Revelation 20:1-6 - The Millennium - Bible Studies With Mark

 

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. [Rev 20:1-6 ESV] 

 

The passage of Revelation 20:1–6 introduces the concept of the Millennium, a one thousand-year period where Christ reigns and the influence of evil is suppressed.

The Binding of Satan (v. 1–3)

The passage begins with an angel descending from heaven with a key and a great chain.
Satan is seized, bound, and cast into the "bottomless pit" (the Abyss) for 1,000 years. He will not be allowed to deceive anyone until the period is finished. Whether literal or metaphorical, this represents a definitive restraint on the power of evil in the earthly or spiritual realm.

The Enthronement and Judgment (v. 4)

John sees thrones and those seated on them who are given the authority to judge. Specifically, he highlights:

• The Martyrs: Those who were beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and the word of God. 
•  The Faithful: Those who did not worship the beast or receive its mark.

These saints are resurrected and allowed to reign with Christ for the 1,000 years.

The "First Resurrection" (v. 5–6)

The text makes a distinction between two groups:

• The Rest of the Dead: They do not come to life until the thousand years are ended. 
•  The Blessed: Those who share in the First Resurrection. The "Second Death" (eternal separation/the lake of fire) has no power over them. They serve as priests of God and Christ.

A Note About "The Rest of the Dead"

What about "the rest of the dead" in verse 5? Where are they? What are they doing? The gospel of Luke provides some guidance. In chapter 16 of Luke we find the story of the rich man and Lazarus. A wealthy man and a poor beggar named Lazarus die and experience an immediate reversal of fortunes in the afterlife, where Lazarus is comforted in Abraham’s side while the rich man suffers conscious torment in Hades, separated by a fixed and uncross-able chasm. The Lucan account teaches that death is not an unconscious sleep for the unsaved. The rich man retains his senses. He can see, feel, thirst, and experience pain. The rich man retains his memory. He recalls his brothers and his early life. And, perhaps the most sobering fact of all, the rich man retains his identity. He is still "himself." He is cognizant of his choices and his current situation. So, the "rest of the dead" are not asleep; they are very much awake, alert, and suffering in Hades while they await final judgement. Later in Chapter 20 of Revelation, we will learn that Hades itself, along with all its occupants, is thrown into the lake of fire. 

Major Theological Interpretations

The timing and nature of these 1,000 years are much debated topics among New Testament scholars. The three most common interpretations of the 1,000 years are:

• Premillennialism A future, literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on Earth following his Second Coming. A literal physical resurrection of believers at Christ’s return.
•  Amillennialism A symbolic period representing the current church age (from Christ’s ascension to His return). The spiritual rebirth of believers or the souls of the dead reigning in heaven now.
•  Postmillennialism An era of Christian triumph on Earth achieved through the spread of the Gospel, after which Christ returns. Often viewed as the spiritual renewal of the world or the church.
  

Key Concepts to Remember

Regardless of your understanding of the Millennium, this passage presents some key themes for the reader to remember.

• Justice for the Persecuted: A major "why" behind this text is to provide hope to the early Church. It promises that those who suffer for their faith will eventually be the ones on the thrones. 
• The Restraint of Evil: The passage asserts that evil does not have a free hand forever; it is subject to divine timing and "chains." 
• Priestly Identity: The believers are called "priests of God," echoing the theme that the goal of the resurrection is not just power, but service and proximity to the Divine.