The Biblical Millennium is most clearly taught in Revelation Chapter 20. This Biblical truth takes place after the final warning of the three angels’ messages has been given to all the world as a witness to all nations. The seven last plagues have decimated planet earth and fallen upon those who have rejected God’s love and protection. Jesus has returned as promised, to resurrect His faithful of all ages, and translate His living saints to heaven for one thousand years. So, what happens now on planet earth? Is there another chance? Does anyone survive the Second Coming of Christ? What about the Devil and his angels? What happens to them?
Let’s take a look at what the Bible says: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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. 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. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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” (Revelation 20:1-6).
When it comes to understanding the book of Revelation, there are not very many verses that get clearer than those in Revelation 20. Here is a basic outline of what we just read:
1. Satan is bound for 1,000 years and cannot deceive the nations.
2. Those faithful to God live and reign with Christ for 1,000 years.
3. The lost do not live again until after the 1,000 years.
4. Those who are faithful to God partake of the first resurrection.
5. Satan will be loosed from being bound in the bottomless pit at the end of the 1,000 years.
6. When Satan is loosed after the 1,000 years, there will also be people to deceive in the nations. So, there will be a resurrection of the lost.
7. Even though they were resurrected, the lost will experience the “second death” which is permanent, with no hope of resurrection.
With that basic outline in hand, let’s expound and confirm this picture with other verses from the Bible. Let’s begin with the idea of two separate resurrections, one for the saved, and one for the lost. Jesus Himself identified two resurrections, the resurrection of life, and the resurrection of condemnation. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28, 29).
At the Second Coming, all the righteous living and the righteous dead are caught up to meet Jesus in the air, never again to be parted from their Savior. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
At the Second Coming, all those who have rejected the love of the truth, have either been killed by the seven last plagues, or are consumed by the breath of God’s mouth and by the brightness of His coming. “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:6-12).
The Antichrist and the wicked who survive the seven last plagues, are destroyed at the Second Coming. The righteous are taken to heaven to ever be with God. The devil has no one to deceive during the millennium (the wicked are all slain and the righteous are in heaven). It is in this sense that he and his angels are chained up in the bottomless pit. Not by a physical chain, for demons break physical chains, but by a chain of circumstances (See Revelation 20:3).
The Bible describes the earth, left in a state of desolation during the millennium: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end” (Jeremiah 4:23-27).
So, Satan and his angels are alone on planet Earth for 1,000 years, to ponder what their rebellion has brought to our world. During the 1,000 years, the earth is, as Revelation 18 describes it, a prison house or “hold” of devils (See Revelation 18:2).
During this same 1,000 years, the saved saints of God sit with Christ in the judgment. This judgment involves the wicked world, the devil, and his fallen angels. “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” (1 Corinthians 6:2, 3).
At the conclusion of the millennium, the Devil is released from confinement. This indicates that the second resurrection spoken of by Christ, the resurrection of the lost, has taken place. This is why the Devil goes out to deceive the nations one last time. Once again, he has people to deceive. In this way, he is “loosed out of his prison… to deceive.”
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 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” (Revelation 20:7, 8).
Then, after deceiving the nations, Satan leads them to surround the New Jerusalem city of God which has come down from heaven and sits on the plain made on the Mount of Olives (See Zechariah 14:3, 4). “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. 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” (Revelation 20:9, 10).
The wicked surround the city of God in one last attempt to overthrow God’s government. This attack on God’s city fails, and the Devil and all those deceived by him, finally experience the lake of fire, that is they are consumed by the very presence of God (Hebrews 12:29; Revelation 14:10; 15:2; Isaiah 33:10-16).
It is the rejection of God’s goodness, that causes the lost to treasure up wrath to themselves. In the day of judgment, God will reveal the righteous revelation of His judgment, and each will be rewarded according to their deeds: “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds” (Romans 2:3-6).
The righteous revelation of God’s judgment is contained in the books, in which are recorded the works of the lost. Each person receives the wages of sin according to their works. “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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
God does not want anyone to perish, but all people to come to repentance, and be saved to dwell with Him for all eternity. Yet a day is coming, when God will end the pain, suffering, and evil on planet Earth. He will eventually burn up the evil works on planet Earth, and then, make a new heaven and a new earth. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:9-13).
Christ will not return and bring a final end to sin until He knows that everyone has made a final, unchangeable decision for Him or against Him. Then, another year, or day, or hour would make no difference. When Jesus can look out on planet Earth and say: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11). Christ will return.
When everyone is settled into their decision for or against Christ, and no one is open to change, then probation will close, and Christ will come “quickly.” “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).
Appeal
God has withheld the ultimate consequences of sin for thousands of years. After the Second Coming, God spends 1,000 years sitting in judgment with the redeemed, and answering all their questions about the lost, and even about Satan and his angels. God is both merciful and fair. He holds out for one soul to repent, and not perish in sin. As long as there is hope, God waits. Yet the day is coming when another week, another hour, another minute will make no difference. He that is unjust will remain unjust, and he that is righteous will remain righteous. Won’t you make your decision for God and Christ today?