As we pick up with the story-line in Revelation 19 we find Jesus returning to earth to deliver His saints from the troubling world directed by the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. Revelation 19:11 say that “in righteousness he doth judge and make war” and following that In Revelation 20 we are introduced to a 1000-year period where judgment is set and review is made by the saints before the final end of Satan and sin.

Revelation 19:11-16 — Faithful, true, the Word of God, white and clean, a sharp sword to strike the nations, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. These are just some of the words used to describe the Lord Jesus. Verse 15 says that “he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

Revelation 19:17-21 — We here have the description of the battle of Armageddon. It is here that we get a view of the actual battle, after we only had reference to it in Revelation 16:12-16 and Revelation 17:14-18.

Revelation 20:1-6 — The beginning of the 1000-years is marked by Satan’s binding to a “bottomless pit” that is most likely this earth without anyone to tempt. The chain that binds Satan is likely a figurative chain of circumstances. The term “bottomless pit” is also translated “abyss” and simply means “deep” including in the Greek Septuagint when it spoke of the earth without life in the creation account.

A very popular teaching assumes the 1000-years is Christ’s reign on the earth, but we do not see that in the text until the New Jerusalem descends to make earth its new home but that is after the earth is made new by fire.

While the text doesn’t explicitly say the 1000-years is on earth, it does seem to imply that Heaven is the correct location for Christ and His saints during this 1000-years. Mainly, because we see from Revelation 7:9-17 and Revelation 19:1-10 that the saints are specifically mentioned as being in Heaven and Satan appears to be bound to a desolate earth with no one to tempt.

Revelation 20:7-15 — If one looks at the sequence of events regarding the 1000 years of Revelation 20 there are some events that help us understand the progression:

Beginning of the Millennium…

• Jesus returns for His as promised in John 14:1-3 and detailed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.
• The saints who have died in Christ will be resurrected. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44.
• This is the first resurrection mentioned by Jesus in John 5:28-29.
• Then the saints who are alive will be translated from mortality to immortality. 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55.
• The wicked are destroyed by the return of the Lord Jesus and angelic hosts. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:21; Jeremiah 25:33.
• The saints who have been caught-up with the Lord Jesus return with Him to Heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:17; John 14:1-3.

During the Millennium…

• Satan is bound 1000 years to a desolate earth with no one to tempt. Revelation 20:1-3; Revelation 20:5; Jeremiah 4:23-27.
• The chains that bind Satan and his evil angels are the circumstances of his sin. Revelation 20:1-3; 2 Peter 2:4; Isaiah 24:19-22.
• The saints will reign with Christ 1000 years in Heaven. Revelation 20:4.
• The saints will judge the world in a review of the books that vindicates God’s justice. 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; Jude 1:6; Daniel 7:27.

End of the Millennium…

• At the end of the 1000 years the New Jerusalem descends from Heaven to Earth with Christ and the saints. Revelation 20:9; Revelation 21:2; Zechariah 14:9.
• At the end of the 1000 years the second resurrection of the wicked takes place on earth. John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:5; Revelation 20:13.
• At the end of the 1000 years with the second resurrection, Satan and his evil angels are loosed from their prison of circumstances and likely resume where they left off in Revelation 16:16 and they lead a final assault against the descending city of God and the Lord and His saints. Revelation 20:7-9; Zechariah 14:4.
• Satan is cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:10
• The wicked who have been raised in the second resurrection and have rejected the Atonement of Christ are judged. Revelation 20:11-13.
• The wicked are cast into the lake of fire, the second death. Revelation 20:14-15.
• The Earth is made new and the New Jerusalem becomes the forever home of God and Heaven. Revelation 21:1; 2 Peter 3:10-14.