III. THE FUTURE (“THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER"), PART
2b--6:1-22:21
D. The Millennium--20:1-15
1. The reign--vv. 1-6
a. Satan bound--vv.
1-3
(I)
The time of this binding
(A) Important because it clearly establishes that Satan is not
now, in this present day, bound
(B) At the end of the tribulation and at the beginning
of the millennium. This clearly indicates that it is not
now.
(1) Amillennialists generally state that he is
bound. If so, we must be in the millennium: but it is evident
that universal peace is not
present; nor is it evident that Jesus Christ is reigning here on earth.
(2) The amillennialist say He is reigning in
heaven.
(3) This writer would have you note, however,
that the entire context is an earthly scene.
(II)
The humiliation of this binding
(A) God has so completely removed the power of this fallen
cherub, that "an angel" chains him.
(B) Not even Michael is needed for this job, just an ordinary
angel.
(C) Such humiliation
(III)
The name of the one bound is made absolutely clear.
(A) The dragon--reminds one of Revelation 12:3, 9
(B) That old serpent--goes right back to Genesis 3:1--who caused
our first parents to sin
(C) The Devil--the slanderer or accuser of the saints
(D) Satan--the great adversary of God, His Son. and all
His people
(IV)
The length of this binding
(A) 1000 years
(1) During this period Satan's influence will
not be felt in any sense at all.
(2) Again this shows we are not now in that period,
for His influence is felt by every saint.
(B) Why just a thousand years
(1) At first inscrutable
(2) Verse3c says he must be loosed for "a little
season."
(3) Verses 7 and 8 shows that he, as soon as
released, goes out and deceive the nations again.
(4) Newell (317; italics are his.) seems to suggest
the right reason: "God would give the human race a
final chance after Christ's
reign, to choose! One thousand years with Christ and His saints
over
them in peace; then the decision:
will they have this Man to rule over them? or will they choose the
great enemy again?"
b. The reign itself--vv.
4-6
(I)
What it is
(A) The direct administration of divine government on
earth
(B) Centered in Jerusalem with the nation of Israel
(C) Christ and the true church will reign supremely, perhaps
invisible to eyes of those over whom they
reign; although this writer thinks it will be
a visible rule.
(1) Satan and his host now rule unconscious and
invisibly.
(2) We may rule then with Christ in an invisible
way.
(3) In any event the glory of the Lord
will be seen by all and constantly over the temple at Jerusalem.
(a) Isaiah 4:5
(b) Isaiah 40:5
(c) There will be no doubt
Who is the Supreme Ruler of the earth, for as Philippians 2
indicates,
every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord.
(II)
The purpose of the reign
(A) From God, the Father's viewpoint
(1) The public, earthly honoring of Jesus
Christ, His Son, and that at the very place where He was
dishonored, Jerusalem.
(2) To fulfill the promises of God to Jesus
Christ
(a) Luke 1:32
(b) Psalm 2
(c) Psalm 110
(3) The final divine trial of sinful man
on this earth before its destruction
(a) This is to try man to
see if he really desires God's righteous rule over him.
(b) It will answer for all
eternity that mankind has not achieve for themselves a righteous rule nor
even desire
such a rule (in spite of all the claims of modernists, politicians,
and people and
nations in
general.).
(c) This trial will actually
show that instead of seeking a "perfect" form of government,
mankind
hates such
a government.
(4) It will be God's answer to the prayers of
His saints.
(a) Matthew 6:10
(b) Remember that the Millennium,
though perfect government, is a mixed state of things, for many
of the
subjects will be sinful.
(B) From God, the Son's viewpoint
(1) He receives the kingdom long promised to
Him and long awaited by Him.
(a) Cf. Hebrews 10:12, 13
(b) Will have a righteous
reign--cf. Psalm 45:6, 7
(2) The meek will truly inherit the earth.
(a) Psalm 37:11
(b) Matthew 5:5
(3) He will be able to share all His Kingly honors
and glories with His saints! (Remember the Church as
His bride will be at His
side).
(4) Rule will be Theocratic in every sense of
the word, for He is God with us.
(C) From the saints' viewpoint
(1) Three classes of saints are joined
together in the millennium.
(a) The Church reigning with
Christ in glorified bodies
((I))1 Corinthians
6:2, 3
((II)) These
are the ones sitting on the thrones
((III)) No
resurrection of these is mentioned, having been resurrected and/or
raptured before
the tribulation.
((IV)) Judgment
is given unto these--cf. Luke 22:28, 29, 30
(b) The souls of those
beheaded for confession of Christ during the tribulation
((I)) Not
the church for the church does not go through the tribulation
((II)) The
martyrs under the fifth seal--Revelation 6:9
((III)) These
worshipped not the beast, nor his image, nor received the mark of the
beast in the
heads or hands.
((IV)) Newell
(cf. 324-325) makes two groups out of these--those beheaded and those
who
reigned having not received the mark of the beast, etc.
((A)) The Greek would allow this idea (In which case, it should be
rendered: "I saw the
souls of them .that were beheaded for the witness
of Jesus and for the word of God and
of those which had not worshipped the beast,"
etc.)
((B)) The Greek would allow also the Authorized Version rendering, which
leans toward two
groups.
((C)) The distinction between the early tribulation martyrs and those believers
who pass
through.the tribulation would be clear by Newell's
distinction.
((D)) If two groups are to be distinguished here, then the phrase "They
lived and reign" would
apply to both.
((V)) The phrase
"lived" would refer to bodily resurrection.
(c) The souls of those who
worshipped. not the beast, etc.
((I)) Discussed
this in connection with the second group
((II)) If
one does not wish to distinguish between the souls of the martyred
ones and the ones
who worshipped not the beast, then there would be only two groups here.
((III)) This
group also.is resurrected and reigns.
((IV)) The
reign of the last two groups
((A)) They reign as does the church for 1000 years.
((B)) However, judgment is not given to these.
(2) The land of Palestine will undergo physical
changes for the benefit of the saints.
(a) Isaiah 35:1-10
(b) Zechariah 14:9, 10
(D) From the viewpoint of the nations
(1) 1000 years of iron-rod rule
(2) Real peace among nations
(a) Enforced, yes, but real
(b) Scripture
((I)) Isaiah
9:6, 7
((II)) Micah
5:2-5
((III)) Zechariah
9:9-11
(3) Every year the nations remaining will have
to go to Jerusalem to worship the King and to keep the
feast of tabernacles.
(a) Though unregenerated, they
will be compelled to bow the knee to Jesus, the Christ.
(b) They will be forced to acknowledge
that despised nation, Israel, to be God's delight.
(c) Cf. Psalms 45-48
(E) From creation's viewpoint
(1) The creation was cursed because of Adam's
(not Eve's) sin.
(2) Creation waits its glorious restoration--cf.
Romans 8:20-22
(3) At the revealing of the sons of God
(you and me) when Christ comes, this deliverance of creation
will be accomplished.
(4) The whole land of Israel from the Nile
to the Euphrates will be particularly changed.
(III)
The first resurrection
(A) Considered in the last part of verse 5 and verse 6
(B) The rest of the dead--v. 5a
(1) Not resurrected at this time.
(2) These are the lost who are in Hades till the
white Throne Judgment.
(C) Two resurrections
(1) Repeatedly taught in the Bible
(a) Daniel 12.2
(b) Matthew 25:46
(c) John 5:28, 29
(2) The two
(a) The first resurrection which
is in parts and is to life
(b) The second resurrection which
is single and is to damnation or judgment
(D) The divisions of the first resurrection
(1) Christ, the first-fruits--1 Corinthians 15:20,
23
(2) Afterwards (a time word) they that are Christ's
at His coming.--1 Corinthians 15:23b (This group is
subdivided)
(a) Church saints who are asleep
(dead) in Jesus at the rapture--1 Thessalonians 4:16
(b) Resurrection of tribulation
saints and Old Testament saints at His glorious return at the end of
the tribulation.
((I)) Revelation
20:3-5
((II)) Isaiah
26:19
((III)) Daniel
12:2
((IV)) NOTE:
There is some indication that Old Testament saints (or at least some
of them)
were raised when Christ was crucified or possibly when He arose (cf.
Matthew 27:52, 53).
(E) Partakers of the first resurrection are blessed.
(1) Because of the grace of God to
them
(2) Because of the holiness given to them
(3) Because the second death has no authority
(KJV: "power"--same word as in John 1:12) over them.
This verse 6 clearly indicates
that the believer is not subject to the final judgment that condemns for
all eternity.
(4) These are priests of God and of
Christ.
(a) Other saints apparently join
with the church in the priestly office--a ministry on the behalf of
others before
God.
(b) Would be after the Melchizedek
order as is Christ
(5) These also reign with Christ during the
millennium.
2. The final rebellion--vv. 7-9
a. The account
(I)
Satan loosed after the 1000 years.
(II)
Satan deceives the nations of the earth.
(III)
Satan gathers the nations to battle against the saints.
(IV)
The number of the satanic army is as the sand of the sea.
(V)
This vast host compasses the camp of the saints which is apparently
at this point near the beloved city,
Jerusalem.
(VI)
Fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them.
b. The reason
(I)
Satan has ever desired to be like God.
(A) Isaiah 14:12-15
(B) Ezekiel 28:12-17
(C) Tried and succeeded in getting our first parents to commit
the same sin--cf. Genesis 3:5
(II)
Forever will prove the deceitfulness of the human heart
(A) Jeremiah 17:9
(B) Remember that many will go directly into the Millennium
in their human bodies. In this 1000 years
they will marry and have children who in turn
must individually follow the Lord. Many of these
children will give only lip-service, so that
when Satan is released, they will rebel.
(C) For 1000 years mankind will have a perfectly righteous rule
and perfect peace on earth. Then God
gives them one last chance to choose freely,
"Will ye have this Man," Christ Jesus "rule over you?"
Their reply even as it was at the cross,
NO!
c. The end
(I)
Fire from heaven destroys this ungodly army.
(II)
God's patience is exhausted, and mankind's malignity is fully set forth.
(III)
This forever puts an end to a sinful human race!
3. The final retribution--vv. 10-15
a. Satan's judgment--v.
10
(I)
Cast into the lake of fire
(II)
Meets the same doom as the beast and false prophet
(III)
Note that the word "are" is in italics which indicates that the verb "to
be" is not actually given in the
Greek. However, the construction in the Greek is such
that requires the verb "to be." In fact the passage
could be rendered, "where also are the beast and false prophet."
(IV)
Satan shall be tormented
(A) Day and night; for ever and ever
(B) Personally because of the great light Satan had, this
writer thinks Satan will be tormented the most; he
does not now or then rule over the final place
of torment.
b. The great white
throne judgment--vv. 11-15
(I)
This is the final judgment of every human being who does not belong
to the Lord.
(II)
A great white throne
(A) Great
(1) Distinguished from all other aspects of
God's throne
(2) "Infinite before whom the finite must stand."
(B) White
(1) Sets forth Divine holiness
(2) Shows forth God's purity
(3) Reveals Jehovah's justice
(C) Throne
(1) Unlimited majesty
(2) Speaks of the right to dispose of
any creatures
(III)
HIM THAT SAT UPON IT
(A) God the Father
(1) Pro--Alford (IV:734)
(a) Cites Revelation 4:3
and 21:5
(b) States that though God
the Father judges no one, still He is present
(2) Con--Newell (328) who cites John 5:22, 27
(B) God the Son
(1) Certainly John 5:22, 27; also Romans 2:16
(2).Revelation 4:3 and possibly 21:5 would favor
God the Father
(C) The entire Trinity
(1) God the Father present
(2) God the Son as Judge
(3) God the Holy Spirit possibly as vindicator,
for He is the convincer of sin, righteousness and
judgment (John 16:8-11) and
thus, knows who has spurned His reproving ministry. (NOTE: this is
only a surmise, for apart
from John 16, this writer has no Scriptural proof. ).
(IV)
Earth and heaven flee God's presence.
(A) Heaven may here refer to the all that is not God's abode.
(B) This phrase would tend to support that the One on the throne
is the Father.
(C) Cf. 2 Peter 3:10-12 and Hebrews 12:25-29
(V)
The last judgment
(A) The dead stand before God.
(1) From the context (v. 5), this refers only
to the remaining dead not raised before the millennium.
(2) Small and great--in that day no one will
have any advantage because of position in life
(B) The books opened
(1) Oh, what a solemn scene!
(2) These books contain the works of these
who are judged.
(3) Man has ever tried to plea his good works.
So God has been keeping a very accurate record.
This writer can see the debit
and credit columns. On the credit side may be a long list of
good
deeds done in one's life,
but on the debit side are some bad things (perhaps only a few) , but one
item is recorded in big black
letters; REJECTED JESUS CHRIST.
(C) But wait a minute, to be absolutely sure, another book is
opened.
(1) This is the book of life.
(a) Revelation 13:8
(b) Revelation 17:8
(c) Revelation 21:27
(2) Christ is in charge of this
book--Revelation 3:5.
(3) This is the all important book--cf. v. 15.
(4) "It is not the absence of good works
in the book that dooms a person. It is the absence of his
name. Only names,
not works, are in that book!" (Source unknown)
(5) The name is in that book by virtue of
sustaining a proper relationship to Jesus Christ, namely, a
personal acceptance of Him
Who is the Life.
(6) This passage precludes any intermediate place
of punishment from which a person can enter
heaven. Every name
written in that book of life was there before that day of
judgment.
(7) Those to whom you have witnessed, if they
do not accept Jesus Christ in this life, will not have
their names in this
book of life. Though judged on the basis of their works
(the very thing they
were depending on),
the final decision is made on the basis of whether their names are
in the book
of life. It is
as though Mr. John Doe says to God, "I have lived a good life; I was honest,
clean
living, never hurt
or harm my neighbor, attended church regularly, taught a Sunday school class,
was
a deacon, a trustee
in the church, never cheated on my income tax, and never broke any
known
law." God replies,
"Did you receive My Son as your personal Savior? If you did, your name
will
be in the Book of
Li£e." "Son," God says to Jesus, "Is his name in the Book
of Life?" Jesus
replies, "Let's see; there
is Mr. John Doe of Greenbrook, New Jersey, U. S. A.; there's Mr.
John
Doe of Detroit, Michigan,
U. S. A.; there's a Mr. John Doe of Dallas, Texas (This writer just
had
to have someone from the
Lone Star state.); there's Mr. John Doe from . . .," and so forth.
"There
is no John Doe," replies
the Lord, "from Podunk, U. S. A." AGAIN NOTE THE LAST VERSE
OF THE CHAPTER:
"AND WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK
OF LIFE WAS CAST INTO
THE LAKE OF FIRE."
(8) Oh, both the terror and blessedness of
this book of life
(a) Terror to those who have
not trusted Jesus Christ as Savior
(b) Blessedness, yea, assurance
to those who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior
(D) The completeness of this judgment
(1) The sea gives up its dead--just because a
person has died and been buried at sea does not keep
him from being at this
judgment.
(2) Death and the grave (Hell as in Authorized
Version is the abode of the unsaved dead) deliver up
the dead in them.
(3) This makes it all inclusive.
(4) Everyone judged according to his works.
(E) Death and the grave are cast into the Lake of fire.
(1) The implication is that the dead in death
and the grave were also cast therein.
(2) This, that is the lake of fire, is
the second death.
(3) NOTE AGAIN VERSE 6: BLESSED AND
HOLY IS HE THAT PART IN THE FIRST
RESURRECTION: ON
SUCH THE SECOND DEATH HAS NO AUTHORITY!
(F) If one's name is not in the book of life, then
such a one is cast into the lake of fire.
(1) NOTE AGAIN: It is not the absence
of good works, but the absence of his NAME.
(2) "It is not the fact of evil works.
Many of earth's greatest sinners have their names in the Book
of
Life." (Newell, 334)
This includes the thief on the cross.
(3) NOTE AGAIN: "There is no record
of anyone's name being written into the Book of Life
upon that day, but rather
the opposite:" IF ANY WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN. "How
overwhelmingly solemn is
this!" (Ibid.; bold type and caps are this writer's.)