Revelation 21-22:5

The Revelation of Jesus Christ Part 2: Session 7 – Revelation 20

Cheat Sheet

The Abyss was thought of as a huge, underground cavern where disobedient spirits were held in remand, awaiting judgement. In Revelation 20 Satan is locked up and confined to the Abyss. While the exact meaning of Satan’s binding in Revelation 20 is debated, it is good to remember that the death and resurrection of Jesus is understood as the key point at which Satan’s power over the world suffers a genuine defeat. Many Christian teachers argue that we currently live in an age where Satan is defeated, yet not fully destroyed, and this lines up well with the idea of him being bound and imprisoned, awaiting a future, final destruction. Others see this binding as yet to happen. In both cases, there is an irony present in this passage: even when Satan is bound, some humans are still quite happy to serve him upon his release.

1000 years of Jesus’ reign, and of Satan’s binding, has generated a large amount of debate and differing opinion among interpreters of the New Testament. One could easily write an entire book just laying out these different views! And, of course, to those who hold each view, all other views look inadequate, compared to one’s own, clearly superior interpretation. But there are some points that can be made, that are held across these different perspectives. The number 1000 is probably symbolic, given that Revelation regularly uses numbers in this fashion. (1000 refers to an unimaginably long period.) Jesus is clearly more powerful than Satan, given that his angels can chain the devil up. Yet we also need to wait. Whether we are living in this period now, or it is coming soon, we are living in a world where the devil and his influence have not been completely destroyed. Part of serving God in the world involves partnering with him in the fight against evil. One thing almost all interpreters can agree on is that the 1000 years are not over yet.

Those who had been given authority to judge, in Revelation 20:4, are something of a mystery. Are these the martyrs, described in the rest of verse four, given a special task as a reward for their faithfulness? Or are the judges some other group, like the apostles (Matthew 19:28), those who endure trial (Revelation 3:21), or all faithful Christians (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)? The puzzle is only made more complex given the lack of detail supplied here. What kind of authority? What kind of judgement? It is important not to search for answers that the text does not provide. What we are told is that, in some special way, certain people will sit with God as he judges the earth. This alone is an incredible and sobering thought.

The first resurrection also invites debate, depending on one’s view of the end times and the meaning of the 1000-year period. If these verses are read literally, one can discern a map of the end relatively easily. A more symbolic interpretation poses its own questions, some of them deeply challenging. If we only “come to life” when our resistance to the beast is absolute, even unto death, how many of us can claim to be truly eligible recipients of a shared reign with Christ?

Satan set free for a short time, as described in Revelation 20:7-10, has puzzled many. Why would God intend for things to work this way? Yet two observations can be made about this event that are helpful. The first, as already noted above, is that the moment he is released, Satan is able to rally an army. There are some for whom Satan really is lord, and these people will readily serve him when given the opportunity. The second, is that even in a seemingly “fair” fight (despite the fact that God’s people are surrounded!), Satan and his army lose the heavenly war, really rather quickly. Satan loose is no real threat to God or his people. Or, as the song puts it, “It may seem like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by you!”

Gog and Magog are a symbol of the nations that gather to attack God’s people. In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel prophesied about Gog, a leader, and Magog, a nation, that would come from the north and attack Israel. Some interpreters think that these terms were not intended as references to specific places, but more a kind of collective code for an evil enemy that wanted to destroy God’s people. This seems to be the way John understood it in Revelation.

Books that contain a record of all human behaviour were a common concept in Jewish thought, and a similar image of books being opened in a scene of judgement can be found in Daniel 7:10. The lake of fire in Revelation 20 echoes other Jewish pictures of punishment, such as an Abyss of fire, or a river of fire such as that described by the prophet Daniel in Daniel 7. In each case, these ideas convey a startling, graphic picture of torment.

Study

Revelation 20 is often interpreted with such a strongly futurist perspective that we can miss some of the ways in which it challenges and encourages Christian living in the present. Yet a careful journey through this chapter yields much fruit for today.

Read Revelation 20

Take a closer look at Revelation 20:1-3, and 7-10.

How difficult is it for God to bind and defeat Satan and his followers?

If we consider the suggestion, made by some, that Revelation 20:1-3 describes Satan’s state at the moment, how might that impact our faith and our witness?

Note also that in 20:8, Satan seemingly has little problem recruiting a massive army for one final attack on God’s people. Partly, this is because these people are “deceived” (v.10). Yet these humans are still judged for their decision.

What does this say about the human heart?

What might these images do for someone who has been a victim of injustice?

Now revisit 20:4. What do we learn there about what Jesus expects of us?

Look again at 20:11-13.

How might this concept have been good news to those who first heard it?

What do you think of the idea of a final judgement? how might you understand this in light of the rest of the New Testament?

What are some of the ways this idea can impact how we live today?

Optional Extra Resources

If your group are up for listening to 14 minutes of heavy metal, here’s a band that have tried to cover the entire book of Revelation in a single song! (Still leaving space for shredding, of course.)

Fair warning, the first minute is someone whispering the Latin translation of Revelation 8.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_a3AzUre3g

Also, one of Michelangelo’s works is inspired by this chapter:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Judgment_(Michelangelo)#/media/File:Last_Judgement_(M

ichelangelo).jp