Revelation 20, After the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom

Dan 9:24-27 (ESV) "Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.  25  Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."



• A prophetic year is 360 days, as were Jewish years. They would add an extra month in there ever so often to adjust the months
• What is the purpose of the seventy sevens?
1. To finish transgression
1. Israel's rejection of the Messiah (since it is specific to Israel)
2. To put an end to sin
1. This and the next one may refer to the original rebellion in the garden
3. To make atonement for sins
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness (new age or millennium?)
5. To seal or shut up or (literally) to cause a cessation of prophecy
6. To anoint the Most Holy Place - the new temple (or fourth temple) of the Messianic Kingdom
• The seventy sevens are broken up how?
1. Seven sevens
2. Sixty-two sevens
3. One seven
• When does the counting start?
• At the issuing of the decree
• 4 Possibilities
1. The decree of Cyrus, 539 BC (Ezra 1:1-4) "… build him (God) a house …"
2. The decree of Darius, 519 BC (Ezra 5:3-6:12) "… let the work on this house of God alone …"
3. The decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra, 457 BC (Ezra 7:11-26) -- authorization to travel and to provide for the temple
4. The decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah, 444 BC (Neh 2:1-8) -- authorization to rebuild the city
• The fourth decree is the only one that gives permission to rebuild the city.
• We know it is in the month of Nissan, if we assume the first day (of the week) of the month which would fit Jewish custom, the date is March 5, 444 BC
• It prophesies 49 years to rebuild the city and 69*7 or 483 till the coming of the Messiah.  Taking into account that the prophetic year is a little different (360 days versus 365 days), we end up at March 30, 33 AD
• Most likely the day that Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem
• The last seven is set aside (it is not consecutive, it could have been, but it is not)
• Verse 9:26 So what happens at the end of the 69th seven?
• Jesus is cut off (crucified)
• In AD 70, 37 years later, the temple is destroyed as the Roman army comes and attacks.  When flood is used symbolically, it refers to an Army
• 3 1/2 years is 1260 days.
• Rev 11:2-3 describe the first half as that length
Revelation 11:1–3 (ESV) — 1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
• Rev 12:6 describes the second half as that length
Revelation 12:5–6 (ESV) — 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
• The woman (Israel) does not flee until the breaking of the covenant
• The passage describes the three main events of tribulation: the beginning, the middle, and the end
• Beginning starts with the signing of the peace treaty between the Antichrist and Israel for seven years
• The middle is the breaking of the peace treaty at 3 1/2 years, the stopping of sacrifice, and the desecration of the temple
• The end is the decree against the desolator (the end of the seven years)


Dan 12:1-13 (ESV) "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3  And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream,  "How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?" 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?" 9 He said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10  Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12  Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13  But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days."



• Verse 2 could be the Law of Double Reference
• Those to everlasting life occur at the end of the tribulation
• Those to shame occur at the end of the millennium. Nothing says they have to be at the same point in time (initial thought)
• Our focus is on verses 11-12
• Time of abomination set up is middle of tribulation
• Time to end of tribulation is 1260 days (Rev 11:3 length of the two witnesses ministry (first half); Rev 12:6 time set up for Israel to flee into the wilderness (second half))
• Time to end of abomination is 1290 days (an additional 30 days, probably to cleanse the temple)
• Additional time to some undefined event is 1335 days (Millennial kingdom)  - see Armstrong notes


Rev 20:1-3 (ESV) Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.



• We have already dealt with the Antichrist and the false prophet. They are the first two thrown into the lake of fire. But Satan is dealt differently, why?
• God still has a purpose for him
• Even with Jesus ruling on earth, men's hearts will still turn away from God
• Why only him?
• He is the only one of the three who was supernatural
• Why 1000 years?
• Not sure, but there is no reason to suggest a non-literal view
• It could suggest a total of 7000 years for man on earth, which would mean we are still a couple hundred years away from Tribulation or that the Jewish calendar does not include the correct starting date (maybe it starts with Noah)
• Nations still exist, why?
• In order to complete the promises to Israel for the land and the rule of David


4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its 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 ended. This is the first resurrection. 6  Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.



• Multiple thrones, why?
• We will have authority to judge, or at least some of us
• We will be involved in the ruling of the planet. Our responsibility will be dependent upon how we lived our Christian life on earth
• Who are the specific group of believers? Tribulations saints
• Remaining dead, who are they? All dead unbelievers
• Who are a part of the first resurrection? Believers of all types. The last type are the OT saints and the tribulation saints
• All participate in the marriage feast
Isaiah 25:6–8 (ESV) —
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
• What will the earth be like?
• These verses are referring to the millennial kingdom (17-25) and not to the Eternal order. Rev 21 refers to the eternal order -- similar wording but different subjects (Fruchtenbaum)
Isaiah 65:17–19 (ESV) —
17 “For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
• The earth will be recreated in the 75 day period. It will be different. Age limits will be different. Animals will be different
• APPLICATION: Do I take my responsibility to live for Christ seriously? Do I care about how God will use me or reward me in the age to come? Do I not see my rewards as thanking God for my salvation?


Rev 20:7-10 (ESV) And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are 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 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.



• Why release Satan?
• To make a point - holiness alongside justice and mercy
• To finish God's judgment
• How long?
• It doesn't say
• What is the end result?
• Devil finally joins beast and false prophet
• Description of punishment?
• Eternal torment


Rev 20:11-15 (ESV) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.



• At what point in history are we?
• Somewhere after the millennial kingdom
• Plus whatever time it took for man to rebel again
• This section is commonly referred to as the great white throne judgment
John 5:26–29 (ESV) — 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
• The is also the second resurrection
• All unbelievers are resurrected
• All are thrown into the lake of fire
• It is called the second death (this is the one to fear)
Luke 12:47–48 (ESV) — 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
• I am not suggesting this, only pointing out that some commentators suggested degrees of punishment
• I have typically viewed this verse as referring to a believer's rewards or even to our temporal life
• What about "obliteration?"
• Earlier, the lake of fire is referred to as a place of torment for the Antichrist and false prophet
• Here, there is no mention of torment, just the phrase "second death"
• They may also have resurrected bodies that are different from their mortal bodies and are indestructible, and so Hell will be torment
• What about God's mercy?
• What about God's holiness?
• What about God's justice?
• What about God's eternal word and previous warnings?
• APPLICATION: Eternal torment is not very popular, but who are we to decide what the Holy Judge of all the earth has decreed is an acceptable punishment. We are just the clay