Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Revelation

Revelation 20- millenium explained                              
Two broad divisions in chapter in Charpter 20
A. Verses 1-6—Devil bound for 1000 years
      1.   Devil not able to deceive the nations
      2.  Those of the first resurrection reign with Christ for a thousand years.
B. Verses 7-15 —After 1000 years, Devil is released
      1.  Devil deceives the nations to battle the saints but fire from God devours them, and                                       Devil is cast into lake of fire. (vs 7-10)
      2.  Judgment throne of God – everyone not written in the Book of Life was cast into                                          lake of fire,  the second death (vs 11-15)

Revelation Chapter 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. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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. 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.  5  ‘But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.’ 6  ‘Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.’ 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints [Christians] about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 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.  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. 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. 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.

COMMENTS AND NOTES by HGK
A thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6)
Verses 1- 6—tell us that an angel of God with a large chain bound Satan for 1000 years. The binding of Devil is not total, but limited so that Devil is no longer able to deceive the nations (3). During this 1000 years, Christians who partake in the first resurrection are not subject to the second death, and they will be priests of God and will reign with Christ a thousand years (6). Verse 14 explains that the second death is being cast into the lake of fire to be tormented for ever. Verse 14 also says whosever’s name is not written in the book of life, will be cast into the lake of fire. Philippians 4:3 says that brethren and fellow workers in Christ have their names written in the book of life. Ephesians 2:5-8, it says that Christians who “were dead in sins, [God] has “quickened” and raised  up” to sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. This means that Christians who are born again, are people who were spiritually “dead in sins” that are quickened [made alive] through faith in Christ.  Romans 5:12 says that through Adam’s sin, death spread to all men.    Romans 6: 3-4 says through faith, Christians are raised up (from death in sin) to walk in newness of life in the Spirit -- symbolized by baptism.  Being quickened from spiritual death to spiritual life, is a spiritual resurrection.  Revelation 1: 6 says Christ has made [past tense] us [Christians] to be kings and priests to God;  and to Him be glory and dominion for ever. Therefore, the spiritual resurrection of born-again Christians fulfill the description of those of first resurrection mentioned in Revelation 20 verse 6 who are exempt from the second death and who are priests of God who reign with Christ-- for a thousand years

What is the 1000 years? It is not likely to be exactly 1,000 years because, in Psalms 50:10, God says He owns the ‘cattle on a thousand hills;’ but we know that He actually owns all cattle on all hills; He owns all of creation. So in this case the meaning of owning the cattle on a ‘thousand’ hills, cannot mean literally a ‘thousand’, but must represent a vast number—likely too large to count. Therefore, it seems possible (or most probable) that the ‘thousand’ years in Revelation 20 is a very long time. 

When does the 1000 years begin? The angel having the key to the bottomless pit may symbolize Jesus’ defeat of the Devil by his death and resurrection.  After his resurrection, Jesus was given all authority in heaven and earth (Mat 28:18) with all angels, authorities and powers subject to him (1 Pet 3:22). Eph 4:8 says ‘Christ ascended on high a led Captivity (the Devil) captive and gave gifts to men.’ One of the gifts to men include “the keys of the kingdom of heaven: that whatsoever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven: and whatsoever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). Further. Christians are seated with Christ at the God’s right hand far above all powers and principality (Eph 1:20 to Eph 2:6), given authority to cast out demons  (Mark 16:16) and power  to resist the Devil and put him to flight (James 4:7). Mat 12:28-29 says “ if I [Jesus] cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. 29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”  Therefore, because Jesus cast out demons he had to first bind the strongman, i.e., the Devil (Satan).]  In Rev. 1:18  Jesus said: ‘I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.’ Jude 6 says ‘the angels which kept not their first estate …. he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. The thousand year period started when Jesus was crucified and resurrected taking Captivity (Devil) captive taking Captivity (Devil) captive (Ephesians 4:8) and it will continue until judgment day (Jude 6).] 

When does the 1000 years end? According to Revelation 20:7-11, the thousand years ends with the release of Devil to deceive the nations to gather them to battle against the saints [Christians], and when the saints are encompassed (surrounded),  God in heaven sends fire down to destroy them followed by the day of judgment of all the dead, great and small, at the great white throne.

After a thousand years (Revelation  20:7-15)
Verses 7- 10 say “when the thousand years are expired, Devil shall be loosed out of his prison for a short season (vs 3) and deceive the nations to battle the saints [Christians]. Gog and Magog and a huge number  from the earth surround the camp of the saints, the beloved city  but fire from God in heaven devoured them;  Devil, death and hell (vs 14) are all cast into the lake of fire (where the beast and the false prophet are) to be tormented for ever. The dead are resurrected to judgment.  This agrees with Jude 6 which says “the angels which kept not their first estate …. he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. The beloved city is the camp of the saints—the Church, the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-24).

Verses 11-15 say “the dead, small and great, stand before God at the great white throne…, and the dead will be judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” All the dead (those in the sea, death and hell) will be delivered up to be  judged—everyone according to their works (v 13), escept for those whose names are  in the Book of Life (14). Daniel  12:2 says there will be a resurrection of  who are in the dust, the righteous and unrighteous, at same time-- either  to everlasting life or everlasting contempt. Whoever’s name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,  which is the second death (vs 15). Therefore, whoever’s name is written in the book of life will not be thrown into the lake of fire, but entered into everlasting life (Dan 12:2).  Philippians 4:3 says that brethren and fellow workers in Christ [i.e., Christians] have their names written in the book of life.

Revelation 21: 5-8 says: “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I [Jesus Christ] make all things new. ... I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

What does the Bible say about Gog and Magog?  Gog was a descendant of Reuben who defiled his father’ bed (1 Chronicles 5:1). Magog was a son of Japheth (the son of Noah, Genesis 10:2). Ezekiel 38:2-5 says God was against Gog, the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. And God would draw his army and Persia, Ethiopia and Libya to war against Israel* in peace (vs Ezekiel 38:14). But God turns every man against his brother (vs 21), and sends pestilence, rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone to destroy the armies and bring glory to God (vs 22-23).  Perhaps Gog and Magog in Revelation 20 refer to unrighteous tribes or peoples in the middle east and elsewhere. After the defeat of Gog’s armies, Israel and the nations will know that Jesus is the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. (Ezk 39:7).

Who is the beast? Verse 4 says: “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.”  Verse 10 says: “the Devil…was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are.” From verse 4, we learn that the beast was alive during the 1000 years when the Devil was bound. The beast wanted to be worshipped, and the beast persecuted Christians who refused. The was great tribulation for Christians   John (the author of Revelation) said he was a companion in tribulation (a the kingdom) with the Christians at that time (Rev 1:9; 2:9).   Further, from verse 10, we learn that the beast was cast into the lake of fire before the Devil at end of the 1000 years. Therefore the beast was man who was judged before the Devil and the final judgment. Revelation 13:18 says the “calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; his number is 666.  Upon transliteration of Greek letters for Nero Caesar (Neron Kaisar) into Hebrew (nrwn qsr), the numerical of these Hebrew letters equals 666. Caesar Nero was the beast of Revelation.  History confirms the tribulation of  first century Christians who were under the military authority of Rome, a nation which openly proclaimed its rulers, the Caesars, to be divine. All those under the jurisdiction of Rome were required by law to publicly proclaim their allegiance to Caesar by burning incense (or a candle) and declaring, "Caesar is Lord." Those who complied were given a document, called a "libellus," which they were required to present when either stopped by the Roman police for attempting to buy or sell in the Roman marketplace. Hundreds or thousands of Christians were killed, many by wild beasts as entertainment and others burned at the stake as lights (Tacitus).  Revelation 13:5 says the beast blasphemed God, and exercised authority for forty-two months (3.5 years)—at same amount of time that Caesar Nero persecuted saints (from 64 AD until his suicide in June 68AD) thus fulfilling the prophesy of Rev 13:5. Nero also seems to fulfill the prophesy of  the beast of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 2:40) with ten horns that are kings (Dan. 7:24) in Daniel (2:40-44; and 7:23-27) of which one horn, a king, [Caesar Nero]  speaks pompously against God and persecutes the saints for 3.5 years (a time, times, and half a time, Dan. 7:25) and is slain and given to burning flame (Dan. 7:11) like the beast that was cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10). After that, one like the Son of Man comes with the clouds to heaven to the Ancient of Days, and there was given to him (the resurrected Jesus Christ) dominion, glory and an everlasting kingdom which shall never be destroyed and it shall be given to the saints of the most High (Dan 7:13,14, 27;  Mat 28:17-20).

1000 years millennium —The 1000 years is often called the ‘millennium’ even though the word is not in the Bible. It is also called the ‘Kingdom of God’ or the millennial reign of Christ on earth. Unfortunately, it is often projected to some distant future time, even though these scriptures and many others show that the reign of Christ began with the resurrection of Christ as he is the Son of Man ascended on the clouds in heaven to the Ancient of Days, and there was given to him dominion, glory and an everlasting kingdom which shall never be destroyed (Dan 2:40-44; 7:13, 14, 27).  Jesus announced to his disciples that all authority in heaven and earth was given to him and that they should go make disciples of all nations and teach them to obey all his commands (Mat 28:17-20). Jesus was made supreme ruler or king over all the universe, the kingdom of God. Christians are to extend his kingship and law to all nations (all people on earth). His kingdom is to fill the whole earth.

What about Israel?   The question is not will God make good on His promises to Israel, but rather who is Israel?  The New Testament says that blood line Jews (or political nation of Israel) will not inherit the promises of God to Israel (Rom 9:6, 30-33; 10:1-4, 11-13), but only those with faith in Jesus (Rom 4:11-13, Gal 3: 6, 7, 14, 29). Blood line or flesh counts nothing after Jesus came, only faith in Christ. For Romans 9:6 says “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.”   A true Jew is not one outwardly (circumcision, blood etc) but one who has faith in Jesus (Rom 2:28-29; 4:13-14).  To avoid the lake of fire, one must be born again through faith in Jesus Christ, having his name written in the Book of Life (John 3:3; Phil 4:3).     END

All scriptures are from the King James Bible (KJV) with some modifications made by changing the ending of some old English words to modern English, i.e., words ending in ‘-eth’ → ‘-s’, ‘-th’ → ‘-s’,  etc.

Extra-Biblical  Historical References:
Documents on the Persecution of the Early Church. Tacitus, Annals book 15 ch. 44 (circa A.D. 117).  Christians and the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64  SOURCE:  http://www.bible-researcher.com/persecution.html\

Documents on the Persecution of the Early Church. 7. Libelli.  SOURCE:  http://www.bible-researcher.com/persecution.html

last revision  01/26/16  

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