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.
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. 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.
Comment: There are several things which are to be put firmly into our thinking. Verses 1-3 make it quite clear that during this period the Tempter will be boxed up for a thousand years! He will not be able to persuade or tempt people to sin. I don’t know where the ‘pit’ is but he will be able to survive because tomorrow he is released for a period and judgement! We are left in no doubt who is in the pit! The passage verbally underlines who is meant – “dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan‘!
Verses 4-6 give us the way that these final 1,000 years on earth will be ruled. Christ will be the supreme ruler! There will be some of the dead raised but not everyone! Those who will rule under Christ’s authority are listed as ‘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.‘ This group of three includes Martyrs, those who had followed Jesus and not the devil, and those who in the end times had refused to be marked as followers of the AntiChrist. Does this mean that the first resurrection as it is called here is only of those who have been reconciled with God through the redeeming work of Christ? I think so!
Romans 10: 9 – because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Prayer: Thank You Jesus that You have opened my eyes to see that You are God and that You have made reconciliation with Your Father possible for repentant believers!