The King Is Coming - 8

James Grandinetti

The King is Coming • Sermon • Submitted 2 months ago • Presented 2 months ago

Revelation 20:1–3

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Sunday School series based on a series off messages from Dr. Lee Roberston

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The Devil in Chains and the Millennial Reign of Christ

Introduction - In the last lesson, we examined what the Scriptures call the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16).

This final battle is a culmination of the rebellion of the wicked against God (Revelation 19:19).

The Bible tells us that the Lord will return with the saints and the armies of heaven (Revelation 19:14).

He will defeat the kings and armies of the earth by the sword of His mouth (Revelation 19:15, 21).

“The Beast, which is the Antichrist, and the False Prophet, who will be gathered together with the armies of the earth, will be captured and cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.” (Robertson) (Revelation 19:20)

After that consummating battle, the Bible describes the “…supper of the Great God…” The fowls of the air are called together by one of God’s angels, and they shall devour the slain. (Revelation 19:17-18, 21)

So, through a series of events, the Lord will have removed and defeated all who would oppose His rightful reign.

But what about Satan, our great Adversary? The Bible also tells us his end as well.

Notice what the Bible tells us at the beginning of Revelation 20.

Revelation 20:1–3 “1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

Let’s Pray

There are a series of events that are coming in the future—all of these will culminate with the return of the Lord. The very next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church… this will be followed by the revelation of the Antichrist and the beginning of what is referred to as the Tribulation.

That seven year period will begin as a period of peace and religious freedom. The nation of Israel will have a covenant with this man of sin—-and will experience what they believe to be peace. There will be an ecumenical apostate church that will be in connection with the emerging one world empire. In the middle of this time period prophesied by Daniel, the Antichrist as well as the kings of the earth will destroy the apostate church. The Beast—the Antichrist along with His false prophet will demand that the world worship the Antichrist as god. He will declare Himself as god. He will break his agreement with Israel, enter into God’s house and demand to worshipped as god. The false prophet will full this fire, and all will be marked and worship and image erected to this satanic figure. From the midpoint of tribulation moving forward will be a time of judgement unlike any other. God will pour out His righteous judgement using all manner of disasters as well as allowing demons to cause harm and kill. Seven seals, seven trumpet and seven vials will be unleashed in what I believe are successive ever increasing frequency so intense that people will desire to die and yet cannot. During this period of time—these seven years, God will continue to extend His grace and many will be saved and consequently be martyred. God will use this time and do a work in the lives and hearts of His people the nation of Israel. He will have faithful witnesses who are Jews publishing the gospel.

The end of this terrible period will be marked by the most terrible campaign called Armageddon. Armies will war—-some will be destroyed by what the Bible calls a convulsion of nature(Ezekiel 38:20-ff)—directly by the Lord. In the end the kings of the earth under the banner of the Beast and under demonic influence will turn from warring with each other and the remnant of God’s people and assemble in the and cover the length width and breadth of the Holy Land in an attempt to war against the King of kings and the Lord of lords… The Lord Jesus Christ will return with the armies of heaven—- and we will come with Him. He will destroy those armies with the sword of His mouth. He will tread the winepress Of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. Then the Antichrist and the False prophet will be the first to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone—-they will be tormented forever and ever… this will be the beginning of a time like no other… in many ways it will be like a return to the beginning in the garden of God where God reigns…this brings us to the subject of the Devil in chains and the Millennial reign of Christ.

As we consider what Christ's righteous reign will be after His return, the Devil must be bound for 1000 years.

Revelation 20:1-3 describes what will take place.

Satan must be bound for several reasons. First, consider:

The Character of Satan

Satan is Proud

Paul speaks of Satan's pride in a letter to Timothy when he writes these words concerning the qualifications for a pastor.

1 Timothy 3:6 “6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the [same] condemnation of the devil.”

In the book of Isaiah, we find the very statements of his pride.

Isaiah 14:12–14 states, “12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Satan is prideful. Because of his pride, he will never cease to try to subvert the Lord.

Not only is Satan prideful, but secondly, he is

Satan is Presumptuous

In the book of Job, we have one of a handful of passages in the Bible that show events taking place in the presence of God in heaven.

Very few times does God give us glimpses into heaven.

In Job chapter 1 and verse 6, the Bible tells us Job 1:6 “6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.”

As Dr. Lee Robertson stated, Satan’s presumption is on full display.

What we mean by this word presumption is how Webster defines the term: “Blind or headstrong confidence; unreasonable adventurousness; a venturing to undertake something without reasonable prospect of success, or against the usual probabilities of safety; presumptuousness.”

Dr. Robertson states, “[Satan] had no business in the midst of the sons of God. He had lost His place in heaven, but he returned to bring accusations against the saints of the Lord.”

And we would understand this is his present operation.

Revelation 12:10 “10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”

The character of Satan is seen in his pride, his presumption, but also his power.

Satan is Powerful

Ephesians 2:2 calls him the prince of the power of the air. “2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

Of what little we know concerning God’s angels, it should be no surprise to us that Satan is described as possessing great power.

Consider that just one angel was able to slay 185,000 men of war.

2 Kings 19:35 states, “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.”

Psalm 103:20 tells us “Bless the Lord, ye his angels, That excel in strength, that do his commandments, Hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

Peter describes Satan’s power in 1 Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

Not only does the Character of Satan make it necessary for Him to be bound, but we should understand how the Bible describes:

The Career of Satan

Never allow anyone to tell you that Satan is your friend.

Satan is a liar. The Bible tells us that he is always a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44) Everything that comes from his mouth is a lie.

Not only is he a liar, but he is a murderer.

His career can be summed up in three points.

One of Satan’s objectives is to:

To Damn Souls

Dr. Robertson said, “A saved soul is a testimony to God’s power. A Christian is a reflector of God’s glory; therefore, Satan hates Christians and desires to keep men from accepting Christ.”

The Bible tells us that Satan is active in blinding the minds of those who are lost.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 states, “3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Not only does he intend to damn souls, but he majors in destroying lives.

To Destroy Lives

It is folly to believe that if someone receives Christ, Satan will leave them alone.

On the contrary, if Satan cannot keep you blinded from the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, he aims to destroy your testimony and ability to serve the Lord.

Lastly, understand that Satan not only designs to see lost people remain lost and destroy the lives of Christians, but he stands to disrupt every work of God.

To Disrupt Every Work of God

Throughout the Bible, we see God’s work and Satan’s opposition.

When God created man and placed him in the garden, Satan was there to disrupt God’s creation.

When Man was removed from the garden, Satan continued his work in the lives of men till they became so corrupt that only Noah and His sons would remain after the worldwide flood.

On the other side of the flood, Satan influenced Nimrod and those who were in rebellion against God to worship devils by building a tower up into the heavens.

Over and over again, where God’s work is being accomplished, Satan is there to disrupt.

“When souls were being saved… [Satan] had Peter and the other apostles cast into prison. When this failed to stop the work, then he caused trouble by the deception of Ananias and Sapphira. Every disruption of the work of God is Satan’s program; therefore, let us be on our guard and allow him no place in our lives.” (Robertson)

At the close of the tribulation, Satan will deceive the world, the kings of this earth, and use the Antichrist and False Prophet to bring about a final bloody battle called Armageddon.

So, what will happen to Satan? This prophecy, given by God to John in Revelation, tells us. Notice the chains of Satan.

The Chains of Satan

He Is Bound

The Bible says the Devil is bound by a great chain.

Though Satan does have great power, the Lord Jesus Christ, having all power and all authority at His will and command, will have the enemy of our souls bound by this great chain.

Indeed, Satan is not immediately cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, for in the Lord’s perfect will, Satan will have one more act of defiance and work to do.

“Satan is not cast into hell immediately because God still has one more task for him to perform. Rather, Satan is confined in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. First, Satan was cast out of heaven (Rev. 12:9), and now he is cast out of earth!” Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 619.

Not only is Satan bound, but secondly:

He Is Shut Up

The Bible tells us he will be shut up in the abyss, the bottomless pit, for 1000 years.

This expresses that Satan will be unable to leave this place. He will be unable to go “to and fro in the earth...” or walk “...up and down in it...” (Job 1:7) as we have recorded for us in the days of Job.

During this time, the Lord will fulfill His word concerning His rule and reign.

Which leads us to this final point:

He Can Deceive No More (For a time)

Satan will not have the opportunity for 1,000 years to influence any man towards sin through deception.

That brings us to a beautiful age to come. It is a precursor to the new heaven and new earth.

We have seen the Character of Satan, the Career of Satan, and the Chains of Satan, but now we come to:

The Coming Age

Many may wonder, if there is to be a new heaven and a new earth, what is the purpose of the millennial reign of Christ?

The millennial reign of Christ will take place for many reasons, but let me give you a few:

It is a fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel and Christ. (Psalm 2, Luke 1:30-33)

It was promised to the apostles. (Luke 22:29-30)

It is promised to all creation. (Romans 8:19-22)

It is the answer to the prayers of the Saints. (Matthew 6:10)

5. It will be the final demonstration of the sinfulness of sin and the wickedness of the human heart apart from God’s grace. (Revelation 20:7-10)

What will be the character of this coming age? What will it be like?

There is a lot we do not know, but the Word of God lists many things we do know.

As we already stated, first, it will be a time when Satan is not just restrained but:

Satan Is Chained

At the close of tribulation, after the battle of Armageddon, Satan will be chained and shut up in the bottomless pit, unable to deceive and influence man.

Secondly,

Wild Beasts Will Be Changed

In his book Understanding the Times, Dr. Chappell stated, “... the animal kingdom will know perfect peace. Isaiah prophesied that the wolf and the lamb will feed together (Isaiah 65:25), and children will be able to safely play by the hole of the asp (Isaiah 11:8).”

Isaiah 11:6–10 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, And the leopard shall lie down with the kid; And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; Their young ones shall lie down together: And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, And the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, Which shall stand for an ensign of the people; To it shall the Gentiles seek: And his rest shall be glorious.”

Even the earth, particularly Palestine, will produce abundantly. (Isaiah 35:1, Isaiah 55:12-13, Joel 2:24-26)

Thirdly,

War Will Cease

Peace is a relative term in our day. In our present time, we do not know what a world would look like without the possibility of war.

When we say we are at peace, what we mean is we have enough defenses in place to keep from entering into hostility.

“Peace conferences may be held. Many good-sounding resolutions may be passed, but war will never cease until the Prince of Peace shall come. The United Nations, the alliance of nations, can never stop war. Jesus said that war is a characteristic of this age.” (Roberston)

Matthew 24:6–8 describes this, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

But notice what we find concerning the Lord’s reign in the prophetic books.

Isaiah 2:4 states, “And he shall judge among the nations, And shall rebuke many people: And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruninghooks: Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more.”

Micah 4:3–4 “And he shall judge among many people, And rebuke strong nations afar off; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruninghooks: Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; And none shall make them afraid: For the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.”

Knowledge Of The Lord Will Be Common

When the Lord returns and reigns, all will know Him. Again, it is hard to imagine a world that knows the Lord and submits to his rule.

In our day, we are the thorn in the flesh of the world. Christianity is mocked.

Evil is called good, and anyone who dares to live for Christ is referred to as narrow-minded and cold-hearted.

Isaiah 11:9 tells us, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.”

Those who enter the Millenial Reign of Christ will enter into a Theocracy--- meaning God will rule and reign.

As such, knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ will be the norm.

When we think about life as it is today, we think in terms of 60-80 years. A thousand years is a long time.

The only folks that enter into the millennium will be:

Glorified Saints.

The believing remnant of Jews.

A remnant of Gentiles who enter into the kingdom (described as sheep). (Matthew 25:31-46)

In addition, Isaiah 65:20 indicates that men will experience longer lifespans again because of the pristine conditions.

Zephaniah 3:9 also speaks of removing the curse of Babel or some form of enabling communication among all. Zephaniah states, “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, That they may all call upon the name of the Lord, To serve him with one consent.”

Though knowledge of the Lord will be common, at the end of this age, surprisingly, some will rebel against him.

Lastly,

The Saints Will Rule And Reign With Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ will reign over all. Matthew 25:31 tells us, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:”

“Christ is coming again in a literal body, with nail prints in His hands and feet; He shall stand upon the Mount of Olives, He shall sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem, and He shall rule the earth.” (Robertson)

As He rules and reigns, we shall rule under His authority.

Paul stated this in 1 Corinthians 6:2 “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”

Matthew 25:21 “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

“Church-age and Tribulation saints will represent Christ ruling over the Gentiles.”

The Lord will sit on his throne— and the apostles will rule and reign over the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 19:28 “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (See also Luke 22:30)

I want you to remember this will be a taste of what will come.

Imagine a world ruled by righteousness, a world where the creation around us blossoms and animals are at peace, as in the days before the flood.

A world where men do not live in fear of crime, war, pestilence, or disease.

We are used to hearing the sirens of ambulances and sirens of death processions. Some in other parts of the world live under the sirens of bombs falling from the sky.

Imagine a world filled with the knowledge of the Lord...

This is just a taste of what will be final in the New heaven and new earth.

At the end of this age, there is a final judgment of Satan and the lost (The Great White Throne Judgement).

Once that judgment takes place and this present earth is dissolved, God will bring in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

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