This chapter is the completion of the redemption process of the earth
from evil that was begun in Chapter 4. We ended the last chapter with
the antichrist and false prophet being consigned ETERNALLY to the fiery
lake. In this chapter, the head of the Unholy Trinity, the devil, is
bound and placed into the ABYSS for a 1000 years (otherwise known as
the millennial reign of Christ).
After the 1000 year period is completed, the devil is released from the
ABYSS to deceive the earth once again. After that the devil meets his
final doom in the ETERNAL FIERY LAKE. That which was conquered by the
FIRST RESURRECTION of CHRIST, namely DEATH and HADES, too, are
consigned to the ETERNAL FIERY LAKE.
The phrase 'coming down out of HEAVEN' implies that this takes place on
the earth. Recall that since Revelation 12:9,
where archangel Michael threw 'the great dragon' down to the earth, the
devil (dragon) has been relegated to doing his dirty work down here (Revelation 12:10).
having (1) the KEY of the
ABYSS and
When you have the KEY, you control who goes in or who comes out. More
than that, the KEY carries with it the AUTHORITY to do the binding of
the devil (next verse).
The ABYSS is a temporary place of incarceration for demons. As with the
rest of the Revelation, it is both physical and symbolic. Physically,
past scholars have indicated that the ABYSS was in the depths of the
ocean. That thought has some merit, as we have previously made the case
that water is the container of spirits. It was not a coincidence that
"THE FLOOD" was used to purge the earth of evil mankind during Noah's
time (Genesis
7:6-24).
From a symbolic or spiritual viewpoint, the ABYSS was an awful place
even for demons. The demons who were operating on the earth in Jesus'
time begged Jesus to not send them to the ABYSS (Luke
8:26-31-39). During the fifth trumpet (Revelation
9:1-12), some of the demons from the bottomless pit were released
back onto the earth. Whether their leader, Abaddon (Revelation 9:11) came back with them is not
known. We do know that the devil will be bound and spend 1000 years in
the ABYSS.
(2) holding in his
hand a
GREAT CHAIN.
That this is a GREAT CHAIN implies that it is stronger than any evil
prank or evil accusation the devil can concoct. When one reads the
scriptures, we become aware that evil demons comes in varying
strengths. The disciples were surprised that they were unable to take
authority (due to lack of faith, Jesus said) over some demons (Matthew
17:14-21). Here we have the leader of the demonic world, and
obviously he has much evil within him. As Isaiah
14:1-14-23 puts it, this devil (king of Babylon) thought himself as
powerful as God. Thus it will take a GREAT CHAIN to hold him.
From a duality viewpoint, it is difficult to know what the GREAT CHAIN
is physically. Many scholars say this is symbolic only; yet, strong
binding forces at a molecular level could act like a GREAT CHAIN.
Physicists are well aware how "sticky" water molecules are......just
try to create a perfectly dry container. It is near impossible on
earth.
Symbolically, it is much easier to accept that the GREAT CHAIN is that
which stops evil from existing/controlling the earth. Believers should
be well aware of their STAND against evil (Ephesians
6:10-11-20). Individually, we know that we can bind and lose things
on earth (and in heaven - Matthew
16:13-19-20). But to bind the devil will take an ANGEL with a GREAT
CHAIN.
2 He seized the dragon, that
ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years.
He SEIZED
The 'he' refers to the angel coming down from heaven in the
previous verse. We have one angel SEIZING another angel.
That the devil can be captured indicates that he is finite and not
omnipresent, even though we sometimes feel that is not the case.
Symbolically, this indicates that evil, even as the devil is the
embodiment of all evil, can be corralled; but it isn't easy. Humanly,
we couldn't have SEIZED the devil; thankfully it is Christ who
strengthens and establishes us. It is Christ and his angel(s) who do
that for us (1
Peter 5:6-11).
There is no doubt whom the angel SEIZED. These four names
also are used in Revelation 12:9.
and BOUND him for a THOUSAND YEARS.
The angel uses the GREAT CHAIN (previous verse) to
BIND the devil. The relevance of this is that the DRAGON, the SERPENT
of old, who is the DEVIL and SATAN is going to be controlled and
restricted in the abyss (next verse). No more will he
be able to prowl around the earth trying to deceive humans.
There is much discussion in commentaries whether the THOUSAND YEARS
means a 1,000 years or just a long period of time. Considering how
precisely time is given elsewhere in the Revelation (for example Revelation 8:1; Revelation
9:5; Revelation 11:3; Revelation 11:11 and so on), and that this
exact time is used six times in verses
2-7 of this chapter, indicates this is a literal THOUSAND YEARS.
Now having stated that, given all that has happened to the earth and
solar system (Revelation 8:12 and Revelation
16:17-20), time may not be measured as now. That is, day lengths
may be altered. We will just have to wait and see.
3He threw him into the
Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving
the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he
must be set free for a short time.
He THREW him into the ABYSS, and LOCKED and SEALED IT over
him,
Again, this confirms that the devil is finite. Something that is
infinite or omnipresent cannot be contained or THROWN. In a way, the
angel sent by God is rather rude, not only is the devil thrown into the
ABYSS, but the angel LOCKS the ABYSS and SEALS it over the devil's
head. All this is written to make it absolutely clear to the reader
that the devil will not be able to affect anything on the earth for the
next 1,000 years.
Some commentaries try to explain where the ABYSS is. Some think
it is at the bottom of the ocean. That may be, given the case we have
already made in this study that water is the "container of spirits".
Others think it may be at the center of the earth. But from a spiritual
viewpoint, the ABYSS may be right under our feet (Romans
16:17-20). Be aware, though, from the Romans portion of scripture,
that it is GOD or his designated angel, in this case, who crushes Satan
under your feet.
to keep him from DECEIVING THE NATIONS anymore UNTIL the
THOUSAND YEARS were ended.
This is not the end of the devil or Satan (see verse 10).
He just is inhibited from DECEIVING the NATIONS, meaning the
unbelieving peoples. Furthermore, there is no indication that SEALING
UP the devil in any way removes the evil nature from mankind.
Rather, the sinful nature of mankind is merely repressed. During the
THOUSAND YEARS, there will be a lot of "good people" on this earth. At
least that is how it will appear to others. How often do we hear
today that a person is a "good person" implying that they probably will
go to heaven and not to hell. Yet after the THOUSAND YEARS, the
latent evil in the "good person" will have a chance to realign itself
with the devil again (verses
7 - 10). The astute reader already knows that the ONLY WAY to avoid hell is to have one's name
in the Book of Life (verse 15). And,
incidentally, LIFE begins with Jesus Christ (John
14:1-6-11).
That there are NATIONS, implies that there will be political boundaries
during the 1,000 years. It will be a peaceful time but not a lala land
or utopia environment. There probably will be work to do as the sin
curse (Genesis
3:17-21) still remains upon the land until this earth is destroyed (Revelation 21:1).
AFTER that, he must be SET FREE for a short time.
Here is one of the few times in the Revelation that the timing is not
precise. It is just a 'short time'. As a finite created being,
the devil is kept in the dark about how much time (Revelation 12:12) he will have to perform
his deceptions again.
4I saw thrones on
which
were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the
souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for
Jesus
and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his
image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
I SAW (1) THRONES on which were seated those who
had been given authority to judge.
John is just doing what he was told to do (Revelation
1:11). At the end of chapter 19 and the first three verses of
chapter 20, we see how evil (or demonic activity) will be inhibited
from functioning on this earth. The devil is thrown into the abyss with
no way to escape until after the thousand years are over. The beast and
false prophet are already consigned to their eternal prison, the fiery
lake.
One could think that there then is an absence of governance, assuming
that governance during the tribulation is totally evil. However, as
this verse starts out, there will be governance (THRONES) and the rule
of law (judgment was given to them). Many expositors try to explain who
the "they" are who are sitting on the THRONES. The most acceptable
answer would be the joint heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans
8:12-17 and Galatians
4:1-7) and/or the 'bride of Christ' (Revelation
19:8). The vanquished evil is replaced with the "good" and is
typified by the white robes, the righteous acts of the saints. It is
not for us to determine who they are; Christ has already done
that (Revelation 19:9).
And I saw the (2) SOULS of those
who had been BEHEADED (a) because of their
testimony for JESUS and (b)
because of THE WORD OF GOD.
They had not worshiped the BEAST or his IMAGE and had not
received his MARK upon their foreheads or their hands.
These people have a special place in the heavenly kingdom (Revelation
6:9-11). They were/are 100% totally committed to Jesus Christ even
to death. Oh, that we may learn from their example!
They
came to LIFE and REIGNED WITH CHRIST a THOUSAND YEARS.
The promise to the "overcomers" at Smyrna (Revelation
2:10) is finally fulfilled.
When one considers that the SOUL most likely is a thought process, i.e.
a decision consciously made in our minds, then the SOULS, that were
severed from the body (BEHEADED) are reunited with the BODY, where LIFE
is. You may have a different view of where the SOUL of a person is, but
that explanation needs to fit within the context of this verse. Most
interesting to this author is that John SAW the SOULS. That means SOULS
have form and are visible. We truly have a lot to learn about the
spiritual/soul side of man.
5(The rest of the dead
did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the
first resurrection.
(The rest of the dead did not come to life UNTIL the THOUSAND
YEARS were ended.)
This verse shows the contrast to "they came to life" in the
previous verse.
The "rest of the dead" are the ones who now are receiving their wages
(Romans
6:15-23). Specifically, they took the mark of the beast and
committed murder (Exodus
20:2-13-17). John shows us that these people
will remain dead, probably both physically and spiritually until the
1000 years are ENDED.
This is the FIRST RESURRECTION.
This one phrase has caused more controversy among scholars
than any other in the Revelation. Translators point out that the verb
"is" may more properly be translated "completes". In any case, FIRST
RESURRECTION implies a sequence. Even though it is not specifically
stated, the SECOND RESURRECTION, implied, is generally taken to be the
one in verse 12.
Now, back to the FIRST RESURRECTION. We pointed out in the previous verse, that "they", the ones of the FIRST
RESURRECTION, occupy the thrones. We probably will never know who
"they" are, but we have a couple of hints from scripture who "they",
the joint heirs, might be.
As 1
Corinthians 15:20-28 points out, this is a sequenced RESURRECTION.
Christ started the process when He conquered death and RESURRECTED from
the tomb/death (Luke
24:1-12). Then Matthew
27:51-52-56 records a curious (to us) RESURRECTION of saints in
Jerusalem. This RESURRECTION may also have occurred throughout the
whole area, but only Jerusalem is noted where this occurred. There is
no record of these bodies going back into their tombs/graves. The "many
bodies" could be interpreted to be all "joint heirs" from Adam and Eve
until Calvary. Next the "dead in Christ shall rise" as 1
Thessalonians 4:16-17 teaches.
In the middle of the tribulation, the two witnesses are RESURRECTED (Revelation 11:11). And from the previous verse in this chapter of Revelation, the
tribulation saints complete the FIRST RESURRECTION. The important point
to understand is that the "rest of the dead", those who are spiritually
dead (Ephesians
2:1-4-6-10) will not be around during Christ's millennial reign.
Active evil now is dormant.
6Blessed and holy
are
those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no
power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will
reign with him for a thousand years.
BLESSED and HOLY are those who have a part in the FIRST
RESURRECTION.
This is the fifth of the Revelation "Beatitudes" (complete list is in Revelation 1:3 study). Those of us who
accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior understand that because
Christ rose again, FIRST RESURRECTION, after He was crucified, we, too
are "BLESSED" to partake in the eternal life it brings. However, HOLY
is the key word in this phrase.
It is clear that as we enter the 1,000 year period, we are declared and
perceived by God to be HOLY. It wasn't always that way. But at this
point, we see the eternal state of believers, HOLY, confirmed (Romans
6:1-4-11). Amazingly, this eternal state for each of us is/was
known before the earth even was created (Ephesians
1:3-4-14).
The SECOND DEATH has NO POWER over them,
The BLESSED and HOLY ones will NEVER see the SECOND DEATH (the LAKE OF
FIRE, verse 14). In fact, what we see here is the
contrasting eternal state of the unbeliever or wicked. This is when the
"wages" will be paid forever (Romans
6:15-23).
but they
will
be PRIESTS of GOD and of CHRIST and
To be PRIESTS means to be the spiritual
leaders. It is implied in this phrase that sin still exists on the
earth during the 1,000 years (Revelation
20:7-8). If there wasn't any sin, there wouldn't need to be any
PRIESTS (1
Peter 2:1-9-10). Also this confirms John's opening statement in Revelation 1:6 that we are to minister to
GOD because we are of God and of Christ.
David Hocking in his book, "The Coming World Leader, Understanding the
Book of Revelation", points out that there will be religious festivals
during this period (for example, the Festival of Booths (Zechariah
14:16-21).
Noticeably absent from this list is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
functions now as "the sealer" (Ephesians
1:3-13-14) rather than "the Helper" (John
14:15-24). It is assumed that the BLESSED and HOLY ones already
understand this.
will REIGN with Him for a THOUSAND
YEARS.
The other function besides being
PRIESTS is to be administrators. That is what REIGN means. Christ sets
the policy, and the BLESSED and HOLY ones will implement that policy.
Be aware that during the 1,000 years, this will NOT be a democracy; it
is a THEOCRACY. Those of us who live in "free" countries tend to think
that a democracy is the ultimate form of government. But as believers,
the BLESSED and HOLY ones, we know the form of the final government is
a THEOCRACY (Psalm
72).
7When the thousand years
are over, Satan will be released from his prison
When the THOUSAND YEARS are over,
This is precise time; it is exactly 1,000 years. Just as the rest of
the Revelation gives precise times, for example Revelation 12.6, so too, this millennial
period is precise. Different phrases such as a "short time" (Revelation 12:12) are used to denote
imprecision (or perhaps, to keep the Devil guessing).
There can be no doubt that this millennial period will be over.
Time is the only dimension which always goes forward, and thus
can be COMPLETED. It is not like the linear dimensions which may be
"to" or
"from" some point. Linear dimensions also lead to some interesting
physical places, such as the bottomless pit (Revelation
9:1-12). It apparently has side to side dimensions and a top, but
there is no end to the bottom.
SATAN will be released from his PRISON
Now this seems odd. The beast and the false prophet are permanently
gone from this earth (Revelation 19:20),
but Satan has only been bound in PRISON (verse 2).
Scholars have given many reasons why this is so. It could be that Jesus
Christ wants to give SATAN one more chance to repent and acknowledge
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (2
Peter 3:8-9-13). It has been suggested that those alive coming into
the millennial period still contain the sin curse within their nature.
It is a genetic part of all humans since the fall (Genesis
3:22-24).
Since the millennial period is a Theocracy by a RIGHTEOUS KING, Jesus
Christ. open sin is unheard of. If a sin is brought out into the open,
the sinner is dealt with swiftly by death (Isaiah
65:17-20-25 and Ezekiel
32:17-21). So at the end of the 1,000 years, the then population of
the earth is well conditioned to not commit any sin(s). But the sinful
nature of man lurks just below the surface, and the release of SATAN
will test the human's CHOICE one more time (next verse).
Lastly, when the 1,000 years are COMPLETED, the earth's inhabitants
probably don't have any recollection of what happened 1,000 years
earlier. Dim memory of an uptaking, dim memory of a horrible seven year
tribulation, and dim memory of SATAN's incarceration. To prove my
point. which of us recall what
happened one thousand years ago. My point is made.
8 and will go out
to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth --- Gog and
Magog -- to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on
the seashore.
and will go out to DECEIVE
Many question why God would allow the devil deceive the earth again. We
don't know God's ways, but, in a way, this verse snippet shows more
about the character of God, the Almighty. God is longsuffering (2
Peter 3:8-9-13). The devil is one of God's created beings. In fact,
he could well be one of the presence angels like Michael or Gabriel (Revelation 12:7) and such. With this
"permission" to approach God, he has been busy accusing us of all kinds
of sins/evils (Revelation 12:10). God,
the Father, loves all His created beings and even though the devil has
been a "problem child/creature", He still wishes the devil would change.
Secondly, God is omniscient. He knows what the devil will choose to do
when He releases him. How differently this verse would read if the
devil would have accepted this last chance to acknowledge God's Son,
Jesus Christ, as his Master and Lord! But, since God knows what the
devil's choice is, God tells John to write that the devil "will come
out to DECEIVE"
the NATIONS in the four corners of the earth --
During the 1,000 years, Christ has ruled the earth, NATIONS have formed
again. Many commentaries indicate that there likely are people who did
not take the mark of the beast and survived the tribulation into the
millennium. If this is the case, these people's ethnicity will have
followed them into the millennium.
These NATIONS are scattered all over the earth (reconfigured after the
seventh bowl, Revelation 16:20). We
know, today, that the earth is spherical, and thus doesn't have four
corners (although the reconfiguration of the seventh bowl could make
the earth cubic with four corners. Interesting to think about).
Furthermore, if one reads the Bible literally, it reads predominantly
like a "Flat
Earth Bible". Ancient scientists (500 BC - 350 BC) did
discuss why
the earth had to be round. The reader is left to come to their own
conclusions about the four corners.
Gog and Magog -- to gather them together FOR BATTLE. In number they are
like the SAND on the SEASHORE.
Gog and Magog, are used here symbolically and refer to the final
enemies of Christ who obviously duped them into this FINAL WAR. They
apparently plan to attack the saints who are in control of the earth (verse 6). One can marvel at the number of people (like
the SAND of the SEASHORE) who will take the deception. This especially
seems alarming considering that all evil has been totally suppressed
during the previous 1,000 years. One can only conclude that evil isn't
derived from the devil or from the earth itself, but rather that EVIL
resides deeply within the nature of all mankind. Even at this time, the
end of the millennium, the NATIONS (or perhaps better said, all humans
alive then) will come to grips with what has been mostly dormant deep
inside themselves.
All this EVIL will soon be exposed before the GREAT WHITE THRONE (verse 12).
9 They marched
across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's
people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured
them.
They marched across the breadth of the earth and
SURROUNDED
the CAMP of GOD'S PEOPLE,
the CITY he loves.
After the terrible judgments of the tribulation period, the earth is
very much different geographically. The implications of the earth
shaking in Revelation 16:20 would seem
to be confirmed by this portion of scripture. The earth is one broad
plain.
If one looks at the spiritual meanings of this portion, we find that
there are no mountains to hide behind. This may be another way of
saying that all of the evil contained in the sinful nature of mankind
is being exposed. This evil, of necessity, was kept hidden during the
millennial period, but now with an emboldening from the release of the
devil, evil has become an open, hostile threat to the SAINTS. One can
look at it from a different perspective and realize that this may be
God's way to gather all this evil into one focal point (easier to
devour).
The CAMP of GOD'S PEOPLE is collocated at the CITY God loves. Most
scholars
agree that this is Jerusalem. Prophetic scripture indicates that Christ
will rule from there (Isaiah
24:16-23; Micah
4:6-8; and Zechariah
14:9-21) during the 1,000 years. The original Greek word for "CAMP"
implies a military connotation, and this would be fitting for the
"armies of heaven" (Revelation 19:14).
If you have served in the military, you understand that "CAMPS" are
temporary, and so too here, this CAMP is temporary. Our new home still
awaits (Revelation
21:1-2-8).
If you consider that the Revelation discussion following the
tribulation is mostly spiritual in context, then the CAMP of GOD'S
PEOPLE
and the CITY he loves could be thought of as the collection of all true
believers remaining into the millennium. It is the place where the
RIGHTEOUS and HOLY ones are gathered.
But FIRE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN and DEVOURED them.
Those who believed the Devil's arguments are consumed by
FIRE FROM HEAVEN. It was their "unbelief" that Jesus, who had ruled
them for 1,000 years, was their Savior and thus was much better than
the devil. Those who are born during the millennial period had their
names recorded in the book of life, and their "unbelief" erased their
names from that book. It also killed them (John
8:21-30) eternally (verse 15).
From another view, this is the way we are shown that the evil (more
properly, the knowledge of evil that was released in the Garden of
Eden, Genesis
2:15-17) has been totally wiped off of the earth.
This is a Godly judgment, as the FIRE came down from HEAVEN. Recall the
two other times this happened: Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis
19:24-29) and the emissaries of Ahaziah (2
Kings 1:9-17). The reader can determine what 'evils" were removed
in those two instances.
One last thing, contrast this DEVOURING with the removal of those who
took the mark of the beast (Revelation 19:21).
It wasn't FIRE then, but rather a "SWORD". Why?
10. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of
burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
And THE DEVIL, who DECEIVED them, was thrown into the LAKE of BURNING
SULFUR,
THE DEVIL FINALLY IS
FINISHED! One would have thought this time would
never come, even though Jesus already told us that this place of
eternal fire existed for the devil and his angels (Matthew
25:31-41-46).
The devil, thinking he is as great and powerful as the Most High (Isaiah
14:3-14-21), ends up so low. The people he deceived were burned or
destroyed physically and spiritually from above in the
previous verse. And here, the devil, himself joins them but is
burned from below. We aren't told who threw him into the lake of fire
and brimstone, but given the skills and deceptive nature, it had to be
a very powerful angel or Christ Himself.
where the BEAST and the FALSE PROPHET had been thrown.
These two henchmen of the devil have spent the last 1,000 years in this
lake already (Revelation 19:20). The
sentence uses the verb "are" implying that they still are very much
alive. This phrase indicates that everlasting life does exist for evil
ones too. It just isn't the pleasant standard of living that the
believers are enjoying!
They will be TORMENTED day and night
The "they" here specifically means the Unholy Trinity, the devil, the
beast and the false prophet, are being tormented. But it could be used
in a much broader sense as
Revelation 14:9-11, and Revelation
20:14-15 where the non-personal, death and Hades, also are thrown
into the lake.
FOREVER
AND EVER.
This same expression is used in three different contexts
throughout the Revelation. If FOREVER AND EVER is a GOD quality,
then the TORMENT of the devil will last as long as there is a God.
Length of residence of devil,
beast, false prophet, and those he deceived.
The use of "day and night" in a literal sense implies that the sun will
be around FOREVER AND EVER. This causes a dilemma for science as most
astronomers indicated the sun will last another 5 billion years
or so. While 5 billion years or so is a long time, it is not
FOREVER AND EVER. Thus one must conclude that this expression
means everlasting or without end and probably applies more so in the
spiritual sense.
11. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.
Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
Then I saw (1)a GREAT WHITE THRONE and
The use of 'GREAT' here is in the sense of 'the ultimate'
THRONE. It is not used in the sense of the 'elder's throne' (Revelation 4:4 and Revelation 11:16) or like a 'focal point
throne' (Revelation 4:2, Revelation 4:10, Revelation
7:11 and such). The GREAT WHITE THRONE denotes the ultimate center
of GOOD as opposed to EVIL as in the Tree of the Knowledge of GOOD and
EVIL. It's the ultimate center of RIGHTEOUSNESS (WHITE) (Revelation 19:8) and of AUTHORITY (the
THRONE itself). Thus the ultimate GREAT WHITE THRONE is final JUDGMENT.
It is the process of completing that which was written in the scroll (Revelation 5:1). In the
previous verse, we found the devil permanently removed to thefiery
lake
of burning sulfur; the GREAT WHITE THRONE will permanently remove
evil from the non-believers, from death and even Hades itself (verse 14).
This is not a new kind of judgment for even in Old Testament times, the
THRONE was understood to be the place of righteousness and justice (Psalm
89:11-14-18).
(2)HIM who was seated on
it. EARTH and SKY FLED from his presence, and there was no place for
them.
There is no need to say who "HIM" is. There is only one
"HIM" qualified to sit on that THRONE. Look how Paul in his exhortation
to Timothy describes "HIM" (1
Timothy 6:13-15-16). It is the same "HIM" here on the GREAT
WHITE THRONE.
So pure, so GOOD, so righteous is "HE" on the GREAT WHITE THRONE that
EARTH and HEAVEN FLED AWAY from HIS presence. That is John's way of
saying that the physical earth and associated heaven (Genesis
1:6-8) are dissolved. This is confirmed in Revelation 21:1. From experience, we all
understand the evil the sin curse placed on this earth. So we can
understand why there is 'no place found for them' when something is
dirtied with so much EVIL as the EARTH has been. What is harder to
understand is why HEAVEN is destroyed. But then recall that the devil
and his cohorts have been running around heaven too (Revelation
12:7-12). And wherever they went they had to leave the scent of
EVIL. We see the Creator of the Earth doing the ultimate reclaim of
that which was taken over by EVIL (the devil and company) (see
discussion in Revelation 5:1).
Science has known for some time now that the universe is physically
expanding. So it shouldn't stretch our imagination too much that the
EARTH and HEAVEN are moving away from the GREAT WHITE THRONE. The
expansion is theorized as the result of a "big bang" or in other words,
the conversion of a lot of energy into matter. This fits with
Einstein's assertion that the ratio of Energy to Matter (mass) is a
constant. A constant that is the square of the speed of light, and that
is a very large number. In a spiritual sense, we see from this verse a
parallel ratio of GOOD to EVIL, and if the symmetry holds, this ratio
must be a constant (the ultimate "HIM"). So taking the thought one step
further, if EVIL is totally removed (the denominator of our ratio goes
to zero, no EVIL), then all GOOD is ultimately the infinite GOD. PRAISE
HIS HOLY NAME!
12. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the
book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as
recorded in the books.
And I saw THE DEAD, great and small,
These are THE DEAD who missed the first resurrection (Revelation
20:5). Their major sin was UNBELIEF.
All classes of persons are involved. There is no privilege of rank when
God is involved. If anyone held someone in more esteem, the 'great'
holding themselves as important and the 'small' holding someone of the
'great' group as important, both are guilty of idolatry, for only GOD
HIMSELF should have all our esteem. Note that both UNBELIEF and
IDOLATRY are in the list of candidates for the Fiery Lake (Revelation 21:8).
standing before the THRONE,
It is no coincidence that the earth and heaven fled away from the
throne and Him who sat on it in the previous verse.
Imagine what THE DEAD are going through having to stand there before
the THRONE! Stand there, they must, while what THEY HAD DONE is flashed
before them.
and BOOKS were opened. Another BOOK was opened, which
is the BOOK of LIFE.
God doesn't need BOOKS to remember what either THE ALIVE (Hebrews
4:12-13) or THE DEAD (this verse and the next verse)
have done. This expression is for human understanding to show us that
EVERYTHING that we do and think is remembered in the BOOKS.
Many scholars distinguish that 'the BOOKS' are a recording of the DEEDS
and that the 'BOOK of LIFE' is a list of names (Revelation
3:5 and Revelation 20:15). Now we all know that
many people have the same given name, so to make sure that there are no
mix ups, the names recorded in the 'BOOK of LIFE' are unique. Perhaps
they are the genetic DNA code birthed or breathed into us (Genesis
2:4-7-9). Breath often is equated to the spiritual side of mankind.
Also note that there is an interaction with blood, too, to make life (Leviticus
17:10-14-16).
THE DEAD were JUDGED according to what THEY HAD DONE as recorded in THE
BOOKS.
Any single DEED written in THE BOOKS would be enough to condemn each of
THE DEAD. However, in the interest of completeness, and, I suspect to
ensure that ALL EVIL is revenged (Revelation
6:10 for one example), EVERYTHING THEY HAD DONE will be trotted
out. Furthermore,
those eyes of fire (Revelation 1:14) and
the voice of Jesus (Revelation 1:15) will
try each ACTIVITY (John
5:25-29) to see what it really is made of. And don't think it is
only the overt DEEDS, the secret ones too will be judged (Romans
2:1-16-16). We certainly pray that the readers of this discussion
understand how important it is to NOT be among
THE DEAD!
13. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades
gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged
according
to what he had done.
(1) The SEA gave up
THE
DEAD that were in it,
The literal interpretation is the most obvious. The oceans and seas of
this earth give up the unbelieving DEAD to have their time of judgment
before the GREAT WHITE THRONE (verse 11).
What is not so obvious .... as we discussed previously, water is the
container of spirits (both good and evil). In this case, the water is
giving up the evil spirits (demons?) that it contains. The false
prophet and the beast
both (Revelation 19:20) have already
been assigned to their eternal
torture. The devil also has met his end (verse 10).
Here in this
phrase, God in His completeness is removing the evil (demon based) from
the water.
Just an aside note; evil apparently is never abolished. That is why God
admonished Adam and Eve to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and EVIL (Genesis
2:15-17). If they did, they would be committing an act with eternal
consequences. It also explains why even the new
Jerusalem has walls and gates (Revelation
21:12).
That water is the
container of evil is one reason why the flood was used to remove EVIL
mankind (Genesis
6:1-5-8). On the other hand, wherever the presence of
God was, namely the ark of the covenant of the Lord in the Old
Testament, neither the ark nor the feet of its bearers ever touched
water (Joshua
3:14-17). Even in crossing through the Red Sea, water never came
close to
contaminating the chosen people of God (Exodus
14:1-22-29-31).
Sidelight: what happened to the Egyptians who were pursuing God's
chosen people?
The "dying to oneself" part of baptism symbolizes our burial of EVIL
from our lives. Spiritually, the "buried" EVILS from believers are
being
judged ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAD DONE (Luke
11:14-26). Even the EVIL thoughts
cleansed from our conscience by the blood of Christ (Hebrews
10:19-22-25) are judged at this time.
and (2) DEATH and HADES gave up THE DEAD that
were in them,
Finally, the wages of SIN (EVIL) and the abode of EVIL (spiritually),
give up the EVIL DEAD within them. This phrase is the other bookend to Revelation 1:18 where Jesus Christ says
that He has the Keys to DEATH and Hades. The verses between Revelation 1:18 and this verse are in
essence the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He
conquers EVIL because He is forevermore ALIVE. Having the keys to DEATH
and Hades means that He controls them. So here we see Jesus Christ
fulfilling His judgment control (John
5:17-22-24) and JUDGES EVIL.
and each person was JUDGED ACCORDING TO WHAT THEY HAD DONE.
14. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The
lake
of fire is the second death.
Then DEATH and HADES were THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.
The personification of DEATH and HADES makes one think about what
really happened here. The obvious view is that DEATH is the physical
death of these non-believers, and HADES is the departed souls of these
non-believers. These non-believers are the ones who missed the FIRST
RESURRECTION (Revelation 20:6). But there is a
broader meaning. Just as we have discussed previously, evil is being
totally expunged from the earth, and the earth will be totally redeemed
by the Jesus Christ who is revealed in this Bible book. It is fitting
that anything that has come into contact with EVIL also must be purged.
And, thus, both DEATH (which is the wages of sin - Romans
6:15-23-23) and HADES are consigned to THE LAKE OF FIRE.
DEATH and HADES didn't go willingly; they were THROWN into THE LAKE OF
FIRE. Not much is said in scripture about THE LAKE OF FIRE. It,
obviously, is an eternal spiritual container controlled by God. God is
a black-and-white God. He doesn't tolerate any gray areas. So EVIL must
be compartmentalized for eternity in the LAKE OF FIRE (Matthew
25:31-41-46). Some scholars indicate they believe the "outer
darkness" (Matthew
22:1-13-14, Matthew
8:5-12-13, and Matthew
25:14-30-30) shares the same place as the LAKE OF FIRE.
The LAKE OF FIRE is the SECOND DEATH.
This SECOND DEATH is confirmed for the list of non-believers in Revelation 21:8. This is a permanent DEATH.
There is no escaping it. The LAKE of FIRE was prepared for the devil
and his angels (Matthew
25:31-41-46). Please note that the discussion of God's economic
principles are intimately tied to this LAKE of FIRE. Those gatherings
of believers who do not implement God's economic principles run the
risk of participating in this SECOND DEATH! It is not a coincidence
that much of the discussion about the harlot refers to the world's
economic principles (Revelation
18:1-3-11-15-19). Furthermore, the smoke seen in Revelation 18:18 may well be the smoke
coming from the LAKE OF FIRE!
15 If anyone's name was not
found
written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
If anyone's NAME was not found WRITTEN in the BOOK OF
LIFE,
Let's think a little bit about one's NAME. We are given a NAME at birth
by our parents, usually. That name is associated with our physical
appearance. But, spiritually, we are named at conception. Our birth
name may well be a duplicate of someone else's name. But the names in
BOOK OF LIFE must be unique for the judgment to be correctly meted out.
Only in recent years has science shown the uniqueness of DNA (actually DNA,
genotype and phenotype1). Thus, I
suspect, we are known to God by our genetic structures. There are some
interesting implications to this concept.
If life begins at conception (or very shortly thereafter), then a life
taken anytime prior to the "natural" physical death of the being is
considered murder. Murderers are listed in Revelation
21:8 as those who will take part in the LAKE OF FIRE. The spiritual
part of each NAME then also begins at conception (Luke
1:26-31-35-38 and Genesis
2:4-7-14). It will be interesting when we, believers who are alive
physically, are united with these spiritual entities who are in heaven
either through abortion, miscarriage, or some other death prior to the
'age of accountability', whether we will even recognize them as such.
It makes one ponder what the real spiritual part of oneself truly is.
This is not an option. All options these unbelievers had are long gone.
The use of 'THROWN' indicates this is a permanent removal from earth
and permanent residence in the LAKE OF FIRE. You may have heard people
flippantly remark, "But I'll have lots of friends there" as though that
will be a comfort. The LAKE OF FIRE holds no friends; it holds
individuals whose NAMES are NOT in the BOOK OF LIFE along with the
devil (verse 10), the antiChrist (Revelation 19:20), the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20), all evil (demons,
DEATH, and HADES in previous verse).
1 Lewontin, Richard, "The Genotype/Phenotype
Distinction", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2004
Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)