When we arrive in Revelation 20, the Antichrist and the False Prophet have already been judged and confined into the lake of fire for eternity. Satan is bound in the bottomless pit for the duration of the literal Millennial Reign of Christ on earth. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit.
Revelation 20:7-8 NKJV Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
Throughout the thousand years, Christ will rule the earth in righteousness with a rod of iron, (Revelation 2:7; 12:5; 19:15).
What does that mean?
There will be natural people who survive the Tribulation and live in the Millennium in their natural bodies. In Isaiah 65:18-25, the Lord spoke about this time. The voice of weeping or crying shall no longer be heard in Jerusalem. They will have children and will repopulate the earth. There will be no miscarriages or infant deaths, a child shall die at one hundred years old. Old people shall fulfill their days. The sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat their fruit. For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of God’s people. They shall long enjoy the work of their hands and they shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth children for trouble. They shall be the descendants of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them. Before they call, God will answer; and while they are still speaking, He will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all God’s holy mountain.
They will be ruled by Christ and will be required to live a righteous life. They will know Jesus Christ in His perfect kingdom. Throughout the thousand year age of Christ’s reign, Satan, sin, and the curse will be removed from the earth. There will be no temptation and natural people will serve Christ without necessarily having faith in Him. Many of these natural people will serve God out of requirement but not from the heart. They will not live under the grace of the Church age. The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness with a rod of iron.
Why will Satan be released from the bottomless pit to deceive the nations?
First, Satan will be released to reveal what is truly in the heart of mankind.
People who go through the millennium will be no different from other individuals in any other generation or age. The reign of Christ on earth does not remove the nature and character of natural humanity. They will have a free will and will be given an opportunity to choose Christ. Most of them will follow after their own way after Satan’s deception and reject Christ. Their rebellion against Christ demonstrates their depravity and lack of inward commitment to His Lordship. As has been demonstrated throughout the history of mankind, natural people will be susceptible to Satan’s deception.
Second, Satan will be released to show beyond a doubt God’s justice.
During the Millennial Reign of Christ natural people will not have a choice. They will be taught righteousness with a rod of iron. When Satan is released and deceives the nations, people will turn against the righteous rule of Christ. God’s final and eternal judgment will be shown or proved to be justified when the utter corruption and evil in people’s hearts is revealed.
Revelation 20:7-8 NKJV Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
When Satan is released from his prison, he will go out to deceive the nations. His success in rebellion against Christ is seen in the attack against Jerusalem and Christ’s kingdom. The nations will be gathered together from the whole earth to Satan’s last revolt against God. “Gog and Magog” is a rabbinical title for the nations that are in rebellion against the Lord. “Gog and Magog” are also mentioned in Ezekiel’s prophecy, (Ezekiel 38-39). The battle of Gog and Magog is not to be confused with the Battle of Armageddon, (Revelation 16:14; 19:17-21). In the Battle of Armageddon the armies of the world will join with the Antichrist in Jezreel valley near Megiddo. It will be the last great war on earth before Christ’s return and millennial reign. The battle of Gog and Magog will be Satan’s last revolt and will involve the natural people who rebel against Christ. The numbers of people that will be gathered for this last battle will be as the sand of the sea. This is a final removal of all remaining rebels against God at the close of the Millennium.
Revelation 20:9 NKJV They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
The rebellion and battle of Gog and Magog against Jerusalem and the camp of the saints is stopped by immediate judgment from heaven.
Revelation 20:10 NKJV The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The lake of fire and brimstone was prepared for the devil and his angels. Death and hell will also be cast into the lake of fire, (Revelation 20:14). Satan, the Antichrist and False Prophet, and every demon along with all of the wicked and unbelieving will eternally be confined in the Lake of Fire. They will be tormented “day and night forever and ever.”
The Great White Throne Judgment
Revelation 20:11 NKJV Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
The great white throne judgment is one of the dramatic and climactic events following the Millennial Reign of Christ. The awesome glory and power of Him who sat on the throne is demonstrated by the earth and sky fleeing from His face. This is the throne of God’s judgment in heaven and the decisions made are eternal. After the first resurrection and thousand year reign of Christ comes the second resurrection and Great White Throne Judgment. All who were not part of the first resurrection of the blessed will be resurrected and brought to stand before God. That means their bodies will be reunited with their spirit and soul. Each of them who stand before God have been offered and have rejected God’s great salvation. Ecclesiastes 12:14 tells us, “God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” Everyone who stands before the Great White Throne of God will be bearing their own sins. They will have no covering or cleansing by the righteous blood of Christ. They will find no place to hide from Him with whom they have to give an account.
Revelation 20:12 NKJV And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
Every unbeliever, regardless of their standing or position when the lived on earth, will have to stand before God. There are at least two kinds of books that are kept in heaven. The books will be opened and those standing before God will be judged according to the things written in the books.
The Book of Life has everyone’s name registered who has been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ from the foundation of the world, (Revelation 13:8).
If anyone rejects the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s salvation, their name will be blotted out of the Book of Life.
Revelation 3:5 NKJV He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
There are also books of records of everyone’s works.
The book of records holds the events of each person’s life. God’s judgment will be just and fair. Each one will be judged according to their own works, whether good or bad. All final judgments refer to the works that have been done, whether they are the works of Christians at the Judgment Seat of Christ or the works of the unsaved at the Great White Throne.
This is the Second Resurrection
Revelation 20:13 NKJV The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
The bodies of the wicked dead must be delivered up from the grave, the sea, and from death. This refers to the resurrection of the wicked who are scattered all over the earth. Their body and spirit shall be reunited and shall be raised to stand before the Great White Throne of God to be judged according to their works. Their bodies have been buried in various places on the earth. Their spirit has been held in Hades, a place of torment.
Remember the story of Lazarus and the Rich Man, (Luke 16:19-31).
Lazarus was awaiting the resurrection of believers in paradise. The rich man was awaiting the resurrection of the condemned in Hades, in a place of torment in flames.Everyone who rejects Christ will be brought to the Great White Throne of God and shall behold the splendors of that place. They will stand before the all-seeing and all-knowing God without the Advocate and Savior Jesus Christ. They will be judged without discrimination, partiality or favoritism and will face their ultimate and eternal judgment in the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:14-15 NKJV Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Death and Hades will be cast into the lake of fire. Hades is the place all unbelievers go after death. Hades is a temporary place where they await final judgment. The Lake of Fire and brimstone is the eternal place of torment and judgment. Some argue that the Lake of Fire is not real but is only spiritual separation from God. If it is spiritual and not real fire, it will still be a place of torment, punishment and separation from God. The Bible tells us the punishment and suffering in the Lake of Fire produces weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth, (Matthew 13:49-50, 22:13). In Matthew 25:30, the unprofitable servant will be cast into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Lake of Fire is the second death.
Death does not mean annihilation or ceasing to exist. The second death is the permanent and eternal separation from God and all that is good. Most of us have experienced the separation that takes place when a loved one dies. All of us have experienced the power of sin which brings spiritual death. The individual that experiences the second death is in a state and condition that never changes. Some have questioned how they could be in a place of torment, fire, and darkness forever and ever. The extent of the judgment of the second death is equal to the duration of the joy, peace and life experience by the redeemed of the Lord in the presence of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 NKJV These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power…
Remember the Lake of Fire is prepared for the devil and his angels. This everlasting destruction is the reward of the wicked who have denied and refused God’s grace and mercy. This is the second death.
