What Will Happen When Christ Returns?
Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Revelation. It’s a series about finding peace in our world of chaos, and the text we’re studying today is about Christ’s return. It’s about what will happen when Christ finally returns at the end of history. It’s an encouraging text, especially when it feels like darkness is winning in our lives. The reality is sometimes it feels like darkness is winning in our lives when we’re having struggles in our marriages, our families, our friendships...Sometimes it feels like darkness is winning in our lives when we’re having struggles resisting sin and temptation...Sometimes it feels like darkness is winning in our lives when we’re trying to do good things, but bad things keep happening to us...The reality is sometimes it feels like darkness is winning in our lives, and we can easily get discouraged when that happens.
Today’s text can help shine some light into that darkness, because it teaches that Jesus is coming back to end all the darkness in our lives. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world,” and the good news is he’s coming back to end all the darkness in our lives and world. Both skeptics and believers desire a life free from sin, temptation, struggles, and darkness, and the good news is that day is coming, when Jesus returns. So let’s turn to Revelation 20 and check it out. You’ll find Revelation in the back of the bible, it’s the very last book of the bible. We’ll be in Revelation Ch. 20:1-10, and the title of the message is What will happen when Christ returns? The big idea of the message is when Christ returns, he’ll end Satan’s darkness and destruction forever... When Christ returns, he’ll end Satan’s darkness and destruction in our lives and world forever...
Here’s your context. The book of Revelation is about the 2nd coming of Jesus, and what will happen at the end of history when he returns. We divided this entire book into four major sections based on the four major visions Jesus gave to John the author, and right now we’re in the 3rd major vision of Jesus Conquering. It’s a vision of Jesus returning to conquer sin and evil forever. Last week Robbie preached on Ch. 19 where we learned Jesus will defeat the Antichrist and the false prophet, and he’ll cast them both into eternal hell forever. But here in Ch. 20 we’re about to learn that Jesus will defeat the greatest evil leader in history, which is Satan. We’ll learn that when Christ returns, he’ll end Satan’s darkness and destruction forever. Let’s check it out.
Revelation 20:1-10 states, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan,, and bound him for a thousand years.” This is John the author receiving another vision from Jesus about what will happen at the end of history, and in this vision he sees Satan being bound. He sees Satan being bound, imprisoned, incarcerated. So the good news is when Jesus returns Satan will be bound, but the bad news is Satan isn’t bound yet. The bad news is Satan’s currently prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us. 1st Peter 5:8 states, “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” If you knew a hungry lion was prowling around in your neighborhood looking to devour someone, you’d probably think twice about going for walks around the block, letting your kids play outside, or letting your dog Chew-bark-a stay in the backyard. In my neighborhood we get a lot of bears, and at one point we had a momma bear with three cubs in our front yard. Nobody wants to mess with a momma bear trying to protect her cubs, so we had to be careful when stepping outside the house. We had to be alert for our physical safety, but Peter’s saying we need to be alert for our spiritual safety too, because Satan’s like a roaring lion seeking to devour us. He’s seeking to devour our marriages, our families, our friendships, every aspect of our lives, so we’ll run away from Jesus when life gets hard instead of running to Jesus. But Jesus is showing John and us in Revelation 20, that a day is coming when this roaring lion will be chained. A day is coming when Christ will return, and Satan will be bound and incarcerated.
Again vs. 2 states, “He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan,, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.” So Satan will be kept in a prison called the abyss. It’s a temporary holding place where Satan will be bound and incarcerated, until Jesus releases him and sends him to eternal hell. Now we get a little glimpse into why he’s being bound and incarcerated when vs. 2 mentions four names for Satan. In fact one scholar said these names are being read like a legal sentence in a courtroom. The name Dragon is a legal sentence against his vicious, murderous character. The name Ancient Serpent is a legal sentence against his deceptive character, including the original deception of Adam and Eve. The name Devil is a legal sentence against his accusative, slanderous character against God’s people. The name Satan is a legal sentence against his adversarial character against God. So he’s being legally sentenced, bound, and incarcerated by Jesus for murder, deception, slander, and adversarial treason against God. Jesus states in John 8:44, “Satan was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks from his own nature, because he’s a liar and the father of lies.” Jesus convicts Satan for being a murderer and liar since the beginning of human history. He convicts Satan for bringing death to Eden, death to creation, death to our relationship with God and others. He convicts Satan for bringing death to our joy, our happiness, our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. But Revelation 20 is describing the day when he’ll be bound and incarcerated for all the damage, destruction, and darkness he’s caused our lives and our world. It’s teaching us when Christ returns, Satan will be bound. He isn’t bound yet, but that day is coming.
Vs. 4, “Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Notice how many times the phrase a thousand years is mentioned. It’s mentioned six times in vs. 1-7, and it’s talking about something called the Millennial Reign of Christ. The word millennial means a thousand years, and it’s talking about a thousand years of Christ reigning and renewing all of creation. It’s a time when Christ will have Satan bound, and he’ll start renewing all of creation to bring heaven and earth together as one. The text says during this time believers will be resurrected to reign with Christ, and they won’t experience the second death, which is eternal separation from God in hell. The Millennial Reign of Christ will be a joyful time filled with global peace and prosperity. John MacArthur states, “Imagine a world where what’s true, right, and noble marks every aspect of life, including interpersonal relations, commerce, education, and government. Imagine a world where there’s complete, total, and permanent peace, where joy abounds, and good health prevails. Imagine a world where the curse of sin is removed, where the environment is restored to the pristine purity of the Garden of Eden, where peace reigns even in the animal kingdom...Imagine a world ruled by a perfect, glorious Ruler...That description seems far-fetched, a utopian fantasy that could never be reality. Yet it accurately describes the conditions, during the future earthly kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.” It’ll be a time free from poverty, politics, and prisons. It’ll be a time when courthouses are empty, hospitals are empty, mental health facilities are empty, military bases are empty, because war will be a relic of the past. It’ll be a time when humanity gets to enjoy a global paradise under the reign of Christ, free from all the darkness and destruction Satan’s been causing our lives. It won’t be a perfect earth yet, because ch’s 21-22 teaches a perfect earth will come after the Millennial period when Jesus fully restores heaven and earth together as one. So it won’t be a perfect earth yet, but it will be a nearly perfect global paradise, under the Millennial Reign of Christ.
Now there are three main views on the Millennial Reign of Christ. The 1st view is amillennialism, which believes the 1000 years is symbolic instead of literal. They believe we’re currently living in the millennial era, and that Satan’s power is already bound through Christ’s death on the cross. But if Satan’s already bound, then why is our world so messed up today? If Satan’s already bound and incarcerated, then he must have long chains considering how much darkness and destruction still exists today. I agree that the death and resurrection of Jesus proved Satan’s defeat is inevitable, and that his power to use sin and death against us is gone. But he hasn’t been bound to the extent of experiencing a joyful, peaceful global Millennial Reign of Christ. The 2nd view is called postmillennialism, which believes Christ will return post or after the 1000 years. They believe he won’t return until after the gospel spreads and transforms the world into a peaceful place. But I have a hard time believing this view too, because if that’s the case, then why is the world still getting worse even though Christians are spreading the gospel? Why are we still having all kinds of wars like WW1, WW2, and talks about a possible WW3? It doesn’t seem like the world is getting better, it seems like it’s getting worse. In fact the book of Revelation teaches it’ll get worse before it gets better, which I think aligns more with the 3rd view. The 3rd view is called premillennialism, which believes Christ will return pre or before the 1000 years. They believe the 1000 years is a literal peaceful time in the future that’ll begin when Christ returns. So the reason the world is still so messed up today is because Christ hasn’t returned yet. When Christ returns, that’s when this 1000 years of peace will come. But regardless of where we land with these three views, the main point is a time is coming when Satan will be bound and Jesus will reign with his resurrected followers. It’ll be a joyful time under the global, cosmic, peaceful reign of Christ.
Vs. 7, “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them.” Notice the text says Satan will be released from his prison, meaning he doesn’t get himself out of prison. He doesn’t escape from prison, he doesn’t break himself out of prison, instead he’s released from prison. But the good news is he isn’t released for long. Vs. 3 says he’s only released for a short time, and immediately after being released he’ll gather his evil forces that have been restrained under the millennial reign of Christ. He’ll gather his evil forces to try to take one last swing at Christ. But this isn’t like a UFC fight or a typical battle where we aren’t certain of the outcome. This a fight, a battle that’s so easy for Christ, it’s over before it even begins. Vs. 9 says Satan’s evil forces gathered and surrounded God’s people, but Christ easily consumed them with fire before they could do anything. It's a fight that’s over before it even begins.
Now some of us might be asking why would Jesus do this? Why would Jesus release Satan from prison into his joyful, peaceful Millennial Kingdom? He does this as a final testimony against the sinful rebellious heart of Satan and those who reject Christ. He does this as a final testimony proving why eternal judgment instead of temporary judgment is necessary for Satan and those who continually reject Christ. What we’re learning is Satan’s sinful rebellious heart still doesn’t change, even after doing 1000 years of hard time in prison. I mean clearly his heart hasn’t changed, because immediately after being released he goes to war against Christ. He refuses to change and turn to Christ for help, just like many people today refuse to change and turn to Christ for help. So eventually the temporary judgment against Satan and those who reject Christ will turn into an eternal judgment and eternal separation from Christ. Satan’s release becomes a final testimony against the sinful rebellious heart of Satan and those who reject Christ. It becomes a final testimony proving why eternal judgment is necessary. Robert Mounce states, “Apparently a thousand years of confinement doesn’t alter Satan’s plans. Nor does a thousand years of freedom from the influence of Satan’s wickedness, change people’s basic tendency to rebel against their creator.” All of this becomes a final testimony proving why eternal judgment is necessary.
Vs. 10, “The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” This is the day when Satan will face eternal imprisonment in hell. His first incarceration is a temporary imprisonment in a place called The Abyss, but his second incarceration is an eternal imprisonment in a place called The Lake Of Fire. The lake of fire is a descriptive name for eternal hell, and the text says Satan will be imprisoned there forever and ever, meaning it’s eternal. All the damage, darkness, and destruction he’s caused our lives and world will be gone forever. The hungry lion that’s been prowling around looking to devour us, will finally be chained and caged forever.
The big idea of the message is when Christ returns, he’ll end Satan’s darkness and destruction forever...When Christ returns, he’ll end Satan’s darkness and destruction in our lives and world forever, allowing us to enjoy a global paradise with Christ forever...The darkness we experience in our lives and world is real, the battles we fight in our lives and world are real, but Revelation 20 assures us that darkness won’t last forever for those who put their faith in Christ. So when life gets tough and you’re getting discouraged because it feels like darkness is winning, cling to Christ and remember better days are coming. Cling to Christ and remember better days are coming when the light of Christ will shine so brightly, that all darkness will flee from our lives and world never to return again! The death and resurrection of Jesus is our greatest assurance of this, because on the cross it appeared as though the light of Christ was snuffed out by the darkness of death! It appeared as though darkness was winning, and his followers walked away feeling defeated and discouraged. But the light of Christ shined brighter than ever before when he rose again on the 3rd day, and his followers marched forward feeling victorious and encouraged, knowing death for Jesus was nothing more than a short nap! So even when it feels like darkness is winning, remember the light of Christ is still shining!...Even when it feels like darkness is winning, cling to Christ, remember the light of Christ is still shining, and better days are coming!