Unless otherwise stated, all citations are taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
For a systematic approach and a comparison of the millennial views, see our earlier article, “Millennial Views.” We give the strengths and weaknesses of premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. As will be made clear below, we hold to a premillennial view.
Now that Jesus has dealt with the Beast and False Prophet, he turns his attention to Satan himself…
(20:1) “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.”
“An angel coming down from heaven.” The angel comes from Heaven to Earth. So, the setting for what takes place is on Earth.
“The abyss.” This was mentioned earlier as some sort of maximum-security prison for fallen angels (Rev. 9:11). This great angel is holding the keys to this prison.
“A great chain in his hand.” Though Jude uses different language, he describes the same concept regarding the fallen angels: “The angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day” (Jude 6).
(20:2) “And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”
Previously, the archangel Michael battled Satan (Rev. 12:7), so it isn’t surprising that another angel incarcerates Satan at this point.
“Bound him for a thousand years.” This is what theologians refer to as the Millennium or the Millennial Kingdom. Some theologians (e.g. Amillennialists, Postmillennialists) think that this number seems symbolic, and it refers to the Church Age—not a future reign of Christ. For instance, Morris writes, “One thousand is the cube of ten, the number of completeness… John is surely saying here that Satan is bound for the complete time that God has determined.”[1]
Yet, this number recurs six times in this small section of Scripture, so we are hesitant to reject it as symbolic. Regardless, this text surely teachings that Jesus will rule and reign on Earth for a long period of time in the future, and this is neither the Church Age nor is it the New Heaven and Earth (Rev. 21-22). Instead, it is a period between these two ages of history, where the messianic promises to Israel are fulfilled.
(20:3) “And he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.”
“Bound him… into the abyss… shut it… sealed it.” How could this possibly describe Satan in the Church Age? How many different ways could John describe Satan being incarcerated—not merely limited in his power?
“He would not deceive the nations any longer.” Earlier, we read that Satan “deceives the whole world,” and he was “thrown down to the earth” (Rev. 12:9). Here, the angel travelled from Heaven to Earth (v.1), so Satan was already here and already deceiving the world. Moreover, Babylon (i.e. the world-system) is empowered by Satan, and “all the nations were deceived by [its] sorcery” (Rev. 18:23; cf. Rev. 13:14). Again, we need to ask, “How can this possibly be consistent with Satan being bound during the Church Age?”
Where do these nations come from if they were all judged? Earlier, Jesus judged the Beast and the False Prophet, throwing them into the lake of fire. Regarding the nations, John writes, “The rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev. 19:21). But if everyone is gone, how can there still be “nations” on Earth?
This must refer to the surviving followers of Jesus who made it through the Tribulation. Jesus said, “Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Mt. 24:22). This means that many followers of Jesus (i.e. “the elect”) will still be on Earth, and they will repopulate the Earth after Jesus judges the nations.
(Rev. 20:2-3) Is Satan currently bound? No. This is one of the best reasons for thinking that this Millennial Reign is in the future. Amillennialists like Morris[2] hold that this only refers to Satan being bound from deceiving the nations, but a serious study of Satanology flies in the face of this explanation.
Satan is released at the end of the 1,000 years “for a short time.” This shows that whatever the 1,000 years means (whether literal or symbolic), it is describing a long time in comparison to a short time. Indeed, it is describing a limited amount of time, and certainly not the New Heavens and Earth.
(20:4-5) “Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.”
The martyrs for Jesus in the tribulation are raised so that they can reign with Jesus. The others who died weren’t raised during this time.
(Rev. 20:4-5) Does the “first resurrection” refer to spiritual regeneration or bodily resurrection? No. Amillennialists and Postmillennialists argue that the “first resurrection” refers to our justification—the moment we come to Christ. This is another key reason for rejecting these two systems of thought.
Why is there a millennial reign of Christ, rather than just entering into the New Heavens and Earth? This period of history will demonstrate God’s faithfulness to the nation of Israel, fulfilling countless promises to the nation from the OT.
“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.” Since the martyrs are resurrected and other believers are still alive, the “rest of the dead” most likely refers to the non-Christians who haven’t been raised yet.[3]
(20:6) “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
The martyrs faced the first death (i.e. physical death), but not the second death (i.e. spiritual death).
(20:7-8) “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.”
(Rev. 20:7-8) Do Gog and Magog rebel before the millennium or after? This is a key difficulty for Premillennialists. We hold that it’s possible that the battle with Gog and Magog could be a literary allusion to the earlier battle in Ezekiel 38. It’s also possible that there could be two battles with these nations, and these regions still exist in the Millennium as beachheads for a second and final battle with Jesus.
Why would God allow Satan to be released again? During the Millennium, Jesus will rule and reign. There will be no sociological or societal conditions to blame for human sin. Moreover, resurrected believers will live on the Earth without a sin nature. This will be as close to Paradise as we can imagine. When Satan is released and humans fall again, this will forever reveal that the problem with human sin is not with our surroundings, our society, or our circumstances. The problem is fundamentally from within the human self.
(20:9) “And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.”
The nations come back to destroy the people of God in “the beloved city” (Jerusalem) a second time, but they are put down a second time. The lack of any serious or lengthy description of the battle demonstrates just how underwhelming this attempt will be.
(20:10) “And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Satan joins “the beast and the false prophet” in the lake of fire (Rev. 19:20). This language describes eternal (“day and night forever and ever”) judgment (“tormented”).
The Great White Throne Judgment
Even though it isn’t explicitly named, this refers to the “second resurrection.” John already mentioned a “first resurrection” which implies a second resurrection (v.5). Moreover, the dead are raised to “stand” before God (v.11) after they are taken from the seas (v.12). Therefore, John doesn’t need to call this a “second resurrection” in order for us to know that this is what he is describing.
(20:11) “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.”
This is what theologians call the Great White Throne Judgment. The books are opened at the end of the Millennium, and Jesus judges those in the book of works. God the Father has “given all judgment to the Son” (Jn. 5:22), so Jesus will be the one on the throne (contra Mounce[4]). None of us should ever want to be at this judgment! Having Jesus judge us based on our works is a terrifying prospect.
“Earth and heaven fled away.” Jesus and his words remain—even when creation is being destroyed. Jesus himself promised, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Mt. 24:35).
(20:12) “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”
We can be in either one of two books: The “book of life” or the “books” of works. The use of the singular for the “book of life” is probably to show that only our names are recorded. On the other hand, the use of the plural “books” seems to demonstrate that our works will take up many, many books (“according to their deeds”).
(20:13-15) “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
This is another resurrection that precedes the Great White Throne Judgment. Only these people go out of the frying pan and into the fire. They go from Hades into Hell—a great and terrible fate!
“Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.” This is the long-awaited fulfillment of the death of death (1 Cor. 15:26, 54–55; cf. Isa. 25:8; Hos. 13:14).
“The sea gave up the dead.” This is oddly specific. Yet, throughout Revelation, we continually read about people dying in the sea. John is circling back to teach that God will universally and globally resurrect these people. In other words, if God will even pull bodies out of the depths of the sea, then this must mean that no one will be overlooked. John is “affirming strongly that all the dead, wherever they are, are included in the judgment.”[5] This refers to the “universal scope of judgment.”[6]
“This is the second death.” We cannot physically die twice, so this use of death cannot be literalistic. The ‘first death’ must refer to physical death, when people die and go to the present Hell—a holding tank called “Hades” (Lk. 16:19-31). The “second death” refers to being separated from God forever in Hell: “the lake of fire.”
Questions for Reflection
Read verses 1-6. Which view best explains these verses: Premillennialism, Amillennialism, or Postmillennialism?
Read verses 7-10. What is your emotional reaction to Satan’s final battle?
Why would God allow Satan to be released after the Millennium?
[1] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 224.
[2] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 224.
[3] Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22: An Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 419.
[4] Mounce cites other passages where it is God the Father on the throne (Rev. 4:2, 9; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5). Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 375.
[5] Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 229-230.
[6] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 377.