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A Study in Revelation

The Resurrections And The Millennium

In the last chapter, Jesus returns to wage war on the beast and the false prophet after the tribulation. The beast and the false prophet are taken and thrown directly into the Lake of Fire. In chapter 20, satan is captured:

 

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

 

Revelation 20:1-3

 

John sees the angel descending from heaven with the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in the angel's hand. And the angel seizes the dragon and bounds him into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. During this time, satan no longer deceives the nations until the thousand years are ended. After the millennium, satan must be loosed for a little season.

 

While the beast and false prophet are in the lake of fire, satan is in prison in the bottomless pit. They suffer torment in the lake of fire before satan does. This is important to point out. There are those who believe the Anti-christ is satan. But, scripture refutes this. Satan is not omnipresent. He is in prison  while the Anti-christ is the bottomless pit. It is only some time after the millennium satan is thrown into the lake of fire where the Anti-christ and the false prophet are at the time.

 

The First Resurrection

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:

and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

 

Verse 4

 

And John saw the souls of those who were beheaded for 

  • the witness of Jesus

  • for the word of God

  • and those who had not worshipped the beast nor his image and neither received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands.

They lived with Christ for a thousand years.

 

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

verses 5-6

 

As those who reigned with Christ, the rest of the dead did not come to life until the millennium was finished. And these who came to life to reign with Christ is the first resurrection. And those who have a part of the first resurrection are blessed and holy because the second death has no power over them. And they will reign with Jesus for a thousand years.

 

Pre-tribbers like to insist that the first resurrection is really the second phase of the first resurrection. Hal Lindsey insists this is the third of four phases of the first resurrection.1 If this is really the case, then why aren't these phases explicitly shown  to prove their point. This is another example where their "literal" view have no backing with holy scripture. 

 

There are also who hold the view they can receive the mark of the beast and still be saved. However, this contradicts the book of Revelation. Who are those who reign with Christ for a thousand years? "and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands..." Notice, the ones who do not worship the beast or his image or receive the mark are included with those who reign with Christ. 

 

Satan Released From The Pit

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Verses 7-9

When the Millennium ends, satan is released from prison,. And he goes out to deceive the nations from the four corners of the earth. Gog and Magog are gathered with the nations together, who is numbered as the sand on the sea, to do battle. As they go out to the breadth of the earth to surround the beloved city, God sends down fire from heaven to devour them. 

Satan Thrown Into The Lake of Fire!

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Verse 10

And the devil who deceived the nations was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the Anti-christ and the false prophet are. And there he is tormented forever!

The Great White Throne

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them

Verse 11

John sees God sitting on a great white throne. and from His face, heaven and the earth fled away, and no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Verse 12

And the dead, who are small and great stand before God, And books were opened, and the book of life was opened. The dead were judged from what was written from these books according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Verses 13-15

 

And the sea gave up the dead  and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. And every men were judged according to their works. And death and hell were thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. The ones who were in the first resurrection were blessed because they did not face the second death. 

 

Now in these who came to life,  who weren't found in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. Does this mean that everyone who came to life were sent to the Lake of Fire? There will be those who will live during the millennium who will be saved by Jesus Christ. And they will be the mortals who live during this time. And they will die. And they will be found in the book of life during the great white throne judgment. 

 

For a further view of the resurrection, please read A Further View on the  Resurrection. 

 

 

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