Romans 8:18 KJV — For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
There is great confusion regarding what is referred to as the end-time events timetable.
Much of this stems from Revelation chapter 20.
In my view, the following paragraph illustrates the reason for much of the confusion –
Most religious denominations state that Christianity promotes a personal relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. In contradiction to that premise they at the same time assert that the end time events occur to the entire world at the same time.
I consider the events to occur on an individual basis as this article will illustrate.
Keep in mind here that by design, the purpose of a parable is to conceal the truth regarding a spiritual mystery from unbelievers including some growing/unlearned Christians, 1 Cor 14:23.
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.
Jesus is said to have these keys in Rev 1:18. So regardless of whether He gave them to an angel or this is a reference to Jesus himself being the messenger, we know it is done with Jesus authority and permission.
Re 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
As a Christian then, in this verse and in accordance with what the bible tells us, we need to ask ourselves the following question. “When is the Devil bound or restrained from interfering in the life of a Christian”?
The answer based on the following bible verse, is when they are obedient to God.
Pr 16:7 ¶ When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (KJV)
Re 20:3 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.
Here we again need to ask questions. When are people not susceptible to deception?
Answer – When they are obedient, and God protects them from all their enemies.
So based on the information from Rev 20:3 during the time period referred to as the “1000 years” God restrains the Devil and prohibits Him from deceiving the Christian.
The Christian is at peace with His enemies (Satan being our primary adversary) when they are obedient and under God’s protection.
So from this information I conclude that the “1000 year period” is representative of “the obedient Christian life”. Rev 20 verses 4 and 5 identify the Millennium as the First Resurrection. Paul shows that He thought that the “First Resurrection” was the Christian life as is seen from Col 3:1.
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.
“After that” He (the Devil) will be loosed in Rev 20:3 and 7.
So again, the question becomes “After what”? What causes God to stop restraining the devil thus allowing Him to deceive?
The word “fulfilled” from verse 3 is the Strong’s concordance Greek word numbered 5055. It refers to an “end” or a “completed act”.
When their obedience is fulfilled (completed or ended) the person is again open to the influences of their enemies.
Satan is loosed and allowed to influence the individual when this thousand year period or millennium comes to an end.
In other words – when the person is no longer obedient to God they can be influenced Satan.
Re 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 put to death (Strong’s #3990)” 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.
In verse 4 we are told that those who were “put to death” lived and reigned with Christ. This appears to be the “Death to sin”.
Re 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Living and Reigning with Christ is here referred to as the first resurrection or the millennium, Col 3:1.
In many manuscripts verse 5 reads simply – This is the first resurrection. Showing that the first resurrection is the symbolic 1000 year period (the Millennium).
The Strong’s Greek word numbered 3990 is here translated in 20:4 as as put to death in the Bible in basic English. It means a weapon or axe was used on them. I infer here that this corresponds to circumcision of the heart. The weapon here refers to an instrument used on them not necessarily to their physical death, in my opinion.
In other words those who were figuratively killed actually lost their lives in order to find them, Mark 8:35.
Rev 5:10 says Christians will reign on earth and I think the events of Rev 20:4 also occur on earth.
It is necessary to again restate that this is a parable and is not intended to be interpreted literally. The literal interpretation of a parable is by design intended to conceal a spiritual truth.
The information contained in the parable is designed for those who look for and find the meaning, as Jesus referred to in Mark 4:11-12.
When a Christian is obedient they reign with Christ.
Re 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
The first resurrection is on earth as Paul stated in Col 3:1.
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.
The first resurrection happens during this lifetime according to Col 3:1. In addition, the first resurrection is defined in Phil 3:10 as being free from known sin (generally through confessing the sinfulness of an action, 1 John 1:9) or conforming to Jesus death to sin (ceasing from sin) , Romans 6:11 and 2 Cor 4:10.
Those Christians who are not obedient do not live (do not participate in the resurrected life, Col 3:1) until their obedience is fulfilled (accomplished).
They don’t live “again” meaning they were alive previously and then died spiritually because of willful sinful activity (disobedience), similar to 1 Thess 4:16.
Whether verse 5 reads – as the shortened translations have it – “This is the First resurrection” – or not, verses 3 and 7 show that the 1000 years (the First resurrection or millennium) can expire (during which time Satan is loosed) thus essentially capturing the thought contained in the disputed portion of verse five which is pasted in the next paragraph.
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished”.
In verse 3 the Greek word “teleo” (5055) is used in a negative manner to indicate reaching the “end” of obedience.
The “end” or “teleo” can also be used to describe reaching a positive end. This is seen in verse 5 as it is used to define the “first resurrection” as the positive end or goal reached or accomplished
Here remember, to be completely obedient does not necessarily mean being sinless.
Being completely obedient means that if a person has sinned they have recognized the action as sinful and confessed it to the Lord, 1 John 1:9.
Re 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. Re 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired (Strong’s #5055″ teleo”), Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, Re 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. Re 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.
The word “devour” in Rev 20:9 is Strong’s # 2719. It means to “eat down”.
So the fire of God consumes/devours (Heb 12:29) the activity of Satan in the person’s life and they again become obedient and protected, 1 Cor 11:32.
The disobedience of the Christian is corrected and the Christian who has again resumed their obedience is no longer subject to the activity of Satan. At the same time God has caused the nations (Gog and Magog) to surround His people so the action of the fire can influence them. The fire does not necessarily have to destroy a person, it can consume Him and cleanse Him of impurity.
Here in Revelation 20 the Apostle John is teaching basically the same information the Apostle Paul relates in the so-called rapture verses in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4.
Most of the so called end-time happenings which are so greatly twisted are seen to be non-sense when it is understood that there is no rapture. This is a plain fact, since 1 Thess 5:6 tells Christians not to fall asleep. Meaning that the “sleep” mentioned in 1 Thess 4:13 is not physical death but “willful sinfulness”.
Here is the Chapter with the word meanings as described in the preceding paragraphs. When reading this keep in mind that the Millennium or thousand years is symbolic of the obedient Christian life which is the first resurrection.
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.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Here Satan is bound and forbidden from deceiving people due to their Christian obedience, Mt 13:10-16.
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations (defined as Gog and Magog in verse 8) no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled (Strong’s #5055) (The obedient Christian life is fulfilled or concluded) : and after that he must be loosed a little season (Satan is loosed because the obedient Christian life ends or reaches a conclusion).
The word #5055 is here use to indicate an “end” to obedience. Satan can only deceive people who are disobedient.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them (They overcame or prevailed when they were judged, Rm 3:4 ASV) : and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded (Strong’s # 3990 This word means that “an Axe was used on them”, in other words “They were circumcised in Heart and overcame”) 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 (The people who did not overcome and circumcise their hearts) lived not again until the thousand years were finished (Strong’s #5055 “accomplished”). This is the first resurrection.
The word Strong’s word #5055 is translated as an “end” of something. It is used in 20:5 to indicate an end to disobedience.
The word #5055 “teleo” is used three times in these verses. It means “end” and is translated three ways in the KJV.
In verse 3 as the word “fulfilled”.
In verse 5 as the word “finished”.
In verse 7 as the word “expired”.
The word #5055 It is used two ways in these verses to indicate an “end” to obedience, and also to indicate an “end” to disobedience.
The Spiritually dead Christians (This refers to those “sleeping” in 1 Thess 4:13) did not participate in the obedient Christian life (Millennium) until they stopped “willful sin” and again accomplished the end or goal of of their faith which is obedience, 1 Pet 1:9.
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.
7 And when the thousand years are expired (Strong’s # 5055, the individual’s obedience end’s) , Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
The word #5055 is here use to indicate an “end” to obedience.
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog (people or nations, Rev 20:3 and 8), to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
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.
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.