A Study Of The Book Of Revelation
Lesson No. 23: Chapter 20

Date: March 24^th, 31^st, April 7^th, 14^th, 2004, Wednesday Evening Adult Bible Class
Speaker: John Phillis
Note: Much of the information for this Study of Revelation was taken from the book “Revelation Through First Century Glasses” by W. B. West. Other sources: “The Living Word, Study of Revelation, Parts I & II” by Dr. Frank Pack; “Revelation” by Jim McGuiggan; “Commentary on Revelation” by Homer Hailey; “Commentary on Revelation” by Burton Coffman; “The Book of Revelation – Spiritual Sword Lectureship, October 18 – 22, 1998”; “Commentary on Revelation” by Howard Winters; “Revelation for Christians Today” by Lonnie Woodruff; “Unlocking Revelation” by J. Stafford North.

Objectives in Studying this Chapter:

1) To consider the binding, future release and ultimate defeat of Satan

2) To examine the “thousand year reign” described in this chapter, and those who will reign with Christ during this time

3) To note the criteria of the final judgment, and the importance of the Book of Life

Preliminary Remarks Concerning Revelation, Chapter 20

We are approaching the study of what is commonly referred to as “The Millennium” in Revelation, chapter 20. As we approach this study, I think it would be helpful to us to be reminded of something that we have mentioned before in this study of Revelation. That is, the book of Revelation does not offer us a chronological blueprint of successive periods of church history, nor world history, for that matter. We have seen the evidence of this throughout our study of Revelation. It is a method of repetition, or, recapitulation, in the book of Revelation by which some of the great Truths that are presented here in this book are looked at in different ways. They are repeated several times as they are looked at in these different ways.

Several times during this study, we have approached the Judgment, we have looked at the Second Coming, we have looked at the end of the age, or, the consummation of God’s purpose for all of life, or, all of mankind. Since this book is written in apocalyptic language, in figurative language, obviously, it is important for us to realize that some of things that are written here are written in, are given in, sort of a dramatic form. But, we must always have in view, must always be looking at, the overall context of the book and, moreover, the larger context of the entire Bible itself. Otherwise, we can be misguided, we can be mistaken, in some of the conclusions that we might draw.

Thus, it’s important for us to recognize specifically that chapter 20 does not follow chronologically the events that we have looked at in chapter 19, and preceding that, chapter 18. For example, chapter 18 described the fall of Babylon the great, the great harlot. And the closing part of chapter 19 has shown the coming of Christ to overthrow the beast and the false prophet, along with those who bear the mark of the beast and who worship the beast.

Well, when one compares the battles that are described in chapters 16 (Armageddon) and 19 (the defeat of the beast and his armies) with the battle that we’re going to see and discuss here in chapter 20 (Gog and Magog), we see they are not at all separate battles, but rather, they are the same battle looked at, presented in, different ways using this figurative language that we have mentioned. All of these descriptions have to do with that great and final battle and the victory that is won by Christ over evil. No, not one final battle on the Plains of Megeddo that is supposedly yet to happen, but rather the struggle between good and evil—that classic battle that has been going on from the beginning, really, and continues even to our day. And the result is that the good guys win! The forces aligned with God, with Christ, win the battle in the end.

To illustrate this point a little bit further, in chapter 19, verses 17 through 21, we saw the slaughter of those who worshipped the beast and who bore the mark of his image. We also noticed in verse 18 of chapter 19 that, in a figurative way, the birds were invited to feast upon the flesh of all men, both free and bond, small and great. Now, if this were a chronological account—in other words, if going into chapter 20 we are looking at the next event which is going to occur subsequent to what we looked at in chapter 19, who would then make up the nations that we are going to read about in chapter 20, verses 1 through 9? Well clearly, if this were chronological, there shouldn’t be, or there wouldn’t be, any nation left because they have already been destroyed in chapter 19.

So, I think you see the point here, and again, I think this is something important for us to remember, particularly in view of the fact that there is so much misunderstanding, so much false teaching, so much false doctrine, which abounds and which has its basis here in chapter 20. We have discussed, reviewed, gotten a sense of, some of these false doctrines that have to do with the discussion of “the thousand year reign.” As we were noticing some of those “theories”—Premillennialism, Dispensationalism, and so on—we saw that they find their basis, an entire doctrine, entire religious organizations, right here in Revelation, chapter 20. But, moreover, these “theories” are a misunderstanding, a misapplication, of Revelation, chapter 20. And so, the “theories” that go along with Premillennialism depend upon interpreting chapter 20 as a continuation of what we saw in chapter 19, as it being a chronological following of events, which, of course, as we have said, it is not.

Speaking of the “theories” that abound, Premillennialism, Dispensationalism, Amillennialism, and so on, there is a fairly common feature of each of those—they differ on a number of points, but there is a fairly common feature. That is, that they all center on this issue, or this question, of “the thousand year reign,” the “millennial reign of Christ.” They all have something to do with Christ setting up an earthly kingdom. Some of them have some teaching associated with them that there will be a final battle, that the Jews will come to believe, and various and sundry other features that we have discussed in previous lessons.