Notes on the book of Revelations/Chapter 20

by John Nelson Darby

Layout 2

 

We have, accordingly, to remark that Satan is not bound by him that sat on the horse, but an angel comes down from heaven. It is not the immediate judgment here on Satan by Christ, but the Divine power, and providence, and intervention of God, which sets Satan aside and incapacitates him from any further deceiving of the Gentiles till he be let loose.

In the fourth verse we begin a new scene—the thrones: it is not judging and making war here, but sitting in royal judgment on thrones. This passage, it seems to me, alludes to the thrones being set, so admitted to mean, I believe, as in Septuagint, in Daniel vii. 9; in the interpretation of which, in verse 22, we read, “judgment was given to the saints of the most High,” or of the heavenly places. Here, not only are the thrones set, but he sees people sitting on them: the thrones were filled. This Daniel did not see: it was a period with him: with us it is our glory with Christ. These thrones were set before even the king and his armies came forth, but they formed no part of the actual visible earthly scene; nothing yet of the connection of heaven with the earth; and therefore they are not mentioned. The thrones were set be- fore the judgment of the beast in Daniel, and those who come forth with the Lamb are sitters on the thrones. But, I repeat, though filled, they are not brought into the scene till they form properly part of it. “When the Son of man shall come in His glory … then shall He sit on the throne of His glory.” They do not take this place properly till He takes it openly; the power being given to Him as Son of man, which is connected with earth: and so these thrones. As in Daniel, “the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High,” so this is consequent upon His taking His power and reigning. They reign with Him the thousand years. What follows in the verse is an additional intimation that the others had lost nothing by the enmity of the world,^[1] and of Satan even to death, or by their refusal to worship the beast. Their souls were seen: there might have been power to kill the body, but they had never died to God, and now they enjoyed the fruit of it—“they reign in life by one.” The reigning on the thrones actually, is consequent upon the removal of the deceiving power of Satan: and so with Christ. He comes first, and then actually takes the throne of the world: His companions have been hidden with Him meanwhile; and though glorified (so I speak of them now), the thrones were not seen till the war ended. The title was full: they were gone to Him; but they did not before that actually possess the kingdom nor did He Himself: the horse and the throne are distinct things—imperial, active, subduing power—and full peaceable judicial power as king. For Christ’s act so coming is not a mere passing act; the throne of His glory continues till, as mediatorial king, He gives it up. On this throne of the Son of man the saints will sit, occupying thrones with Him and judging the world; and this is a reign of peace, but of righteousness withal; this latter, Jewish properly: for heaven and earth meet in peace now—peace on earth—because the face of heaven, in its, own character through Christ, the mediator and the saints with Him, shines on it now.

In this part there is little mention of the nations, though it be left general; because Christ deals with the nations as identified with the earthly Jerusalem: whereas here He is looked upon as coming from heaven to act upon the main scene and agent of Satan’s hostile power—the beast and his followers. The nations at this time are more the subjects of Old Testament prophecy, which, while it recognises the fact of the Lord’s coming from heaven with all His saints, occupies itself with the earthly Jerusalem and what passes there. Here we have the display of the first resurrection, the main subject. Blessed and holy are they, they shall be priests of God and of Christ, there is their highest place; and they shall reign with Him a thousand years, for He is a priest on His throne. It would be hard to make priests of principles, though, by a figure, we might say ‘principles reign.

After this, when the nations form the body of hostile agents, we have Satan’s actings in them; but it is no revival of the beast, nor anything in that character. Blessed be God, there was a final ending of that dark and subtle apostasy which resulted from Satan’s being in heaven; but this is a mere exhibition of open, hostile enmity, in those whom he has been able to deceive here. We must on no account therefore, lose sight of this character of present evil and rebellion and apostasy, that it flows from Satan’s being in heavenly places, though the Church, in the knowledge of Christ’s exaltation, may know His and its entire victory over him. The wrestling, however, is not now with flesh and blood but with principalities and powers, with spiritual wickedness in heavenly places. In chapter xii. Satan is cast down from heaven; but here, all that he raises on earth against the Lamb, is cast into the lake of fire and Satan himself is bound in the bottomless pit, the history of the earth not being yet finished. The coming of Jesus, whose judgment acts on the beast and false prophet, is not the same as the angel of God’s providence and power, casting Satan into the pit. The glory and reigning of the Son of man seems to vindicate God as regards the failure of the Noah world. The blessing of the second Adam as the head of a redeemed race, takes the place of antediluvian evil and wretchedness, in which the children of fallen Adam displayed their character: this closed by the judgment of water, that commenced by that of fire. In the reign of the Son man with his saints, “a king shall reign in righteousness.” In the blessedness of the second Adam, as head of the new race when God’s tabernacle is with men, therein “dwelleth righteousness,” its peaceful and constant habitation without force maintaining it. Partially the principles of these two states mingle, by virtue of the power and influence of the heavenly Jerusalem and its great bridegroom; and so we have Psalm lxxxv. accomplished: still are they different. Upon the close of the thousand years, Satan is let loose,—deceives the nations,—a separation takes place; and he brings up the deceived against the camp of the saints and the beloved city, to wit, the earthly Jerusalem. Then the devil is cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and the false prophet are already, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The judgment of the beast and his armies, it appears to me, is not the judgment of Matt. xxv, nor is Matt. xxv. the judgment of the great white throne. That judgment in Matthew appears to me to be the judgment of the nations at large, when Christ is not making war either. as coming from heaven, or as going forth in connection with Jerusalem: but when he is sitting on His throne, having come, and judging the nations for the manner in which they have treated the preachers of the gospel of the kingdom, in that going forth which shall specially take place at the close. It is not, “He shall send forth his armies,” but the calm and solemn session of the throne on those who have despised Him in His messengers.

Although the fact of the resurrection of the just is mentioned here, to separate them out of the judgment, the millennial state itself is little dwelt upon, the chapter being properly the account of the session of judgment. From this, we see the partakers of the first resurrection entirely exempt: then Satan’s actings, as introducing the first millennial judgment^[2] are mentioned, and that judgment itself. On the great white throne (for there were no thrones now), sat One from whose face heaven and earth fled away. This therefore, was no coming at all. No judgment πῆς οίκουμέμης, of the habitable world as a scene, nor a judgment of the quick. The dead small and great stand before God, and they are judged out of the books, according to their works. We have therewith a general statement of the portion of those not written in the book of life. Whatever differences there may have been in measure, they were all cast into the lake of fire. This was not a place now, merely prepared for the devil and his angels. The devil was there. The false prophet and beast had been there long before: now, all those who were not written in the book of life.

1. I think I see here an assertion of three distinct classes who shall occupy the thrones, or at least live and reign with Christ a thousand years. First, the Church: they sat on thrones—next, those beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the word of God, as the two prophets—thirdly, those who had not worshipped the beast: this is important as shewing the place of all these classes.
2. If any ask what comes of the living saints as to their change at the close of the millennium, the answer is,—Scripture says nothing, save that from other passages we know, on principle, they will have incorruptible natures in that scene when all things are made new.