The End of the World As Explained In Revelation 20:7-10

THE END OF THE WORLD AS EXPLAINED IN REVELATION 20:7-10

Pastor Mike here.

I want to explain the end of the world and the way I want to do it is by using Revelation chapter 20 verse 7 through 10.

I want to read it to you and I’ll do my best to explain while I’m reading.

Now this is the particular passage that talks about Satan being released from prison, the Gog and Magog War, and ultimately fire coming down from Heaven and consuming the enemies of the Church.

SYMBOLIC MILLENNIUM

Okay, so here’s Revelation chapter 20, verse 7 through 10.

Verse 7…

And when the thousand years are ended,

So this thousand years here, according to the Amillennialist position, happens to have begun at the ascension of Christ, two thousand years ago, and has continued now all the way up into present-day – it’s a symbolic Millennium .

SATAN RELEASED FROM PRISON

So Revelation 20 verse 7 says…

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison.

Now, Satan was put in his prison at the binding of Satan that took place during Jesus’ ministry and especially at the cross.

Satan was bound so that at that point now the Gospel could go forth in relative freedom – in comparison to if the Devil was free – and has gone on now for two thousand years.

Well, at the end of the Millennium, Satan will be released from his prison.

DECEPTION OF THE NATIONS

And he will come up verse 8 Revelation 20, it says…

…to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle, their number is like the sand of the sea.

Now, this deception of the nations has to do with the rise against the Gospel during this time here near the end of the world where Satan is released from his prison.

I want to drill down a little bit now into that verse 8 and unpack this idea of deceiving the nations that are at the four corners of the earth.

I want you to notice that it is the entirety of the earth where this deception is taking place.

It’s all the nations.

And the nations are basically being turned against the Gospel, and against the Church.

THE GOG AND MAGOG WAR

This is the final war.

The unbelieving nations motivated by the Devil against the Church.

And verse 8 completes, of Revelation 20…

…their number is like the sand of the sea.

So it’s a large contingent.

This is the final battle, Gog and Magog as representative of that.

It’s between the unbelievers on planet earth coming against the Church.

Now notice in verse 9, it goes on and explains this a little bit further…

And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth…

Again, it’s the entirety of the earth where this war is taking place.

…and they surrounded the camp of the saints.

And so it’s God’s Church that’s the focus here of the Devil and his deception of the nations to attack and destroy the Church.

…they surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city,

FIRE FROM HEAVEN

And then now at this point, God intervenes.

Somewhere in the middle of this battle, God makes His presence known.

And the last part of verse 9 of Revelation 20 describes it saying…

…but fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

It consumed the enemies of Christ’s Church and that was the outcome of this final war at the end of the world.

THE DEVIL THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE

Now, it goes on in v. 10 and explains the conclusion, the result of this outcome.

It says…

And the devil who had deceived them…

That is, the nations that were at the four corners of the earth.

…he was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever.

EXPLANATION OF THE END OF WORLD

And so we have here an explanation of the end of the world and what’s going to take place immediately prior to Christ’s second coming.

In this case, it describes the destruction of the enemies of the Church via fire coming down from Heaven and consuming them.