Today’s study will take us through the millennium, and what must happen will happen exactly as it is written. Rev.20 and verse 1 reads.
Rev.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.
This chain will bind Satan not only physically but spiritually also.
Rev.20:2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
These titles and names for Satan are all that is left of him. His role as antichrist has already been cast into the fire, and he will no longer be able to lie and seduce anyone into believing he is Christ. The millennium has begun.
Rev.20:3] 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.
He will have but a short time, a very short time as we will see.
Rev.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.
Those of us that are here during the tribulation and do not worship either beasts, will be given thrones to judge those who did not overcome the world order and Satan. But, look at the end of that verse, we reign with Christ a thousand years. Not much is said here in Revelation about the millennium, but Ezekiel is all about the millennium from chapters 40-48. We will go there in a minute.
Rev.20:5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Knowing that we were given two resurrections is the most important part of these verses. These dead are spiritually dead, but have a thousand years of discipline as we will see in a moment.
Rev.20:6] 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.
Those who overcome will be priests for a thousand years. We will be busy teaching those who are spiritually dead. Let’s go to Isaiah 54 and read about our inheritance promised to us long ago, verse 17 reads.
Isa.54:17] No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
Now, let’s go to Ezekiel 44 and pick it up with verse 23 and it reads.
This is what we teach those that didn’t overcome. This is discipline.
Eze.44:24] And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths.
Don’t listen to anyone who says we are not under law anymore, they are liars and ignorant of God’s word.
Eze.44:25] And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.
For our loved ones we may go to them, and not wait for them to be brought before our thrones for judgement. Now, these sisters that are married we cannot. Why? Because when they marry, they belong to that man’s family, let them go to them because it’s their right.
Eze.44:26] And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
Seven days before we can enter into the sanctuary again, not so bad for a loved one.
Eze.44:27] And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.
[28] And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.
When the LORD is our inheritance, what more can you ask for. Now, this possession is talking about the lotted land that is given to the house of Israel, their lots are given in chapter 48. But for the elect, the LORD is their possession and their inheritance. Back to Rev.20 and verse 7 reads.
Rev.20:7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
The millennium is over, and Satan is released. Remember Satan cannot deceive anyone anymore that he is Christ, but look what he can do.
Rev.20:8] 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.
What kind of deception can he do? Satan still thinks he can win this war with God. He just needs to convince those that still follow him that they together can. So many they can’t be counted.
Rev.20:9] 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.
That was quick, it’s over in an instant. So, we had the Kenites and the seven thousand fallen angels die instantly at the seventh trump. Now the rest that follow Satan, even after a thousand years of teaching, will now die with Satan.
Rev.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.
This is not saying they will burn in an eternal fire, but that they go up in smoke forever and ever. This simply means they are no more.
Rev.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.
[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.
Two books, meaning there was another book made from the thousand years of teaching. Many will see their sins and repent, and some will not. Look at this book of life, judged for their “Works”. Some will be saved by their works and some will be condemned by them.
Rev.20:13] 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 we have two, the sea and death and hell. Death and hell being the same, these are those on the other side of the gulf. Mark 16. And, of course the Sea being of the waters or the peoples. Again, notice the “Works”. I keep bringing it up because the word keeps bringing it up for you to take notice. Our works are the only thing we take with us to heaven. And if you see what I am seeing in our streets and around the world, I can’t wait to watch them burn to a crisp, this wicked generation.
Rev.20:14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
That is the end of the millennium, all that love the Lord and do his commandments will live. All that hate the Lord will be consumed by fire. Heb.12:29 and it reads.
Heb.12:29] For our God is a consuming fire.
I want to go to 2Pet.3 and pick it up with verse 5 and it reads.
2Pet.3:5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
[6] Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
That was the first earth and heaven age, perished with water, G2602 the Katabole, the overthrow of Satan.
2Pet.3:7] But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The end of the millennium which we just read in Revelation 20 is the end of this earth and heaven age. The first by water, the second by fire.
2Pet.3:8] But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
[9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Never forget that last verse, the Lord knows we are sinners, he wants all to come to repentance. And that can only happen through Jesus Christ.
2Pet.3:10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
We see the Lord loves us, so much he died for our sins that on repentance we can be forgiven. This is called Salvation. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible