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Particulars
of Christianity:
314
End Times Prophecy (Eschatology)
Revelation
Chronology: Section 3.01 Continued
Revelation
Chronology: Introduction
Revelation Chronology: Structure
in Revelation
Revelation Chronology: Sections
0.01-0.02
Revelation Chronology: Sections
1.01-2.03
Revelation Chronology: Section 2.04
Revelation Chronology: Section 2.04
Continued
Revelation Chronology: Sections
2.05-2.06
Revelation Chronology: Sections
2.07-2.08
Revelation Chronology: Sections
2.09-2.13
Revelation Chronology: Section
3.01
Revelation Chronology: Section
3.01 Continued
Revelation Chronology: Sections
3.02-3.04 and Conclusions
Revelation Renumbered
Genesis 1-2: Integrated Text,
Single Chronology
Revelation: Integrated Text,
Single Chronology
A Simple Chronological List
of the Events in Revelation
Addendum: Origins and Destinations
The Resurrection of the Saints and the Millennial Reign
of Christ and the Saints
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. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent,
which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
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. 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. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until
the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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.
This passage describes the next two events covered in this
Long Series: 3) the resurrection of the saints
and 4) the millennial reign of Christ and the saints.
There are a few items worth noting.
First, just after Satan is cast down into the pit in verses
2-3, John describes seeing those who were beheaded for not
worshipping the mark of the beast in verse 4. In verse 4 he
states that they live and reign with Christ for a thousand
years. In verse 5, John says that the rest of the dead, besides
the saints, "lived not again" until after the thousand years.
The status of the rest of the dead in verse 5 is clearly intended
as a contrast to the status of the saints in verse 4. Thus,
given that the rest of the dead "lived not again" we know
that the word "lived" concerning the saints in verse 4 refers
to them "living again" or being brought back to life.
This, of course, is corroborated immediately in the second
sentence of verse 5, which refers to "the first resurrection."
Verse 6 goes on to state who is included in the first resurrection
and it specifically includes those who reign with Christ for
a thousand years, the same group described in verse 4. Thus,
those who are living and reigning with Christ in verse 4 are
"living again" and have participated in "the first resurrection."
They have been raised from the dead, just as Christ Jesus
was. The fact that here in Revelation 20 the saints have been
resurrected from the dead just like Christ both parallels
and fulfills the scriptural promises.
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned
by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one,
Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised
up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his
Spirit that dwelleth in you.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from
the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection
of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own
order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's
at his coming.
I Corinthians 15:42 So also is the resurrection
of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in
glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It
is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There
is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And
so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit... 49 And
as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly. 50 Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither
doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew you
a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed, 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. 53
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal must put on immortality. 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.
II Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith,
according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have
I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14 Knowing
that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also
by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven;
from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, according to the working
whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
I Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that
ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that
we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord
shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead
in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with
the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Thus, once again there is perfect continuity and no alterations
or changes on this subject throughout the entire New Testament.
In addition, it should be noted that in Revelation 20:4-6
John is not reporting the occurrence of the
resurrection as it takes place. Instead, by the time
that John first sees these saints in verse 4, they are already
alive. In verses 5-6, John goes on to describe why they
are alive, which is due to their participation in the first
resurrection. Thus, it is only John's sighting of them
that occurs after Satan is imprisoned in verses 2-3, not the
actual resurrection. The actual resurrection has already
occurred, at the return of the Lord in the clouds, before
the defeat of the antichrist, false prophet, and Satan at
the battle of Armageddon, which we discussed earlier.
These facts are indicated by Matthew 24:30-31, Matthew 26:64,
Mark 13:26-27, Mark 14:62, and Luke 21:27, Acts 1:9-11, 1
Corinthians 15:51-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation
11:3-13, 15-19, Revelation 14:14-20, and Revelation 19:7-8,
14, and 19, which all depict Jesus returning on the clouds
at the sound of the seventh and final trumpet at which point
the dead saints will be resurrected and the living saints
instantly transformed also as they meet the Lord in the clouds
and then proceed to tread out the winepress of God as the
armies of the Lord in the battle of Armageddon.
Furthermore, please note from 1 Corinthians 15:22 that, "as
in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."
We would like to give attention to the fact that all men are
resurrected, to the same extent that all men die. Not only
does 1 Corinthians 15 attest that all men, even the wicked,
will be resurrected, but Revelation 20 states the same thing.
Revelation 20:4-6 refers to the occurrence of the first resurrection,
which includes the saints. But Revelation 20:5 also indicates
that "the rest of the dead," beyond just the saints, will
be resurrected after the thousand years. This "second resurrection"
of the rest of the dead, including the wicked, is also described
in Revelation 20:11-15, which we will discuss later.
The reasoning for this is simple. In Matthew 25:41, Jesus
tells the wicked that the everlasting fire of hell was prepared
for the devil and his angels. It is noteworthy that when speaking
to wicked humans who are going to hell, Jesus does not state
that hell was prepared for human beings. Instead, he asserts
that hell was prepared for angelic beings. In Matthew 22:30,
Mark 12:25, and Luke 20:35-36, Jesus states that when resurrected,
men are like angels. In fact, in Luke's version, Jesus actually
uses the word, "isaggelos," (Strong's No. 2465), which is
a single Greek word, compounded from the Greek word "isos"
(Strong's No 2470), which means "equal, in quantity or quality"
and the word, "aggelos" (Strong's No. 32), which is the Greek
word for "angel." Thus, Jesus is literally saying that in
the resurrection, men are equal in quality to the angels,
including such attributes as immortality, which is mentioned
in all three of these accounts.
This is why all men are resurrected, even the wicked, because
when they are resurrected they become like angels, which is
who the eternal fire of hell was made for in the first place.
In short, by becoming like angels in the resurrection, men
become fit for the torment of hell, a torment designed for
angelic beings.
But the parallels between the wicked and the righteous don't
stop there. The fact that the antichrist and the false prophet
are thrown live into the lake of fire seems to correspond
to Paul's statements in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 and 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18 that some Christians will be alive when Christ returns
and will be directly transformed, receiving glorified, immortal
bodies, without ever dying. So, there is not only a resurrection
for both the wicked and the righteous, but there are instances
where both the wicked and the righteous are directly transformed
without having to die first. The entire system is very consistent
and logical.
At this point, we have already made a few statements about
the condition of resurrected men. In particular, we saw how
Jesus himself asserts their likeness or equality to angels,
including the angelic trait of immortality. Likewise, we saw
how Paul also mentions immortality and includes freedom from
physical decay, or corruption in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. By
way of introduction, we recall a story in 2 Kings 6:11-17,
in which the king of Syria sends his army of horses and chariots
and a great number of men against Elisha, Elijah's successor.
And when Elisha's servant sees this great army he is concerned
but Elisha prays for and the Lord allows the servant to see
that all around Elisha the land is filled with horses and
chariots of fire. This is a depiction of the angelic armies.
With this imagery of fiery horses and chariots in mind, we
turn to Joel 2's description of the day of the Lord.
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an
alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the
land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it
is nigh at hand,
As we can see below, as Joel continues, he describes the people
of the army of the Lord on that day. Verse 11 specifically
refers to them as the Lord's army. Verse 5 refers to them
as "a strong people set in battle array." Verse 7 similarly
refers to them as "men of war." So, we know this is a description
of the armies accompanying the returning Jesus Christ on the
day of the Lord. But, keeping in mind that upon seeing the
Lord in the clouds and being gathered together with him, the
saints receive resurrected, glorified, immortal, incorruptible
spirit bodies that are equal to the angels and pattern after
the body of the resurrected Christ Jesus, let's consider the
details that Joel provides about these people.
Joel 2:2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day
of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon
the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath
not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after
it, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth
before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land
is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate
wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4 The appearance
of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so
shall they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the
tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame
of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set
in battle array. 6 Before their face the people shall
be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7 They
shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like
men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways,
and they shall not break their ranks: 8 Neither shall one
thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and
when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall
run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they
shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The
earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble:
the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall
withdraw their shining: 11 And the LORD shall utter
his voice before his army: for his camp is very great:
for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of
the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide
it?…31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD
come.
Like the army protecting Elisha, this army is described using
the imagery of fire, horses, and chariots. They run quickly,
they leap like flames of fire, they run up city walls. The
earth quakes before them. If they fall on the sword, if they
are stabbed, they are not wounded. Clearly, these are immortal
men. And notice that the timing of this is all on the day
of the Lord, shortly after the signs in the sun, moon, and
stars, which occur at the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12-17,
when the men of the earth declare that "the wrath of the Lamb"
and "the great day of his wrath is come." Joel is giving an
in-depth description of the return of the Lord and the battle
of Armageddon, when the Lord's army will be comprised of his
immortal, resurrected saints.
There are three other items to point out from Joel. First,
there is Joel 2:9's comparison of the army of the Lord to
a thief. This directly relates to the New Testament comparisons
of Jesus' return to the coming of a thief in the night (Matthew
24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 3:3,
and Revelation 16:15).
Second, there is the fire that devours both before and behind
this army. And second, there is the statement in verse 11
that the Lord utters his voice before this army and they execute
his word on the day of the Lord.
The statement about the fire devouring the land relates to
2 Peter 3:1-14, where Peter describes that at the Lord's coming,
the earth that is will be destroyed by fire, just as the former
earth was destroyed by the waters of the flood. From Joel
2's description, we understand that this destroying fire is
dispensed both before and behind the army of the Lord.
The statement about the Lord speaking to his army and the
army executing his word relates to Revelation 19:11-15, which
describes the return of Jesus Christ, calling him the Word
of God and stating in verse 15 that, "out of his mouth goeth
a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations."
These phrases, "out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword" and
"with it he smites the nations," refer to the fact that Jesus
will utter a command to his army at the battle of Armageddon
and they will execute it. The result will be the destruction
of the armies of the antichrist, even as indicated in Revelation
19:21, which states that the antichrist's armies are "slain
with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword
proceeded out of his mouth." In other words, they are slain
as a result of Jesus' word of command to his armies, who carry
it out and defeat the army of his enemies.
Imagine the fear and awe of the ungodly on that day, when
they witness the resurrection of the two witnesses at the
seventh trumpet, who ascend into the sky along with the rest
of the resurrected saints, meeting in the air with the living
saints also to stand with the Lord Jesus, hovering in the
clouds, waiting for the order to advance. This is why Revelation
6:15-17 describes their cry as they say "16 …to the mountains
and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17
For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able
to stand?"
The visible hovering of Jesus in his clouds with his armies,
comprised of the righteous angels and the resurrected, glorified
saints who are now equal to the angels, is what Jesus refers
to as the sign of the Son of Man in heaven in Matthew 24:29-31.
Notice, once again, the reference to the sun, moon, and stars
darkening just before this event, just as declared by Joel
2 and Revelation 6:15-17.
Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation
of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall
not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven,
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then
shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and
then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they
shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with
power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the
other.
Thus, once again, there is perfect continuity and no alterations
or changes on this subject throughout the entire New Testament.
And the description of those events is completed in the book
of Revelation.
This brings us to the fourth event covered in this Long
Series, the millennial reign of Christ and the saints.
For reference, here again is the text of Revelation 20:4-6.
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. 5 But the
rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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.
The phrase "reigned with Christ a thousand years" occurs twice
in these 3 verses. Likewise, verse 4 contains a parallel assertion
that, "judgment was given unto them." It is this concept of
reigning alive with Christ that Paul had in mind in Romans
5, which we saw earlier.
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned
by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one,
Jesus Christ.
This teaching of the saints reigning with Jesus Christ has
a long history in scripture. It is explicitly predicted in
Daniel.
Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there
came up among them another little horn, before whom there
were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and,
behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a
mouth speaking great things. 9 I beheld till the thrones
were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose
garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the
pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels
as burning fire…13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold,
one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven,
and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him
near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages,
should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed…16 I came near unto one of them that
stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told
me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings,
which shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the saints
of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom
for ever, even for ever and ever… 21 I beheld, and the
same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against
them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was
given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that
the saints possessed the kingdom…27 And the kingdom
and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the
saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Here in Daniel 7, we find a very early and detailed articulation
of the saints of God reigning with one like the Son of Man,
who comes on the clouds of heaven. This, of course, is Jesus
Christ as the New Testament repeatedly states. In fact, Daniel
7 specifically indicates that the saints' time of ruling (verse
22) begins when the Son of Man comes on the clouds of heaven,
which is exactly what we have seen in our chronology of Revelation.
In addition, this time of the saints ruling follows after
a "horn," or king, rises to persecute the saints, just as
we saw was the case in the New Testament and Revelation, when
the antichrist rises to make war against the saints for 3
½ years before the return of Jesus when they are given the
kingdom.
There are two additional items to note from Daniel 7. First,
verse 9 denotes a point in time when "the thrones were cast
down, and the Ancient of days did sit." This casting down
of the thrones corresponds to verse 22, which asserts that
the saints will receive the kingdom when the Ancient of days
comes. The saints taking possession of the kingdom corresponds
to the thrones, or dominion of others, being cast down.
This includes the loss of authority by ungodly men, as the
text of Daniel 7 plainly states in verse 17, when it describes
those who lose their power as "kings, which shall arise out
of the earth." Thus, ungodly human dominion comes to an end
and it is instead given to godly men. But it also pertains
to the replacement of the ungodly angels, who rule the earth.
These ungodly angels will be replaced by saints, who are resurrected
and transformed, becoming like angels (Matthew 22:30, Mark
12:25, Luke 20:35-26), including the trait of immortality
and freedom from decay.
In fact, the attainment of immortality is directly connected
to Daniel's assertion that the kingdom will last forever and
have no end. As Daniel 7:27 specifies, this kingdom is a kingdom
on the earth, as indicated by the phrase, "kingdom under the
whole heaven." If it is under the heaven, it must be on the
earth. Thus, it is a physical kingdom, and physical bodies
are needed to be present in it and rule over it. And since
that kingdom is eternal, those physical bodies need to be
immortal in order to endure and rule as long as the kingdom
itself. This is why Paul also concludes that mere flesh and
blood cannot inherit the eternal kingdom and, thus, immortality
and incorruption must be attained in order to be fit for inheriting
the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither
doth corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I shew
you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed, 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.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality.
Furthermore, concerning the saints replacing the ungodly angelic
rulers, Paul repeatedly expresses his understanding that the
world is ruled by ungodly angels. We see this in the following
passages.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor
things present, nor things to come,
1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the
right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being
made subject unto him.
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest
the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, should shine unto them.
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according
to the course of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience:
Ephesians 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities
and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church
the manifold wisdom of God.
And, in the Gospel of John we can see that Paul's understanding
of this issue is identical to Jesus' own teaching that the
world is ruled by ungodly angels.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now
shall the prince of this world be cast out.
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you:
for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing
in me.
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this
world is judged.
Moreover, in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul also directly affirms the
saints' rule over the earth and over angels.
1 Corinthians 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints
shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged
by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know
ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things
that pertain to this life?
And notice also that Paul not only speaks of the saints judging,
just as Daniel 7 does, but he also contrasts judging things
in "this life" to that coming judgment of the world and angels.
Thus, by this contrast, Paul identifies the timing of the
saints judging the world and angels as the next life,
when saints live again after the resurrection. Paul's view
is entirely inherited from earlier scriptural teaching, including
Daniel and Paul's statements show no alteration in the New
Testament of these Old Testament promises and prophecies.
In addition, it is also clear that Paul also maintained Daniel's
teaching that the ungodly kingdoms are ruled by wicked angels.
(For more details concerning both Daniel and Revelation's
descriptions of angelic rulers over the ungodly kingdoms,
please visit our "Prophetic Symbols"
study.)
We have already seen repeatedly in our study of Revelation
that the ungodly angels, including the chief adversary himself,
are cast down and eventually imprisoned when Christ returns.
Thus, they lose their power and their kingdom and the saints
are given the kingdom to rule with Christ like angels. The
depiction from both the Old and the New Testament is that
God is clearly replacing the ungodly angelic rulers with new
angels, godly men made like angels, who will rule in accord
with Christ Jesus.
Concerning the long-standing biblical precedent for the saints
ruling with Christ, Jesus himself articulates this concept
in his parables. In particular, in Matthew 25:14-20 and Luke
19:11-27, Jesus describes the kingdom of God in terms of a
nobleman who goes away into "a far country" (Matthew 25:14)
for a while to receive a kingdom. Jesus even says that the
nobleman does not return until, "After a long time" (Matthew
25:19). Luke even denotes that the purpose of the parable
was to inform men that the kingdom would not "immediately
appear" as some thought (Luke 19:11). The servants of this
nobleman are told to be faithful for this "long time" while
he is away. Furthermore, two things do not happen until the
nobleman returns after this long time. First, it is
not until then that there is "a reckoning" (Matthew 25:19)
in which the nobleman begins to enforce his rule, including
punishing his enemies, who until that time had rejected his
rule over them (Luke 19:27). Second, it is not until after
the long time and the nobleman's return that the servants
are rewarded (Matthew 25:19, Luke 19:15). Furthermore, in
Luke's version the reward for the faithful servants is ruling
"over cities" (Luke 19:17, 19).
The nobleman's instructions to his servants before leaving
are remarkably reminiscent of Jesus' statements to his own
disciples in Luke 22:29-30 just before his death, resurrection,
and ascension into heaven.
Luke 22:29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as
my Father hath appointed unto me; 30 That ye may eat and
drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.
And the nobleman's reward is similar to Jesus' promise in
Revelation 3:21 to delegate the authority of his throne to
those who are faithful.
Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant
to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame,
and am set down with my Father in his throne.
All of these statements concerning the resurrected, immortal
saints ruling with Christ Jesus after he has gone away
for "a long time" and returned to punish those who rejected
him are continued and completed here in Revelation 20:4-6.
However, we should also take note of the fact that Daniel
7:14, 27, as well as Daniel 2:44 and even 2 Peter 1:11 refer
to the kingdom as an "everlasting kingdom" that will never
end but will last forever. So, why does Revelation 20:4-6,
three times assert that the kingdom lasts for 1,000 years,
rather than forever?
The answer to this question is simple. The kingdom is eternal
and it will continue after the 1,000 years into eternity.
However, Revelation discusses the first 1,000 years because
of two important factors. First, the 1,000 years is necessary
as an intervening transition period in which the earth is
renovated and rejuvenated, preparing it to receive the throne
of God, which Revelation 22:3 indicates will move to the earth.
(For more on the rejuvenation of the earth so that it can
be dwelled in eternally, please visit the articles, "Heaven
and Earth, Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration
(Parts 1 and 2)," in our Cosmology
section.)
Second, Jesus rules the earth with an iron rod during the
1,000 years in order to facilitate this transition period
but it is not until the end of this time, when the transition
is complete and Satan is released one last time for his final
defeat, that Jesus hands the kingdom over to the Father. This
teaching that Jesus must rule until the final defeat of Satan
is also very old and can even be found clearly stated by Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from
the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection
of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his
own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that
are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end,
when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the
Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority
and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all
enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall
be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under
his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him,
it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things
under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto
him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that
put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Notice Paul's chronology here. Christ comes once, dies, and
then rises from the dead. Then "at his coming" again, there
is the resurrection of those who belong to Christ, the saints
who have remained faithful to him. Then, as verse 25 states,
Christ reigns and remains reigning for a period of time until
he has put down all enemies. It is important to note that
the completion of defeating all enemies ends with the final
defeat of death. Then, after that final defeat of death, Christ
will hand the kingdom over to the Father himself.
Not only is this chronology perfectly consistent with the
book of Revelation, as we have seen in great detail throughout
this study, including here in Revelation 20, but also this
statement from Paul specifically includes an intervening time
period between Christ's return, at which point he resurrects
his saints and begins to reign, and the kingdom being turned
over to God the Father. This intervening period between the
start of Christ's reign at his return and the start of the
Father's reign is the 1,000 years described in Revelation
20. So, while the kingdom of God continues forever under the
Father, with authority delegated to Christ and the saints,
the first 1,000 years of that kingdom act as a transition
in which Christ begins to and then completes the defeat of
all enemies.
And what does Revelation 20 say happens after the 1,000 years?
First, Satan is loosed out of his prison for one last defeat.
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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.
Then death and hell are cast into the Lake of Fire.
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.
Revelation 20:14 And death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And then the Father enacts judgment.
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.
Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written
in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Notice that we have cited the closing verses above from Revelation
20 in pairs. The reason for this is due to the fact
that the last 2 verses of Revelation 20 are a Redundant
Summary. We will discuss this more in the next section
of this study.
It should also be noted that in Section 2.04 of this study
we saw how Abaddon is an angelic king who has rule over the
bottomless pit, which is also known as "Sheol," "Hades," or
"hell." Likewise, in our article series, "Angels
in the End Times," particularly Parts 3 and 4, we establish
from scripture that the chief angelic adversary is the angelic
ruler who has the authority over death. Furthermore, in that
article series we examine how in both the New and Old Testaments,
death and hell are at times not simply spoken of as the state
of being dead or the place where the dead reside, but instead
they are personified as beings. One prominent example of this
is Revelation 6:8, where Death and Hell are identified as
two of the horsemen. Moreover, we can see that Revelation
20:14 also uses the terms death and hell in the same manner
to refer to angelic beings, rather than simply the state of
death and the place of the dead, because it does not make
sense for Revelation 20:14 to be stating that "the state of
being dead" and "the place of the dead" are cast into the
Lake of Fire. Thus, the casting of death and hell into the
Lake of Fire refers to the final and permanent casting of
the chief adversary and Abaddon into the Lake of Fire.
But for now, it is important to note that in both pairs of
verses, the final and permanent imprisonment of the adversarial
angels occurs before the Father enacts judgment. Thus,
the comments of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 are mirrored
exactly by the chronology here in Revelation 19 and 20 concerning
the 1,000 years. First comes the return of Christ, then the
resurrection of his saints, then their intervening rule for
1,000 years to transition the earth, then the final defeat
of death and hell at the end of the 1,000 years, and then
Jesus hands the kingdom over to the Father who executes final
judgment and eternity begins.
Thus, it is clear that the 1,000 year reign of Christ serves
the specific function of transitioning and spanning from the
time he first begins to rule the earth with an iron rod until
the final defeat of the angels who are in charge of death
and hell when they are released one last time at the end of
that 1,000 years. Consequently, this is why Revelation gives
special focus and assigns a distinct status to the first 1,000
years of the kingdom of God even though the kingdom will continue
forever with authority delegated to Jesus Christ and his saints,
just as Daniel 2 and 7 as well as 2 Peter 1 clearly state.
However, we also stated earlier that the 1,000 years not only
functions as a transition spanning from the start until the
completion of the defeat of God's enemies under Jesus but
it also functions as a transition for the physical condition
of the earth itself from its present state of corruption.
In addition, as some of these same passages below will attest,
the 1,000 years also serves as a period of transitioning the
earth from its false religions and ungodly behavior to being
filled with the knowledge of God. Thus, in both these ways,
the earth is made ready to receive the eternal throne of God
with God dwelling on earth eternally among men, as we will
see in Revelation 21-22.
We'll start with Isaiah 11.
Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out
of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the
spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel
and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear
of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his
eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But
with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove
with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite
the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath
of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness
shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle
of his reins. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf
and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little
child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall
feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion
shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child
shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall
put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not
hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth
shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters
cover the sea. 10 And in that day there shall be a
root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the
people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest (04496)
shall be glorious.
Isaiah 11 begins by referring to "a rod out of the stem of
Jesse," and "a Branch…out of his roots." This is an identifier
of the Messiah as the son of David, whose father was Jesse.
Furthermore, as we can see, Isaiah 11 is describing a time
when the Messiah, the son of David, will judge in righteousness
and "smite the earth with the rod of his mouth." This is language
that is identical with Joel 2 and Revelation's description
of Jesus Christ at his return at the battle of Armageddon,
including his commands to his army, which executes his word
to subdue his enemies. Thus, we know that Isaiah 11 is starting
at the same point in time as Revelation 19-20, the return
of the Messiah to rule the nations with an iron rod.
However, as verses 6-9 demonstrate, this reign of the Messiah
will be accompanied by some remarkable changes in the natural
environment, particularly the end of violence between animals.
The animals, even the carnivores, are eating plants instead
of one another. And as verse 9 states, this time period also
connects the end of violence with the spreading of the knowledge
of the Lord under the rule of the Messiah.
Notice also that verse 10 again speaks of the Messiah, the
"root of Jesse" and this time it mentions "his rest." We have
included the Strong's Concordance number behind the word "rest"
in the text of Isaiah above. It is the Hebrew word "manuwchah,"
(Strong's No. 04496), which means, "resting place, rest."
This is the same Hebrew word that is used in Deuteronomy 12
to describe the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites
and in which they would dwell in safety.
Deuteronomy 12:9 For ye are not as yet come to the
rest (04496) and to the inheritance, which the LORD your
God giveth you. 10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell
in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit,
and when he giveth you rest (05117) from all your enemies
round about, so that ye dwell in safety.
The notion of the Israelites dwelling in safety is this "rest"
that God had promised to give to them is very similar to Isaiah
11's description of the Messiah's period of rule and "rest"
in which there would be no violence and no destruction. Notice
also the occurrence of the word "rest" in verse 12, which
although it is a different Hebrew word, is connected directly
to the idea of "rest from all your enemies." This concept
that the Jewish people would finally have rest, safety, and
deliverance from their enemies when the Messiah came to rule
is also articulated by Zecharias, the father of John the Baptist,
when under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with
the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed be
the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his
people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David; 70 As he spake
by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since
the world began: 71 That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform
the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his
holy covenant; 73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered
out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear.
Notice, that not only does Zecharias state in verse 70 that
he is discussing the same things as the holy prophets, which
would include Isaiah, but Zecharias also denotes that he is
speaking of the son of David, the Messiah, just as Isaiah
11 does. And what does Zecharias prophesy about the Messiah,
the son of David? Like Isaiah and Deuteronomy's mention of
"rest" as a time of safety for Israel, Zecharias speaks of
how the Messiah will save Israel from its enemies so that
they can serve him without fear. And Zecharias also connects
those events to promises made by God to the patriarchs of
Israel, just was the case in Deuteronomy concerning the promised
land. Thus, there is a connection between the fulfilling of
the covenant to give Israel the promised land and Israel living
in the promised land with her enemies defeated so that she
can serve God in safety, without fear. This is the "rest"
this is spoken of in Isaiah.
In addition, notice that not only does Deuteronomy 12:9 use
the same Hebrew word for "rest" that Isaiah 11 uses to describe
the rest of the Messiah, the son of David, but also that Deuteronomy
12:10 uses another word for rest, the Hebrew word "nuwach"
(Strong's No. 05117), which means simply, "to rest."
Deuteronomy 12:9 For ye are not as yet come to the
rest (04496) and to the inheritance, which the LORD your
God giveth you. 10 But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell
in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit,
and when he giveth you rest (05117) from all your enemies
round about, so that ye dwell in safety.
For comparison, below are the definitions for these two words.
In addition, we have also included two other Hebrew words
in order to show how manuwchah (Strong's No. 04496) is actually
derived from "nuwach" (Strong's No. 05117), which are the
two different words used for "rest" in Deuteronomy 12:9-10.
04496 manuwchah
from 04495; TWOT-1323f; n f
AV-rest 15, resting place 2, comfortable 1, ease 1, quiet
1, still 1; 21
1) resting place, rest
1a) resting place
1b) rest, quietness
"Manuwchah" comes "from 04495," which is the proper name "Manowach."
04495 Manowach
the same as 04494; n pr m
AV-Manoah 18; 18
Manoah =" rest"
1) a Danite, father of the judge Samson and inhabitant of
Zorah
And "Manowach" comes "from 04494," which is the general term
"manowach."
04494 manowach
from 05117; TWOT-1323e; n m
AV-rest 7; 7
1) resting place, state or condition of rest, place
1a) resting place
1b) rest, repose, condition of rest
1c) coming to rest
Finally, "manuwach" comes "from 05117," which is the word
"nuwach."
05117 nuwach
a primitive root; TWOT-1323; v
AV-rest 55, ceased 1, confederate 1, let down 1, set down
1, lay 1, quiet 2, remain 1, set 1; 64
1) to rest
What is significant here is that the word "nuwach" (Strong's
No. 05117) is not only related to Isaiah 11's word "manuwchah"
(Strong's No. 04496) and used in conjuction with "manuwchah"
in Deuteromy 12:9-10, but "nuwach" is the Hebrew word used
to describe the "rest" on the Sabbath, or seventh day.
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven
and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
(05117) the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the
sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Six days thou shalt do
thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest (07673):
that thine ox and thine ass may rest (05117), and
the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
And, of course, "nuwach" is also used elsewhere in Exodus
and Deuteronomy to once again refer to God's giving Israel
"rest" and deliverance from its enemies in Exodus 33:44, Deuteronomy
25:19, Joshua 1:13-15, just to name a few. Likewise, from
Exodus 20:12 above, we see that "nuwach" is used side by side
with another Hebrew word for rest, the word "shabath" (Strong's
No. 076073), which means, "to cease, desist, rest." Like "nuwach,"
"shabath" is used in such passages as Exodus 16:30, 23:12,
31:17, and 34:21 to refer to the Sabbath rest.
Thus, we can see the connection that this 1,000 year rule
of Christ has to the idea of the Sabbath rest on the seventh
day. For a more detailed examination of how the 1,000 years
functions as a Sabbath for the preceding 6,000 years of human
history, please visit our article, "
The Sabbath Millennium," under the Premillennialism section.
However, we can also see that Isaiah 11 is clearly referring
to a time when the Messiah will bring not only deliverance
to Israel from her enemies, but will establish justice and
righteous judgment, peace among the animals so that they eat
plants instead of each other, and a time of knowledge of the
Lord so that men cease from violence. All of these things
signify the function of the 1,000 years as a transition for
the earth's physical and moral corruption to a condition when
it is ready to be dwelled in by God the Father.
And this is not the only passage in Isaiah, which describes
this 1,000 year rule of the Messiah. The phrase "They shall
not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain," which is connected
with the phrase, "the earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the LORD" in Isaiah 11:9, also occurs in Isaiah 65:25.
And examination of the surrounding context of Isaiah 65 quickly
reveals that this chapter is also talking about the Messiah's
1,000 year reign.
Notice, first of all, that verse 25's statement that, "They
shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain" is connected
to peace between the animals, just as it was in chapter 11:6-9.
Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust
shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
In fact, as we mentioned above from Isaiah 11, verse 25 actually
states that carnivores, such as the lion, will no longer eat
other animals but will instead eat plants. This occurrence
of animals being at peace and the phrase "They shall not hurt
nor destroy in all my holy mountain" clearly informs us that
Isaiah 65 is describing the same time period as Isaiah 11.
Furthermore, notice that like Isaiah 11, Isaiah 65 begins
by referring to the coming of an heir only this time the description
is not an heir of David but an heir of Jacob and Judah. These,
of course, also are references to Jesus Christ, who is both
an Israelite and from the tribe of Judah. But notice that
like Daniel 7, Isaiah 65:9 connects the coming of this single
"inheritor" with the giving of dominion to "the elect," the
saints of God.
Isaiah 65:9 And I will bring forth a seed out of
Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains: and
mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell
there.
In addition, since Isaiah 65 is describing the same time period
as Isaiah 11, consider the specific details provided in Isaiah
65 concerning this time period in which the Messiah rules.
Notice that verse 17 below directly connects this time of
the Messiah's rule to a time of renovating or restoring the
condition of the earth. (Once again, for more on how the earth
will be restored rather than replaced, please visit our articles
entitled, "Heaven and Earth, Replaced
or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration (Parts 1 and 2),"
in our Cosmology section.)
Isaiah 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and
a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come
into mind. 18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that
which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing,
and her people a joy. 19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no
more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
Notice from verse 20 below that Isaiah connects the Messiah's
rule to a time in which the human lifespan will once again
extent to hundreds of years, just as it was before the Flood.
Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant
of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for
the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner
being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
This elongated lifespan does not refer to the resurrected
and transformed saints, who have become immortal, but instead
this speaks of those people from the nations who survive the
tribulation without taking the mark of the beast. They are
not resurrected or directly transformed but because they have
not taken the mark of the beast they are allowed to enter
the kingdom during which, natural lifespan will expand as
the condition of the earth is itself delivered from corruption
and decay. The groups most likely to enter the millennial
kingdom of Jesus Christ in this manner include the poor and
children as well as the secured people of Israel. After all,
those least likely to need the mark of the beast in order
to buy and sell are the poor. Passages indicating mortal survivors
among the nations entering the kingdom include Zechariah 14:16-19,
Matthew 5:3, 5, and Luke 6:20.
Also worthy of note is that while verse 25 is the last verse
in chapter 65, it is immediately followed in verse 1 of chapter
66 with the reference not only to the "rest" of God, which
once again invokes not only the imagery of the Sabbath rest
but also the previous connections to the "rest" as a time
of Israel being delivered from its enemies.
Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock:
and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt
nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. 66:1
Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth
is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me?
and where is the place of my rest (04496)?
And Paul himself also speaks of how the return of Christ will
mark the beginning of a transition period in which the physical
environment is itself freed from corruption. In Romans 8 below,
the English word "creature" is translated from the Greek word
"ktisis" (Strong's No. 2937), which occurs 19 times in the
New Testament of which 6 times it is translated as the word
"creation." In fact, "ktisis" is simply the noun form of the
Greek verb, "ktizo" (Strong's No. 2936), which simply means,
"to create."
In fact, the same word, which is translated as "creature"
in verses 19, 20, and 21 is translated "creation" in the phrase
"whole creation" in verse 22. Thus, Paul is simply talking
about the expectation of the whole of the created world itself,
not simply "creatures," which we might think of as animals
or plants or other specific created entities.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature
(2937) waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20
For the creature (2937) was made subject to vanity, not
willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same
in hope, 21 Because the creature (2937) itself also shall
be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that
the whole creation (2937) groaneth and travaileth in pain
together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves
groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit,
the redemption of our body.
In this passage, Paul identifies the time period he is talking
about in verse 23, when he speaks of the "waiting for" the
"redemption of our bodies." In verse 19, Paul speaks of this
same time period as "the manifestation of the sons of God."
Here Paul is referring to the return of Jesus Christ when
the saints will be either resurrected or directly transformed
to receive immortal, incorruptible bodies like the resurrected,
glorified body of Jesus Christ. This is spoken of by Paul
in 1 Corinthians 15:42-53, Philippians 2:20-21, 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18 and by John in 1 John 3:1-3. Thus, by speaking of
the transformation of our bodies into a condition where they
are free from the curse, Paul is identifying the point in
time when that event takes place, which is at the return of
Jesus Christ. And more to the point, here in Romans 8, Paul
is saying that the whole creation waits for that point of
time because at that time, it too will be delivered from corruption,
just as the saints of God are. Thus, Paul himself clearly
identifies the 1,000 years, which begins at Christ's return,
as a time of transition in which the earth itself will restored
and rejuvenated.
The orthodox, early church writers of the first two centuries
also believed this.
"IV.(12) [As the elders who saw John the disciple of the
Lord remembered that they had heard from him how the Lord
taught in regard to those times, and said]: "The days will
come in which vines shall grow, having each ten thousand branches,
and in each branch ten thousand twigs, and in each true twig
ten thousand shoots, and in every one of the shoots ten thousand
clusters, and on every one of the clusters ten thousand grapes,
and every grape when pressed will give five-and-twenty metretes
of wine. And when any one of the saints shall lay hold
of a cluster, another shall cry out, 'I am a better cluster,
take me; bless the Lord through me.' In like manner, [He
said] that a grain of wheat would produce ten thousand ears,
and that every ear would have ten thousand grains, and every
grain would yield ten pounds of clear, pure, fine flour; and
that apples, and seeds, and grass would produce in similar
proportions; and that all animals, feeding then only on the
productions of the earth, would become peaceable and harmonious,
and be in perfect subjection to man." - FRAGMENTS OF PAPIAS,
FROM THE EXPOSITION OF THE ORACLES OF THE LORD
"1. Inasmuch, therefore, as the opinions of certain [orthodox
persons] are derived from heretical discourses, they are
both ignorant of God's dispensations, and of the mystery of
the resurrection of the just, and of the [earthly] kingdom
which is the commencement of incorruption, by means of which
kingdom those who shall be worthy are accustomed gradually
to partake of the divine nature (capere Deum(2)); and
it is necessary to tell them respecting those things, that
it behoves the righteous first to receive the promise of the
inheritance which God promised to the fathers, and to reign
in it, when they rise again to behold God in this creation
which is renovated, and that the judgment should take place
afterwards…It is fitting, therefore, that the creation itself,
being restored to its primeval condition, should without restraint
be under the dominion of the righteous; and the apostle has
made this plain in the Epistle to the Romans, when he thus
speaks: "For the expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature has been
subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who
hath subjected the same in hope; since the creature itself
shall also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the sons of God." (3)" - Irenaeus,
Against Heresies, Book V, CHAP. XXXII
"4. And these things are bone witness to in writing by
Papias, the hearer of John, and a companion of Polycarp, in
his fourth book; for there were five books compiled by him.
(4) And he says in addition, "Now these things are credible
to believers." …the Lord declared, 'They who shall come
to these [times] shall see.'" When prophesying of these times,
therefore, Esaias says: "The wolf also shall feed with the
lamb, and the leopard shall take his rest with the kid; the
calf also, and the bull, and the lion shall eat together;
and a little boy shall lead them. The ox and the bear shall
feed together, and their young ones shall agree together;
and the lion shall eat straw as well as the ox. And the infant
boy shall thrust his hand into the asp's den, into the nest
also of the adder's brood; and they shall do no harm, nor
have power to hurt anything in my holy mountain." And again
he says, in recapitulation, "Wolves and lambs shall then browse
together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and the
serpent earth as if it were bread; and they shall neither
hurt nor annoy anything in my holy mountain, saith the Lord."(5)
I am quite aware that some persons endeavour to refer
these words to the case of savage men, both of different nations
and various habits, who come to believe, and when they have
believed, act in harmony with the righteous. But although
this is [true] now with regard to some men coming from various
nations to the harmony of the faith, nevertheless in the
resurrection of the just [the words shall also apply] to those
animals mentioned. For God is non in all things. And
it is right that when the creation is restored, all the animals
should obey and be in subjection to man, and revert to the
food originally given by God (for they had been originally
subjected in obedience to Adam), that is, the productions
of the earth. But some other occasion, and not the present,
is [to be sought] for showing that the lion shall [then] feed
on straw. And this indicates the large size and rich quality
of the fruits. For if that animal, the lion, feeds upon
straw [at that period], of what a quality must the wheat itself
be whose straw shall serve as suitable food for lions?" -
Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book V, CHAP. XXXIII
Moreover, above we have documented the fact that the language
describing this 1,000 years corresponds explicitly with the
language of the rest on the Sabbath, or seventh day. This
imagery of the millennial reign of Christ as a Sabbath millennium
that arrives after six millenniums of human history also corresponds
to the idea of a transitional period for restoring the earth
itself from corruption.
As the excerpts from Exodus and Leviticus below clearly state,
every seven years the land was to be left uncultivated so
that it could rest and be rejuvenated. Both passages also
specifically denote that this seventh year of rest for the
land correlated directly to the seventh day of rest on which
the Jews were to cease from labor.
Exodus 23:10 And six years thou shalt sow thy land,
and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11 But the
seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that
the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts
of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with
thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. 12 Six days thou
shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest:
that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy
handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
Leviticus 25:4 But in the seventh year shall be
a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou
shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Not only does this idea of a Sabbath rest for restoring the
land prophesy the seventh millennia as a transition period
for the earth to be restored from corruption, but this practice
of letting the land remain fallow every seven years has not
been kept up by mankind throughout history. Therefore, the
situation has arisen where the earth has been tilled without
a rest and is now six thousand years overdue for a rest, which
equals a total of one year of rest needed for every six the
earth was cultivated. If the practice of leaving the earth
fallow was largely not followed by mankind for six thousand
years, then that would require exactly 1,000 years of the
land being left fallow. Thus, there is not only a prophecy
in Exodus and Leviticus but we can also understand the need
for the earth to be left fallow for a millennium, since it
has largely not been left fallow every seven years.
In conclusion, the testimony is clear, consistent, and detailed
from the Old Testament to the New Testament, and even lingering
in the earliest, uninspired Christian writings. Isaiah 11
and 65, Romans 8, and Revelation 20 all depict a 1,000 year
reign of Christ Jesus on earth. During this 1,000 years, the
Messiah will bring not only deliverance to Israel from her
enemies, but will also oversee a transition period prior to
the handing over of the kingdom to God the Father at the final
judgment. That transition period will involve the establishment
of justice and righteous judgment, peace among the animals
so that they eat plants, a time of knowledge of the Lord,
and the renovation and rejuvenation of the created world from
corruption.
All of these things signify the function of the 1,000 years
as a transition for the earth's physical and moral corruption
to a condition when it prepared to receive the coming of the
Father to dwell on earth with man for eternity at the end
of the 1,000 years. And that is why Revelation focuses on
and gives distinction to the first 1,000 years of the kingdom
of God even though Daniel 2 and 7 as well as 2 Peter 1 assert
that the kingdom of God will continue forever, with authority
delegated to Jesus Christ and the saints.
This concludes our discussion of the second two events covered
in this Long Series: 3) the resurrection of
the saints 4) the millennial reign of Christ and the
saints.
The Enemy's Final Defeat and the Final Judgment
The next few verses of Revelation 20 discuss the last two
events covered in this Long Series: 5) the final
unleashing of Satan for one last attempt at the end of the
millennium, and 6) the Final Judgment and the beginning
of eternity.
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are
expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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.
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. 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.
Here in verses 7-10, the text specifically states that after
the 1,000 years are over, Satan will again be loosed out of
his prison, which is the fiery abyss that has erupted onto
the earth's surface to form the Lake of Fire. He then gathers
together a large number of men and, together with him, they
put forward one last effort to reject God's rule over them.
This indicates that although all men will be forced to live
under the rules of a theocracy while Jesus reigns during the
1,000 years, not all men will do so voluntarily. Instead,
they will be forced to do so, whether they like it or not,
by Jesus smiting the earth with "a rod of iron" when necessary.
This concept of men attempting to resist even during the millennium
is also described in Zechariah 14.
Zechariah 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all
the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name
one…16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that
is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall
even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD
of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And
it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families
of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD
of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the
family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain;
there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite
the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment
of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
As we can see, Zechariah demonstrates that the following 3
things were understood long before Revelation was written.
First, there would come a day when the Lord would rule the
earth. Second, that during the Lord's reign there was the
potential that some kingdoms and peoples would still, from
time to time, not fully obey. And third, that when the nations
did disobey, the Lord would keep them in line by smiting them
with plagues. This willingness to quickly and directly punish
nations for disobedience is what is meant in Revelation 12
and 19 by the phrase "a rod of iron." It indicates the severity
and swiftness with which Jesus Christ will enforce his rule
over the nations, when he comes to reign in his kingdom on
the throne of David.
Consequently, it is easy to understand that despite the righteousness,
justice, long life, abundance and rejuvenation that are ushered
in during the 1,000 year reign, at the end of that 1,000 years
there are still those who resent the rules of God and desire
to do their own thing and go their own way. When the transition
of the earth is complete and the earth is ready to receive
the throne of the Father, those who desire to reject God's
ways are given one last chance to do so in order that those
who reject the Lord might be finally purged from the earth.
In this way, the earth is fully cleansed of the wicked and
ready for God the Father to dwell here with men.
Lastly, we should also note the occurrence of the terms "Gog
and Magog" in verse 8. Gog and Magog are identified in Ezekiel
38-39. However, Ezekiel 38-39 refers to the antichrist, who
comes and is defeated before the 1,000 year reign of
Christ Jesus. So, is there some confusion? Is it contradictory
to interpret Ezekiel 38-39 as a reference to the antichrist
before the millennium when Revelation 20 clearly uses
the phrase "Gog and Magog" to a battle that occurs after
the millennium?
The answer is "no" for a very simple reason. In both Ezekiel
38-39 and Revelation 20, the phrase "Gog and Magog" is intended
to denote a geographic region. Specifically, Revelation 20
mentions "Gog and Magog" as the focal point for Satan's deception
of the nations at the end of the millennium. In earlier portions
of this study, including our examinations of Revelation 6,
7, and 8:6-9:21, we noted how the four angels, who are also
known as the four horsemen or the four winds, typically begin
at a place known as the four corners or four quadrants of
the earth. This is a geographic location where the four quadrants
of north, south, east, and west come together. And that location
is in the land of Gog and Magog. In fact, Revelation 20:8
specifically identifies Gog and Magog as the nations located
at the four corners of the earth, where the four quadrants
come together.
Revelation 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the
nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and
Magog.
Thus, the fact that Ezekiel 38-39 identifies this location
as the starting point for the antichrist before the millennium,
while Revelation 20 identifies this as the same starting point
for Satan's final rebellion after the millennium, makes
perfect sense. It is not the case that Ezekiel 38-39
must be interpreted to refer to the end of the millennium
just because Ezekiel identifies this same geographic location
as Revelation 20. Nor should it be assumed that Revelation
and Ezekiel are using terms inconsistently or incompatibly.
These passages are not describing the same event, nor are
they describing the same event while erroneously placing it
at two different points in time.
Instead, the use of the geographic designation "Gog and Magog"
simply tells us that both rebellions begin in the same place
because this is the place where the four winds reside,
right at the four corners of the earth, where in biblical
terms the four quadrants of the earth come together. This
region is the very seat of their authority. Thus, it is not
only perfectly logical to state that the rebellion after
the millennium originates in the same geographic as the rebellion
before the millennium, but the reason why both rebellions
originate in the same geographic region is also logically
explained in scripture.
In addition, when this rebellion takes place, it is put to
an end by fire coming down from God out of heaven. Now, this
might seem to indicate that perhaps Jesus has already turned
the kingdom over to God the Father. However, based upon scriptural
precedent, this imagery of fire coming down from heaven specifically
invokes Jesus' involvement in the destruction of the enemy.
In Genesis 18, three men appear to Abraham.
Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the
plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat
of the day; 2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and,
lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran
to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward
the ground.
During this visit, the Lord tells Abraham that he intends
to see if Sodom and Gomorrah are indeed wicked, and to destroy
them if they are. This very much parallels the release of
Satan at the end of the millennium because it allows for God
to make known whose hearts do not love the truth and are willing
to follow Satan, at which point, like Sodom and Gomorrah,
fire will be rained down upon them to destroy them. Allowing
Satan to come and try to deceive men so that God can destroy
those who don't love the truth was also the purpose behind
Satan's coming before the antichrist as described by Paul
in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.
Genesis 18:20 And the LORD said, Because the cry
of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin
is very grievous; 21 I will go down now, and see whether
they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which
is come unto me; and if not, I will know.
After informing Abraham of his plan concerning Sodom and Gomorrah,
Genesis informs us that the two men depart toward Sodom while
the third man, the Lord, remains with Abraham.
Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from
thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before
the LORD.
Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom
at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing
them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face
toward the ground.
And after the two angels enter the city and send Lot and his
family out, the Lord, who did not go with the two angels but
remained behind with Abraham is said to rain down fire from
heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.
In Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom
and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD
out of heaven.
But notice that the text states that the Lord, who remained
with Abraham, rained down fire "from the Lord out of
heaven." The text states that the Lord rained down fire from
the Lord. Here is a very early assertion of the Trinity in
which the Lord is on earth and the Lord is in heaven. (For
more analysis on this passage in Genesis, please see our "
Trinity Study" outline in our Outlines section.)
This comparison to Genesis 19:24 to Revelation 20:9 informs
us that the specific imagery of fire coming down from God
out of heaven to consume the wicked directly invokes the notion
that it is Jesus, on the earth, who calls down fire from God
out of heaven. Thus, the fact that fire comes down from God
out of heaven does not indicate that Jesus has already handed
the kingdom over to the Father, but instead, that this is
Jesus bringing about the final defeat of Satan. And once Jesus
has defeated them by calling down fire from God out of heaven,
just as he did with Sodom and Gomorrah, the last enemies will
be permanently defeated, and Jesus will then hand the kingdom
over to the Father, who then commences final judgment.
We will discuss more on the correlation between this final
defeat of Satan in verse 9 to Paul's assertion in 1 Corinthians
15 that the last enemy to be defeated is death in our next
section. But for now, we turn our attention to the final judgment,
the judgment dispensed by the Father.
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. 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. 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. 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.
Notice the order of events in verses 10-13. First, the devil
is cast into the Lake of Fire. Then, God the Father sits in
judgment. And then, in verses 12-13, all of the dead are judged
according to their works.
This is a fairly straightforward series of events. However,
we should comment on verse 11's assertion that the "earth
and the heaven fled away" from the face of him who sat on
the throne. As we establish in our articles, "Heaven
and Earth, Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration
(Parts 1 and 2)," in the Cosmology
section, this does not mean that the heaven or earth cease
to exist. Instead, based upon a comparison to precedent, we
demonstrate that this refers to a renovation of the heavens
and the earth. This renovation is caused by the very glory
of the face of God the Father.
This raises the question of why the earth of the millennium
is in any need of further renovation by the Father, if after
all, Jesus was restoring the earth during the millennium?
Does Jesus not complete the task? Does Jesus hand over to
the Father an earth that is incompletely restored? And, given
Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:22-28, how can Jesus hand
the kingdom and the earth over to the Father if he has not
fully subdued and renovated it?
The answer is actually quite simple. During the millennium,
Jesus is restoring a corruptible earth to its condition
before corruption, before the curse. He is removing the corruption
but he is not yet making it incorruptible. Once
the renovation of the corruptible earth is complete, and all
traces of the curse and wickedness are removed, including
the final defeat of the ungodly at the end of the millennium,
then the corruptible earth has been fully purified from corruption
and it is ready to be made incorruptible to last for eternity.
This makes sense in two ways. First, since there will be people
living on the earth, populating the nations during the millennium
who are not yet immortal or incorruptible, it is logical to
think that the earth itself, although freed from corruption,
will not yet be made incorruptible so long as there are corruptible
people living on it.
Second, this pattern follows the pattern for believers, who
first must purify themselves before being transformed, receiving
the incorruptible and immortal bodies that will endure for
eternity (1 John 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Philippians
3:20-21). Thus, once the earth's restoration is complete and
it is completely pure, including the removal of the last rebels,
then it is likewise ready to be transformed and made incorruptible
for eternity.
Lastly, we can conceptualize this final transformation in
terms of the scriptural precedent. In 2 Peter 3:1-14, Peter
describes two times when there arises a new heaven and new
earth. The first time was at the Flood and the second time
will be at the return of Christ Jesus. From Revelation 20,
we also learn of a third renewal that takes place with the
coming of the Father at the end of the 1,000 years. And, just
as the earth that exists today will pass away by fire, leaving
behind the new earth of the millennium in its wake, in the
same way, when the Father comes, the corruptible yet restored
earth of the millennium will pass away at his very appearance,
leaving behind the new, incorruptible earth of eternity in
the wake.
In short, Jesus will restore a corruptible earth, removing
its corruption but not yet making it incorruptible. And once
Jesus' work of restoration and purification is complete at
the end of the millennium, that purified, restored, corruptible
earth will be ready to receive the glory of the Father and
to be transformed to an incorruptible, eternal condition.
This concludes our examination of this Long Series
in Revelation 19:5-20:13. So, at this point, we will once
again take a look at the status of our 8 conceptual threads.
Status of the 8 Conceptual Threads
For review, here again are the 8 conceptual threads found
in the book of Revelation.
1. The angel's appearing to John for the transmission
of the Revelation to God's servants
2. The transmission of the Revelation from the Father
to Jesus
3. The ministry of the 2 witnesses (including the Temple's
building) and plagues
4. The conversion of National Israel (including the
Temple's building), her purging & protection
5. The fall of the Satanic Kingdom and the subsequent
falling away in the Church
6. The rise of the last empire and the antichrist
7. The battle of Armageddon and the return of Christ
8. Millennial reign of Christ and the final judgment
Previous segments of Revelation have provided an incredible
amount of detail concerning the first 6 of these threads.
A few have even provided some commentary concerning the battle
of Armageddon and the return of Christ in thread number 7.
But up until this point, conceptual thread number 8 has gone
largely without description.
This Long Series in Revelation 19:5-20:13, has not
only provided quite a bit of additional detail concerning
the defeat of the antichrist, the false prophet, and the adversarial
angels at the battle of Armageddon at the return of Jesus
Christ, but it has also provided the first descriptions concerning
conceptual thread number 8, involving the millennial reign
of Christ and the final judgment. With the descriptions of
the remaining threads now being filled up, it's not surprising
how close we are to the end of the book of Revelation. In
fact, the remaining chapters will focus entirely on conceptual
thread number 8, thus completing the entire chronology with
a description of eternity.
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