Bible Study With Jairus - Revelation 20 Part 1

Bible Study with Jairus: Revelation 20 part 2

Why Is Satan Released After the Millennial Kingdom?

 

In the second half of Revelation 20 (verses 5–15), we learn about the Millennial Kingdom, the release of Satan, the rebellion of the nations, and the Great White Throne judgment. This passage raises several interesting questions.

• After the thousand-year reign of Christ, during which time Satan is bound in the bottomless pit, why is Satan released to test the nations? Wouldn’t it be better if he remained in the pit?
• After experiencing the personal reign of Christ on earth, why do the nations still rebel?
• Why can’t the Millennial Kingdom transition directly into eternity?

These questions were raised by one of the members of the Bible study I teach, and they are perplexing questions for many. In this article, I will attempt to provide an explanation from the perspective of spiritual growth.

 

The temple worship of the Old Testament is a helpful metaphor that helps us understand this passage. In the Old Testament, God’s people approached Him in three stages. First, they entered the outer court, where they could worship God but not see Him face to face. Then, they entered the Holy Place, where they were only separated from Him by a veil. Finally, they entered the Most Holy Place, where the priests could experience face-to-face fellowship with Him. This progression from the outer court to the Holy Place and Most Holy Place represents a gradual process of drawing closer to God, partaking of His holy nature, and escaping the corruption in the world caused by sinful desires (2 Peter 1:4).

 

Although Christ's death has opened the way for all people to approach the Most Holy Place, only a small number of believers throughout history have attained this level of spiritual maturity. Few believers know how to draw near to God in the Most Holy Place. Those who reach this level of spiritual maturity are the overcomers, and when their number is complete, the Millennial Kingdom will begin.

 

The Millennial Kingdom is the result of the small-scale victory of a few overcomers. However, God desires to replicate this victory on a larger scale. During the Millennial Kingdom, the overcomers will help even more believers mature in their spiritual lives under Christ’s leadership.

 

At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, God releases Satan to test and deceive the nations. The release of Satan represents humanity's final trial, in which all people are given the opportunity to choose Christ and defeat Satan. The release of Satan will again separate these individuals with mature spiritual lives from those who rebel.

 

At this time, the majority of people on earth achieve spiritual victory. These individuals, along with original overcomers, will become part of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, and the prepared, spotless bride that descends from heaven as described in Revelation 21:2. Those who fail this final test, who join Satan in making war against the saints, will face ultimate destruction by fire (Revelation 20:9). After this, Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire and sulfur.

 

Without this final trial, there would be no widespread victory to usher in the new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. Suffering and trials are indispensable parts of the path toward spiritual maturity. Only those who have undergone and overcome trials are worthy of eternal life and of entering the new heaven, new earth, and the New Jerusalem. I believe that even in eternity, these mature believers will have the opportunity to perfect and assist others who have entered eternity but whose spiritual lives remain immature, including those allowed into eternity after the Great White Throne judgment. In the new heaven and new earth, people’s spiritual lives will still exist on a continuum between the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place. People will continue to have the opportunity in eternity to allow their spiritual lives to grow and mature further.

 

The Relationship Between Personal Spiritual Struggles and the Release of Satan

 

I have mentioned many times that there are many similarities between God's methods of dealing with the collective church and His methods of guiding our personal spiritual growth. When we see God’s work in our individual lives to lead us through suffering and trials toward spiritual maturity, we will have a deeper understanding of how He leads the church as Christ's bride toward maturity. In our personal spiritual journey, our usual attitude toward difficulties is to pray for God to remove them. However, God's solution is often not to remove the difficulty but to increase His grace. Paul once prayed three times for God to remove the thorn in his flesh. Regardless of what that thorn was, it must have been a significant difficulty in Paul's spiritual life. But the Lord's response to him was, "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Corinthians 12:9).

 

Watchman Nee shared a similar story about a difficult situation he was facing in his life. No matter how much he prayed, the difficulty was not removed. One day, while he was on a boat trip, he saw the small boat stranded among various reefs. While he was concerned about how the boat would get out, the tide suddenly rose, and the boat smoothly floated away from the reefs. He immediately received the revelation that God's way of dealing with his difficulty was not to remove the rocks (the trouble), but to increase the grace (the rising tide).

 

This insight can help us understand why God released Satan to test the people on earth. Just like we find it difficult to understand why God does not remove our personal trials in answer to our prayers, we also struggle to understand why God released Satan after the Millennial Kingdom.

 

Jesus has already gained victory over Satan through His death and resurrection. However, each individual believer (as well as the collective church) must apply Christ’s victory to their personal lives. If Satan were bound without the saints achieving victory, our problem would not be ultimately solved. The difficulties we face are key to our maturity. When Satan is released after the Millennial Kingdom, he tests the nations and provides an opportunity for people to grow in maturity.

 

When Satan is released, God’s people will be victorious. As Jesus said, Satan has no hold on Jesus and no power over him (John 14:30). Therefore, whether Satan is released or not is not the key; the key is whether or not we gain the victory.

 

Some people believe that Satan is released to test the generation of people who were born during the Millennial Kingdom. According to this belief, these children born during the Millennial period do not yet know Jesus. However, this view raises some questions.

• If people continue to be born during the Millennial Kingdom, would any of them reach the end of their normal human lifespan and die without learning to know God?
• If Jesus is publicly reigning as King, how could there still be people who do not know God?

We cannot answer these questions for sure, but we do know that many people still oppose God after the Millennial Kingdom. Satan convinces them to rebel against God and attack the camp of the saints, which indicates that they do not know God. Despite having seen God and Christ personally reigning on earth, these people still rebel against them.

 

I believe these people’s final fate is similar to Satan’s. Revelation 19 mentions that these people are killed by the sword from Jesus' mouth, but there is no mention of their eternal end. However, the Great White Throne judgment will certainly reveal their final outcome.

 

Satan’s Final Deception and Humanity's Ultimate Rebellion Usher in the Great White Throne Judgment

 

God is the judge of the living and the dead. As Peter said, God's judgment begins with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17), those who are currently alive. The judgment we experience while we are alive is an opportunity for our spiritual growth.  

 

The dead will also eventually face judgment as an expression of God's justice. Many who have died may not have had the opportunity to hear the gospel, but perhaps they will hear it in the afterlife. Perhaps God's judgment of them will be based on their conscience and the record of their deeds. Those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:12-15). Perhaps the dead will still have the opportunity to receive the gospel’s teachings in the afterlife. While this is not explicitly taught in the Bible, some prophetic writings mention similar ideas. For example, author Lai Wangxiulan mentions that the Lord told her that some people in the valley of the dead were receiving teachings from the Bible. Those who repented would enter paradise, while those who did not repent would go to hell. These accounts may refer to the judgment the dead will face in the future.

 

If these accounts are true, they help us better understand the passages in this chapter. If the dead still have an opportunity to repent in the future, then those who have died and faced judgment throughout history may not necessarily suffer the second death. It is important to clarify here that not everyone will have the chance to hear the gospel and repent after death. Only those who did not hear the gospel while alive, and are awaiting judgment at the Great White Throne, may have this opportunity. In addition, I believe the gospel will be preached to other people who were not immediately condemned to hell but who are awaiting judgment at the Great White Throne.

 

Ultimately, the fate of these individuals is God’s decision. At the Great White Throne, God will give the final verdict regarding the ultimate fate of the dead. Before this judgment, trials and sufferings may have provided people with the opportunity to decide whether to gain the victory and enter eternity. Those who are victorious are certainly those who have chosen Jesus Christ as their life and have entered eternity, but not all who have chosen Jesus Christ as their life are necessarily overcomers.

 

Understanding the Millennial Kingdom from this perspective might help us better grasp why Satan is released. First, what is the spiritual condition of the people alive during the Millennial Kingdom? If some are not yet saved, then the final trial by Satan is significant—it separates the wheat from the tares. One issue within Western Christianity is that many believers equate Biblical knowledge with a true relationship with God. If a person is familiar with Biblical terms, they assume they are close to God. If individuals alive during the Millennial Kingdom make the same mistake, this trial by Satan will expose their hearts.

 

Some people will be killed by the sword proceeding from the Lord’s mouth, but the Bible does not explicitly say they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. God’s word says that he will burn the tares. Because of this, I believe that if these individuals sincerely repent after death (before the judgment at the Great White Throne takes place), they may still have the opportunity to enter eternal life.

 

When I was sharing the gospel with Chinese students on an American campus, I encountered a recent immigrant student who needed help. I provided him with a lot of assistance, but he did not accept the Lord. However, we became friends. Even though we are no longer in the same city, I still remember him in my prayers, hoping that one day circumstances will come into his life to help him ultimately accept Jesus Christ. He is my little lamb, and I care for him deeply. Similarly, I believe that God cares for and shepherds the people born during the Millennial Kingdom—even those who rebel. The trials that arise from Satan's temporary release after the Millennial Kingdom may cause some to stumble, but they may lead others to repentance. As I have mentioned before, suffering and trials are merely the means to an end. The ultimate goal is repentance and blessing of eternal life with God. God's mercy and wisdom are beyond what we can imagine.

 

David: I Will Make Your Enemies a Footstool for Your Feet

 

Finally, let’s talk about the importance of victory. One day, God will turn Satan’s trials into a stepping stool for us, helping us ascend to the victorious throne. As David said in the Psalms, "God has prepared a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalm 23:5).  This means that even when we face attacks from our enemies—just as David experienced countless attacks from Satan—God sets a table before us in the presence of our enemies. The question is, will we focus on the enemy's attacks, or will we focus on the table set before us by God?

 

The Bible says that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). Why? Because it is God's will and pleasure to give you the victory. And how do you crush Satan under your feet? You must overcome the trials, suffering, persecution, and stumbling blocks in your path, and you must also recognize the table that God has set before you in the midst of your suffering. When you live in the peace of God, you are lifted up to the third heaven to sit with the Lord on His throne. As a result, the God of peace crushes Satan under your feet, and you realize that the difficulties that once hindered you have become your footstool. David said: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'I will make your enemies your footstool.'" One day, Satan will become your footstool. He will become a stepping stool to help you ascend to the throne of God. God will make everything work together for your good, and you will see how great and beautiful God's will is.

 

With each small difficulty we overcome, we conquer Satan in one more way. Each trial becomes a stepping stool that allows us to ascend to the crown of life and the throne.