Where do you want to be ten or twenty years from now? Financial planners will advise you to set goals and plan for where you want to be. Here is a far more important question for you: Where do you want to be a thousand years from now? Have you made plans for that?

As we sail into Revelation 20, this brief chapter of fifteen verses actually covers more than a thousand years of your future and mine.

In chapter 19 we saw Christ defeat His enemies at the battle of Armageddon, and we watched the Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into hell. Now, in chapter 20, the attention shifts to the judgment of Satan.

Satan, however, is not cast into hell right away. John describes the scene in verses 1-3:

I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.

The devil is now tossed into this pit—literally the abyss. There he is unable to “deceive the nations” for a thousand years—that is, throughout the kingdom era of Christ on earth.

And who is involved in this thousand-year reign of Christ? John continues:

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. . . . They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (verse 4)

Those seated on thrones are New Testament believers, Old Testament believers, and new believers who came to Christ during the tribulation and were martyred. So, by now, every believer throughout human history has been given resurrected, immortal bodies to reign with Christ (Daniel 7:27).

These are all part of what is called here in Revelation 20:5 the “first resurrection.” The “rest of the dead”—the unsaved—that is, their spirits, are in Hades awaiting the final judgment. John writes that their bodies will not be resurrected “until the thousand years [are] ended.” That is when the final judgment takes place.

So, in his vision, John sees that the kingdom of Christ has finally arrived. Old Testament prophecies describe conditions on earth at this time as returning to that which was present in the garden of Eden. Lasting peace will finally prevail. Even the animal kingdom will be brought into harmony with humans, so that a little child can play with a lion cub like he would his puppy (Isaiah 11:6).

Jesus will rule from Jerusalem, where a new, magnificent temple will be built, and you, beloved, are going to reign with Him.

Over whom will we rule in this kingdom? Well, the kingdom will be populated with the millions of believers who came to faith in Christ during the tribulation and survived. When Jesus returns with us, all these believers are simply ushered into this kingdom. Their bodies are still mortal, though Isaiah indicates that God will tweak their bodies so they will live, like Adam and Eve, for hundreds of years (Isaiah 65:20).

These mortals will marry, have children, flourish, and build nations and economies while enjoying all the kingdom benefits. The trouble is, their children will be born with that old sinful nature. And that means every person born during the millennial kingdom will have to personally accept the gospel of Christ. Sadly, as time passes, more and more will refuse to believe.

We know that will be the case because of a final rebellion at the end of the thousand-year kingdom, which John writes about in verses 7-8:

Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth . . . to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

Imagine, after living in the wonderful presence of Christ, that people will be deceived into rebelling against King Jesus!

This is a reminder that a beautiful environment does not erase inward corruption! Solving social problems will never solve the sin problem! A person needs to be changed from the inside out.

This final rebellion against the Lord does not last long. John writes, “Fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil . . . was thrown into the lake of fire” (verses 9-10).

With Satan put away forever, we arrive at the terrifying, final judgment of the unsaved. John writes in verse 11, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.” This is Jesus Christ, who declared in John 5:22, “The Father . . . has given all judgment to the Son.” 

The white color of the throne symbolizes the purity of this courtroom scene.[1] There is not one speck of injustice or partiality.

But this throne is not a little desk for dialogue. This is a throne from which will come an eternal verdict.

John adds in verse 11 that “earth and sky fled away.” This refers to the destruction of the universe prior to its being recreated brand new and eternal (2 Peter 3:10).

So, every unbelieving person from all of human history is now standing before this throne. “Standing” indicates that their bodies have been resurrected. This is the final resurrection, and they will have been given an immortal body eternally suited for hell.

Verse 13 records, “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them.” No unredeemed person will avoid this final judgment. No matter where their bodies decomposed or were buried, God will regather their DNA and reconstruct their bodies back to life.

The solemn scene proceeds in verses 12-13:

Books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books . . . each one of them, according to what they had done.

God will take the time to individually justify the degree of punishment each one deserves, and that will be determined by their deeds.

All unbelievers will realize, to their horror, that God—who knows everything, who has been present everywhere—was an eyewitness to every sinful thought and deed. He has even kept a written record. God will prove to them all why they are being judged forever.

Verse 15 indicates that their names are not written in the “book of life.” This is the registry, the roll book of the citizens of heaven. John writes, “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

John calls this the “second death” (verse 14). In biblical terms, “death” never means cessation of existence; it means separation. In the first death—physical death—the soul is separated from the body. In the second death, experienced only by unbelievers, there is separation from God forever.

The truth is, we have all sinned. Our record would not look any better than those who stand condemned. But oh, let me tell you, beloved, as Christians, there is no record of our sins because every sin has been paid for by Christ our Savior. He erased our record of sin (Isaiah 38:17).

If you are not a believer, do not respond to this prophecy with apathy or anger. Do not argue with God over what He declares here. He is actually warning you ahead of time. Just answer the question: Where will you be, a thousand years from now?

Trust in Christ today. He will forgive you and deliver you from this final judgment.