REVELATION Chapter 20 "The Day of the Lord" This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's transcription is provided with written permission by http://www.theseason.org Chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation covers the first days of the Millennium, when Jesus Christ comes to earth to establish His kingdom. This chapter runs close to the prophecies of Ezekiel in the last eight (8) chapters of the book of Ezekiel. "Millennium" means "1,000 years". This period is basically a 1,000 years of teaching and learning. Jesus Christ will be with us here on earth in His kingdom then. There will be teaching and discipline, and many people saved in this Millennium period. Most of the people saved today will not be reigning with Christ in the Millennium, because they will throw their inheritance away very soon, when they choose to go whoring after the Antichrist. Some of these people are the ones who believe in the rapture theory. They will chase after the first messiah that appears on earth and not be part of the wedding between Christ and His bride (the church) at the sounding of the seventh trump. Those who fall into the trap of the rapture theory doctrine can repent and be saved in the Millennium age, when their sins of following the Antichrist are committed in ignorance. You can even look at the Millennium kingdom as the "time of salvation", for many will accept and follow Christ in the Millennium. However the period of grace is for this age of the flesh only, for in the Millennium age salvation will be by their works only as we will see in this chapter. Due to the great apostasy there will be more saved out of the Millennium, than during any other period of time. Revelation 20:1 "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." When Satan has completed his five month reign here on earth, the battles of Armageddon and Hamongog have already taken place. Jesus Christ is returning with His army to earth, and this army are those saints that are already with Him. Those saints that died and went to be with Him as recorded in Ecclesiastes 12:7. Though their bodies were laid in the ground, their souls returned instantly to the Father, and not though a rapture. On that first day of the Millennium age, both the beast and the false prophet are destroyed. The beast is in two parts, the one world political system that gives way to Satan's one world religious system. These two systems of support will not be brought back to support Satan at the end of the millennium. [See Revelation 19:20 where both of these are destroyed.] I believe this angel to be Michael, for it's Michael and his angels that control Satan. This chain that Michael will have is a locking, sealing and confining device. Satan will be locked away, and his influence will be totally absent during this time of teaching. This is why every knee, even the Kenites, will bow to Christ. Satan, their father, will be in the pit and will not be able to influence their thinking. "Revelation 20:2 "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years," "The dragon" was Satan's title in the world that was, just as his title of "the Antichrist", or "instead of Christ" is during the last five months of this earth age of the flesh. Dragon is the title he wears as he rules over the ten kings and seven regions or continents. [see Revelation 12 and 13] The "serpent" was Satan's roll in the Garden of Eden when he "wholly seduced" Eve. Eve bore his offspring Cain, the father of the Kenites. The "Devil" was his title given in Matthew 13:39 as Jesus identified the enemy as the "Devil". Satan will have no influence in this time of teaching. In Isaiah 14:12-16, Satan is given another name, "Lucifer", which means "morning star" or "bright star". It tells us that people will walk by the pit and see Satan bound and say, "Is this the man that deceived the world?" They will wonder how they could have been so deceived through this earth age into believing Satan to be the true Messiah. That deception is rooted in Margaret MacDonald's "rapture theory", which gives false hope and teaches of a flying away. It will be because of the lack of knowledge of God's full plan that will lead them into believing this rapture lie; Satan deceiving the whole world that he is Jesus Christ come to rapture them away. "Revelation 20:3 "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." When this time of the great deception is on earth, it will be during the five month period of Revelation 9:5,10, and the Antichrist will then deceive all nations and all peoples of the earth except the elect. When the millennium is over, Satan will be released to try to deceive the people all over again, and many will follow him just as they did in this earth age. Why would God turn Satan loose a short season? Because this will be a time of testing for those claiming to be Christians who were deceived by him in this earth age. After the thousand year testing and teaching, some will still seek after Satan, and they will be gathered by the angels as tares [see Matthew 13] to be burned with him. Matthew 13:40 "As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." Matthew 13:41 "The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity:" Matthew 13:42 "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." God is a fair and just God, and when all have been taught and tested after their changing into that spiritual body, there will be no mental handicaps or sickness to distort the outcome. Every soul will have a sound mind, and an adequate thinking capacity for observing Jesus Christ in His reign, and Satan in the pit. Then with full understanding, every soul will choose for himself/herself whom they will follow. This not a matter of second chances, because for many in this earth age they did not stand a chance the first time. They have simply not been taught the truth of God's eternal plan. Revelation 20:4 "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." Judgment is coming for the millions of Christian brothers and sisters who have lost their lives for the witness of Jesus Christ over the past two thousand years. Also receiving rewards are those that have not bowed to the Antichrist in the five month period of deception (coming up shortly), nor did they take his mark through the deception, nor accepted his ways (image) in their minds. If you believe in the rapture theory, you will worship Satan in error. Mark 13 and Matthew 24 makes it clear that the Antichrist will come first. The "rapture theory" teaches that you will be lifted out by the first messiah, and that first (false) messiah is the Antichrist. Ezekiel 3:8, 9 tells us "our forehead" is our mind. The seal that is in our forehead is what we believe to be true in our minds. The "mark of the beast" is the knowledge you will possess in your mind. What you believe as truth will either cause you to be deceive, or prevent you from being deceived by the first (false) Christ into thinking he is the true messiah. Revelation 20:5 "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." If you are saved and make a stand against the Antichrist and his deceptions, you will reign with Christ 1,000 years. Those who did take the "mark of the beast", their souls will not, I repeat, will not have an eternal spiritual body until they are tested after the millennium. I Corinthians 15:50-52 describes the mystery of the two bodies. The physical and spiritual bodies are two separate entities. There are also two spiritual bodies, one eternal, the other perishable (mortal). Those who take the mark of the beast will not have their eternal bodies at the seventh trump. Instead they will have mortal spiritual bodies (liable-to-die), and have to be taught again to learn the difference between 'the holy from the profane' for 1,000 years and then be tested at the end of it to earn that eternal body by choosing Jesus Christ. What are we talking about when it says "the rest of the dead"? The difference in taking part in the first resurrection or not taking part -- which hinges on whether or not they were deceived by the Antichrist. Remember, John has been taken in the Spirit to the last day before Christ's return. Revelation 20 is talking about that specific day when the last trump sounds, and Jesus Christ our Lord is returning with His saints to the earth. This verse is not addressing those who died 50, 100, or at any time from any century prior to the sounding of the seventh trump. It is addressing the generation (our generation) who will live in the time of the seven seals, and those who will see some take Satan's mark (the mark of the beast) and give service to him. I Corinthians 15:52 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." The kingdom of God is wherever Jesus Christ is, and flesh and blood cannot exist in that kingdom. When Christ returns for the Millennium age here on earth, flesh and blood bodies will not exist. I Corinthians 15:51 "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," This is a mystery that Paul is going to reveal to us that had been hidden until Paul's writing. This mystery concerns what happens at a particular point in time, for at that instant, there will be no more death. "Sleep" as used here, is # 2838 in the Strong's Greek Dictionary; "Koimesis, koy'-may-sis; from 2837, to put to sleep." We read in # 2837; "Koimao, Koy-mah'-o; to put to sleep, to decease, to be dead." So a time is coming when all the people on the face of the earth will never see death in their flesh bodies again. This is the mystery that Paul is going to tell us; when this event shall take place. I Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." On the first day of the Millennium age, the "Kingdom of Heaven" will be with us on earth. You cannot enter that kingdom age in a flesh body. Therefore, it is written in verse 52 that all will be changed, in the wink of an eye, and at the last trump (seventh trump). When that seventh trump sounds, everyone on earth will be changed to an incorruptible body. That doesn't have anything to do with your soul, or its condition. Your physical body and your spiritual body (soul) have nothing to do with the condition of one another. Your soul is your inner man that will exist in your current flesh body, and either at death or at the seventh trump, will be changed and enter into a new body (spirit body) which will not be subject to the decay this flesh body is subject to. So, to understand what will occur in the Millennium age, you must understand that instantly following the seventh trump, all flesh bodies simply do not have life. Not one person will exist in the flesh. Every person will have the same capabilities and all will have the understanding to be taught without Satan's influence. However, only those saints of God who have died in the flesh, or who lived and stood against Satan will take part in the first resurrection. By that I mean, will have an active part with Jesus Christ in His kingdom and reign, as he rules and teaches the earth for one thousand years, and live in their immortal soul bodies. (There will be those who stumble for a short time and bow to satan, but they will repent before the seventh trumpet. Daniel 11:34 and still be part of the first resurrection - because they repented prior to the end of this flesh age). I Corinthians 15:53 "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." The word "mortal" as used here in the Greek manuscripts never applies to a physical body, but it applies to your soul. So we see our physical bodies are gone at the seventh trump, and the mortal (soul) must put on immortality. That soul becomes your existence in the Millennium age. When the time of judgment comes at the end of the Millennium, you will enter eternity with Christ, or you will cease to exist -- you will be destroyed. At that time even the memory of your existence will be eliminated. This is serious business, my friend, and you know it. If you enter the Millennium with a mortal (liable to die) soul, by following the Antichrist in ignorance, you must be an overcomer in the Millennium, or your soul will not put on immortality, and it will die. Revelation 20:6 "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." We saw that those who took part in the first resurrection were those who died in the Lord, and those who did not yield to Satan, the Antichrist during his "one world" reign. Those who did not take the Antichrist's "mark of the beast", these are the blessed and holy ones. All of these people already will possess an immortal soul during the Millennium. The "second death" is the second time of testing at the end of the Millennium age after Satan is released for a short season. The saints of Christ, and overcomers of the Antichrist's reign in this earth age of the flesh will not go through the second testing, or resurrection, with those mortal souls living in the Millennium age. What are you going to do in the Millennium as a saint of Christ? You're going to be priests of God, and reign with Him. You are going to teach and oversee, and judge those mortal souls, as they will learn and follow all directives of our Lord Jesus Christ. Revelation 20:7 "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison." When everyone has been taught who are in their mortal (liable to die) soul bodies, then Satan will be loosed. Those teachings will have been given under perfect conditions, and all will have bodies with no ailments, perfect thought, and no temptations by Satan. In fact, all will know he was the deceiver of this earth age. Their understanding will be perfect. Then Satan is released. God is a God of love, and His love is shown by his great patience and understanding of the shortcomings of mankind. There will be no one who goes to hell, and is burned by ignorance. If someone follows Satan then, they deserve what they have coming. There will be many that will still follow Satan even with the full knowledge of the truth in their minds. Revelation 20:8 "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." "Gog and Magog" means from "the east to the west". We see Satan will cover the earth again for the deception of all mankind. Can you believe that, friend? Satan will still have his followers and hoards of unbelievers ready to do battle for him. After 1,000 years of teaching, the tribulation of the seven trumpets, and visually seeing Satan as the fallen one (deceived of the earth) in prison, they will still follow him in large numbers. Think of the great seductive powers Satan has to use against you when you tend to let your guard down, and operate without the full armor of God. That armor must be continually in place and cover all areas that Satan will attack. Paul tells us to have on our armor in place in Ephesians 6:10-20, [inserted after chapter 17,on page 145]. Revelation 20:9 "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." This beloved city is Jerusalem where Jesus Christ and His temple will be at the close of the Millennium age. It is here where the glory of God is, and God's fire from heaven will come down to devour Satan and all his followers. This is the "great day of God" when the full Godhead comes to dwell on earth with His saints forever. This is different from the "day of the Lord", which was 1,000 years earlier, that took place at the seventh trump when Jesus Christ came and set up His kingdom for the Millennium. Revelation 20:10 "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." In Ezekiel 28:16-19, Satan is promised that he will be destroyed from within and turned to ashes. Once a soul is turned to ashes, it is finished. Satan can cause harm to your body but only God can destroy your soul. Revelation 20:11 "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." With the Godhead present on earth, and the judgment of God on all those lost souls, there ia no place for Satan and his hoards of followers to exist. Revelation 20:12"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." Notice there are two sets of books here. The first called "The Books" is to judge the unsaved. The second is the "Book of Life" where only the names of the saved are recorded. The saved have had their sins removed from God's judgment and booted out. Though they were committed, the blood of Christ has covered them from being used against us. Notice how all souls are judged "according to their works". Does it talk about faith here after the Millennium? No. The "great white throne judgment" will not take faith into consideration. The first resurrection takes faith into consideration. That was back on "the Lord's day". That was Jesus Christ's "great day". On the last day of the Millennium age, souls are judged by works only. Why are you judged for works only? Faith is something hoped for but unseen. You don't see Jesus Christ on earth today, you will see his wonderful works, and be led by Him and His Spirit in the Millennium age. Today He is in heaven and not walking on this earth. However, in the millennium, He will be on earth, and all will have full intelligence, with full recall and will be taught. The Heavenly Father honors all those with grace, that have accepted His Son by faith through repentance without Christ's physical presence here on earth, if you believed in His Word. To those who are not under grace in the Millennium, their salvation will be only through and by their works. For faith doesn't exist to them. There will be no ignorance, physical handicap, for you will see, know, and experience Our Lord first hand. If you follow the Antichrist, the first Christ to appear, you will have forfeited your salvation in this earth age. You will not be under the grace of God, and your works will be the only thing that matters on the last day of the Millennium, the day of judgment. They will be judged by works alone, for they have seen Jesus Christ, and are without excuse. The "rapture theory" leaves believers defenseless against Satan, for they will be taken in by Satan's deceptions. Revelation 20:13 "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." The sea is the massive number of mortal souls that follow Satan. These are those souls who did not overcome, and are in a place of holding at the time of their physical death, and also from the Millennium. There it is again! "According to their works." Don't be frightened by this! For we are now under grace, and the Antichrist has not yet arrived. You are going to face the truth now, or be judged by your works from the thousand year Millennium age. Eternity is a long time, so much so that our minds simply cannot comprehend it. To refuse Christ at the end of the Millennium age will commit you to destruction. Revelation 20:14 "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." This "second death" is also the final death and the sinner's soul will be turned to ashes from within. Death and even the thought of death will be no more with us. I Corinthins 15:54 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." Following this death of the mortal soul, after the final judgment, only victory remains. Those of the mortal soul will be so blotted out from the minds of their saved loved ones that even the remembrance of their existence will not exist. There will be no tears or sorrow for them by loved ones, because it will be as if that soul had never existed and been created in the first place. I Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" There will be no sting of death following the second resurrection, for all souls living then will be eternal and immortal. I Corinthians 15:56 "The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law." I Corinthians 15:57 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Our hope and salvation now can only be through our Lord and Savior. Hebrews 2:15 "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;" Jesus said he came to earth to destroy death, which is the devil. Revelation 20:15 "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." It is important that we understand the chronological order of the events that will occur, and the physical and spiritual bodies that we will be in during each of these times. The very condition, and life of your soul relies on your understanding of these events. For by not understanding them, and chasing after man's traditions, assures that you will follow the Antichrist and think he is the true Christ. This is a must before we can understand the Millennium age. It's time you learn about it, for you will be in it very shortly.
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