Revelation 20. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.” (20:1-3)

Commentators agree – this is one of the most difficult sections of Revelation. Much ink has been spilt to draw out an exact timeline of what happens in Revelation 20 and what “a thousand years” means.

Here is what I would propose to you (but you do not have to agree): There is no reason for us to suddenly take John literally at this point in Revelation. Instead, we should think back to chapters 12-14, where John pulled back the veil and gave us a heavenly perspective of all time – the dragon, the beasts, and the people of God. To me, it makes sense to read 20:1-6 in a similar way. Satan is bound (under the authority of heaven) for a season (symbolically a thousand years); and the people who belong to Christ reign for the same period of time. “They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” (20:6) I understand this perspective to be the time between the life of Christ on earth, and his second return – we are now living in the thousand year kingdom of God and the power of Satan is limited. (This makes me an amillennialist.)

Then at 20:7-10 we enter time again and a specific thing happens – Satan is released and destroyed forever in the lake of fire. Evil is finished forever. Hallelujah! (We can all agree on that!)

Again, at 20:11-15 a specific event happens – “I saw a great white throne… 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.” All the dead are raised to stand before the throne of God on judgment day. Throughout Revelation John has indicated that those who belong to Christ are marked, sealed, separated from those who live their own way in the world. They do not escape a physical death, but they are known to God.

The important question at the great white throne of judgment day is this: Is your name written in the Book of Life? “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (20:15) Those who do not want to participate in God’s kingdom are destroyed.

“People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) Are you certain your name has been written in the Book of Life? Do you welcome the kingdom of God? Your eternal destiny is on the line.