November 29, 2023 | Be On Mission
The 1000 Years & the Book of Life
Scripture: Revelation 20(NIV)
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. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 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. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 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 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 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 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.
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 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. 9 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. 10 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 for ever and ever.
11 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. 12 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. 13 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. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Devotional
A period of one thousand years is called a millennium. We identify an entire generation of people as millennials because they came of age at the turn of the millennium in the year 2000. Speaking of that year, many people were expecting the return of Christ in 2000, coinciding with Y2K. This also happened at the end of the first millennium in the year 1000 AD. We are fascinated with the number 1000, thanks in large part to this chapter of the Bible. Here’s an overview of how Christians differ on how they see this number.
Premillennial View: The 1000 years is a literal period in the future that will take place when Jesus returns. The world will get worse and worse, leading to a great tribulation before he returns. Then, He will reign on earth with His people from Jerusalem.
Postmillennial View: The 1000 years may be literal or symbolic, and is a picture of a world which has been positively impacted by the spreading of the gospel. Things will get better and better because of the influence of the gospel, leading to Christ’s return.
Amillennial View: The 1000 years is symbolic of the church age in which we are now living. Christ has already won the victory on the cross, yet the conflict between good and evil continues. In the end, Christ will return to complete His work.
What does it really mean? Ask me in a thousand years! Regardless of your approach, it is clear that the light of Christ has ultimate power over the darkness of sin and Satan.
Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of a battle in which Gog (a prince) and Magog (his nation) come and wage war against God’s people. But the Lord promised victory, declaring, “On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east of the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there” (Ezekeziel 39:11).
Revelation 20 uses imagery from this seven hundred year old prophecy to show that God is still in control and will win the victory! No matter when they try to come against the people of God, the enemies of God will come to a perilous end!
Take time to give thanks to God for His victory. The Lord holds the past, present and future in His hands. Eternity belongs to Him!
Poem
Hiding Behind The Robe Of Jesus
On judgment day
When all shall stand
And hear God’s righteous sentence
When others tremble
I will be
Hiding behind the robe of Jesus
Not on my merit
Will I boast
For it is surely lacking
But in the righteousness
Of Christ, I’ll be
Hiding behind the robe of Jesus
