Monday, December 29, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Revelation 20

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Satan Bound 1000 Years

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 

(Revelation 20:1–3, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Once the conflict in the Valley of Megiddo was settled, an angel came down from heaven to subdue the dragon. This dragon, the serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, was bound with a chain for a thousand years. He was then cast into the bottomless pit and locked in it. This door was then sealed, so that no one could escape the bottomless pit and deceive the nations any longer, for the duration of the thousand year reign of Christ on earth. After the millennial reign, Satan will be loosed for a brief time to tempt those born during the millennium.

The Saints Reign with Christ 1000 Years

⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. 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. ⁵ But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 

(Revelation 20:4–6, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• The twenty-four elders, presumably, are seated on thrones and the power of judgment is committed to them. Those who had given their lives for Christ during the Great Tribulation are here recognized, and are allowed to live and reign with Christ for a thousand years. This is a union of sorts of many groups who served God faithfully over the history of the world. “The first resurrection includes the resurrection of 1) Jesus Christ, 2) many dead saints of OT times (Matt. 27:52, 53), 3) the dead saints of the church, 4) the rapture of the living saints (1 Thess. 4:16, 17), and 5) those who are martyred for their testimony during the Great Tribulation.”* Therefore, all those who served God and believed in Christ are counted in this first resurrection, and are blessed to reign with Christ for the millennium. The sinful, unsaved throng will not be resurrected here, but will be at a later time for their judgment. The second death will sting them, but not those resurrected in the first resurrection.
• Jack W. Hayford et al., eds., New Spirit-Filled Life Bible: Notes (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Bibles, 2002), 1844.

Satanic Rebellion Crushed

⁷ Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and 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. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 

(Revelation 20:7–10, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• After the battle of Armageddon ended and the millennial reign began, the thousand-year-reign of Christ on earth was a time of peace and holiness. As the period ends, an interesting twist appears as Satan is released from the bottomless pit and allowed to tempt those born during the Millennial period.
• When the years of the period have ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations from all over the earth. Gog and Magog represent the kingdoms of the earth, specifically those who are gathered together to battle against Christ and His kingdom. This army gathered is more numerous than the sands of the sea. This army surrounded the camp of the saints in the beloved city. Before a shot can be fired or a sword drawn, fire comes down from heaven to devour the unholy army. After this swift defeat, Satan is captured and thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone to join the beast and the false prophet, imprisoned there after the battle of Armageddon. Their torment will last forever and ever day and night. This second war between the forces of Satan and the armies of God turns out the very same as the first, with Christ’s forces prevailing over those of Satan. In each case, the victory is astounding, as Christ does not have to actually engage the army, but simply creates a natural event that wiped out the opposing army in one fell swoop. The dominance is unreal, but yet divine in nature.

The Great White Throne Judgment

¹¹ 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. 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. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. 

(Revelation 20:11–15, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• After the carnage of the second divine war, a scene change occurs revealing a great white throne. The One who sat upon the throne was so awesome and even fearful that those who dwell on the earth and in heaven flee from His face. However, they could not have hidden from His face. there was no place where they could escape His view. The dead, small and great, stood before God and the books were opened. Another book was opened, which was the Book of Life. Two things appear to come before God, Who sits on the White Throne. He judges the people before him by their works, and He checks to see if their names are written in the Book of Life. At this judgment, everyone (the dead in Hades, in the sea, etc.) will be judged according to their works. After this judgment, Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. The lake of fire now includes the beast, the false prophet, the dragon, and now death and hell (Death and Hades). This is called the second death. In addition to the deceivers already in the lake of fire, all those not found written in the Book of Life were also cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death spoken of just earlier. This is what those who took the mark of the beast will suffer. This is the fate of the people who do not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This is where those who rejected the Lord and followed their own ways will go, into eternal torment. The lake of fire is the eternal abode of those without Christ. It is a horrible fate to face for a life lived without God. Choose right and live eternally with Christ.

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.