Thy Kingdom Come Dr. Rick Griffith • Crossroads International Church • BibleStudyDownloads.org Revelation 20
Thy Kingdom Come
Dr. Rick Griffith • Crossroads International Church • BibleStudyDownloads.org
Revelation 20
mopping-up operation.
n. a clean-up operation; the final
stages in a project where the
loose ends are taken care of.
It's all over except a small
mopping-up operation.
—dictionary.com
Rapture
3:10
Church
Age
Chronology of Revelation
"What you
have seen"
(1:19a)
Rev. 1
"What is
now"
(1:19b)
Rev. 2–3
"What will
take place later"
(1:19c)
Rev. 4–22
Vision of
Christ
Second Half
Tribulation
4:1 – 19:10
Second
Coming
Millennium
Eternal
State
Great
White
Throne
Judgment
340
Copyright 1989 Rick Griffith
Adapted from a chart by J. D. Pentecost
First Half
Rapture
3:10
Church
Age
Chronology of Revelation
"What you
have seen"
(1:19a)
Rev. 1
"What is
now"
(1:19b)
Rev. 2–3
"What will
take place later"
(1:19c)
Rev. 4–22
Vision of
Christ
Second Half
Tribulation
4:1 – 19:10
Second
Coming
Millennium
Eternal
State
Great
White
Throne
Judgment
340
Copyright 1989 Rick Griffith
Adapted from a chart by J. D. Pentecost
First Half
Revelation 20:1-3 (NAU)
1Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
423
Amillennialists say
Satan is bound now
from preventing the
extension of the
church.
Is Satan bound now?
Used with permission
422
________
True, but this text is
not talking about
preventing the
spread of the gospel.
It says he will not
deceive nations.
Does Satan deceive nations now?
For who is powerful enough to
enter the house of a strong man
like Satan and plunder his goods?
Only someone even stronger—
someone who could tie him up and
then plunder his house
(Matt. 12:29)
18[Jesus told the seventy-two
disciples], "I saw Satan fall from
heaven like lightning! 19Look, I have
given you authority over all the
power of the enemy, and you can
walk among snakes and scorpions
and crush them. Nothing will injure
you" (Luke 10:17-18)
The time for judging this world has
come, when Satan, the ruler of this
world, will be cast out
(John 12:31).
In this way, [Christ] disarmed the
spiritual rulers and authorities. He
shamed them publicly by his victory
over them on the cross
(Col. 2:15).
Some say "No"
422
Why Be Watchful?
Satan is on the loose (1 Pet. 5:8)8Stay alert! Watch out for
your great enemy, the devil.
He prowls around like a
roaring lion, looking for
someone to devour.
9Stand firm against him, and
be strong in your faith.
Remember that your
Christian brothers and
sisters all over the world are
going through the same kind
of suffering you are.
Others are succeeding over Satan (1 Pet. 5:9)
422
Does Satan deceive nations now?
Satan, who is the god of this
world, has blinded the minds of
those who don't believe. They are
unable to see the glorious light of
the Good News. They don't
understand this message about
the glory of Christ, who is the
exact likeness of God (2 Cor. 4:4).
13These people are false apostles.
They are deceitful workers who
disguise themselves as apostles of
Christ. 14But I am not surprised!
Even Satan disguises himself as an
angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-14).
You used to live in sin, just like
the rest of the world, obeying the
devil—the commander of the
powers in the unseen world. He is
the spirit at work in the hearts of
those who refuse to obey God.3All of us used to live that way…
(Eph. 2:2-3a).
Then they will come to their senses
and escape from the devil's trap.
For they have been held captive by
him to do whatever he wants
(2 Tim. 2:26).
"Yes" seems the obvious answer…
By the way, name a country
now that Satan is NOT
deceiving right now…
423
Binding of Satan
(20:2-3a NLT)
Used with permission
"He seized the
dragon… and bound
him for 1000 years.
He threw him into the
Abyss, and locked
and sealed it over
him to keep him from
deceiving the nations
anymore until the
1000 years were
ended…"
421
Revelation 20:4 (NAU)
4Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
424
Revelation 20:5-6 (NAU)
5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
424
Revelation 20:4-6 Diagrammed
5bThis is the first resurrection. 6aBlessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power…
5aThe rest of the dead did not come to lifeuntil the thousand years were completed.
6bbut they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
4aThen I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand…
4band they came to lifeand reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
1000 years
424
Alford's Law
"If, in a passage where two resurrections
are mentioned… the first resurrection
may be understood to mean spiritual
rising with Christ, while the second
means literal rising from the grave;—
then there is an end of all significance in
language, and Scripture is wiped out as
a definite testimony to anything."
—Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1861), 4:732
Revelation 20:5-6 (NAU)
5The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
424
Matthew 6:9-10 (NKJV)
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
"Don't you realize that someday we
believers will judge the world? And
since you are going to judge the
world, can't you decide even these
little things among yourselves? 3Don't you realize that we will judge
angels? So you should surely be
able to resolve ordinary disputes in
this life"
(1 Cor. 6:2-3 NLT)
Believers will rule the earth
(5:10 NLT).
"And you have caused them to become a
Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will
reign on the earth."
Purposes of the Millennium424
① Judge angels
② Rule the earth
③ Restore world to pre-Flood era (long life of Isa. 65:20)
Incredibly Long Life!434
Isaiah 65:20 "No longer will
babies die when only a few
days old. No longer will
adults die before they have
lived a full life. No longer will
people be considered old at
one hundred! Only sinners
will die that young!" (NLT).
Purposes of the Millennium424
① Judge angels
② Rule the earth
③ Restore world to pre-Flood era (long life of Isa. 65:20)
④ Show the human heart corrupt
⑤ Fulfill Abrahamic Covenant
Noahic Covenant
Adam rules
with God
(Gen. 1:26,
28; 2:19)
Satan rules as
god of this
world (Gen.
3:15;
2 Cor. 4:4)
Ab
rah
am
ic
Co
ve
na
nt
Land Covenant
Davidic Covenant
New Covenant
Mosaic Covenant
God covenants with Abraham to
reestablish man's rule via Israel
as a "kingdom of priests" (Gen.
12:1-3; Exod. 19:6)
Kingdom Teaching...
Fall of Man
(Gen. 3)
Israel's failure to
witness to nations as a
kingdom of priests is
judged via exile under
foreign rule
Jeremiah 31:31-34 promises:
•Forgiveness
•Indwelling Spirit
•New heart, nature, mind
•Reunification of Israel and Judah
•No need for evangelism
2 Samuel 7:12-16 promises perpetual:
•Sons ("house" never wiped out)
•Kingdom (political dynasty)
•Throne (right to rule by descendants)
•Temple (son to build it)
Genesis 15:18 (cf. Deut. 30:1-10) promises:
•Land from Wadi of Egypt to Euphrates River (Isa. 27:12)
•Eternal possession of land (Gen. 17:8) after exile/restoration
•Whole world blessed via the land (Isa. 14:1-2)
Jesus extends
His kingdom in
mystery form to
the Church
(Matt. 13)
Israel rejects
Messiah's offer of
kingdom (Matt.
12:41-42; 23:37-
39)
Christ subdues
Israel's enemies
and nation
believes (Rom.
11:26-27)
Israel judged for rejecting
Messiah by dispersion away
from land for 19 centuries
(AD 70–AD 1948) but now
partially restored (Ezek. 37:1-7)
Christ is Head over His
Church, which is a
spiritual temple (Eph.
2:19-22; 2 Cor. 6:16)
Mosaic Law replaced
with first three elements
of the New Covenant
(Luke 22:20; 2 Cor. 3:6)
MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Millennial Eternal
Full
restoration
(Ezek. 37:8-28)
Jerusalem
world capital
(Isa. 2:1-5)
New
Jerusalem
(Rev. 21–
22)
Christ
reigns over
the world
(Isa. 11)
with saints
(Rev. 5:10;
20:4-6)
Christ rules over
everything with
saints (Eph. 1:9-
10; Rev. 20:1-6;
22:5b)
lan
d
se
ed
ble
ssin
g
Ge
ne
sis
12
:1-3
Christ
hands
kingdom
over to
Father (1
Cor. 15:24)
Scripture has a dual kingdom-covenant emphasis. Israel's role from Abraham to Christ expands to include the Church (continuity) yet the Church
never replaces the nation as the "new Israel" (discontinuity). Israel will again enjoy world prominence after trusting in Christ at His second coming.
ISRAEL CHURCH(National Focus) The "New Man" (Eph. 2:15)
Sixth Edition
15 June 2012
All 5
elements
fulfilled in
national
restoration
(Zech. 8)
All
things
made
new!
(Rev.
21:5)
Temporary (Gal. 3:19) and conditional (Deut. 28) to reveal sin (Rom. 7:7)
and regulate Israel (Gal. 3:23-25)
Law abolished, fulfilled, and
replaced at the cross (Rom. 7:1-
6;1 Cor. 9:19-21; Heb. 8:13)
Genesis 6:18; 9:8-17
9gKingdom & Covenants Timeline
Ch
urc
h A
ge
(n
o s
ign
s)
Second
Coming
Tribulation
7 years
Millennium
1000 yearsSatan Bound
Saints Reign
Ete
rnal K
ing
do
m
Second=Advent
Premillennialism
signs
Rapture
Revelation 6–18 19 20 21–22
433
Millennium is Church Age:
Ete
rnal K
ing
do
mSecond
Coming
Spiritual reign of Christ
TribulationsSatan Bound
Amillennialism
Revelation 6–18
19 21–22Revelation 20
433
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
There is consistent figurative use of numbers elsewhere in Revelation (p. 995).
All of these are literal numbers :
• 7 churches (Rev. 2-3)
• 144,000 Jews (7:1)
• 200 million soldiers (9:16)
• 42 months (11:2)
• 1260 days (11:3)
• 75 lb. hailstones (16:21)
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
There is consistent figurative use of numbers elsewhere in Revelation (p. 995).
All of these are literal numbers :
• 7 churches (Rev. 2-3)
• 144,000 Jews (7:1)
• 200 million soldiers (9:16)
• 42 months (11:2)
• 1260 days (11:3)
• 75 lb. hailstones (16:21)
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
The context has figures such as a chain, Abyss, dragon, serpent, locked, sealed, & beast.
The Abyss is a literal place (Luke 8:1) where demons are chained (2 Pet. 2:4) but can be unlocked (Rev. 9:1-2), so why can't they be actually restrained there?
Also, the designations at the left are no parallel to understanding "1000 years" as none are numbers.
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
The entire book has a predominantly figurative tone as in multiples of a thousand in the book (5:11; 7:4-9; 9:16; 14:1; 21:16; p. 973).
Each example cited is literal: "Thousands upon thousands" (5:11), 144,000 (7:4-9; 14:1), 200 million troops (9:16), and 12,000 stadia borders of the new Jerusalem (21:16). None are figurative! Rounding numbers does not mean they are figurative.
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
The OT contains figurative use of "1000" (p. 995).
"With the LORD, a day is as a thousand years" (Ps. 90:4) has a symbolic use of the word "day" but makes no sense unless "thousand" is understood literally.
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
Jews and early Christians used "1000" years as a figure for the eternal blessings of the redeemed (pp. 1018-21).
In actuality, the 6000-year idea of rabbis and early Christians assumed a literal1000 years as a "Sabbath." It was the amillennial Augustine who taught that the "eighth" day signified eternity (Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons 259.2; City of God 20.7)
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
The first "came to life" is a "spiritual resurrection" (20:4) but the second is a physical one (20:5).
• Why see the same verb differently in same text?
• "Came to life" never denotes a "spiritual resurrection" in the Bible.
• "Resurrection" always denotes physical bodies.
• Believers are spiritually alive now, so no need!
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
The number "1000" is for the "fullness of time" and thus symbolizes an indefinite era as in Psalm 50:10 and 2 Peter 3:8.
Psalm 50:10 ("For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills") has nothing to do with time!
2 Peter 3:8 ("A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day") shows Beale reads it as a literal 1000 years!
425
Does 1000 years mean 1000 years?
Clement of Rome
Ignatius
Papias
The Didache
The Epistle of Barnabas
The Shepherd of Hermas
Justin Martyr
Melito of Sardis
Theophilus of Antioch
Apollinaris of Hierapolis
Irenaeus
Hippolytus
Clement of Alexandria
Tertullian
Julius Africanus
Cyprian
Nepos
Coracion
Commodian
Victorinus of Pettau
Methodius
Lactantius
After AD 300, the 1000 years began to be spiritualized by Augustine, Jerome, Theodoret and others
426
Who will rule with Christ for 1000
years? Three groups (20:4):
1. The Church: "Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them."
2. Beheaded Martyrs: "And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and…"
3. Tribulation Believers: "those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand…"
Where do the saints rule (20:4)?
Amils often say in heaven
But Revelation says it is on earth
• "And you have caused them to become a
Kingdom of priests for our God. And they
will reign on the earth" (5:10).
• No change of location is noted from verse
3 (on earth) to verse 4, so we should
assume verses 4-6 also to be on earth.
428
When do the saints rule (20:4)?
Amils claim it is now
But Revelation says it is future
• "And you have caused them to become a
Kingdom of priests for our God. And they
will reign on the earth" (5:10).
• "…they will be priests of God and of Christ
and will reign with Him for a thousand
years" (20:6).
428
"For the Lord declares, 'I have placed my
chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on
my holy mountain'" (Psalm 2:6 NLT).
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Iron
Iron & Clay
Babylon
Persia
Greece
Rome
Antichrist
KingdomStone
The
Image of
Daniel 2
"Many passages speak of the second
coming of Christ being followed by a
reign of righteousness on earth (Pss. 2;
24; 72; 96; Isa. 2; 9:6-7; 11-12; 63:1-6; 65-
66; Jer. 23:5-6; 30:8-11; Dan. 2:44; 7:13-
14; Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:11-15; Micah
4:1-8; Zeph. 3:14-20; Zech. 8:1-8; 14:1-9;
Matt. 19:28; 25:31-46; Acts 15:16-18;
Rom. 11:25-27; Jude 14-15; Rev. 2:25-28;
19:11-20:6)." —John Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary,
2:978
6 And the wolf will dwell with the
lamb, and the leopard will
lie down with the young
goat, and the calf and the young lion
and the fatling
together.
Isaiah 11:6-9
434
6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them.
Isaiah 11:6-9
434
7 Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
Isaiah 11:6-9
434
8 The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:6-9
434
Romans 8:19-21"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. . . The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."
434
Incredibly Long Life!
Isaiah 65:20 "Never again will there be
in [Jerusalem] an infant who lives but a
few days, or an old man who does not
live out his years; he who dies at a
hundred will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred will be
considered accursed."
"The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem"
--Isaiah 2:3
Millennial Jerusalem434
Armies
Gathered
"Then I saw the beast and the kings of the
world and their armies gathered together to
fight against the one sitting on the horse and
his army" (19:19 NLT).
Satan's Last Stand(20:7-9a NLT)
"When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison.
8He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner
of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as
numberless as sand along the seashore. 9And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded
God's people and the beloved city."
436
But it has
already been
done!
Could mortals and those in glorified
bodies really live together?
Arwen and Aragorn:
A mortal man and an
immortal Elvish princess
435
Jesus did this
on the
Emmaus
Road
(Luke 24)
Could mortals and those in glorified
bodies really live together?
435
Could mortals and those in glorified
bodies really live together?
No, he
looked
like the
rest of
us!
435
Not everyone will be resurrected
at the end of the Tribulation
Adapted from http://www.rapturesolution.com/beechick/Book/Mill.htm
If all believers go up
and all unbelievers go down
who's left to populate the millennium?
Tribulation Millennium
Ch
urc
h A
ge
Rapture
Tribulation
7 years
Millennium
1000 years
Ete
rnal K
ing
do
mA "Pre-Trib" Rapture explains how the
Millennium will have both babies & death
Second
Coming
At the Rapture, believers
will go to heaven and
unbelievers remain on
earth—the Tribulation will
start 0% Christian.
After the Tribulation, believers
on earth will enter the
Millennium in their mortal
bodies—the Millennium will
start 100% Christian.
435
Christians
Those
remaining
Ch
urc
h A
ge
Second
ComingRapture
Tribulation
7 years
Millennium
1000 years
Ete
rnal K
ing
do
mA "Post-Trib" Rapture cannot explain
how to have mortals in the Millennium
435
Who is Gog?
Ezekiel 38–39
• Many suggestions have been made.
• Land areas of Meshech and Tubal –cover areas in Turkey, Russia and Iran
• Is Gog and Magog in Ezek 38–39 the same as the Gog and Magog in Rev 20:8?
436
When Will Gog's Invasion Occur?
1. Passage entirely symbolic
2. Before Tribulation
3. Middle of Tribulation
4. End of Tribulation
5. Between end of Tribulation & Millennium
6. After Millennium
7. Combination of 4th and 6th views
Differing Views:
437
Ezekiel 38:2Gog = PrinceMagog = Land
Ezekiel 38:16Gog against Israel
Ezekiel 39:17-20Great feast of corpses
Ezekiel 38–39; Rev. 9:16; 16:16; 19:19Events fit before restored millennial temple (Ezek. 40)
Revelation 20:8Gog & Magog = nations
Revelation 20:8Gog & Magog v. Messiah
Revelation 20:10Satan cast into lake of fire
Revelation 20:7-10Events fit after millennium in 20:1-6
Reasons Ezekiel's Gog & Magog is different from John's Gog & Magog in Revelation 20:7-10
436
Church Age Tribulation(Zech 14:1-2)
Millennium(Zech. 14:6-21)
Rapture 2nd Advent(Zech 14:3-5)
Gog & Magog
(Armageddon)(Ezek. 38–39)
Gog and Magog
Revisited(Rev. 20:7-10)
Great
White
Throne(Rev. 20:11-14)
A Dispensational Timeline437
"But fire from heaven
came down on the
attacking armies and
consumed them. 10Then the devil, who
had deceived them,
was thrown into the
fiery lake of burning
sulfur, joining the
beast and the false
prophet."
(20:9b-10a NLT)
"And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but
they found no place to hide"(20:11 NLT).
Will only unbelievers appear
at the great white throne (20:14-15)?
440
Q 2
• Millennial mortals
need judgment
• It would seem
strange that no one
is written in the
book of life
"And the books were
opened, including the
Book of Life. And the
dead were judged
according to what they
had done, as recorded
in the books"
(20:12b NLT).
Used with permission
"The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged
according to their deeds"
(20:13 NLT).
438
"Then death and the grave were thrown
into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is
the second death" (20:14 NLT).
438
"And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire" (20:15 NLT).
438
Which Will We Believe?Tradition Bible
Man dwells with the
devil--the boss
Man is alone (Luke
13:28)
"At least my friends
will be there"
Yes, but you won't see
them (Luke 13:28)
Bodies suffer mild
discomfort
Bodies suffer from
burning sulfur and
consumption by
worms (Mark 9:47-48;
Rev. 21:8)
441
Which Will We Believe?Tradition Bible
Satan is tormenter
over all in Hell
Satan in torment with
those tormented (Rev. 20:10)
A place of solid earth A lake (Rev. 20:10)
People alone suffer Demons too (2 Pet. 2:4)
Satan rules with
pitchfork
Satan thrown into Hell
with no emblems of
dominion (Rev. 20:10)
441
Don't be fooled by Satan today!
"There are two ways
to be fooled. One is
to believe what isn't
true; the other is to
refuse to accept
what is true."
—Søren Kierkegaard
Do you trust Christ?
"Before we can pray, Lord, Thy Kingdom come,
we must be wiling to pray, My kingdom go."
—Alan Redpath
Ready to reign with him?
"There is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign;
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain."
—Isaac Watts