The Faithful Reigning With Christ, Now! - Revelation 20:1-6

In yesterday's Blog the Scriptures revealed that the symbolism in Revelation 20:1-3 indicated that Satan would be bound for a perfect number of years (1000) and saints would reign for a perfect number of years (1000); and that both events are synonymous. The binding of Satan is the direct result of the victorious life of Christ and God's complete satisfaction of His death and resurrection.

This binding of Satan probably follows the pattern of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–8 (ESV),

⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

The victories of Christ do not restrict Satan in every way.  The text is quite clear that he is restrained in deceiving people.  In other words the Gospel has power to save and redeem.  “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”” (John 12:31–32, ESV)

The 'abyss' is not an actual place, but is more likely a spiritual sphere.  "It is wrong to picture the devil being “cast out of the earth” in some spatial sense, so that he is no longer present on earth . . . Rather, like “heaven” throughout the Apocalypse, it represents a spiritual dimension existing alongside and in the midst of the earthly, not above it or below . . . The abyss is one of the various metaphors representing the spiritual sphere in which the devil and his accomplices operate." [1]

From the binding of Satan, John sees another scene recorded in Revelation 20:4–6 (ESV) ,

⁴ Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The heavenly scene that is concurrent with the 1000 binding of Satan is the 1000 year reigning of "souls" in Heaven.  The parallel between Revelation 12:7-11 and 20:1-6 is profound:

12:7–11	20:1–6
(1) heavenly scene (v 7)	(1) heavenly scene (v 1)
(2) angelic battle against Satan and his host (vv 7–8)	(2) presupposed angelic battle with Satan (v 2)
(3) Satan cast to earth (v 9)	(3) Satan cast into the abyss (v 3)
(4) the angel’s evil opponent called “the great dragon, the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, the one deceiving the whole inhabited earth” (v 9)	(4) the angel’s evil opponent called “the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan,” restrained from “deceiving the nations any longer” (vv 2–3), to be loosed later to deceive the nations throughout the earth (vv 3, 7–8)
(5) Satan’s expression of “great wrath because he knows he has little time” (v 12b)	(5) Satan to be “released for a short time” after his imprisonment (v 3)
(6) Satan’s fall, resulting in the kingdom of Christ (v 10) and his saints (v 11; note the “conquering” theme)	(6) Satan’s fall, resulting in the kingdom of Christ and his saints (v 4)
(7) the saints’ kingship, based not only on the fall of Satan and Christ’s victory but also on the saints’ faithfulness even to death in holding to “the word of their testimony” (v 11)	(7) the saints’ kingship, based not only on the fall of Satan but also on their faithfulness even to death in holding to “the testimony of Jesus and the word of God” (v 4)

This means that there is a direct interpretation of what is going on here with these souls reigning during this Gospel age.  These are those that have been faithful until death and are now reigning with Christ awaiting the resurrection.  This would also mean that those that propose a physical, earthly 1000 year millennium at the end of time are woefully in error.  This is the millennium.  It is in heaven.  It is God's people reigning with Him even now.  This reigns continues until He returns.

These martyrs represent all Christians because all Christians suffer with Christ and all Christians are the "overcomers" who will reign with Him.  “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:17, ESV)  “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:12, ESV)  

“. . . They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4b, ESV).  They came to life.  Their souls entered into the presence of God after death.  "It is ‘the first resurrection’. The first resurrection is the translation of the soul from this sinful earth to God’s holy heaven. It is followed at Christ’s second coming by the second resurrection when the body, too, will be glorified." [2]  Here's is the promise of God's Word in 2 Timothy 2:10–13 (ESV),

¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; ¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; ¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

Father we often wonder about our believing loved ones and friends who have gone before us.  We see most clearly that their souls are in Your Presence and they, with the angels, are gathered with You in glory -- reigning with You, just as You promised.  They have gone through the blessed first resurrection and are awaiting the Day when You come again and all the dead are united to their bodies.  Indeed to be with Christ is far better.  We look for that day desiring to remain faithful today.  

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1. Beale, G. K. (1999). The book of Revelation: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (987–988). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

2. Hendriksen, William (1998-06-01). More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p. 192). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.