The vision of Revelation 20:7-10 reflects the New Testament teaching of a great rebellion that will mark the end of the church age. Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” Paul wrote that Christ “will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thess. 2:3).

Revelation variously has depicted this intense attack against the church. In chapter 11, the church is represented by twin witnesses resembling Moses and Elijah. When their witness is concluded, “the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,” until Christ raises them three and a half days later (Rev. 11:7-11). Revelation 20:1-3 shows Satan as bound during the church age, “until…he must be released for a little while” (20:3); John picks up this thought in verses 7-8.

We should notice that Satan is “released” from his bonds, emphasizing the sovereign rule of God over him. This detail reminds us that however mighty the devil may be, he remains a finite creature of limited strength, unable to match the infinite might of God. We remember from our study of verses 1-3 that the binding of Satan has to do with God’s forbidding him to “deceive the nations any longer” (v. 3), so that the gospel may spread throughout the world. The binding of Satan doesn’t mean that his evil activities are totally curtailed but that he no longer has authority to bind the nations in the darkness of unbelief. It is noteworthy, then, that as soon as Satan is released, this is precisely what he does: he “will come out to deceive the nations” (v. 8).

This combination shows us that Satan’s chief instrument in this world is not violent persecution but deceptions that promote unbelief. This is why the Christian church is sent into the world with the truth. Whatever else the church does, it must boldly proclaim the truth if God’s Word, refusing to compromise with the prevailing dogmas of secularist unbelief. We are constantly told today that Christians must be less doctrinally fixated and that we must be more tolerant of worldly ideas and practices. This approach should alarm us, given Satan’s chief strategy of binding unbelievers with deception. Moreover, we see that the sinful tendencies of the human heart do not evolve upward over time. As soon as God lifts His restraint of Satan, “the nations” are deceived once more.

The purpose of Satan’s deceptions has always been to lead darkened mankind into warfare against God, and so will be the great tribulation that ends the age (v. 8). The book of Revelation makes clear that this battle is the same final conflict that earlier received the name “Armageddon” (16:16). The great battle of chapter 19 draws the imagery of feeding carrion birds from Ezekiel 39, and the battle of chapter 20 draws the names “Gog and Magog”  from Ezekiel 38, where the prophet foretold a great assault on God’s people after the age of their blessing. Regarding the final battle, Ezekiel wrote: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him” (38:2). By using this same designation, Revelation is saying that its final battle is the same final battle anticipated by Ezekiel.

John’s language confirms the New Testament teaching of a final worldwide persecution of the Christian church (see Matt. 24:21; 2 Thess. 2:3-4). First, the nations are gathered from “the four corners of the earth…for battle” (Rev. 20:8). This shows that the final battle is launched not merely by a far-eastern nation such as Russia or China, as popular prophecy teaching often states. It is the entire world that gathers for a stand against the authority of God. Second, “their number is like the sand of the sea” (v. 8), referring to the vastness of these enemies. The battle will not pit evenly matched forces, so that Christians may hope to succeed by their own strength. Rather, only the power of God is able to save them.

This vast worldwide army “marched up over the broad plain of the earth” (v. 9). The idea is of a great army marching over a vast tract of ground. Their objective is the church: “and surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” This recaps the biblical model for the salvation of God’s people. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was placed at the mercy of wicked powers, yet was delivered by God’s sudden intervention. It was the situation of John’s readers, surrounded by pagan rulers who wielded the Roman sword. How often believers have experienced this plight, from David’s exile in the caves of Judea, to the Chinese house churches that meet secretly to avoid arrest, to the Christian churches in Muslim lands that meet under the threat of violence and attack. So in the end the entire church will be besieged, so that a refusal to worship idols and a bold witness to Christ will result in suffering.

Notice the language with which John describes the church: “the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (v. 9). The first description alludes to the camp of Israel in the exodus journey: the church is likewise the pilgrim body of believers passing through life toward a promised land beyond. It is with this in mind that Peter urged Christians to avoid the pollutions of sin (1 Pet. 2:11). At the same time, though we are despised as aliens by the world, the church is God’s “beloved city.” Babylon stands for the prostitute world, just as Jerusalem represents the church as the bride of Christ. Whereas God will judge and condemn faithless Babylon, the faithful church bears His love and receives His promise of an eternal salvation.

We can tell that the people of God are God’s beloved city because of His fiery defense of her from Satan’s attack: “but fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (v. 9). Here, as elsewhere in Revelation and the New Testament, Christ’s second coming results in the immediate defeat of all the foes who afflicted His church. Ezekiel specified that fire would fall on Magog both to defend God’s people and to glorify His name (Ezek. 39:6). This point emphasizes that the church does not fight to defend herself. Revelation 12:11 described her warfare as trusting in Christ’s blood, bearing testimony to God’s Word, and offering our lives to seal our witness.

The main emphasis in this vision is the defeat and destruction of Satan himself (v. 10). Notice that the devil is primarily judged for deceiving the nations, reminding us again that the church’s ministry of truth through God’s Word is always the world’s greatest need. The greatest victory of history is Jesus’ conquest of sin by His blood, and that victory is joined with His defeat of Satan, the great tyrant and deceiver of the world. Knowing this, Christians face the future with great hope, since God has ordained the judgment and condemnation of Satan. This judgment was anticipated in Matthew’s Gospel when demons whom Jesus had cast out admitted knowing of their coming judgment (Matt. 8:29). Jesus said that this time had not yet come, but Revelation shows that history ends with the greatest agents of evil receiving a terrible and just punishment from God.

The final words of this vision are poignant and decisive: “forever and ever” (v. 10). This constitutes the gravest warning for those who enter into rebellion with Satan, reveling in sin and rebelling against God’s rule. Their punishment is as eternal as God Himself is. Sin, being an offense to God’s justice and holy nature, is eternal, and so are its consequences. This same “forever and ever” provides the Christian with a ground for a most joyful hope. Our own sin will be not only forgiven but actually removed. There will be no adversary to accuse us but only God’s justice to demand our justification through faith in Christ.

What is the meaning of this “forever and ever” to believers now? It means that we have an antidote to the crippling fear of persecution that might otherwise undermine our faith. Why would we forsake Jesus Christ amid the afflictions of this world when we know how the story ends? Jesus wins! Why would we abandon His victorious cause, even though it may entail suffering for a little while in tribulation, and even if discipleship to Him requires us to renounce the sinful pleasures of the condemned world? Because we know this end, and the “forever and ever” beyond it without fear, sin, or death, let our worship, our service, and our lives now reflect the joy that belongs to the people of the beloved city that God has made His own.

Revelation 20:7-10 Study Questions:

What is the significance of Satan being released after the thousand years are ended (v. 7)?

The troops go straight for the camp of the saints, but no battle takes place. What happens instead (vv. 9-10)?

How does this picture of the ultimate overthrow of the devil give us hope to face trouble today (v. 10)?

John begins the vision, “Then I saw thrones” (v. 4). This raises the question: Where are these thrones located? According to the premillennial view, these thrones are on earth, since the thousand years sees faithful Christians as reigning with Christ on earth. This claim is problematic, since of the forty-seven times that the word throne is used in Revelation, the thrones are almost always in heaven. The only exceptions are three occasions when the throne of Satan or the beast is mentioned on earth (2:13; 13:2; 16:10), and the references to God’s throne after He has come down to reign in the new heaven and new earth (22:1, 3). On every other occasion, especially when the Lamb or the angelic representatives of the church are enthroned, the scene is in heaven. Moreover, Jesus earlier gave a promise that is fulfilled in this scene, locating it in heaven (3:21).

The argument is made by premillennialists that the thrones have come to earth because of Christ’s earthly millennial reign after His return. But the text states that John saw “the souls of those who had been beheaded” seated on the thrones (v. 4). This verse clearly connects with an earlier vision of the souls of martyrs in heaven, who are described in nearly identical terms (6:9). Revelation 20:4 explains that these souls had been “beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God.” These are evidently the same persons. Moreover, verse 5 contrasts these souls with “the rest of the dead,” making it clear that John is seeing a vision of the saints in glory, those believers who have died are translated into the presence of Christ in heaven.

The thousand years we studied in Revelation 20:1-3, giving the amillennial answer that John describes as the entirety of the church age. The millennium – the number one thousand symbolizing a lengthy and perfect duration of time – began with Christ’s ascension to His throne and will conclude with His return to usher in the new heaven and new earth. During this present millennial age, Christ is reigning in heaven, and since these souls are reigning with Him, the location can be only in heaven.

This means that Revelation 20:4-6 provides a heavenly counterpart to the events taking place on earth in verses 1-3. It describes what is known as the intermediate state: the state of believers’ souls after death and before Christ’s return and the resurrection of the body. John’s vision shows these souls seated on thrones above during the gospel age. When Jesus returns, these spirits will be rejoined to their bodies to reign with Christ not merely for a thousand years – “they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5).

So who is seated on these thrones? At the least, these are the souls of martyrs who suffered death for their faith in Christ (v. 4). Some premillennial scholars argue that this vision shows martyrs of the faith receiving the special reward of reigning with Christ on earth during the thousand years. Dispensational writers give a number of opinions, including the view that it is not martyrs but the saints who fought with Christ before His return (Rev. 19:14) who now exercise judgment with Him on earth. There can be no doubt however, that John sees a vision of martyrs reigning with Christ on thrones above. The question is asked of the entire church that boldly suffers for the gospel, a church typified by those who lost their lives for Christ: Have these believers lost everything by remaining loyal to Jesus? John reveals that all who remained faithful in their testimony “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (v. 4).

We have seen that the vision of verses 4-6 describes thrones in heaven on which the souls of faithful Christians are seated during the intermediate state between their death on earth and the return of Jesus from heaven. Next John says that the saints “reign with Christ,” and called this reward “the first resurrection” (vv. 4-6). The premillennial view of history sees the statement that these souls “came to life” as requiring a physical resurrection. Premillennialists therefore teach that when Jesus returns, believers who died have their souls restored to their bodies in order to reign with Christ on earth. Only later, after the thousand years, are the bodies of unbelievers resurrected in order to stand in the final judgment.

The amillennial view, which teaches that the thousand years symbolically refers to the present church age, has a number of compelling responses to this argument. The first response is to note not only that the Bible nowhere else speaks of a thousand-year interval between the physical resurrection of believers and unbelievers, but also that the Bible positively rules out such doctrine. An example is Jesus’ teaching about His return to earth and the immediate judgment, for which all persons stand before Him in their resurrected bodies (Matt. 25:31-32). Not only is there no thousand-year interval between Christ’s return and the final judgment, but all persons – godly and ungodly – are resurrected at the same time for this event. In John 5:28-29, Jesus similarly placed the physical resurrection of all persons in a single event. By separating the return of Christ and the final judgment by a thousand years, and likewise separating the resurrection of believers and unbelievers by the millennium, the premillennial view contradicts these plain statements and must therefore be rejected.

How then, do Christians reign with Christ in heaven after their death? John answers: “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” (v. 6). The main point is that believers reign with Christ as priests who serve in God’s presence. John has emphasized this calling from the very beginning of Revelation, saying in the benediction of 1:6 that Christ freed us from sin by His blood to be “a kingdom, priests to his God the Father.” This indicates that believers in heaven have immediate access to the presence of God and enjoy the unimaginable blessing of perfect spiritual worship before the face of divine glory. Christians who die receive a glorious advance in their redemptive experience, reigning with Christ as priests above.

In verse 4, John also said that these enthroned souls “were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.” The manner in which the saints exercise judgment is not specified, but at a minimum they have the pleasure of approving and taking part with Christ in His judgment of sin. This emphasis reflects Revelation’s deep concern for God’s justice on behalf of His persecuted church, including many of John’s original readers, who would be martyred for their faith.

How do believers reign with Christ, as priests who sit on thrones to judge? John exclaims that they reign in blessing and holiness: “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection!” (v. 6). Having been exhorted throughout Revelation to overcome by faith, the saints above are now seen to have overcome, entering the blessing of spiritual communion with God. Their bodies were destroyed on earth, but the souls reign with Christ in heaven. They are the holy ones whom God has set apart as His treasured possession forever and blessed to dwell before His glorious face.

John clinches the believers’ hope of life after death in verse 6: “Over such the second death has no power.” Christians suffer physical death, just as unbelievers do. The souls of believers are raised into heaven, awaiting the resurrection of their bodies, but with no fear of any further experience of death. How different is the fate of those who reject Christ! In death their souls do not go to heaven but to hell, and the resurrection of their bodies leads to the second death, which appears later in this chapter as eternal death in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10, 15). To believe in Christ is to experience the first resurrection but never the second death. But to reject Jesus is to be denied the first resurrection and be condemned to the second and final death.

Revelation 20:4-6 Study Questions:

For what period of time will Satan be bound and the faithful martyrs reign with Christ (vv. 2, 4)?

Why do those who share in the first resurrection become priests of God (v. 6)?

If we are already reigning with Christ, how do we serve as priests of God and Christ to those around us?

When it comes to eschatology, the doctrine of the end times, Bible-believing Christians hold differing views about the thousand years referred to in Revelation 20:1-9. In order to handle the material in chapter 20, we must come to conclusions regarding the nature and timing of the thousand years, which is mentioned six times in verses 1-9. Since premillennialism has been the most popular evangelical approach in recent years, we will begin with this understanding of the millennium.

The premillennial view of verses 1-2 holds that Satan is bound for a thousand literal years after the second coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, Christ’s return is premillennial. According to the premillennial view, Revelation chapters 17-20 follow a chronological progression. Another argument employed by some premillennialists holds that the number one thousand must be interpreted as a literal period of history and that this precludes us from assigning it to the church age, which has already lasted much longer than a thousand years. A third argument concerns the language about Satan’s binding in verses 1-2. According to some premillennialists this passage requires a complete termination of Satan’s activity in the sphere of the earth. Based on these arguments – the chronology of Revelation 19 and 20, the literal view of the number one thousand, and the absolute binding of Satan – premillennialists look for a golden age on earth that follows the return of Christ.

The most powerful critique of premillennialism is made today by those holding the amillennial position, who teach instead that the thousand years of Revelation 20 is a symbolic description of the entire church age. This assessment begins by denying that Revelation 20 should be understood as following chronologically from chapter 19. Instead, it understands these visions as recapitulating the history of the spiritual opposition to Christ.

Revelation 19 shows the judgment of spiritual opposition to Christ. Revelation 19 shows the judgment of the enemies of Christ who were introduced in the symbolic histories of chapters 12-14. In reverse order from their appearance, the harlot Babylon is first considered, and her judgment takes place to make way for the marriage feast of the Lamb, which occurs in the return of Christ (Rev. 19:6-10). Then the career of the beast and his false prophet is summarized, and they are destroyed by Jesus, returning on His white horse (19:11-21). At this point there is one more enemy to be defeated, the dragon Satan, and chapter 20 reveals his defeat and final judgment in the return of Jesus. These visions therefore follow one another not chronologically, but topically: the judgment of Babylon, then the beasts, and finally Satan.

Next, consider whether the thousand years of Revelation 20 should be viewed as a literal period. We have noted all through Revelation that these visions beg to be interpreted symbolically, not literally. This is true of numbers, such as seven, ten, and a thousand, just as it is true of features in this passage as the angel’s chain and the image of Satan as a dragon. Satan is by nature an angelic spirit who could not be bound by a physical chain, however stout. If the chain and the dragon imagery of these verses is manifestly symbolic, it makes little sense that the number one thousand is literal. The symbolic meaning of this number is not difficult to discern, since a thousand years represents a long but definite span of time. Moreover, noting that a thousand is a perfect cube of the number ten, we see that this number represents perfect completeness. Thus, the millennium is a long but definite time in which the work of the gospel is completed.

The most important premillennial (and postmillennial) argument pertains to the actual binding of Satan in verses 1-3. Their view states that this binding cannot describe the situation of the entire church age. Both hold that this binding must be understood as an action that completely curtails the actions of Satan which plainly is not yet the case. This is why postmillennialists ascribe the thousand years to a golden age of total victory at the end of the church age, rather than the entire church age itself. Amillennialists reply that this binding of Satan in fact describes the entire age of the gospel with great accuracy, showing the spiritual results of Christ’s first coming with His conquering death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. The key to understanding the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church in this age is the binding of Satan as a result of Christ’s saving work.

Christians today may not realize how much of a revolution resulted from the first coming of Jesus. When one asks how Satan can be described as being bound during our present age, there are two answers. The first answer notes that verse 3 specifies the particular effect of Satan’s binding: “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer.” This verse does not state that Satan is bound in every way, or that he is physically kept in a chained cell, but it symbolizes that he is bound in the particular way of no longer being able to prevent belief in Jesus.

A second way to see that this binding of Satan depicts the church age is to note how this vision echoes the language used elsewhere of Satan’s defeat in Christ’s first coming. Consider Matthew 12:29, where Jesus spoke of Satan in this same way. The word for bind is the same here as in Revelation 20:2 and the plundering of Satan’s house undoubtedly refers to the salvation of sinners through the gospel. There are many other New Testament passages that use similarly forceful language in describing the victory of Christ’s first coming. All this language unmistakably speaks of the stripping of Satan’s power by Christ’s death and resurrection and the granting of authority to Jesus in His ascension so that His gospel may go forth through the church.

In light of this overwhelming biblical evidence, a careful study of the binding of Satan reveals the thousand years as symbolically depicting the church age of gospel expansion. This argues for the amillenial view, as opposed to premillennialism, which ascribes this situation to an earthly reign after Christ’s coming, and also the postmillennial view, which sees Satan as bound only at the end of the church age.

The vision of Revelation 20 begins with John seeing “an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon” (vv. 1-2). In chapter 9, we saw the Abyss as the dwelling place of evil spirits, which, in that case, was opened by an angel to allow calamities on the earth (9:1-5). Now, Satan is symbolically locked in the Abyss. The angel brings a chain that Satan cannot break, with a key that locks the dungeon, so that the devil is thrown in, shut in, and sealed in (20:3). This vision shows the complete and sovereign control that is being exercised over Satan. God’s plan for salvation must be fulfilled, and to this end, God’s spiritual enemy is placed under wraps.

The binding of Satan is not permanent, however, since after the thousand years “he must be released for a little while” (v. 3). This statement also confirms to the general New Testament teaching and confirms that the thousand years describes the church age. Paul wrote that before Christ’s return “the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed” (2 Thess. 2:3). This describes the beast whom the dragon was seen calling out of the sea in Revelation 13:1, who wages a worldwide persecution of Christians and gathers the nations for the last battle. Paul is clear that this final time of great tribulation, characterized by Satan’s “wicked deception” (2 Thess. 2:10), occurs at the end of the gospel age, just before Christ’s return. This corresponds to the “little while” after the thousand years when Satan is released so as to deceive the nations briefly before the final battle.

From this perspective, Christians look back on history, knowing that in Christ’s first coming He defeated the devil and limited his authority. We look to the future and know that “for a little while” Satan will return to deceive the nations and persecute the church. What is most important now is our awareness of the current situation, when Satan is bound “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended” (v. 3). This defines our great opportunity in this life, our great calling as the church of Christ in the world, and our glorious privilege in service to the strong Savior who has defeated and bound our dreaded enemy. This was precisely Jesus’ emphasis as He commissioned His disciples before ascending into heaven (Matt. 28:18-20). As Jesus put it at the end of John’s gospel “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21).

Revelation 20:1-3 Study Questions:

What happens to Satan in verses 1-3?

We must not forget that Satan was initially a member of the heavenly council. Though he has fallen from his position, he may still, by God’s permission, play a role. Satan’s job was always to “accuse” where accusation was due to make sure that all wrongdoing was exposed. In what ways has Satan abused and distorted this role?

In what specific ways does Satan try to lead us astray?

One reason Christians are to seek the salvation of the lost is our awareness that the offer of salvation will end when Christ returns. Although we are called hatemongers for our witness of God’s wrath against sin, Christians are motivated by the forewarning of destruction for those who deny Jesus and reject His salvation. The horrific nature of that destruction was foretold to John with an image of an angel summoning carrion birds to the future battlefield (vv. 17-18).

The angel stands in midair, an appropriate place from which to summon the eagles and vultures to descend on those slain by the judicial sword of Christ. This image is symbolic, but what it represents is correspondingly devastating: the utter shame, destruction, and condemnation suffered at the end of history by those who opposed Christ and afflicted His people during history. Divine retribution for sin is just as certain as the arrival of vultures to devour flesh that dies in the desert.

The details of verses 17-18 are worth noting. First, there is a clear and ironic contrast with the earlier summons of believers to the wedding feast of the Lamb. This carnage is named “the great supper of God” (v. 17), making the point that God is glorified in judgment just as in salvation. One of these destinies is the end toward which every single person is heading, depending in his or her response to the saving offer of Jesus Christ. The ungodly, whose sins are not forgiven because of their unbelief, “will go away into eternal punishment,” Jesus said, “but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46).

Second, this fundamental contrast pertains equally to every single person. The carrion birds are summoned to devour all walks of life. This proves that whatever earthly distinctions we may recognize, the entire human race is united in the guilt of sin and in our need for a Savior in order to escape God’s judgment. When that judgment comes, those who have refused Jesus will find that no earthly status matters at all, but only their guilt before the scorned Savior who has now returned to judge.

Verse 19 presents the final battle itself, which was described earlier in Revelation as the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). Revelation 17:14 foretold that the beast and his vassal kings “will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them.” Revelation 19:19 presents the same epic final confrontation. Jesus’ teaching clarifies that this great battle symbolizes a worldwide persecution before His return: “There will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved” (Matt. 24:21-22).

John is shown the immediate aftermath of the last battle and the devastating effects of Christ’s coming in verse 20. Here in the end, the final beast and false prophet will be captured by Christ, leaving only Satan to face his judgment in the very end. Having been disarmed, the beast and false prophet “were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur” (v. 20). This is the first of four references to the “lake of fire” at the end of Revelation. The lake of fire manifests the wrath of God, inflicting the burning punishment of hell.

John specifies that the beast and false prophet “were thrown alive” into the lake, making the point that their punishment will consist not of eradication but of eternal suffering as the just penalty of sin. When the devil receives his punishment, he too, is cast “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” (Rev. 20:10). Whether or not we like the idea of such a hell, the fact is that God’s revealed Word teaches it. Hell is part of the reality we must face, and to deny reality is a disaster for us, sooner or later.

Verse 21 makes clear that the beast and false prophet will not suffer alone. All their allies “were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.” Later in Revelation 20:15 it states that all who worship the beast and serve in his army will be cast into the lake of fire, together with everyone who has not believed in Jesus Christ. The slaying sword appears here to represent a decree of death as the punishment for sin. The New Testament teaches that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and these images depict that death in terms of eternal condemnation, eternal suffering, and eternal shame.

These symbolic images – the lake of fire and the carrion birds who eat the flesh – combine to show the torment and shame that God will inflict on His enemies when Christ returns. The solemn scene with which Revelation 19 concludes confirms the warning of Hebrews 10:31, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

According to the Bible, you can avoid a destiny of punishment in the lake of fire in one of two ways. The first is to live a life of perfect obedience to God’s law, never sinning in the least degree and doing all things over the entirety of your life for the glory of your Creator. If you have not done that – if you have sinned in the least degree (and Solomon reminds us that “there is no one who does not sin” [1 Kings 8:46]) – then you need a second way of salvation. You need a Savior to deliver you from God’s holy justice. The only Savior available is the very Son of God, who did live a perfect life to provide righteousness for His needy people, and who died a sin-atoning death so that those who believe in Him may be forgiven of their sins.

Notice that verse 20 speaks of the people who bore “the mark of the beast and those who worship its image.” According to Revelation, there are two marks that determine one’s ownership and destiny, and everyone bears either one or the other. Revelation 7:2-3 says that God has marked His servants with a seal, a mark that only He can see and that signifies true and saving faith. Revelation further teaches that “those people who do not have the seal of God” (Rev. 9:4) all bear the “mark” of the beast (14:9, 11). These are those who worship the beast’s false gods – pleasure, power, wealth, and beauty – and belong to the world in rebellion to Christ.

The point is that unless you are gathered to Jesus for salvation, having believed on Him in this life, you must in the day of His return be consigned to the judgment reserved for the servants of rebellion to Christ’s kingdom. Jesus said that when He returns, He will gather His people into eternal glory, but that to those who refused Him He will declare, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). With this punishment looming before you, the most urgent issue in your life is to act on the counsel given by the apostle Paul: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

The outcome of the last battle not only urges us to believe, but also teaches believers not to fear the power of evil in this world. The Bible says that Christians will face tribulation and, in the end, a dreadful conspiracy of worldwide persecution. Yet the last battle will bring a stunning end to all evil. The appeal of the writer of Hebrews aptly suits the exhortation of Revelation: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

Revelation 19:17-21 Study Questions:

What is the ultimate fate of the beast and the false prophet (v. 20)?

Why do they face such a harsh judgment?

Many in our own day are still oppressed by monstrous forces, and the local propaganda machines that promote their cause. Equally, many otherwise well-intentioned people are taken in by the lies and deceits which these systems continue to put out. Revelation 19 stands as a promise to the first, and a warning to the second. Once you understand who Jesus was and is, and the significance of the victory which He has won in His death, there can be no doubt about the final outcome. Monstrous regimes may come and go. Lies and deceits will continue to be spread. We must be on our guard. But the King of kings and Lord of lords will be victorious. In the meantime, there must be no compromise. How can we help each other to be on guard against falling prey to the lies and deceits of the world system?

We remember that Revelation presents a series of visions depicting the church age and final judgment. The seven seals, trumpets, and bowls each provide a perspective on Christ’s reign throughout the age of the gospel to restrain, warn, and finally punish evil. Each of these cycles concluded at the very brink of Christ’s return. In chapter 6:12-17, the sky was rolled up like a scroll and the wicked vainly hid from the wrath of the Lamb. When the seventh trumpet blew, angels sang, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Rev. 11:15). Later, a cloud appeared with “one like the son of man” who harvested the earth with a sharp sickle (14:14-16).

These were veiled allusions to the second coming of Christ to overthrow and judge evil once and for all. In Revelation 19:11, the veil is lifted and John writes: “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!” No longer do we look through windows or doors into heaven, but this time heaven itself opens so that the Lord and His armies may come out.

The Christ who comes forth from heaven is the Warrior-Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. This was the Savior who slew the hosts of Pharaoh after parting the Red Sea for Israel to pass through. Moses sang, “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord in his name” (Ex. 15:3). This is the battle captain who appeared to Joshua “with his drawn sword in his hand” (Josh. 5:13). “I am the commander of the army of the Lord,” Jesus declared, and Joshua worshiped Him (Josh. 5:14). Here in Revelation 19:11, the heavenly Warrior Jesus arrives on a white stallion, wielding a sword to slay the enemies of His church. The white horse symbolizes victorious conquest in battle. In His first coming, Jesus dealt with sin by offering His own blood in sacrifice. He now returns in glory, “and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (v. 11).

At first glance, we might think that this vision shows only Christ’s victory in bringing judgment to the unbelieving world. But just as Christ wears a crown of “many diadems” (v. 12), the victory that He comes to proclaim has a number of facets. For instance, Jesus arrives as the Savior who has already conquered by His cross. John sees Him “clothed in a robe dipped in blood” (v. 13). Some scholars argue that Christ’s robe is spattered with the blood of His enemies. Isaiah 63:1-6 supports this view as it presents the Lord as “mighty to save” and clothed in crimson garments.

Yet there are also good reasons to this blood as representing Christ’s own atoning blood for the cleansing of His people. Here in Revelation 19:11-13, Jesus presents Himself before entering into battle with His enemies. He is joined by “the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure,…following him on white horses” (v. 14). This army includes the assembled host of the redeemed, who are cleansed and arrayed in white because Jesus shed His blood for their sins. Also, Revelation has emphasized that the saints conquered the dragon Satan “by the blood of the Lamb” (12:11). The blood on His robe will always remind us of where the victory was actually won, on the cross.

Jesus further conquers by means of His covenant faithfulness in obedience to God the Father. John says that the rider of the white horse “is called Faithful and True” (v. 11). Jesus appears as the new and righteous Adam who receives the nations as His inheritance (see Ps. 2:8). Paul notes in Philippians 2:8-11 that Jesus took up a human form and “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Furthermore, Christ appears, having conquered by His Word. John writes that “the name by which he is called is The Word of God” (v. 13). It seems that “Word of God” is used here to signify Christ’s authority to exercise the will of God for His redemptive conquest. Revelation 5 showed that only the Lamb could open the scroll of God’s will. It is in view of His obedience in suffering death and His righteousness in fulfilling God’s covenant that Jesus is now granted the right to wield God’s omnipotent decree. As God’s appointed and faithful Messiah, Jesus has authority to proclaim God’s final judgment against His foes.

Jesus appears from heaven to meet His wicked foes, having already conquered by His death, by fulfilling God’s covenant, and as the Word who bears God’s decreed will. Appearing this way, Jesus then achieves the victory highlighted in this passage: the conquest of His final judgment over evil. Riding the white horse of victory, Jesus “is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war” (v. 11).

Numerous details are provided about Jesus’ victory in judging His enemies. Some of them emphasize Jesus’ person and the attributes that enable His conquest. For instance, it is in His “righteousness” that “he judges and makes war” (v. 11). Christ makes war in perfect righteousness and true justice. This is especially important when we realize that His chief battlefield is not one of literal warfare but rather a legal contest in the courts of God. Justice is on Jesus’ side, in both His righteousness and His just condemnation of sin. The ungodly will suffer conquest in the shame of knowing that Jesus is right to slay them with the sword of His righteousness.

Jesus is further seen with eyes “like a flame of fire” (v. 12). This may speak in general of Jesus’ deity, but it specifically depicts His penetrating sight that discovers all sin. Hebrews 4:13 speaks this way about God’s Word: “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Because of this, faithful preachers are sometimes accused of prying into people’s private affairs to discover and expose their secret sins in a sermon they are preaching, when what actually happens is that the Word of God penetrates to expose the secret corruptions of the heart. How complete will be the exposure of all sin when Jesus returns with eyes of flaming fire to judge all whose sins are not forgotten.

Jesus’ authority is further seen in His command of the mounted hosts of heaven (v. 14), which include the legions of angels Paul wrote about in 2 Thessalonians 1:7. And according to Revelation 17:14, they are joined by those who “are called and chosen and faithful,” that is, the glorified church. The spiritual power of this army is seen in the fine white linen of their holiness before God and their righteousness in Christ, the saints wearing the uniform of their priestly status in Christ’s kingdom.

The authority of Christ to judge is especially emphasized in the title written on His robe at the thigh: King of kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16). The thigh symbolizes manly strength, and thus Christ’s robe bears titles upon His thigh that proclaim His supreme rule. Not only is Jesus qualified to judge by His person and His authority, but He also appears with overwhelming power to destroy His enemies completely and immediately. John says, “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations (v. 15). We know from 1:16 that the “sharp two-edged sword” of His Word comes from Jesus’ mouth. Wielding this weapon, Jesus doesn’t trade blows with the powers of evil but immediately slays them.

Jesus’ power also “will rule them with a rod of iron” (v. 15). This weapon is the rod of the shepherd by which he protects his sheep from predatory animals. Jesus wields this rod to shatter all opposition, fulfilling the promise of Psalm 2:9. It was because of this punishment of the wicked that Paul commanded Christians not to retaliate against evil in Romans 12:19. As a rod of iron, Christ’s vengeance on the oppressors of His people is mighty and unyielding. Evil must in the end be crushed and destroyed if Christ’s flock is to lie down in the green pastures beside the still waters of eternal glory.

Finally, John writes that Jesus comes with power to vent the fury of God’s wrath on the wicked rebel powers of the earth: “He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (v. 15). Like a man trampling grapes in a winepress, the Warrior-Messiah will trample the wicked in His divine strength, with their blood pouring out in floods of just retribution for evil and sin. Of course, this is symbolism. But the reality it depicts ought to terrify sinners as they ponder having to suffer the judgment of the righteous and avenging Jesus Christ. These verses show that Jesus is not squeamish when it comes to judgment, nor is He aloof from the inflicting of God’s personal wrath.

Not only is Christ going to judge the world by the sword of His Word, but He is going to judge you by His truth. If you are wise, you will stand under that judgment now, confessing your sin, believing His gospel offer of salvation, and embracing in faith the mercy that forgives you through the loving sacrifice of Jesus’ blood. It is by the Word that believers are called (John 10:27), born again (1 Pet. 1:23), sanctified (John 17:17), enlightened (Ps. 19:8), and in the end finally delivered (2 Thess. 2:8). In His gospel, Jesus comes humbly on a colt of a donkey, signifying mercy to sinners who repent and believe (Matt. 21:5). He returns riding on a white horse to slay the wicked and cleanse the world of sin. Let us call Him Faithful and True now. Let us invite His gracious rule into our hearts. And let us joyfully anticipate His coming by crowning Him with our faith and love, joining the praise that is sung by His church.

Revelation 19:11-16 Study Questions:

What is the significance of the names given to the One riding the white horse (vv. 11, 13)?

What do the images in verses 14-16 symbolize, if not an actual military battle?

How do we participate in the victory that Jesus has won?