S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Revelation 20:7-10, "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth"Gog and Magog"to gather them fo...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Paul Scarbro Supporter

Here's a shorter answer:

Satan will be sealed for 1000 years. This will be the first resurrection - judgement. Those who were faithful to Christ will fear nothing. Revelation 20:4--"I saw the souls of 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."

Satan will then be thrown into a lake of fire. Revelation 20:10--"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."

Revelation clearly states that the devil knows his time is short. Revelation 12:12--"He knows that his time is short!"

Satan will attempt to devour given that he knows his time is short - but this is allowed only for a fixed period as determined by God. Revelation 2:10--"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation."

We are told to expect persecution but, given the quote from 20:4 above, we are to be faithful witnesses to Christ. Christ will return and the righteous will be with Him forever. Satan will no longer be free to roam and torment (20:10).

February 16 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Aurel Gheorghe Supporter

The short answer is that God will release Satan so the entire Universe can see that there is no redeeming value in Satan, that regardless of circumstances Satan cannot be rehabilitated. He will always try to destroy God and His people. Even after 1000 years that Satan had to reflect on his actions, his heart is still full of hate and God has no other choice but to destroy him together with his followers. 

And now the long answer: To better understand the 1000 years, let's see what happens before and after this period also known as the Millennium. In Revelation 12:7-12 we read that Satan and his angels were evicted from Heaven. This paragraph also talks about Satan being "the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night."

In the book of Job 1:6 we learn that God created other worlds beside earth. Knowing this, we can understand how God might want to show the unfallen worlds, saints and the angels, that His judgments are right and true while Satan is a liar (Revelation 16:7). God will wipe any shadow of doubt from anyone's mind that Satan was, is and always will be a murderer and his accusations false. 

In Revelation 20:6 we learn that only the just will come up in the first resurrection and they will reign with Christ for 1000 years. So the millennium begins with the resurrection of the righteous. 

In Revelation 20:5 we learn that the wicked will remain in their graves till the end of the 1000 years. Then they will come forth in the second resurrection. In conclusion, the millennium begins with the resurrection of the just and closes with the resurrection of the wicked.

The 1000 years period starts at the second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). At this point, the just will be changed from mortality to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51,52). Christ's promise made in John 14:2 will be fulfilled, then the redeemed will go up to Heaven to reign with Him for 1000 years (Revelation 20:4).

When Jesus appears in His glory there will be four groups to be dealt with: the righteous living, the righteous dead, the wicked living, and the wicked dead. Now let's talk about the wicked at His coming. The wicked who are in their graves at that time will remain there until the end of the 1000 years (Revelation 20:5). 

However, the living wicked will be destroyed by the "brightness of His coming." (2 Thessalonians 2:8). This event is also described in Jeremiah 25:33. Then the prophet adds a significant detail: "They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried.. " because there is no one left upon the face of the whole earth. The righteous are all in heaven with Jesus, the wicked dead remain in their graves, and the wicked who are slain must lie where they fell. The earth has been emptied of all its inhabitants.

During the 1000 years the entire earth will be empty; not a single living human left behind (Jeremiah 4:23-26). There is nothing going on during the 1000 year period on earth (Revelation 20:5). During this period however, Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit, or abyss (Revelation 20:1-3). The devil will be imprisoned of 1000 years. He is bound without a single soul on earth for him to deceive or entice. Apparently, Satan and his demons dislike the abyss (Luke 8:31). 

The end of the 1000 years is described in Revelation 21. The New Jerusalem descends from heaven with all the righteous people who have been reigning with Christ for a 1000 years. Another event which marks the end of the 1000 years is the resurrection of the wicked (Revelation 20:7-8). Satan again has people to deceive and manipulate, and plans to mobilize the wicked who had been resurrected. All the sinners are being recruited by Satan for the final battle with God (Revelation 20:9). 

The story ends with fire which devours the wicked and also purifies the earth. (2 Peter 3:12, 13) Then God will create a new earth (Revelation 21:1).

December 20 2014 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report