Revelation (Adults)

Chapter 20

Lesson written by David Riggs and Murray Wade

SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

This chapter mentions the "millennium" or the "thousand years" ("millennium" is the Greek word for "thousand"). It is mentioned 5 times in verses 2-6 and is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible. It is the great proof text of the millennialist. There is no need to force a change in time here (that is, to leave the period under consideration by John). False teachers want to bring in the second coming at verse 1; however, John is still dealing with the vision of events which occurred in his day and not of some who live far out in the future.

John said that he saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand, and he bound Satan for a thousand years. The "thousand years" is not to be taken literally any more than are the "key," "bottomless pit," and "great chain." A literal chain cannot bind a spirit being. Like the other numbers in Revelation, the "thousand" has a symbolical meaning.

In verse 3 Satan was cast into the bottomless pit, shut up and sealed, so that he could "deceive the nations" no more until the thousand years were fulfilled. The term "deceive the nations" is used often of Satan and his efforts in Revelation (12:9; 13:13-14; 18:23; 19:20; 20:3, 8, 10). Satan deceived the nations, influenced the beast to deceive people, and influenced people to kill God’s people. After Satan is loosed again for a short time (20:3, 7), he comes forth to deceive the nations again (20:8). It is certainly true that Christ bound Satan at His death (Luke 10:18; John 12:31-32; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14-15--when Christ provided remission of sins, Satan lost his power over man); however, here Satan was put down or bound when God brought an end to the forces killing God’s people in John’s time and the time shortly to come to pass [possibly Jerusalem (18:24), the Rome (Romans 16:20), or both (Chapter 17)]. Thus, during the thousand year period Satan would not have control over the nations as he once had and, consequently, will not have power to cause the saints to be slaughtered as he once did.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR REVELATION 20

1. Who does the angel “laid hold of”?

2. Those who believe in the premillennial theory (i.e., that Jesus is to come to physically rule as King in Jerusalem for 1,000 years) from verses 4-6 present their beliefs as follows: "At the second coming, Christ is coming back to the earth to reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem with all the saints for a thousand years." Please list which of the five underlined items are mentioned in verses 4-6?

3. Will Jesus be coming back to rule on the throne of David in Jerusalem for a 1,000 years? Please explain your answer in your own words and with your own scriptural references.

4. Please describe the souls that John sees in the vision in verse 4.

5. Who do you think the "rest" of verse 5 are (see Revelation 19:21)?

6. When will Satan be loosed and for how long?

7. What is the result of the great battle described in verses 7-10?

8. Who is involved in the judgment at the Great White Throne?

9. What will judge those present at the Great White Throne?

10. Please list what the first resurrection, second resurrection, first death, and second death are?