Revelation 20:1 - Meaning and Application

Here we have a prophecy about Satan being bound for a set time, so he would have much less power and the church would enjoy more peace than before. Satan’s power had already been partly broken when Christ’s gospel kingdom was set up in the world. It was reduced further when the empire became Christian, and again when mystical Babylon, that is, corrupt false religion, fell. Still, this serpent had many heads, and when one was wounded, another still had life.

This is another clear restriction on Satan’s power. Notice who is given this work of binding Satan: an angel from heaven. It is very likely that this angel is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, because the description hardly fits anyone else. He is the one who can bind the strong man armed, cast him out, and plunder his house, so he must be stronger than Satan.

Notice also the means he uses in this work. He has a chain and a key, a great chain for binding Satan, and the key to the prison where Satan was to be held. Christ never lacks the right power or tools to break Satan’s strength, for he has the powers of heaven and the keys of hell.

Then we see the work carried out (Revelation 20:2-3). He seized the dragon, that old serpent, who is the devil and Satan. Neither the dragon’s strength nor the serpent’s cunning could rescue him from Christ’s hand. Christ held him fast. He cast him into the bottomless pit, throwing him down with force and righteous judgment to the prison that was his proper place. From there he had been allowed to come out and trouble the churches and deceive the nations, but now he is sent back to prison and bound in chains.

He is shut up, and a seal is set on him. Christ shuts, and no one can open. He shuts by his power and seals by his authority, and even the devils cannot break his lock and seal. We are also told how long this confinement lasts, a thousand years, after which he is to be released for a short time. The church would enjoy a long season of peace and growth, but her trials would not yet be fully over.

Next comes an account of the reign of the saints during the same period that Satan remained bound (Revelation 20:4-6). These are the people who were honored: those who suffered for Christ, and all who stayed faithful to him, not taking the mark of the beast or worshiping his image. They are all who kept themselves free from pagan and papal idolatry.

The honor given to them is great. They were raised from the dead and brought back to life. This may be understood either literally or figuratively. They were dead in a civil and political sense, and now they experienced a political resurrection, with their liberties and privileges restored. Thrones and authority to judge were given to them, so they received great honor, influence, and rule, though this seems more spiritual than political.

They also reigned with Christ for a thousand years. Those who suffer with Christ will reign with Christ. They will reign with him in his spiritual and heavenly kingdom, sharing in his wisdom, righteousness, and holiness in a way the world had not seen before. This is called the first resurrection, and none but those who have served and suffered for Christ will share in it. The wicked will not be raised up and restored to power again until Satan is let loose. This may be called a resurrection, just as the conversion of the Jews is called life from the dead.

The happiness of these servants of God is then described. They are blessed and holy (Revelation 20:6). No one can be truly blessed unless they are holy, and all who are holy will be blessed. These saints were holy as a kind of firstfruits to God in this spiritual resurrection, and God blessed them as such.

They are also safe from the power of the second death. We know something about the first death, and it is dreadful. But we do not know by experience what the second death is. It must be far more terrible, because it is the death of the soul, the eternal separation from God. May the Lord keep us from ever learning what that means by experience. Those who have known a spiritual resurrection are saved from the power of the second death.

Then we come to the return of the church’s troubles and another great conflict, sharp but brief and decisive. The restraints on Satan are finally lifted. As long as this world lasts, Satan’s power will not be completely destroyed. It may be limited and lessened, but he will still have some work to do in disturbing God’s people.

As soon as Satan is released, he goes back to his old work, deceiving the nations. By that deception he stirs them up to make war against the saints and servants of God, something they would never do unless he first deceived them. They are deceived both about the cause they join, thinking it good when it is very bad, and about the outcome, expecting success when they are certain to lose.

His last efforts seem to be the strongest. The power now allowed to him appears more unrestricted than before. He is given liberty to gather volunteers from all four corners of the earth, and he raises a huge army, as many as the sand of the sea (Revelation 20:8).

We are also told the names of the main leaders under the dragon, Gog and Magog. We do not need to be too curious about exactly which powers are meant by these names, since the army comes from all parts of the world. These names appear elsewhere in Scripture. Magog is mentioned in Genesis 10:2 as one of Japheth’s sons, and his descendants spread into various lands. Gog and Magog together appear in Ezekiel 38:2, and that prophecy gives many of the images used here.

Next comes the march and battle formation of this dangerous army (Revelation 20:9). They spread across the whole earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, that is, the spiritual Jerusalem where God’s people keep their most precious hopes and blessings. So it is beloved to them. The saints are pictured as drawn out from the city and camped around it to defend it. But the enemy army was so much larger that it surrounded both them and their city.

Then we see the battle and its outcome: fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured the enemy. In the same way, the ruin of Gog and Magog is foretold in Ezekiel 38:22, where God says he will send overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. God himself will fight this final and decisive battle for his people in an extraordinary, direct way, so the victory will be complete and the glory will belong to him.

The ruin and punishment of the great enemy, the devil, are now shown. He is thrown into hell along with his two chief agents, the beast and the false prophet, that is, tyranny and idolatry. They are not sent there for a limited time, but to be tormented day and night forever and ever.