Now & Future

Revelation 20:1-10 And I saw an angel coming down out of Heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from Heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
 
IS this a literal account of end-time events? God’s angel imprisons Satan for a thousand years. The faithful martyrs in Heaven reign with Jesus for those thousand years. God then releases Satan to deceive the nations, concluding in a great war at Jerusalem – the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. Heaven’s power destroys that army. Satan is finally thrown into burning sulphur to suffer eternal torture.  
   But remember this is a vision. God’s visions illustrate specific truth. Thus, a second view of this passage sees this as an illustration of God’s ongoing war with Satan throughout the church age. The 1,000 years is a time of uncountable years. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross and resurrection. But God allows Satan to deceive the nations until the final judgment. The uncountable army can be the many world armies that have opposed God’s commands for the past 2,000 years. But one day Christ will be the victor.
   Other Bible passages can help us understand this. With very direct language Jesus talked of his judgment and victory in one Second Coming. Paul confirms this in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
   Those who come with Christ are of the first resurrection. They are blessed, and they are holy – made perfect before God through Jesus. Their souls are in Heaven. Then at Jesus’ coming will be the second resurrection when their bodies rise up to meet them in the air. These saints need not fear the second death, which is the final torture of those who die in sin.
   What do you know from Revelation and the entire Bible? God wins. All evil is tormented forever. Those in Christ share in Heaven’s glory forever. There is no confusion about these truths.