C. Satan's Activities - Revelation 20:7-10.

C. Satan’s Activities – Revelation 20:7-10.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, (Revelation 20:7)
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. (Revelation 20:8)
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9)
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)
1. Revelation 20:7 :
As Christians, we are always on the winning side. This illustrates the Lord’s omnipotent power over Satan and all of His followers. In Verse Three, Satan was put into the Bottomless Pit (“very deep pit); and in Verse 7, Christ is the only one who can free him. The time Satan is free is very short, as Verse Three states, “loosed a LITTLE season.”
2. Revelation 20:8.
“And shall go out to deceive the NATIONS which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” (Revelation 20:8)
As we read this verse, there is a lot more depth in it than appears from a casual reading. I would like to bring out each item that I feel will be of help in understanding the context.
a. “Nations” is the Greek “ethnos,” which is in the plural. “Originally a multitude, denotes a nation or people of the same nature or genus. It is used in the singular of Jews. In the plural of “nations” (Hebrew, “goiim”), other than Israel.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words)
b. The saved Gentiles, of such a multitude that could not be numbered, come out of the Tribulation Period alive. (Revelation 7:9)
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all NATIONS, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” (Revelation 7:9)
“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? (Revelation 7:13)
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:13-14)
Notice the word “nations” in Revelation 20:8 (above). It is the Greek “ethnos” in the plural (i.e., Gentiles). This lets us know that there are hundreds of thousands that enter the earthly kingdom, in their earthly bodies, to reign with Christ. These will have children during the Millennium, which will be born to Christian parents. Just because they are born of Christian parents does not make them a Christian. They must accept Christ, individually, as their Savior.
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)
Notice in John 1:13 :
(1). “...not of blood....”--Their biological birth does not make them a Christian.
(2). “...nor of the will of the flesh...”—No amount of good works will ever merit one eternal life.
(3). “...nor of the will of man...”
“They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; (Psalms 49:6)
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:” (Psalms 49:6-7)
You cannot buy someone into Heaven by bribing God with your money! I am going to speak the truth as a bulkhead against a satanic lie, perpetrated by the Roman Catholic organization. One of the biggest money rip-offs ever put forth by organized religion is that of Purgatory. This leads people to believe they can get a loved one out of a place with their money, that never existed.
c. Longevity will exist in the Millennium, as it was prior to the Flood. Children will have 100 years to accept Christ. If they do not, they will be cut off (die) and be sent to Hell (Gr. “Hades).
“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” (Isaiah 65:20)
Those that are cut off at 100 years old are all lost people who have had children during their life. These children are raised in a non-Christian home and the majority will not be saved; but, end up with their parents in Hell. This does not mean that ALL their offspring will be lost; but, only a few will be saved.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (Matthew 7:13)
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.”(Matthew 7:13-14)
The majority of the Gentiles born during the Millennium will tolerate the Lord; but, will not accept Christ as their Savior. At the end of the Millennium, those Gentiles who have not reached the age of 100 will make up Satan’s army, which will be so large that it is not numbered specifically; but, illustrated as “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”
d. What About the Jews?
Revelation 20:8 a states concerning the Antichrist’s getting his tremendous army from all over the world to defeat his Arch-enemy, the Lord Jesus Christ,
“And shall go out to deceive the NATIONS which are in the four quarters of the earth,...”
As previously stated, “nations” here is “ethnos” in the plural; as it includes all people and nations that are not Jewish; but, Gentiles. When in the singular, it is referring to the Jewish people; or, their nation.
Note: Did you ever wonder why God did not have John write the following?
“And go out to deceive the nation (singular-Jews) and nations (plural-Gentiles).” (paraphrased)
It then would have included Jews and Gentiles in the army of the Antichrist. The following could give us the answer. There will be Jews saved all through the Tribulation Period. Some will die and some will go into the Millennium in their physical bodies to reign with Christ. (Romans 11:26-27).
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (Romans 11:26)
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27)
When Verse 26 states, “...all Israel shall be saved...,” this is not every Jew; but, ALL who are alive when Christ returns, and have not taken the Antichrist’s number, 666. There will be a great slaughter of the Jewish people in the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation Period, after the Antichrist breaks his “peace” covenant with Israel.
(1). Nine out of 10 Jews will killed in the world, outside of Israel, during the last half of the Tribulation Period. (Isaiah 6:11-13).
“Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, (Isaiah 6:11)
And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. (Isaiah 6:12)
But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.” (Isaiah 6:13)
(a). In Isaiah 6:11, the word “LAND” would better be translated “COUNTRY,” as it is in reference to Israel’s homeland. The word “LAND” in Isaiah 6:12 is a different Hebrew word, and is better translated, “WORLD.” In other words, there will be a great forsaking of the Jewish people who have fled to all parts of the world, outside of their homeland in Israel, to escape death.
(b). In Isaiah 6:13, “But yet in it...” (the world outside of Israel); “a tenth shall return (to their land).”
(c). God uses two trees to illustrate a spiritual truth. “Their leaves” is italicized as there is no Hebrew word for this in the Majority Text. The “holy seed;” that is 1/10 of the Jews outside of their homeland, will be the “substance” that will return alive to enter the Kingdom.
(d). The oak tree which cast its seed, the acorn, would illustrate this; as very few acorns grow to produce trees. Bears, pigs, and other animals eat them before they can take root. Only one out of ten Jews will be alive to be “harvested” into the Kingdom.
(2). Two-thirds of the Jewish people will die in their land.
“And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. (Zechariah 13:8)
And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.” (Zechariah 13:8-9)
In the Gospel of Matthew 24:15-22 give the prophecy of what will take place in the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulation, prior to Christ’s earthly Kingdom. This is the same time period as Zechariah.
“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)
Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:16)
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: (Matthew 24:17)
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. (Matthew 24:18)
And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! (Matthew 24:19)
But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: (Matthew 24:20)
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:21)
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:15-22)
a. Matthew 24:15. This fulfills 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The “abomination” is when the Antichrist breaks his “peace” covenant and takes over the Jewish Temple, declaring himself to be God. The “desolation” is when he destroys the temple and headquarters himself completely in Babylon. Unfortunately, when Satan is loosed from his prison at the end of the Millennium, God has completely destroyed Babylon. There is not a trace of Satan’s beautiful Babylon to be found!
b. Matthew 24:16-20. These verses describe how quickly his attack will begin.
c. Matthew 24:21. Some have tried to say these Scriptures have already been fulfilled; therefore, they are not for the future. This is easily disproved as Matthew penned his Gospel between 60 and 70 A.D., and Christ has not returned as yet to set up the Kingdom. Notice in Matthew 24:29 of the same chapter, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days...,” and in Matthew 24:30,
“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
This has never happened yet, proof that it is still future.