Posted by Elana Janson on September 01, 2020 at 16:18:31:
Confirmation of prophecy
Revelation, Chapter 20
How remarkably God has preserved the final understanding of the book Revelation.
Revelation has revealed that even in the time that John was on Patmos, God knew how the nations would be ruled with a rod of iron (Rev 12:5), and how the nations were going to develop and react, in the following two thousand years AD. Chapter 20 confirms the time measures as predicted in the book Revelation.
It is only with the knowledge of the other chapters of Revelation that the meaning of Chapter 20 is revealed. In other words, one must bear in mind, that God already knew at the time that John was on Patmos, that this chapter would only be understood in 2020.
This chapter, reveals that in 2020, after the understanding of Revelation, God wishes to confirm that which has been revealed through the understanding of Revelation. He does this through the words spoken by Jesus Christ on earth and preserved in the testimony of the Apostles.
(Readers should refer back to the post “The woman and the Dragon” and the understanding of Chapter 12 on this Forum. In Chapter 12 Revelation reveals the spread of the Faith over the entire time of two thousand years. Chapter 20 substantiates this.
What has been revealed to me in 2020 and with the knowledge that I now have that Revelation, chapter 12, reveals God’s direction of the spread of the Faith in periods of two thousand years, can Chapter 20 be understood.)
If it were possible
Matthew 24:24 “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
In Chapter 12:10 and 11 Revelation reveals that the dragon was cast down to the earth, but true believers “overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”.
This chapter is about the reward of the true believers. For the true believers Satan had no power and was bound.
Note: Two measures of “a thousand years” in Rev 20:1-3
In the following three verses, the “thousand years” appears twice. This indicates the times of the two thousand years since the coming of the Christ.
Rev 20:1 “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”
Satan was cunning and the nations were deceived, but not the true believers; neither in the two millennia nor in the short season.
Loosed a little (also ‘’short”) season
The words “loosed a little season” substantiates that at the end of second thousand years there is a “short season”. The time of this “short season” (also appearing in Rev 6:11 and 12:12) could through the repetition of the word “altar” (Rev 6:9 and 8:3) and the understanding of the time measures of Revelation, I believe, be placed at 2008 to 2020.
Full onslaught of Satan
Since 2008, the nations have experienced the full onslaught of Satan and for this reason, the time for the final signs has been shortened by eight years. This God already knew at the time that John was on Patmos and wrote down the visions that he saw.
Note: Again, two measures of “a thousand years” in Rev 20:4-5
Rev 20:4-5
The repetition of the “thousand years” in Rev 20:4-5 also indicates the entire period of two thousand years since the coming of the Christ.
Rev 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
Through the knowledge of history and how Revelation has indicated the time of kings and the time of the “beast coming up out of the sea “and the “beast coming up out of the earth”, Rev 20:4 covers the entire time of two thousand years since the coming of the Christ. Revelation substantiates this through the repetition of the “thousand years” in Rev 20:5.
Note the words “lived and reigned” (Rev 20:4)
The concept of king and priest in Christ.
I believe that the concept of king and priest as mentioned in Rev 1:6 is central to the understanding of Rev 20:4.
Rev 1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
The martyrs and true believers
through both millennia, and through the concept that they were already ‘kings and priests’ through the blood of Christ, therefore “lived and reigned with Christ” (already spiritually with Christ) in the time (“thousand years” repeated in Rev 20:5) since the coming of the Christ.
(In their lives on earth, the true believers, by their faith already ‘lived and reigned’ with Christ, because, I believe, they through their faith, in their small way, directed the nations according to God’s plan.)
In Rev. 20:5 Revelation reveals the time of the first resurrection after the second “thousand years”.
Note: Again, two measures of “a thousand years”
Again “thousand years” twice in Rev 20:6-7 to accentuate that the true believers have already through their Faith played a role in ruling and directing the nations in the past two thousand years. Revelation confirms that true believers and martyrs do not have to fear “the second death”. Revelation also confirms Satan to be loosed ‘a short season’, that we know now, after the understanding of Revelation is definitely after the end of the second millennium after the coming of the Christ.
Rev 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.”
A day is with the Lord as a thousand years
Note that Revelation 20 repeats “a thousand years” six times. It is six times because this relates to the “three days” in the “three days and a half” (Rev 11:9 and 11) in each millennium. 2 Peter 3:8 “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years”.
With the understanding of Revelation, we know that Jesus Christ used the measure of “three days” prophetically in relation to the spread of the Faith in the first millennium AD, John 2:19 “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up”. He also used it prophetically in relation to the second millennium AD Mat 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Mat 12:40 relates to his death and Resurrection, but also to the understanding of the deception of the nations in the second millennium, when the nations were misled by the beast coming up out of the earth. The love (heart) of the nations was for what could be proven in earthly terms.
Through the repetition of the word “loosed” in Rev 20:7, Revelation reveals again the ferocity of the forces of Satan in the end. After the second “a thousand years” Satan is loosed out of his prison and will deceive the nations.
Rev 20:8 “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Judgement and the second death
Rev 20:11 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”