Revelation 20 –
Re 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.
This verse is clear when compared with Revelation 1:18.
Re 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
These verses are a rendition of Jesus and His ministry. They contain some aspects or truths of His life which are to be understood by those who can see the meaning of these verses.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, Jesus binds the Devil. So when does this happen? When the Christian is obedient this happens.
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 (5055): and after that he must be loosed a little season.
When is the devil loosed? When the Christian sins the Devil is loosed to carry out God’s prescribed Judgment upon the individual Christian.
The devil is loosed when the Christian person sins willfully, Heb 10:26-27.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
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 (3062) lived not again until the thousand years were finished (5055). This is the first resurrection.
There are two different “ends” or “points aimed at”, being referred to in this section of scripture.
The first “goal or point aimed at” is the resurrection from the Dead which Paul also refers to as the High calling of God in Christ Jesus in Phil 3:11-14. This is also referred to as the end (5056 “Telos”) or goal of the commandment in 1 Tim 1:5.
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Php 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect (5048 (teleioo”): but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15 ¶ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect (5046 “teleios”), be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
The second “goal/end or point aimed at” or to be “accomplished or reached”, is mentioned in Rev 20:5 as the point at which the “first resurrection/millennium or thousand-year period” is ended or finished (5055 “teleo”).
This “goal or point” is not the millennium period of time, when Jesus binds the Devil, refer to Rev 20:2. This is the point of time when Jesus no longer withholds the devil, because the individual person has chosen to sin.
When this point is reached it is referred to as a time when the person willfully sins, Heb 10:26-27. The person has chosen not to keep themselves in the position where Jesus withholds the Devil, 2 Thess 2:1-14.
Jesus binds the devil for the period called the “thousand years/millennium. When this time is “finished or accomplished or reaches its end” Jesus refrains from binding the devil. The enemies of God are then loosed in the life of the person to a degree, in order to bring about the individual’s repentance. Their repentance is brought about through the suffering which the individuals experience during their conflict with the enemies of God.
The “rest of the dead” or simply the “rest” (3062) do not live again or partake of the “resurrected life/thousand-year period or millennium” until this point aimed at is attained or accomplished (teleo – 5055). The “goal or point aimed at” that is referred to in Rev 20:5 using the words “”do not live again until” is the point at which the person again chooses to participate in the first resurrection mentioned in Colossians 3:1. Refraining from sin is the first resurrection.
This point is not reached until the individual corrects the behavior that moved Jesus to “loose or not restrain” His enemies in their life in the first place.
As can be seen all the words for the “end or end points” are similar and closely related in meaning in the Strong’s concordance of the Bible. The Greek words numbered 5046-5048-5055-5056 all have similar meaning.
The “rest” of the people in Rev 20:5 refers to the “other” people in 1 Thess 5:6.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead (3062) lived not again until the thousand years were finished (5055). This is the first resurrection.
1Th 5:6 ¶ Therefore let us not sleep, as do “others”; (3062) but let us watch and be sober.
The rest of the dead are the spiritually dead brethren referred to variously as being asleep or not alert, Eph 5:14.
Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
They do not rise from spiritual death or a sinful condition until they attain to the goal (1 Tim 1:5 and Col 3:11) of the “first resurrection/thousand-year period or millennium” which can be summarized as the “obedient life or reigning in Life” with Christ, Rm 5:17.
Ro 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
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 first resurrection is the “resurrection or obedient Christian life or Newness of Life” life that is spoken of in Romans 6:4 and 6:9 and Colossians 3:1.
Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Ro 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Col 3:1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
7 And when the thousand years are expired (5055), Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Here the word “expired” (5055) is used referring to the same point as the word “finished” (5055) referred to in Rev 20:5. This point is also referred to by the use of the word “fulfilled” (5055) in revelation 20:3.
Three times in this section of scripture the time of the "end" of the “thousand Year” period (the period in which Jesus holds back or withholds or binds the devil 2 Thess 2:6), is referred to as the point to be reached or arrived at.
When this point is arrived at the devil is no longer withheld by Jesus (because the person has willfully sinned, Heb 10:26-27).
The Lord then releases the Devil to discipline the individual Christian, as was done to Job, in accordance with 1 Cor 11:32. This is also called the Day of the Lord - when the thief is allowed to steal kill and destroy.
Thus Jesus can be referred to as the Lion (devourer) of the tribe of Judah (God’s people).
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.
The Devil gathers the enemies of God and moves them to surround them, Lk 21:20.
Lu 21:20 ¶ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
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.
The fire of God refers to His enemies. Whom God uses to bring about the judgment of the disobedient Christian who has gone out of the way, 2 Thess 2:7-12. God allows His errant people to believe a lie so they can be judged.
The wording in 2 Thess 2:12 is “damned” in the KJV, this translation is unfortunate and translations other than the KJV use the word judged here, which is more appropriate.
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Evil Spirits (the devil and demons) and people (collectively embodying the fire) are used by God to discipline and mature the followers of Christ.
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.
Verse 11-15 are a summary of the preceding verses. The judgment illustrated in the preceding verses are referred to as the Great White Throne judgment of God.
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. (KJV)