If you have your Bible, open it to Revelation 20:7. Recently we learned what life will be like during the Millennium. We learned that during the Millennium Jesus will rule the world’s government, believers – Old and New Testament saints – will rule with Jesus as a part of Jesus’ government, we will get to worship Jesus in-person in Jerusalem, and that the Millennium will be a time of work, world peace, economic prosperity, and joy throughout the world.
We also know that believers will be the only ones allowed to enter into the Millennium and there will be two kinds of believers present: the glorified and the natural. The glorified are those believers who have been resurrected, whether at the Rapture or the Resurrection of the Just, and received their new glorified bodies. Those natural believers are those who did not die during the Tribulation and will be able to enter into the millennial kingdom with natural, unglorified bodies.
Those natural believers will be able to marry, have babies, and that their babies will be born under sin. Those children born during the Millennium will have 100 years to repent and put their faith in Jesus or they will die in their sin. This means there will still be a need for the gospel to be preached during the Millennium. And for those who hear the gospel and put their faith in Jesus they will live past the age of 100, go on to receive their glorified bodies and live forever with Jesus.
But now I want to answer the question: How will the Millennium end? As we do it’s important you keep two things in mind: First, the Millennium is temporary; only lasting 1,000 years. So there must be an end. And secondly, the Millennium is not heaven, but a prelude to heaven; therefore, it’s not going to be a 1,000 years of perfection and you will see that in our study today. Dr. David Jeremiah says: “Death, though rare, will occur. Sin, though diminished, will still be present. And the human heart will still be capable of rebellion.”
So, it begs the question how will the Millennium end? What you need to know is that the Millennium will end rather dramatically. Two important events happen when the Millennium has reached its conclusion. First, is an event concerning Satan; and the second is an event concerning the great white throne judgment. We are going to look at the event that concerns Satan.
What event will occur at the end of the Millennium concerning Satan?
Satan will be set free. John writes in verse 7, “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison…” Remember from verses 1-3, when the Millennium began one of the first events to take place was Satan being bound by a chain and thrown into the bottomless pit; or, your translation may say Abyss, which is the holding place for demons.
But it was then, in verse 3 that we discovered Satan’s stay in the Abyss would be temporary. John said in verse 3: “After that he must be released for a little while.” The reason I bring that up is because the prison that John is referring to here in verse 7 is the Abyss. And what this verse is telling us is that towards the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released and be free to roam the world once more as he does today.
For how long will Satan be released during the Millennium?
I pose this question because in verse 3 John wrote after Satan is released from the Abyss it would only be “for a little while.” So, how long is “a little while”? The answer to the question is at most 100 years; for the last century of the Millennium. And I’ll show you why I believe that in a moment.
Why would God permit Satan to be released from the Abyss?
God allows this so that Satan can make one last attempt to deceive the nations. Looking at verses 7 and 8 we read: “Satan…will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth…” What this verse implies is that though the Millennium will be a time of world peace and great joy, things will not be perfect; remember, the Millennium is not Heaven. When Satan is released towards the end of the MIllennium he will take one last stab at attempting to deceive the nations and persuade them away from Jesus, according to the will and plan of God.
That brings up another question that we will get to at the end of this message: Why would God allow Satan to be set free just to deceive people? There are two answers for that, for which we will get to in a later in this blog. For now, we’ll follow the logic of the text. (Hint: it has to do with the judgment of all those who in the last 100 years of the Millennium refuse to put their faith in Christ and the judgment of Satan).
Who will Satan be attempting to deceive?
It’s those people who are born during the Millennium who have not yet made a decision about Jesus. By the time Satan has been released many who will be born during the Millennium will have heard the gospel and turned to Jesus for salvation. On the other hand, many who will be born during the Millennium will have died at 100 because they refused to put their trust in Jesus. But there will still be plenty for Satan to deceive when he’s released. To answer this question more specifically, Satan will attempt to deceive everyone who has not been converted for the last 100 years of the Millennium. And going back to our question: ‘for how long will Satan be released? – this why I say Satan will have at most 100 years to roam free in the world to deceive.
How will Satan deceive them?
The text does not say, but it is believed Satan will use the same tactics to deceive as he does now. According to Colin Smith, there are three ways Satan attempts to deceive. The first is vanity, the second is flattery, and the last is blasphemy.
It is believed that Satan will deceive people into thinking they can make their own way for salvation through good works. That should sound familiar because this is a lie we deal with today. Did you know, according to the American Worldview Inventory in 2022, which is an annual research project that comes out from Arizona Christian University, more than half of those who consider themselves Christian (52%), believe that they are saved by good works rather than by faith? Did you also know that if you believe that, you are denying the gospel? You cannot believe you are saved by good works and still be a Christian; it’s impossible. You are denying the very thing the Bible teaches and the very words Jesus taught. The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Bible teaches that you are saved, not by good works, but for good works; that we do good works not for salvation, but to bring glory to God who saved us. But many today, who believe in Jesus, deny that faith alone in Christ alone can save, and it will be the same during the Millennium, and it will be a belief that does not save, but condemns.
Another scholar suggests that a lie will go forth portraying Jesus as a dictator whose message is this: pledge your allegiance to me or die, and that will turn many away. The sad truth is that many have that view of God today. People like Brad Pit and Oprah Winfree believe that it is very off putting of Jesus to say there is only one way to God and that’s through Him. People don’t like that today and people will not like that during the Millennium. They want to believe that all paths lead to God and that’s even a growing trend in Christianity. But let me tell you, if you believe that, you cannot be a Christian, because by believing that, again, you’re denying the gospel. What people don’t realize is that when Jesus says “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” that is not Jesus being a dictator, that is Jesus giving us the only life preserver we will ever need – Himself.
In addition, one scholar suggested that people will be deceived into believing that Satan is a hero and that Jesus is the villain. That when Satan was cast out of Heaven, the only reason was because Jesus did not want to share his glory with him, so people will be deceived into thinking that Satan was treated unfairly, and that Jesus is the real enemy of the story. And if that sounds far fetched, consider Genesis 3. This is the same argument Satan used to persuade Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree in the Garden of Eden. Satan said, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Satan’s argument is that the only reason God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, was so that they would not become like God, because God wants all the glory for Himself, as though God is selfish. They believed it, they ate it, and sin entered into the world. And for the same reasons people during the Millennium will be deceived as well.
For what purpose will Satan be attempting to deceive the nations?
Satan will deceive the nations for one last battle. Looking at verses 7 and 8 John writes, “Satan…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…” Gog and Magog are symbolic names for Satan (who is Gog) and all the people who will be the enemies of Jesus during the Millennium (who is Magog). Satan’s forces will be composed of all the people throughout the world who have not converted to Jesus in the last 100 years.
And notice Satan will have no small army. John says Satan’s army, whom he refers to as Magog, will “number…like the sand of the sea”. In other words, it’s way more than John could count. Now this also gives us some clue to how populated the world will be during the Millennium. For Satan to amass an army numbering like the sand of the sea, tells us by the end of the Millennium, the world will have been repopulated.
Again, this reminds us that the Millennium is not Heaven. Even though there will be world peace, it’s still not a place of perfection. In the New Heaven and New Earth there will be no war, yet the Millennium will end with one final conflict between the unbelievers throughout the world and Jesus.
Also, perhaps you know your Bible really well and are wondering if Gog and Magog here in Revelation 20:8 have anything to do with Ezekeil’s prophecy in Ezekiel 38 and 39? It doesn’t. According to scholars, like Dr. David Jeremiah and Dr. Herbert Carter, the events referred to in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are separate from what John is referring to in Revelation 20.
Is this the same conflict as Armageddon?
Before I answer that question let me tell you that there are two schools of thought on that. The first school of thought comes from those who would identify themselves as Amillennialists. These are those who believe the Millennium is not a literal 1,000 year period but symbolic instead. They say what is taking place here in Revelation 20:8 and 9, is the same conflict as Revelation 19:19-21 at the Second Coming of Jesus.
Then you have the Premillennialists, who believe the Millennium is a literal 1,000 year period ushered in by the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is also what I believe. They/we believe that this conflict is a separate and different conflict from the one that was referred to in Revelation 19:19-21.
So, is this conflict the same one as Armageddon when the Second Coming of Jesus occurred? The answer depends on if you view the Millennium as symbolic or literal. My answer is no, it’s not that same conflict as Revelation 19, because the Millennium is not symbolic but literal. Therefore, I believe one conflict takes place at the conclusion of the Tribulation at the Second Coming of Jesus, which ushers in the Millennium, and the other conflict takes place at the conclusion of the Millennium, which means there is a 1,000 year time period between the two, if you read the text and take it as it is. Also, consider this: the final conflict of Armageddon is led by the Antichrist and False Prophet who are thrown in the lake of fire. This conflict at the end of the Millennium is led by Satan who has just been released from the Abyss. So for me, I am inclined to believe this is a completely separate battle.
Where will this conflict take place?
Looking at verse 9 John writes, “And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city…” First understand that the “camp of the saints and the beloved city” are the same place, which is a reference to Jerusalem. So what that means is that this battle will take place at Jerusalem where the throne of Jesus will be. Satan will have the audacity to attack Jesus right where Jesus sits. As Dr. Herbert Carter puts it: “Under the devil’s leadership they shall make a final…attempt to overthrow the throne and city of God.”
What is the outcome of this conflict?
Satan’s army is defeated. Looking back at verse 9 John writes, “…but fire came down from heaven and consumed them.” The “them” here in the text is not Satan, but Satan’s army. What this tells us is that this is no great conflict. It’s hardly a fight. That’s why Scripture gives so little attention to it and that’s why we can say the Millennium will largely be a time of world peace.
What conflict there is, is hardly worth mentioning. Four verses are given to let us know of Satan’s one last attempt to overthrow Jesus, because as soon as Satan starts this conflict, God reigns fire upon his army, and it’s over. Just like that, it’s done. No injury or loss of life to the believers, no damage done to Jerusalem, and Jesus will still be sitting on his throne.
And by the way, remember our question from earlier: Why would God allow Satan to be set free just to deceive people? This is one of those reasons: God will allow Satan to deceive the nations to bring judgment on those during the Millennium who will oppose Jesus.
Now to you, that might sound like something terrible for God to do or unfair. But think about it: we know sin will not be permitted to enter into the New Heaven and New Earth and they’ve had 100 years of guaranteed life, something we don’t get to enjoy today, to turn to Christ. That’s 100 years with no risk of death, 100 years of hearing the gospel, 100 years of walking among glorified bodies, 100 years of living in a world that is governed by Jesus, 100 years of opportunity to turn to Jesus for salvation and yet they’ll still refuse to put their trust in Christ for salvation. So it’s not like God did not give them a fair chance to turn from their sin and look to Christ. They had plenty of opportunities.
Now, the neat thing here is, if there can be something positive to point out it’s this: Those of us who will be raptured and get to return with Jesus at his Second Coming, in addition to those believers who will not yet be glorified during the Millennium, will get to experience this awesome victory first-hand. What we read about today we will one day get to be an eye-witness of. And after reading this, knowing that what God has declared in His word will indeed happen, should give you who follow Jesus some assurance that you have indeed chosen the right side.
What happens to Satan?
Looking at verse 10, John tells us, “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.” In other words, Satan will finally meet his doom. The work he began in Genesis 3, the work Satan continues today, and the work he will continue in the Millennium, will finally come to an end at the end of the Millennium when Satan is cast into the lake of fire. And by the way, this is the second reason why God allows Satan to be released from the Abyss: to sentence Satan to his final judgment. Now there are a couple things I want to point out from this verse.
First, what we call Hell the bible calls the lake of fire. We get our English word Hell from the Hebrew word Gehenna, which is named after the Valley of Hinnom south of Jerusalem where Hebrew parents would sacrifice their kids by fire to pagan gods in the Old Testament. Jesus used the Valley of Hinnom in Mark 9:47 to illustrate that Hell is a real place of punishment after death.
Secondly, Hell is a place of eternity. When Satan is cast into the lake of fire it will be for all eternity. Remember, the Abyss is not eternal, it’s temporary. But the lack of fire is never-ending. It’s the final unending place for the wicked, for the Antichrist, for the False Prophet, and for Satan. Where Satan was released from the Abyss, he will never be released from this lake of fire. That means when Satan is cast into the lake of fire he will never be a threat to anyone ever again. The temptations you face today as a believer will be gone. The struggles you face as a believer will be gone. The troubles you face as a believer will be gone. The world, at the end of the Millennium, will finally be rid of the devil.
The third point that needs to be made here is this: hell is a place where there will be no rest from torment. Verse 10 tells us it’s a place where those who go there “will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. Again, that includes everyone who does not believe in Jesus, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and yes, even Satan. I don’t think people understand that even for Satan, hell will not be pleasant. Many people get their theology of hell from cartoons like Tom and Jerry. They think that Satan is in hell and living it up. There are two problems with that: First, Satan is not in hell yet. He will be, however, after the Millennium. Secondly, hell will be no place of paradise for the devil. Satan, like anyone else who is sentenced there, will be tormented by fire, forever.
As we close I want you all to understand this is what God sent Jesus to save us from. God sent Jesus into the world to save sinners from sins consequence, which is this lake of fire. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead to save you and I from this lake of fire, which is the punishment we deserve because of sin. But God has ordained that anyone who repents of their sin and believes in His only Son, Jesus Chirst, will not perish but have everlasting life.
And that’s my prayer for you today. If you don’t have assurance of your salvation you can. Here’s how: repent of your sin and trust Jesus to save you. I pray you do so today.