I invite you to look with me at this, in Verses 1-3 of Chapter 20:Īnd I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. In the original Greek this account moves without a break to what follows the return of the Lord. It is very important to understand that there should be no chapter break between Chapters 19 and 20. But still, as we have studied the book of Revelation, perhaps we have come to the realization that this wonderful dream could be only a few years away - or even less than that! In our last study we saw the prophesied climax of history: The Second Coming of Jesus in visible power and glory to reclaim the earth from the devil and his angels, to end the domain of evil among men, and to fulfill the promise of an earthly kingdom made to Abraham and again to David many centuries ago. This has been the promise of every politician since governments began, but they have never been able to bring it to pass. Meeting in the midst of our drugged and polluted planet, we have to say: "How mistaken Hugo was!" Or was he? Those words reflect the hope that has been burning in men's hearts for centuries - the dream that there would come some day, somehow, a golden age upon the earth, a time when peace would spread throughout the whole world, a utopia, where men would live in unbroken peace and abounding prosperity. We are almost at the end of the twentieth century.
He will possess something higher than all these: a great country, the whole earth, a great hope, the whole heaven. In the twentieth century war will be dead. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.Over 100 years ago, Victor Hugo, the French novelist and author of Les Miserables, wrote these words: 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. The Judgment at the Great White Throneġ1 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
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. 20 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.