Understanding Revelation (20:5-6)~Riddlebarger

"The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

(Revelation 20:5-6)

John calls this translation from earth at the time of death to the reign in heaven, the “first resurrection.” Indeed “blessed and holy” are those who take part in it. This is not a reference to the bodily resurrection at the end of the age, but is instead a reference to a believer’s regeneration, conversion, and entrance into heaven at death, a point confirmed by a number of New Testament passages, most notably (John 5:24-25), where John quotes Jesus as saying, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” In his gospel, John very clearly teaches that all those who come to faith in Jesus Christ, do so because they have already crossed over from death to life. Thus the first resurrection occurs at the time of regeneration when we are born again, and is manifest when we leave this life and enter into the presence of Christ in heaven, where we will reign with Christ as priests until the thousand years are over.

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (20:4)~Kim Riddlebarger

"Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

(Revelation 20:4)

Throughout the Book of Revelation, thrones are always in heaven, not on the earth. Therefore, this scene is a heavenly one, not earthly. This is further supported by the fact the John sees “souls,” not people. According to John, these souls are the disembodied spirits of those who were put to death for refusing to worship the beast or to take his blasphemous mark upon their bodies. These individuals held to their testimony for Jesus and his word, until taking their final breath. But when they die, John says, they immediately come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years! This is hardly a description of a future earthly millennium characterized by a time of universal peace. This is a time characterized by persecution and suffering. People are dying because they confess “Jesus is Lord,” in the face of the persecution of the beast. Not only do these people come to life, but the second death–which is a reference to eternal judgment and the fires of hell–has no power over them. They come to life and reign with Christ in heaven until his return at the end of the age.

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (20:3)~Newton

"And threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while."

(Revelation 20:3)

The boundaries are very clear: Satan is “bound…for a thousand years.” The angel “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.” John’s symbolic language expresses that Christ has put the clamps on Satan! Having said that, we know that the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8); so how do we juggle this verse and the reality of Satan’s continuing presence? 

[“Indeed, after the Fall, the serpent and his agents do on a worldwide scale what the devil began to do in the garden…In the OT age Satan was able to delude the majority in Israel so that they were not able to fulfill their commission to be a salvific light to the nations"] (G.K. Beale)

So, would Satan thwart the purposes of God to save a people throughout the world? He seemed to be having great success in doing so, even among Israel. But then came Christ into the world; and the cross and resurrection. John expresses this in symbolic language in our text to show that Satan’s stranglehold on the nations was broken. The good news could now spread throughout the world. And that was greatly encouraging to the believers in Asia Minor! 

If you were living in Asia Minor in the 1st century, feeling the overwhelming power of idolatrous Rome overshadowing you, then this message would encourage you to keep pressing on. You would understand the certainty that the gospel would go forth in unstoppable ways throughout the world.

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:2)~Newton

"And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years"

(Revelation 20:2)

John is dealing with the Incarnation and the redemptive work of Christ. In short focus, he shows us how Christ came and conquered Satan so that believers “overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb,” and how God preserves the church through centuries of persecution in spite of the devil’s antagonism. Though Satan rages, the Lord protects His people through the most difficult periods and brings each one safely into His presence. Satan is unable to thwart the work of the gospel or conquer the church. In that sense, Satan was bound by Christ’s redemptive work that continues to sustain the church. 

Consider how Jesus put it. For centuries, since the Fall, Satan had blinded and duped all of the nations to the glory of God with the exception of Israel. God had laid His gracious hand upon Israel and maintained a clear witness to His sovereignty and glory, even in times of great apostasy. But at this point in history, the rest of the world had no interest in the Creator, choosing instead the vanity of idolatry. When Jesus came into the world, He spent much of His time casting out demons, showing the widespread power of Satan, even in Israel. When accused of casting out devils by the devil, Jesus explained the impossibility of Satan casting out Satan. Then He declared, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Matt. 12:22-29). The same word  (deo) that John uses for Satan being bound by the angel is the same word used by Jesus. With Christ came the advent of the kingdom of God in demonstration of His sovereign reign—He bound the strong man so that through the gospel, He might plunder his house. He further affirmed this in (John 12:31-32), a text that has great bearing on Revelation 20:1-3. “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” Here the decisiveness of the cross explains that the devil will be cast out (ekballo), and thrown (ballo) into the abyss. And what is the purpose? That by Christ’s death, He “will draw all men to” Himself—that is, not just Israelites, but men of every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. Christ’s worthiness as redeemer of the world, not just Israel, is heralded by the gospel and amplified in Revelation (5:9-10; 7:9-10). It was the decisiveness of Christ’s first advent, and what He accomplished in it that bound the devil. His second advent will finish him off!

(Phil A. Newton)

Understanding Revelation (20:1)~Riddlebarger

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain."

(Revelation 20:1)

Throughout the Book of Revelation, whenever John uses the word “eidon” (I saw) he is introducing a new vision, that which we have been describing as different camera angles of the same event. In this vision, John sees an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a golden chain to frustrate the purposes of Satan.

The first thing we must remember is that this is apocalyptic symbolism. John never intends us to understand these things literally. How can an angel bind a spiritual being (Satan) with a real chain?

How can a spiritual being be locked away in a pit. The second matter is the identification of this particular angel and the meaning of the symbolism of the key to the abyss and the chain. Keys have been mentioned throughout Revelation. In Revelation 1:18, Christ holds the keys of death and hades in his hand. In chapter 3, we read of the Holy One who has the key of David which opens and shuts. And then in Revelation 9:1-2 we read that “the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.” Therefore we look back to see how these terms were used earlier in Revelation. 

Given the symbolism of the keys prior to this text, we have the “key” (pun intended) to interpret correctly all of these things with some degree of certainty. The abyss is a reference to death and Hades–the realm with which Satan is most closely associated in this book. Having been cast of out heaven (according to Revelation 12:7-9), John now sees an angel (either Christ himself, or an angel exercising Christ’s authority) confining Satan to the realm of the dead since Satan has been cast from heaven where he had been making accusations against the saints. 

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (19:19-21)~Riddlebarger

"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."

(Revelation 19:19-21)

John now sees one more graphic image–the next scene in the final judgment, which is the last battle. The great struggle of redemptive history now reaches its grand climax. All those who have worshiped the dragon will now suffer the full consequences of their actions. In the midst of the final and furious war the beast is waging upon the church at the end of the age, suddenly Christ will appear and the beast will be caught alive and thrown into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever and ever. The false prophet, who enticed and deceived the peoples of the earth into worshiping the beast and his image will suffer the same fate. All those who serve the beast will be consumed by the wrath of God, their remains will be eaten by birds. The harlot has now been judged. The beast will now be judged. The false prophet will likewise be judged. And all those who serve them will be judged. And in the next chapter, we will watch as the dragon suffers the same fate as do all his henchmen. Jesus Christ will triumph over all of enemies and he will vindicate his bride, those he as marked with his secret name. But all of those who wear the mark of the beast will suffer the full fury of God’s eternal wrath!

(Kim Riddlebarger)

Understanding Revelation (19:17-18)~Riddlebarger

"Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great."

(Revelation 19:17-18)

There is great irony contained within these verses. In the first 10 verses of Revelation 19, John has told us of the great blessing of being invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb–that great feast which the prophets described as including the best of meat and the finest of wine. Recall that we are not invited to this wedding as mere guests. Rather, we are invited to be Christ’s own bride.

But there is another feast yet to come. A feast of judgment. For this feast, YHWH also issues an invitation, this time to all the birds of prey. All those who reject the mercies of Jesus Christ will be invited to this feast along with the birds. They won’t be mere guests either. They will be the main course! The great and the mighty in the eyes of the world, will fall under the judgment of God. Their power, prestige and wealth will not afford them the dignity of a decent burial. They will be nothing more than food for vultures.

(Kim Riddlebarger )