Revelation 20
HALLRevelation 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
And now I saw such glory and majesty put upon the faithful ones, in the time that Satan was shut up, as that they sat upon thrones; and the power of judgment was committed unto them, to manage the affairs of God’s Church, and to execute due censures upon the offenders: and I saw those faithful and holy martyrs, which were ready to lay down their lives for the testimony of Jesus Christ and his Gospel; and those, which refrained from and abhorred the idolatry of the times: and they lived and reigned with Christ, in a sanctified and comfortable estate here upon earth; framing themselves to all godly courses, during all this time of the thousand years of Satan’s restraint.
Revelation 20:5
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
But, for the rest, which lay dead in their sins and impieties, they did not at all recover, at the last, this spiritual happiness and life, and attain to the true knowledge and fruition of God. This, which we now speak of, viz. the abandoning of the corruptions of the times, and attaining to the true knowledge and love of the saving truth of God, and a conscionable obedience to him, is the First Resurrection.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Blessed and holy is he, that thus hath his part in this First Resurrection: for, certainly, on such, the Second Death, which is eternal damnation and separation of the soul from God, neither hath nor can have any power; but they shall be wholly consecrated to the service of God and his Christ; and shall here reign with him, in their several times, all the whole space of the thousand years, wherein Satan is shut up: they shall triumph in God and themselves, while the rest of the world is in vexation and bondage.
Revelation 20:7
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.
And when those thousand years shall be expired, Satan shall, for the time, be let loose, and suffered to raise great tumults and troubles in the world,
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: &c.
And shall, upon fair pretences, stir up all the enemies of God’s Church, which are in all the regions of the earth, both Scythians, Turks, and mis-believing Christians; and shall gather them together to battle, against the little flock of Christ: &c.
Revelation 20:9
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.
And they went up into all the coasts of the earth, and by their great number encompassed the small handful of God’s Saints round about; and, taking advantage of their paucity, hemmed them in, as enclosing the true believing Church, for the slaughter: but the fire of God’s wrath did, as it were, fall from heaven upon their heads, and consume them, and frustrate all their cruel intentions.
Revelation 20:14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
There shall be now no more dying, nor graves: all these things are at an end; and nothing shall remain, but a final damnation of the devils and reprobate souls for ever. And this is the Second Death.
Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
And whosoever was not found registered in God’s eternal election to life, was cast into hell fire.