Revelation 20 is best understood in what way?

[Checkpoint]

Many questions are asked about this chapter of Revelation, and answers given can differ widely.

Here are just a few questions, for example.

1. How does the chapter fit in with the theme of the whole book?

2. The "thousand years", if literal, are for what purpose? If metaphorical or symbolic, this conveys what?

3. "the first resurrection" describes what, and takes place when?

4. "the lake of fire" is what, and how is it related to "the second death"?

5. What is the nature of the reign "with Christ" that is mentioned?

[tam]

Peace again to you Checkpoint!

You mentioned Rev 12: 10, 11, so lets look at those perhaps.


Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony: they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short."


Here the Adversary is just now being cast down to the earth.

Compare that to the beginning of chapter 20, where the thousand years begin:

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 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.

A - the angel came down out of heaven to seize the dragon (who has been tossed to the earth, from the above passages in Rev 12).

B -the angel threw the dragon into the Abyss and sealed it over him for the thousand years.



And verse 13, from Chapter 12 (the dragon hurled to the earth is busy doing things; he pursues the woman, and then goes off to pursue those who keep God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Christ.)

When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of fora time, times and a half a time, out of the serpent's reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring - those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of [Jesus].


How does he pursue us if he is locked away in the abyss at this very moment?



And the Spirit reminded me of this verse from Peter:

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.






Just some things to think about, and of course to ask Christ about, so as to know the truth of this and any matter from Him. He would be the One who knows, right?




Peace again to you, and to your household,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[Checkpoint]

Checkpoint (peace to you), how can the thousand years have begun already when the first resurrection (and coming to life) refers also to those who have been beheaded for their testimony for Christ? Only after that do they come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years:


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 for [Jesus] and because of the Word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.

Peace to you!

Thanks for asking.

It highlights a key matter that determines and explains how we are to deal with what Revelation 20 portrays.

That matter is just when the "thousand years" starts, and after it ends, what two things happen.

To discover this we must accept what the other parts of the NT tell us.

Revelation 20 starts with the binding of Satan and ends with his loosing for a short time after the end of the thousand years, to gather the nations for war, followed by the judgment to life or death.

That is three major events.

So tell me, Tam, what times outside Revelation 20 do scriptures say they have occurred or will occur, from your own reading?

[tam]

[Replying to post 81 by Checkpoint]

Peace to you Checkpoint!

I'm not sure how your response answered the question I posted, which is how those who were beheaded could THEN come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years, if they had already come to life before getting beheaded (because if what you are suggesting is true - regarding the meaning of 'come to life' - then these ones would already have come to life before being beheaded for their testimony to Christ. Right?)



As to your question here in post 81, I think this is already answered in post 80 (certainly with regard to Satan being bound BEFORE the thousand years, but he is not yet bound). Maybe check that post out and see if it answers your question?




Peace again to you!
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 81 by Checkpoint]

Peace to you Checkpoint!

I'm not sure how your response answered the question I posted, which is how those who were beheaded could THEN come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years, if they had already come to life before getting beheaded (because if what you are suggesting is true - regarding the meaning of 'come to life' - then these ones would already have come to life before being beheaded for their testimony to Christ. Right?)



As to your question here in post 81, I think this is already answered in post 80 (certainly with regard to Satan being bound BEFORE the thousand years, but he is not yet bound). Maybe check that post out and see if it answers your question?




Peace again to you!
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

What I posted does not answer your specific and understandable question.

Instead, my post pointed out the time context of Revelation 20 and asked for answers relating to that from other scriptures.

Revelation is mostly visions of what is and what is to come, comprising scenes showing spiritual realities that John saw, and that were often explained or commented on.

Thus, Revelation is not a teaching manual or a book of doctrine, but a written and spoken movie panorama. One that is often not literal or strictly constrained by human logic in regard to how things are put together incrementally.

My answer to your question, if or when given, would flow from this perspective, and from what I see as the three part question I posed to you.