Revelation 20 -- 1,000 Years

The big question in this chapter seems to be “why is Satan bound in chains in the bottomless pit for a thousand years and then released?”  I liked the answer I read in my commentary this morning.

It starts with the first resurrection.  The qualifications of those raised in this resurrection are:

                They were faithful to the message of Jesus and the message from God.

                They had not worshiped the beast or his idol.

                They had not received the mark of the beast.

For those who died or were raptured prior to the tribulation, the last two qualifications are a slam dunk.  It doesn’t say that they had to have gone through the tribulation and were successful – just that they never worshiped or received the mark.  Those who were saved are raised.

Now as to the reason for the 1,000 rule without Satan and his eventual release:

“As final proof that the heart of man is desperately wicked and can be changed only by God’s grace … people who have been living in a perfect environment, under the perfect government of God’s Son, will finally admit the truth and rebel against the King!  Their obedience will be seen as mere feigned submission, and not true faith in Christ at all … it will sum up all that God has said about the heart of man during the various periods of history.  It will be a reign of law, and yet law will not change man’s sinful heart.  Man will still revolt against God.  The millennium will be a period of peace and perfect environment, a time when disobedience will be judged swiftly, and with justice, and yet in the end the subjects of the King will follow Satan and rebel against the Lord.  A perfect environment cannot produce a perfect heart.”

Who will be rebelling?  The unsaved children of those still alive on earth after the tribulation.  With the perfect conditions and the curse of sin removed from nature, people will live longer.  Thus the millennium wait.

When Satan is finally released, those unsaved still on earth will show their true colors.  God will quickly put down the revolt of these people orchestrated by Satan, and then Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire in hell.

The second resurrection will then occur.  All of the unsaved who ever lived will have body and spirit reunited again, and will have a court date before Christ.  “No jury.  No defense.  No appeal.  No one will be able to defend himself or accuse God of unrighteousness.”  God will finally deal with sin.  They will be cast into hell, not sent there by God; they sent themselves there by rejecting the Savior.

Father, how urgent it becomes that we speak Your truth to the unsaved while there is still time.  Jesus can save them from the tribulation now, or despite the tribulation later, or else they will end up in hell.  Help me not to wait in telling those I love about Your Son.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford