The Revelation of Christ – Part 45: The Thousand Years

The Revelation of Christ –

Part 45: The Thousand Years

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

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SERMON INTRODUCTION

Today we will be looking at “The Thousand Years,” as described in Revelation 20. This can sometimes seem confusing for many reasons. Many think when we die, we “go to heaven” when actually we will live on the new earth when all is said and done. Some think when we die, we become angels; however, angels and humans are two different creations, and though we will receive new bodies, we will never actually become angels.

 

Last week we finished looking at Revelation 19, the fall of Babylon, and the threefold hallelujah celebration over its demise.

 

We saw in Revelation 19:11 Christ on the white horse, and He is called Faithful and True. With Justice (honesty, integrity, fairness, impartiality, righteousness) he judges and wages war.

 

By the end of this chapter (Revelation 19:19), we see two parts of the unholy trinity (666), the beast (antichrist) and false prophet, were thrown “alive” into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

 

However, nothing was done to Satan for his plan to take over the world and rule mankind as a god. This brings us to Chapter 20.

 

SERMON SERIES – The Revelation of Christ

THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE – The Coming Judgment

TODAY’S SERMON - THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE

Part 45 – The Thousand Years

SCRIPTURE READING

Revelation 20:1-6

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, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

⁴ I saw 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 about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

 

             I.        THE ABYSS

a.    The angel with the key and a great chain

                                                 i.    This takes place immediately after the Antichrist and the false prophet were cast alive into the lake of burning sulfur.

 

                                                ii.    This is an excellent illustration of how an angel can easily over-power Satan and lock him up simply because God commands him to.

                                              iii.    We also have the ability through the power of Christ Jesus to over-power Satan, demons, and their evil influences in our lives, if we are obedient and submit to the will of God.

b.   The angel seized the Dragon, the Ancient Serpent, The Devil, Satan

                                                 i.    Satan is given three names in this verse to describe him and his plan of destruction

                                                ii.    The Dragon – represents Satan displaying his power of destruction. The Dragon tried to destroy the woman, the child, the Jews, the Christians, and when he could not, he spewed forth a great deluge of false teachings, gods and religions in hopes of drowning the children of God.

                                              iii.    The Ancient Serpent – A reminder that in the garden, he was the first cunning deceiver, and continued to deceive through the rest of history.

                                              iv.    The Devil – the accuser of those who belong to the Lord.

                                               v.    Satan – Our adversary, rival, and enemy

 

c.    The angel threw him into the Abyss

                                                 i.    The angel throws Satan into the Abyss

1.    In Luke 8:31 the demons who possessed the pigs pleaded with Jesus not to cast them into the Abyss.

2.    In Revelation 9:11 we were told that the King over those in the Abyss was Abaddon in Hebrew, Apollyon in Greek, both meaning Destroyer. He is not Satan, but was released during Tribulation and serves Satan to empower the Antichrist.

3.    Satan is cast into the Abyss locked in great chains, and the Abyss sealed over him to keep him from deceiving the nations any more.

 

                                                ii.    Until the thousand years were ended, after which he will be set free for a short time.

 

                                              iii.    Why?

1.    We aren’t told why the Lord didn’t cast Satan into the fiery lake of sulfur along with the Antichrist and the false prophet.

2.    We aren’t told why the Lord will set Satan free once more after the thousand-year reign.

3.    Perhaps it is because the Lord is a righteous judge, and before casting Satan into the eternal, everlasting lake of burning sulfur, the final “hell” which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41), called Gehenna by Jesus, the Lord wanted to show Satan what the world would look like without him (the thousand-year Kingdom Age)

 

 

            II.        THE JUDGES

a.    The 24 elders

                                                 i.    12 who represent the Old Testament, and 12 who represent the New Testament

                                                ii.    In other words, they represent the entirety of God’s law and plan on earth. They are the perfect religious rule, and therefore judges for the Lord.

 

b.   The tribulation saints

                                                 i.    The souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and the Word of God.

                                                ii.    They had NOT worshiped the beast, or its image, or taken its mark

                                              iii.    They came to life

 

 

c.    The first resurrection

                                                 i.    They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years

                                                ii.    This is the “First Resurrection”

                                              iii.    Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection

 

          III.        THE KINGDOM AGE

a.    The second resurrection

                                                 i.    This will take place at the time of judging where all of those who did not serve the Lord will be condemned.

b.   The second death has no power over the saints

                                                 i.    Once we (those who serve the Lord) have died, and are part of the “first resurrection,” we will receive our new bodies and made complete and whole, never to die again.

                                                ii.    Those who were part of the second resurrection will be judged and cast into the eternal lake of fire, and this is the second death.

 

c.    The saints will reign with Christ over the earth

                                                 i.    Those who are part of the first resurrection will;

1.    Never die again, no second death

2.    Be priests of God

3.    Be priests of Christ

4.    Will reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years

5.    This is the Kingdom Age

 

CONCLUSION –

At this point this is what has taken place in the scriptures;

·        God, through the Word and Holy Spirit, created all that exists

·        Man is deceived by Satan who wants to be a god over humankind and earth

·        This sin breaks the communion between God and His people

·        The Word is made flesh to redeem humankind and mend the communion between God and His people

·        Satan tries to destroy Israel so the Word cannot become flesh, but fails

·        Satan tries to kill the child (the Word made flesh) but fails

·        Satan tries to destroy the Jews, but fails

·        Satan tries to deceive the Word made flesh in the wilderness, but fails

·        Satan tries to destroy Jesus with the cross, fulfilling prophecy, so the Word redeems humankind and mends the communion between God and His creation through Christ Jesus

·        Satan tries to destroy Christian followers of Christ, but fails, and the Holy Scriptures are penned

·        Satan spews forth a deluge of false teachings, teachings of men and false gods and religions in hopes of drowning the children of God, yet many still follow the Lord

·        Satan decides to make himself a god on earth and creates the unholy trinity (666) by imploring Abbadon to empower the False Prophet and bring up the Antichrist, which ushers in Tribulation.

·        He fails, and the Lord casts the Antichrist, the false prophet into the fiery lake of sulfur.

·        Satan is then bound in chains and cast into the Abyss, where he is locked up for the Kingdom Age.

·         During the Kingdom Age, the first resurrection takes place, and God’s people reign with Christ on earth for a thousand years. At the end of this, Satan will once again be released from the Abyss and face judgment.

 

NEXT WEEK: The Judgment of Satan

 

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