Revelation 20
The message I think can be summed up like this: Jesus wins.
As we’ve been going through the book, that much is clear. Jesus wins!
But we can miss that simple truth. So much else crowds in. Theologians can spend seemingly infinite time in discussions and disagreements. Or as we saw in chapter 16, we can get distracted by idols like sex and money and power. Or misled by false religion because our Bible full of dust. Or we get pressured by the state to follow them instead of following Jesus. (or like here just be quiet about the things the state does that God says is wrong).
We need to cut through the noise and distraction and hear clearly today the only two words which matters: Jesus wins.
Jesus wins. Revelation has shown us this countless times. And again, because we are foolish and slow to believe all the prophets have said (Luke 24:25), Revelation tells us again: Jesus wins. He won on the cross and his victory will be clearly seen when he returns. Jesus has won and will win. Jesus wins.
1. The Thousand years: Jesus Reigns
2. The Final Battle: Jesus Wins
3. The Final Judgment: Jesus Saves
1. The Thousand years: Jesus Reigns.
2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years.
4 They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
Much ink has been spilled over Revelation 20 and the Thousand years or “Millennium”. And I had planned to tell you all about premillennialism and postmillennialism and amillennialism (which is my viewpoint). But then I thought, “Do you know what? This is boring! I want to focus in on the text - God's word - instead of our thoughts about his word.”
Don’t misunderstand me - these are important things for any who want to engage in a serious study on chapter 20 and really the whole Revelation. I spent a fair bit of time coming to grips with these things. So feel free to discuss it afterwards and come with questions during our question time after communion. But for now, let’s focus on these verses, and let the Spirit speak.
For this is what he is telling us is happening now:
the devil is arrested and bound,
those who are faithful to Jesus are raised to life and are priests and rulers sitting as judges on thrones,
and, most importantly, they are alive with Christ for a thousand years (that is, a long period). And because they are with Christ, the second death, the death that comes at the end of Millennium, has no power over them.
As we have seen through Revelation, we live in the time of tribulation – the last days. We see war and famine and sickness and suffering everywhere. And the next event that is on God's calendar, the one he promised us, is Jesus’ return. In the rest of the New Testament we know that heaven is imminent. It is right there and can break through at any moment. In the blink of an eye we will suddenly see him coming in the clouds.
So whatever your view on the millennium, we agree on this. Jesus is ruling now on high, and one day we will see him in his glory and on that day he will wipe out all evil. Whether there’s a thousand years of peace before or after, and a physical or spiritual rule... The point is Jesus wins and that's good enough for me!
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. 3 The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while.
Satan is bound. We have seen this before in Revelation. In Chapter 12 the same sequence of names are used as he is overcome 9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. And if you remember, he was not overcome by the angels who fought against him, but v11 they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
We who are in Christ have the victory over the devil. We do not have to fear him. For us he is bound with a heavy chain, thrown into the bottomless pit, shut and locked. He has no power over us. Oh, we may hear his roars - but it's just that. He has no power!
Can I just say that if you struggle with evil spirits at all that you need to come to Jesus. If you see things like ghosts or are being tormented by spiritual beings, you can be free in Christ. If you have messed around with any kind of occult or Satanic activity - come to Jesus and find freedom. We can pray for you now after the sermon and in the name of Jesus the evil spirit will leave you. It must flee from the name of Jesus. By yourself, Satan has power over you. But with Christ, he must flee. We are covered by his blood and we have his word. Satan has no power over us. Amen.
4 Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge.
Who are these who sit on the thrones? Yes, it's the martyrs we've met before, those who cried out from the altar “how long, O Lord”: V4 continues. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. It’s martyrs and it’s faithful Christians, for v4 continues [And] they had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
Now, there’s some difficulty in translating and understanding these verses, but what is clear is that we who belong to Jesus will rise up from the dead. And we shall rule with Christ. According to Ephesians 2:6, we are now sitting in heaven in Christ - so sure is our salvation. The first resurrection spoken of here is salvation - spiritual resurrection. For only those who are raised from spiritual death by believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ can be raised to eternal life.
As we have read recently in the Bible Groups, Jesus says, "I am the Resurrection and the Life."
6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
So, who is sitting on the thrones and ruling with Jesus? We are! We who are in Christ. We have been adopted into the family of God as His sons and daughters. You are the son of God. You are the daughter of God. Princes and Princesses. In 5:9 we read And they sang a new song with these words: “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”
That's what we were created to be. Adam was created to rule the world. And to be a priests because a priest represents God, shows God, to the world. Kings and priests are we. In Christ, we have become truly human. Human the way we were created to be.
Do you have the sense that you are destined for greatness? You are right! Your destiny is found in Christ. We are priests and kings in Christ.
The thousand years tells us that Jesus reigns. That he is the resurrection and life. That in him we are safe. That the devil has no power over us. Jesus reigns. Amen.
But the devil does have power over those who are not in Christ. The “nations” in v8 is the same word as “Gentile” – that is those who were not Jews, not God's people. Satan has power over those who are not God’s people, he will gather them to fight against God.
Let's see how that goes:
2. The Final Battle: Jesus Wins
7 When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. 8 He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore.
The devil is permitted to go out and gather the nations to war against God. The weird names “Gog and Magog” come from Ezekiel the prophet, chapter 38. Gog was king of Magog and represents the nations gathered against the people of God. Ezekiel warned Israel that there will be a day where they will be surrounded by enemies, but the power of God will protect them. In Ezekiel 38:9, Gog and Magog are described as follows: “You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud.”
Can you imagine it? A vast army covering the countryside. When they loose their arrows the light falls to shadow as the sun is blotted out. When they march, the whole earth shakes.
And they march against the beloved city of God and against his people, and against Jesus, the King of all kings. They do not want to bend the knee to him. People from all nations, tongues, and cultures, all gathered for the same goal. To crush God.
What do you think God’s reaction will be? Is he afraid? When the report comes in “the enemy is coming and they are as numerous as the sand on the seashore” - what will God say? Will there be chaos and yelling and desperate defensive positions being thrown up? Will all his plans be changed?
No.
Psalm 2 which we looked at a bit last week tells us God’s response. 4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.
9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them. 10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20: 9 is one of my all-time favourite verses. For here I see the power of God. Here I see weak evil is. Here I see his incomprehensible sovereignty. Because this must be one of the biggest anti-climaxes in the Bible. Everything is set up for a Lord of the Lord type battle. An epic war with heroes on both sides, who fight with great might against each other but eventually the good guys triumph, at great cost and with great effort. That's what we expect when we see Satan and his army covering the country like an evil mist and surrounding the holy city.
But it’s nothing like that.
. 9 And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.
And, oh yes, Satan and everyone with him are chucked into the lake of fire
What? Did I miss something? Did John fall asleep while writing this?
No, because we saw the same thing last week! 19:19-21 Re 19:19–21 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet [and] thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
You know, our rebellion against God is no threat at all! We can gather all the weapons we want, we can gather philosophy and science and knowledge and culture and whatever else. We can use everything we have against God - and we are nothing, a mere noise, an ant that he brushes away. A mere breath from his nostril is enough to bring us to an end. We are a joke when we oppose. And so is the devil. A joke. A bad joke.
For here he comes in all his glory. The Big Cheese. Head of the army of the whole earth. And he marches on the Lord.
Attaaaaaack!
An angel nervously taps God on the shoulder and says "Umm, excuse me God, but I think we have a problem! Should I call army of Heaven together to fight?"
Attaaaaaack!
The army rushes forward. Closer and closer.
God is completely unruffled. “No” he says, “not yet”.
He looks at his watch. “It is not yet time”.
Attaaaaaack! Satan’s eyes are wide in delight as he sees God's people are totally unprotected!
Yeeeees! Victoryyyyyy! He cries out in jubilation. Almost there, almooost there. Just two seconds to.
And then God says “Now it is time. Enough. Evil’s day is done.
And at that moment fire comes down from heaven and the whole army is thrown into the fire.
It is done.
So pathetic our rebellion. So insignificant is Satan in all his power. A great big nothing. Insignificant. You see, God wins. Jesus wins! Do not fear brothers and sisters because our Lord reigns and he has won the great battle. Jesus is almighty and Jesus wins!
How should we then respond? Should we stand against him? Or stand with him? We have been warned.
And if that wasn’t clear enough, if 20 chapters are not enough for us to understand that it is worth following Jesus, that in the end it is he who prevails and that nothing else matters one jot. If we have not realized that now, then God in his mercy gives us another vision. A vision of the last judgment. Judgment Day, where we will stand before God and try to justify ourselves to him while everything we have done, said and thought throughout our lives is on display. Let’s now turn to the Final Judgment.
3. The Final Judgment: Jesus Saves
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
On that last day, judgment day, we will all be judged according to what we have done. All that we have done, said, thought in our life will be read out. And what we have done reveals us, all of us, as sinners.
Imagine if Telemarksgalleriet here in town had an exhibition of your life. Everything you've done, said, and thought. But totally unedited. And merciless in what was shown. Everything is on display.
Now there would probably be a lot of you that were proud of. Good deeds. Love. Wisdom. Success. But also much that you would be ashamed of. Ugly words. Stupid choices. Things said and done in anger. And perhaps much worse things. Those darkest moments in your life. The worst things you have done. That which you are most ashamed of. On the walls on display where everyone can see.
How would people react to you after seeing those things, do you thing?
That's how it's going to be on the day of judgment. Everything we have done will be read out. And we will be exposed. I am a sinner! I have not loved God, and I have not loved others. I am a sinner.
And the verdict falls. Guilty. You are not worthy of life in the New Creation.
So I am eternally grateful that there is another book. The Book of Life! For the Book of Life is our only hope as sinners!
Look at v15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Turning that around – anyone whose name is recorded in the Book of Life is not thrown into the lake of fire, the second death.
We already know the names of those who are written in the book of life: those who rule with Jesus over whom the second death has no power. That death has no power over them because they already died in Christ on the cross. They cannot die again.
All that matters is whether your name is written in the book of life. No religion, no morality, no goodness or meditation or charity work or family affiliation or anything else is worth anything. Only if Jesus has died your death and given you his life and so your name is written in his book of life.
Let me illustrate. Let this Bible be my book from judgement day. Here is written everything that I have done, said, and thought. It exposes me as a sinner. I have not loved God nor have I loved my neighbour the way I should have. The right verdict is guilty, and the sentence is death.
But what Jesus did on the cross is he took on my judgment on himself. He took the penalty - my death penalty – died in my place, and gave me his life.
He swapped places with me. He died in my place and I live in his. He wrote my name in the Book of Life. And therefore I know that no matter how much I struggle and battle against sin in this life, I am now seated in Christ on the throne in heaven. I am a priest and king in Christ.
And so are you if you believe in him.
Because if we trust in Jesus, if he is our Lord and our Saviour, then our names are written in his Book of Life. Hallelujah!
So let’s live like those who belong to God. Let us obey him no matter what the costs because are his priests who show God to the world. Let us live like kings in the kingdom of Jesus, ruling our lives under Christ’s lordship, following him.
And if you are not Christian? If you’re not yet a believer? Well, perhaps you are here today because your name is written in the Book of Life. Perhaps today is the day you receive salvation, and live from now on to Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Let this day be your first day in eternal life.
Brothers and sisters. Jesus reigns. Let's serve him. Jesus wins. Let's us not be afraid. Jesus Saves. Let's rejoice!