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Most unfortunately, it seems that one’s view of how to interpret Revelation boils down to the text we consider today. Churches, homes, and friendships have split over the varying interpretations. Uncharitable caricatures are hung on those with opposing views. Sound, faithful believers have been ostracized and scorned because of their view of this 20th chapter. With that in mind, let me offer two observations to help us pace our thinking on this biblical text.
First, genuine, faithful believers hold diverse views concerning the meaning of “a thousand years.” I have good friends whom I hold in highest regard that embrace interpretive views that differ from my own. We must recognize that how someone views the millennium must never be a test of fellowship or acceptance in the body of Christ. Our agreement upon the gospel, the doctrine of God, of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, of the Church and of man carries much more weight in our fellowship than one’s view on the millennium.
Second, though much has been written on this chapter, and though many arguments have ensued, we need to recognize that this is the only place in Scripture where there is specific mention of a millennium. Jesus didn’t talk about it nor did Paul nor did Peter or any of the other disciples except John, and that only in this chapter. Revelation 20, verses 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 constitute the entire framework upon which we build our millennial view. That it is not found elsewhere does not denigrate its importance, but it does indicate that the solitary presentation of this teaching must be interpreted in the larger framework of Revelation, especially, and the rest of the Bible.
To begin our study, let’s consider the categories of the way this chapter is interpreted. The most common view among Southern Baptists is premillennialism; or to be more precise, dispensational premillennialism. It has been popularized by a plethora of books, novels and movies, most of which do not correspond very well with historic premillennialism. Historic premillennialism dates as far back as Justin Martyr in the 2nd century, though other church fathers held different views. Quite simply, it declares that after a time of apostasy Jesus will return to gather His church, bind Satan, and establish a literal, thousand year reign on the present earth. This reign of peace will not be the end of death or the end of sin and rebellion, though it will be greatly diminished [cf. Craig Blaising, “Premillennialism,” in Darrell Bock, ed., Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond, 202-203]. Afterward, a great rebellion and conflict will ensue when Satan is released, and Christ returns to conquer him and all adversaries. Dispensational premillennialism adds to this a secret rapture of the church, after which there is a period of seven years of tribulation, then follows the Battle of Armageddon and the second coming of Christ which inaugurates the literal thousand year reign upon the earth, “a time of universal peace, prosperity, long life, and prevailing righteousness” [C.I. Scofield, The New Scofield Reference Bible, fn. 2, p. 1373]. During that time, believers join Christ in reigning on the earth: those “raptured” with the Church will receive glorified bodies as they return to reign with Christ. Those saved during the tribulation period will continue in their physical bodies. The latter will continue bearing children during that time, some of whom will rebel against the Lord, and will, ultimately, constitute a Satanically-deceived army that will oppose Christ and His kingdom at the end of the thousand year period, only to be defeated with Satan when Christ comes again. Now, having offered this sketch, I must hasten to say that there are endless variations on it! Some believe in a “mid-tribulation rapture” of the church; others in a “post-tribulation rapture” of the church. The dispensational premillennialists typically believe that only Jews are converted during the seven-year tribulation and consequently, reign with Christ on the earth in physical bodies while the Gentile Church will receive glorified bodies. Some believe that a remnant of unregenerate scatter throughout the earth during the millennium and are the source of populating the Satanic rebellion. “Progressive Dispensationalism” has moved closer to historic premillennialism in its views due to serious interpretive issues in classic dispensationalism.
A second view, known as Post-millennialism, was popular with such notables as Jonathan Edwards and Andrew Fuller. This view served as the foundation for Edward’s view on revival and spurred William Carey and Andrew Fuller in the modern missionary movement. Post-millennialists interpret the end of Revelation 19 as an already accomplished historic event, such as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. or the destruction of Rome and its mighty empire in the fourth century. Others view it as Christ conquering various nations through the gospel over the centuries. This leads to a period known as the thousand years, which may or may not be literally 1,000 years, depending on the interpreter. Most view it symbolically rather than literally. Satan is bound and consequently, the kingdom of God grows in both expanse and influence on earth through the preaching of the gospel, the co-regency of Christ and believers in heaven and earth. This is where Edwards perceived the call to pray for spiritual awakenings, in that the gospel would prosper for a period of time in expanding the church. Some among post-millennialists have added another dimension known as “theonomy” or “Christian reconstructionism,” which not only sees the millennium as spreading the gospel but also re-establishing the tenets of the Mosaic civil law code among the nations. Post-millennialism believes that at the end of the thousand year period, an intense period of rebellion will occur against Christ and His Word, leading to the return of Christ as Satan is cast into the lake of fire, and death is forever crushed. The resurrection of the body follows with believers living in the new heaven and new earth. Again, as with premillennialism, one-size does not fit all among post-millennialists.
The third major view of Revelation 20 is known as amillennialism. The “a” in front of the word for one thousand indicates, at least on the surface, “no millennium” [cf. Dennis Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb, 281]. However, as Dennis Johnson points out, this is more caricature than accurate [282]. It actually “shares with postmillennialism the belief that Christ’s bodily second coming will occur after the time period symbolized by the thousand years in John’s vision” [281]. Greg Beale suggests that a better name for amillennialism is “inaugurated millennialism,” since the basic view does not deny the millennium but rather sees the thousand years as symbolic of the period stretching from the first advent to the second advent of Christ [NIGTC: Revelation, 973]. Satan was bound by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. While unbound, Satan hindered the spread of the good news in the period of the Old Testament, with only Israel (with few exceptions) having knowledge of the living God. But with Satan bound or restrained by the cross, amillennialists view the period designated as the thousand years as the range of gospel expansion that culminates in an intense final opposition to Christ and the gospel just prior to the Second Coming of Christ. This views the totality of the Christian era from another angle, adding to the other angles noted in chapters 6-7, 11-12, 14-16, and 17-19.
I am approaching this present study of Revelation 20 from the amillennial perspective. Without drawing swords against the other views, I hold this position for several reasons. First, it is more exegetically tenable than the other views. Premillennialism must take a linear view of Revelation that poses far too many hoops to jump through to make everything connect. That reason initially moved me to question my dispensational premillennial upbringing. Second, as with postmillennialism, this view emphasizes the expanse of the gospel; albeit, unlike postmillennialism, it views that expanse taking place through adversities as set forth in the opening of the seven seals. Third, Revelation is a book of symbols and metaphors and images. As chapter 20 opens, an angel holds a key to the abyss in one hand and a great chain in the other, by which he binds the dragon, also known as the serpent of old, who we know as Satan—a spirit. Such symbolic language offers the clue that the use of “a thousand years” is yet another symbolic use of numbers as we’ve noted throughout Revelation. Fourth, the amillennial view is particularly gospel centered. Satan is bound by what Christ accomplished in the cross and resurrection. The focus of the thousand years is for the expansion of the kingdom through gospel ministry. The final conclusion to this period culminates in the return of Christ so that the full measure of what He accomplished in His redemptive work is fully applied, as Satan and every enemy of the gospel is cast into the lake of fire.
While admirable teachings exist in every view, we must not lose sight of the great priority of Revelation: to magnify the sufficiency and glory of Christ in the gospel as the only true comfort and motivation for worship among suffering saints. With this in mind, what is the thousand years all about?
We’re not viewing this text in linear fashion but as another angle on the massive tapestry of redemptive history. The symbolic language continues as we’ve seen throughout this apocalyptic book.
Notice the vivid way that John expresses what Christ did to the devil at the cross. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” The extrapolated names for Satan connect us with John’s previous declaration of triumph over our enemy. In 12:9, Michael, the angel throws down “the great dragon, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” As we noted in our exposition of that chapter, 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!
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? Two quotations will help us to see what John expresses. First, Greg Beale explains the background. “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 (e.g., cf. Isa. 49:6)” [Beale 988]. 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! Second, Anthony Hoekema explains that our text “means that throughout the gospel age in which we now live the influence of Satan, though certainly not annihilated, is so curtailed that he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel to the nations of the world. Because of the binding of Satan during this present age, the nations cannot conquer the church, but the church is conquering the nations” [The Bible and the Future, 229].
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.
Think about the early spread of the gospel. Satan had deceived the Roman Empire. They practiced emperor worship as well as the worship of numerous gods. They lived unrestrained lives, having no thought of conforming to the law of God. They denied the Lord God’s existence. In the previous centuries, Israel’s witness had only slight influence with other nations. But now, through Christ binding Satan in His death at the cross, the gospel continues to spread into the darkest lands. The binding and sealing of Satan, “so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed,” calls the church to confidently take the gospel to the multiplied hundreds of people groups in the world that still have no gospel witness.
We’re living in a gospel age. At last week’s Founders Conference (Owasso, OK, June 26-29, 2007), Raymond Perron of Quebec City warned of the misleading tendencies in our day to (1) “look for a miracle recipe to bring the world to Christ,” and (2) spending all of our time trying to analyze a person’s behavior and the issues of his life so that we’ll apply the appropriate methodologies in our evangelism, instead of giving him the gospel. He warned, “Beware of relying too much on methodology. The power is not in the sower or the method but in the seed”—that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because Christ bound Satan, having cast him down by the triumphant death on the cross, we can be assured that as we sow the gospel, God will bless it and bring forth fruit.
Yet, this will not continue forever. “After these things he must be released for a short time.” We don’t know how long the “thousand years” might be. It is much longer than the “short time” that Satan will have no restraints upon him in his opposition to the gospel. We are not yet in that time. We’re still in the age of the gospel. So, with the anticipation of the devil’s release that lies ahead, let us press forward as bearers of the good news of Christ while our enemy is bound.
John’s vision moves from Satan bound on earth to the saints judging in heaven. In every one of the forty-seven occasions of the use of “thrones” in Revelation, with the exception of John speaking of the throne of Satan or the beast (2:13; 13:2; 16:10), it is always located in heaven [cf. Leon Morris, TNTC: Revelation, 236]. This passage doesn’t prove to be an exception.
“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.” At first, John doesn’t tell us who is sitting on this plurality of thrones; just “they sat on them.” Then he explains who “they” are. “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.” At the front of the list are those “beheaded because of their testimony,” i.e. of the gospel of Christ. The word literally means to cut off one’s head with a double-edged ax [Cleon Rogers, ELKGNT, 648]; which was one method used by Rome upon their own citizens convicted of capital offenses. It could have been that the faithful witness Antipas in Pergamum was martyred in this way (2:13). John further identifies those sitting on the thrones as the ones who had not worshiped the beast or his image or received the mark of the beast. He has utilized this imagery since the 13th chapter to point to genuine believers. Unbelievers worship the beast and his image; they are marked by the character of the beast in rebellion against the living God. True believers are distinguished as having names written in the Lamb’s book of life (17:8), and as “the called and chosen and faithful” (17:14). These, John sees in his vision, are sitting on thrones. What is the point that he makes? He encourages the besieged Christians to press on; they will reign with Christ one day!
John tells us, “Judgment was given to them.” The passive voice implies that God gave them this occupation. No natural reason sat them on the thrones but only the gracious purpose of their God. He doesn’t explain what kind of judgment the believers exercise. It may be that of agreement with the judgment of the Lord God, as we saw in 19:1-2, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” John also tells us that these “souls…came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Here is a spiritual resurrection, demonstrating that those dying in the Lord do not enter into “soul sleep,” but rather are spiritually alive, awaiting that day of the resurrection of the body (20:12-13). The co-regency with Christ shows “a sharing of royal glory with Christ,” as William Hendriksen put it [More than Conquerors, 192]. In effect, John tells the struggling saints, “Bear up well! You will be seated with Christ in heavenly places before long, enjoying the glory of His presence. Don’t hang your harps on the willows!”
John calls this “the first resurrection,” which anticipates the bodily resurrection (cf. 1 Cor. 15). Believers may face death—but only once. “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.” In other words, as long as this gospel age exists, our heavenly audience of those who have passed through the veil of death, continue the priestly roles they began to learn in this life. They will be priests of God and of Christ. No wonder Revelation is filled with one worship scene and song after another! It is preparation for heaven where we reign with Christ even as we worship Him forever!
One of the strong interpretive devices that point to the thousand years as the gospel age is in verse 5. “The rest of the dead—that is, not the believers that have already died naturally or by martyrdom but unbelievers—did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.” The unbelievers do not partake of the first resurrection—that spiritual resurrection in heaven upon death in this life. They await the final resurrection to judgment, which John describes later in this chapter. He contrasts this with those “blessed and holy…who has a part in the first resurrection.” So with one stroke, he anticipates eternal death and damnation in contrast to the glories of resurrection life through Christ. See in this the merciful warning of our God, and the call to look to Christ.
Verses 7-10 show particularly the defeat of Satan in the same way that 19:17-21 show the defeat of the beast and false prophet along with their combined forces that sought to overthrow Christ’s reign. “John is providing two sketches of the same event” [Kistemaker, NTC: Revelation, 542]. He gives us two angles of the same grand finale.
Though bound for the gospel age—the thousand years—the time will come when the Lord God will release Satan from his prison. Here is God exercising sovereign authority in releasing Satan for the purpose of ultimately, exercising final judgment on Satan and all that reject the gospel of Christ. “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 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.” Gog and Magog represent an ancient enemy of Israel that Ezekiel spoke of in chapters 38-39. Hendriksen comments that Ezekiel’s use of Gog and Magog “refers…to the terrible persecution under Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler of Syria” in the Seleucid Kingdom [More than Conquerors, 193]. John is not identifying one or two nations but rather uses this epitome of adversaries to refer metaphorically to the entire world, vast in number, in hostile opposition to Christ and His Church. The “four corners of the earth,” simply implies the universality of this final opposition. Satan’s deceit will reach its apex; persecution will be unequaled. Augustine wrote of this, “For this persecution, occurring while the final judgment is imminent, shall be the last which shall be endured by the holy Church throughout the world, the whole city of Christ being assailed by the whole city of the devil, as each exists on earth” [The City of God, XX, 11, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2, 432].
Should the church live in fear of that day? Absolutely not! John pictures one giant army, representing the devil’s horde, coming against one camp and then one city, representing Christ and the Church. But the language shows that he is not referring to one locale—“and they came up on the broad plain of the earth.” In spite of what appears to be insurmountable odds—Christ has already triumphed over Satan; that’s the point made. The power of the cross that has defeated our enemy will be unleashed! “And fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 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.” Victory is assured because Christ triumphed at the cross and in the resurrection. The mopping up will come on that great day of which John speaks. So we need not despair when persecution arises. Our Redeemer is King of kings and Lord of lords! He has conquered. He has finished the work of redemption. He loses none that He redeems—even in the face of the worst persecution. “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.”
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