A Study of Revelation 20 and Other Related Passages
The view of the misery of the damned will double the ardour of the love and gratitude of the saints of heaven
Jonathan Edwards
What bliss will fill the ransomed souls, When they in glory dwell, To see the sinner as he rolls, In quenchless flames of hell.
Isaac Watts
…love and pity for hell’s occupants will not enter our hearts.
J. I. Packer
The second half of Revelation 20 seems much clearer when the questions of the first half have been answered. John writes to saints facing immense tribulation, but he offers comfort. The saints are to be comforted in their Job-like quandary by the assurance of God’s vengeance against the wicked (Revelation 13:10; 14:12). Many modern day “Christians” have rejected the Biblical doctrine of Hell, but forfeit all confidence in a just God and a hopeful future. We should finish our twenty-part series on Revelation 20 by surveying the remaining assurances of God’s justice.
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number [is] as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet [are.] And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:7-10
The Gog and Magog pattern established by the prophecy of Ezekiel and the fulfillment of Esther will play out at the end of the kingdom age to the glory of God and the good of the saints. This prophecy that details the release of Satan and the gathering of deceived rebels from the nations against the saints does not initially sound encouraging. However, because of the Gog and Magog pattern, we know that this surge of martial persecution against the church is God’s trap. He draws out all the wicked and in one fell swoop defeats them all by fire, both soldiers and Satan, both the deceived and the devil. Note that the beast and the false prophet are already in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:17-21), having been defeated through the Judgment of God completed by AD 70. The saints are described as having a camp and possessing a beloved city. We need not stretch our brains too far to discern from Revelation, the New Testament and the latter prophets just who these people are or what this city is (Hebrews 12:22-24). Christians are saints, God’s called out sanctified people (1 Peter 2:4-10). We belong to and make up a city, the New Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26 ; Revelation 21:9-10). Furthermore, this language of the camp and of fire echoes the pattern in Leviticus that all that which was unclean, soaked with sin must be burnt outside the camp (Leviticus 8:17; 9:11; 16:27). This language is significant in that with the transition to the New Covenant the concern is not who is inside or outside of Israel (the camp), but who is inside or outside of Christ (the church). Outside of Him is the judgment (Revelation 21:27). Outer darkness involves weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The language of fire and brimstone hearkens back to God’s judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet in this context the consuming inferno of Genesis 19, is not directly paralleled. The fire and brimstone are instrumental in the torture and torment applied to Satan and sinners without respite (Revelation 20:15). Rather than being expended in a single fiery cataclysm this fire and brimstone blaze without end. The smoke of torment is unceasing and the wicked there in those flames know no rest day or night. The agony is not a point in time, but continuous and indefinite, “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night” (Revelation 14:9-11; 19:3). All this torment is accomplished in the presence of holy angels and in the presence of Christ, the Lamb. The Heavenly court is witness to the guilty in torment, their punishment is meted out before the face of Christ, the Lamb, the Judge of all Mankind (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-30).
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15
This prophecy by the Spirit of the end of all things showcases the supremacy and glory of God revealed in Christ. Our attention is immediately captured by this “great white throne.” This throne is described in such a way that is befitting He Who sits upon it. It is immense in its size, its power, its glory. It is white, like the horse upon which Christ rides, white like the raiment of the Bride. We immediately have confidence in this Judge. Behold His throne! It tells us that He is so powerful He can bring about the full measure of justice, and He is so righteous, pure and holy, that the rendering of this justice will be without a single flaw (Revelation 1:14; Hebrews 4:13). Popular understanding of this throne in much of American Christianity today is that it is reserved for the wicked alone. However, we have already demonstrated in our study that while there are two resurrections (one spiritual that some men know, and one physical that all men will know), there is only one judgment. All men are judged at the same time, but in different ways (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50; 25:14-46; John 5:21-30; Acts 26:15). Books are opened whereby men are damned by their works, but there is another book, the Book of Life in which are written the names of those bought by the blood of Christ and covered by His righteousness (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8). For those who have been justified by the righteousness of Christ, they will be saved by His same righteousness. Whatever works are judged will be in light of His supremacy, weighed against His glory (2 Corinthians 5:1-11).
All the dead are raised and gathered from wherever they might be and brought together before Christ. Such is the moment and the majesty of God that Earth and heaven will flee away. Why? This is the end of the age, the culmination of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:40-43, 47-50; 1 Corinthians 15:24-26). The last enemy, death, is done away with by this resurrection and judgment which casts death and the grave (hades) into the lake of fire and are judged along with all the wicked. This is the second death which has no claim on those who have partaken of the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6).
This concludes our study on this important chapter in the Bible. You may have many questions or objections to some of my presuppositions and conclusions, but as I stated at the beginning of the study, it is difficult to begin in Revelation 20 which must be read near the bottom of a hermeneutical avalanche. For more background on my reading of Jesus’ promises concerning the judgment of Jerusalem and how this fits with the book of Revelation you might benefit from this eschatology workshop. [Part 1], [Part 2], [Part 3], [Part 4]
