Slides: The Millennium is Now

The Millennium is Now
by David Feddes

The dragon bound

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 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. After that he must be released for a little while.

Souls come alive and reign

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.

The first resurrection

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.

Satan released

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out 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.

Fire for God’s enemies

9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them 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 and ever.

The millennium is now

• We are living in the period when Satan is bound, cast down, and restrained.
• We are living in the period when Christ’s reign is already underway.
• “The first resurrection” has already happened for millions of people.
• Millions have already refused the beast’s mark, have come to life, and are now reigning with Christ on heavenly thrones.

Basics of biblical interpretation

• Scripture interprets Scripture
• Clear before difficult
• Literal before figurative
• Big picture before details

Usually when the New Testament speaks of "the last days," it means the entire period between Jesus’ first coming and his second coming.

Two-stage coming of the kingdom in Christ’s parables

• First sowing, then harvesting
• First tolerating weeds, then burning them
• First catching fish, then sorting them 

Two-stage coming of the kingdom in Paul’s prose

22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.   (1 Cor 15:22-26)

Two-stage coming of the kingdom in Revelation’s pictures

• First Satan bound, then Satan burned
• In first resurrection, souls come alive and share Christ’s reign. In second resurrection, bodies too come alive and share Christ’s reign as heaven comes to earth.

Review the basics of  biblical interpretation

• Scripture interprets Scripture
• Clear before difficult
• Literal before figurative
• Big picture before details

Clear, literal passages reveal a big picture where God’s kingdom in Jesus comes in two main stages, and where the final resurrection and second coming bring eternal heaven on earth.

Understanding Revelation

• Setting: suffering apostle gets message for suffering churches
• Style of message: apocalyptic (symbolic pictures & numbers)
• Overlapping visions: some of the same events are pictured several times in different visions
• Multiple fulfillments: beast, false prophet, Babylon already working in various forms, leading to final and ultimate Antichrist

The core message of Revelation, and of the millennium, is clear:
Jesus wins. Satan loses.

The core message of Revelation
God directs history toward its final goal in Christ.
Jesus wins; Satan loses. Be on the right side.
  •  Jesus’ enemies may grow fiercer for a time but will burn forever.
  •  Jesus’ friends may suffer for a time but will rejoice forever.

The millennium is now

• We are living in the period when Satan is bound, cast down, and restrained.
• We are living in the period when Christ’s reign is already underway.
• “The first resurrection” has already happened for millions of people.
• Millions have already refused the beast’s mark, have come to life, and are now reigning with Christ on heavenly thrones.

The Dragon Bound

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 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. After that he must be released for a little while.

Binding Satan

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?” (Matt 12:28-29)

“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of  the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:18-19)

Casting out Satan

“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) cast out is the same Greek root as “casting” Satan into the pit in Rev. 20:3

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

… that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil. (Hebrews 2:14)

Disarming Satan

And you, who were dead in your trespasses … God made alive together with him, having forgiven us … nailing [our debt] to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (Colossians 2:13-15)

The Bible repeatedly says that Jesus has already bound, disarmed and defeated Satan. Satan is limited and confined now.

Defeating the dragon

The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne. Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.  (Rev 12:4-8)

Satan thrown down

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.  And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. (Rev. 12:9-10)

* thrown down = same Greek root as “casting” into the pit in Rev. 20:3


The millennium is now

• We are living in the period when Satan is bound, cast down, and restrained.
• We are living in the period when Christ’s reign is already underway.
• “The first resurrection” has already happened for millions of people.
• Millions have already refused the beast’s mark, have come to life, and are now reigning with Christ on heavenly thrones.

Souls Live and Reign

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.

The first resurrection

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.

Beast, False Prophet, Babylon

As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. (1 John 2:18).

• Beast: political persecution
• False prophet: religious deception
• Prostitute Babylon: cultural seduction

Such enemies are at work in the period between Jesus’ two comings but are restrained until the loosing of Satan and the coming of the final Man of Sin. (2 Thess 2)

Satan released

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out 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.

Fire for God’s enemies

9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them 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 and ever.

The millennium is now

• We are living in the period when Satan is bound, cast down, and restrained.
• We are living in the period when Christ’s reign is already underway.
• “The first resurrection” has already happened for millions of people.
• Millions have already refused the beast’s mark, have come to life, and are now reigning with Christ on heavenly thrones.
• Near the close of the present millennium, Satan will be released and Antichrist unleashed.

The Second Coming:  Judgment Day

• Loud, visible coming of Jesus with angels.
• Dead believers are resurrected, living believers transformed, and together they are caught up to meet Christ.
• Antichrist and unbelievers are slain.
• All unbelieving dead are resurrected.
• All are judged according to God’s records and whether they are in the book of life.
• Satan and all God’s enemies go to hell.
• Christ presents his church to the Father, heaven comes to earth, and believers reign.