The First Resurrection
Today’s passage: Revelation 20
Focus verse: Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:6)
With the beast and the false prophet thrown into the lake of fire, only the dragon remains. An angel comes down from heaven. He holds the key to the Abyss and carries a huge chain. He seizes the dragon, also known as the serpent, the devil, or Satan.
The angel binds Satan, throws him into the abyss, locks the entrance, and seals it shut.
This will keep the beast from deceiving anyone. He’ll spend one thousand years, a millennium, in the Abyss.
But remember that God views time differently than we do. To the Creator, time is relative. A thousand years to us is a day to him, and a day to us is a thousand years to him (Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8).
Regardless, Satan receives a thousand-year sentence for his crime of deception.
While Satan is bound in chains, sequestered in the Abyss, Jesus will reign. And with him others sit on their thrones, having the authority to judge. The people who will sit with Jesus are those martyred for their faith.
Specifically, they did not worship the beast or bow down to his image. They had not received his mark on their foreheads or hands. They kept themselves focused on God, worshiping him and him alone.
They died for their dedication, executed for their testimony about Jesus. They paid a weighty price for what they believed in.
As a reward for their suffering, they come alive and reign with Jesus for a thousand years. They are holy and blessed, and their rebirth is the first resurrection. The second death will not affect them. And they will be priests for Father God and Jesus.
After completing his thousand-year sentence, Satan is released from his prison. He returns to doing what he did before. He deceives the nations and gathers them for battle.
They march toward God’s city and surround it. But before they can attack, fire shoots down from heaven and destroys them.
The devil, for his final deception, is thrown into the lake of burning sulfur. He joins the beast and the false prophet there. There they will receive everlasting torment, day and night.
With the dragon, the false prophet, and the beast (Satan) thrown into the lake of fire, it’s now time for judgment to take place. We continue to move closer to the climax of our story.
But first, God sits on his throne, the great white throne. Our reality recedes from him because there’s no place left for the heavens and earth to exist. The dead now stand before him and await their judgment.
The records of what they did during their life are opened and their deeds are recounted. Each one of them receives judgment for what they had done, with the guilty being thrown into the lake of fire.
Questions:
- What does it mean that God views time differently than we do?
- What characteristics of these martyrs can we aspire to?
- How should we react to the judgment John sees in this passage?
- How much are we willing to give up to remain true to our faith and avoid this judgment?
- Will the records of what we have done be an embarrassing list or will it be blank?
[Discover more about the Abyss in its only other biblical mention in Luke 8:26–39.]
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Read more in Revelation Bible Study: Discover Practical Insights from John’s Epic Vision.
Discover practical, understandable insights from the book of Revelation.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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