XX. THE MILLENNIUM. — Some few introductory words on this most difficult chapter are needful. The outline of incidents described is very simple. An angel descends, lays hold upon the dragon, binds him, and imprisons him in the abyss, where he remains for a thousand years, after which he is loosed fo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BINDING OF SATAN. (1) AND I SAW AN ANGEL COME DOWN... — Rather, _And I saw an angel descending out of the heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain on_ (not merely in his hand, but hanging from it as it would do when on) _his hand._ It is needless to settle who is represented by thi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE LAID HOLD ON THE DRAGON... — Or, _And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years._ The four words are thus used to describe the archenemy; they are the same as those used for the same purpose in Revelation 12:9. Over the world h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAST HIM INTO THE BOTTOMLESS PIT... — Rather, _and cast him into the abyss_ (same word as in Revelation 20:1), _and locked and sealed_ (_the door or mouth_)_ above him, that he may not deceive the nations any more until the thousand years shall have been finished; after these things he must be l... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MILLENNIAL REIGN. (4) AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT... There is a prominence given to the _thrones,_ because the thought of the reign of the saints is uppermost in the mind of the seer. The thrones are seen, and those who sat on them. It has been asked, “By whom are the thrones occupied?” The... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE REST OF THE DEAD LIVED NOT AGAIN... — Rather, _The rest of the dead lived not_ (we must omit the word “_again”_)_ until the thousand years be finished. This is the first resurrection._ In those words we meet one of the keys to the controversy respecting the millennium. What is this resurrect... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE THAT HATH.... — This is one of the benedictions of the Apocalypse. The blessing on those who have part or share in the first resurrection has this definite feature. On these the second death has not power (or authority). The second death stands in contrast with the first resur... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LOOSING OF SATAN AND HIS FINAL OVERTHROW. (7) AND WHEN THE THOUSAND YEARS ARE EXPIRED. — Rather, _And when the thousand years have been finished._ The binding of Satan implied restraint put upon his power and freedom of action; the loosing means the removing of these restraints. The reign of Chr... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL GO OUT TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS. — Perhaps better, _shall come out,_ as the earth is the view-point. The nations deceived and led astray are designated as Gog and Magog. The names are derived from Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38, 39). In rabbinical books the names were used to describe the nations who w... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT UP ON THE BREADTH OF THE EARTH. — The hostile multitudes spread like swarms over the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Jerusalem is the beloved city — in it was the Mount Zion which God loved (Psalms 78:68). It is the figure of the true spiritual Zion a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DEVIL THAT DECEIVED THEM... — Better, _And the devil that deceiveth them, or was deceiving them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the wild beasts and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented by day and by night unto the ages of the ages._ The devil cast from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW A GREAT WHITE THRONE... — Or, _And I saw a great white throne, and Him that was seated thereon, from whose face fled the earth and the heaven, and place was not found for them._ The throne is described as great and white, to set it in strong contrast to other thrones mentioned in the book,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW THE DEAD, SMALL AND GREAT... — Or rather, _And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before_ (not “God,” as in text, but) _the throne, and books_ (or, _rolls_)_ were opened; and another book_ (or, _roll_)_ was opened, which is_ (_the book_)_ of life; and the dead were judged ou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DEATH AND HELL WERE CAST... — Better, _And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire._ The latter part of the verse contains, according to the best MS. authority, the additional words “the lake of fire.” We then read, not “This is the second death” — as though the reference were to what we... [ Continue Reading ]