FINAL REBELLION AND JUDGMENT
REVELATION 20:7-15
During the one thousand years under the reign of Christ, the earth's population will be subject to a firm discipline - His rod of iron - free from Satan's influence. Not only do multitudes enter the Millennium, but multitudes also are born during the Millennium. This will possibly be the time of the earth's greatest population explosion, free of disease and conflict, and with the flourishing of the deserts earth will produce enough foodstuffs to feed its greatest population.
The human heart alone remains unchanged under these circumstances: at the end of this period of time, Satan is set free in order that he may carry out one last test of mankind's faithfulness and sadly many, whose number is as the sand of the sea, in a similar way to Eve will be seduced by him to take part in a rebellion against the kingdom of God.
Gog and Magog symbolise all the forces of evil that band together to battle God. Noah's son, Japheth, had a son named Magog (Gen.10:2). Ezekiel presents Gog as a leader of forces against Israel (Eze.38,39) before the seven years of tribulation (Eze.38:1-39:16); these names represent the enemies of God's people which, in a similar manner, will assemble, coming from the whole world, to lay siege to the camp of the saints and the beloved city (Jerusalem). This is the plateau on the high mountain where the seat of millennial government will be, containing the new temple and Jerusalem. They will all be consumed by fire down from God out of heaven.
Immediately after that, their instigator Satan will end his career by being cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, to join the beast and the false prophet: the Lord Jesus explained to his disciples this place will have been prepared specially for the devil and his angels (Matt.25:41). There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever: a terrible destiny. The reality far exceeds the description, and human language is beggarly in trying to depict the awful reality. The lake of fire is a place and it is also a state: it is a place of conscious torment, and a state of permanent separation from God.
Next comes the judgment of the great white throne: seated on it as the Supreme Judge of all creation is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22, Acts 10:42, 1 Pet. 4:5), who is the maker of all things (Heb.5:9, Col.1:16-17).
The first act of judgment concerns this physical planet and its atmosphere, the earth and the heaven, which will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; the earth - its dry surface and the sea (Revelation 21:1) - and the works that are in it will be burned up (Gen.1:8-10, Matt.24:35, 2Pet.3:7,10): although the earth will be renewed at the beginning of the reign of Christ, it will be polluted again, irrevocably, by the rebellion of humanity. It will become necessary to destroy everything on its surface, the oceans and the atmosphere itself, to prepare it for a new creation (it is to be presumed that all the righteous in their natural bodies will be transformed into spiritual bodies to escape this catastrophe, and the unrighteous, if any are still left, will die under it). Obviously no natural body will survive on earth.
The second act of judgment concerns the dead: this word denotes those who have not taken part in the first resurrection, which is that of the saints: Church, Old Testament, Tribulation, Millennium. The "resurrection of the just" is mentioned in Luke 14:13, 14 and the resurrection of "life" distinguished from the "resurrection unto damnation" in John 5:20.
Here we learn for the first time what interval of time separates these two resurrections. After the thousand years the "resurrection unto judgment" (John 5:29) occurs. The resurrection body of the wicked dead is not described. They are dead spiritually (separated from God's communion), and physically (they are disembodied souls and spirits).
This is the second resurrection in which the lost are raised to be given an equitable, fair, and just evaluation of their works in respect to their salvation. The purpose of this judgment is to verify the guilt of the dead: books are opened where the history of each one has been registered, and a book called the "Book of Life" that is checked to make sure that their name has not been written in it.
We read about these books in other parts of Scripture, e.g., Psalm 139:16, 69:28, Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5. If the defendant's name is not found written in the Book of Life, he is cast into the lake of fire. He is, however, judged by his works and there will be degrees of punishment (Matt.11:20-24, Luke 12:47-48, John 19:11). There is also a Book of Life of the Lamb Slain - probably the same as the Book of Life - where the names of His people have been written from the foundation of the world (Rev.13:8, 17:8, 21:27).
That the sea, Death and Hades (also called Hell) will deliver the dead within them means that body, soul and spirit of the dead will be joined in the second resurrection (Isa.66:24, Dan.12:2, John 5:29): the nature of their bodies isn't described, but they will be capable of enduring punishment in the lake of fire.
Hades is the Greek equivalent of Sheol, the place where the souls of the dead descend; it used to have two sections, separating righteous from the unrighteous. The section for the righteous was called Paradise, or the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:19-31, 23:43) - they did not yet go to Heaven, because their sins were only covered, not removed (Hebrews 10:4); after the resurrection of Christ they ascended to Heaven (Ephesians 4:8-10) because He paid the price of their sins (Romans 3:25, Hebrews 9:15). Since then, the souls of the righteous go to Heaven, where He is (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Only the souls of the unrighteous remain in the Sheol, which continues to receive them and will do so until the 2nd resurrection of which we read now. At this time Hades and Death (the place of separation), emptied of its souls will be thrown, like rubbish, into the lake of fire, and so be totally eliminated. Death, the great final enemy of man, is finally removed from the scene, so no longer will it be said, "In Adam all die" (1Cor.15:22). Death is personified in this case, for it is man's great enemy, and is associated with Sheol (Hades) as in other parts of the Bible (Hos.13:14, 1Cor.15:26,55).
The lake of fire is called the second death (Revelation 2:11), which the Lord called outer darkness, referring to the eternal and absolute separation from the presence of God.
Satanic Rebellion Crushed
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison
8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.
9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.
10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
The Great White Throne Judgment
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 20:7-15 (NKJV)