Verses 1-3 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.
Back in Revelation chapter 9 the fifth angel that sounded the fifth trumpet judgement had been given the keys to the bottomless pit which he had opened. So perhaps this angel the Apostle John saw was the same one. In this case, however, instead of opening this pit the angel binds Satan. This means that Satan’s power was bound for a time. That does not mean that the fallen angels were also bound and powerless. As stated before, a thousand years is not a literal specific amount of time, but representative of a long period of time. So it would seem that Satan was bound at one time, but that he was loosed at another time in mankind’s history. He was tempting the LORD Jesus Christ when in the wilderness so he was free at that time. There have been periods of relative peace in the world so perhaps this was when his power was limited. Scripture is vague so no one really knows when this took place. And since the book of Revelation is metaphor, the verses above may simply be describing a limiting of Satan’s activities among mankind by God Almighty or by His angels who are His army and who battle in the realm of Heaven. Today’s news headlines should be evidence enough that he is free and functioning in full power today. Satan was kept in the bottomless pit which is thought to be the abode of devils and a receptacle of the dead who died without Jesus Christ.
Application: C. I. Scofield has this event occurring at the end of time and before his fictional 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on this Earth. This is a false interpretation of these verses. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” John 18:36 Jesus is not, and it will be repeated, Jesus is not going to set up a kingdom here on Earth and reign for a 1000 literal years. It cannot be any clearer.
Verse 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.
“Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” John 19:28 “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Luke 22:28-30 It appears that the Apostle John was seeing this promise of Jesus being fulfilled in Heaven. He was one of the twelve and this promise was for him. And all the saints of the LORD were/are living and reigning with Christ for eternity.
Verses 5-6 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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.
The people who died without Jesus were not living and reigning in Heaven, but were at the time of this vision basically dead and buried and waiting in Hell for final judgement. God’s people who had died and who die now go directly to Heaven and live in eternity. Their bodies are still on Earth, but their spirits/souls are resurrected and with Jesus. The Greek word translated as “resurrection” is “anastasis” and it means a raising up, rising, or a rising from the dead. It does not necessarily mean a rising of both the physical body along with the spirit/soul. Since there is a “first” resurrection, then there is a first death. All people and critters experience a death of their bodies of flesh. But according to the verses above, there will be/is a second death also that has power over the unsaved.
Verses 7-8 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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.
Now the Apostle John reports that after a period of time, Satan would be loosed to create havoc on the Earth through his influence of the leadership of the nations, both the power elite and those in the organized establishment churches and his influence of those people willing to follow his leading in life. The name, “Gog”, means mountain. The name, “Magog”, means overtopping or covering.
Application: Notice that according to the Word of God, the Earth has 4 quarters in which the nations are located. The Greek word translated as “quarters” is “gonia” and it means a corner. Over and over again Scripture describes the Earth as being flat and not round or spherical. This topic is covered in Genesis chapter 1 and will not be revisited here but for the purpose of pointing out the consistency of the 66 books of the Bible in supporting the shape of the Earth as being flat.
Verses 9-10 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.
The verses above are a picture of an extensive attack upon God’s people. This attack from various individuals, agencies and governments has been going on since the Day of Pentecost and the establishment of the Church. But it seems that towards the end of time the attacks intensify until God intervenes and stops them and passes judgement upon those serving Satan. The result of this judgement is that Satan and his governmental system and those people involved, both dead and alive, will be consigned to the lake of fire for eternity. This lake of fire is recorded only in the book of Revelation and no where else in Scripture.
Verses 11-12 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.
The Apostle John is seeing the final judgement of mankind in this vision. Since verse 4 above states that the saints or believers in Christ Jesus were/are living and reigning with Him in His kingdom, this “white throne” judgement must be for the unsaved or unbelievers, and of course, their names will not be in the book of life, but their evil deeds will be brought to remembrance because they are recorded in “the books” that are kept in Heaven. The polluted Earth and its heaven are no longer.
Verses 13-15 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. (Revelation 20)
The unbelievers who died and went to Hell are judged and then sent to their final destination in the lake of fire along with Satan and his fallen angels. If not written in the book of life, each individual will have to accept the righteous sentence handed down from the very LORD and Master they rejected while alive on this Earth. So being consigned to the lake of fire is referred to as the second death. An unbeliever dies physically and goes to Hell and awaits final judgement. This sentence when carried out is the second death. But Christian believers and Old Testament saints only die/died physically once and then are/were ushered into eternity where there is no more death.