Revelations 20, The Millennium

The armies of Babylon have been destroyed and the people of God invited to a wedding banquet.

Revelation 20: 1-3, The devil thrown into the Abyss

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. 

In the midst of the destruction of Babylon, we have Satan thrown into an abyss. Why isn't the devil completely destroyed?  Why must he be set free for a short time?

There is a cyclical structure to the last few chapters, with Babylon or Satan defeated, only to be discussed again and defeated again.

Revelation 20: 4-6, The first resurrection & the Millennium

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.  (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 

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. 

There appears to be two resurrections, one a thousand years later. Why is there a millennium?  Are all Christians part of this group?  Or just those who have been martyred? A lot is left unsaid....

What is the second death?  

Revelation 20: 7-10, One last try

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 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.  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.  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. 

The thousand years pass in a single sentence.  Satan is given one last chance.  Then he is tossed into eternal fire. (Why must it be eternal?  Why is he tortured forever?)

Gog and Magog occur in a prophesy of Ezekiel.  See Ezekiel 38-39.  Here they seem to represent the nations that have always been resistant to God.

Revelation 20: 11-15, The great white throne

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

A final judgement occurs before a great white throne. Although the Messiah Jesus brings salvation as a gift, through God's grade (Ephesians 2: 8-9) this judgement is based on what one has done in their life.

The judgement includes a Book of Life ... and apparently names are either in the book or not....

What will Hell be like?  Are souls destroyed in this burning lake? Is there a reason for people to stand before the throne? Do they get to react to God and Eternity?  Again, the passage is quick and cryptic. One suspects that not even the author had details -- or that details are not important.

The next chapter is much more uplifting to me, for it is about what happens after the earth and sky are dismissed!