Timeline For Revelation 20

The Timeline of Revelation 20

by david taylor
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I thought I would offer up a timeline specifically of Revelation chapter 20.
I am going to list it two ways....
(For ease of clarity, I will use colors to distinguish.)

first, how I interpretted it back in my Premill days.

And secondly, how I interpret it now, from an Amill perspective.

Premill Revelation 20
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

(Premill: future event, at the 2nd Advent, 7 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, a literal angel, with a literal key, lock, and chain, that literally locked Satan in a jail-cell somewhere that he physically couldn't escape from)

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:

(Premill: future event, spanning the 1000 year PreMillennial Kingdom, where Israel rules the Gentiles nations from Jerusalem)

and after that he must be loosed a little season.

(Premill: future event, at the end of the 1000 years, were Satan will be released to form an evil army from the Gentile nations of the Earth for another final revolt and assault against God)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

(Premill: future event, at the 2nd Advent, 7 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, when the Trib-Saints are in view only. These are not the church that was resurrected 7 years earlier, nor does this group include the Premill saints who will be resurrected 1000 years into the future. These are only Trib-saints....the ones who became saved by the 144K super evangelizing Jews, the 2 witnesses, and the angel proclaiming the gospel in the clouds while the church is gone.)

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

(Premill: future event, at the 2nd Advent, 7 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, this is only describing the wicked dead to this point, and could possibly be referring to OT saints....some Premillers believe the OT saints are resurrected at the 2nd Advent, others at the end of the Mill Kingdom, and I never really found any evidence for either venue.)

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

(Premill: future event, at the 2nd Advent, 7 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, again, only talking about the trib-saints here, who were martyred during the 7 year tribulation period. They only, partake of the first resurrection....the church on the other hand, was already raised prior to these guys. For their enduring the tribulation and being martryed, they get to reign with Christ in glorified bodies ruling over the 12 tribes of Israel who rule over the Gentile nations during the 1000 year Premill Kingdom reign.)

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

(Premill: future event, 1000 years after the 2nd Advent, 1007 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, this is when the Premill Earthly Kingdom rebels against Christ and His millennial leadership, and choose to side with Satan instead, as the sands of the sea)

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

(Premill: future event, 1000 years after the 2nd Advent, 1007 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, when Earthly Jerusalem is attacked by the billions of wicked inhabitants who came out of the Earthly 1000 year Kingdom reign of Christ, and are destroyed for their rebellion.)

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

(Premill: future event, 1000 years after the 2nd Advent, 1007 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, when the Devil finally joins the beast and false prophet in the lake of fire)

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

(Premill: future event, 1000 years after the 2nd Advent, 1007 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, after the final 1000 year Premill Kingdom rebellion of billions)

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

(Premill: future event, 1000 years after the 2nd Advent, 1007 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, after the final 1000 year Premill Kingdom rebellion of billions; this was never clear to me as a Premiller....does it only include the wicked dead? Or does it also include the resurrection of non-church people like OT saints and Mill saints.)

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. "

(Premill: future event, 1000 years after the 2nd Advent, 1007 years after the pretrib rapture and tribulation, after the final 1000 year Premill Kingdom rebellion of billions, after all the wicked have been cast out, and just prior to the presentation of the eternal New Jerusalem on the New Heavens and New Earth....not to be confused with the New Heavens and New Earth Isaiah 65 talked about, which is representative of the previous 1000 year Premill Kingdom that billions of rebels came out of)

Amill Revelation 20
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

(Amill: past event, 1st century A.D., This angel, is not a created heavenly host being, as we normally use the term 'angel' to designate, but rather the chief messenger Jesus Christ Himself, who came to earth to bind satan from his previous near-100% deception of the Gentile Nations, preventing them from receiving and belieiving the gospel)

And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:

(Amill: past event, 1st century A.D., when Jesus bound Satan from deceiving the gentile nations, so that the gospel could and did successfully begin to go out to the nations of the world, and be accepted by billions upon billions...for the first time in human history).

and after that he must be loosed a little season.

(Amill: the thousand years is representative of the NT Gospel harvest era, between the 1st advent and the 2nd advent. A literal specific time-frame wasn't given, because God doesn't want humanity to know exactly when He will return, as told to us in the gospels. Just prior to Christ's 2nd Advent return, at the end of the thousand year span, Satan will be released to deceive the nations again....and great endtime apostasy will occur)

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;

(Amill: a picture of all believing, faithful humans who lived throughout all generations of human history, who have laid down their lives for the Lord; seen in Heaven, reigning with Christ upon thrones that depict their victory through faith....awaiting the 2nd Advent.)

and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

(Amill: past, present, and future...until the 2nd Coming; Showing the results of what Paul meant when he said, "Absent from the body is present with the Lord", and what Jesus meant when he said to the thief, "today you shall be with me in paradise")

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

(Amill: The 'rest of the dead' speaks of the only other group remaining....the wicked dead, who will be resurrected at the 2nd Coming, judged, and cast into the fire for their unbelief.)

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

(Amill: Again, the ongoing event where believers partake of Christ's resurrection while in their mortal lives, and at death go to be with Christ and await in heaven, reigning on thrones of victory with Him, until the 2nd Advent. The second death, is the spirtual death of any unbelieving soul, who never partook of the first resurrection of the soul; and was never born again, and raised to newness of life during their mortal life. Because beleivers partook of the first resurrection during their mortal lives, they will be uneffected by the 2nd death, and it will have no power over them....only over the wicked, who stand condemned in their unforgiven sin.

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

(Amill: future event, after the NT harvest is complete, just prior to and through the 2nd Coming; where Satan is allowed to take the gentile nations one final time into apostacy and rebellion; prior to the Lords return. This is the same as the battle of Armageddon, the Great Day of the Lord, the kings who are gathered for the final battle, etc...This descriptive event, leads all humankind into Judgment Day, and the separation of the wheat and tares, sheep and goats, good and bad, etc...)

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

(Amill: future event, after the NT harvest is complete, at 2nd Coming, when the beast, false prophet, and Satan himself are cast into the lake of fire, about to be followed by the wicked of all humanity of all time.)

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

(Amill: future event, after the NT harvest is complete, at the second coming, when the time of the resurrection of all mankind (bodily) occurs and the books are opened as Daniel 12:2-3 describes, and everyone is placed in their respective destinies, based on their faith and belief...either with Christ eternally, or with Satan in the Lake of Fire. This is the same 2nd Coming/bodily Resurrection that Job 14 spoke of would occur "when the heavens be no more", and 2 Peter said, "the heavens would dissolve", and Revelation 6 said, "heaven departed and rolled up as a scroll", and Isaiah 26 said, "The earth cast out her dead".)

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. "

(Amill: future event, after the NT harvest is complete, at the second coming, when the time of the resurrection of all mankind (bodily) occurs, and the focus is upon the eternal destiny of the wicked. The next chapter, focuses on the destiny of the faithful. Chapter 19 interestingly enough, spoke about both the destinies of the faithful(19:7-9) and the unfaithful(19:15-21)