The Millenium and Judgment

Sunday was Easter, Resurrection Day, when we celebrate the fact that Christ rose from the dead. We should also celebrate Easter as the anniversary of our redemption from sin! Hallelujah! We are forgiven! All we need to do is accept the free gift of salvation that was paid for by Jesus death on the cross. Such a simple concept that so many people miss.

As we continue our study of Revelation we continue where we left off. The armies of the world are defeated and the Beast and False Prophet are thrown into the Lake of Fire.

¹ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³ 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.
 ⁴ 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 about Jesus and because of the word of God. They^[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.




An angel descends from heaven with the key to the abyss and a huge chain. The angel binds Satan with the chain and imprisons him in the abyss for one thousand years. The purpose of this binding is so that he can't deceive the nations for the period of his binding. After the binding time is completed, he is let loose for a short time. 
Now John sees thrones and those that were seated on them given authority to judge.

¹¹ Here is a trustworthy saying:
   If we died with him,
   we will also live with him;
¹² if we endure,
   we will also reign with him. 2 Timothy 2:11-12
All those that did not receive the mark of the Beast and died or were raptured will reign over the survivors of the Tribulation that came to believe in Christ. Those that came through the Tribulation will live their lives under the rule of Christ from the New Jerusalem. They will marry and have children, but those that put their trust in Christ will live throughout the entire millenium period. Even living under the rule of the living God many people will still choose not to follow him. I believe Isaiah alludes to this
²⁰ “Never again will there be in it
   an infant who lives but a few days,
   or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
   will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach^[a] a hundred    will be considered accursed. Isaiah 65:20
I believe that the people living during this time will have until the age of 100 to make the decision to follow Christ. Those that choose not to follow him will die before 100 and will await the final judgment at the end of the millenium.
Those that died from the beginning of time will not be resurrected until after this millenial period is over. They will be raised at that time to face their final judgment. 

The Judgment of Satan

 ⁷ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.


After the thousand years, Satan is released to once more go throughout the earth and try to raise up the nations against God. Many that had not chosen to follow Christ will follow Satan at this time and attempt to battle God. Fire comes down from Heaven and destroys them. Satan is finally judged and thrown into the Lake of Fire forever. 

The Judgment of the Dead

 ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.


The millenium is over, Satan has been judged and thrown into Hell. Now comes the final resurrection. All those that died without believing in Jesus are now raised to face their judgement. Since they did not accept the free gift of salvation that was offered to all with Christ's death on the cross they were judged according to their deeds. 
¹⁰ As it is written:
   “There is no one righteous, not even one;  Romans 3:10
Since they had not believed in Christ, their names had been blotted out from the book of life. Anyone who's name was not written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.




 ²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[i]through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 3:21-26