Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
The book of Revelation reads like a Hallmark holiday TV special. It’s good news followed by bad news, turning to good news back to bad news to finally a happy ending. The last of the bad news in this story is as bad as it gets, and the last of the good news is as good as it gets.
Today we will look at the bad news near the end of the story.
Rev.20:7
As I have stated there will be multitudes of people born during the millennial dispensation. During this time great spiritual knowledge of Jesus Christ and the will of the Father in heaven will be universal. Language barriers will be broken and there will be the constant presence of Christ on earth, Jer.31:33-34. Worship will be at the center of international interest for both personal reasons and national prosperity reasons, Zech.14:9-21.
However, in spite of having a peaceful earth with no wars; no disease; no starvation; no poverty; no injustice; no dangerous climactic events; all the things the liberals think create the environment for international unrest will be unheard of. The world will be as perfect as it can be while still sustaining lost humanity. Many of those born during this period will not receive Jesus Christ as Savior. The human will still opposes the goodness of God. Mankind whenhaving the best of the best is still unclean and unrighteous before God. People living the high life often forget the goodness of God. During those years men will spurn the grace of God just like they do now.
v.7And so at the end of the millennial dispensation God will release [future passive indicative verb] from the Greek word luo; the great deceiver, Satan and his band of bound demons will be loosened from the bottomless pit. Men will be given the choice to follow his lead or repent and turn to Christ.
Apparently from v.8 the number of these men is as the sand of the sea. There were so many they could not be counted. As noted in Isa.65:18-25 there will be a great population explosion as people live much longer and have many more children. The resentment they feel toward God will grow and grow for nearly a thousand years. Oh yes the first generation of millennial people will all be believers, but not all of their off spring through the following generations will believe. Just as it is today children born to Christian parents can choose to go another way in life. They can blame everything under the sun for not receiving and following Christ but none of their excuses can be justified.
v.8
Satan will go out and deceive people from the nations all over the world. Deceive comes from the Greek word, planos, and gives the idea of one who is wandering or straying. Obviously Satan, as a roaring lion seeks out those who have no spiritual perception. They do not see his ploy, nor do they see themselves as pawns.
These strays are unbelievers who are not attracted to Jesus Christ. Satan’s deception appeals to the admiration of mankind. Satan works in harmony with the old sin nature. He weaves a story line that goes like the one he wove on Eve. “Hey, are you gonna set back and let that world ruler, Jesus Christ tell you what to do? Are you going to subject yourself to tiny Israel forever and her King? Who says you’re not good enough to get to heaven on your own good deeds; why you’ve done more than most.
And to you national leaders, why are you not standing up for yourselves and claiming your independence from that powerful middle eastern leader, you don’t need him, you’ve got each other and together you can rule the world, not Christ.” And so men will gather to battle against Jesus Christ and the saints.
The mention of Gog and Magog is not the same as Gog and Magog as noted in Ezekiel’s prophecy, Ez.38-39. That attack from the king of the north upon Israel in the second half of the tribulation period initiates the battle that draws all foreign combatants into the valley of Megiddo. That attack on Israel turns out to be a disaster for the king of the north as his armies are completely wiped out. Many believe the use of Gog and Magog in Rev.20:8 simply came to be a by-word that is used to describe the utter defeat of a military aggressor such as “ Waterloo” has come to define ones ultimate defeat. As you know it was at Belgium, Waterloo that Napoleon and his conquering army was defeated. Napoleon lost 40,000 men in one day. It was said that a total of over 45,000 men were lying dead within a three mile area.
Satan and all of unbelieving humanity will meet their Waterloo/ Gog Magog defeat.
v.9
As the nations had once earlier attempted, they will surround Jerusalem, the Millennial world headquarters of our Lord Jesus Christ, Isa.2:1-5. This time God will send fire from heaven and destroy the unbelieving armies. I believe it is at this time that the millennial saints will be translated and resurrected such as the rapture generation of the church age when the church age ends.
v.10
This time Satan is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the antichrist and the false prophet have been for a thousand years. The prophecy of this day was given in Gen.3:15 where it was stated that the Lord would crush the head of the serpent, Satan. God also gave this prophesy in Isa.14:15. Our Lord said in Matt.25:41 that this fire was prepared for the devil and his angels.
Satan is real, as real as you and me, and his final place of residence is somewhere in the lake of fire. He will not rule there, he will not rot there. He will be tormented day and night thereforever and ever. Those who go to hell are not annihilated. Human beings who end up there are given a body made for eternal damnation. Just because men reject Christ does not mean God makes them less human. Human beings have souls, and souls are given by God whether men like it or not. Those souls are made after the image of God and since God gives life to the soul, the soul lives forever. The body is mortal, but the soul is immortal. Where will your soul spend eternity? Either way it will get a body one day; a resurrected glorified body or a resurrected damnation body. It’s up to you. If you accept Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of your sins God will take care of the rest. If you say no to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sins God will also take care of the rest after you die. Will you receive Christ Jesus today? I pray you will. “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Rom.10:13
We will cover more of this in detail next week, God willing.