After the marriage supper of the Lamb and the judgment of those with the mark of the beast by the rider on the white horse, John’s vision yields a period of one thousand years in which Satan is to be bound:
“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” (Rev 20:1-3).
Once Satan has been bound and locked up, John sees in his vision something quite amazing, almost unimaginable to those of us watching scary world events all around us:
“Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were 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 Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (Rev 20:4-6).
John’s vision continues:
“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:7-10).
So much for Satan. He cannot and will not win out. Forever is a long time!
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was sitting on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:11-15).
What book has your name written in it? Accept Jesus and your name will be written in the book of life. Reject Jesus and spend eternity burning without being consumed. The judge on the great white throne seeks only your repentance from sin as defined in the Bible and you have nothing to fear.
Do you wonder if you will share in the first resurrection? Do you feel that some sin might be standing in your way, yet you believe passionately in Jesus your Savior? If so, you have just discovered that you missed a sign along the road to perfect unity with Jesus, and you have been stuck at the fork in the road and did not realize it. If so, bow down right now and confess to God what you have been holding back. In this act of repentance, you will choose the good fork in the road and truly encounter the never-ending love of Christ and his full restoration and forgiveness, which have been prepared for you for a long time.
Grasp the words of the song “Amazing Grace” right now and forever:
“And like a flood, his mercy reigns; unending love; amazing grace.”
Be ready for the first resurrection. Share in it. Do not risk watching it from afar. Enjoy the thousand years – and all eternity – with Jesus.
Hurry back to see what this looks like!