Unraveling Revelation 20

Before getting started it would be appropriate to give the time frame of the writing; contrary to popular belief of a date of 90 or later, considering most of the book describes the judgment of Israel and the destruction of the temple, it would have had to be written pre 70 A.D. Otherwise the writing would have been talking about the fulfillment of Jesus' previous predictions Matthew 24:2 “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." not the judgment that was yet to come. It also references the "Beast" which is widely known to be Nero, this would further affirm the earlier dating; even Prior to 68 A.D when Nero’s reign ended. It would be unlikely that the biggest event "the falling of the temple" in the Roman empire, but certainly the biggest prediction in the Christian faith would have failed to be mentioned by the author. So the date would have had to be prior to 68 and definitely before 70 A.D.

Revelation 20:1 Clear reference to his Jesus’ first coming- Revelation 20:1 "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the Dragon that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan” A passage in the past tense giving reference to Matthew 12:29 "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.

Revelation 20:4 I saw the 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. All man kind since Jesus’ ascension until his final return who died for their testimony will return on the day with Christ. Then makes a Parallel with Corinthians 6:2 giving us authority to judge Corinthians 6: ² Or do you not know that the Lord's people will judge the world? ⁵ I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?” This is an edict or reference to all of us in Christ to judge or be the moral fabric of the world until his second coming and to all those who die for their testimony will return with Christ and be in their resurrected bodies. Jesus’ second coming and final judgment:

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² 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. This coincides with John 5:25 ²⁸"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” No pre-tribulation, no Tim LeHaye or Jerry B. Jenkins "Left Behind series" just final judgment for all mankind on the day the book of life is revealed Revelation 20:13 ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and everyone was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ All whose names were not found written in the book of life were thrown into the lake of fire.”

For some an area of confusion is Revelation 20:4 “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” This is the spiritual resurrection (not physical), where those who died before the thousand years have gone to be with the Lord in spirit and reign from a spiritual kingdom, but at the second resurrection (the physical) the Lord will reign on earth as well. Parallel passage to thousand years: Psalm 50:10 “for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” So how many cattle does the Lord own, those only on one thousand hills? No he owns all the cattle; a thousand is a reference to fullness. The date Christ Returns is unknown by Jesus’ own omission Matthew 24:6 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” So the thousand years is a reference to when the fullness is reached and we don’t know that date. However, we can be assured that it will be fulfilled and that is why it is of the utmost urgency to spread the good news today.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.'15 According to the Lord's word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."

So what would happen to those in the book of life? They die corruptible and resurrect imperishable to be united with the Savior of this World our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 6:5 "If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection." Because if this were not the same day that would mean purgatory or an interim judgment. That just doesn’t seem possible, because it doesn't meet the laws on non-contradiction, that Christ would rapture his Church but leave a remnant to give testimony who would continue to suffer. The first death is the death of the physical and the second is spiritual. Philippians 3:10, 11 “¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Because it is the word of God that brings repentance so someone would have to spread the word; because without it, no one would nor could come to Christ. So if he left someone behind it would have to be a believer because someone would have to lead the lost in to repentance, which makes absolutely no sense. Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” No word no repentance, no repentance no salvation. No salvation why would he then have a sect that would survive for seven years? He wouldn’t.

Man comes to know Christ in his life or never and is shut out for eternity. Luke 16:25 “But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.”

So in short, this would mean final judgment occurs at one moment in time and for all of us; saved or unsaved. We are resurrected from the dead for glory or eternal damnation. So is God sending them to hell? No, if God took people who did not desire fellowship with him on earth to an eternal kingdom, he would be the Devil not a loving God. Respect for free will is what true love is.

Take for example, if you beat your kids they will do as they are told, but they will not freely love you. They will just be acting in accordance to avoid another beating. But if you love them, they will submit to you knowing that you are acting in their best interest. Heaven is going to be a place of eternal praise and worship, someone who did not love God on earth would be dragged into his presence for eternity. That would make God unloving, if he did not allow you to not only choose him, but to reject him as well.

A quote to leave you with "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity