Revelation Chapter 20 Explained: Understanding Key Symbolism for First Century Christians

2. Premillennialism Part 5 Revelation chapter 20

3. Revelation 1:4, 11; 22:16 • John to the seven churches that are in Asia… • …saying, "Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. • "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches…

4. Revelation is its Own Commentary • Written to 1st century Christians

5. Revelation 1:1 • The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

6. Revelation is its Own Commentary • Written to 1st century Christians • Written in figures & signs

7. Revelation 1:1, 3; 22:6, 10, 12, 20 • The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place • …for the time is near • …show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. • …for the time is near. • "Behold, I am coming quickly… • He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."

8. Revelation is its Own Commentary • Written to 1st century Christians • Written in figures & signs • Written of events in their time Written to those people, in that day, to sustain them. Written in figures so as not to worsen persecution.

9. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V. 1 - from heaven- shows where power proceeds from; key = power/authority

10. Matthew 16:19 • "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven."

11. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V. 1 - from heaven- shows where power proceeds from; key = power/authority • V. 2 - dragon- strong, ferocious, serpent- cunning, Devil- accuser, slanderer Satan- adversary, bound- restrained the number 1,000- large, complete, indefinite

12. Psalm 50:10; 105:8 • "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. • He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,

13. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V. 1 - from heaven- shows where power proceeds from; key = power/authority • V. 2 - dragon- strong, ferocious, serpent- cunning, Devil- accuser, slanderer Satan- adversary, bound- restrained the number 1,000- large, complete, indefinite • V. 3 - Why is the Devil restrained? So as not to deceive the world for 1,000 years

14. NOTE- The devil’s restraint and Christ’s reign are simultaneous Because the devil’s deceit is restrained BY the power of Christ.

15. 1 John 3:8 • …the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil

16. Matthew 12:24-29 • "If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28. "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29. "Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

17. Luke 10:17-18 • The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.“ 18. And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.

18. Hebrews 2:14-15 • Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15. and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

19. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V. 1 - from heaven- shows where power proceeds from; key = power/authority • V. 2 - dragon- strong, ferocious, serpent- cunning, Devil- accuser, slanderer Satan- adversary, bound- restrained the number 1,000- large, complete, indefinite • V. 3 - Why is the Devil restrained? So as not to deceive the world for 1,000 years • V. 4 - Martyrs in life & spirit take their place with Christ

20. 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 • Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3. Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

21. Hebrews 11:7 • By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world,…

22. Romans 5:17 • For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

23. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V. 5 - 1st resurrection put faithful on thrones with Christ

24. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V.5 - 1st resurrection put faithful on thrones with Christ • V. 6 - 1st resurrection defeats the 2nd death also made them priests, sitting on thrones

25. Who is Resurrected While Christ is King of Kings? • Given life, made priests, who sit on thrones?

26. Romans 6:4-11 • Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6. knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with… 8. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

27. Who is Resurrected While Christ is King of Kings? • Given life, made priests, who sit on thrones? Christians! The 1st resurrection is baptism

28. 1 Peter 2:9 • But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

29. Who is Resurrected While Christ is King of Kings? • Given life, made priests, who sit on thrones? Christians! The 1st resurrection is baptism Christians! Are made into priest/kings

30. Who is Resurrected While Christ is King of Kings? • Given life, made priests, who sit on thrones? Christians! The 1st resurrection is baptism Christians! Are made into priest/kings The 2nd death is hell…and it has no power over them

31. What Does Revelation 20 Teach? • V. 5 - 1st resurrection put faithful on thrones with Christ • V. 6 - 1st resurrection defeats the 2nd death also made them priests, sitting on thrones • V. 7-10 - picture of few saints, Satan now unrestrained, and it is at the end… the LEAVENING PRINCIPLE

32. The Leavening Principle • No more gospel influence • Seen in the destruction of Sodom • Seen with the Amorites and Abram • Seen in the punishment of Israel • Seen in the punishment of Judah • Seen in the final end of Jerusalem

33. What is the Point of chapter 20? • A message in pictures for their encouragement The main tenants of Millennialism are not even mentioned here… No second coming, no bodily resurrection, Christ not reigning on the earth, no rapture, no literal throne of David, Jerusalem not even mentioned Any doctrine with its main tenants in its main passage missing, is in trouble.

34. Christ is reigning now, king of kings, • He is our high priest now, mediating • His kingdom is now, not coming someday • You can be resurrected now, in baptism • You can be a priest now, with a great high priest • You can be ready now, for his final return 1 Corinthians 15:24