How do you interpret Revelations 20

[UniversalSceptic]

Nothing in the bible has ever confused me more than Revelations 20.

This was my grandfather's interpretation and keep in mind that I am paraphrasing here.

So after Satan is imprisoned in the abyss, the elect are revived and are given a thousand years to learn all they need to from Jesus to restore and keep the Earth pure. When the Thousand years Re up, Jesus will depart and leave the elect in charge. Satan will be released from his prison and the rest of the dead will be revived and given a chance to learn God's ways and come to him. After the battle of Magog, those have not turned to God will be annihilated in the Lake of Fire.

[ed]

Nothing in the bible has ever confused me more than Revelations 20.

This was my grandfather's interpretation and keep in mind that I am paraphrasing here.

So after Satan is imprisoned in the abyss, the elect are revived and are given a thousand years to learn all they need to from Jesus to restore and keep the Earth pure. When the Thousand years Re up, Jesus will depart and leave the elect in charge. Satan will be released from his prison and the rest of the dead will be revived and given a chance to learn God's ways and come to him. After the battle of Magog, those have not turned to God will be annihilated in the Lake of Fire.

Everything in Revelation is symbolic of something.   1000 years may well not be 1000 years at all.  That would be literal.


:)

[Tom]

Nothing in the bible has ever confused me more than Revelations 20.

This was my grandfather's interpretation and keep in mind that I am paraphrasing here.

So after Satan is imprisoned in the abyss, the elect are revived and are given a thousand years to learn all they need to from Jesus to restore and keep the Earth pure. When the Thousand years Re up, Jesus will depart and leave the elect in charge. Satan will be released from his prison and the rest of the dead will be revived and given a chance to learn God's ways and come to him. After the battle of Magog, those have not turned to God will be annihilated in the Lake of Fire.

"The lake of fire" is not annihilation. Scripture says "the lake of fire" is "the second death," and death will be abolished.

"And death and the unseen were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death--the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14)

"We rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers" (1 Timothy 4:10). "Through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens" (Colossians 1:20). "Yet now Christ has been roused from among the dead, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing. For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead. For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified. Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence; thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power. For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy is being abolished: death. For He subjects all under His feet. Now whenever He may be saying that all is subject, it is evident that it is outside of Him Who subjects all to Him. Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all" (1 Corinthians 15:20 thru 28).

[rosered]

I   am glad others   are helping     too

  But this is what comforts me      as I understand it    of this time and not all of  it either  , just parts and pieces      , the Whole  ''all things ''    may not be given till we are      just Spirit and truth      and in Christ  completely.

I  know that we are all  are  bound    by satan till Jesus sets us free,    the truth sets you free   
John was in the SPIRIT ON THE LORDS DAY   when He wrote Revelations   and was still in  wonder after the  Woman/'' religion in general ''    in Rev 17     , she is deceptive      and all the world wonders after the beast and the woman
  if it were possible    even the  very  elect will be deceived   
  they are not ,,,,only by  what FATHER S SPIRIT and Jesus truth   gives and reveals to them  , just as John  received in     the Spirit and on the LORDS DAY[    1000 Year reign ]
or he would have been  deceived and   wondered as well    and sent us this Revelations of Jesus Christ   book     that has seals on all the books till Jesus/ Lamb of God ,opens the seals 
Its all a work of God and   for His glory

     For  me the interpretation is   not that simple  and are many    and  may hold  some truth     but all truth is in Jesus Christ   and His Spirit of Prophecy . we should ask the Lord for His Wisdom and  His Spirit of truth /Jesus Christ testimony    for all of us      , in Gods  will   to do so .

My own personal   understanding of the 1000 years  come from many other scriptures   and considerations     , in Adam all die   Adam was 930 years when he Died     and 70 years in Babylon     we are  captive ,   when you add  both Adam/death/grave   and Babylon/confusion/idolatry      you have 1000  years    , I have considered the   words of Peter saying a 1000 years is a Day to God  and a DAY is 1000 years    and that  would prove that Jesus Christ being the 1000 year DAY  of the LORD   is setting us free from Babylon  as captives

   because the Work of the cross  is the   hold death has in Adams  curse  bound by Satan   was the finished work of the Cross    of Jesus Christ being the life giving Spirit  and we Know Jesus   now holds the power over [keys]   the grave and death     those seals being opened are for the destruction of Babylon    against  Gods  chosen and all     really  when all  the works  and mystery is finished .

     when satan is  bound    in the abyss   ,   it   is the same as  hidden deep within  each and everyone of us    being our  old  earthly bodies    for the destruction of our flesh , his main purpose  for spiritual pride be  destroyed ,[pride of satan against pride in us   satan/adversity  divided against satan the kingdom of Babylon  /confusion   cannot stand    that in the Lords Day our Spirit will be saved
  that is why He is  bound   and not in the lake of fire with   the beast and false prophet     yet ,  till the end ,  when our flesh/ carnal nature and liars  against the   Gospel  is totally destroyed in fire   and Babylon falls /  pride comes  before a Fall      ,    as we become new and spiritual creatures in Christ

  We have to remember    this   the serpent  was to crawl on his belly and   eat the dust of Adam , this to me is the wisdom of mankind against Gods Wisdom      that was the serpents curse from the beginning  and as long as  any  one has earthly wisdom within them it is to be    destroyed  as pride   as eaten  by the serpent   that is a lot of abyss   a deep  void  and  dark  hole to fill    and the curse   God also   applied   is the  enmity  / hatred  of the woman's seed     the Wisdom of God in Christ seed  of promise   that will continue to bruise his head ''authority , position  of power ''  / blow to cause  a  deadly wound     as it  strikes   Christ  heel      to hurt or harm by  deceptiveness    ..........  the whole world is under this sway     , there is scriptures  for this proof   Babylon is  spiritual   pride  trying to take the power  as if they  save   and    have no need for Jesus Christ to come and save   them [ Gen 11 ]   


  And  to me this is why those whom are in Christ will not  be ''hurt 'or harmed ' by the second death   Lake of fire      the liar  of falsity   and the carnal nature is  already in the lake of fire   and Satan is cast in  last     for the complete destruction of   all    the flesh    and  the Spirit  in truth    remains    that are true to Christ and are Gods  living  and worshiping  creatures   as all in ALL     no more death  no   more tears and crying      no more hold to those  first earthly and sensual and devilish things      they are no more         you belong to Christ and Christs is God and God will be all in all        the new heavens and earth are   belonging to  ONE  GOD    as it continues    in  Rev 21   

  For me   as many   do also believe its a flow    of  the chapters   , when you have this all    cut  into Chapters and verses    it can loose its  ability to explain better
  I have been told to just read it   without  those  stops   and starts     , as the old scriptures  flowed without      chapters and verses

  you can learn to just   not focus on them    as much as what  they are saying as a whole