[0:00] All kinds of adjustments up here. Can I close it?
[0:12] Don't want to bump it. Or knock it off. All righty then. Take your Bibles and turn with me to chapter 20.
[0:30] Revelation. 20. Right? It's only going to be another year or so. So this is a chapter.
[0:43] Actually the first verses of this chapter is a chapter I've been avoiding for 25 years. So when you preach expositionally you don't get to avoid some of those chapters you like to avoid.
[0:58] I'll explain that in a moment. I had planned as I kind of looked at it beforehand to do all six verses of the millennium.
[1:10] The thousand year period. And then as there are so, so many questions arising in just the first three verses. I felt like my hands were full.
[1:21] Our hands, our heads will be full. What is the thousand year period? How is Satan bound? In what way? When does this happen? There's enough to deal with there until you get to the next three verses.
[1:35] Then you got first and second resurrections. You got a second death. You got more and more issues. So let's just kind of take a little bit of time. So we're just going to look at the first three verses.
[1:47] I would like to go ahead and read verses 1 through 10 because it is one whole section. Still talking about that thousand years. What happens in, during, and after that.
[2:00] So if you're able, please stand as I will read from Revelation 20, verses 1 through 10. And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
[2:23] And he sees the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan. And bound him for a thousand years.
[2:34] And threw him into the pit and shut it and sealed it over him. So that he might not deceive the nations any longer. Until the thousand years were ended.
[2:46] After that time he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.
[2:57] And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God. And those who had not worshipped the beast or his image.
[3:10] And had not received its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
[3:25] This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power.
[3:37] But they will be priests of God and of Christ. And they will reign with him for a thousand years. And when the thousand years are ended.
[3:49] Satan will be released from his prison. And will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth. Gog and Magog.
[4:01] To gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth. And surrounded the camp of the saints. And the beloved city.
[4:13] But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur. Where the beast and false prophet were.
[4:26] And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. So reads Holy Scripture. Let us pray for some semblance of understanding.
[4:39] Father we thank you for your word. Lord we thank you for what is clearly certain. That Christ returns. That there is a resurrection.
[4:53] That there is a final judgment. And there is eternity with you. We thank you for those things that no one debates. Grant us Lord your grace today as we seek to grasp.
[5:08] To put pieces together. To see if we can understand Lord what is often debated. The when this happens. How it happens.
[5:18] So give your spirit Lord. That we might. Grasp the picture. That you want us to grasp.
[5:29] And be gracious with the details. We need to be gracious with. We pray in Christ's name. Amen. Please be seated. okay so I have a written a confession of a panmillennialist so millennium is a Latin term for a thousand years okay so millennial we hear of you know the millennial generation right so so this millennium I guess cursed it so there are various views on the millennium of course there are views there is the general there are many many views but they fall into three general categories one is premillennial and the issue is when does Christ return does he return before the millennium the thousand years does he return after that period or some other way so premillennial means that Christ will return before the millennium chapter 19 comes first right Christ returns in chapter 19 chapter 20 is then the millennium so they take that literally that there is a there is a consecutive historical event followed by Christ's return so Christ returns to set up an earthly kingdom for a thousand years with his resurrected saints
[7:02] Satan is bound absolutely so premillennialists look at this chapter 20 as all future okay the return and the millennium is all future dispensational folks are also premillennial and they tweak that a little bit they add the twist that that Israel is the issue when I was in seminary I asked what's the purpose of thousand years on earth I mean I'm buying it but but why and I was told they have that that God needs to fulfill he has made promises to Israel to national Israel and needs to fulfill those promises a physical earth on a physical kingdom on earth right the temple restored et cetera et cetera okay talk about those issues later but that's what I was told so that's premill there's a there are postmill people in other words Christ returns after the millennium the there's not many of these folks around anymore they take the millennium as a symbolic of the church age that the church from the time of Christ is spreading the gospel and that they will ultimately bring the kingdom to earth because they will conquer the world they will history will get better and better and better and better because the gospel spreads and there's fruitfulness and you can see why not many people believe that anymore after 2000 years okay history gets better okay not many now there may be some tangents of that view that there are some today
[8:38] I don't want to know that then there's what's called awe mill which sounds like no millennium but that's not it's a poor terminology awe mill means they they are those this is a group that also interprets the thousand years as symbolic of from the time of Christ on they say that the millennium or this kingdom age was inaugurated from the time of Christ Christ brought the kingdom right so they say the thousand years is a symbol is symbolic believers are reigning now there's two different views they're either reigning with Christ in heaven or they are reigning as regenerate people with Christ on earth and the restriction of Satan the binding of Satan they would say is not a total restriction but he's restricted specifically from deceiving the nations any longer he still is active he just can't do that therefore there's a spread of the gospel okay so those are the views so my confession is
[9:50] I have been a panmillennialist which means so that's the other term there's a got pre-mill you got post-mill you got on-mill and then you got pan-mill you know what's pan-mill it'll all pan out you know it's like I don't care you know and so before I preached through Matthew 24 I was a dedicated pre-mill dispensationalist dispensationalist take the Bible literally and take it right and I'm not making fun of that by any means godly godly people I still cherish a lot of them but again as I said I don't I didn't understand I remember sitting in seminary class I don't get why a thousand literal years on a physical earth I don't get that doesn't matter so studied Matthew 24 Jesus preaching about the end times and he doesn't draw any lines he doesn't draw any lines he doesn't put any gaps in there it's like okay at the beginning of birth pangs there we go here's history and then the end will come and you won't even know what will happen it'll be like time of Noah it's just boom where's the gap where's the where's the you know where's all that not there
[11:14] Matthew 24 so blew it up so so I I I that's how I became a panmillennialist it's like okay it doesn't matter just gonna stay away from the book of revelation right um avoid it and 25 years later here we are um so now with look it took 19 chapters I think to prepare me for this chapter me uh because like I said I I I I didn't know what to do with it it's just thousand years so now I I think we've connected some dots I have a different perspective now I got it all figured out no I don't but I have a different perspective that says this means much if it's not all future which I believed before it's all future therefore in a sense not that relevant to today I mean yeah we win what do I do with this chapter well it's it's over there it's for
[12:27] Israel okay but what if what if we're already in the millennium what if Satan's already bound what if we're already reigning do you think that might make a difference today yeah this means that this is much more relevant with a present application than I've ever thought of before I've become convinced that we're already in the millennium that thousand years is a symbolic of the whole church age we keep seeing that in revelation right it takes us through the sealed judgment starts with the time of Christ goes all the way to the end start going back to the trumpet judgment starts with the time of Christ goes all the way to the end start with the bold judgment starts with Christ time Christ goes all the way to the end we come to chapter 12 starts back with Christ again and then goes all the way chapter 14 to the end we keep doing this so now I'm kind of thinking oh maybe chapter 20 is another one of those different view of the whole thing just maybe you don't have to buy any of it you can stay a panmillennialist if you want or a pre-mill dispensational pre-trib you know whatever you want it doesn't matter to me
[13:55] I love you either way you're wrong but I'll still love you no no no no no if this if I'm off on this I hope it doesn't take 25 years to figure it out again so anyway okay so here we come to Revelation 20 we're told about this mysterious 1000 year period where Satan is bound so we want to look at this in Revelation we have a lot of mysteries and different opinions about what happens there are certain certain things the final events recorded from Revelation 19 through 22 the how and the when is debatable but the fact that they happen is certain chapter 19 it is absolutely certain everyone agrees Christ will return that's clear Jesus said it Paul said it John said it here it is in Revelation he returned that's not how and the when that's okay chapter 20 we're told of in verses 5 and 6 about these resurrections there's a there's a first and a second resurrection there's resurrection the Bible teaches clearly there will be a resurrection of the dead that's certain when and how not clear chapter 20 second half of chapter 20 talks about a great judgment
[15:20] Satan is defeated thrown into the lake of fire verse 11 there's a great white throne everyone's judged that's clear when and how not clear but that it will happen absolutely certain return of Christ resurrection great judgment all are certain and then chapter 21 and 22 when we get there you know in five or six months or a couple weeks whenever we get there that's that's the good stuff right we get to the new heaven and new earth we get to eternity that's certain now the pictures how do we interpret all but the fact that eternity with God is certain so with all the stuff we have in revelation where mysteries and we're kind of thinking okay it's most likely means this there are things certain so I don't want you to lose that picture so today we come to chapter 20 verses 1 through 3 where do these fit where do these verses fit in relation to return of
[16:21] Christ are they are these after Christ returns are these before Christ returns are they just symbolic so we're going to look at the first part of this the fall just verses 1 to 3 the fall of Satan he falls in some way he's bound in some way what does that mean what does it mean that he is bound for 1000 years we're going to break it into two aspects what is this binding what how in what way is he restricted and then and then secondly verse 3 why why we are told the reason why he's done so that's just we'll just break it into that so my answer to the restriction what does it mean that he's bound I believe it means that Satan's activities are limited after Christ's resurrection I believe it began when Christ came and when he resurrected and went to heaven and Satan was we read in chapter 12 cast down to the earth there's a limitation right there is it what this one is that's debatable but
[17:28] I think so so let me try to prove that just okay I just want you to hear so so he's bound he's limited after from the time of Christ especially his death and resurrection changed everything so three questions here in these opening verses one how is he characterized we see he's called again the dragon the serpent in verse one and two and then how is he confined what does bound mean and then where is he thrown where is he cast how is he bound he's thrown into the abyss so what does that mean so we see in verse one that first of all an angel an angel coming down from heaven holding in his hand a key to the bottom of this pit and a great chain he seizes the dragon he binds him he throws him into the pit he shuts and seals it this is one tough angel hmm
[18:32] I mean chapter 12 it took a whole army and now in chapter 20 you've got one angel just yeah you're done man see ya boom boom like like there's no resistance no resistance okay could be could be so an angel sent it doesn't say he's a mighty angel because we think there must be one mighty angel because other times it talks about a mighty angel right it talks about a big it's just an angel just an angel and he has two things he has a key he has not just a key he has the key now back in chapter 1 Jesus is described as the one who has the keys of death and Hades this angel has the key to Hades to the abyss to the pit the bottomless pit it reminds us of chapter 9 there was an angel well it wasn't an angel in chapter 9 a star fell from heaven remember a star can stand for an angel can stand for a tribe in the book of Revelation so a star falls could be
[19:44] Lucifer right falling he's given a key and he unlocks the abyss and out of the abyss chapter 9 comes those demonic locusts remember so the abyss is kind of this demonic type place so he has a key now is that a literal key by the way I don't think it's a symbol right is it really a big heavy chain so he's got to be a big angel he's got a big heavy chain Satan is a spiritual being so it's a physical no it's not it's a symbol okay of him being bound up that he's identified the exact same way that he's identified in chapter 12 remember chapter 12 there's a war in heaven and then the dragon is thrown down and then the dragon is called the dragon the ancient serpent who is the devil which means slanderer liar and
[20:47] Satan which means the adversary the enemy so he's identified he gets the same exact ideas in chapter 12 could be the same might be different so how is he so secondly how is he confined then we're told that he's bound so this angel comes with the key and the chain and he seizes the dragon he just arrests him he grabs him and then he binds him apparently with that chain for a thousand years so he does several things he seizes him he binds him he throws him into the abyss he shuts the abyss and he seals it over him apparently with the key right so he's confined he's bound now that sounds like you know it's just complete immobilization what does bind mean you know tie up it's used all through scripture about you know when when someone's arrested they're you know
[21:50] Jesus was bound right and Peter was bound he was put in prison Paul's bound so does it mean total immobilization does it mean that Satan can do nothing during this thousand year period so so pre-mill that's what you that that's what you think it's total thousand years of without Satan but does that what that means or does it just mean he's restricted in some way he's limited he's on a leash he's bound but he's not out of it does that mean that is he handicapped see the same word is used in Luke 13 where Jesus heals this crippled woman this woman who's bent over crippled and he defines that Jesus defined it as here's a woman that Satan has bound for 18 years she's bound does that mean she's eliminated no she's handicapped she's disabled severely disabled but not immobilized so bind doesn't have to mean that see here's the other thing we have a lot of symbolic terms here the key and the chain obviously are symbolic the term dragon is symbolic it's just a picture of what
[23:09] Satan is like what if the term bind is symbolic see think about when Christ came what happened things radically changed when Jesus came on the scene so Jesus begins preaching and remember what happens demons start popping up in people right I mean Jesus just comes around he's not looking for demons Jesus just comes around and demons demonic demonized people start popping up what are you doing here right and what does he do just with a word depart silent get out right so one time he did that in Matthew 12 his opponents the Pharisee says oh see he's he's in league with the devil he's working with Beelzebub he casts out demons by Beelzebub and
[24:11] Jesus says that's absolutely irrational why would Satan work against Satan and then he says here's what it's like if I cast out demons by the spirit then you need to know that the kingdom of heaven has come because that's what I'm doing I cast out demons by the spirit and then he gives an analogy he says it's it's like going into a strong man's house to plunder unless you first bind the strong man once you first bind the strong man then you can plunder his!
[24:47] And Jesus says that in relation to casting out demons when I cast out a demon I'm plundering Satan's house I'm binding the strong man and I'm casting out demons I'm plundering I'm oh you got that individual not anymore oh you got that guy you got that guy all under control not anymore conquering conquering captivating binding Jesus said in John 12 he's talking about his approaching death which remember John 12 is right before John 13 remember that so John 13 is the upper room right before he dies right so we know he's John 12 we're closer to death so he says now is the judgment of this world now will the ruler of this world be cast out and I when I am lifted up from the earth when I'm lifting up from the earth reference to his cross I will draw all men to myself when is the ruler of this world cast out when he rises up on the cross remember what
[26:01] Genesis says the offspring of the serpent right will bruise the heel of the Messiah but the Messiah will do what he will crush the head of the serpent that's what he did right here crushed him crushed him crushed him and then we learn in Revelation 12 right that that child of the woman right ascends to the to God and to his throne and immediately there's war in heaven and Satan is cast down I mean he's done not annihilated not totally destroyed but thrown down limited no more access to heaven no more accusation of the brethren his power of death has been conquered
[27:05] Satan is bound he's disarmed he's disabled he's radically limited his house is plundered that's what I think it means where is he cast verse three says he's now he's thrown he's cast he's thrown down same term as in Revelation 12 he's thrown down he's cast into the pit into the abyss the bottomless pit this spiritual dimension place not a physical place but a place where demons are the place sometimes called in Romans 12 the abyss is also where death and Hades is and it's also in Romans 9 the place where demonic locusts come is the place of the king of the abyss Abaddon Apollyon so what's the abyss it's symbolic I think of a place where demons are held in torment and where now
[28:13] Satan is thrown now we read the words in verse 3 there it says they cast him into the pit but then he shuts it and seals it now that sounds like total limitation doesn't it that sounds like he's out of the picture shut and sealed shut and sealed chained thrown shut and sealed but what if shut and sealed is sorry to bring this up but what if in the symbolic book shut and sealed is symbolic because the abyss is not a physical place that has an actual lid that you right we get that it's a spiritual dimension place sealed we've already seen the word sealed in revelation we understand that that's a symbol remember chapter seven the 144 thousand are sealed right sealed on their forehead that means what they're protected they're protected does that mean they don't they don't even get killed no sealed means their spiritual their spirit and their soul is absolutely protected they go before
[29:27] God they're they're safe will they be martyred most likely every believer is sealed we're all sealed but we're not protected from dying or being killed we're like the two witnesses we're absolutely invincible until the time is out that doesn't mean take unnecessary risk I'm invincible yeah you are until God says okay you're good come on well done okay so so they're protected but not fully protected the abyss is a symbol I think of partial binding let me show you one more thing revelation 12 let's just go back to revelation 12 and I want to show you the similarity there's a ton of similarities between the description of revelation 12 7 to 12 and our text here
[30:30] Satan's thrown down from heaven just the text and remember this is in revelation 12 verse 5 describes remember the dragon was trying to kill the woman's child remember we know that was the Messiah one with the rod of iron right he's the Messiah and then this child ascends right is brought up to heaven to God and to his throne so that's the ascension of Jesus when he resurrected he ascended into heaven and all of the New Testament tells us that he sat down at the right hand of God he's now the judge he's now the king he's now the ruler and king of kings right from his ascension so at that point so then in Revelation 12 7 then the next verse says now war rose in heaven there's a war Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back but he the dragon was defeated literally he the dragon was not able right to fight back and there was no longer was thrown down that ancient serpent who is called the devil and
[31:47] Satan the deceiver of the whole world he was thrown down to the earth and his angels were thrown down with him and I heard a loud voice in heaven saying so Christ is ascended Satan is thrown down earth the proclamation now now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come not will come in the future they have come Christ is on his throne he has come the devil has been thrown down kingdom has come why for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down who accuses them day and night before our God and they who the brothers they have conquered!
[32:33] Him who they have conquered him the subject of this whole section of the dragon the brothers Christians saints have conquered the dragon you can conquer the dragon yeah you can because why because he's bound how do they conquer they have conquered him how by the blood of the lamb okay that's the yeah that's the defeat and by what by the word of their testimony the word the word the word of their testimony truth what is it what is our one offensive weapon in the armor of God that defeats Satan word swerved and we like say sword of the sword of the spirit swerved our words flee for they love not their lives to death therefore rejoice
[33:45] O heavens and you who dwell in them but woe to you O earth and sea for the devil has come down to you in great wrath why because he knows that his time is short short so after Christ's resurrection Satan is conquered he's restricted he's bound from heaven he's thrown down he is still we know this he's still able to tempt us isn't he absolutely still active he still can deceive but that's all he can do he can still deceive you but he's limited by cross victory we've seen this in revelation when the dragon goes after the woman what happens to the woman in chapter 12 revelation right she's taken by the wings of God right to a wilderness where she's protected from the dragon does that mean the dragon can't tempt her no doesn't mean he can't tempt her but he means she's protected she's safe not from his words she's safe he's bound he can't only he can't reach he can only speak that's
[35:12] I think that's clear devil cannot control the believer we've just saying same power right he who is within me is greater than he who is in the world he can't touch you can he harass you oh yeah oh yeah has God given permission sometimes to do a little more oh yeah remember brother Job remember Peter Satan demanded permission to sift you please don't do that please please don't give him that okay but he cannot control you in fact we're told resist the devil and what he'll flee how do I do that resist the devil in other words like
[36:12] Jesus did no it is written not by a sword fight no by simply no it is no devil it is written flee immorality tempted the lust it is written flee immorality you ever tried that works I didn't have to try to power over him tempted to worry it is written do not be anxious for today I'm not speaking my words I'm just quoting the Lord and what is Satan going do with that okay fine he came back at Jesus by twisting some scripture oh you want to do scripture okay yeah don't do that with Jesus you can't you you don't win okay resist a meal who will give an army army armor put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to do what stand against what the schemes the schemes of the devil hold up your shield so that what it will your faith will extinguish what fiery darts where do the darts come from his mouth to your ear you're not good enough you're such a failure you're not a good
[38:01] Christian oh look you failed again come on just give it up you don't deserve you shouldn't be out here whatever he says to you huh oh you're depressed again oh poor baby no that's just mine I'm sorry fiery darts what do you do with that you do like Luther to throw him back so yeah I'm a lot worse than that Satan you're not even getting started on how bad I am but Jesus Jesus got me your accusations don't do anything yeah I deserve all you say I deserve but Lord says forgive him we say right forgive him Lord forgive him I plead five wounds of Christ plead forgive him look forgive him forgive him forgive him not because
[39:08] I would deserve it so okay so first of all the restrictions Satan's activities are restricted bound from the time of Christ so why why what's the reason verse three so they threw him into the abyss shut and sealed it over him why why is he bound so that he might not deceive the nations any longer it does not say so that he might not tempt believers any longer it doesn't say that so that he might not deceive the nations translation Gentiles any longer so the reason is to prevent Satan from deceiving nations Gentiles any longer so that means it's what he's already been doing so whenever this binding happens it is from the time of when what he's been doing all along stops so why is he bound well it tells us he clarifies why he's bound it clarifies in what way he's bound he's bound specifically that he may not deceive the nations that's how he's bound that's what it says he's bound that he may not deceive the nations any longer so what does that mean any longer so
[40:47] I want you to think about this think about this think about this so in the Old Testament how much did the Gentile nations come to the truth come to repentance come to salvation how often are the nations in the Old Testament saved pretty rare huh I mean there certainly are some we have Rahab we have Ruth we have we have those we have Tamar we have them but clearly but what about that promise to Abraham that all the families of the earth will be blessed through Abraham when's that coming not in the Old Testament little little pictures of it little pictures of it God loves Gentiles too but how come they don't come oh because Israel failed they're supposed to be a light they're supposed to be out there proclaiming are they where is that they're supposed to keep a covenant they can't even do that he says
[42:00] I'll make you a light in fact no no I'll make my Messiah the light Isaiah you're a light kind of but not much of a light because you don't keep dimming the bulb so we blame Israel but I don't think that's it so when Christ comes we just read this I think last week right so we're looking we're in the season of epiphany when Christ appears right the appearing of Christ the light of Christ we're calling it the light of Christ in different ways right so so Matthew 4 says that when he appeared he fulfills the scripture that says the land of Zebulun and Naphtali parentheses land of the Gentiles you know Gentile territory Galilee Galilee what good comes out of Galilee upon them what happens in the land of darkness land of misery a great light all of a sudden a great light in
[43:11] Galilee what happens in Jesus ministry I mean he's he's doing his you know I'm I'm sent to the sheep of Israel sent to the sheep of Israel but he keeps getting interrupted here comes this centurion here comes this Syrophoenician woman that won't leave him alone right he says ah you know bread you know the children's bread's not for the dogs remember her I love that lady I'll take a crumb puppies get the crumbs under the tail I'll take a crumb that's fine Jesus says that now that's great faith and it wasn't an Israelite centurion had great faith too wasn't an Israelite and then he stops off in Samaria what's Jesus doing over there because the Samaritans are you know they're mixed blood I mean yeah they used to be the ten tribes but then they went you know and they assimilated and they came back and they're all mixed
[44:17] I mean if you're a Jew you go all the way around Samaria Jesus went right through Samaria spent three days there saved a bunch of them things are changing that's just when he came this is before his death and resurrection that's when he came Gentiles are coming all time so I want you to think about that then you come to the book of Acts what happens oh my goodness go to the Jews first go to the Jews first go to the Jews first Paul does it everywhere he goes I go to the Jews first they don't want it so I go to the Gentiles they want it why because all of a sudden lights are on all of a sudden all of a sudden veils are lifted why because at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came and that's a game changer Old Testament Spirit comes Samson for a while leave Samson
[45:20] Saul for a oh no not going to stay with Saul get out of there come to David pretty good pretty good oh chapter 11 of 2 Samuel David you were doing so good you know the Spirit worked differently in the Old Testament didn't he he didn't stay Jesus says when I go I will never leave you I will send my helper you're talking about the helper I will send my helper just like me he'll be with you forever and if he's in you the devil can't touch you you will conquer him and conquer him if you resist him he will run from you because you're so powerful no because he sees there's a Holy Spirit in you and it's like I don't want any of unless he can try to deceive us that oh maybe God took the Spirit away oh if I sin enough I might think
[46:23] I might think like David please don't take your Holy Spirit from me I might think he could do that that would be a deception of the evil one because God doesn't do that Jesus promised but I can you know when I'm falling I can start listening to stuff so okay so what about this thousand year period then it's more likely that it is symbolic of a very very long time so we have different time references in Revelation right we have 1260 days we have 42 months we have a three and a half season now we have a one thousand years that's quite a bit longer than 1260 days 42 months three and a half season well we don't know how long a season is right season well yeah okay so but but a thousand years to God is like a day so you know in
[47:32] God's timing it's only been two days so another thousand years we'll be there if you go by that and there were people in the way back in the early centuries that were like okay there's going to be seven millenniums to the whole earth so so we're counting right we're in the seventh by the way if that's right if if you're only counting the literal numbers of Genesis and not counting all the skip gaps that aren't there we're actually probably in the ten thousand range anyway so church age so we've saw we saw in chapter 13 and chapter 12 that the church age is like three and a half seasons right for the woman in the desert right 42 months for the time of the beast's authority right three and a half three and a half that's kind of that's just a figure of the time so it seems relatively short so in in one sense the time between Christ's first coming and his second coming is relatively short three and a half years three and a half seasons 42 months from
[48:39] God's perspective from our perspective it's more like a thousand years right it seems longer than three and a half 42 months it just seems like that I don't know God I'm just from my perspective so we have that kind of thing in in revelation all the time there's kind of this tension this kind of you know it looks like one thing but it's really another thing also you know so you're sealed you're sealed and you're protected but not absolutely protected your soul is safe but you may also be have the have the great honor of being a martyr so afterwards what happens uh in verse three so that he may not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years are ended after that he must be released for a short time so God has a plan after a thousand years he's released for a short time just like in chapter 12 12 where he's cast to earth and he knows that his time is short are those the same two short times he's loose to do what we see verse seven he's loose to do what and when verse seven when the thousand years are ended Satan is released from his prison and he will come out to do what to deceive the nations of uh that are at the four corners of the earth these two strange nations Gog and
[50:08] Magog we'll look at the next time or a couple of weeks away in Ezekiel there are there yeah anyway um to get to what deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth Gog and Magog to do what deceive them for what to gather to gather them for battle like we heard in chapter 16 like we heard in chapter 17 like we heard in chapter 19 to gather them for the final battle just like the dragon in chapter 16 sent out frogs right from the mouth to deceive the kings of the earth to gather for the final battle at Armageddon chapter 16 17 they gather to fight the lamb the lamb conquers them chapter 19 this king of kings comes and the nations are gathered right by the false teacher or the false prophet who deceives them to gather and when Christ comes what happens is not much of a battle because he says birds get ready birds get ready right battle birds okay now it doesn't take long I think we're seeing the same picture again I think we're just seeing the same picture I don't think we're seeing in chapter 20 a whole so chapter 19 we have a final battle final battle final battle oh wait a minute wait there's another final battle a thousand years later I maybe I just don't I think the way revelation is unfolding it's here it is again different perspective so it so let me show you interesting cross reference this is a text second
[52:10] Thessalonians 2 and I never really had a grasp of before and now I think I have enough pieces to kind of oh oh does it fit here all right you judge let me read it second Thessalonians 2 Paul is also referring to the end time he's referring to the restraint of Satan that somehow Satan is being held back interesting he's bound doesn't use that word but but he's he's being held back somehow at for the end time so just see what Paul says you judge now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ so he's talking about the coming back of Christ and are being gathered together with him we ask excuse me we ask you brothers not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed either by a spirit or spoken word or a letter seeming to be from us to the effect that the day of Lord has already come so don't believe it it's not yeah it hasn't happened yet or people going around saying oh Lord's already come too late you missed it so let no let no one deceive you in any way for that day when Christ comes back that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed the son of destruction that man who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called
[53:31] God or object of worship so that he takes his seat in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God sounds a lot like chapter 13 of Revelation the beast the Antichrist Caesar in the first century did exactly that Domitian did that well I mean Domitian is the one that sent John to Patmos did that thou thou shalt worship me said Domitian so so Paul says so he's not coming back until the rebellion happens first by the way the rebellion be very fast but it happens first do not do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things and you know watch this and you know that what is restraining him now what is restraining this rebellion and this man of lawlessness what is restraining him now so that he may so that he may be revealed in his time so he's being restrained until his time comes and then he'll be revealed everyone will know there he is there he is there he is here it comes gathering all the nations boom okay that's what he's saying for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work we already see lawlessness we already see sin we already see rebellion only he who now restrains it it's not full-on rebellion he who now restrains it will do so until he's out of the way and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming that's Revelation 19 slang with the coming of the lawless one here he defines it the coming of the lawless one this Antichrist figure is by the activity of Satan he's just talking about Satan with all powerful signs and wonders with all the wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused why are they deceived because they refuse to love the truth and so be saved so Paul speaking in the end he's talking about Christ's return he talks about killing rebels with his breath he talks about defeating the acts of Satan for now this is being restrained until the end it's already at work but it's not a full rebellion not a full deception that happens at the end it'll be quick Satan will be released the the frogs from the dragon's mouth and from the beast mouth and from the false prophet now will go out and deceive people to come and gather in the plane of harmageddon and then they're more march to the city to the hill to the Mount Zion the city of God and there attack it but before they can what happens bam lamb lion lamb king of kings and we ride along to watch because we ain't dressed for battle remember we're wearing all white and we don't have swords or anything he doesn't he doesn't he doesn't he has a scepter and he has a sword in his mouth not it just he just says it just says just like all through his earthly life he spoke to the deaf man here to the blind man see to the syrophoenician woman who's pleading for her demonized daughter go she's healed she's okay go it's done wait a minute you didn't even go yeah I mean the centurion knew that right you just say the word you just say the word I know who you are say the word
[57:32] I don't even don't come you don't deserve to come I don't deserve to have you come so just say the word I remember Jesus like Peter did you see what this guy just said talk about faith you trust me would you do that just gets the gentiles really show some stuff don't they so I believe we lived during the thousand years I'm not going to die for this I you know I just think that's more likely that that's what's being said here my beloved teachers could still be right and and this mysterious millennium could still be a future thing that I don't get except that maybe if God is doing it for the love of Israel then I can say okay okay maybe he's doing something just for that I mean God can do whatever he wants huh he can certainly do something that doesn't make sense to me but given everything else why would Jesus rule on earth he's already ruler of everything why would he build the physical kingdom on earth he already has the eternal kingdom why would he rebuild the temple and start the sacrifices again when when he has fulfilled all sacrifice but again the only reason I can conceive of is maybe there's something for Israel there well I just destroyed my whole argument didn't I all right I just I'm not bound to this so we live in the I I'm convinced we're we're already in this thousand years that Satan is now restrained Jesus restrained him and then his death and resurrection defeated him and and and took away from him and disarmed from him what power he did have his his his his gospel goes out there is a radical spread of the gospel the darkness is lifted from the Gentiles and the light shines the devil's house is plundered over and over and over and over and over again
[60:00] Satan cannot stop but the story of acts continues the work of the spirit inspired word awakens dead souls he lifts the veil of darkness that Satan casts over people's eyes this is how beloved you were saved how were you saved you were in darkness you were dead how did how did how did you come to see light did you just figure it out no you know you didn't but we thought so at the time oh I I can see it now but how did I go from blindness to sight how did I go from not hearing anything just to oh oh I get it how did it how did my heart change so that that I hate commandments hmm what I hate commandments to oh I don't love them but I want to do them because it pleases him it's his command that's not hard how does that happen it's how you were saved it's how the deaf today will hear it's how the blind will see it's how the lost will have hope because Satan does not have the power he used to have still has power he still deceives he still blinds but when the gospel comes he's no match this is why we can have confidence as we pray for ones we love and why we can have confidence when we witness because the spirit combines with our witness and we never know when that's going to happen he's going to use our words and he's going to bring light right there through our feeble weak right words as Luther wrote in his hymn one little word shall fell him let's pray father we thank you for your word
[62:19] I pray oh lord today that we capture the big image that is here in these verses that Satan does not have that kind of power he can be easily bound and sealed up and we thank you lord that we already see a measure a great measure of that today by our own salvation by the spread of your gospel lord around the world in a radical immense way that the world has never seen before your coming and so father impress upon us the relation the application of this whole text that that if this is already going on then we have reason to have great confidence we have reason to not fear we have reason to be bold and so encourage us in those ways father we pray in Christ's name amen amen amen
[63:21] Thank you.