Revelation Ch19v11-Ch20v15 - King of Kings

Revelation chapter 20

Revelation 20 · chapter mention

So again, just a reminder, on Wednesday we'll be having a joint home group so everybody is invited.

Bring your questions about Revelation or any side shoots off Revelation that you want to talk and chat about.

I'm not saying the answers will be provided but hopefully we will have a good discussion as we look to God's word together.

We're going to read all of Revelation 20 this morning.

Let's hear God's word.

And I saw an angel coming out of heaven, having the key to the abyss and holding in his hands a great chain.

He seized the dragon, that ancient snake who is the devil or Satan and bound him for a thousand years.

He threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it over him to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended.

After that, he must be set free for a short time.

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God.

They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or on their hands.

They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.

This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection.

The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ

and will reign with him for a thousand years.

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison

and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog,

and to gather them for battle.

In number they are like the sand on the seashore.

They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves.

But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.

And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur

where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.

They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.

The earth and the heavens fled from his presence and there was no place for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne.

And books were opened.

Another book was opened, which is the book of life.

The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

The sea gave up the dead that were in it.

And death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.

And each person was judged according to what they had done.

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.

The lake of fire is the second death.

Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life

was thrown into the lake of fire.

Father, you are the giver of all life.

And your word itself is life.

And so we pray that as we listen to your word,

as we seek to understand this and apply it to our lives,

we will be filled with a vision of God,

his plan for this world,

the future that is to come,

and our part in it.

Help us, Father.

Change us.

And do your work amongst us.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, it seems we have a fascination with Marvel movies.

Any fans?

Iron Man.

Well, I hope I've got this right anyway.

Iron Man, Thor, Captain America,

Guardians of the Galaxy.

And we love spy thrillers too.

Like James Bond and Jack Reacher.

Ethan Hunt of Mission Impossible.

Now the thing that they all have in common is

they're all heroes.

They do what everyone else seems powerless to do.

They confront criminals.

They fight evil powers.

And they ultimately bring justice.

They establish a new rule and a new order.

The problem is, in the real world,

the heroes don't win.

Criminals get away with murder.

Evil triumphs over those who do good.

And injustice rules with devastating effects.

In the real world, from our experience,

it's the bad guys who do as they please.

And the good guys seem to suffer and struggle.

You see, the reason why we have a fascination with these movies is

because they achieve for us what we all long for.

Justice.

Justice.

Order.

And rule.

The end of all that is not right.

But here's the good news.

What we long for

doesn't have to be the stuff of Hollywood and movies.

It all becomes a reality

in Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation gives to us a vision

of the true and ultimate hero king.

Let's read chapter 19, verse 11.

I saw heaven standing open.

So, we have a perspective of earth

and what is going on in the world.

But here we are taken once again to heaven

to get heaven's perspective,

God's perspective.

I saw heaven standing open

and there before me was a white horse,

a symbol of perfection and beauty,

whose rider is called

Faithful and True.

With justice, he judges

and wages war.

He's going to correct

all wrongs

and establish what is right

and punish what is unjust.

He's not swayed by emotion

or tainted by bribes.

His verdict, his justice

is always pure,

fair,

and right.

Verse 12.

His eyes

are like blazing fire.

He sees all

and he knows all.

And on his head

are many crowns.

He has supreme authority

over all things

and all people.

He has a name

written on him

that no one knows

but he himself.

He's not controlled

by anybody.

He is answerable

to himself.

He is dressed

in a robe

dripped in blood

and his name

is the word of God.

He is a warrior

king.

Verse 14.

The armies of heaven

were following him

riding on white horses

and dressed in fine linen

white and clean.

The saints

and the angels

that accompany him.

coming out

of his mouth

is a sharp sword

with which

to strike down

the nations.

His weapon

of choice

is the word

of God.

It's the means

by which

he will establish

his rule.

What he commands

takes place.

What he decrees

will happen.

Verse 15.

He will rule them

with an iron scepter.

He treads

the winepress

of the fury

of the wrath

of God

almighty

delivering

his judgment

and on his robe

and on his thigh

he has his name

written

King of Kings

and Lord

of Lords.

Make no mistake

this is God's

ruling king

who comes

to confront

all sin

to triumph

over all evil

and to establish

justice.

This is not

fantasy

this is reality.

Jesus

King of Kings

Lord

of Lords.

Now as we go

through our text

looking at the rest

of chapter 20

we'll see

three things

about this

king.

We're going to see

the king's rule

has begun

the king's rule

will come

and the king's

rule over me.

So rule

has begun

rule

will come

and then

rule

over me.

So first

the king's rule

has

begun.

does that say

has come?

Oh that's a typo.

That should be

the king's rule

has begun.

So the king's rule

is not just a

future event

it is a present

and ongoing

event.

We can see this

in two ways.

First

Satan

has been

bound.

look at

chapter 20

verse 1

and I saw

an angel

coming down

out of heaven

having the

key to the

abyss

and holding

in his hand

a great

chain.

Here we have

the key

holder

the one

with supreme

authority

and absolute

power.

The angel

is representing

the king's

rule

rule

and he

has the

key to

the abyss

the realm

of darkness

the gathering

place of evil

hell itself.

But he also

has a chain

what's the

chain for?

Well look at

verse 2

he seized

the dragon

that ancient

snake

whom we

first met

right the way

back in the

garden of

Eden

who is the

devil

or Satan

and bound

him for a

thousand years

he threw

him into

the abyss

and locked

and sealed

it over

him.

Now the

question that

we need to

ask here

is

when was

Satan

bound?

When did

this binding

take place?

Well we

know from

the gospels

that Satan

already has

been bound

through the

death of

Jesus.

So in

Mark's

gospel

chapter 3

there's an

account where

Jesus is

having a

debate with

the religious

leaders and

he explains

to them

what he

came to

do with

Satan and

Jesus uses

like a

little short

parable to

explain.

We have

them here

on screen.

Jesus says

in fact no

one can enter

a strong

man's

house.

The

strong man

being

Satan's

kingdom

without

first tying

him up.

Then he

can plunder

the

strong man's

house.

The

imagery is

clear there

isn't it?

Jesus has

come to

bind

Satan

through his

death.

To tie

him up.

To make

him powerless

so that

he can

rescue

people

from

Satan's

kingdom.

He can

plunder

the

kingdom

of

darkness

and bring

people

into the

kingdom

of light.

This is

also made

clear in

John's

gospel

chapter 12

where Jesus

explains what

will happen

to Satan

when Jesus

dies.

Jesus

says this

now is

the time

for

judgment

on this

world.

Now the

prince of

this world

the prince

of this

world is

Satan

who will

be driven

out and

when I am

lifted up

from the

earth speaking

of his

death his

crucifixion on

the cross he

will draw all

people to

myself.

He said

this to show

the kind of

death he

was going

to die.

You see

as Jesus

dies

Satan is

driven out

and people

are drawn

to Jesus.

The

apostle Paul

describes

the effect

of Jesus'

death on

Satan like

this in

military terms.

Christ he

says has

disarmed

the powers

and the

authorities.

Who are

they?

The realm

of darkness

and he

made a

public

spectacle

of them

triumphing

over them

by the

cross.

You see

as Jesus

dies

Satan is

overcome.

He is

bound up

he is

driven out

and he

is disarmed.

His powers

of deception

have been

defeated

and been

destroyed.

Back to

verse 3.

verse 3.

He threw

him into

the

abyss

and locked

and sealed

it over

him to

keep him

from deceiving

the nations

anymore

until the

thousand years

were ended.

So he's

been bound.

It's past

tense.

And if

Satan's

binding

happened at

Jesus'

death,

then the

thousand years

he is

bound for

reflects the

length of

time

Satan remains

bound.

As we'll

see, it's

not a literal

thousand years

but represents

the time frame

between the

resurrection of

Jesus and

the return

of Jesus.

That's his

prison sentence

if you like.

So Satan

remains bound

from the

resurrection to

the return.

Yes, he is

still active

but he has

been restrained.

Yes, Satan

still has an

influence but

it has been

limited.

He still is

on the attack

but he has

been disarmed.

Now the

reason Satan

has been

bound is

so that the

church

may now

rule.

That the

church might

rule.

Let's pick

it up in

verse 4.

I saw

thrones on

which were

seated those

who had been

given the

authority to

judge.

So we've

talked about

Christ's

rule.

Now there's

these other

thrones and

there's people

there who have

authority to

judge and to

rule.

who were

they?

Well let's

read on.

I saw the

souls of

those who

had been

beheaded

because of

their testimony

about Jesus

and because of

the word of

God.

So here are

believers who

have been

martyred,

persecuted for

their faith

and they are

now with

Christ

ruling.

people.

But not

just those

who had

died.

I think

here in

the second

part of

verse 4

there's a

transition from

those who

had died

to those who

are currently

living.

They

introduces

those who

are now

alive as

Christians.

They had

not worshipped

the beast

or its image

and had not

received its

mark on their

foreheads or

on their

hands.

they came

to life.

That is

speaking at

their conversion

when they

heard the

gospel truth

when they

came to

life.

They reigned

with Christ

for a

thousand years.

The rest

of the dead

those who

are unbelievers

those who

were not

converted

did not

come to

life

until a

thousand years

were ended.

this is the

first

resurrection.

You see

if we are

Christians

if we're

people here

today who

are trusting

in Jesus

we have

two

resurrections.

Maybe you

thought oh

no there's

only one

isn't there

no there's

two.

The first

resurrection

occurs when

we trust

in Jesus

Christ and

so begins

our new

life.

The second

resurrection

is when

Jesus returns

again and

we receive

our new

physical

bodies and

we live

in the

new

creation.

We have

a new

life.

So

verse 6

blessed

and holy

are those

who share

in the

first

resurrection.

For those

who've

trusted in

Christ

what a

glory

what a

great joy

it is

what a

blessing

to be

able to

say that

yes I

have a

first

resurrection

I've

come to

life in

Christ.

The second

death when

Christ returns

has no

power over

them but

they will

be priests

of God

and of

Christ and

will reign

with him

or rule

with him

for a

thousand

years.

years.

You see

the church

will rule

we're told

for a

thousand

years

from the

resurrection

of Jesus

to the

return of

Jesus.

As we

trust in

him so

we begin

to reign

with him

we rule

with him

now.

There are

those who

have passed

on from

this life

and they're

ruling with

Christ but

also Christians

today we are

currently ruling

with him.

So what does

it look like

for us to

reign with

Christ?

What does it

mean for us

to exercise

Christ's

rule here

on earth

right now?

Well as

the church

preaches

the gospel

of Jesus

so people

are released

from Satan's

kingdom and

they are

raised to

new life

to reign

with Christ.

Isn't that

amazing?

if you're

a Christian

there was

a time

where you

can look

back in

your past

life where

you were

held in

Satan's

kingdom by

his lies

and deception.

But when

you heard

the gospel

you came

to see that

Satan has

no hold

on you

that through

Jesus your

sins are

forgiven and

you've been

set free.

And now

look at the

end of

verse 6

they will

be priests

of God

and of

Christ

and will

reign with

him

for a

thousand

years.

We will

be priests

that's our

calling

right now

today.

We serve

him as we

go into

all the

world

to share

the gospel

with others.

As we do

people are

set free

from darkness

and Satan

can do

nothing about

it.

Satan

cannot

stop

people

believing

in

Christ.

Now think

about this

with me.

This is

what is

happening

right now

when you

teach your

Sunday

school class.

It's

happening

when you

teach

at

Rock,

when you

teach at

Rooted,

when you

share the

gospel with

your

friends.

We go

into that

knowing that

Satan has

been bound

and as the

gospel word

goes out

people are

released.

People are

set free.

This is God's

rule on earth

through his

church.

This is where

it's happening.

So the

king's rule

has begun.

It's not just

a future

event.

His rule

is exercised

now through

the church

as we

preach the

gospel in

the knowledge

that Satan

has been

bound and

people will

be set

free.

So we

can celebrate

that the

king's rule

has begun.

second,

the king's

rule will

come,

future tense.

The rule

of the king

has begun

and one

day we

will see

it in

all its

fullness.

Two things

are going

to help

us see

this.

First,

Satan

released.

Look at

the end

of verse

3,

chapter 20.

After that,

after his

binding,

he,

Satan,

must be

set free

for a

short time.

Down to

verse 7.

When the

thousand years

are over,

Satan will

be released

from his

prison and

will go out

to deceive

the nations

in the

four corners

of the

earth.

So we

have seen

that Satan

was bound

up,

driven out,

disarmed.

His powers

of deception

were broken,

but now,

future,

at the

dawn of

the king's

return,

Satan is

going to

be released.

God,

who locked

him up,

is going

to turn

the key

and open

the abyss

and let

him loose.

And,

verse 8,

he will

go out

and deceive

the nations

in the

four corners

of the

earth.

Satan

will return

to do

what he

has been

doing

before his

binding.

He will

deceive the

nations

in such

a way

that they

do not

believe

Jesus.

And he

will lead

them astray

so that they

turn against

God's

people.

In that

time,

as this

happens,

the day

of forgiveness

will come

to a

close.

The time

of grace

will end.

The age

of repentance

will no

longer be

possible.

Instead

of salvation,

there will

be the

coming of

condemnation.

Those who

have rejected

Jesus will

only grow

in their

rebellion

of Jesus.

And those

who have

hardened

their hearts

to Jesus

will only

deepen

in their

hardness.

It's not

that they

cry for

mercy.

They don't

want

mercy.

It's not

that they

long for

grace.

They don't

want

grace.

Satan's

final deception

only affirms

what they

want.

They don't

want

Jesus.

One day

the church

will complete

its great

commission

of going

to the

nations

and

releasing

people

from

captivity.

One day

that will

be

finished

and the

opportunity

for salvation

will end.

You see,

Satan's

release

is all

part of

God's

just

and right

judgment.

God is

exercising

his sovereign

rule as he

does because

as he releases

Satan.

He does

it so

that he

might be

condemned.

This

great

deception

is going

to lead

to a

gathering

of war.

Verse

eight,

we've

already

come

past

this

in

earlier

chapters

called

the

war

of

Armageddon.

It's

the same

thing here,

it's nothing

different.

Verse

eight,

he will

go out

to deceive

the nations

in the

four corners

of the

earth,

Gog and

Magog.

They

represent

the enemies

of God

who are

opposed to

Christ

and seek

to destroy

his church.

To gather

them for

battle,

in number

they will

be like

the sand

on the

seashore.

The

opposition

is going

to come

from every

direction,

from the

four corners

of the

earth.

Having

believed

Satan's

lie,

they now

believe

they can

destroy

the

church

once

and

for

all.

Verse

nine,

they marched

across the

breadth of

the earth

and surrounded

the camp

of God's

people,

the city

he loves.

We can

see them

there being

hemmed

in.

It seems

like there's

an intense

opposition

and persecution,

the forces

of darkness

and evil

gathering

around and

surrounding

the church

and pressing

in.

And when

we think

everything

is lost,

look at

the rest

of verse

nine,

but fire

came down

from heaven

and devoured

them.

And the

devil who

deceived them

was thrown

into the

lake of

burning

sulfur,

where the

beast and

the false

prophet had

been thrown.

You see,

Satan is so

full of

deception

that he

has come

to deceive

himself.

He senses

a victory

as he

wades

his war.

He's about

to crush

the church,

but the

gathering

is all

part of

God's

rule.

God has

merely released

Satan so

that he

might gather

his minions

and his

enemies

for destruction.

destruction.

The victory

was never

in doubt.

It was

just a

matter of

when.

When the

king returns,

he comes,

we were told

in chapter

19,

with the

armies of

heaven and

he destroys

his enemies.

You see,

there is no

fight.

There is no

war.

Satan is

finally and

ultimately

crushed,

judged,

removed

and

condemned.

Look at

the end of

verse 10.

They will

be tormented

day and

night

forever

and ever.

God's

rule

will end

the opposition

to the

church.

Stop the

powers of

evil in

the world

and break

the enemies

of God

and peace

will reign.

So the

king's

rule will

come.

God will

establish his

rule fully

and finally

and he

will restore

order and

justice.

So the

king's

rule has

begun.

The

king's

rule has

or will

come.

And then

last,

I'm not

getting gone

very well

with the

button today.

the king's

rule over

me.

Look at

verse 11.

The king's

rule over

me.

Then I

saw a

great white

throne

and him

who was

seated on

it.

So here

we are

invited to

enter into

the courtroom

of heaven

and God

is on

the throne

and he

is about

to pronounce

his

judgment.

As we

enter the

courtroom,

look who

is there.

Verse 12.

And I

saw the

dead,

great and

small.

Well,

who are the

dead who've

been gathered?

Well,

they're not

the physically

dead,

they are

the spiritually

dead.

Look back

at verse 5

again with

me.

The rest

of the

dead,

that is

those who

are unbelievers,

did not

come to

life until

the thousand

years were

ended.

The dead

are unbelievers,

those who

have rejected

Jesus and

have now

been raised

to physical

life to

face the

final

judgment.

Verse 12.

So I

saw the

dead,

great and

small,

standing

before the

throne.

And

books were

opened.

Everyone who

stood opposed

to Christ and

his church

will be

gathered,

the powerful

and the

weak,

the rich

and the

poor.

This is

where history

is headed.

This is

unavoidable.

This is

God's full

and final

judgment.

And as

they are

gathered,

books are

opened.

The record

of history,

the account

of everyone's

life.

And it's as if

the evidence

is now being

read out

to God

who is on

the throne.

every thought,

every word

and every

deed will be

disclosed.

Nothing will

be hidden.

All will be

revealed.

Nobody can

hide,

verse 13,

because the

sea,

remember the

symbolism of

the sea of

chaos and

evil,

the sea gave

up the dead

that were in

it,

and death

and Hades

gave up the

dead that

were in

them.

So all

were raised

up and

each person

was judged

according to

what they

had done.

every

government

that stood

against Christ,

every leader

that opposed

the church,

those who

had imprisoned

pastors,

beat up new

believers,

murdered

Christians,

all who

had slandered

God's people,

rejected God's

word,

all who

had ignored

Christ and

rejected Christ,

they will be

judged

according to

what they

had done.

The earthly

powers who

ruled Christians

harshly will

now be ruled

justly by

God.

And the

verdict is

fair.

Anyone,

verse 15,

anyone whose

name was not

found written

in the book

of life,

was thrown

into the

lake of

fire.

Not a,

literal fire,

but a place

of agony.

Their destiny

will be like

that of

Satan.

Look back

at the end

of verse

10.

It's not

an annihilation

or the end

of something.

They will be

tormented

day and

night,

forever

and ever.

Hell is

not a place

of joyful

rebellion.

It's a place

of eternal

sorrow.

Sin will be

an endless

torment.

People will

thirst for

mercy and

forgiveness,

but it will

never be

quenched.

It will be a

desire for

grace and

hope, but it

will never

ever be

realized.

beast.

This will

be the

destiny of

those who

have refused

the Lord

Jesus.

But it

doesn't have

to end this

way, does

it?

Because there

is another

ending.

There is a

greater destiny,

not one of

darkness and

death, but of

light and

life.

Instead of

chaos and

evil, it

can be beauty

and glory.

You see, in

the midst of

all of this,

there is

another book.

Did you see

it?

Look at the

middle of

verse 12.

Another book

was opened,

which is the

book of

life.

Verse 15,

anyone whose

name was not

found written

in the book

of life was

thrown into

the lake of

fire.

You see,

if your

name,

is in

this book,

then it

means judgment

passes over

you.

No harm

will come

to you.

So how

do I make

sure that

my name

is written

in this

book of

life?

That when

the judgment

comes,

my name,

Johnny Grant,

is going to

be in that

book?

book.

Well,

turn with

me,

please,

back to

Revelation

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

Revelation

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

Revelation

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

I want you

with me to

imagine that

this book

that I have

here

is a

record of

your life

or my

life.

book.

It's all

contained in

here from

beginning to

end.

And as you

flick through

the pages,

you'll see

aspects of

your life,

maybe your

birth,

your first

toddler steps,

maybe some

achievement when

you were at

school,

a wedding

day,

children.

children.

You flick

through it

all and

it's all

there.

Everything

you've said

and done

and thought

is also

in here.

And as I

look at this

evidence,

this book

of my

life,

there's lots

of things

that I would

love you to

read and

see,

but there's

lots of

things I

would be

terribly

ashamed and

embarrassed if

you saw

them.

because in

this book

of evidence,

there is a

history of

my life that

has opposed

Christ,

where I

have rejected

and turned

against Christ

and not

loved him as

I should.

And there's a

record in

here too

of how I've

hurt the

church,

how I've

hurt God's

people from

things that

I've said

and things

that I've

done.

And it's

all here.

I can't

make it

go away.

And God

sees this

evidence.

And it's

very clear

that

without

Christ,

I will be

judged

according to

what I have

done.

I'm not

going to

stand in

that judgment

because it

is not

enough.

But I

want you to

think with

me of

another book,

the book

of life.

And this

book of

life is

the life

of Christ.

And again,

you can

read through

and see all

that Christ

has done.

how he

loved and

obeyed his

father

perfectly.

How he

never said

anything wrong.

How he

loved those

whom other

people didn't

love.

And how he

gave his

life ultimately

to death

on the cross

for people

like me.

this is the

book of

life.

This is

the book

of evidence.

And the

wonderful thing