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| Order Of Worship (Liturgy) *Song of Adoration: Hymnal #219:1-4 “O Worship the King” Song of Confession: Hymnal #16A:1-3 “Preserve Me, O My God” *Song of Preparation: Hymnal #388 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers” Scripture Passage: Revelation 20 Message: Total Victory *Song of Response: Hymnal #387 “Day of Judgement! Day of Wonders!” *Doxology: Hymnal #96:1,2 “Sing to the Lord, Sing His Praise” |
Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
After the fall of the Soviet Union in Ukraine, Christians began buying back old churches the Soviets had turned into public bathrooms and other such buildings. One church in particular was bought by Christians and they began the work of restoring the dilapidated building. One worker saw something in the gutter of the building. As he picked it up, he realized it was the cross that used to sit atop the steeple. The Soviets sawed it off and discarded it and there it sat in the gutter. The workers cleaned it up and put it back in its rightful place on top of the steeple.
The worker who tells this story smiled and said, “The men who raised their fists and said, ‘God is dead’ and ‘we will conquer the world’, where are they now? They are gone, the Soviet Union is no more. They tried to stop the kingdom of God, but like that cross in the gutter, obscured and weak looking for a time, the kingdom of God was still there.
This morning we turn our attention to Revelation 20 and within this chapter we will receive a glimpse of history since Christ all in one swoop. This is taken from a bit of a different angle than chapter 19 and what came earlier. Our theme is Our Lord Jesus Christ and his bride is victorious over every enemy.
- The Binding of Satan vs. 1-3
- The Reign of the Saints vs. 4-10
- The Final Judgment vs. 11-15
I. The Binding of Satan
In verse 1 we are reminded that John is seeing this. What does John see? He sees an angel coming down out of heaven with some very interesting things in his hand. He has a key and a chain. The key is for the bottomless pit and the great chain is to bind the dragon. In verse 2 we see the angel grab hold of the dragon, who is the Devil proper, and he is bound, he is chained up. He is thrown into the bottomless pit and is able to deceive the nations no more.
What does this mean? When is or was Satan bound? In the Old Testament, Satan was permitted by God to roam freely. Think of Job, when God asks Satan where he was, and Satan says, I was roaming about on the earth. In the OT, all of the nations of the world were deceived except one. There was 1 nation that God would offer his special protection, there was 1 nation with which God would establish his covenant. That nation was Israel. Israel was God’s chosen people. God protected his people from the power and reign of the Devil. But, God did not protect the other nations. God was not protecting Egypt or Assyria or Philistia, etc.
But, something changed, and that changed happens in verses 1-2 of our text. What caused Satan to be bound? The obvious answer is the resurrection of Christ is what bound Satan. However, already before that, Satan was slowly being bound by the lamb of God. Think of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Christ would not bow the knee to the Devil, and each time one of these pivotal events occurred, they were small victories in the plan of redemption.
Ultimately, Christ defeated Satan in his death and resurrection and after Christ’s resurrection, everything changed. The death and resurrection are certainly the climactic points in world history. What happened to the people of God and the gospel after the resurrection? The gospel went out. Prior to that, the gospel stayed in. It was primarily Israelites who were being saved, but a quick reading of the book of Acts and you can see the gospel making inroads to all the nations. It can do so, because Satan, the great deceiver of the nations is bound.
Though we might say that the trajectory of morality in this world is getting worse and worse, we must praise God for the spread of the gospel. The nations have received the gospel. Many of the European nations have patron saints which converted the people’s there. Think of someone like St. Patrick and his missionary work to Ireland. He turned the barbaric tribesmen into followers of the Jesus Christ. It was through the spread of the gospel in the Middle Ages that promoted learning and education and eventually the translation of the scriptures, etc. The gospel has a permeating effect in the world.
But, notice also the end of verse three. It says, “After that he must be released for a little while.” This is referring to the short period of time at the end of the millennium and prior to Christ return. There is nothing more presently said about this.
We must remember however, that although Satan is bound, he is still allowed to deceive and corrupt, he just cannot so blind the nations, as to bring together Gog and Magog, which we will see in a moment. Satan is bound for the sake of the ushering forth of the gospel, but he will be heard from again.
II. The Reign of the Saints vs. 4-10
Verses 4. Describe for us the wonderful comfort of losing our loved one who belong to the Lord. Whether they are children or parents, husbands, wives, siblings or friends, it is often asked, what are they doing now? They, that is, their souls are reigning. They are reigning, because they are with Christ and with and in Christ, they are victorious.
Verse 4 is a bit of a tricky verse to translate. It is very easy to get bogged down on differing views of it, but let us understand simply that this is speaking of martyrs who are in heaven, who were faithful to God and became martyrs because of it. They did not bow to the beast, they did not receive the mark of the beast, they stood firm. Included with them, are all those who experience the first resurrection of verse 5.
In verse 5, we read something of a first resurrection and then in verse 6 of a second death. How many resurrections are there and how many deaths. There are two of each, but only one of each is what we would consider physical. The first resurrection is when our souls are lifted up to heaven. The second resurrection occurs when Christ returns and our bodies are raised out of the earth and they are united with our souls. There is not another secret resurrection, dispensationalists call is the secret rapture. What the Bible means by rapture, is what happens to the saints when Jesus returns again, visibly of which Revelation 20 is speaking about. We will be resurrected on that day, lifted up and souls and bodies reunited. This is the second and final resurrection.
The first death occurs when we breathe our last in this life. All people experience the first death, unless they happen to be living when Christ returns. The second death is the final judgement for the wicked when they are cast into everlasting hell-fire. We will see that shortly.
It is quite easy to get caught up in the details of Revelation, and that might have a proper place from time to time, but it is important for us to remember the larger picture here. Those who fall asleep in Jesus as I Thessalonians puts it, Christians who die are victorious and they are reigning with Christ right now. They are in glory as kings and priests of our God. We sing, that these saints in glory are holding “palms of victory.” Not of defeat, but of victory. The church in heaven is called the church triumphant because they have made it. They, in Christ have won the victory and those who have gone before us as martyrs, will receive the crown that awaits martyrs.
Where is this reign of Christ? It is in heaven. Three reasons we know this. First, verse 4 mentions thrones which are always in heaven in Rev. E.g. 1:4; 3:21; 4:2ff. 7:9-11; 12:5, etc. Second, this is the place of souls, and third, this is where Christ is now reigning as he sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. Christ’s reign with His saints for the 1,000 years is in heaven.
Now in verse 7, we come back to this release of Satan at the end of the millennium. This release of Satan comes before Christ’s return, not after. Our text in verse 8ff. Uses language taken from Ezekiel 38-39 in referring to Gog and Magog. This is a reference to the unbelieving nations which are enemies of the kingdom of God. They represent the kingdom of this world...they are doomed. Their doom is foretold in Ez. 38. There is much speculation of Gog and Magog and of them representing the unbelieving powers of the world forming a world government, etc. What we can be sure about, is that in those last days the church will be severely attacked. We have seen this already with the prostitute of Babylon. So too with Gog and Magog. The enemies, whose number is great in verse 8, will be punished. Fire will come down from heaven and devour them. The Satanic rebellion will be crushed and then the judgement can take place.
III. The Final Judgement
In verse 10 we see the crushing of Satan, who was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where he can join his comrades, the beast and the false prophet. Their punishment, “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Immediately after that Christ returns. He is the one sitting on the great white throne of verse 11. Christ is judge in all of His glory. All of this is happening on that final day of world history.
The judgement begins to take place in verse 12 (read). There are two books that are opened up. One I would call the book of works or actions. This is the book containing all evil that was done. In chapter 18 this was referred to as the consciences. Here is the irony of the wicked and cruel and manipulative in this world. Those who think that they can get away with it. Those who think, well, it is okay, so long as nobody finds out about it, are sorely mistaken. It is written in the book.
This judgement however is not a negative judgement, it is a universal judgement. Both the wicked and the righteous are included. There is no differentiation of people, small big, those who were drowned and taken by the sea, etc. Also, notice the use of two books and each in verse 13 judged according to their works.
Premillennialists do not have a good explanation of this. In their opinion, the righteous will have been judged 1,000 years beforehand and just the wicked are left at the final judgement here. However, in verse 12, we see the book of life. This is further substantiated in other places in scripture, for example, Matthew 25:32, 46.
Notice the last phrase in verse 13. There certainly is a whole sermon contained in the phrase, “and they were judged, each one according to his works.” That can be one of the most fearful statements in scripture. It depends where on the side of the judgement you stand. If it would have to be our works that must pass the scrutiny of almighty God, we are in for a world of trouble.
It comes down to faith. It is faith in Jesus Christ that secures our name in the book of life. So what, do our works not matter? Oh no, they matter, but our works do not put our name in the book of life. We will be rewarded in one way or another for our works, our works testify to the fact that our name either is or is not in the book of life. But, what you must realize, is that when the term judgement comes up, your only defense and explanation is Christ. Have you ever seen a child get caught in a lie and try to lie their way out of it. You want to say, “stop, just admit it and we can deal with it from there. The more they explain the worse it gets.” We must say, “stop, no need for an explanation, just plead Christ.” What gives us a right to stand on that side? It is Christ.
Congregation, if it is going to be Christ that we will be pleading on the judgement day, that we had better make sure he is not just lord then, but even now. No man can have two masters and our must be Our Lord Jesus Christ.
For those not found to be in the book of life, their end is destruction. In verse 14 Death and Hades are personified, the place of the dead. They are cast into the lake of fire. Anyone not found in the Book of Life is thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second and final death...this will be their eternal destiny in the lake of fire, a word picture for hell. The outcome of the righteous, we will cover that in the next two chapters of Revelation.
Do not be discouraged. Though the church and kingdom might not seem mighty in this world, they already have victory in Christ. Like the cross found in the gutter of the Ukrainian church, forgotten and diminished for a time, the day is coming where it will have its rightful place. The Lord is coming. By God’s grace we can be assured of our salvation in Him and the victory of Christ and his bride. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Amen.
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Steven Swets, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Steven Swets
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