The Last Rebellion (20:7-9)

During the millennial kingdom there will be two kinds of people on the earth: The Jews (the evil Gentiles have already been slaughtered in 19:21); and the good Gentiles (signified by the sheep entering into the kingdom—Matt. 25:34-40, 46)…. The position of the Jews will be much higher than that of the Gentiles and these people will still have their body of flesh. They will still be begetting children….

The camp of the saints is the place where Christians live. The beloved city is the city where the Jews live. They are all in the high places. They will be attacked because of envy. Revelation 20:8 speaks of the war with Gog and Magog which will occur after the millennial kingdom. According to the record of the Arabs, Gog and Magog spread from Russia, Mongolia, up to the eastern part of Germany; their source of livelihood is cattle farming. Some say they are Mongolians which is the tribe of Tartan. Their ancestors hated the Jews. They came to fill up the land of the Jews. But there will be fire coming out of heaven to devour them.

Satan’s Eternity (20:10)

The triune pretenders—Satan, the beast and the false prophet will now be suffering in the lake of fire. The Judgment on the Great White Throne (20:11-15)

This throne is different from the one in chapters 4 and 5. White indicates that it has special relationship with the Lord. It is great because this judgment is not regular, that’s why it is called great (righteous). He who sits upon the throne is the Lord (John 5:22; Acts 10:42; 17:31; Rom. 2:6; 1 Pet. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:1).

“…From whose face earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.” It proves that the old heaven and old earth had already been abolished. This was predicted in 2 Peter 3:7, 10, 12. Perhaps about the time God sent the fire to burn those people, simultaneously, the old heaven and old earth were burned away.

Revelation 20:12 says, “…The dead…standing before the throne...” These are the “rest of the dead” in 20:5 being resurrected. Among them were saved ones because there were the opened scrolls and the book of life. At the time of the kingdom, death is still there but once these people were resurrected then they are saved. Many people had no part in the first resurrection but if they appeared during this time, they are saved. The believers, who were ex-communicated by the church and had not repented, their spirit can still be saved on the day of the Lord. Those who did not confess the Lord before men, who did not have a part in the millennial kingdom, will be resurrected and saved. Many of the saved ones in the Old Testament age will also be resurrected at this time. The infants are also saved. Besides these, all the living Israelites (the whole nation) and the living Gentiles, who did not follow Satan when Satan deceived the nations, are also saved.

“…And the dead were judged by the things which were written in the scrolls, according to their works.” “According to” means “by”—their works will be the basis of the judgment; according to their works they are judged.

Revelation 20:13 says, “…And death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them…” This is to release the spirit and souls of people. The sea giving up the dead that were in them is to give up the spirit of the previous world, because the abyss imprisoned the dead and is joined to the sea. And they will be judged according to their works. The judgment in the future will all be according to their works. Death will be the final enemy (1 Cor. 15:55 and 56).

The judgment on the great white throne is according to principle. The perishing ones are going to perdition because of their evil works (not because of their good works); while the saved ones are saved because their names are written in the book of life (not because of their good works).