“Rebellion in the Millennium”
Revelation 20:5-10
“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth…” [Rev 20:7-8]
This is difficult to understand! Isn’t Jesus ruling and reigning? Wasn’t sin dealt with in the Tribulation? Isn’t there going to be peace and justice and righteous rule?
Well, the answer is yes, yes, and yes. The Millennium will be a world dominated by righteousness, justice, and peace. But remember, during that time Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit [ref. 20:2] no longer tempting and deceiving people into rebellion. However, at the end of the Millennium, Satan will be loosed “and will go out to deceive the nations.”
So, the question is why? Why would God allow this? Why not just cast Satan into Gehenna where the Antichrist and False Prophet are?
The answers lie in a fundamental philosophical principle called “choice.” A person must choose faith in Jesus as Lord. Forced faith is a contradiction of terms. It is like a professed atheist saying, “Oh my God.” If one is forced to have faith in Jesus, it is not faith.
But let’s press this thought further. To be able to choose faith in Jesus, one must be presented the option not to choose Him, i.e., the option to rebel. Well, that option will be presented when Satan is loosed.
There will be multitudes born in the Millennium that will not have the option to choose faith until the choice of rebellion comes with Satan’s temptation. It was a similar philosophical principle presented in Genesis 3, was it not?
The interesting thing is that many, according to our text this morning, will be deceived and choose wrongly; and this is as Jesus [God] is in their very midst. It disproves the misnomer, “If I can just see God and a miracle I’d believe.”
Faith is something entirely different and without it, it is impossible to please God. We must come by faith, not by sight, even though our faith will one day turn to sight. But faith involves choice; the two cannot be separated.
The application for us, on this side of the Millennium, is never to underestimate the power of deception; it is Satan’s weapon of choice. That is why we must remain set apart from this world [sanctified]; and while in this world, continually set our minds and hearts upon Jesus.
