Revelation 20:11-15

May 16, 2021

Lord’s Day Worship

Sean Higgins

The sermon starts around 20:10 in the audio file.

Series: Just Conquer #58

Introduction

We have come to the end of human history on earth as we currently experience it. We are almost at the end of the book of Revelation, and we have just considered the last battle (20:7-10), which turned out to be lopsided to the hilt against the rebels and the devil. We have also come back, after a long journey between chapters 4-20, to a place in the Apocalypse wherein there is a lot of agreement among the various reading approaches to the book. This is John’s vision of the final judgement, after which comes the new heaven and the new earth.

The final paragraph of chapter 20 does tie up some loose ends from earlier in the chapter. In particular John mentioned that “the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” (verse 5), in contrast to those who experienced the first resurrection and who would not face the second death. Now we see those dead resurrected, what by implication would be called the second resurrection, and they are those over whom the second death does have power (verse 6).

Satan has been judged and cast into the lake of fire, where he joins the antichrist and the false prophet. While the antichrist and the false prophet primarily plied their deceptions and destructions during the Great Tribulation, Satan has been a murderer and liar since the beginning (see John 8:44). The antichrist was just favorite embodiment, but the “seed of the serpent” are all those who have rejected the Ancient of Days and His anointed Son. All of them will be brought before God’s throne and sentenced to eternal punishment in the lake of fire.

There are two related parts that John sees.

The Consummation (verse 11)

This is it. The final reckoning is about to take place as the final moments of the time-space universe as we know it occur.

And I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. This is after the thousand years, after the judgment of devil. There is no need for a trial for him or for further evidence to be presented against him; his end had already been decided.

Others will come before the throne of judgment, and calling it great emphasizes it’s majesty and white emphasizes it’s purity and splendor. It is God’s throne, and according to Daniel 7:9 it is the Ancient of Days, God the Father, seated on the throne. But there are other indications in Scripture that judgment has been given to the Son (John 5:22; 2 Corinthians 5:10), and earlier in Revelation the Lamb is “in the midst of the throne” (Revelation 7:17). That the Father and Son (and Spirit) act in unity is not questioned.

From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. This is quite a statement. It prepares for “a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first hearth had passed away, and the sea was no more” in 21:1. It makes me think of the un-creation scene in The Last Battle when the stars are called home, but of course Lewis’ vision was fictional, and the whole scene is difficult to comprehend. The scriptural language is astounding: “The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment” (Isaiah 51:6).

Some non-Pre-Millers question why Christ would rule for a thousand years on earth only undo that earth. But without getting too meta about the physical, it is God’s creation to do with what He wants, and location and chronology are tough for our minds to relate with glorified bodies and eternal existence. Jesus Himself said that “heaven and earth will pass away” (Matthew 24:35), and Peter wrote about when “the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved” (2 Peter 3:12). We take those descriptions seriously even though our apprehension is currently imperfect.

The Condemnation (verses 12-15)

Before getting to the new hotn[...]