and cast him into the abyss, and shut [it] and sealed [it] over him, that he should not any more deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be loosed for a little time.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And I saw thrones; and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and the souls of those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the word of God; and those who had not done homage to the beast nor to his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and hand; and they lived and reigned with the Christ a thousand years
Revelation 20 opens with Satan bound, and John's eye then moves up to a row of thrones with people seated on them. Who sits there, what does it mean that judgment was given to them, and how do the beheaded souls come to life?
An earlier vision, given to the prophet Daniel, left something unfinished. John's sight of the thrones fills it in.
Next John sees thrones. "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed." Daniel also saw thrones tied to the judgment of the beast, but his vision says nothing about who sat on them. Here we have the full revelation, and it states several times that Christ and His saints will reign for a thousand years. The new age begins: the personal reign of Christ, when all things are put under His feet and all His redeemed people share in it. Six times this chapter speaks of the thousand years. Because this coming age lasts a thousand years, it has been called by the Latin word "millennium."
The text never names the ones on the thrones. Commentators say the pronoun points to a group already familiar from earlier chapters, and that a narrow reading leaves a huge company of the redeemed with no place in the reign.
The "they" clearly refers to a well-known class. More than once we have already seen the redeemed in Heaven, pictured by the twenty-four elders, taking part in the scenes of chapters 4 to 19. They are all the Old Testament and New Testament believers, raised or changed when the Lord comes into the air (1 Thess. 4:15-17). This is a far larger group than the martyrs, so there is nowhere to place them in the reign except inside the two plural pronouns they and them. It would be very strange for the martyrs to reign while those same saints in Heaven, "made kings and priests to God," were left out.
Judgment changes form at this point in the book. The thrones show what it becomes.
The thrones can now be filled for judgment. Before, judgment came in the way of war; now it is the seat of right... But now there are people sitting on the thrones. Among them are two classes who might have seemed to have no place there — the witnesses killed for their testimony, and those who would neither worship the beast nor acknowledge him. All reigned with Christ a thousand years.
John also sees souls. They form two groups, and their place in the reign answers a cry raised earlier in the book.
Then come the souls of those beheaded because of the witness of Jesus and the word of God. These are the martyrs of Rev. 6:9-11, seen long before under the altar... They had cried to the Sovereign ruler to avenge their blood on their enemies. He told them to wait a little, until others, their fellow-servants and their brothers, were killed as they were. So here we have them all. Another company of faithful men is added: those who suffered when the Beast made his worst and final claims... We can see why these two groups of saints are singled out. They suffered after the rapture to heaven. They did not live for the power and glory of the kingdom. But if they died for Christ, God makes sure they do not lose the first resurrection but share in it.
The term is broader than the English suggests.
In Rev. 20:4, those "beheaded" for the witness of Jesus may be killed in other ways, because the Greek word pelekizo means "to cut with an axe," and has no particular reference to the head.
A single verb decides what happens to the two later groups.
These were not yet raised from the dead. They were still in the condition of separate spirits. And there was a third class — people who had not worshipped the beast, nor accepted his claims in any form or degree... "They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." That is, they were reunited to their bodies. That is what coming to life means here.
Not everyone has taken this resurrection literally.
It is remarkable that some have thought the "first resurrection" is only a resurrection of principles. But we read of "souls" that death had separated from their bodies, and then we read of them living again and reigning with Christ a thousand years. There can be no doubt left in the mind that they are persons.
- Thrones filled. Daniel saw thrones set in place but no one seated. John sees them filled, and the thousand-year reign of Christ with His redeemed begins.
- Judgment given. War gives way to settled rule, and those seated on the thrones receive the authority to judge.
- Three companies. The saints already in heaven, the martyrs of Revelation 6, and those who refused the beast's mark all share the same reign.
- Nothing lost. Those killed after the earlier saints were taken up seemed to have missed the kingdom. God raises them so they lose nothing.
- Really raised. Coming to life means souls reunited with their bodies. Commentators call this a resurrection of persons, not of principles.
the rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed. This [is] the first resurrection.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Blessed and holy he who has part in the first resurrection over these the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
The vision pauses to bless everyone who shares in the first resurrection. Three things follow: no second death, priesthood, and a thousand-year reign with Christ — but who is included, and does this raise real bodies?
The two words are not repetition. One describes the state such people are in, the other describes what they are like.
Everyone who has part in the first resurrection is pronounced "blessed and holy." It is a matter of individual blessedness. The first term describes his happy condition; the second his character. Happiness and holiness are inseparably linked, and must never be separated.
Some read this chapter as a picture of ideas or influences coming back to life rather than people. The verse itself answers that.
Here we have the display of the first resurrection — the main subject. Blessed and holy are they! They shall be priests of God and of Christ; that is their highest place, as seen in this book. And they shall reign with Him a thousand years, for He is a priest on His throne. It would be hard to make priests of principles, though, by a figure, we might say principles reign.
The company is far wider than the martyrs just described in the vision.
The "first resurrection" is a literal resurrection of all the dead in Christ from the foundation of the world. One group, which might seem not to belong to it, is named on its own, because it alone needs this. The first resurrection is "first" only in contrast with the resurrection of the wicked. It has different stages indeed, but only one character.
The stages are spread across time.
The first resurrection does not mean that all who have part in it are raised at the same moment. Christ's resurrection was the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:23). Then follows the resurrection of Old Testament saints, and of those who have fallen asleep during the present period, at the time of the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Finally, at the appearing of Christ, comes the resurrection of the saints who have died or suffered martyrdom during the period between the rapture and the appearing.
The second death is the exact opposite of the first resurrection. What one group escapes, the other must face.
"Over such the second death has no power." Notice again the force of the Lord's words in the gospel: "they cannot die anymore." Those left to be raised after the thousand years are over must die another and most dreadful death — the second death. By it all those who had no part in the first resurrection are to die. Theirs will be the second death. It means the end of all hope of blessing, while everything else in heaven and earth is blessed. They remain forever under the wrath of God. They are cast into the lake of fire. As for those who have part in the first resurrection, "they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." And afterwards they will reign in life by Him forever and ever.
Priesthood here has two sides. It means nearness to God, and it carries a royal dignity.
Both the holy and the royal character of priesthood will then be in fullest exercise, without ceasing and without hindrance. As His priests we shall have continual access into God's presence. And with Christ we shall display, in its blessed fullness, the royal excellence of Him whom our souls delight to honour.
That title is not held back until the resurrection. It belongs to believers now.
No doubt their title will be fully owned there. They are to be priests of God and of Christ in the resurrection (Revelation 20:6). But do we not have the very same title now from God? (Revelation 1:6). Why then not believe it?
The thousand years are a reward, and a reward must belong to a person.
The reign of a thousand years is a reward. People sometimes say that it is principles that shall reign, that it is a question of a resurrection of principles. But it is written "they shall reign" (Revelation 5:10; 20:6); and I cannot confuse principles with persons. If we suffer, we shall reign. We are not principles.
- Blessed — the first word describes their happy condition. The second, "holy," describes their character. The two are never separated.
- Persons — those raised are people, not principles or influences. You cannot make principles priests, and principles do not suffer.
- Safe — the second death, the lake of fire, has no claim over them. They cannot die anymore. Those raised later must face it.
- Priests — nearness to God and royal dignity come into full exercise then. But the title belongs to every believer now.
- Reigning — the thousand years reward those who suffered. Afterwards the same people reign in life forever.
And when the thousand years have been completed, Satan shall be loosed from his prison,
Revelation 20 has just shown a thousand years of peace under the reign of Christ, with the great enemy sealed in the abyss — the pit this verse calls his prison. Verse 7 opens it — so why would God release the one He had locked away?
This is not a stray event. One writer, using the older wording of verse 3, lists what must happen first.
"After these things he must be loosed for a little time." A group of connected events comes before the loosing of Satan. "After these things" refers to more than the imprisonment in the abyss. He is "loosed for a little time" only after a long list of events: the destruction of Babylon, the marriage of the Lamb, the war on earth, and the complete rout and destruction of the Beast, the False Prophet and their armies. His release also follows the binding of the dragon, the sealing of the abyss, and Satan's long captivity of a thousand years. There are two brief periods in the coming crisis connected with the career of Satan, in both of which he shows unusual activity. First, from his expulsion from Heaven until he is chained in the abyss; second, from his release out of the abyss until he is cast into the lake of fire.
Many assume that once a golden age arrives, history is settled for good. This verse says otherwise.
The thought in the minds of many is that if the millennium came in, then of course everything would be fixed and settled for ever. But it is not so. There is a fixed and limited period during which the blessed Son of Man will have His mediatorial reign over the earth. But it comes to a close. When it ends, the first thing we find is this: Satan is loosed out of his prison.
The release serves a purpose. It puts the human heart to one last test.
When the thousand years are finished, Satan is let loose again. He comes up on the earth, but he never gets up to heaven again. But the nations are tested by his temptation. No mere means can make the heart of man dependable — not even seeing Christ and enjoying the fruits of His glory. Men fall into Satan's hands as soon as they are tempted, in number as the sand of the sea. They enjoyed blessing while unfaithfulness would have cost them at once, and nothing tempted them. They prove unfaithful as soon as they are tempted, as soon as the heart is tried. It was the last and needed trial of man; needed because they could not have finally enjoyed God with natural hearts.
Perfect government is not the same thing as a changed heart.
Even the age of visible glory cannot change the heart of man. With the enemy gone and the great King present and in control, people obeyed for a long while — but the obedience was pretended. The kingdom can govern and bless but not convert man. Even the preaching of the grace of God is powerless unless the life-giving power of His own Spirit brings it home. In short, nothing is enough — no testimony, no work, power, or glory — without the word of God applied by the Spirit of God. But this shows something important: the true nature of the kingdom, or millennial reign. "That day" does not mean a time when everybody will be converted, but when the Lord Jesus will govern righteously.
If the reign was so good, who is left for Satan to deceive? Two groups obeyed without ever being born of God.
There will be great numbers at the end of the millennial reign who are not born of God. Some will have entered the Millennium unconverted. Psalm 18:43-45 speaks of strangers cringing before Messiah, obeying Him out of fear, not faith. Great numbers born during that time will also refuse to bow the heart to the Lord Jesus. They will submit outwardly, because circumstances of every kind will be pleasant and favourable. The loosing of Satan at the end will serve to make clear what is really in their hearts.
The names for this enemy change as his story moves. Verse 7 calls him Satan.
The dragon was first cast out of Heaven, then shut up in the abyss, and now cast into the lake of fire. As the dragon he is shut up, as Satan he is loosed, and as the devil he is cast into the lake of fire.
- Bound — the thousand years were a real imprisonment in a sealed abyss. The verse marks the end of the term, not an escape.
- Loosed — the release is God's doing, and it is short. It is the second and last burst of this enemy's freedom.
- Tested — one last trial of hearts that had every advantage: a visible King, pleasant circumstances, and no tempter.
- Revealed — good government can hide an unchanged heart. The kingdom can govern and bless, but it cannot convert.
- Judged — the dragon was shut in the abyss; the devil ends in the lake of fire. Only new birth, not perfect conditions, secures anyone for God.