1I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2He seized the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a thousand years, 3and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years were finished. After this, he must be freed for a short time.
4I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their forehead and on their hand. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead didn’t live until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.
7And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison 8and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9They went up over the width of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God and devoured them. 10The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
11I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. 12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
This book is a complete revelation of Jesus Christ in all of His essence. It will put His character on full display. He was indeed the Lamb of God that humbled Himself even unto death on the cross. He will return as King of Kings and Lord of all Lords. He was the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but He will return as a lion in all of His power and glory. It is addressed to each and every one of us who is a “servant” of God. That’s you and me! It is a revelation that is given for our benefit, and it will tell us of things that are “shortly to take place.” That means that, as John wrote it, there was an immediacy to it. It could happen at any time after it was written. The passage tells us that it was “signed and sealed” and delivered to John for all of us.
John had “born witness” to the Word of God. He had been there. He had seen Jesus. He had held Him. This is the same disciple whom Jesus loved so much. He was there at the foot of the cross when Jesus put His own earthly mother in John’s care. He had heard the testimony of Jesus Christ and He had been an eyewitness to the things that Jesus did during His ministry. It is important to remember that John’s Gospel is an eyewitness account that repeatedly assures the reader that Jesus is God incarnate, yet He was fully man. We are told that we will be blessed if we read and hear the words of this prophecy. I don’t know about you, but anytime the Bible tells me that something is a blessing, I’m ready to get in on it.
In verse four, John addresses the letter to “the seven churches that are in Asia.” We will learn shortly which churches these are. I believe John was addressing instructions to all Churches at all times throughout their history. Churches go through stages and phases, and perhaps there is a word for your own church as you listen to the words given to each church. There is then a wish for grace and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is to come. That, of course, is Jesus. It then mentions seven spirits, and we’re not given an explanation of who or what those spirits are.
Some think it’s the Holy Spirit. Perhaps seven is because it is God’s holy, perfect number. The apocryphal books of 1 Enoch (20:2-8) and Tobit (12:15) name seven angels who supposedly stand before God: Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael (Sariel), Gabriel, and Remiel. Pastor Warren Wiersbe says, “Seven” is the number of completion and stands for the fullness of the Spirit. I think a better approach is to say we aren’t exactly sure who or what they are because John doesn’t tell us. We do know that “Seven” is the number of completion, and it is linked with the Spirit. Although much of this book is difficult to understand, read it and listen. Reader, in doing so, you will be blessed.