51: World News & Prophecy - Revelation 20:4-15

[McNeely] Well, we are in chapter 20 of Revelation, and we had covered the first three verses in the last class. And I was telling you we went through the binding of Satan. And I think the comment I made at the time was those three verses of chapter 20 really better fit with chapter 19.

And so what we want to do now is pick up this flow with Revelation 20, beginning in verse 4. And what happens here is really kind of a change of pace in the book of Revelation. From this point forward to the end of the book, we really have more of a broad outline of what occurs where we've had a lot of detail in many of the episodes and chapters coming up to this point. Now we have a very broad outline.

And here in chapter 20, we have a broad outline of the resurrections with a little bit of detail that is not given in other passages that talk about the resurrections. One of our fundamentals of belief is the resurrections. I brought in the paper that we have on this topic. It's called—it's a doctrinal paper that is available for anyone to download from the ucg.org site that goes through the resurrections that are mentioned in the Bible. And the three that are mentioned here in chapter 20 are referenced, and we'll talk about those.

And in some ways, we get a bit more detail, but in others, we don't. And we go to a lot of the other writings of the New Testament and the Old Testament to fill in the considerable details about the topic of the resurrections, which gets a little bit beyond our scope of this class here.

But let's look at this beginning in verse 4, where John says,

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.” (Revelation 20:4).

And so, thrones are a part of the promise that God makes to His people. Go back to Revelation 3, in particular, the promise to the church at Laodicea. He says, I grant if he who repents and overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne. And other scriptures talk about Christ returns, He will sit on His throne, Matthew 25 being another one. And so, being co-heirs with Christ and sharing in that judgment that is committed to the saints and those who are a part of this resurrection that is being described here.

He said, “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years"  (Revelation 27:4).

So here, this thousand years again is mentioned and referred to the period of this time of a judgment. But it is a thousand-year period. And we know about the millennium and have been talking about that all along. And many, many, many scriptures talk about the millennial reign of God on the earth that will come.

And here we have a specific period of time that is allocated to it. That’s one of the things that happens here in chapter 20. We get a specific time period to the period following Christ’s return, following the first resurrection that is referenced here in verse 5.

Where it says,

"But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5).

And we know that this phrase, this is the first resurrection, refers back to the subject of verse 4 of that time of the judgment that is given to those who sat on the throne.

The phrase, the rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were finished is what is called a parenthetic phrase that refers to an event that will be discussed later in the chapter. But where it says, this is the first resurrection, then we have a reference back to verse 4.

And so here we have the first of the resurrections that are mentioned in the Bible, of the three that are mentioned. And it speaks to this, a period of time that many other scriptures talk about. We could go back to Daniel 12 and verse 1 to just reference this again.

Actually, Daniel 12, and verse 1 says,

"There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book" (Daniel 12:1).

And that's speaking to the book of life.

"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2).

"Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).

Since we've covered this in the context of this class, choose that one verse to go back to. There are many, many others that will talk about the first resurrection. And we don't need to expound all the different verses here at this particular time. But it is a resurrection that is obviously referenced in 1 Thessalonians 4, 1 Corinthians 15. And it is a resurrection to a spiritual life and to a time of judgment with Christ on His throne here.

Now, so Satan has been bound. There's a thousand years of rebuilding the earth, a time of restoration, a time of judgment. We, again, just to kind of carry the theme that I've been weaving here in Revelation.

And it does mention here—and I should mention that—where in verse 4, John says, he saw the souls of those that had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and the Word and had not worshiped the beast. Some commentators try to restrict those that are described here to those that resist the beast and don't worship the beast as described here in Revelation.

But when you put together all of the scriptures on the resurrection and what is being described here, to limit that, the persons or the beings, saints, to just those does not fit with the rest of what the scriptures tell us.

Yes, those who don't worship the beast at the time of the end and will be martyred, they will be a part of this resurrection. But so will Abraham and many of the other saints and those described here by Daniel in chapter 12 who've lived and died in the faith or in the Lord asleep in Christ as the other scriptures talk about.

So this is that time that we are being prepared for. This is the theme of Revelation which applies to all of God's people throughout the ages, is to not give in to the systems of the world. To not give in not just to the beast but all that it represents. Any system of religion or culture or civilization that is contrary to the way of God, to God's truth, to the kingdom of God. Don't give in to that. Don't worship that. Put God first. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. And that's what we are called to.

And so here in verses 4 and 5 and 6 is described in those who fit into the parable of the talents and of the pounds from the Gospels who receive a calling, take the seed that is sown and produce fruit some 30, some 40, some 50-fold. And then are rewarded for their works, not rewarded with salvation. That is the gift of God. But our works, those parables show us, will determine what we do during this period of time, a thousand years and beyond, but as part of the family of God.

And a lot more can be said about that, but beyond what we really have the time for here.

And so as we move along in verse 7, he says, now, when—so again, a progression of time—

"Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison" (Revelation 20:7).

Now, he's been bound. We looked at the picture the other day upstairs of the Day of Atonement that chains on the hands and into this bottomless pit that is there. But there will come a time when it will be, he will be released.

Now, this is not an escape from prison by Satan. This is a deliberate act that God allows and does within His plan.

You know, when we look at this and another, you know, what transpires is that after a thousand years of peace, a world that has been shaped and formed along the laws of God, the kingdom of God on the earth, Christ ruling and reigning, people will have lived over into that period from this age through the tribulation, then the world will be populated, people will be born, and for a thousand years, cities and towns will grow in the human population.

But then God has it in His plan to, in a sense, power back up that deceptive spirit by releasing Satan. And here's what it says happens.

"He will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea" (Revelation 20:8).

"They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them" (Revelation 20:9).

And so He will deceive the nations, or some from the nations, not all of them, but His influence, in a sense, will be turned back on. His wavelength, as Ephesians 2 talks about, the spirit of the air, the prince of the power of the air that works for the children of disobedience that Paul writes about in Ephesians 2 will be allowed.

Why? Why would God do this?

You know, Scripture, this is one of those matters that you could, you know, kind of wax eloquent on beyond, again, the scope of what we have here. I've heard some good messages on that topic through the years, usually at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, when sometimes men will choose to talk about that.

But God is in the process of sifting and judging people, even after a thousand years of, if you will, perfection. God's kingdom on the earth, there will still be some who will, human beings, that will not fully yield to that.

I think one lesson among many that we could talk about, probably, I'll leave it at that—this one is that God is judging. He is sifting and will be even during this time, and humans, something about human nature and the nature of man, that God will want to winnow out and sort through so that there will be no rebel in His family. And this will be a means by which He will do that even after a thousand years. And there will be a time of testing.

Now, it mentions Gog and Magog here. Now, there is another reference in the Bible to Gog and Magog, and that is back in Ezekiel 38 and 39, especially in chapter 38, where it is describing a group of people and nations who have a similar purpose, but that's a different incident that we understand that will take place after Christ returns and when things have settled and they come up against the unwalled cities of Israel, and it will be people from the area north and east of the nation of Israel.

And so that will take place at an earlier time. And this, then, is a Gog and Magog of a different sort, but it's kind of a term that is being used to apply to people from all parts of the earth, as it says, the four corners of the earth. And so it's describing in a more general sense as opposed to a more specific sense in the Ezekiel passages.

The study of Gog and Magog, in and of itself, is a rather interesting one that allows for, I think, especially those nations, you know, north and east of Israel. That would be up in this area here of Eurasia, the steppes, Russia, China. And since I don't teach Ezekiel, I don't normally talk about that, but it's a unique referencing and grouping of people that Ezekiel talks about, and then used here.

But suffice it to say, it is used here to refer to those that will not yield to God's plan, and in the sense that God will then show that He is God, just as He does with the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel. He will do that here. He will show that He is sovereign. His way is paramount, and there will be nothing but that way, and He will be God. And any who go against that will be destroyed at this time.

And so it says in verse 10,

"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.” (Revelation 20:10).

And you'll note that that word are is in italics, meaning that it's not in the original Greek. And a better translation in the context of the understanding about heaven and hell and what the Bible really does say about that would be a better translation would be that where the beast and the false prophet were, because they were put there at the beginning of the millennium, we read earlier, “they will be tormented day and night.”

There's an ending then of Satan's ability, and all those who will follow him will be destroyed. There'll be at that point then no rebels on the earth, only the saints of the first resurrection. And we have the stage set now for another event that begins in verse 11.

Now, before I mention that, I might say that it seems that it's a possibility that this lake of fire that Satan is cast into, and the beast and the false prophet may be something that lasts through the thousand-year period, and maybe a spot that would be known, that that could be, that sometimes is speculated. I'm not saying that it would not be. I mean, it's possible. We have open volcanoes that are active with molten lava working out of the core of the earth that are, in a sense, always there. And so that, geologically, physically, that could be possible in that sense, if that's what God is teaching us or showing us here. We'll find out at that particular time.

But verse 11 moves on then to what is called the great white throne.

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them" (Revelation 20:11).

So there's an unfurling of the heavens and earth in some sense. This may be more poetic to describe the setting, but it is a setting for a great event called the great white throne, and your Bibles will have the subtitle, great white throne judgment in it.

Him who sat on it, we would look at, and look at that being Christ who is ruling through that thousand-year period, to whom God has given all judgment, John 5 and verse 22. Christ made the comment that,

"For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22).

And if what we know is from 1 Corinthians 15, as well as in Revelation 21, the Father has not yet joined the picture, if you will.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul writes that then comes the end when He gives the kingdom up to the Father. And that will be at a point beyond this, as described in chapter 21.

But it goes on here in verse 12.

"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.” (Revelation 20:12).

All right? So the books were opened, and this is the Greek biblia, from which we get the word Bible and books. But that's what's being opened to these people. It is the books of the Bible is being opened. And another book, which is defined here, is the Book of Life, which is described in other passages of the Bible, Philippians 4:3, for instance. 

“And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books" (Revelation 20:12)

So here is a period of judgment. Here is a time when books are open. Here is a time when the dead, small and great, stand before God. Now you'll see, and other commentators on this verse, they will, because they don't understand the flow of God's purpose and plan that today is not the only day of salvation, they will look at this as a time of the judgment of the wicked. But that's not what is being talked about here.

When you put together other scriptures that describe the truth that there has to be a time when those who never knew God, never knew Christ, never had a chance to bend the knee to Christ or to be baptized in the name of Christ, the only name under heaven by which we are saved. And they've never had that opportunity because of their Babylonian, Assyrian, Egyptian, paganism, or non-ism that they may have had in other cultures and civilizations.

And even today where people have not known the full truth of God, and even today in the world are either atheistic or under some other type of non-Christian religion and Eastern religion, for instance, where they are, and this would include Muslims as well. Muslims recognize Jesus, but only not as the Son of God, but as a prophet. And so they are not under the blood of Christ in their life.

So you have billions of people that have lived since Adam who have never had a chance to accept and profess Christ.

And Christ does talk about those when He talks in His ministry, when He talks about the time of judgment when certain cities like Chorazin or Bethsaida did not acknowledge His works and obey Him. And He said, woe unto you Chorazin, woe unto you Bethsaida, because have the works been done in Sodom or the works been done in Tyre, a great Gentile city that came under judgment, they would have repented.

Well, when did those works be done? They weren't. What's He talking about? Well, He has to be talking about something in the future.

And the Queen of the South, He even references when she comes up in the judgment.

So Christ gives us some very clear indication that places like Sodom, who from the Old Testament, probably no other city, Sodom and Gomorrah, that represents evil, defiance of God, it had to be destroyed by fire and brimstone, you know the story. And yet Christ said that it will be more tolerant for them, meaning their grace, forgiveness, an opportunity.

When does that occur?

Well, Scripture shows us that that occurs here after the thousand years. There's no other reference to it other than in Ezekiel 37 and the valley and the vision of the dry bones that we have there, where Israel comes together in a physical resurrection. Those bones come together and flesh and Israel and Judah are joined back together. David rules over them.

What is that talking about?

Well, that's talking about a—you know, that Israel has not yet, they've not been rejected. Paul covers that in Romans 9, 10, and 11 and weaves that through three magnificent chapters in the book of Romans where he's asking about, you know, what about Israel? And he shows, he knows that from Ezekiel's prophecy that their hope is not lost. They're not cut off.

And here John then is given this revelation that there's a period of time yet to come when the dead, small and great that were in the earth are delivered up from the sea, from the ground in the graves, long forgotten graves that have been, you know, covered over in places where people died. God knows it all. God has that ability and that knowledge. And there will be this time when they will come under judgment according to their works in verse 13.

We cover this on the eighth day every year after the Feast of Tabernacles, that this message is brought out there. And it's one of the great understandings that God has given to us. But here it is.

Then he goes on in verse 14.

"Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death" (Revelation 20:14).

So he's now transitioned to the reality that there is a second death.

Now, Hebrews 9:27 says that,

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

We will all die at one point. Physical cessation of life after X number of years or perhaps prematurely and unfortunately in some cases, but man, we will all die. And even if we live to the second coming or alive and remain when Christ returns and are caught up in the air, that change to immortality will necessitate a death of the mortal. So it is given to men once to die, but after this a judgment.

And so everyone found that it says that anyone not found written in the Book of Life as referenced in verse 13 will be cast into the lake of fire.

"And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15).

And so here is a scripture that describes a separate event from what is described in verse 13 and what has been described in verse 4, the first resurrection. And then if there's a first, there's a second that is referenced here in verse 13, not explicitly but by implication.

And then there's a third resurrection, which again, not explicitly said, but implied by not only this, but many, many other passages that talk about the incorrigibly wicked, those who sin willfully.

I would refer you to Hebrews 10, verse 26, where it says that,

"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation" (Hebrews 10:26–27).

And so to have received God's Spirit, known the truth, and then to willfully reject that through sin, and reject the truth, there's no more sacrifice for that sin. And that only God knows when a person comes to that point. So, I don't want to go into all of what that means here necessarily, but that other scriptures, 2 Peter 2, verses 20 to 22,

"For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome" (2 Peter 2:20–22).

And so these scriptures here are showing us the time of a judgment that comes upon the earth at this time. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire. And so there are three periods of judgment, three resurrections that are described here. Peter talks about judgment is now upon the house of God. If you're called, part of the first fruits today, we're under judgment toward the first resurrection.

Those that are a part of the dead, small and great of verse 13 will be under a time of judgment when the books are open to them and they have a one chance, first chance for salvation. And then a time of fiery judgment then that has to be supplied based on all the other scriptures when verse 15 comes to pass and the second death of verse 14 and anyone not found written in that Book of Life through a time of judgment is cast into the lake of fire.

Now, I do want to turn to one other passage here just to kind of connect it. And it's in 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. That is the parallel to what we just read here in verses 14 and 15. And Peter puts together, and I'm not going to read the entire passage, but he's talking about a period of God's promise, God's judgment that it comes about in verse 7.

And verse 9,

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

Verse 10,

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).

“Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.” (2 Peter 3:11)

Now, Peter condenses or summarizes a lot of events in these three verses, but he shows the one thing that connects to what we've been reading in Revelation 20, and that is there's going to come a time when the physical earth will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. And we haven't come to that. The tribulation doesn't bring that about. The second coming of Christ doesn't bring that about. But the events that will be a part of this death and grave being cast into or ending, Paul does talk about the time when death will be no more. 

That will happen with this event of judgment called, we call the third resurrection, but Peter refers to here when there will be a dissolution of everything physical. And the only thing that will endure is spirit, a spirit being, which we hope and pray all of us will be at that point. That's what will endure that. The flames, the judgment will all been over, but the flames will not touch. And so that's what Peter is talking about. And then going to verse 13 here. 

“Nevertheless,” he says, “according to his promise, look, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13)

And that takes us then to chapter 21 of Revelation, the new heavens and the new earth, which we will cover in the next class.