My synthesis of Revelation 20 and the eternal state Chapter 21
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Can we synthesise the new heavens and new earth of Revelation chapter 21 coming at the beginning of Christ’s reign, with Revelation chapter 20 and its thousand years? I am not able to do so.
In the first seven verses of Revelation chapter 20, after Christ’s return, we see a thousand years where:
1. Satan is bound.
2. We see thrones, and judgement by ‘them’ who sat upon those thrones (Luke 22:30);
3. We see the souls of Tribulational saints surrounding the throne during those thousand years.
4. Satan is loosed for a ‘season’ to deceive the nations.
5. Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire.
5. We see the rest of the dead come up for judgement after those years are ended.
1. Satan is bound.
2. We see thrones, and judgement by ‘them’ who sat upon those thrones (Luke 22:30);
3. We see the souls of Tribulational saints surrounding the throne during those thousand years.
4. Satan is loosed for a ‘season’ to deceive the nations.
5. Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire.
5. We see the rest of the dead come up for judgement after those years are ended.
I believe it is better understood by synthesising the one thousand years with the everlasting Kingdom, in that order.
I have written in a recent article that the millennium is not a restored paradise of new heavens and earth, but a restoration of pre flood (Edenic) conditions so that the final judgement of sin and Satan might be played out. Revelation chapter 20 shows this judgement as being played out at the end of the thousand years. We have the scriptural support for that judgement, but do we have the reasons for it being at the end of the millennium?
What follows is a summation of what I believe the Bible teaches in depth.
In the Garden Satan came to God’s lesser creatures to subvert them, showing by this that he was already at enmity with God. God set a plan for mankind’s salvation, a plan that depended very much on their faith in what he accomplished (the free will of man is very much a part of this). Such faith would be ongoing proof to Satan that he was without excuse for his original fall and constant enmity, and that his initial condemnation and final judgement are in accord with both love and justice.
Satan's defeat and final judgement come when proof of his just condemnation has been thoroughly proven and he has served his purpose of testing and tempting mankind.
To understand this spiritual war between God and Satan and the part we play in it is to come to some understanding of the Just and Righteous nature of our God and Saviour. This final judgement and incarceration of Satan is seen at at the end of the the millennium.
Satan's defeat and final judgement come when proof of his just condemnation has been thoroughly proven and he has served his purpose of testing and tempting mankind.
To understand this spiritual war between God and Satan and the part we play in it is to come to some understanding of the Just and Righteous nature of our God and Saviour. This final judgement and incarceration of Satan is seen at at the end of the the millennium.
To go further into this war is beyond the scope of this comment and beyond the reasons for it.
The synthesising of the millennial and everlasting kingdoms is simply to place the thousand year earthly reign of Christ as a prelude to eternity, with the transition from one to the other being similar in nature to the fiery furnace from which three believers, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out alive. Millennial saints will also come through the fire, and live forever and ever on the new earth under the new heavens.
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