Revelation 20:1-10
Dr. French Arrington

Introduction

You have probably noticed in Revelation 20:1-10 the expression “a thousand years.” Six times, it is used to describe the reign of Christ on the earth after the battle of Armageddon. This passage tells us that Satan will be bound for a thousand years and that he will deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are fulfilled. It also tells us that the saints will live and reign with Christ during that thousand years and that the rest of the dead (those who have died since the rapture) will not come to life again until the thousand years are finished. Finally, it tells us that Satan will be released from his prison after the thousand years.

The Thousand-Year Reign of Christ is sometimes called The Millennium, The Golden Age, The Age of Peace, and The Kingdom Age. Through the years, people have longed for The Golden Age and have looked for peace. They have talked about the time when the earth will be filled with righteousness and peace. Some of our political leaders have thought that The Kingdom Age can be brought about through education, science, or organizations like the United Nations. While these human efforts may improve conditions in our lives and the world, The Kingdom Age has not, and will not, come through the human efforts of organizations or movements. We cannot straighten out this world with all of its problems. Our plans and efforts have failed so far. Nobody can do this except Jesus Christ. Time and again, the Word of God promises that Christ will return and rule on the earth for a thousand years. During His rule, He will deliver the earth from the ravages of sin and bring a glorious time of peace and prosperity.

I. The Beginning of the Thousand Years

The book of Revelation points to the complete defeat of Satan. Up to this point in the book of Revelation, this complete defeat has not come to pass, though, Satan’s two agents, the antichrist and the false prophet, have been cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20). Chapter 20 of Revelation tells us that the Thousand-Year Reign of Christ begins with the binding of Satan.

Satan Flung into the Bottomless Pit

An angel comes down from heaven with “the key to the bottomless pit (abussos, abyss)” (Revelation 20:1). The angel seizes Satan and throws him into the bottomless pit for a thousand years. Previously in Revelation 9, we read of an angel with a key who opens the bottomless pit, and out comes a plague of locusts that wage war on the earth.

The bottomless pit is not hell, not the lake of fire, nor is it the place of final punishment. It is something else. We get a good idea of the bottomless pit from Luke’s Gospel. Luke gives the account of the Gardarene demoniac, who had a legion of demons in him. He was filled with every vile and unclean thing, and the demons drove him to violence. When Jesus came, the demons recognized Him, and they pleaded with Him not to send them into “the deep” (Luke 8:31, KJV)—that is, the abyss, the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit is the dwelling place of evil spirits. It appears seven times in the book of Revelation and always refers to a place where God has imprisoned unclean spirits and fallen angels. That is the bottomless pit. That is where Satan is going to be cast and where he will be locked up for a thousand years.

Satan will be powerless in the hands of the angel, and he will be flung down into the shaft of the pit. The mouth of the pit will be locked and sealed to prevent Satan from escaping. You remember that after Jesus was put to death, His body was placed in a tomb. The chief priests and Pharisees recalled Jesus having predicted that after three days, He would rise from the dead. They demanded of Pilate that the tomb be made secure. So, the Roman authorities sealed the tomb. They wanted to make the tomb forever Jesus’ prison, but they could not keep Him in the tomb. Jesus Christ broke the seal and triumphed over the grave and death.

Thank God! Satan (unlike Jesus) will not be able to break the seal that will be placed on the bottomless pit. He will have no chance of escaping from prison. He will remain in the pit until Christ releases him “for a little while” (Revelation 20:3). You see, the reign of Christ for a thousand years will be a time of peace and righteousness—for during this time, Satan will not be able to do his dirty work.

Satan’s Work of Evil Today

In the age in which we live, Satan is behind all sin and evil in the world. He is persistent in opposing God and the gospel. He is “the god of this age,” and he blinds the eyes of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4). He poses as “an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), and he goes about as “a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He is a slanderer and an accuser of God’s people. He seeks to afflict and destroy us. Satan is “a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44). If you’ve ever done something in true service to God, then you have encountered opposition from Satan.

Satan is our enemy. He is our opponent. He is still on the job and will not be bound until Christ comes to reign on the earth. In the meantime, we must: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness…” (Ephesians 6:11-12, KJV).

Peace for God’s People

A day is coming when the people of God will not have to struggle against Satan. He will be locked up and, for a thousand years, not be able to deceive people and nations. Satan is the one who deceived our first parents in the Garden of Eden and brought sin and death into the world. Over the years, he has continued to deceive people and has broken their hearts through sin. He still deceives nations into thinking that peace talks, money, and education can solve all the problems of the world. As valuable as these may be, the real solution is none other than The Prince of Peace.

Satan has had temporary success in the practices of his crafty deceptions, but once he is bound, he will not be able to tempt anyone or stir up trouble on the earth. While he is locked up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, Jesus Himself will take over this world and run it in His own blessed way.

II. The Blessings of Christ’s Reign on the Earth

The millennial reign of Christ will be a wonderful time. There will be peace and no wars. Micah’s prophecy of beating the swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks will be fulfilled. The news media will have nothing but good news to report. People will be able to walk the streets of our cities without fear. It will be a time of prosperity—a time of no inflation and no taxes. It will be a time of good physical health and total well-being. There will be no need for doctors or antibiotics. It is going to be a blessed time—a time of great personal joy.

Now, I want to discuss some of the specific blessings of Christ’s reign.

Followers of Jesus Ruling with Him

First of all, believers will rule with Jesus Christ. What a tremendous blessing! John sees thrones and that the people sitting on them are given authority to judge. At the rapture, Christ will come in the air for His people. Then, after the seven years of tribulation, He will bring them back to reign with Him. Paul speaks about the saints judging the world and even judging angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-4).

Among those who reign with Christ will also be the Tribulation saints. They are the ones who have not worshiped the beast, nor have they received his mark. They are the ones who have suffered and died for their faith in Jesus at the hands of the antichrist. At the beginning of the thousand years, the Tribulation saints will be resurrected.

This resurrection is often identified by scholars as “the first resurrection” or “the resurrection of life” (John 5:29, NKJV). In this passage, no reference is made to the resurrection of ‘the dead in Christ’ at the rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:23 indicate that the first resurrection occurs when Christ comes in the air. The resurrection of the saints who have gone through the Tribulation will complete the first resurrection, and the second resurrection will take place a thousand years later (Revelation 20:5, 11-13).

The believers who are caught up in the rapture and the Tribulation saints will rule and reign with Christ on the earth. It is exciting to know that we will have a place of such importance in the government of this world. Today, because of our Christian stand, we may be looked down upon. We may even become the objects of laughter, sneers, or persecution. But we have the assurance “that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). We will reign with Jesus, and He will share His glory with us.

Israel, A Blessed People

Second, the people of Israel will be blessed. The Jews are on God’s timetable and have a significant place in prophecy. It seems that no people have suffered more than the Jews. They have been driven to every corner of the earth. Today, they are struggling to maintain the land God promised them. Here and there in the Old Testament, we find where God has promised to bless the Jews and to give them Palestine forever. That is God’s promise in Jeremiah 24:6:

“For I [God] will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.”

Today the Jews are scattered over the world, but one day, God is going to gather them together and restore them to their home and to their land. Jeremiah 23:3-5 says:

“‘But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,’ says the LORD. ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.”

The promised land will be theirs. Jerusalem will be restored in its glory. The Temple will be rebuilt, and the glory of God will fill it. That is wonderful!

But Jewish people will also experience something even far more important. They will come to accept the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Messiah. Paul speaks in Romans 11:26-29 of that glorious time when the Jews will turn to Jesus Christ. Paul says that after the full number of Gentiles have been saved, “all Israel will be saved.” He goes on to say: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

This is God’s promise to the Jewish people, and God never goes back on His word. So the nation of Israel as a whole will turn to Jesus and be saved. You talk about grace! This is the wonderful grace of our Savior. When He first came to the Jews as their Savior, many of them rejected Him. As we are told, “He came unto his own and his own received him not” (John 1:11, KJV). The crowd of Jews present at Jesus’ trial cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him.” But the response of the Jewish people will be so different at the Second Coming. They will turn to the Crucified One as their Messiah, and He will gather them in His love and rule over them in grace and compassion. Oh, the blessings that God’s chosen people will enjoy! The blessings of Christ’s reign will be many.

The Renewal of All Creation

Still, another blessing of Christ’s reign is that the whole creation will be renewed. At the return of Christ, there will be a glorious change in creation. When Adam sinned, God put a curse on the ground. From that time on, it has been easy for weeds and grass to grow, but it takes hard work to get the ground to produce the food that we need. From the time that Adam sinned, there have been upheavals and disorder in the natural world. Paul tells us that creation itself groans under the curse and futility of sin.

When Christ returns, creation will be delivered from its bondage (Romans 8:20-24). “The desert shall rejoice and blossom like a rose” (Isaiah 35:1). There will be no more upheavals in the physical world—no famines, no earthquakes, no tornadoes, no floods, no storms (all of which sin has brought). The earth will be delivered from the curse of sin and made new and beautiful once more.

Even the animals will be changed. In the Garden of Eden, peace had prevailed in the animal kingdom. Animals did not fight, nor were they hostile toward people. When God created the earth, He never intended for animals to attack one another. He desired for the earth to be a paradise where there would be no conflict at all. All of God’s creation existed in harmony, and there was no need for zoos or wild animal sanctuaries to ensure the health of animal species. When sin entered paradise, it brought a curse upon the animals, as well as the whole creation. Paradise was lost. Isaiah tells us what will happen among the animals when Christ returns: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat… And the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 11:6-7).

Life is going to be wonderful in the millennial reign of our Savior. God will give us back Eden and more. Just think about it. Jesus will deliver us from diseases, affliction, and all disorders. These will be taken away, and we will enjoy perfect health and be set free from trouble of heart and mind. Isaiah 35:5-6 says: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing…” The curse of sin will be removed. No more aches and pain. No more grief and sorrow. No more sickness and death. No need of doctors and hospitals.

Oh, what blessings God has prepared in that millennial day! All believers will be blessed with the privilege of ruling and reigning with Christ. There will be blessings on the children of Israel. There will be blessings for all creation. But that is not all.

The Lord Jesus Christ, Ruler of All

There will be blessings for our Lord as He rules and reigns for a thousand years. Jesus Christ will sit on the throne of David and will rule over all the world. That is what God had promised. When the angel Gabriel announced the birth of Christ, he said:

“He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

When Christ came the first time, He humbled Himself, bowed under the weight of our sin, and became obedient to death. In response, God has bestowed on Him the highest honor:

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

As of yet, all of this has not fully happened—all have not bowed before Jesus. But on that day, everyone will bow before Him. His reign will touch every place on this earth. Jesus Christ will rule over the world from Jerusalem, and “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:9). The ministry and miraculous works of the Spirit will abound. Christ will be worshiped, and many will have a passion to know Him for the first time.

This earth will have a perfect form of government. Christ will rule with force, but His rule will be perfect. Christ’s administration will be one of truth, love, and integrity. There will be no political schemes or misappropriation of funds—no governmental ‘Watergate’ or ‘Whitewater’ investigations, sex scandals, or bank failures. People on the earth will still be humans, and some will be wicked, but “He [Christ] shall rule them with a rod of iron” and put down all evil when it crops up (Revelation 2:27; cf. 19:15).

III. The End of the Thousand Years

Satan’s Attempt to Overthrow Christ

At the close of the reign of Christ, Satan will be released for a time:

“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…” (Revelation 20:7-8; cf. Ezekiel 38-29).

Satan will resume his deceitful activities and will deceive many into thinking that he can defeat God. He will gather his old cronies, Gog and Magog, which represent the people and nations of the world. Many born during the millennium will choose to reject the rule of Christ. Led by Satan, they will march on “the beloved city,” Jerusalem, the seat of Christ’s reign (Revelation 20:9). They will surround the city in their desperate effort to overcome Christ and His saints.

Christ’s Victory Over Evil

Will Satan and his followers be able to defeat Christ? Of course not! God will probably sit in heaven and laugh at them (Psalm 2). The battle will not last long. Fire will come down from heaven, and those who are against Christ will be devoured by the flames. Satan will be cast forever into the lake of fire. There, he will join his cohorts in evil—the antichrist and the false prophet—completing the unholy trinity in the lake of fire. “They will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (v. 10). There will be no end.

Our Need to Serve Jesus as Lord of Our Life

At times, we question why God allows some things to happen. God will bind Satan for a thousand years. But why will God release Satan and allow him to stir up trouble again? Scripture does not provide us with the answer. Indeed, the release of Satan confirms a great gospel truth: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

For a thousand years, people will live under ideal conditions. Sickness and death will be uncommon. People will live for a thousand years. Many children will be born during this time. Every knee will bow to Christ, but not all individuals who acknowledge Christ’s power will give their hearts to Him so they will remain unsaved. This becomes very clear when Satan is released from the bottomless pit.

Many will have given Christ only lip service. They will be ready to follow Satan, showing how depraved their hearts are! Living in a lovely world for a thousand years will not change the human heart. Scripture describes the human heart as “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). But it can be changed, but only through the new birth. A thousand years of prosperity and blessings will not improve the human heart. The cure for its sickness is God’s saving grace.

Where will you be during the millennial reign of Christ? Will you reign with Him on this earth? Or will you be numbered among those who are lost? Jesus says, “I am the way” (John 14:6). He is the only way to hope and salvation. He is the only way to happiness and heaven. Will you come and follow Him? That is the key to living and reigning with Him.

Conclusion

Following the battle of Armageddon, Satan will be bound for a thousand years in the bottomless pit, and Jesus will reign on earth with His saints. The thousand years will be a time of peace and prosperity, abounding in blessings. Israel will turn to Christ for salvation. The whole creation will be renewed, and paradise restored. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released for one last revolt, but he will quickly be defeated and cast into the lake of fire. Jesus Christ is ultimately triumphant!

French L. Arrington, PhD, DD
Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis
and of the Niko Njotorahardjo Chair of
the Restoration of the Tabernacle of David
at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary