Alan Dale Gross
Active Member
The Meaning of Revelation 20.
“A thousand years” is a Figurative, or Symbolical, description of the Entire Age of the New Covenant. The number 1,000 is a Symbolical number, made up as it is of the number 10. In the Bible, 10 is the Number of Completeness.
"The Symbolical nature of the Thousand Year Period is in harmony with the Symbolical Character of the book of Revelation, e.g., the depiction of Satan as a Great Red Dragon (Rev. 12).
"It is also in harmony with the obviously Figurative character of the Binding of the spirit, Satan, with a Great Chain.
"In addition, Revelation 20 is a Vision (“and I saw,” vv. 1, 4), not Historical Observation.
"The Binding of Satan represents the sovereign control and restraint of the devil by the Lord Jesus that prevents him from deceiving the nations. During the present age, Satan cannot unite the nations under Antichrist. This restraint is related to the “withholding” and “letting,” or restraining, of II Thessalonians 2:6, 7 that assures that the man of sin, “that Wicked” (v.8), will be revealed in his proper, God-appointed time (v.6).
"Throughout this same Age, the Martyrs — those who were beheaded on account of the witness of Jesus and on account of the Word of God — Live and Reign in Heaven with Christ. The Vision of the Thrones in Revelation 20:4-6 refers to what theology calls “The Intermediate State,” that is, the Life and Glory of Elect saints at Death and until The Second Coming of Jesus.
"This is plain.
"John sees “souls” sitting on the Thrones. Earlier, in Revelation 6:9, the Apostle spoke of the souls of the Martyrs under the Altar in Heaven. Those souls in Heaven were distinguished from humans dwelling on Earth (v.10). The “souls” of Revelation 20:4-6 are those men and women who had been beheaded for their faithful confession of Christ in time of Antichristian Persecution throughout the Present Age.
"At the instant of Death, the Martyred saint is taken up in his soul to be with Christ in Heaven, and there he Lives and Reigns with Christ.
"Living with Christ in Heaven in the soul at the instant of Physical Death is the “First Resurrection” (v. 5).
"The taking up to Heaven of the soul of the believer at Death is, indeed, Resurrection. There is an Act of the Risen Christ upon the soul at the instant of Death Purifying it from all sin and Transforming it from a soul adapted to Earthly life into a soul adapted to Heavenly Life. There must be this Resurrection of the soul by Christ if the soul is to be with Christ in Heaven. Souls do not automatically fly away to Heaven at Death. Souls of believers do not naturally fly to Heaven.
"The Heidelberg Catechism indicates Christ’s raising of the soul of the believer at Death in Question 57: “my soul after this life shall be ... taken up to Christ its Head.”
"The saint goes to Heaven by Resurrection, and only by Resurrection.
"There are Two Stages;
"The First is the Resurrection of the soul.
This is the Resurrection of Revelation 20:5.
"The Second is the Resurrection of the body.
This is the Second Resurrection,
implied by the First Resurrection of Revelation 20:5.
"Accordingly, the First Death of the Reprobate ungodly is the suffering of God’s Wrath in his soul at the moment of physical death. The Second Death will be his suffering of God’s Wrath in Hell in soul and body after the Final Judgment (see Rev. 20:6, 14).
"At the End of the Thousand Years, Satan will be Loosed for a Short Time (vv. 3, 7). The one who “letteth,” or restrains, will be taken out of the way (II Thess. 2:7). This enables Satan to establish his world-kingdom under Antichrist. The result is the final, all-out assault upon the true churches and her living, faithful members (vv. 8, 9).
"The “Beloved City” represents the churches of The Lord Jesus.
"The “saints” are all those whom the Spirit of Christ has Sanctified through Faith in Christ.
"After a short time of Intense Persecution of the churches —"... the “time of trouble” of Daniel 12:1 — fire from God will devour the ungodly in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (cf. II Thess. 1:6-10).
"Then follow at once the Final Judgment and the Eternal State, Heaven and Hell (Rev. 20:11 ff.)."
“A thousand years” is a Figurative, or Symbolical, description of the Entire Age of the New Covenant. The number 1,000 is a Symbolical number, made up as it is of the number 10. In the Bible, 10 is the Number of Completeness.
"The Symbolical nature of the Thousand Year Period is in harmony with the Symbolical Character of the book of Revelation, e.g., the depiction of Satan as a Great Red Dragon (Rev. 12).
"It is also in harmony with the obviously Figurative character of the Binding of the spirit, Satan, with a Great Chain.
"In addition, Revelation 20 is a Vision (“and I saw,” vv. 1, 4), not Historical Observation.
"The Binding of Satan represents the sovereign control and restraint of the devil by the Lord Jesus that prevents him from deceiving the nations. During the present age, Satan cannot unite the nations under Antichrist. This restraint is related to the “withholding” and “letting,” or restraining, of II Thessalonians 2:6, 7 that assures that the man of sin, “that Wicked” (v.8), will be revealed in his proper, God-appointed time (v.6).
"Throughout this same Age, the Martyrs — those who were beheaded on account of the witness of Jesus and on account of the Word of God — Live and Reign in Heaven with Christ. The Vision of the Thrones in Revelation 20:4-6 refers to what theology calls “The Intermediate State,” that is, the Life and Glory of Elect saints at Death and until The Second Coming of Jesus.
"This is plain.
"John sees “souls” sitting on the Thrones. Earlier, in Revelation 6:9, the Apostle spoke of the souls of the Martyrs under the Altar in Heaven. Those souls in Heaven were distinguished from humans dwelling on Earth (v.10). The “souls” of Revelation 20:4-6 are those men and women who had been beheaded for their faithful confession of Christ in time of Antichristian Persecution throughout the Present Age.
"At the instant of Death, the Martyred saint is taken up in his soul to be with Christ in Heaven, and there he Lives and Reigns with Christ.
"Living with Christ in Heaven in the soul at the instant of Physical Death is the “First Resurrection” (v. 5).
"The taking up to Heaven of the soul of the believer at Death is, indeed, Resurrection. There is an Act of the Risen Christ upon the soul at the instant of Death Purifying it from all sin and Transforming it from a soul adapted to Earthly life into a soul adapted to Heavenly Life. There must be this Resurrection of the soul by Christ if the soul is to be with Christ in Heaven. Souls do not automatically fly away to Heaven at Death. Souls of believers do not naturally fly to Heaven.
"The Heidelberg Catechism indicates Christ’s raising of the soul of the believer at Death in Question 57: “my soul after this life shall be ... taken up to Christ its Head.”
"The saint goes to Heaven by Resurrection, and only by Resurrection.
"There are Two Stages;
"The First is the Resurrection of the soul.
This is the Resurrection of Revelation 20:5.
"The Second is the Resurrection of the body.
This is the Second Resurrection,
implied by the First Resurrection of Revelation 20:5.
"Accordingly, the First Death of the Reprobate ungodly is the suffering of God’s Wrath in his soul at the moment of physical death. The Second Death will be his suffering of God’s Wrath in Hell in soul and body after the Final Judgment (see Rev. 20:6, 14).
"At the End of the Thousand Years, Satan will be Loosed for a Short Time (vv. 3, 7). The one who “letteth,” or restrains, will be taken out of the way (II Thess. 2:7). This enables Satan to establish his world-kingdom under Antichrist. The result is the final, all-out assault upon the true churches and her living, faithful members (vv. 8, 9).
"The “Beloved City” represents the churches of The Lord Jesus.
"The “saints” are all those whom the Spirit of Christ has Sanctified through Faith in Christ.
"After a short time of Intense Persecution of the churches —"... the “time of trouble” of Daniel 12:1 — fire from God will devour the ungodly in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (cf. II Thess. 1:6-10).
"Then follow at once the Final Judgment and the Eternal State, Heaven and Hell (Rev. 20:11 ff.)."