Chapter 8:
The Judgment
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Chapter 8: The Judgment
As we continue our prophetic journey through the "You Are Here" book, we arrive at a pivotal moment: the judgment that follows the millennial reign. This eighth chapter, aptly titled "The Judgment," will explore the final chapters of Revelation 20, unveiling the events that transpire after Satan's release from his thousand-year imprisonment.
In our previous chapter, we delved into the nature of Christ's millennial reign, a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity. However, as we'll see, this era of tranquility is not the end of God's plan. The events that follow are crucial to understanding the ultimate fulfillment of God's purpose for creation.
Let's begin by examining Revelation 20:7-8:
"And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea."
This passage reveals that immediately upon his release, Satan resumes his role as the great deceiver. He manages to amass an army of rebellious humans, described as numerous as the sand of the sea.
Before we delve deeper into this final rebellion, it's important to understand a key principle in reading and interpreting prophecy. Let's consider Matthew 24:3:
"As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?'"
What's crucial to note here is that the disciples asked two distinct questions, yet Jesus provided a single, continuous response that perfectly aligned with the seven seals of Revelation. In His answer, Jesus addressed both the destruction of the temple and the signs of His second coming and the end of the age - separate events, yet described in one cohesive prophecy.
This principle of prophetic interpretation helps us understand the reference to Gog and Magog in Revelation 20:8. While there are historical and prophetic references to Gog and Magog elsewhere in Scripture, this particular mention is distinct. It refers specifically to events that occur after the thousand-year reign, not to be confused with earlier prophecies about Gog and Magog.
To better understand the nature of this final rebellion, we can draw parallels with earlier prophecies, such as Ezekiel 38:9-10:
"You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many people with you. Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme."
This passage from Ezekiel describes a similar scenario - a vast army covering the land like a cloud, analogous to the "sand of the sea" in Revelation. The mention of "thoughts" coming into their minds and devising "an evil scheme" correlates with Satan's deception in Revelation.
Satan's ability to deceive on such a massive scale stems from his nature as the "prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). He exploits the inherent weakness of the human heart, augmenting our natural tendency to rebel against God. As Romans 8:7 reminds us, "the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God."
To fully grasp Satan's tactics and confidence in deceiving humanity, we can look at the book of Job. In Job 1, we see an intriguing interaction between God and Satan. When God asks Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job?" (Job 1:8), it's crucial to understand the context of this question.
Satan's response to God's initial query about his activities - "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it" (Job 1:7) - is more than a simple statement of his whereabouts. It's a boastful declaration of his dominion over humanity. This aligns with 1 Peter 5:8, which describes Satan as a "roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
God's question about Job is a challenge to Satan's arrogant assumption that all humans are easy prey. Satan's reply reveals that he had indeed considered Job but avoided him due to God's protection: "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side?" (Job 1:9-10)
This exchange provides crucial insight into spiritual warfare. It demonstrates that while Satan is formidable, he can be repelled by God's protection. As James 4:7 instructs, "Therefore submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Understanding Satan's methods and confidence in deceiving humanity helps us comprehend the scale of the rebellion described in Revelation 20:9:
"And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them."
This final assault against God's people finds a parallel in Ezekiel 38:16:
"You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes."
The similarities are striking - a vast army surrounding God's people, described as a cloud covering the land. However, the outcome is the same in both passages: divine intervention brings swift judgment.
Ezekiel 38:22 further elaborates on this judgment:
"With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur."
This description aligns closely with the "fire came down from heaven" mentioned in Revelation 20:9.
What's truly astounding about this final rebellion is the context in which it occurs. These individuals Satan deceives have lived through a thousand years of peace under Christ's reign. They've never known war; in fact, as prophesied in Isaiah 2:4, they had "beaten their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks." For a millennium, they enjoyed unparalleled bliss, with the King of Kings dwelling among them, as nations flowed to Jerusalem to learn His ways of peace, love, and harmonious living. Yet, upon his release, Satan manages to convince these people - who have no experience of conflict and have been led by the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace - to turn against their benevolent Ruler. The scale of this deception is staggering; the rebels are described as numerous as "the sand of the sea." This final act of rebellion makes it abundantly clear that the promises God has for His people in the new heaven and new earth cannot possibly include beings with the capacity for such treachery. Satan's ability to stir evil imaginations in human hearts, even after a millennium of perfect rule, underscores the necessity of his final and permanent judgment.
Following this final rebellion and its defeat, we see the ultimate fate of the devil in Revelation 20:10:
"And the devil who had deceived them was thrown 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."
It's worth noting that some translations add words like "are" or "were" in reference to the beast and false prophet, but these are not present in the original text. The verse simply states that the devil is thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, the same place where the beast and false prophet had been cast earlier.
The judgment scene continues in Revelation 20:11-12:
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."
This Great White Throne Judgment is understood to be presided over by Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), to whom the Father has given the right to judge (John 5:22). This judgment is comprehensive, including:
1. Those who died during the millennial reign, both righteous and unrighteous.
2. Those who died before the first resurrection and were not part of it, encompassing all of human history prior to Christ's millennial reign.
3. Any who may have rebelled during the final deception after the millennium.
To understand the nature of this judgment, we need to consider Isaiah 65:20, which describes life during the millennial reign:
"No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed."
This verse indicates that during the millennial reign, people will still die, both righteous and unrighteous. However, they will live much longer lives compared to our current experience. It's crucial to understand that the second resurrection and subsequent judgment aren't exclusively for the wicked, but will include these long-lived individuals from the millennial reign.
What we must emphasize is the stark contrast that will be evident at this judgment. Those who lived during Christ's thousand-year reign will be compared to those who were not part of the first resurrection and lived under Satan's influence. This comparison will not be favorable for the latter group. Consider the vast number of people who will have lived and died during the millennium, potentially having children and experiencing multiple generations under Christ's direct rule. The spiritual fruit produced during this time will be substantial.
This scenario brings to mind Jesus' words about the Queen of the South and the people of Nineveh rising up in judgment against that generation (Matthew 12:41-42), or His comparison of Sodom and Gomorrah to the cities that rejected Him (Matthew 11:23-24). In the same way, those who lived under Christ's reign will serve as a powerful testimony against those who rejected Him in earlier times.
This understanding underscores the critical importance of being part of the first resurrection. You don't want to be in a position where you're compared unfavorably to those who lived and died under Christ's direct rule while you lived under Satan's influence. It emphasizes the urgency of accepting Christ now and living faithfully, rather than facing this daunting comparison at the final judgment.
The judgment scene continues in Revelation 20:13-15:
"And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
These verses present concepts that are uniquely divine in origin. The idea of Death and Hades (or Hell) being destroyed in a lake of fire is not something a human mind would conceive. This further affirms the divine inspiration of John's vision.
The destruction of Death and Hades represents the elimination of the last enemies of God. This connects directly to Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 15:24-26:
"Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."
This passage provides a crucial link between the events described in Revelation and the ultimate purpose of Christ's reign. It shows that the judgment and the destruction of death are necessary steps in the fulfillment of God's plan.
The destruction of death as the final enemy sets the stage for the ultimate consummation of God's plan. This is beautifully articulated in 1 Corinthians 15:27-28:
"For 'God has put all things in subjection under his feet.' But when it says, 'all things are put in subjection,' it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all."
This passage reveals the final step in God's redemptive plan. After Christ has subdued all enemies, including death, He will then subject Himself to the Father. This act establishes the ultimate unity of all things in God, fulfilling the purpose of creation and redemption.
The phrase "that God may be all in all" points to a state of perfect harmony and completeness. It suggests a reality where God's presence and will permeate every aspect of existence. This is the goal towards which all of history has been moving - a universe fully reconciled to and united with its Creator.
As we stand on the brink of this new reality, we can see how the judgment serves as a necessary step in cleansing creation from all that is contrary to God's nature. It's not merely about punishment, but about preparing the way for the new heavens and new earth described in Revelation 21.
In this light, we can understand why the judgment is both a fearsome and a hopeful event. For those whose names are written in the Book of Life, it represents the final victory over sin and death. For those who have rejected God's offer of salvation, it represents the tragic consequences of that choice.
The judgment, therefore, is not the end of the story, but rather the prelude to eternity. It sets the stage for the fulfillment of God's ultimate purpose - to dwell with His people in perfect harmony forever. As we conclude our examination of the judgment, we stand at the threshold of something entirely new and glorious.
In our next and final chapter, we will explore the nature of this new creation - a reality where God is truly "all in all." We will see how everything we've studied so far finds its culmination in the eternal state, where the redeemed will dwell in unbroken fellowship with God.
This journey through Revelation has taken us from the current age, through tribulation, Christ's return, His millennial reign, and finally to the last judgment. Each step has revealed more of God's character and His plan for creation. As we prepare to examine the final chapters of Revelation, we do so with a deepened understanding of God's sovereignty and love, and with eager anticipation for the glorious future He has prepared for those who love Him.
