In our daily devotional on Revelation 20, we witness a powerful depiction of God’s ultimate plan for Satan’s defeat and the final judgment. This chapter introduces the 1,000-year reign of Christ, a time of peace and righteousness on earth, followed by the astonishing release of Satan, who once again deceives many. How incredible—and sobering—that even after living under Christ’s perfect rule for a millennium, some will still turn to follow Satan.
Revelation 20 also unveils the great white throne judgment, where every deed is laid bare before God, and the destiny of every soul is determined by whether their name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. This chapter invites us to reflect deeply on the eternal weight of our choices and challenges us to live with purpose, building God’s kingdom as we anticipate His ultimate victory. To discover how to worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords, read the daily devotional on Revelation 19.
Revelation 20 Commentary by Allen J. Huth
In Revelation 20, we are going to look at the 1,000-year reign and the final defeat of Satan. Can you believe after being with Jesus 1,000 years, people will still turn from Him to Satan? Please read or listen to Revelation 20.
Where in the Bible Does It Say Satan Is Bound for a Thousand Years?
In 1995, at forty years old, after reading Revelation 20, I wrote in my personal Bible reading journal, “An angel chained Satan for 1,000 years. Not Jesus, not Gabriel, an angel.” Then I wrote, “The first resurrection: those saved who reign with Jesus for 1,000 years. Satan is then released and thrown back into the lake of fire forever.” I finished by writing, “Not in the book of life? Hell.”
In 2008, at fifty-three years old, I wrote, “An angel, not Jesus, binds Satan for 1,000 years. Why does he get released again? It appears that those who went through the persecution at the end are resurrected first to reign with Christ 1,000 years, but not everyone else. .
Amazing, after 1,000 years with Jesus, people will still fall for Satan. Satan is finally defeated forever.” I continued, “White throne judgment. Everyone, our deeds are recorded and opened before God. The second death looks like death and hell to me. Banished with Satan, the beast, false prophet, and harlot.”
What Is the Mission of an Angel?
In 2013, at fifty-eight years old, I split Revelation 20 into two sections. Concerning verses 1-10, I wrote, “Lots of angels in heaven charged with executing God’s mission. An angel, not Jesus, a simple angel, seizes Satan, binds him, throws him in the pit, and locks him up. There’s no contest between Jesus and Satan. An angel, not Michael or Gabriel, an angel.” I continued, “Souls of those who have been beheaded.
Who beheads people today? Muslims: enemies of Christians and Jews. Who gets beheaded? Those with a testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God and those who had not worshiped the beast or received his mark. So those are late saints who survive the tribulation. It appears they are the only ones who come to life and reign with Christ for 1,000 years while Satan is bound.
Amazing, Satan gets another chance to deceive nations, and he does, even after Christ has reigned 1,000 years. But this time, fire from heaven destroys his followers, and he is thrown into the lake of fire, hell, forever.”
What Is the White Throne Judgement in the Bible?
The next day, I finished Revelation 20 starting with verse 11, and wrote, “Great white throne judgment based on books of recorded deeds. God keeps records according to what they have done. But there is another book, which is the book of life. And if anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Getting a name in the Lamb’s book of life is not based on any works because it was recorded before the foundation of the world, before I existed, before I did one thing. Death, the last enemy, will be destroyed, thrown into the lake of fire with the beast, false prophet, and Satan. My name is in the Lamb’s book of life because I believe in Jesus, who paid the price for my sin. Help me help others avoid the lake of fire.”
Who Binds Satan in Revelation?
Let’s take a look at the key parts of this chapter. I emphasized over and over in every one of those journals, that simply an angel, not a powerful angel, not Michael, not Gabriel, just some angel “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” (vs. 2-3).
Again, this is no contest. It is not Jesus fighting Satan at the end. No, it is just an angel dispatched from heaven to throw Satan, the old devil, into the pit. We need to understand Satan is no match for Jesus. No match for God Almighty.
What Year Will Satan be Released?
Now let’s look at verses 7-8, “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth”.
What Is the 1000 Year Rule of Christ?
I wrote in my journals, this is unbelievable. After a 1,000-year reign by Christ on earth, Satan is going to get released and people fall for him again! Verse 10 says it so, “and the devil who had deceived them”. It appears from verse 10, he deceived some even after Jesus has reigned on earth for 1,000 years. Amazing. But it is also now over for him. He is “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” (v. 10).
What Books Are Opened in Revelation?
Next, we see what is known as the white throne judgment, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it . . . And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and 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, according to what they had done” (vs. 11-12). How does it make you feel that God is watching? He is recording everything that you have done. Yes, we will be judged for what we have done for Jesus here on earth.
Whose Name Is Written in the Book of Life?
How are you doing? What we have done, and what we have not done, is not going to keep us in or out of heaven. But it is going to determine our rewards in heaven. What determines whether we are in heaven or not is the last verse of this chapter, “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (v. 15). There is a two-tiered judgment. One is whether your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life, heaven or hell. Two, your reward is based on what you have done on your sojourn on the earth.
Was the Devil Thrown into the Lake of Burning Sulfur?
By the way, it does say he was thrown into the lake of fire. The same lake of fire described in verse 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.” Yes, hell, like heaven, is forever.
How Do We Get Our Name in the Book of Life?
What is our application from Revelation 20? You and I both know there are Satan worshipers on the earth. I am not sure why, but they worship and bow down to Satan. Satan is a defeated foe. He will lose at the end to Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords. If any of you are bound up, caught up, in worshiping Satan, you are on a losing team, but you still have a chance to get your name in the book of life by repenting of those sins and receiving Jesus’ forgiveness and calling Him your Lord and Savior.
Are We Being Watched By God?
Next, it is very important to understand our works are being watched by God. There is a book in heaven recording everything you have ever done in your life. I for one, am glad I am not going to be judged in heaven or hell based on that book.
I am thankful I will be judged by whether my name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. My English Standard Version Study Bible footnote on verse 12 says, “The dead, great and small, include both God’s saints and the beast’s worshipers. Books recording their deeds will be opened, providing the grounds on which each is judged. God keeps an accurate record of every human deed, and will reward and punish with perfect justice” (p. 2493).
We can do nothing about what has already been done in our lives, what has already been recorded, but today we can change what is going to be recorded for the rest of our lives. I encourage you to consider just that. We all have a chance to finish strong. I encourage us all to do just that. Maybe these chapters in the Book of Revelation, have quickened your heart, quickened your spirit. Maybe now it is time to act, it is time to change the things you are doing and do some things that help build the kingdom of God here on earth. Let’s all finish strong.
Prayer
Father, we thank You for Revelation knowledge. We thank You we can see the end in sight. We thank You Satan will be defeated. We thank You that You give everyone a chance to have their name written in the Lamb’s book of life. Lord, help us all to finish strong. Help us all do things that are pleasing in Your sight. As I wrote in my 2013 journal, Lord, help me, help all of us, help others avoid the lake of fire. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.
