If you are a Christian. If you were a believer of the Old Testament, a believer amongst the New Testament truths, if you are a great tribulation convert, You will not be bothered by Satan ever again once you leave this world. The temptation is for those who have not died. who are living through that millennial age.
So we'll come to more of that. because it will stay it right out and bound him for a thousand years. Ooh. This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville.
Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio. specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. And now here's Pastor Rick with this edition of Cross-Reference Radio in Revelation chapter 20. Revelation 20 verses 1 through 3.
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit. and a great chain in his hand, he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, Who is the devil? Satan. and bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut em up. It set a seal over him.
So that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years. We're finished. But after these things he must be released for A little while. I hope when he cast him in he landed on his face. Satan's jail time is what we're discussing.
If Revelation, the book of Revelation, even the Bible, but especially Revelation, if it sounds. like science fiction Well, consider our solar system. If you knew nothing about it, and someone told you, hey, there's going to be this big hot thing, it's going to be enormous. It's going to give off heat, it's going to burn with fire for thousands of years and it's it's going it's going to cause the the planets, there's going to be these planets moving around it, and then there's moons moving around though. Wait a minute, what are you talking about?
But that's what it does. It affects the tides, and the moons affect the tide, and the sun affects the moons, the planets, the meteors, all these things.
Well, Satan coming uh so that's the part about if you think all of this is Strange, it is strange because it hasn't happened and it's extraordinary, but it's very true, real, it's going to happen. Satan thought that he could match God. And of course that didn't go well for him. It's not going to go well for him. And if you look in Isaiah, just maybe write the verse down rather than turn there, Isaiah chapter 5, we have this interesting.
Presentation of What happens to those who go against the Lord? And I'll just read it, Isaiah 5 through 14. Therefore, Sheol, that is the underworld, the grave, the place of the dead. has enlarged itself. and opened his mouth beyond measure.
their glory and their multitude and their pomp. And he who is jubilant shall descend into it. People shall be. brought down, each man shall be humbled. And the eyes of the lofty shone.
shall be humbled. But Yahweh of hosts shall be exalted in judgment. And God who is holy shall be hollowed in righteousness.
So there you have this contrast between the righteousness of God and these self-exalted souls. And in the end, in the end, there's judgment, and God is justified. It's right. And that's what we're looking at somewhat today in chapter 20.
So we look at the first verse. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. This angel is not called mighty, as has been often the case through the Revelation. He seems to be somewhat of a common angel. And how fitting an end for this monster Satan who.
Through creation out of order, through his deceptions and his violence, how fitting that just a common angel puts him in his place. Humiliating for the devil. Inspiring for us to some degree. God is. He has so many different created beings, many that we we know nothing about.
Anyway, He descends this angel from heaven, since Satan has been banished at this time from heaven. and restricted to the spiritual realm on earth. Having the key to the bottomless pit. This is taking place at the end of the Great Tribulation period.
So, the period we are in now, looking at the dispensations, the times in the Bible, we're in the church age, the age of grace, the time of the Gentiles. A lot of things going on with that. What's coming next will be the Great Tribulation Period, also called a time of Jacob's trouble, because of the persecutions the Jews will. have to face And it is Jesus said Unless those days were shortened, no body would survive. No flesh would survive.
That great tribulation period has not yet come. When it does happen, and it begins with the rapture of the church. It lasts for seven years. The first three and a half years will be will have their catastrophes, but it will not be as bad as the last three and a half years. Under the regime of Antichrist.
Well, Christ returns and ends the Great Tribulation period and begins. the thousand-year reign, which is really the kingdom age. because it's a little more than a thousand years. And in that thousand years Satan is locked away He is not able to influence anyone. And man just lives in a a perfect environment.
The world will change, the climates will change, but they won't be man-made changes, there'll be God-made changes. And then Satan, released again for a thousand years or so, stirs up trouble. He and those that follow him are judged and they are sent to hell, literally, and that's it for them. And then we enter the eternal age. A new heavens and a new earth.
And it is just as the title of the theologians have given it, it's eternal.
So, maybe that's a brief outline of where all this is going. But right now, what's happening, what we're reading about, is at the end of the Great Tribulation period. The abyss, the bottomless pit, the abuso in the Greek. Is not the lake of fire that Antichrist and his false prophet were cast into? We read that last chapter.
They are the first occupants of hell. And hell was created for Satan and the fallen angels. But it people end up being The first permanent occupants, and we'll get that next session in verse 10. Don't sneak a look. It's there.
Anyway.
So the having the key to the bottomless pit This is outside of the material universe, outside of material creation. But it is within the spiritual dimension of God. And God, of course, operates in both the visible and the invisible, the dimension of the material, the physical world as we know it, and the spiritual.
Now, I mentioned Sheol, and before the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the dead, all of them, went to Sheol. And at that time it was divided into two compartments, the righteous, Sheol, and the unrighteous. You get a glimpse of this in Luke chapter 16, when Christ is giving a parable. It is the only parable that He mentions names. And he mentions Abraham, Lazarus the beggar.
Then there is the rich man on the other side. They're separated. And of course Abraham and Lazarus are in the righteous compartment. And This is spiritual. This is all in the spiritual realm.
And Christ is sort of pulling back the curtain and giving us a look about. what happens when people die. Then there is Gehanna, which Christ called Gehenna. That's hell. Hell fire.
That's the lake of fire that is referenced in last chapter and will be in this one also. but the abuzo in contrast to the two. In contrast to the grave where the dead go. The unrighteous dead now are still there. And in contrast to the lake of fire, there's this pit.
Spiritual. But using Physical language, so we can understand what the transitions are and what's going on.
Well, this pit is for the demons and for Satan. And when we say Satan, It always includes Lucifer, And most of the time, all of the fallen angels and demons that are with him.
Sometimes he's isolated. The context will let us know which it is. Here, it is he and those. fallen angels with him. There's another Word for the underworld that Peter uses, Tartarus.
That's a classical Greek phrase, and it's also. The abyss, and that's in 2 Peter. Anyway, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. in his hand.
Now the chain does not have to be literal. The incarceration of this evil presence does have to be literal. And the revelation is giving us symbols and language, spiritual language, so we can understand and keep up with what is going on, where things are going. And so, if you say, Are you telling me there's not going to be an angel with a literal chain? You know, if he shows up and he just puts that guy away, I'm happy with that.
Who would make the chain anyway? Is there like a Home Depot in heaven? And what size chain would it be?
So, you know, just these are spiritual truths that we are working with. Satan fallen from heaven. Jesus said, I saw Satan fall like lightning. Cast out of heaven. Where he could accuse the brethren, but then he's cast to earth by Michael the archangel.
Then he will be cast into the abuso, the pit, spiritual realm, for a thousand years. Then he's set free, and then he is cast into the lake of fire forever.
So I'll be repeating myself on purpose because on this topic, I get a lot of questions and sometimes I want to say, I just said that. And that's not fair to them or me if we can. Nip it in the bud by doing a little bit more repetition. Because I mean, it's not every day you read about this. You don't turn on Fox News and say, Oh, look, we're having a dissertation on the Abuso today.
Satan will be completely restrained at the second coming of Christ. As I mentioned, having no control of those who survive the return of Christ and those who are born during that thousand-year period, death will be almost non-existent. It will still exist, but it will be very rare. Isaiah gives us insight on these things.
So evil ends only in one way. By the force of God. The force of heaven. God could have done this at any time, and yet he has not. We lament that, we bemoan, why, cousin, God just killed the devil.
Well, God has a criteria of souls. that he knows about, that he wants in heaven. And he's going to get them in heaven through the processes of time. And Satan has become an agent in that process, and that's why things haven't ended yet. God is still bringing people into heaven.
People need a choice. That's why Satan will be released again after a thousand years. And those people who have never been tempted by Satan and some of the survivors from the return of Christ who have They will be given another test to see if they're going to side with God or against God. And shockingly, great multitudes living in a perfect environment with Christ ruling the world. will still rebel.
and that will be a one-punch knockout at the bell. It will end instantly. Verse 2, he laid hold of the dragon. that serpent of old Who is the devil? and Satan And bound him for a thousand years.
Satan is a created being who's gone rogue. Here he is snatched and Of course we we can't wait. I want a front row to see that one. The serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan.
Well, again, Lucifer and his legions. They existed before Genesis 1. The sons of God rejoiced at creation. They were a part of that. Or at least uh preceded that.
Isaiah 24. Isaiah gives a lot. He and Daniel really give us a lot of information about what's coming. And it doesn't really take its shape. until the New Testament is given to us and the apostles give even more information.
And we're able to connect these things. It's like a puzzle. We can put it together. We've got another piece. Isaiah 24: it shall come to pass in that day that Yahweh will punish on high.
the host of exalted ones.
Well, Satan exalted himself. I shall be like the Most High. I will exalt my throne. He says in Isaiah 14. Coming back to this, I'm back in Isaiah 24.
And on earth, the kings of the earth will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit. and will be shut up in the prison, after many days They will be punished.
Well, he just described what Revelation 20 is telling us is going to happen to Satan. Satan will be jailed. Then he'll be re-released. When we say Satan will be released, it's not just Lucifer. He's not strong enough to tempt the world.
He has minions. He is not ubiquitous. He cannot be everywhere at the same time. He has to have help. He's a created being.
He's not that strong. And so, again, when we say something like, Solomon built the temple, well, he swung not one hammer, he did none of the work. but he is associated with the building of the temple.
Well, evil, say Lucifer, is associated with all evil. He's the leader of that pack. But he won't be the leader in hell. That would be a reward, and he's not going to get it. Anyway.
In this grouping of names is education for us. We're learning about the attributes of this evil entity. Who is a person? Not an it. Satan's character is represented as a dragon.
Well, a dragon's like a big dinosaur that can cook you and eat you without a problem. He's savage. He's cruel. Even if you don't believe dragons could breathe fire, they're big and bad enough. Then he's called a serpent.
Well, that speaks of his cunning deception, the stealth. You know, you're outside, and all of a sudden, snakes have an ability to just. What's the from the Star Trek thing. They just beam. to wherever they want to be, you're just minding your business, oh and there they are.
They don't make any footsteps. You don't hear them coming.
Well, Satan is that way in his. Evil nature he's cunning in a stealth is y y we need discernment. In fact, to detect him many times. Of old.
Well, he's older than Eden, as I mentioned, Genesis three. He's been around. Before man, I believe part of Satan's fall has to do with his despising people, he despises them to this day. Then he's called the devil.
Well, he lies about God. Two men And he lies to men about God. He lies all the time. And we picked this up in the Garden of Eden. He's lying to Adam, well, to Eve.
about God. And then, when he's talking to God about Job, he's lying to God about Job. And then he faces the God-man, Christ, God incarnate, in the temptation of our Lord, and he's lying there to give you all this stuff. It is not yours to give. Anyway, he's also called Satan.
The opposer, that's what he is. He opposes anything God wants by default. This is who he's become. This is what happens. When evil consumes a soul that does not want to be.
consumed by God. He has these indefatigable, tireless attacks against God's will.
Well, he's going to be locked away. He's not going to be able to pull any of this off. And I should get to the punchline in case you're wondering, because we're not trying to keep you on the edge of your seats and suspense. If you are a Christian, If you were a believer of the Old Testament, a believer amongst the New Testament truths, If you are a great tribulation convert, You will not be bothered by Satan ever again once you leave this world. The temptation is for those who have not died.
who are living through that millennial age.
So we'll come to more of that. because it will stay it right out. And bound him for a thousand years. A buck private makes the arrest. God will set up the rule of Christ on earth.
As I mentioned, it's called the Millennial Age. It's really the kingdom age. Without Satan, the millennial, the thousand years, from the Greek words, a thousand years, that's translated into our English. That's accurate. God again will have this perfect environment as it was with Eve.
Well, not as perfect as it was with Adam and Eve, but it will be. Um without spiritual evil influence, without spiritual influence against God. But the fallen nature of the Great Tribulation survivors. And their offspring, and there will be many. They'll still have a fallen nature.
We, however, would have been glorified by this time and therefore above temptation, or beyond temptation, I should say. Antichrist and the false prophet, as I mentioned, are in hell. Satan will join them later, but he's in this. Spiritual holding compartment, the abyss.
So the final Judgment of Satan takes place in two stages. One, he's locked away for a season, he's released, the season being a thousand years, and then he is. Finally, forever cast into the lake of fire. We get that in verses 7 through 10 of this chapter.
Now verse 3. and he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up. and set a seal over him.
so that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released. for a little while. The pit, this obuso in the Greek, is mentioned seven times in the first seven verses of this chapter. Uh and I meant I've already stated it's the the prison for the demons.
And Matthew says this, I alluded to this, and now I'll quote it to Matthew 25. then he will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
So there's where we know hell was created for Not for man. Man should never have gone to this place. It was not. God's perfect will. that men would go there.
These are irretrievable characters. And it says Well, I already mentioned Michael threw him out of heaven and the angel throws him to the abyss and finally he's cast into the lake of fire and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more. Because those who have no love of God's truth And gleefully turn away from it. They will turn to lies. By default, it's either God's way or.
something that's false. Catherine Mayor It was, and maybe still is, the CEO, chief evil officer of MPR. And she stated in 2022, and I'm quoting. our reverence for the truth might be a distraction. That is getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.
Now out of the serpent's mouth Now she later comes back and she lies about what she meant. But we know exactly what she meant. Truth gets in the way of these people. We've seen whole people get into the highest office of the land who've trampled truth. Even kill people to get them out of the way because they might tell the truth.
It's very gangster of them. That's why mob, the mob hits people. They kill witnesses if they can kill them because they might tell the truth. It's satanic in that sense. We don't need to think of satanic Behavior as something, you know, the head rotating around and, you know, all this.
horror stuff. We just need to think of it as that which hates what God wants. God's truth is always an obstacle. to the depraved mine and the fallen nature, the Christian fights it. Because of God.
Not just because we want self-control, we want that too. But because of our love and care for God, That's why we're in the fight. That's why we endure. That's why, as Paul says, we are perplexed but not in despair. We don't know what God is doing.
At one point he says, we despaired even of life. But we are still there. Because of our relationship with Him. You know, you younger Christians, you may not have gotten there. Maybe some of you have.
But and give you enough time, you will experience these Trials and temptations that make you look up to God and say, Lord, what are you doing? I thought you said. And He said, Yeah, I did say, endure till the end. Uh well. Till the thousand years were finished.
Again, I think I've covered everything about this one already, and I don't have to enter it. You should know the answer that. He's going to be locked away, jailed. And then released and then judged, and then the eternal age begins. But after these things, he must be released for a while.
Once again, no threat. To Old Testament believers, New Testament tribulation saints. But he is a threat to those Who Are alive when Christ returns. And to those who who are born during that thousand year period of time. Once he's released.
Verse 4 now. And I saw thrones and they that sat on them. and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus. And for the Word of God.
who had not worshipped the beast or his image. and had not received the mark on their foreheads. or on their hands. and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
So John circles back to the believers. And it's important to remember The revelation is not strict chronology.
Sometimes it is and it flows. Other times it's, oh, by the way, this too is happening. Oh, this has to happen. And how else could John pack all of this into writing? That they, you know, you can't do it.
There's a volumes of books we have just to. Comment on the New Testament. One of my first. Collections was the pulpit commentary. 25 volumes, each of them thick as a phone book, almost most of them are.
And this is just, you know, there's so much information available. How do you package it in such a way people can, everybody can understand it in every language?
Well, it ends up being in fragments. A puzzle. Yeah. Uh This has been Cross Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston. This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreference radio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Hello.
