LEARNING DAILY

 

Revelation 20:1-3, Then I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.  But after these things, he must be released for a little while.

 

The battle of Armageddon ends the devil’s reign on the earth.  The beast and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19:20) and all those who followed them are killed.  Satan is chained and bound for a thousand years; there is a complete stop of his influence.

 

During the thousand years, known as the Millennium, the saints who return to earth with the Lord will rule the nations with Him.  The nations will be formed from those believers who are alive at the end of the tribulation.  It is important to understand that people who enter the Millennium will be Believers.  During this time “Christ will rule as king over all the earth from His capital, Jerusalem.  The saints of God (that’s us, my brother and sister) who return with Him for the battle of Armageddon, will rule with Him from the New Jerusalem as well, helping to oversee a thousand years of peace and righteousness on earth while Satan is bound” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). 

 

Revelation 20:7-10 tells us that at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from his captivity to once again deceive the nations.  During the Millennium, life will continue without the deception of Satan.  Babies will be born to those Believers (both Jew and Gentile) who entered the Millennium facing death.  Those babies will need to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Here is what Isaiah (65:20) says about this, “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”  Although death will occur during this time, life spans are longer than they are now.  One who is 100 years old is still considered a youth.  And those who die before that age will be considered accursed.  Does that mean they die without acknowledging Jesus as Lord?  Are they the ones Satan is able to deceive when he is released from his prison?  It seems so. 

 

Satan’s release from his prison shows us he has not changed; his ability to deceive shows us that man’s heart is still wicked as many of those born in the Millennium chose to reject Christ and follow Satan.  In verse 9, we see that God’s judgment is total destruction and Satan and those who chose to follow him are thrown into the lake of fire.  There they will be tormented day and night – forever. 

 

If you want to read more about what life will be like during the Millennium, read the prophecies of Isaiah found in chapters 11 and 65.  I believe it will bring you peace and joy about what we have to look forward to.