THE REIGN OF THE THOUSAND YEARS. We have now examined the various topics mentioned in the separate clauses of chap. 20 with the exception of ‘the thousand years.' It is impossible, however, to pass from the chapter without devoting some attention to this point. No subject referred to in the New Test... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:1. AND I SAW AN ANGEL COMING DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN, HAVING THE KEY OF THE ABYSS AND A GREAT CHAIN UPON HIS HAND. We have here the second angel after the appearance of the Lord Himself at chap. Revelation 19:11. This angel comes down ‘out of heaven,' commissioned therefore by God, and clot... [ Continue Reading ]
It is unnecessary to say anything of the difficulties attending the interpretation of the passage upon which we now enter, or to bespeak the indulgence of the reader. Let it be enough in the meantime to observe that the description of the Victory and Rest of the people of God is continued. The parag... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:2. AND HE LAID HOLD ON THE DRAGON, THE OLD SERPENT, WHICH IS THE DEVIL AND SATAN. This dragon we have already met at chaps. Revelation 12:3; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 13:2; Revelation 13:4; Revelation 16:13. He is the first of the three great enemies of the Church, who gives his auth... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:3. AND EAST HIM INTO THE ABYSS, _i.e_ into the place to which he naturally belongs. AND SHUT IT. The angel closed the door of which he has the key, doubtless at the same time locking it, so that Satan should no longer continue the mischief he had done. AND SEALED IT OVER HIM, not on... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:4. AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT UPON THEM. A new vision, or rather a further unfolding of that with which we have been occupied, is presented to us. We have first to ask what the ‘thrones' are. Are they simply places of exalted dignity, or are they seats for judgment? The two ideas... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:5. THE REST OF THE DEAD LIVED NOT UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS SHOULD BE FINISHED. If the view taken of Revelation 20:4 be correct, the ‘rest of the dead' spoken of in Revelation 20:5 can signify none but the ungodly. Believers without exception have been included among those enumerated in... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:6. BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE THAT HATH PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION. In chap. Revelation 19:9 _all_ believers were pronounced ‘blessed,' and the word ‘holy' denotes the consecration that is given not to a few only but to _all_ the saints of God (chaps. Revelation 18:20; Revelation 19:8)... [ Continue Reading ]
The happy pause described from chap. Revelation 19:1 to chap. Revelation 20:6 comes to an end, and we enter upon the sixth leading section of the book. The section extends from chap. Revelation 20:7 to chap. Revelation 22:5, and its object is to show that, though opposed by so many adversaries and l... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:7. AND WHEN THE THOUSAND YEARS ARE FINISHED, SATAN SHALL BE LOOSED OUT OF HIS PRISON. The meaning of the first clause of this verse cannot be properly discussed until, in some closing remarks on the chapter, we resume consideration of the whole question of what we are to understand by... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:8. AND SHALL COME FORTH TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS WHICH ARE IN THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE EARTH, GOG AND MAGOG, TO GATHER THEM TOGETHER TO THE WAR. ‘Gog and Magog' are in apposition with ‘the nations,' so that the two names represent the same thing. There is thus a slight difference between... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:9. AND THEY WENT UP OVER THE BREADTH OF THE EARTH, AND COMPASSED THE CAMP OF THE SAINTS ABOUT AND THE BELOVED CITY. The two appellations here used are evidently intended to express only two different aspects of the same thing, although we are probably to think of the camp not as within... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:10. AND THE DEVIL THAT DECEIVETH THEM WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHERE ARE ALSO THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET; AND THEY SHALL BE TORMENTED DAY AND NIGHT FOR EVER AND EVER. The last great enemy of the Church is now overcome and destroyed as the beast and the false p... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:11. AND I SAW A GREAT WHITE THRONE AND HIM THAT SAT ON IT, FROM WHOSE FACE THE EARTH AND THE HEAVEN FLED AWAY; AND THERE WAS FOUND NO PLACE FOR THEM. The throne that is seen is ‘great,' not so much in contrast with the thrones of Revelation 20:4, as in correspondence with the Great Bei... [ Continue Reading ]
The vision before us contains an account of the last judgment, and it will be well to examine it before endeavouring to determine more particularly the meaning of the thousand years spoken of in the first vision of this chapter.... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:12. AND I SAW THE DEAD, THE GREAT AND THE SMALL, STANDING BEFORE THE THRONE, AND BOOKS WERE OPENED. Is this a general judgment? Such is the view generally, though not always, taken. All the dead, not only the wicked, but (as some think) certain classes of the righteous who had had no p... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:13. AND THE SEA GAVE UP THE DEAD WHICH WERE IN IT; AND DEATH AND HADES GAVE UP THE DEAD WHICH WERE IN THEM, AND THEY WERE JUDGED EACH ONE ACCORDING TO THEIR WORKS. By the ‘sea' it is impossible to understand the ocean. The word meets us many times in the Apocalypse; but, when it is use... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:14. AND DEATH AND HADES WERE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH, EVEN THE LAKE OF FIRE. The first part of this verse has been spoken of. The second part explains that the second death is ‘the lake of fire,' clearly showing that the second death is a _state._ It is the... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 20:15. AND IF ANY ONE WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, HE WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE. Here then is the purpose, and the only one, for which ‘the book of life' is spoken of as used at the judgment before us. It was searched in order that it might be seen if any one's name was... [ Continue Reading ]