Sermon Notes - Revelation 20:1-10 - 1,000 years - Littleby Baptist Church - February 13, 2022

 1.     Jesus returns on a white horse with a sharp sword that comes from His mouth.

2.     He is triumphant over all who follow Satan.

3.     The King of kings and Lord of lords will return as THE Triumphant King.

a.      The battle of Armageddon will be over as quickly as it begins.

b.     He will reign from that day forward, and He wishes that all will be with Him.

c.      The number one thing we can do, is pray for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of those who are lost before it is too late.

4.     Before we get into Revelation 20, I want to talk a little about the 3 major views.

a.      Postmillennialism, which is a belief that the thousand-year reign of Jesus is before His return.

b.     With that view, we would likely be living in it today.

c.      Besides what the Bible teaches.

d.     The primary problem with this view is that things in the world are getting worse not better.

                                                    i.     If this was the thousand-year reign of Jesus the anti-Christian views of this world would not be prevailing against those who follow Him.

                                                  ii.     Satan would already be bound and tossed into the abyss. Sadly, the great deceiver is alive and well.

e.      Amillennialism is a belief that the thousand-year reign of Christ is in the hearts of His followers.

f.      Essentially there is no thousand-year reign, which is hard to marry up with what the Bible teaches.

g.     Premillennialism looks at the thousand-year reign as a literal thousand years that take place after the Lord’s second coming.

h.     This is the only view that ties with Jesus’ return after the Great Tribulation.

i.       This is the view I believe the Bible is teaching us and will be the viewpoint I will be teaching the balance of Revelation from.

5.     Revelation 20:1-3

a.      Three weeks ago, we saw that Jesus will return.

b.     Last week we saw the antichrist and the false prophet being thrown into the lake of fire as Jesus is triumphant in the battle of Armageddon.

                                                    i.     They are gone.

c.      Here we see that Satan will be bound and tossed into the abyss. 

d.     He will be locked away for 1,000 years.

e.      He will not be around to deceive anyone during the thousand-year reign of Christ.

f.      But Satan will return.

6.     Revelation 20:4

a.      Two groups of people.

                                                    i.     Those seated on the thrones with authority to judge.

                                                  ii.     Those who had been beheaded for refusing to take the mark of the beast.

b.     Who is sitting on the thrones, uncertain, but I think Jesus is giving us a hint, Luke 22:29-30.

                                                    i.     Based on these verses, it looks like the disciples will be on the thrones.

c.      The second group is obvious, those who had been martyred by the antichrist and the false prophet.

                                                    i.     They are given new bodies and their reward for suffering what they did is reigning with Christ for 1,000 years.

                                                  ii.     They suffered at the hands of the devil and his servants but will be granted a wonderful reward.

7.     Revelation 20:5

a.      Reading verses 4 and 5 alone, point to the Tribulation Saints being resurrected at Christ’s return, but no one else.

b.     That could be the case, but we need to look at all of Scripture.

c.      1 Corinthians 15:20-23 – ‘at His coming, those who belong to Christ’.

                                                    i.     Jesus returns first.

                                                  ii.     Then the Tribulation saints, those that died for Jesus during that time.

                                                iii.     But, if it includes all who ‘belong to Christ’, it will include those who had been raptured and those that died before the rapture who were saved by faith

                                                iv.     Points to all believers being resurrected at the beginning of the thousand Year Reign.  

d.     1 Thessalonians 4:16

                                                    i.     The Lord returns and the dead in Him, those that received the Lord’s amazing gift will rise.

e.      When looking at the whole of scripture, the tribulation saints will be resurrected and reign with Jesus, but these other verses point to all who belong to Jesus will be resurrected at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

f.      The rest of the dead mentioned in Revelation 20:5, would be those who have never accepted the Lord’s gift.

                                                    i.     Those deemed as wicked are not resurrected at Christ’s return.

8.     Revelation 20:6

a.      Blessed are those who are resurrected when Christ returns.

                                                    i.     There will be no death for them.

                                                  ii.     Death has no hold on those that follow Jesus.

                                                iii.     When we are resurrected, we will live forever.

b.     Repeats the reigning with Christ for a thousand years but does not focus only on the Tribulation Saints.

                                                    i.     I can honestly say, I have read more commentaries over these couple of verses than any others.

                                                  ii.     Verse 4 is talking about the Tribulation Saints.

                                                iii.     But verse 6 extends that blessing to all who are part of the first resurrection.

1.     Which includes all who ‘belong to Christ’ and are ‘dead in Him.’

9.     Revelation 20:7-8

a.      Satan is released from the abyss and a revolt begins.

b.     If the resurrected are those who have followed Jesus, who are these people who will follow Satan?

                                                    i.     Starts with those who survived the tribulation.

                                                  ii.     Their offspring.

                                                iii.     Any who never truly turn to Jesus.

c.      The great deceiver once again convinces people to follow Him.

                                                    i.     Sadly, their number is like the sand of the sea…      

1.     A vast number that John could not count.  

10.  Revelation 20:9

a.      If we look at the battle of Armageddon and this final revolt led by Satan, I wonder which one comes to an end faster.

b.     At Armageddon, the sword coming from the mouth of Christ, brings the battle to a swift end.

c.      Here the people surround Jerusalem and fire from heaven consumes them.

d.     In both cases, swift and righteous retribution for standing against Jesus.

11.  Revelation 20:10

a.      The antichrist and false prophet are already suffering in the lake of fire and sulfur.

b.     After his last-ditch effort, Satan will join his henchmen.

c.      Their torment is not one that comes to an end, it will last forever and ever.

d.     The lake of fire does not destroy, it is permanent punishment.

e.      Any who are thrown in it will face an eternity of agony.

12.  As I think about these events, I do look forward to our Lord’s return.

13.  I think it will be awesome, truly awe inspiring, to be in His presence.

14.  But, it is hard to imagine that anyone alive during that time will choose to not follow Jesus.

15.  It is hard to imagine that anyone would follow Satan against Jesus.

a.      They would know the history of the Great Tribulation and the judgement that fell on those who took the Mark.

b.     How could they go against Jesus after all of that?

16.  It may be hard to imagine, but we know it has happened time and time again.

17.  The Bible shows us that people witnessed the judgements that fell on Egypt.

18.  They ate the manna.

19.  Saw the pillar of fire and smoke.

20.  Yet, they and those that followed turned away from God.

21.  Apathy, a lack of interest in God, was strong in Moses’ time.

a.      It is growing today and sadly will exist during the reign of Christ.

22.  That is why our focus needs to remain on Jesus and His Word.

23.  Let it be our guide, our anchor to our Creator.

24.  May the Word of God continue to grab a hold of us and dramatically change our hearts.

25.  May we continue to Love Him with all that we are, and Love others as ourselves.