Notes: Revelation 20:4-6 (cont'd) To Revelation 20:13

(Re: *After the Second Coming)

There are at least eight Biblical reasons to read the 1,000 years (the Millennium) of Revelation 20:2-6 as not beginning until after Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming in Revelation 19:7-21.

First, this is in accord with how the rest of Revelation chapters 6 to 22 are in chronological order.

(See the "Chronological" section of Revelation chapters 6 to 22 (Overview) above)

Second, the 1,000 years in Revelation 20:2-6 are when Satan will be literally bound with a chain and cast into and locked within the literal Bottomless Pit, whereas currently he is walking about freely on the earth seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). So the 1,000 years cannot have started yet. But their beginning after Jesus' Second Coming makes perfect sense (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).

Third, during the 1,000 years, Satan will not be able to deceive the world (Revelation 20:3), whereas currently he is able to deceive the world (2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 11:3,14-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 13:14, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10). So the 1,000 years cannot have started yet.

Fourth, the defeat of Satan in Revelation 20:1-3 is in chronological accord with the immediately preceding defeat of the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast"), and his False Prophet, and all of the armies of the world, at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Revelation 19:19-21). Indeed, there is no chapter break between Revelation 19 and Revelation 20 in the original-Greek manuscripts. So Revelation 19:19 to 20:3 can be taken together as a unit, showing how every power of evil on the earth will be defeated at Jesus' Second Coming.

Fifth, reading Revelation 20:4-6 as Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrected Church reigning first on the present earth (not the New Earth) after His future, Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6) matches Jesus reigning first on the present earth (not the New Earth) after His Second Coming in Zechariah 14:3-21. For Zechariah 14:8-21 cannot be referring to the New Earth (of Revelation 21:1-3), because Zechariah 14:8-21 refers to a temple building in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:20-21), whereas there will be no temple building in New Jerusalem on the New Earth (Revelation 21:22). Also, Zechariah 14:8-21 cannot be referring to the New Earth, because it refers to surviving non-Christians from the present earth being forced to come up to worship the returned Jesus in Jerusalem during the Millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19), whereas by the time of the New Earth, as in a new surface for the earth, all non-Christians from the present earth will have been cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15 to 21:8).

Sixth, reading the "first resurrection" in Revelation 20:4-6 as the physical resurrection of the Church at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6) matches other verses which show that the physical resurrection of the Church will occur at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16).

Seventh, reading the "first resurrection" in Revelation 20:4-6 as the physical resurrection of the Church at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming is in line with Revelation 20:5, which must refer in its entirety only to physical resurrection. For not every dead person is going to be figuratively resurrected in the sense of becoming saved (Revelation 20:15). And Revelation 20:5 means that the rest of the dead (that is, all of the non-Church dead of all times) will be resurrected in the same manner that the Church will be resurrected in Revelation 20:4-6, but the rest of the dead will not be resurrected until sometime after the 1,000 years.

Eighth, reading the "first resurrection" in Revelation 20:4-6 as the physical resurrection of the Church at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming is in line with Revelation 20:4, which shows that the people in the "first resurrection" will include those in the Church who will have been beheaded by the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") for not worshipping him or his image, or receiving his mark on their hand or forehead. This refers back to the details of Revelation 13:4-18, which have never been fulfilled. So the "first resurrection" cannot have happened yet. But its occurring at Jesus' Second Coming, when He will defeat the Antichrist, makes perfect sense (Revelation 19:20 to 20:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-9).

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(Re: Who will *populate the Millennium?)

Those who will populate the future Millennium, in the sense of having offspring during it, will be the non-Christians who will be "left" alive in their mortal bodies by Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming (Matthew 24:39b-40, Zechariah 14:16-19). The Millennium could also be populated by the elect Jews who will become Christians at the Second Coming (Romans 11:25-29, Zechariah 12:10-14). For they could enter the Millennium (Zechariah 14:5-21) while still in their mortal bodies. For the resurrection/changing of Christians into immortal physical bodies at the Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6) could be only for those who had become Christians before the Second Coming.

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(Re: *Amillennialism?)

Amillennialism ends up (inadvertently) logically requiring the error of full preterism (2 Timothy 2:18). For claiming that the Church's resurrection in Revelation 20:4-6 is already present requires that Jesus Christ's Second Coming has already happened. For the Church's resurrection in Revelation 20:4-6 will not happen until the Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-54; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16). Also, amillennialism ends up (inadvertently) logically requiring the error of partial preterism. For regarding the resurrection of those beheaded by the future Antichrist (the individual-man aspect of Revelation's "beast") during the future Tribulation, and their subsequent reigning on the earth with the returned Jesus for the full 1,000 years of the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29), to say that this is already present would require that the Antichrist's literal, 3.5-year worldwide reign during the Tribulation (Revelation 13:4-18) has already happened. Also, amillennialism is mistaken because it requires that the devil is currently bound in the Bottomless Pit (Revelation 20:1-6), when in fact he is currently walking around on the earth seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8); and he will not be bound until an angel binds him at Jesus' future, Second Coming (Revelation 19:19 to 20:3).

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(Re: *1000 / *1,000)

Amillennialism mistakenly claims that the "thousand" in Revelation 20:4-6 cannot be literal, but must be only symbolic of fullness/completion, like in Psalms 50:10. But in the Bible, "thousand" can be literal (e.g. Numbers 31:4-6, Numbers 35:4, Judges 20:10; 2 Kings 15:19; 1 Chronicles 19:6, Song of Songs 8:11, Revelation 20:2-7).

(See also the prior section)

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(Re: But is there any other passage besides Revelation 20:2-7 that refers to the "thousand years")

Note that there does not have to be any other, just as, for example, there does not have to be any other passage than Acts 6:5 that refers to the seven deacons.

(See also "it is Jesus" below)

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(Re: Are not most uses of "thousand" in the Bible symbolic?)

How has that been shown? (That is, you might consider most to be symbolic, when in fact most could be literal.)

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(Re: I have listed the majority of times that "thousand" is used. And I have shown how they are clearly metaphorical)

There are 521 instances of "thousand" in the Bible. How many of these have you listed and proven to be only metaphorical?

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(Re: "God owns the cattle on a thousand hills". What about all of the other hills?)

How does that require that the "thousand years" in Revelation 20:1-7 is not literal, or that the majority of the over 500 other instances of "thousand" in the Bible are not literal?

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(Re: Is premillennialism a modern invention?) / (*Papias)

No, for premillennialism was the teaching of the early Church (see Papias) subsequent to the apostle John's writing down of the book of Revelation, based on the clear prophecy of Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, which shows that the Millennium will occur after Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming. Amillennialism was an error which did not crop up until later. The Biblical truth of premillennialism was recovered in relatively modern times when a significant part of the Church became interested again in eschatology, and Christians could search the Bible for themselves and see that premillennialism is true, as opposed to during the centuries when the amillennial RCC hierarchy kept the Bible from Christians and simply told them what to believe.

(See also Revelation 10:11 above)

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(Re: Did Jesus ever mention the 1,000 years?)

Yes, for it is Jesus Christ who shows the Church in Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Revelation 5:10, and Revelation 2:26-29 that after His future, Second Coming, He and the physically resurrected Church (of all times) will reign on the earth for 1,000 years. For the entire book of Revelation is from Jesus to the Church (Revelation 1:1, Revelation 22:16). Before Revelation, He did not tell the Church about the 1,000 years, because He waits to tell the Church things until it is ready to hear them (John 16:12). What is sad is that even after He tells the Church things, there can be some in the Church who still cannot hear them, but reject and replace them with man-made ideas (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

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(Re: Does premillennialism bring Christ down to being merely an earthly man/king?)

No, for just as Jesus Christ's coming down to the level of an earthly man (John 1:1,14) is not wrong, for it does not affect His continuing to be God at the same time (John 10:30, John 20:28), so Jesus' future taking, as the human descendant of King David, the earthly throne of David forever (Luke 1:32-33), will not be wrong, for it will not affect Jesus' continuing to be God at the same time (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Just as Jesus is both man and God at the same time, so He is...

(See "both our Savior and our King" under 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 above. Also, see Acts 1:6 above)

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(Re: Does premillennialism make Christ a failure for not establishing His physical Kingdom at His first coming?)

No, for He was never meant to establish it at His first coming. Instead, He was meant to meekly suffer and die on the Cross for our sins (Isaiah 53), by which work the spiritual aspect of His Kingdom (Romans 14:17) could be established on the earth first (Romans 3:24-26). It was not a contingency plan, but was always determined, that He would not establish the physical aspect of His kingdom until His future, Second Coming (Zechariah 14:3-21, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).

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*Revelation 20:5 / *Rev. 20:5 -

This does not require that absolutely all non-Christians will be slain by Jesus Christ at His future, Second Coming. All it requires is that all those slain by Him, along with all unsaved people who have ever died throughout history, will not be resurrected at the Second Coming, like all of the dead in Christ throughout history will be (1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16; Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). Non-Christians will not be resurrected (unto damnation: John 5:29b) until the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), which will not occur at the Second Coming, but sometime after the subsequent Millennium and Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-15).

(See also the "Amillennialism?" section of Luke 17:26 above)

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(Re: Lived again)

In Revelation 20:5 there is no Greek word for "again", because the original Greek word (zao: G2198) translated as "lived" (not) does not in itself refer to resurrection, but simply means being alive. The resurrection for those in Revelation 20:5a is only implied by comparison to the subsequent reference in the same verse to the first "resurrection" (anastasis: G0386).

(See also section 5 of Revelation 20:4 above)

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*Revelation 20:6 / *Rev. 20:6 -

(They shall be priests of God)

Compare what Isaiah 61:6 says.

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*Revelation 20:7-10 / *Rev. 20:7 -

(*Gog/Magog)

The Gog/Magog invasion of Israel (Ezekiel chapters 38-39) will not occur until after the future Millennium (Revelation 20:7-10), when there will be no defensive walls or fear of attack in Israel whatsoever (Ezekiel 38:11). This is the exact opposite of today's situation, when Israel is filled with very high defensive walls and is in constant fear of attack. At the beginning of the Millennium, all present-day weapons of war throughout the world will be destroyed, and they will not be allowed to be remade during the Millennium (Micah 4:3-4). That is why after the Millennium, the Gog/Magog armies will travel only by horses (Ezekiel 38:15), and will employ only rudimentary, wooden weapons like bows and arrows, spears, shields, and clubs (Ezekiel 39:9), which, after the defeat of the Gog/Magog armies, will be able to be used as convenient firewood by the people living in Israel at that time, instead of them having to go out and collect or cut down firewood from the forest (Ezekiel 39:10).

The Gog in Revelation 20:8 is the same as in Ezekiel chapters 38-39: an individual human whose personal name is "Gog" (Ezekiel 38:3). He will be the chief leader of a future country which will form somewhere north of Israel (Ezekiel 39:2, Ezekiel 38:15), and which will be called "Magog" (Ezekiel 38:2). It will include at least two major cities and/or tribes which will be called "Meshech" and "Tubal" (Ezekiel 38:2). This country could come into existence during the future Millennium. Gog could be born near the end of the Millennium, and he will be killed and buried at the end of the Gog/Magog event (Ezekiel 39:11).

Both accounts of the event show that the Gog/Magog armies will ultimately be completely defeated by miraculous fire from heaven (Ezekiel 38:22, Revelation 20:9). Also, whereas the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) will occur subsequent to the Gog/Magog event (Revelation 20:7-15), nothing requires (as is sometimes claimed) that the Great White Throne Judgment has to happen immediately after that event. For there will be at least seven years (Ezekiel 39:9b) between the end of that event and the Great White Throne Judgment.

Also, the Gog/Magog attack will not have to (as is sometimes claimed) involve only the nations listed in Ezekiel chapters 38-39. Those nations could be just a sampling. For the "nations" (ethnos), or peoples, who will be involved in the Gog/Magog attack will come from all over the earth (Revelation 20:8). They will still be physically part of Jesus Christ's worldwide Kingdom, still legally under His rule, just as they had been during the preceding Millennium (Psalms 72:8-11, Psalms 66:3, Psalms 2). But after the Millennium, they will be deceived by Satan into committing the attack (Revelation 20:7-10).

Also, while the Gog/Magog attack on Israel will not occur until after the future Millennium (Revelation 20:7-10, Ezekiel chapters 38-39), Israel could suffer a different attack before the Millennium, at the start of the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, which attack could result in Israel's total defeat and occupation (Daniel 11:15-17).

(See the "War" section of Revelation 13:5 above)

Also, the city of Jerusalem could be attacked and totally defeated in the future at least three times before the Millennium: once near the start of the future Tribulation (Daniel 11:22), then again mid-tribulation (Daniel 11:31), and then at the Tribulation's end (Daniel 11:45), right before Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming and the start of the Millennium (Zechariah 14:2-21).

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(Re: Gog is not Satan)

The Gog in Revelation 20:8 and Ezekiel chapters 38-39 will not be Satan, but a human leader who could be born near the end of the future Millennium, and who will be killed and buried at the end of the Gog/Magog event (Ezekiel 39:11), while at that time Satan will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).

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*Revelation 20:8 / *Rev. 20:8 -

After the future Millennium (Revelation 20:7-9), the people physically in Jesus Christ's worldwide Kingdom who will be deceived by Satan into becoming part of the Gog/Magog attack on Israel (Revelation 20:8, Ezekiel chapters 38-39) will be descendants of the non-Christians who had been "left" alive by Jesus at His Second Coming (Matthew 24:39b-40), and who then entered the Millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19).

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*Revelation 20:9 / *Rev. 20:9 -

(Devoured)

This refers only to the burning of the bodies of the defeated armies, for they will be subsequently physically resurrected and judged, and then cast into the eternal suffering of the lake of fire along with Satan and his fallen angels (Revelation 20:10-15, Revelation 14:10-11, Matthew 25:41,46, Mark 9:45-46).

Also, in Revelation 20:9 the original Greek word (katesthio: G2719) translated as "devoured" does not even require that their bodies will be cremated by the fire from heaven, just as the same Greek word was used in John 2:17, 2 Corinthians 11:20, and Galatians 5:15 to refer to people whose bodies still existed. For those killed by the fire from heaven in Revelation 20:9 and Ezekiel 38:22 will still have to be buried (Ezekiel 39:11-15).

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(Re: Regarding *cremation, why would Christians ever cremate their dead loved ones?)

Because it is cheaper, and easier, than burying them. But it is still wrong. For cremation is a pagan custom, which was not adopted by Christians until relatively recently (say, since the 1960s). For thousands of years, both Christians and Jews have always been careful to bury the bones of their dead loved ones, in anticipation of the physical resurrection of their bodies (Romans 8:23-25, Job 19:26).

The burning of a dead person's bones has always been a bad thing in the Bible. For 2 Chronicles 34:5 shows that Josiah burned the bones of the false priests of Jerusalem, while he was careful not to burn the bones of the true prophets in Bethel (2 Kings 23:16-18). Similarly, Psalms 34:20 refers to how God protects the bones of the righteous (in this case, Jesus: cf. John 19:36). Also, Psalms 53:5 refers to how God scatters the bones of those people whom He despises. This brings to mind the awful image of how people today often scatter the ashes (and bone fragments) of their loved ones over some place, mistakenly thinking that this is somehow a good thing. Psalms 141:7 confirms that the scattering of one's bones is a bad thing, something which only one's enemies would do. And Jeremiah 8:1-2 and Ezekiel 6:5 show that God can bring judgment upon people by causing their bones to be scattered, instead of buried.

Also, Amos 2:1 shows that God brought judgment against ancient Moab for burning the bones of the kings of Edom. This means that the burning of their bones was an evil act. It was not part of any specific judgment sent by God.

Also, note that cremation today involves bodies being placed into ovens until they are baked into ashes. And we know who loved to put bodies into ovens during the horrible Holocaust.

So Christians must reject the modern, Western acceptance of cremation, just as they must reject other evil, and pagan, Hindu and Gnostic ideas.

(See Luke 24:39 above. Also, see the "Buddhism" section of 1 John 4:3 above)

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*Revelation 20:11-15 / *Rev. 20:11 / *Rev. 20:13 -

People of all times who never became Christians will be physically resurrected and judged at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), which will not occur until sometime after Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:15, Matthew 25:31-46) and the subsequent Millennium and Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:4-15, Ezekiel chapters 38-39).

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(Re: Judged by works)

Everyone, including all Christians, will be judged by their works (Romans 2:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:10). But not all Christians will be judged at the same time. Those who became Christians before Jesus Christ's Second Coming will be judged at His Second Coming (Psalms 50:3-5, cf. Mark 13:27; Luke 12:45-48, Matthew 25:19-30), whereas those who will become Christians after His Second Coming, during the Millennium (Isaiah 66:19-21), will be judged sometime after the Millennium, along with all non-Christians of all times (except the Antichrist and the False Prophet: Revelation 19:20), at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).

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(Re: Is Revelation 20:11b the same event as Revelation 16:20?)

No, see section 2 of Revelation 16:20 above.

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(No place)

This could mean that no place for the earth and its atmosphere (the first heaven) will be found at the Great White Throne Judgment itself, as opposed to no place for them anywhere at all, in the sense of them being annihilated. For the planet earth itself could continue on forever (Ecclesiastes 1:4, Psalms 104:5, Psalms 78:69b). But at the time of the Great White Throne Judgment, the earth could flee away to someplace out of sight where God will burn away its atmosphere and melt its surface to erase all of the works of fallen mankind upon it (2 Peter 3:10). God could then give the earth a new atmosphere and surface, and bring the earth back into sight after the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 21:1).

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*Revelation 20:12 / *Rev. 20:12 -

This refers to the dead who had not been previously resurrected at the "first resurrection" (Revelation 20:4-6) at Jesus Christ's (still future) Second Coming (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Corinthians 15:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16). Between the "first resurrection" and the resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-13) will occur the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6), then the Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-10), and then at least seven years (Ezekiel 39:9b).

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(Re: Is "God" in Revelation 20:12 the Father, as judge?)

No, "God" in Revelation 20:12 refers to Jesus Christ (John 5:22), just as "God" in Revelation 21:6-7 refers to Jesus (cf. Revelation 22:12-13, Revelation 1:7-8, John 20:28, John 21:5); and "God" in Revelation 22:6-7 refers to Jesus (Revelation 22:16).

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(Re: When you referenced John 21:5 above, did you mean Revelation 21:5 instead?)

No, John 21:5 was meant, for it shows that Jesus Christ can address His followers as "children", similar to how in Revelation 21:7, He says that an obedient Christian will become his "son". Compare also how Jesus will be called an "everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6), even though He is a distinct Person from God the Father (e.g. Revelation 3:21).

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(Re: Above, why did you say "an" everlasting Father, when the Bible says "The" everlasting Father?)

Isaiah 9:6's original Hebrew has no "The" before "everlasting Father".

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