There is much confusion and distortion on what happens at the 1000 Year or the “Millennium" which is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. The Bible shows us these events in Revelation 20 as it describes the Millennium, which is the thousand-year period where Satan's influence over the earth will be restricted, and Christ will come and take his saints to reign with in heaven.
Revelation 20:1-3
"1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."
If we look in the Bible, we see Revelation 19 and 20 belong together, there is no break between these chapters. They describe Christ's Second Coming in chapter 19 and immediately continue with the Millennium, their sequence indicating that the millennium begins when Christ returns.
Revelation show the evil powers that gather the nations of the world to oppose Christ's work and His people immediately before the Second Coming, as a dragon, a beast, and a false prophet. When in Revelation 19 the "the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies" assemble to make war against Christ at the time of His return, the beast and the false prophet are destroyed.
Revelation 19:19
"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army."
What follows in Revelation 20, the chapter on the millennium, deals with the fate of the third member of this demonic trio, the dragon. He is taken captive and cast into the bottomless pit, where he remains for 1000 years.
Revelation 20:4-6
"4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
We see Satan is bound after Christ's second coming, when Christ resurrects His saints and with those saints alive takes them up into the cloud of angels and to heaven. Verse five tells us that wicked or the rest of the dead will be left here on earth and will be raised at the end of the 1000 years. Verse six show that the saints that were taken up alive and others who were in their graves and were raised in the first resurrection and taken up at the second coming and taken to heaven, and reign with Christ during the 1000 years. Now remember in verse 5 it says "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." So now AFTER the 1000 years, verse seven shows that Satan will be loosed at the end of the 1000 years and we see a SECOND resurrection and this time it is not of the saints.
Revelation 20:7
"7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,"
There are two defining ‘bookends’ marking the beginning and the end of the thousand years, the two resurrections. Jesus Christ taught two resurrections. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" Here Revelation 20 shows us when they happen.
Revelation 20:1-3
"1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."
If we look in the Bible, we see Revelation 19 and 20 belong together, there is no break between these chapters. They describe Christ's Second Coming in chapter 19 and immediately continue with the Millennium, their sequence indicating that the millennium begins when Christ returns.
Revelation show the evil powers that gather the nations of the world to oppose Christ's work and His people immediately before the Second Coming, as a dragon, a beast, and a false prophet. When in Revelation 19 the "the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies" assemble to make war against Christ at the time of His return, the beast and the false prophet are destroyed.
Revelation 19:19
"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army."
What follows in Revelation 20, the chapter on the millennium, deals with the fate of the third member of this demonic trio, the dragon. He is taken captive and cast into the bottomless pit, where he remains for 1000 years.
Revelation 20:4-6
"4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."
We see Satan is bound after Christ's second coming, when Christ resurrects His saints and with those saints alive takes them up into the cloud of angels and to heaven. Verse five tells us that wicked or the rest of the dead will be left here on earth and will be raised at the end of the 1000 years. Verse six show that the saints that were taken up alive and others who were in their graves and were raised in the first resurrection and taken up at the second coming and taken to heaven, and reign with Christ during the 1000 years. Now remember in verse 5 it says "But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." So now AFTER the 1000 years, verse seven shows that Satan will be loosed at the end of the 1000 years and we see a SECOND resurrection and this time it is not of the saints.
Revelation 20:7
"7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,"
There are two defining ‘bookends’ marking the beginning and the end of the thousand years, the two resurrections. Jesus Christ taught two resurrections. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation" Here Revelation 20 shows us when they happen.