Kalev Creative

11/16/2025

We’re reading through Revelation along with NT Wright’s Revelation for Everyone. These notes include discussions of topics of additional interest and attempt connections with more Old Testament material.

20

An angel descends from heaven with a key to the abyss and a chain to bind the dragon/serpent/devil/the satan. The angel binds and confines the satan for a thousand years, yet he will be released for a short time.

We discussed possible interpretations. Most commentators agree that, like the many 7s that have come before in Revelation, the 1000 (10^3) is a representative number, indicating an indeterminate long period. N.T. Wright describes a common interpretation that the thousand years is intended as the period between Jesus’ first coming and his second. In this view, Jesus demonstrates mastery over demons in interactions with the demon-possessed as their prior master has been confined.

Others view the thousand years as a future yet to come.

Then John sees thrones (plural) occupied by those with authority to judge. This is an apparent echo of Daniel 7:

        While I was watching, 

thrones were set up, 

and the Ancient of Days took his seat… 

Many thousands were ministering to him; 

many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. 

The court convened, 

and the books were opened.

We discussed the ambiguity of the passage. We expect that the Father and Son have thrones, possibly the Elders, even the martyrs, but, given passages in which Jesus declares his followers will judge the tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28) and Paul that the devout will judge the world and the angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3), we keep an open mind about how many thrones there might be and who occupies them.

John sees the souls of those who’ve been beheaded. N.T Wright speculates this may be a detail that would have meaning to an original audience as Roman citizens would be executed by beheading, perhaps suggesting citizens of God’s kingdom who were martyred are the ones in view.

One possible interpretation of this resurrection is Jesus’ apparent descent into Hell/Sheol to, in one view, free the captives there (Ephesians 4:8-9 and 1 Peter 3:19 suggest this idea but leave a lot of room for interpretation). Another could be the forgiveness Jesus provides through his death and resurrection. Some interpreters assess this resurrection is a future event. A firm, well-supported interpretation remains elusive. 

After the thousand years, the satan is released to deceive the nations and bring them together for battle.

In his commentary Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes, Tremper Longman considers the meaning of Gog and Magog:       

This reference to Gog and Magog comes from Ezekiel 38–39. . . In Ezekiel, Gog is a person and Magog is a place. God instructs Ezekiel to “set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him” (Eze 38:2–3). In Revelation both Gog and Magog are place names (Rev 20:8). This apparent discrepancy could be disturbing if we thought of Ezekiel 38 and 39 strictly as a prophecy of the final judgment against Satan, but that is not the best way to think about the relationship between the two passages. As explained in the commentary at 20:8, Magog in Ezekiel either represents Babylon or what [S. L.] Cook calls a “mythic-realistic entity” that represents those forces that are hostile toward God and his people. By alluding back to Ezekiel 38–39 in this way the book of Revelation uses the imagery of the book to communicate the certainty and the definitiveness of this final battle against Satan and his minions.

John apparently uses Gog and Magog as another way of referring to Babylon and/or ongoing city-associated corrupt spiritual powers including Rome, ascendant in his day, and others before and since.

Recalling 2 Chronicles 32, the accuser’s armies surround Jerusalem, but, as with Sennacherib’s army, God destroys them without a fight. As at Sodom and with Elijah, he sends fire from heaven. The final battle involves no fighting. God is sovereign in judgment.

”And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.”

After the rebellious spiritual powers are confined to torment, John sees the large white throne and the one sitting there. No one can stand in his presence.

Books are opened, then another book – The Book of Life. It seems significant that God, enemies defeated, in full control, chooses to emphasize life.

The books contain things the dead did during their lives, and the dead are judged by what is written. The sea, Death, and Hades are all named as places the dead remained. They now give up the dead to be judged.

Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire along with anyone whose name was not entered in the book of life. Unlike the devil, beast, and false prophet, we are not told “they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever.” This passage is silent on a time frame, and it isn’t clear whether we should infer similarity with or difference from the earlier one.