# 18 2022 Dev. Rev.20:12. The Book of Life! Read all of Rev. 20 first. We invite you into God’s space, to read His Word, to think and interact with. This is God’s story. Will it affect your story? All passages are taken from the NIV
Rev.20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life.”
Intro. These visions that John sees are not actual events but will and have come to pass at one time or another and will be repeated in increasing intensity until the end. The vision is put into the words of men so that those who believe will understand by the power of the Holy Spirit. What is being described here is from eternity to eternity. God, who is outside of time, operates in the eternal present, represents to us what is about to happen in time, as long as time lasts.
Rev.20 is a chapter of Judgment, it is also a controversial chapter because of the different interpretations of the meaning of the thousand-year reign of Christ. A full review is beyond the scope of this devotional. The most common view is the “Premillennialists view: the thousand-years is literal, all believers who died are raised, the devil is bound, Christ will reign, add to that the “dispensationalists view”, meaning that Christ will reign from Jerusalem, the temple is rebuilt, Israel restored, for a time of peace and tranquility for a thousand-year on earth before the end. It is therefore that they call the people of God, Israel. Reformed people call Christians as Israel referring to the Old Test. and the New Test. Church. Further, Jesus, while on earth said we are in the last days: designating the thousand years from the time of Jesus’ incarnation to the time of His return.Our Lord reigns now, amen!
Vs.1-3 John, in a vision sees “an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand-years.” The names are familiar to us, the same names in Ch.12:9 are repeated here. After the thousand-years he will be released for a short time.
Vs.4-6 Now the vision is in heaven: “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” All believers, all those not deceived by the beast from the beginning of time to the time of Jesus’ return are resurrected spiritually into heaven. Scripture confirms this in many places but the most convincing is Jesus telling the thief on the cross next to him: “today you will be with me in paradise.” This is the first resurrection. “The second death has no power over them…they will reign with him for a thousand years.” I believe that is going on right now. Amen?
Vs.7-10 Back on earth: “when the thousand-years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations…” We get the impression that he is impotent, harmless when bound, but no, not the case, he is bound by a chain, he can’t get to you, but you can get to him, and many people do. There is a war going on right now, a spiritual war as well as physical wars. God is in control as we see in the vision “fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” That is what we pray for concerning all war, “and the devil was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur.” Along with Putin.
Vs.11-15 Back to heaven: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.” The dead stood in front of the throne, everyone that had died, all people were judged according to what they had done. All not written in the book of life are lost, all Christians would be lost if we relied on our works, but by God’s grace, his election and by Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, our names are written in the book of life. Praise be to God!
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Heavenhigh 