One Thousand Years

            If you recall from last month’s post, the plan for Revelation 20 is to approach it in parts over the next few posts. Remember also, the allegorical nature of the Apocalyptic literature is very important to keep in mind when searching for meaning in this genre. In the first three verses of chapter 20 (Rev. 20:1-3) John offers three monumental “symbols”—the key (v. 1), the ancient serpent (v. 2), and the thousand years (v. 3).

Revelation 20:1–3 (CSB)

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.

Verse 2 defines the “ancient serpent” as Satan. Recalling Genesis 3, the serpent was there in the ancient Garden of Eden not long after creation, he was deceiving people then and continues to this day. The angel holds a key to the abyss, most likely a reference to the key Jesus refers to in Rev. 1:18, a key to “death and Hades.” The serpent is cast into the abyss to no longer deceive the nations.

G. K. Beale notes the context and the construction of the “sealing” and “no longer deceiving” clauses in v. 3 do not indicate a complete curtailment of all the devils activities, but a restriction. The serpent is restricted for a thousand years, a period of time that is perfect times ten, times ten. Ten is a “number of perfection”—that time, times ten, times ten again equals one thousand—a time period that only God knows and decides when it has lapsed. After it has, the devil is released to be judged.

The one thousand years stands for the church age—the time from the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ to his return. His defeat of death is made known by the way he holds the keys to death and Hades. When the thousand years is finished—the perfect time that only God knows—Jesus will make his second coming return. We can find hope in our recovery by having faith in the truth of this Gospel. That Christ died to conquer death and that while we continue to struggle in this age, he will return to judge sin and take us home with him.

More to come next month from Revelation 20.