Sunday evening, March 17, 1996
The Second Coming of Christ, Part 6
Revelation 20:1-6
By P. G. Mathew, M.A., M.Div., Th.M.
Copyright © 1996 by P. G. Mathew
What is eschatology? It is the study of the events of
the end times. There are many books in the Scriptures that speak
particularly to the subject of eschatology. In the Old Testament
the book of Isaiah speaks quite a bit about the end times, as
does the book of Ezekiel, particularly chapters 36-39. The
expression "Gog and Magog," which is symbolic of all
rebellious nations, comes from Ezekiel. Other Old Testament books
that mention events of the end times are Daniel, Zechariah and
Jeremiah. In the New Testament, we find mention of these issues
first in the Olivet Discourse of Jesus Christ as recorded in
Matthew 24, 25, Luke 21, and Mark 13. Luke 17 also deals with
these issues. Other places in the New Testament include First and
Second Thessalonians, where references to the coming of Christ
are made in almost every chapter, and 1 Corinthians 15, which
deals with it in the context of resurrection.
A New Testament book that is particularly related to prophetic
subjects is the book of Revelation. Now you must understand that
there are various views concerning Revelation. John Calvin was a
great scholar and prolific writer, yet he never wrote a
commentary on Revelation. Martin Luther was extremely unhappy
with Revelation, and when you begin to read Revelation, you may
share Luther's unhappiness, because Revelation is filled with
symbolism. We read about horns, smoke, beasts, thunder, noise,
seals, vials, and trumpets, and it is hard to know what they all
mean. Revelation is a difficult book to understand.
Interpreting the Book of Revelation
There are various views of how to interpret this difficult book.
First there is the spiritual view, meaning that Revelation gives
us certain spiritual principles which are applicable to the
church throughout the ages. Those who subscribe to this view say
that Revelation is not really teaching anything prophetical, but
only spiritual principles to live by. Now this view makes the
book relevant to people of all ages, and there is some degree of
truth to it, because, especially during the times of great
tribulation, the church receives great consolation and comfort
from this book. Why is this book so comforting? At the end of
Revelation God is triumphant and puts an end to all enmity and
evil. In other words, God wins! And so there is no question that
that view has relevance.
Second, there is the preterist view. Now some people do not believe that John wrote the book of Revelation, because of poor grammar and other reasons, but we believe that John did write this book. The preterist view means that in writing Revelation, John was referring to the situation of the Roman empire in the first century. This view certainly has some relevance in that it makes that book to be relevant to the people who were the recipients, the seven churches in Asia Minor.
Third, there is the historicist view, meaning that what is stated in Revelation, especially from chapter 4 on, has relevance to events that have occurred or will take place in history from the first century to the second coming of Christ. Those who subscribe to this view would speak about Mussolini or other world leaders as the beast or whatever, trying to relate the events of the book of Revelation to what is happening or has happened in world history. Of course, it takes much intelligence to understand events that are recorded symbolically. To me this view is absolutely irrelevant, because there is no way of really knowing which historical event refers to what symbol in the book. Interpreting in this way can become a wild goose chase.
Fourth, there is the futuristic view, meaning that Revelation is speaking about prophecy. Revelation 1:3 tells us it is a book of prophecy, and so the majority of the book, especially chapter 4 through the end of the book, speaks of what will happen in the end times. One accusation made against this view is that the majority of the book is not relevant either to us or to the people who received it in the first century.
All these views have some merit, in my opinion, except for the
historicist view. I find that is a rather difficult one. There is
no question that when you read the book of Revelation, you
receive great comfort because you learn spiritual principles. But
we believe the fourth view has great merit because Revelation
itself says it is recording prophetic materials. I subscribe to
that view without abandoning certain other views because they
also have some relevance. Therefore, our view is that the Book of
Revelation is mainly prophetic, futuristic, and speaking about
things that will take place in the end times.
The Millennial Rule of Christ
In this series we have previously spoken about the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ and the rapture and the resurrection of the saints. We spoke about the great battle at Armageddon, and about the invitation to the birds to come to the great supper, that is, to feast on the flesh of the enemies of God. We spoke about capture of the Antichrist and false prophet, and their final destiny, the lake of fire, and about the destruction of the kings, the generals, the slaves, and all by the sword, which is the breath of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
What will happen after these events? In Revelation 20:1-6 we read
about the millennial rule of Christ. This passage is interpreted
in many ways. Some people are amillennial, meaning that they do
not believe this passage refers to a thousand year rule of
Christ. Rather, they interpret millennium symbolically as the
experience of the church as it enjoys relationship with God and
the life of God. Others believe in a thousand year reign, but
they would say that it already has taken place, having begun with
the conversion of Constantine in the fourth century after Christ.
We disagree with this view. Why? If it were true, wouldn't the
years after Constantine's conversion, including the Dark Ages,
have been notably better, if they included the millennial rule of
Christ? Others say that we are in the millennium now. I also
question this view, because if our modern history is indicative
of the millennial rule of Christ, we are in deep trouble. So we
believe that millennium is still in the future.
What Does Millennium Mean?
Millennium comes from two Latin words, mille ,
meaning thousand, and annus , meaning a year. It
speaks about a thousand year rule of Jesus Christ on this earth.
Now this concept of Christ's rulership is not new. We find the
phrase, "the kingdom of God," throughout the New
Testament. This phrase has two meanings. First, it means the
reign of God now. Jesus Christ rose from the dead, ascended into
heaven, was exalted and seated at the right hand of God the
Father, and he rules as sovereign Lord especially over those who
believe in him. So the first aspect of the kingdom of God is the present
rule of Jesus Christ in our hearts, that is, over his
church.
This aspect of the rule of Christ is not recognized by the world, but by everyone who has been enabled by the Holy Spirit to confess Jesus as Lord. The head of God's church is Jesus Christ, not the pope or any earthly king. As the head, Jesus Christ exercises rule in his church over those who believe in him. That is why we oppose the antinomian view that one can receive Jesus as Savior but not as Lord. Those who hold this view do not understand what the kingdom of God is all about. We must understand that the first aspect of the kingdom of God is the rule of Christ in the heart of every born again believer. The Holy Spirit is in us to rule and guide us. A Christian is one who is led by the Spirit, and the Spirit is doing the will of Christ.
What is the second aspect of the kingdom of God? It is the realm of God's rule. We know that Jesus is ruling now, but his rule is not manifest to the world. Therefore, the other aspect called realm, meaning a visibly recognized domain, will take place as the kingdom of God manifests itself on earth through the direct rule of Jesus Christ.
We read about this in Psalm 2, beginning with verse 8: "'Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.' Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."
The millennium, then, is the kingdom of God as a realm, in its
outward manifestation. Christ will rule on this earth and the
saints will rule with him. It will be a time in which all will
recognize Christ's rule, and no one will dare resist him.
The Capture of Satan
Before the millennial rule of Christ begins, Satan will be
captured. In Revelation 20:1 the apostle John wrote, "And I
saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the
Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain." Now when we
read the book of Revelation, we understand there is a
progression. Revelation 18 spoke about the fall of Babylon, and
in chapter 19 we saw the coming of Christ, the battle of
Armageddon, the beast and the false prophet captured and thrown
into the lake of fire, and all the enemies of Christ defeated and
destroyed.
Now we see this angel coming with the key to the Abyss and a great chain. The Abyss is not hell. It is the place of demons from which the beast came. It is open, and the angel has the key, showing us that God has control over the Abyss. But notice, the angel also had a great chain. These are all symbols based on reality. What did the angel do with the chain? He captured Satan. This tells us of God's complete rule and sovereignty, even over Satan.
In verse 2 we are given a number of synonyms for Satan, which are also listed in Revelation 12:9. We are told that the angel seized "the dragon, that ancient serpent," referring to Genesis 3, "who is the devil, or Satan," one who opposes," and bound him. . ." Then, in this verse, you read the first reference to millennium in the New Testament ". . . for a thousand years."
Now some people would say this does not mean a chronological time of a thousand years, but rather a symbol of completeness. However, I agree with a number of scholars, and the majority of evangelicals, that this means one thousand years. This view is called premillennialism, which is the view of the majority of evangelicals. It means that Christ will come before the millennium as we read in Revelation 19.
In verse 3 we read, "[The angel] threw him into the Abyss." What is this Abyss? It is a prison. It is not the lake of fire that we read about in Revelation 19:20. At the time of Satan's capture, there are already some beings in the lake of fire: the beast and the false prophet. But this ancient serpent, Satan, is put into a prison called the Abyss, and the angel locks and seals it, thus constraining him for a thousand years.
You may ask, "Wasn't Satan already constrained by Jesus Christ in his death on the cross?" Yes, this is true. In his death and resurrection, Jesus bound Satan and caused his hostages, the elect of God, to be released from bondage to sin and Satan. No devil can touch a child of God. So Jesus Christ already curbed the activity of Satan, and now we read about a further restriction of his deceptive activity as he is locked and sealed in the Abyss for a thousand years.
What is God's purpose in doing this to Satan? It will prevent him
from deceiving the nations until the thousand years are ended (v.
3). Now it is very difficult for us to understand what the
situation on earth will be during this time. Because Satan is
locked up does not mean the nations will not sin. No, they are
sinners, rotten in their hearts. But the aggravator, Satan, will
be locked up and his activity curbed for one thousand years. When
the thousand years are over, he will be set free for a short time
to perform a final work of deceiving the nations.
The Rule of Christ and His Saints
What, then, will happen when Satan is in the Abyss for a thousand
years? Christ will rule with his saints on the earth. John
writes, "And I saw thrones on which were seated those who
had been given authority to judge. . ." Daniel 7 speaks
about the same thing. I believe that this refers to the people of
God who have died. We read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 that the
dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are alive will
be changed. This includes the saints who suffered martyrdom
during the period of the great tribulation. In Revelation 6 we
read about the souls of these martyrs asking the question,
"How long?" What was the answer? Wait a little longer.
All these people will be raised up in their spiritual bodies and
given authority to rule with Jesus Christ.
We find an oblique reference to this in 1 Corinthians 6. As Paul
wrote about a dispute taking place in the church, he said,
"If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it
before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do
you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are
to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial
cases?" And he continues, "Do you not know that we will
judge angels?" So this will be the time when the kingdom of
God, the rule of God, will manifest itself visibly. The
unbelievers, the nations, will recognize the rule of God, and the
church, the people of God who will be now in their spiritual
bodies, will join with Jesus Christ in his glorious, spiritual
body, to rule and reign on earth.
A King Will Reign in Righteousness
The book of Isaiah contains many references to this millennial
manifestation of the rule of Christ on earth. How many times have
we read Isaiah 9:6-7: "For to us a child is born, to us a
son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he
will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and
peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and
over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and
righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord
Almighty will accomplish this." There is a spiritual
application for this, in that Jesus Christ rules in our lives
now, but in the millennial period this passage will be fully
manifested.
Read Isaiah 11, beginning with verse 1: "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him. . . .and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. . ." and so on. Look at verse 6-8: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. . .The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest." There is a tremendous degree of peace evident in these verses.
Now I do not understand all of this, but I know that the rule of Christ will have certain effects, as we read in verse 9: "They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." That does not mean that everyone is going to be born again, but the knowledge of the Lord will be over all. Christ will be visibly ruling over all.
There are other references to this rule of Christ in Isaiah, especially in chapters 35, 49 and 65, but let us end this study with Isaiah 32:1-7:
"See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practises ungodliness and spreads error concerning the LORD; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water. The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just."
When you look at the rulership in this world, what is one thing
that you notice? There is no real justice. Criminals are getting
away with lawless acts, people are doing whatever they want, and
politicians are making rules, not on the basis of principles but
on various other factors. And a certain cry goes out from our
hearts: We want justice! Here in Isaiah we read, "See, a
king will reign in righteousness, and rulers will rule with
justice."
Now, whether we believe in the millennium or not, we are interested in seeing our Lord Jesus Christ ruling on this earth, finally demonstrating to the whole world what to rule in righteousness means. In this book of Revelation we learn how God, who is infinite, almighty and all-powerful, will put an end to evil, rebellion and enmity. Therefore, may we continue to study and learn more of these truths, so that we may put our full hope in the kingdom of God. Amen.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
"NIV" and "New International Version" are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark office by International Bible Society.
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