Revelation Chapter 20
I. Introduction: The Centrality of Revelation 20
Revelation 20 stands as one of the most debated chapters in Scripture. It is the only chapter in the Bible that explicitly teaches a literal, thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ on Earth—what is commonly known as the Millennium. The passage details four critical events in God’s eschatological program:
The binding of Satan.
The Millennial reign of Christ and His saints.
Satan’s final rebellion and defeat.
The Great White Throne Judgment.
Chuck Missler repeatedly emphasized that the interpretation of Revelation 20 determines your entire eschatological framework. It is the watershed text between premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism.
II. Satan Bound for a Thousand Years (Revelation 20:1–3)
Verse 1: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.”
This angel is nameless—highlighting that even the most powerful enemy of God (Satan) is no match for even an unnamed servant of heaven. Satan is not God’s equal; he is a created being under divine jurisdiction.
Missler points out that this demotion in adversarial status is theological: it demonstrates God’s effortless control over Satan.
Verse 2–3: “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old… bound him for a thousand years… that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.”
The passage uses five verbs: laid hold, bound, cast, shut, and sealed. This layered imagery reinforces the completeness and literal nature of the incarceration.
Missler notes: this is not symbolic. It is a direct fulfillment of God's promise to remove evil and usher in a period of global peace under Christ.
The reason Satan is bound is clear: to end deception (cf. John 8:44). Satan’s primary tool is not violence, but deceit. When Satan is removed, truth reigns.
Theological Implication: This is a divine act—not human effort. No one can "bind Satan" by spiritual authority in the present age as some falsely claim. It is a future act by God’s decree alone.
III. The Millennial Reign of Christ and His Saints (Revelation 20:4–6)
Verse 4: “And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them…”
This reflects Daniel 7:22 and Luke 19:17, where faithful saints are promised positions of governance in Christ’s kingdom.
This includes the church (Revelation 3:21), Tribulation martyrs, Old Testament saints, and possibly angelic beings.
Missler emphasizes that the thrones represent delegated authority. These are not symbolic “thrones of the heart,” but actual seats of government on Earth.
Verse 5–6: “This is the first resurrection… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
“First resurrection” refers to the righteous, resurrected in stages (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:22–24). Christ is the firstfruits; the Church is raptured; Tribulation saints are resurrected here.
“The second death has no power” means they are eternally secure—an explicit contrast to those who will appear at the Great White Throne.
Lesson Point: The Millennium is literal. It is not a symbolic “church age” or spiritual reign. The repeated use of “a thousand years” (six times in this chapter) reinforces its specificity.
IV. Satan’s Final Rebellion and Doom (Revelation 20:7–10)
Verses 7–8: “Satan will be released… to deceive the nations… Gog and Magog…”
The post-millennial rebellion is not a rehash of Ezekiel 38–39 but a typological reuse of “Gog and Magog” as identifiers of hostile nations.
Missler teaches that this rebellion proves a key doctrine: human depravity is intrinsic. Even after 1,000 years of peace and perfect government, mankind rebels.
This event silences all sociological excuses for sin—proving the issue lies in the heart, not the environment.
Verse 9–10: “Fire came down from heaven and devoured them… and the devil… was cast into the lake of fire… tormented day and night forever and ever.”
There is no battle. The war ends with fire from heaven—another direct act of divine judgment.
Satan joins the Beast and False Prophet, who have been there 1,000 years already—demolishing the false doctrine of annihilationism.
Application: Hell is eternal, conscious torment. “Forever and ever” (Greek: εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων) is the strongest possible expression of eternal duration in Koine Greek.
V. The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11–15)
Verse 11: “I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it…”
Great (megale) speaks to magnitude; white to purity; throne to authority.
This judgment is not for believers. Missler identifies it with John 5:22–29—Jesus as the Judge of the living and the dead.
Verses 12–13: “Books were opened… and the Book of Life… judged each one according to his works…”
The “books” record thoughts, words, motives, and actions (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14). There is no defense; the books speak for themselves.
The Book of Life is opened last. Its absence seals their fate.
Missler connects this to Daniel 7:10 and emphasizes it is not the Bema Seat (2 Corinthians 5:10), but a separate courtroom for eternal sentencing.
Verses 14–15: “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire… the second death.”
Death and Hades are personified and destroyed. The lake of fire is permanent, not a temporary place like Hades.
“The second death” is the ultimate separation from God—eternal, irreversible, and just.
VI. Theological Summary
I. The Nature of Divine Justice and the Separation of Resurrections
Key Texts: Revelation 20:4–6; John 5:28–29; Daniel 12:2
This chapter explicitly reveals a bifurcated resurrection—the first resurrection unto life, and the second unto condemnation. While mainstream Christianity often collapses resurrection into a single end-time event, Revelation 20 makes it clear there is a significant chronological and theological gap.
Doctrinal implications:
Premillennialism is the only interpretive framework that preserves a literal understanding of this chronology.
The first resurrection includes the righteous (Church Age saints, Tribulation martyrs, Old Testament saints as implied in Daniel 12:2).
The second resurrection (Revelation 20:12–13) is exclusively for the wicked dead.
Application: This affirms that God's justice includes both eternal life and eternal judgment. The resurrection is not just a reward but also a sentencing platform, showing God's impartiality and righteousness in final judgment.
II. The Vindication of the Martyrs and Reversal of Antichrist’s Claims
Key Texts: Revelation 20:4, Revelation 13:7–15
Those who were beheaded for not taking the mark of the beast are not forgotten. In fact, they are elevated to reign alongside Christ for 1,000 years. The irony is thick: the Antichrist claimed dominion and demanded worship, but those who refused him now sit in judgment over the world.
Theological insights:
Martyrdom is not defeat. It is coronation in disguise.
This models the Messianic reversal found throughout Scripture (Matthew 5:10–12, Romans 8:17).
Missiological lesson: Suffering for Christ always leads to exaltation (Philippians 1:29, 2 Timothy 2:12). In an age of increasing persecution, this reinforces perseverance and eternal perspective.
III. Satan's Release: A Theodicy of Evil in the Millennium
Key Texts: Revelation 20:7–10; Romans 9:22–23
Satan’s post-millennial release is a theological conundrum unless viewed as a final vindication of God’s justice. The release reveals the incorrigibility of sin. Even after a thousand years of peace, prosperity, and divine government, man rebels again when tempted.
Theodicy addressed:
This answers the age-old question, “What if we just had a better environment?” The answer: the problem lies in man’s nature, not merely his surroundings.
God allows rebellion one last time to silence every objection against His final judgment.
Systematic theology intersection: This chapter reveals anthropology (total depravity), soteriology (need for regeneration), and eschatology (final judgment) in their fullest interplay.
IV. The Great White Throne: Degrees of Punishment and the Books
Key Texts: Revelation 20:12–13; Luke 12:47–48; Romans 2:5–6
The wicked are judged according to their works, and the Book of Life is the final arbiter of eternal destiny. Yet within this framework, Scripture allows for degrees of punishment.
Doctrinal lesson:
Judgment is not random nor equal for all. It is personal, proportional, and exact.
Works matter—not to save, but to condemn more accurately (cf. Matthew 11:20–24; Luke 12:47–48).
Pastoral application: There is no such thing as a "minor sin" when it comes to rejecting Christ. Hell is not the same for all, but it is always terrible. And it is always eternal.
V. The Second Death and the Destruction of Death
Key Texts: Revelation 20:14, 1 Corinthians 15:24–26, Hebrews 2:14
The second death (the lake of fire) is the final death — not annihilation, but conscious, eternal separation from God. When death itself is cast into the lake of fire, this marks the end of the curse (Genesis 3:19; 1 Corinthians 15:26).
Theological implication:
Death is not natural; it is the result of sin. Its final destruction proves God’s redemptive plan is complete.
Christ is the last Adam who reverses what the first Adam unleashed.
Christological emphasis: The defeat of death and Hades showcases Jesus as “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25) in cosmic triumph.
VI. Eschatological Timeline and Covenant Fulfillment
Cross-referenced Themes:
Abrahamic Covenant: Israel’s possession of the land (Genesis 15:18–21) finds literal fulfillment in the Millennium.
Davidic Covenant: A literal descendant of David (Jesus) rules from a literal throne (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Luke 1:32–33).
New Covenant: Universal knowledge of the Lord and internal regeneration (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:25–27) flourish under Christ’s direct reign.
Dispensational structure: Chapter 20 forms a capstone to God’s promises made to Israel and the nations—none are forgotten, all are fulfilled.
Conclusion: Final Instructional Themes for the Church
The Kingdom of God is both now and not yet. We must prepare for the literal kingdom by walking in spiritual submission now.
Justice will be served. No unrighteous deed will go unanswered. The final judgment will be fair, perfect, and exhaustive.
Evangelism is urgent. The second death is avoidable through the gospel alone (John 3:16–18). There is no third resurrection.
VII. Typology and Prophetic Patterns in Revelation 20
1. The Millennium as a Sabbath Rest Typology (Hebrews 4:9–11)
Many scholars (including Missler) note that the 1,000-year reign mirrors the Sabbath principle: six "days" (6,000 years) of human labor followed by one "day" (1,000 years) of divine rest and reign. This typology reflects the Genesis creation week and points to a structured divine timeline.
Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 affirm the “one day = a thousand years” motif.
It underscores the idea that the Millennium is not symbolic only—it’s theologically deliberate.
VIII. Satan’s Role in the Sovereignty of God
Satan's release at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:7–8) proves he is a tool of divine sovereignty, not a rogue power. Just like Pharaoh’s heart was hardened for God’s purposes (Romans 9:17), Satan’s actions are permitted to demonstrate:
The justice of eternal judgment
The free moral agency of man
The perfect sovereignty of God even over evil
This rebukes dualistic notions (e.g., Gnosticism) that treat good and evil as coequal forces. Revelation 20 affirms God is absolutely sovereign even over hell.
IX. The Reality of Eternal Conscious Punishment
Revelation 20:10 and the phrase “tormented day and night forever and ever” dismantle doctrines such as:
Annihilationism (the wicked cease to exist)
Universalism (all eventually saved)
Postmortem salvation (a second chance after death)
The text is explicit: eternal judgment is eternal. The same phrase used of God's eternal reign (Revelation 11:15) is used of eternal punishment here—grammatically and theologically inseparable.
X. Theology of Records: Books vs. Book of Life
Revelation 20:12 emphasizes a contrast:
Books (plural): contain works.
Book of Life (singular): contains names.
This makes clear: no one is saved by works (Ephesians 2:8–9), but the books are opened to justify the sentence, not determine salvation. The names in the Book of Life are there by grace through faith in Christ alone.
XI. Final Vindication of God's Plan from Genesis to Revelation
Genesis begins with a garden and ends in exile and death.
Revelation ends with a throne, resurrection, and no more death.
Revelation 20 bridges the two: sin’s power, Satan’s influence, and death’s curse are all broken, preparing the way for Revelation 21’s “new heavens and new earth.” It proves that the biblical narrative is not a fragmented anthology, but a divinely ordered story of redemption, judgment, and restoration.
