INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 20 This chapter contains the binding of Satan, the saints' thousand years' reign with Christ, the loosing of Satan again, the destruction of him, and the Gog and Magog army, and the last judgment: the angel that is to bind Satan is described by his descent from heaven; by... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW AN ANGEL COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN,.... All Christ's enemies, and Satan's instruments being removed, the devil is left alone, and only stands in the way of Christ's kingdom; and what will be done to him, and how he will be in the issue disposed of, this vision gives an account: by the "angel... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 2 AND HE LAID HOLD ON THE DRAGON,.... By whom is meant not Paganism, for that was destroyed in the Roman empire under the sixth seal, and was the consequence of the war between Michael and his angels, and the dragon and his; and before this time it will be destroyed in other parts under the six... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAST HIM INTO THE BOTTOMLESS PIT,.... Or deep, into which the devils desired they might not be sent, and which they dreaded as a torment, it may be, because a place of confinement, Luke 8:31 for this is called a prison, Revelation 20:7 and is distinguished from the lake of fire, into which the d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW THRONES, AND THEY SAT UPON THEM,.... Besides the throne of God the Father, and the throne of glory, on which the Son of God sits, and the twelve thrones for the twelve apostles of the Lamb; there will be thrones set, or pitched, for all the saints, Daniel 7:9 who will sit on them, in the c... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE REST OF THE DEAD,.... Meaning not the dead saints, for they will be all raised together, but the wicked dead; and not them as morally or spiritually, but as corporeally dead: these LIVED NOT AGAIN UNTIL THE THOUSAND YEARS WERE FINISHED; so that there will be such an exact term of years betw... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE THAT HATH PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION,.... This may be considered either as descriptive of the persons that shall partake of this privilege; as that they are only such who are blessed with spiritual blessings, with a justifying righteousness, with pardon of sin, and regener... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE THOUSAND YEARS ARE EXPIRED,.... Which are not yet expired; not in the year 1000, or 1033 or 4, reckoning from the birth or death of Christ, when Paganism, which had been destroyed in the Gentile world, was introduced into the church, which bore the Christian name, through the man of sin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL GO OUT,.... Of his prison, the bottomless pit, and shall walk to and fro in the earth, and go about like a deceitful serpent, and roaring lion, as before: TO DECEIVE THE NATIONS: as he had done before the thousand years began, and from which he was restrained during that time; he had befo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT UP ON THE BREADTH OF THE EARTH,.... Either the whole earth, in the several parts of which they will be raised; or the land of Israel, where Christ and his people will be; and so the wicked being raised, will come up from the several parts of the world, and spread themselves over the ho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DEVIL THAT DECEIVED THEM,.... Both before death, in the present life, by tempting and drawing them into immorality and profaneness, or idolatry, superstition, and will worship, or persecution of the saints; and after their resurrection, by instigating them to make this foolish attempt upon t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW A GREAT WHITE THRONE,.... This vision refers not to the Gospel dispensation, from the exaltation of Christ to his second coming; when he sat down on his throne at the right hand of God, and was declared Lord and Christ; when there was a shaking of the heavens and the earth, a removing of t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW THE DEAD,.... An account being given of the Judge, next the persons to be judged are described, and in this clause, by the state and condition in which they had been; for it cannot be thought they were dead when they stood before the throne, but were raised from the dead; for this characte... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SEA GAVE UP THE DEAD WHICH WERE IN IT,.... Which is not to be interpreted metaphorically of the world, and the men of it, who are like the troubled sea; but literally of the sea, and of all such who have been drowned in the waters of it, as were Pharaoh and his host; or have died upon the mi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND DEATH AND HELL WERE CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE,.... Death cannot be taken properly, nor hell be the place of torment, for devils and damned spirits; since that is that lake of fire, for then the sense would be, hell is cast into hell; but either by these the devil is meant, who has the power of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE,.... Upon the opening of it, Revelation 20:12 as all that worship the beast, and wonder after him, Revelation 13:8 and all wicked men, everyone of them: WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE; where are the devil, beast, and false prophet, Revelation... [ Continue Reading ]