:28,29). Make no mistake about it, there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15). As the unsaved stand before a holy God, the books are opened. Yes, He has record of every wicked deed sinners have ever committed. Nothing remains hidden. Adultery, abortion, drunkenness, drug addiction, harlotry, hatred, lawlessness, murder, rebellion, sexual promiscuity, wife-swapping, and every other abominable practice is then exposed in detail. How is all this possible? God is both omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all-powerful). The psalmist said in chapter 139, verses 1 and 2, 0 Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising. God knows everything about every member of the human race. God adds, I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them (Ezekiel 11:5). I know when you have eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin (2 Peter 2:14). I know when your tongue is about to curse, For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether (Psalm 139:4). I the Lord search the heart (Jeremiah 17:10). This statement is extremely important, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matthew 15:19). God's books will be totally accurate because He sees every move humans make: The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth (2 Chronicles 16:9). All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13). That aborted fetus flushed into oblivion, that sex act in a parked car or motel room, that crooked deal for illegal gain-everything is indelibly inscribed in the journal of the Almighty bookkeeper. One cannot hide from God, whoever He may be! Furthermore, no mistakes will be made, for the dead will be judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. We also see that every unbeliever will be present, for the bodies come forth from land and sea and the souls come from Hades (or hell). Then, body, soul, and spirit are reunited to stand before God. Many have never realized that there is a time when the wicked are released from hell. This is not a new doctrine or man-made theory. However, for the moment, let's examine a few facts regarding this teaching.

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The New Testament contains two Greek words-Hades and Gehenna-both of which are translated hell in our English Bible. The Lord Jesus Christ used both words repeatedly. Why two words? Are there two places? Yes! A simple illustration will help us understand. Everyone knows the difference between a local jail and a penitentiary. When an individual is arrested for a crime, he is not placed in the penitentiary until he has had a trial. Instead, he is locked up in the local jail (city or county), where he awaits his trail. Then, upon being found guilty, he is transferred to the penitentiary, where he serves his sentence. The next statement is of extreme importance. Get it! When Jesus used the word Hades, He referred to the local jail-the place where the sinner is bound until the judgment morning. Then, on Judgment Day, the sinner comes out of the local jail (Hades), stands before the Judge (the Lord Jesus himself), is found guilty, and is subsequently transferred to the final penitentiary of souls (Gehenna). The lake of fire is usually synonymous with Gehenna.The eleven instances where Christ mentioned Hades are as follows: Matthew 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:22, 23; Acts 2:27; 2:31; 1 Corinthians 15:55; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13; and Revelation 20:14. Gehenna is mentioned twelve times by the Saviour: Matthew 5:22; 5:29; 5:30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15; 23:33; Mark 9:43; 9:45; 9:47; Luke 12:5; and James 3:6. After studying the twenty-three texts, one observes that verses 13 and 14 of our present study now make perfect sense: Death [the grave] and hell [Hades] delivered up the dead which were in them. The plural pronoun "them" indicates two places: the grave and Hades-one for the body and the other for the soul. Next they were judged every man according to his works (that's the trial). Then death and [Hades-Greek] were cast into the lake of fire [Gehenna-the final penitentiary]. Why are they transferred? Gehenna differs from Hades in that Gehenna is a place where there are degrees of suffering. After one has been examined and judged as to how much light he had (how often he heard the message of salvation and rejected it), he is assigned to this place called Gehenna, where there are degrees of suffering according to one's light and works. Thus, the final hell will differ for all, depending on one's evil deeds and the number of times he rejected Christ's offer of love. Now we understand Romans 2:5 a little better: But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up [storest up, savest up] unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath. This is why it shall be more tolerable [more bearable, more endurable] for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for [Capernaum] (Matthew 11:24). What was Capernaum's sin? Capernaum had greater light since Christ visited the city and preached to her citizens. This is also why the Pharisees receive the greater damnation (Matthew 23:14). Clearly, sinners are raised from death and Hades, judged by Christ at the Great White Throne, and then transferred to Gehenna. The "good news," however, is that none of this happens to those who are trusting in the merits of the shed blood of Jesus. When one trusts Christ, his name is written in the book of life. The judgment just discussed is only for those whose names are not found inscribed in the book (see verse 15). If one is saved, he need never be concerned about hell as his eternal destiny, for he that believeth on [Christ] is not condemned (John 3:18). He is also passed from death unto life (John 5:24).

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Thus, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Amen. The great judgment is only for those who participate in the final resurrection which occurs after the 1,000-year or millennial reign of Christ upon earth. Those who were raised prior to the Millennium are eternally secure, for blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power (verse 6).39

McGee: You will notice that in my translation I have changed “death and hell were cast into the lake of fire” to “death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.” Sheol or hades (translated hell in the New Testament) is the place of the unseen dead and is divided into two compartments: paradise and the place of torment (see Luke 16:19–31). Paradise was emptied when Christ took the Old Testament believers with Him at His ascension. “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things)” (Eph. 4:8–10). Christ did two things: He gave gifts to men down here, but He also took with Him to heaven those Old Testament saints who had died and were in the place called paradise. But the place of torment will deliver up the lost at the judgment at the Great White Throne. All who stand at this judgment are lost, and we are told that they are cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death. The Lord also called it “outer darkness.” We believe that this is symbolic of something worse than literal fire or outer darkness. It is eternal separation from God, for death means separation.

“Death,” the great final enemy of man, is finally removed from the scene. No longer will it be said, “In Adam all die” (see 1 Cor. 15:22). Death is personified in this case, for it is man’s great enemy. In the Old Testament we read: “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes” (Hos. 13:14).

And Paul writes: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death…. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:26, 55).

“Hades,” the prison of lost souls, is likewise cast into the lake of fire. The lost are no longer in hades but in the lake of fire. This is where Satan, the wild Beast, the False

39 Message of Hope from Dr. Jack Van Impe, Commentary on The Book of Revelation, Van Impe

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Prophet, and their minions were consigned. If man will not accept the life of God, he must accept the only other alternative: eternal association with Satan. God never created man to be put in this place, but there is no other place for him. Hell was created for the Devil and his angels. I take it that it is a place where God never goes. The second death means eternal and absolute separation from God.40

JNTC: 11–15     Everyone is to face God’s judgment. Although God is a God of mercy, he is also a God of judgment. This is taught equally by the Tanakh, the New Testament, and Jewish tradition.

The Prophets speak of this judgment as the Day of YHVH; see Isaiah 2:12, 13:6–13 (a verse of which is alluded to in Mt 24:29); Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:15, 2:1, 3:4(2:31) (quoted at Ac 2:20), 4:14(3:14); Amos 5:18–20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:17–18; Zechariah 14:1–9 and Malachi 4:5(3:23) (alluded to at Mt 17:10–11). “The prominent feature of these passages is a dramatic sense of doom, underlined by a few characteristic motives, such as a darkness and wailing …. The warning is given that the Day of the Lord is near …. The wicked will be punished, justice established, mankind confounded, and its destiny somehow definitely changed …. God will … act—suddenly, decisively, and directly, in a single day, with vehemence and terror.” (Encyclopedia Judaica 5:1387–8)

In the New Testament can be found the terms “Day of God” (2 Ke 3:12), “Great Day of Adonai-Tzva˒ot” (16:14 above), Day of the Messiah Yeshua (Pp 1:6, 10; 2:16), and the ambiguous phrase, “Day of the Lord,” which can mean either “Day of YHVH” or “Day of the Lord [Yeshua the Messiah]” (1C 1:8, 5:5; 2C 1:14; 1 Th 5:2–3; 2 Th 2:1–2; 2 Ke 3:10). (Also see 1:10&N, where the Greek expression is unique, making my rendering, “Day of the Lord,” controversial.)

Moreover, God judges not only outward deeds, but the inner man. In the New Testament we see this when Yeshua confronts the P˒rushim (Lk 12:1–5, Mt 23:23–28) and in the whole tenor of his Sermon on the Mount (Mattityahu 5–7); also compare Yn 2:23–25; Ro 2:16; MJ 4:13, 10:30. The Tanakh too speaks of secret deeds and motives when it says: “God will bring every work into judgment, concerning every hidden thing, whether it be good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Compare also Psalm 139. The Oral Torah affirms this: “Rabbi [Y’hudah HaNasi, 135–219 C.E.] said, ‘ … Pay attention to three things and you will not come under the power of transgression: know what is above you—an all-seeing eye, an all-hearing ear, and all your deeds recorded in a book’ ” (Avot 2:1)

So there is no room either for the common misunderstanding on the part of both Christians and Jews that the Old Testament portrays God as stern, judgmental and lacking mercy, with the New Testament picturing him as so merciful that he overlooks judgment and even justice; or for the opposite mistake of thinking that the New Testament, with its talk of hellfire, focuses on judgment more than the Tanakh.

Quoting Hosea 10:8, which depicts how the inhabitants of Samaria will feel when God judges them by having Assyria carry them away, Yeshua warns that the Day of God’s judgment will be fearful: “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’ ” (Lk 23:30).

The Bible gives a symmetrical picture of salvation history. In its first two chapters, at the beginning of history, a sinless world is described; and at the beginning of the third 40McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (5:1061). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

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chapter (Genesis 3:1–7) Satan the serpent (see above, v. 2) entices Eve and Adam into sin, resulting in damage both to humanity and to the world (Ro 8:19–22). God’s plan from the very beginning was to remedy this damage through the death and resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah, the slaughtered Lamb (5:6, 9; 13:8; Ep 1:4–7; Yn 1:29); 1,256 chapters of the Bible deal with the outworking of this plan. Now, at the end of history, here in the third-to-last chapter of the Bible, sin is judged, with Satan (v. 10) and the wicked (v. 15) condemned to the lake of fire; while the final two chapters of Revelation present a newly created world and a humanity restored to Eden-like sinlessness. This is what is meant when God says (21:6), “I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’ the Beginning and the End.” There is but one asymmetry: Satan and the first man, Adam, cause sin at the beginning; while God the Father and the second man, Yeshua, cause sinlessness at the end (1C 15:45–49, Ro 5:12–21).41

JNTC: This is the event foretold by the parable of the sheep and the goats in Mt 25:31–46: “Then he will also speak to those on his left, saying, ‘Get away from me, you who are cursed! Go off into the fire prepared for the Adversary and his angels!’ … They will go off to eternal punishment, but those who have done what God wants will go to eternal life.” (Mt 25:41, 46)

The “eternal life” spoken of is depicted in 22:1–22:5. It is possible that the lake of fire is meant literally, to the degree that the wicked, in

resurrected physical bodies, will experience physically the torment of burning and stench forever. Or it may be a metaphor for the eternal pain of knowing that one is forever to be denied the bliss of being present with the God of the universe and must be separated from him, to burn forever with frustration, anger and regret; Jean-Paul Sartre’s play, “No Exit,” is one man’s expression of this understanding. For more on the lake of fire, see 19:20.

Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire. (On “Book of Life” see v. 12bN.) This is the climactic moment for the wicked. Yet it is not God who has determined their fate, but they themselves, by their deeds that fall short of God’s holiness, and by their lack of trusting Him for salvation through Yeshua the Messiah. “The Lord … is patient with you; for it is not his purpose that anyone should be destroyed, but that everyone should turn from his sins” (2 Ke 3:9). And compare Ro 2:1–8, especially vv. 5b–6: “ … by your unrepentant heart you are storing up anger for yourself on the Day of Anger, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed; for he will pay back each one according to his deeds,” as taught in Psalm 62:13(12) and Proverbs 24:12. God’s desire is that the wicked should turn from his evil ways. “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says Adonai, God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says Adonai, God; so turn, and live!” (Ezekiel 18:30–32)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved. Those who

41Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:11). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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trust in him are not judged; those who do not trust have been judged already, in that they have not trusted in the one who is God’s only Son.” (Yn 3:16–18)

The Judaism of today tends to finesse or minimize the punishment to be meted out to the wicked. Orthodox Judaism speaks of a probationary period (like the Roman Catholic purgatory) of not more than eleven months for members of the House of Israel. In this sense Judaism does not take sin seriously, in terms of its consequences to the individual sinner.

To those who cannot relate to vv. 11–15 because they find the doctrine of eternal punishment for the wicked too fearsome, or because they cannot accept that God would be “so mean—it’s against his loving nature,” the Tanakh replies, “The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10). Justice and mercy, holiness and love are qualities which God balances in his own way, which may not be the way we would choose.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, says Adonai,     and my ways are not your ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth,     so are my ways higher than your ways     and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9)

“There is a way which seems right to a man,     but at its end are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12).42

Addendum

Pre-Millennial Pretribulation Views:

[Did not begin with Emmanuael Lacunza (Ben Ezra), 1812; Edward Irving, 1816; Margaret McDonald, 1830; or J.N. Darby (1820).]

The issue of Imminence (80 anti-Nicene references, 325 A.D.);

The perception of the “gap” of Dan 9:26 appears in the Epistle of Barnabas, A.D. 100 and other early writings. Other early writers include:• Irenaeus, Against Heresies;• Hippolytus, a disciple of Irenaeus (2nd Century), Ante Nicene Fathers, Vol . p.182.);• Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho.• Peter Jurieu, 1687, Approaching Deliverance of the Church, (courtesy of Grant Jeffrey);• Philip Doddgridge’s Commentary on the New Testament, 1738;• Dr. John Gill’s Commentary on the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, 1748;• James Macknight’s Commentary on the Apostolical Epistles, 1763;• Thomas Scott’s Commentary on the Holy Bible, 1792

42Stern, D. H. (1996, c1992). Jewish New Testament Commentary : A companion volume to the Jewish New Testament (electronic ed.) (Re 20:15). Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.

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Post-tribulationists: Robert Gundry, George Ladd, Walter Martin, Pat Robertson, Jim McKeever.

Mid-tribulationists: Norman B. Harrison, J. Sidlow Baxter, et al.

Pre-tribulation: J. Dwight Pentecost, John F. Walvoord, Charles C. Ryrie, Popularized by Hal Lindsey, et al. (Also, Feinberg, Fruchtenbaum, Charles Dyer, Grant Jeffrey, Chuck Smith, Tim Lahaye, et al.)

Timing of the RaptureGreek, harpazo, Latin, rapturo.1) 70th Week is defined by the enforcement of a covenant with the Coming World Leader (Dan 9:27).2) The Leader cannot “enforce the covenant” until after he appears in power.3) He cannot even appear until after the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit as He indwells the Church) is removed (2 Thess 2:7-9). There must be some interval—a day, or possibly several decades—between his initial appearance and ascending to the power implied in his “enforcing the covenant.”4) Therefore, the rapture of the Church precedes (by an indeterminate amount) the entire 70th Week, not just the Great Tribulation.

There is some basis (Mt 24:32-34) that the entire series of events—from the rapture to the close of the 70th Week—occur within one generation: less than 40 years.

Why Now?Why the “70th Week” is apparently on the near horizon:

Israel Now Regathered as a Nation: On May 14, 1948, Israel was re-established exactly as the Bible predicted. On June 6, 1967,Israel regained control of Biblical Jerusalem, the “Old City.”

Jerusalem: Zechariah 12 indicates that Jerusalem will become “a cup of trembling” and a “burdensome stone” to all nations of the world. (That would seem to be ridiculous: here is a city with no harbor, no rivers, no natural resources. Significant to a few Jews, of historical interest to Christians, and significant to Islam only since it is to Jews—all told, hardly of serious interest to a materialistic, pragmatic, atheistic world—yet Zechariah, and other passages, predicts that the entire world will go to war over this irrelevant littlereligious location!Just watch your newspapers! It’s all heading toward the Biblical climax.

Temple Preparations Have Begun: This is explicitly predicted three times in the New Testament. (Mt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:4; Rev 11:1,2.) This Temple is a prerequisite for the

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desecration described by Daniel and Jesus as the “Abomination of Desolation.” After 1900 years a Temple is now being prepared to be built in Jerusalem.

Babylon Being Rebuilt: Isaiah 13 & 14, Jeremiah 50 & 51, and Revelation 17 & 18 all describe the destruction of the city of Babylon as a climactic event at the end of the “70th Week.” Although Babylon was conquered by the Persians, it was never destroyed in the manner that the Bible has detailed. Saddam Hussein has spent over 20 years and over $900 million rebuilding the city of Babylon on its traditional site.

European Superstate Emerging: The confederation of almost 30 European countries (not just the 12 EC nations) is setting the stage for the very scenarios predicted in Daniel 2 and 7.

Russia and the Islamic Invasion Imminent: Russia (“Magog” of Ezekiel 38 & 39) and the Moslem republics of Iran and those of Central Asia (which this passage has detailed) now appear to be setting the stage for the very events that Ezekiel so clearly described.

The apparent use of nuclear weapons in Ezekiel 39 is also descriptive of current technology. It is our view that this battle could happen at any time, and would thus set up the need for the famous “peace treaty” of the Biblical scenario.

How does your interpretation affect YOUR life? Does it do anything for you? If your view has no effect on your life, then you might reconsider what you really believe...

Fifty Facts about the Millennium (Dakes Study Notes)

1. Definition: Latin, mille, a thousand, and annus, year. The phrase "thousand years" is used 6 times in Rev. 20:1-7.

2. It is the last dispensation for man before the final removal of the curse (Rev. 22:3). In Scripture it is called:(1) The thousand years reign of Christ (Rev. 20:2,4,5,6,7)(2) The dispensation of the fullness of times (Ephes. 1:10)(3) The day of the Lord (see The Day of the Lord). Called that day many times in the

prophets (Isaiah 2:11; Isaiah 4:1; Isaiah 19:21; Isaiah 24:21; Isaiah 26:1; Ezekiel 39:22; Ezekiel 48:35; etc.)

(4) The world (age) to come (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Ephes. 1:21; Ephes. 2:7; Ephes. 3:21)

(5) The kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephes. 5:5; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 11:15)(6) The kingdom of God (Mark 14:25; Luke 19:11; Luke 22:14-18)(7) The kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 7:21; Matthew

8:11; Matthew 10:7; Matthew 18:1-4)(8) The regeneration (Matthew 19:28)(9) The times of the restitution (restoration) of all things (Acts 3:20-21)(10) The consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25)(11) The redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:38)(12) The kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:13; 2 Peter 1:11)

3. Satan will be bound (Rev. 20:1-10).

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4. It will be between the second coming and the New Heaven and New Earth (note, pt. 2, Rev. 19:19).

5. The kingdom will be literal and earthly (Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:13-27; Zech. 14; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 5:10; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 20:1-10; Rev. 22:4-5).

6. It will be a theocratic government (Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 52:7; Ezekiel 43:7; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:13-14; Zech. 14:1-21; Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 20:1-10).

7. Christ will rule under God (Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Luke 1:32-33).8. David will rule over all Israel under Christ (Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:24; Ezekiel

37:24-28; Hosea 3:4-5).9. The apostles will rule over one tribe each (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30).10. All saints will have part in ruling as kings and priests (note, Rev. 20:4).11. The world capital will be Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-4; Ezekiel 48; Zech. 14).12. The kingdom will be worldwide (Rev. 11:15; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:13-27; Zech.

14).13. Certain classes will not inherit the kingdom (1 Cor. 6:9; Galatians 5:19-21).14. Certain classes will be excluded from entrance into the kingdom (Matthew 5:20;

Matthew 13:39-50; Matthew 24:45-51; Matthew 25:31-46; Rev. 14:9-11).15. The judgment of the living nations at the second coming will determine who is

worthy of entrance into the kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46).16. All nations will be required to send representatives to Jerusalem once a year to

acknowledge Christ (Zech. 14:16-21; Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 35:8-9).17. The wicked dead will not be resurrected to live again in the Millennium or be given a

second chance (Rev. 20:4-6,11-15; Hebrews 9:27).18. The earth will not be desolate during the Millennium (Isaiah 2:2-4; Zech. 14:16-21; 1

Cor. 15:24-28; Rev. 20:1-10).19. There will be civil and religious laws for all nations (Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah

11:3-5; Isaiah 65:20; Zech. 14:16-21; 1 Cor. 15:24-28).20. The Gentile nations will be located in the part of the earth God gave to each nation

and race (Deut. 32:8; Acts 17:26).21. Israel will be given all the original promised land (Genesis 15:14-18; Genesis 17:6-

19; Isaiah 60:20; Ezekiel 47:13-48:35).22. The world-capital building will be the future Jewish temple at Jerusalem (Ezekiel

43:7; Zech. 6:12-13).23. A river will flow out from under the temple southward and part into two branches—

one going into the Mediterranean and one into the Dead Sea, the waters of which will be healed and have many fish (Ezekiel 47; Zech. 14:8).

24. There will be earthly priests and Levites serving in the future temple (Isaiah 66:19-24; Ezekiel 43:19-27; Ezekiel 44:9-31).

25. All the former sacrifices, feasts, and rituals of the temple worship will be continued as an eternal memorial of what they were types of before Christ fulfilled them (Ezekiel 43:19-27; Ezekiel 44:5,30; Ezekiel 45:17-25; Ezekiel 46:1-24; Zech. 14:16-21; Isaiah 66:19-24).

26. The Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh (Isaiah 32:5; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Joel 2:28-32).

27. Universal knowledge of the Lord will be manifest (Isaiah 11:9; Zech. 8:22-23).

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28. Jews will again be the missionaries to evangelize the nations (Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 40:9; Isaiah 52:7; Isaiah 61:6; Isaiah 66:18-21; Zech. 8:23).

29. There will be one universal religion (Malachi 1:11; Zech. 14:16-21; Isaiah 2:2-4; Joel 2:28-31; Jeremiah 31:31-36).

30. The glory of God will be continually manifest (Isaiah 4:4-6; Ezekiel 43:1-5).31. Salvation in its fullness will be for all (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21; Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah

11:9; Isaiah 52:7; Hebrews 8-10).32. Divine healing for the body will be experienced by all (Isaiah 32:1-5; Isaiah 33:24;

Isaiah 35:3-6; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).33. There will be universal peace (Isaiah 2:4; Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 4:3-4; Malachi 1:11).34. Universal prosperity will be a reality (Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 65:20-25; Micah 4:4-5).35. The financial system will be as in Israel (Genesis 14:20; Genesis 28:22 with Hebrews

6:20; Hebrews 7:1-10; Matthew 23:23; Romans 2:22; 1 Cor. 9:7-18; 1 Cor. 16:1-3; Malachi 3:10-12).

36. Full justice will be meted out to all alike (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:3-5; Isaiah 65:20-25; Isaiah 66:1-2; Matthew 5:1-7:29).

37. Human life will be prolonged indefinitely (Isaiah 65:20-25; Zech. 8:4).38. Light from the planets will be increased sevenfold (Isaiah 30:26; Isaiah 60:18-22).39. Animals natures will be changed as before the fall (Isaiah 11:6-8; Isaiah 65:17-25;

Romans 8:18-23).40. Deserts will blossom again as a rose (Isaiah 35:1-10; Isaiah 55:12-13; Ezekiel 36:8-

12; Joel 2:18-27; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:13-15).41. Love and righteousness will prevail (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:5; Isaiah 32:1-5; Isaiah

65:17-25).42. The Jews will be the head of all nations under the Messiah (Deut. 28:1-14).43. The test for man will be to obey Christ, the resurrected saints, and the laws (Psalm 2;

Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 5:10; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 12:5; Rev. 20:1-10).44. Fruitful seasons will be enjoyed without interruption (Isaiah 30:23-25; Isaiah 33:20-

21; Isaiah 35:6-7; Isaiah 41:17-18; Isaiah 49:10; Ezekiel 34:26; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zech. 14:8).

45. Material blessings will fill the earth (Isaiah 29:17; Isaiah 30:23-24; Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 35:1-7; Isaiah 41:19; Isaiah 49:9-10; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 55:13; Isaiah 60:5-17; Isaiah 62:8-9; Jeremiah 31:27-28; Ezekiel 34:27; Ezekiel 36:25-35; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13).

46. Waste places of the earth will be restored stored to usefulness (Isaiah 32:16-18; Isaiah 49:19; Isaiah 52:9; Isaiah 61:4-5; Ezekiel 36:8-38; Amos 9:14-15; Acts 15:13-18).

47. Great highways will cover the earth (Isaiah 11:16; Isaiah 19:23-25; Isaiah 35:7-8).48. Normal increase of mankind (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 9:12; Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah

59:20; Isaiah 65:20-25; Jeremiah 30:19; Jeremiah 33:22; Hosea 1:10).49. The tenfold purpose of God in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ:

(1) To put down rebellion on earth, so that God may be all and all again as before the rebellion by Lucifer and Adam (1 Cor. 15:24-28; Hebrews 2:7-9; Ephes. 1:10)

(2) To fulfill the everlasting covenants made with Abraham (Genesis 12; Genesis 13; Genesis 15; Genesis 17), Isaac (Genesis 26), Jacob (Genesis 28), David (2

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Samuel 7), and others (Matthew 26:28; 2 Cor. 3:6-15; Hebrews 7; Hebrews 8; Hebrews 9; Hebrews 10)

(3) To vindicate and avenge Christ and the saints (Matthew 26:63-66; Romans 12:19; Psalm 2; Isaiah 63; Rev. 1:7; Rev. 6:9-11; Rev. 19:1-10; 1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Tim. 4:7-8; Romans 8:17-21)

(4) To restore Israel and deliver them from the nations and make them the head of all nations forever (Acts 15:13-18; Matthew 24:31; Isaiah 11:10-12; Ezekiel 20:33-44; Deut. 28)

(5) To exalt the saints of all ages to a kingly and priestly position according to their works (Romans 8:17-21; Romans 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10-11; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:4; 1 Peter 1:10-13; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Rev. 1:5; Rev. 2:26-27; Rev. 5:10; Rev. 11:15-18; Rev. 12:5; Rev. 20:4-6)

(6) To gather together in one all things in heaven and earth (Ephes. 1:10)(7) To judge the nations in righteousness and restore the earth to its rightful owners

(Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 11:1-11; Matthew 25:31-46; Daniel 7:9-27)(8) To restore a righteous and an eternal government on earth as originally planned

(Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 11:1-9; Isaiah 42:1-5; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:13-27; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 22:4-5)

(9) To fulfill hundreds of prophecies concerning the eternal reign of the Messiah (Daniel 9:24; 1 Peter 1:10-13; Acts 3:20-21)

(10) To restore all things as before sin entered the world (Acts 3:20-21; Isaiah 66:22-24; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Rev. 21-22)

50. The Millennium will end in one more short period of rebellion. Then the final destruction of all rebels will take place, leaving the saints, natural and resurrected, in charge of the eternal perfect earth (Rev. 20:7-10; Rev. 21:1-22:5; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Isaiah 66:22-24).

Old Testament References:

20:2 Gen 3:1, 13-14; Isa 24:21-2220:4 Dan 7:9, 22, 27; 12:220:5 Isa 26:1420:6 Ex 19:6; Isa 26:1920:8 Ezek 38:2; 39:1, 620:9 Deut 23:14; 2Kgs 1:9-12; Ezek 38:22; 39:620:11 Dan 2:3520:12 Ex 32:32-3; Ps 62:12; 69:28; Dan 7:1020:15 Ex 32:32-3; Dan 12:1

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