Revelation 20:1-6
In verse 1 John sees an Angel coming out of Heaven. This phrase gives us the indication that John is not in Heaven during this vision. He is at the location where he observed the battle of Armageddon.
At this point the battle has been fought and the victory goes to the Lord Jesus Christ! Since satan is known for being the destroyer of all that is good, where else would he be but in the midst of this horrific sight, the place of another great defeat for him.
So this Angel comes with the key to the bottomless pit. Previously we saw in chapter nine that satan had opened this pit to release all that evil into the earth. Now the pit becomes his prison for one thousand years.
The Angel is also carrying what is termed here ‘a great chain in his hand.’ This word “great” in the Greek Rendering is “Megas.” This is where we get the English word “mega.”
In verse 2 the mega chain is used to bind satan for 1000 years. This passage clarifies that satan is the dragon previously mentioned, also known as the devil.
This is called ‘payback’ for all the lives he caused to be bound with his chains of darkness and deception. Even many Christians are bound by this darkness and deception in areas of their lives. The way of freedom is always to turn to Jesus and seek deliverance.
In verse 3 satan is cast into the bottomless pit, shut up and a seal is placed upon him so that he cannot deceive the nations during his time of incarceration.
Then when the thousand years have expired, he is loosed again for a short season. When reading this, one might question why God would let him out to do what he always does. The answer is in the preceding verses of this chapter.
In verse 4 John goes into a description of all those that will occupy a throne with the Lord. That of course would be us and those that suffered through the Tribulation Period that were beheaded because they refused to worship the beast and take his mark.
Notice that we are all given judgment to reign with the Christ for a thousand years. I have always viewed that as our training ground for the work that is ahead of us in the eternity.
Maybe you have envisioned Heaven and eternity to be a marshmallow cloud of soft living, lying around strumming a harp and grapes being dropped into your mouth by an Angel. Well surprise, we are going to be a very busy people, however it will be an enjoyable busy at that!
In verse 5 there is reference to “the rest of the dead.” These are all who have died without Christ; they are in a holding place called Hell. They will wait there for the thousand years to expire and when everything is done that is to be done with satan they will be raised up to appear at the final Judgment day.
Those of the first resurrection are all those that died in Christ.
In verse 6 a Blessing is pronounced upon all of us that are of the first resurrection. This involves all those that have come up in the various Raptures throughout the history of mankind as well. Those of the second death will stand in Judgment for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross. All these along with the place called hell will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity.
In the first chapter of this book the Believers are called the kings and priests of God. Here we will still be reigning as kings with the King of kings and we will be His priests for the one thousand years.
It may look as though there is nothing beyond this thousand year period, however fear not, that just completes the season of the old and the new season is coming for us to enjoy for eternity.
