“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea”
Revelation 20:7-10 brings us to the final fate of Satan.
20:7
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
When the Millennium ends, God will release Satan from his prison for a short time. This will not happen until God finishes His purpose for the Millennium.
20:8
and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
When Satan comes out of his 1,000-year imprisonment, he again deceives the nations. The nations once more come together to battle with armies as numerous as “the sand of the sea.” John calls this world-wide conglomerate and revolt of nations “Gog and Magog.” This is the Devil’s last stand.
How is it possible that such a worldwide rebellion can occur against Christ’s millennial reign? Survivors of the Tribulation will enter the Millennium without their resurrection bodies. They enter the Millennium with their natural bodies and sin capacities. Although they are believers, children born to them during the Millennium may not be. These non-Christian children will revolt against Christ at the end of the Millennium.
If this is the case, why does John use the names “Gog and Magog?” In Ezekiel, Gog was the ruler of Magog the people. “Magog” is the name for nations to the north of Israel who came from Japheth’s descendants (Genesis 10:2). These names may be equivalent to “Sodom and Gomorrah.” Sodom and Gomorrah stood for debauchery. Gog and Magog stand for rebellion against God.
The war of Revelation 20 is not the same war as that of Ezekiel 38-39 where Gog and Magog come from the north. The Ezekiel battle only involves a few nations of the earth. The battle in our passage involves nations from the “four corners of the earth.”
Principle:
People, by their own efforts, cannot change their behavior.
Application:
It is clear that man is inveterately evil. Even in a perfect environment, he will revert to sin and evil. Satan will resume his reprehensible activities at the end of the Millennium. Rebels in the Millennium will follow Satan and march against the kingdom of Christ.
It is also clear that human beings will plunge themselves into sin if left to their own preferences even under the most advantageous state of affairs. This shows the righteousness of God’s judgment on mankind. A perfect environment will not help. Mankind is always gullible. People in a perfect environment are just as susceptible to sin as they always were.
Only personal regeneration can truly change a person. Neither time nor a perfect environment will change people; only new life in Christ will do that. People are inherently sinful. They fail even without the devil’s help, for the devil has not deceived them for 1,000 years.
People feel that they do not need God. “I have enough education. I am progressing so that I will come to the point of perfection.” Rebellion in the Millennium proves that idea a lie. The basic philosophy of mankind is autonomy from God. We call this “humanism.” Mankind is god.
The devil will hoodwink us. He will make us think we are going north when we are going south. He will make you think that you are good enough to go to Heaven when you are going to Hell. Good non-Christians are more easily deceived than evil non-Christians are. It is always more difficult to reach religious rather than non-religious people. Satan wants us to think that everything but the death of Christ will get us to Heaven.
Have thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this site for many years. Thank you! So as to prevent possible confusion, I think your spell checker changed Gog to God in a couple places in this lesson.
Judge, thank you very much for calling attention to spelling errors on this page. I believe all errors are corrected. Please inform any other errors you may find.
Thank you for your comment about the site; it is very encouraging.
Thanks for your clarification, I have one question from your presentation,
1.When will these ”children born during the Millennium” be judged as some of them will be alive.
2.John in the book of revelation is not mentioning the judgement for demons, although Jesus said about their judgement in math.25:41.Will they be judged at the white throne or before. Thanks. Julius
Julius, Children born in the Millennium to non-resurrected parents. Saved parents will have unsaved children; of those born during the Millennium, some will accept Christ as their Savior, and others will not. Those who do not accept Christ will overtly rebel against His reign. The latter will be judged and die prematurely (Isa. 65:20) under the rod of iron (Re 12:5) whereby Christ will crush all opposition. At the end of the Millennium unbelievers will rebel at the instigation of the devil’s release from his prison, only to be destroyed by Christ (Is 66:20; Zech 14:16-19; 20:7-9). These people will be judged with Satan when he is released for a period.
Demons will be judged at the Great White Throne.
I have a confusion that has a need for clarification please. Those that survive the Tribulation
will go through the Millennium w/out their resurrected bodies. The Church will be on earth
for the 1000yrs w/Christ. Where are the Tribulation survivors? Do we somehow co-exist
together, or???? Please explain as i’ve know of this for a long time but never understood
the co-existence. Thankyou
Michael, the church is in a satellite city during this time. Tribulation saints will reign on earth with King Jesus. As you continue your study in Revelation this will become more apparent.
Thankyou so much Grant for responding to my 1st question. Please, I have another.
The Tribulation being the most devastating time in the history of mankind, how does
the Tribulation survivors manage to escape the beheading process that awaits those
that refuse the mark, not to mention every plague, etc. that will be upon the Earth at
that time. Christ lives w/in his Temple, those of the True Church. He lives w/in us, the
Belivers. When the Church leaves at the Rapture, Christ also departs, his influence is
no longer present on Earth. Satan has 100% authority, so who takes care of those saved
Tribulation survivors through that Horrendous time? Christ retains 100% Control at all
times, but satan is given 100% authority to complete his evil work. Thankyou
Michael, many tribulation saints will indeed suffer and many lose their lives and even martyred. The Holy Spirit will also be removed from the earth with the removal of the church (2 Th 2). Tribulation saints are left with the sovereignty of God to protect them.
Thanks for this teaching.
Please I am from Africa and I want you to be my e mail teacher.
Sir, I need to ask for more information.
1. Where does the Bible states the tribulation period.
2.What happens on earth at the period of 1000yrs?
3. Is there anything like two judgements thrones and if yes could it be supported from the Bible?
4. I just stumbled into your site today when I was seeking clarification for the above questions.
Thank you.
Akintunde
Akintunde, Your questions are too big to answer briefly in a blog but here is a summary of answers:
1. The Tribulation is mentioned in many places in the Old Testament, especially in the prophetic books. It is also referred to in the gospels. Revelation chapters 4-19 is the central passage.
2. In the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth He will set up His kingdom and rule all the nations of the earth.
3. The Great white Throne judgment is for people who rejected Christ, that is, for non-Christians (Re 20). The Judgment Seat of Christ is for believers who will be rewarded for serving Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12.
Thank you for your commentary Mr. Grant. Now, one of your statements took me aback, where you said “..we fail even without evil’s help” ..why is it that this doesn’t sound right to me? Aren’t we humans because we were born w sin ( from our first parents Adam&Eve and their first sin from evil ). Once we are born again and saved to the millennial we won’t sin. So ‘evil’ was still in the believers offsprings therefore they could/did sin. ?
Vielsa, thank you. I don’t believe I said that we fail without “evil’s help.” My point was that the Devil is tied up during most of the Millennium but will be released for a little season at the end of the Millennium. People will sin without Satan’s direct influence, in a perfect environment. They will sin from their sin nature (capacity) and lust pattern.
I understand that the host of heaven that will come and reign with Christ for 1000 years are the angels, Old Testament saints as well as the raptured saints. My questions goes thus
1. Will some of these people still submit to the devil at the end of the millennium reign thereby loosing their salvation which they had initially earned.
2. Will there be birth and death within the period of the millennium
3. If the saints will rule with Christ who will they rule over
Thanks
Afolabi, Your questions are quite extensive but I will give brief answers to your questions.
1. None of those who come from heaven to reign with Christ will rebel against Him. However, some of the children of those who entered the Millennium from the Tribulation will rebel and suffer death on earth in time.
2. Yes, there will be both birth and death of children born to people who entered the Millennium from the Tribulation.
3. The saints will govern people in the Millennial kingdom. There will be government like we have it now but King Jesus, King of the world will rule in judgment and justice.
Question: How does the thought that mortals will enter the Millennial Kingdom square with 1 Corinthians 15:50 and 52-53 that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, and that this perishable body must put on the imperishable and the total body put on immortality?
Doug, those coming directly out of the Tribulation are still in their mortal bodies. They will go into the Millennial Kingdom in those bodies. Those with immortal bodies will live in the satellite city.
just found your page. very interesting. please help! If a person accept Jesus but go on thereafter not to live a life unto God, what will happen to him?
Betty, If a person genuinely received Jesus as their Savior but continues to live as if he or she did not then God introduces divine discipline in their lives until they come back to fellowship with Him. In doing this, God does not give tit for tat. He is patient with His own. One passage that deals with divine discipline is Heb 12:5-11.
Is the great white throne unto condemnation if so what about John 5 28-29? Remembering that it is not by good works we are saved but by Jesus’ sacrifice alone. What I am really getting at here is of all the people that ever lived what about those that never heard about Jesus Christ, is there an exception for them regarding John 5 28-29?
Stephen, I am not following your issue unless you believe in one resurrection only. Go to my studies on John 5:28 and 29 here: https://versebyversecommentary.com/john/john-528/ click the hyperlink to advance to the next study. The Judgment Seat of Christ is for Christians but the Great White Throne Judgment is strictly for non-believers.
Waoow thanks so much now I understand. May God bless you . I’m blessed to with explanation. From Dubai .
Btw d milennium reign & d amagedon, which one comes first?