Revelation 20. This chapter stands at the center of the great controversies about Revelation, particularly regarding the millennial kingdom. I will not engage those controversies here but simply present the perspective I believe best reflects the whole counsel of Scripture.

The binding of Satan (20:1–3). An angel — not Christ — comes down from heaven to bind Satan. He has a key and a great chain. There is no battle or struggle. He simply seizes the dragon — "that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan" — and binds him for a thousand years. Satan is thrown into the abyss, often described as the prison for demons, which is shut and sealed, suggesting no possibility of escape until God's appointed time is finished. This binding keeps Satan from his primary activity: deceiving the nations. Afterward he is released for a little while, again in keeping with God's plan. The description makes clear that God is not threatened by humanity's most powerful enemy; even that enemy is subject to God's will and purposes.

The millennial kingdom (20:4–6). John sees thrones, and those seated on them are given authority to judge. I am reminded of Jesus' promise to the church in Thyatira — "The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end," to him I will give authority over the nations (2:26) — and to Laodicea: "The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne" (3:21).

This has led many to conclude that believers will reign with Christ as His vice-regents. The rest of 20:4 identifies these believers as those "who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God," who had not worshiped the beast or its image or received its mark. They "came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

In my reading, these reigning believers are resurrected tribulation saints — resurrected because they had died and came back to life, and because the next verse calls this "the first resurrection" (20:5). In contrast, "the rest of the dead" do not come to life until the thousand years are ended.

The immediate context, as I read it, describes the first resurrection as that of these tribulation saints. John is very particular about how he describes them: they are "blessed and holy"; "over such the second death has no power"; they will be "priests of God and of Christ" and will reign with Him — priest-rulers in the millennial kingdom.

Many Old Testament prophecies may pertain to this kingdom (e.g., Isaiah 2:1–4; 4:2–6; 11:1–10; Jeremiah 23:5–6), and theologians have suggested that God will fulfill His earthly promises to Israel during this period. Ezekiel's temple vision (Ezekiel 40–48) may also find fulfillment then. Besides the resurrected saints, the kingdom will likely be populated by those who survived the tribulation.

The final battle (20:7–10). After the thousand years, Satan is released to deceive the nations and make war on God's people. While this is his perpetual aim, Revelation makes clear it is ordained by God. Satan gathers an army from "the four corners of the earth" — people from all over the world, the earth having had a thousand years to be repopulated. "Gog and Magog" recalls Ezekiel 38–39, where an army from the far north comes against Israel. As in Ezekiel, there are many peoples (Ezekiel 38:6; Revelation 20:8). They surround "the camp of the saints and the beloved city," which is surely Jerusalem. God destroys them with fire from heaven (Ezekiel 39:6; Revelation 20:9). The devil is thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and false prophet were, and the text describes it not as annihilation but as ongoing torment "day and night forever and ever" (20:10).

The judgment of everyone else (20:11–15). John sees a great white throne of judgment. From the presence of the One seated on it, earth and sky flee away, suggesting that everything physical awaits the new heaven and new earth (21:1).

John sees "the dead, great and small." This appears to include all the dead — the sea gives up its dead, and death and Hades give up theirs (20:13).

Books are opened, and another book — the book of life. The dead are judged "according to what they had done" (20:12–13). Yet none of those deeds is sufficient to keep anyone from the lake of fire, "the second death." There is only one deciding question: is a person's name found written in the book of life (20:15)? If not, into the lake of fire they go, along with death and Hades. The books and the book of life remind us of the nature of our salvation: "by grace you have been saved through faith," and this is God's gift, not of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Brothers, by God's grace through faith our names have been written in the Lamb's book of life. Let us rejoice in this, knowing that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Revelation 21. We read in 20:11 that earth and sky fled from the presence of Him who sat on the great white throne. So 21:1 follows with John seeing "a new heaven and a new earth," for the first had passed away, and the sea was no more. This does not mean there is no water, for a river flows from the throne of God (22:1).

With the new heaven and earth comes a new Jerusalem, called "the holy city," as Jerusalem is in both Testaments. It comes down out of heaven from God, "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." As noted before, in my view the new Jerusalem is "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb" (21:2, 9–10), with both the church and Israel as guests (19:9; Matthew 22:1–14; 8:11).

God will dwell with His people — Jews and Gentiles, all whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life (21:27). They will be His people and He will be their God, fulfilling the new covenant promise (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:28).

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. In light of what follows — "death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain" — these are tears of pain. God will remove sorrow, "for the former things have passed away" (21:4). God makes all things new! John is commanded to write it down, documenting the promise and assuring its fulfillment.

The One on the throne says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end," recalling 1:8. He will give water from the spring of life without payment to the thirsty — recalling Jesus' offer of living water (John 4:14; 7:38). This is the inheritance of "the one who conquers," the recurring phrase in the letters to the churches. As in chapters 2–3, conquering should be understood not as a work that merits salvation but as the God-given standing of those in Christ — He won the victory for us — from which righteous living follows. So everyone whose name is in the Lamb's book of life is counted among those who conquer.

By contrast, those who suffer the second death are described by their character: "the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable," murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars (21:8).

Then comes the glorious description of the new Jerusalem. It is brilliant. It has twelve gates bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles — so both Israel and the church are represented. It is a cube of about 1,400 to 1,500 miles on each side, with walls of 144 cubits (roughly 200 feet). It is adorned with every precious stone, with single pearls for gates and streets of gold like transparent glass. The glory of God and the Lamb give it light, so there is no need of sun or moon. Its gates are never shut, for there is no night. The nations and kings will bring their glory into it, and all who enter are written in the Lamb's book of life, for nothing unclean will ever enter it.

Brothers, we look forward to a glorious future in the presence of God and Christ, where all things will be new. Therefore, what sort of people ought we to be? Peter answers: people living "lives of holiness and godliness," waiting for and hastening the day of God (2 Peter 3:11–12), for according to His promise "we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Peter 3:13).

AI-Expanded Reflection

The comment presents a premillennial reading of Revelation 20 clearly and graciously, and acknowledges that this chapter is at the center of long-standing debates. Premillennialists, as here, read the thousand years as a future reign of Christ on earth after His return. Amillennialists understand the thousand years as the present age between Christ's first and second comings, with Satan "bound" in the sense that he can no longer prevent the gospel from reaching the nations (compare Matthew 12:29; Colossians 2:15), and the "first resurrection" as spiritual life in Christ or the souls of believers reigning with Him now. Postmillennialists expect the gospel's advance to bring a long era of flourishing before Christ returns. Each view is held by faithful Christians, and the historic creeds affirm what they share: Christ "will come again to judge the living and the dead."

All readings also agree on the chapter's climax, the great white throne: every person judged, and the one decisive question whether a name is written in the Lamb's book of life. And they agree on the glory of Revelation 21–22 — God dwelling with His people, every tear wiped away, and the promise, "Behold, I am making all things new" (21:5). The book that began with a vision of the risen Christ ends with His invitation: "Let the one who is thirsty come," and let whoever desires take the water of life (22:17).

"Fire came down from heaven and consumed them" (Revelation 20:9).

When Satan is released after a thousand years, he immediately deceives the nations to make war against God's people. This army will be vast, "like the sand of the sea." Yet we read that there will not be much of a battle.

We are told that in Elijah's day, when he challenged the prophets of Baal, fire came down from heaven: "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering," the wood, the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water in the trench (a paraphrase of 1 Kings 18:38).

It had to be an intensely hot fire to consume even stones and dust. I believe that same fire from God will consume the army gathered against His people. In this war to end all wars, there will be no contest of strength or authority, for there is no question who is sovereign. God will overcome with a word.

Friends, this is the God we worship and serve. He is sovereign, and He is the Victor. Let us then cast aside every anxiety, distress, frustration, and conflict, for they are but a blip in the eternal program of God.

AI-Expanded Reflection

Revelation 20:7–10 is notable for how briefly it describes the final conflict. The gathering is enormous — Gog and Magog, "whose number is like the sand of the sea" — and the outcome takes a single clause: "fire came down from heaven and consumed them." There is no battle scene. The same pattern appears in 19:19–21, where the beast's armies gather and the rider on the white horse conquers with "the sword that came from his mouth." Revelation consistently portrays God's final victory as a matter of His word, not a contest in doubt.

Christians differ on how to read the thousand years and the events surrounding it — premillennial, amillennial, and postmillennial interpretations each understand Revelation 20 differently (see #1961 and #2074). What the passage plainly asserts, on any reading, is what the comment draws from it: evil's end is certain, and it comes by God's power alone. That certainty is meant to produce the very freedom from anxiety the comment describes, and to sustain faithfulness in the meantime — for the very next scene is the throne of judgment and then "a new heaven and a new earth" (21:1).

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 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 (Revelation 20:1–3).

As I have indicated elsewhere, there is a divergence of opinion with respect to the time and fulfillment of certain events in the Book of Revelation. A dominant view today is held by a group (Post-Millennialists /Amillennialists) that reject a literal Millennium (1000 year reign of Christ on the earth) and believe that the church is experiencing the Millennium now. In making this argument, however, they have to address the implications of the text above, which teaches that Satan has been bound. They argue that even though he is bound, it does not mean that he cannot operate through his minions (i.e. demons).

While I would admit to this possibility, the immediate context suggests otherwise. John does not simply write that Satan was bound. He writes that Satan was also thrown into the Abyss, with both a lock and seal, the purpose of which was "to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore." The language suggests a total muffling of Satan. It also suggests that this action precludes the kind of deception that he has been practicing up to this point. But, if Satan is so gagged, then how could he still be addressed as active and dangerous, as the following Scriptures suggest?

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:11–12).

Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will (2 Timothy 2:25–26).

hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord (1 Corinthians 5:5).

Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:20).

Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:10–11).

In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26–27).

For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan (1 Timothy 5:14–15).

Therefore, I am inclined to reject this interpretation of this passage. It makes more sense to see this binding not as a present reality but as a future event. If the binding is a future event, then it follows that the Millennium is also a future event. The group labeled Pre-Millennialists argue for this perspective, seeing in this passage both a literal and total binding as well as a literal Millennium, that is, a thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. I incline toward this view as well.

What significance does your view of Satan's binding and the timing of the Millennium have? Much in every way. Post-Millennialists and Amillennialists believe that the world is getting better and better. After all, they believe we are living, in a sense, in the Millennial time. Today, they would point to the global expansion of Christianity as testimony to this. They believe that the Tribulation period described in the Book of Revelation has already been fulfilled. They also believe that Christians will eventually triumph, then Christ will come and establish the City of God on earth.

Those that view the Millennium as still future have a completely different view of history. We believe that things are not getting better but will get much worse. We believe that the Tribulation described in the Book of Revelation is still future, as is the Millennial reign of Christ. Now, while there is disagreement as to the timing of the Rapture, whether before (Pre-Tribulationists), in the middle (Mid-Tribulationists), or after the Tribulation (Post-Tribulationists), there is no disagreement as to there being a future Tribulation period, where God's wrath will be poured out in judgment on a corrupt world, followed by a literal and future Millennial Kingdom, where Christ will reign on the earth with His saints for a thousand years.

I believe that, whatever your view, our hope in Christ's ultimate triumph is the same. If you believe that things are getting better in the world, you can still find hope, even if the present looks bleak, because, for you, the Bible promises the gradual triumph of Christianity. If you believe, as I do, that things are getting worse in the world, then you can find hope in the sovereignty of God, who will at some point intervene to judge the world, install His king, and usher in His kingdom by fiat.

soli deo gloria!

AI-Expanded Reflection

The original’s premillennial reading rests on the force of Revelation 20:1–3: Satan is seized, bound, confined, and prevented from deceiving the nations. Read as the next chronological event after Christ’s victory in chapter 19, the vision naturally suggests a future period distinct from the present age. The accumulation of restraint imagery gives this argument weight. The many New Testament warnings about the devil’s present activity also explain why the author finds a present fulfillment difficult to accept.

A fair comparison, however, needs to state the alternative argument more precisely. Amillennial interpreters do not generally explain the binding simply by saying Satan remains active through demons. They commonly understand the restraint as limited by its stated purpose, especially the prevention of a final worldwide gathering of the nations against the saints, and relate it to Christ’s victory and the gospel’s advance. They also read Revelation 20 as revisiting the present age from another perspective rather than continuing a strictly consecutive timetable. Kim Riddlebarger’s own exposition illustrates this approach and still anticipates a final assault on the church. Riddlebarger on Revelation 20

Consequently, amillennialism should not be equated with the expectation that the world steadily improves until Christianity achieves visible dominance. That expectation is more characteristic of postmillennial accounts, and even those accounts vary in how they describe progress and conflict. Nor does every interpreter within one millennial family assign all earlier tribulation passages to the same historical period. The original’s broad contrasts preserve its own perspective, but they need these qualifications if readers are to compare positions accurately.

The central exegetical questions are therefore more focused than a contest between optimism and pessimism. Does the sequence of visions require a continuous chronology? How should the first resurrection be understood? Is the stated restriction on deception comprehensive, or does it concern a specific action explained in verses 7–9? How do the vision’s symbols relate to the concrete realities they portray? Christians should work through these questions from the text rather than deciding the interpretation from whichever account of current events seems most plausible.

The final release of Satan is sobering in any framework. The scene shows that evil is not defeated merely by changing outward conditions. The nations’ renewed deception leads to a confrontation whose outcome is determined by God, and Satan’s final judgment is decisive. The narrative’s movement does not end in an indefinite balance between opposing powers. It proceeds toward judgment, the defeat of death, and the new creation in which God dwells with his people.

The passages about resisting the devil also remain pastorally relevant across these disagreements. They call for sober vigilance, prayer, forgiveness, truthful instruction, and refusal of anger’s destructive foothold. None makes speculation about Satan’s precise location the center of Christian obedience. Indeed, the example from 2 Corinthians 2 connects resistance to evil with restoring a disciplined person rather than allowing excessive sorrow to consume him. Spiritual vigilance includes merciful communal action.

The original’s closing appeal to a shared hope is therefore more than a polite concession. Christians confess the same returning Lord and the same final defeat of evil, even while disputing the sequence of events. That hope should produce endurance without fatalism and service without illusions of human self-sufficiency. We may labor for our neighbors’ good and grieve the world’s wickedness while knowing that neither apparent progress nor apparent decline can replace Christ as the ground of confidence.

Do you find it a bit disturbing at times how John writes in such absolute terms? There are the righteous and there are the wicked. People aren't partially righteous or partially wicked. Even when Revelation mentions repentance, it does so mainly to show that the wicked will not repent (9:20–21; 16:9, 11). And there's no indication the righteous ever stumble. You are either a faithful martyr — a saint, an overcomer, one who keeps His commandments (20:4, 9; 21:7; 22:14) — or you are among those described as cowardly, unbelieving, immoral, and false (21:8; 22:15).

Yet our experience isn't so clear-cut. In practice we usually place ourselves somewhere in the middle, and we consider most humble those who acknowledge they're nearer the latter than the former. But John knows no middle ground in this final chapter of history. You're either in the Book of Life or you're not.

I'll admit this always makes me flinch a little. I flinch because I'm painfully aware of my own sinful nature, on account of which, apart from the sufficiency of God's grace, I too would be among the condemned. Daily I'm reminded I'm saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9). God placed me in the Lamb's Book of Life not because of any good in me but because He is gracious. It's not that I overcame evil, but that Christ overcame evil in me. I did not put myself in Christ; God put me in Him (1 Corinthians 1:30). Therefore, if we are in Christ, we are saints, overcomers, counted obedient. He alone is our claim to righteousness; He alone is our hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). The rest will be judged justly according to their own works (Revelation 20:12–13) — and no matter how good anyone sought to be, apart from grace they will always fall short (Romans 3:23). The books being opened vindicates God, showing He is just in His judgment. But for all practical purposes, it isn't the books of works that finally determines anyone's fate — it's their presence or absence from the Book of Life (20:15). Since all our hope is in God's provision of Christ, Revelation fittingly closes with the cry of all who long for life: "Come, Lord Jesus!"

AI-Expanded Reflection

The honesty of the flinch is what makes this comment work. Revelation's binary categories genuinely are uncomfortable against the grain of ordinary experience, where nearly everyone perceives themselves as a mixture, and it would be easy to resolve that discomfort by softening the text or by claiming a confidence about oneself that doesn't match lived reality. This comment does neither. It holds the binary as stated and relocates the basis of assurance entirely outside the self — which is, structurally, the only move available that doesn't require either editing the text or overestimating oneself. That relocation is also what the closing distinction between the "books" and the "Book of Life" is doing: the record of works establishes that judgment is just, while the Book of Life establishes that rescue was never a matter of that record in the first place.