THE GREATEST CAPTURE

Revelation 20:1 – 3

 

INTRODUCTION

 

·                    Series Introduction: This is the third of the Seven Last Things, The Seven Last   Things of Human History.  The first was the Return of Christ; this is Christ’s Defeat of the       Anti-Christ; this is the Apprehension and Arrest of the Person behind the Antichrist, Satan      himself.  Thus far we have seen that . . .

               Heaven will Rejoice, 19:1 – 10

               Christ will Return, 19:11 – 21:3

                           He will defeat the armies of the kings of the world.

                           He will defeat the beast and the false prophet.

                           He will defeat Satan.

               Saints will Reign, 20:4 - 6

·                    Sermon Introduction

• Since 9/11, the most wanted man in the world has been Usama bin Laden.  Everyone was very excited a few weeks ago when Sheik Kalid Muhammad was captured.  There was more excitement when there were rumors that some of bin Laden’s sons were thought to be taken into custody.  How will you feel when this man is caught or when his death is undeniable confirmed?
• In this passage, the apprehension of the most wanted person in all of human history is recorded.  What will it be like when Satan is placed in detention?

 

I.                   The Great Enemy Incarcerated, Revelation 20:1. There is in the world a mighty force, a mighty person of evil, that old serpent, the Devil.  The first beast was worldly power, the Antichrist, which receives his power from the dragon.  The second beast was ecclesiastical power, the false prophet.  Third was the harlot, Babylon, commercial power.  We have seen Babylon destroyed, (chapter 18); the beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire; still Satan remains.

A.     The Key – this angel has absolute authority and control over the abyss.

B.     The Chain – Jude 6 – I do not know what kind of chains they were except it says “everlasting.”

 

II.                The Great Enemy Identified, Revelation 20:2

A.     The Dragon - the power associated with earthly kings.

1.      He wanted to kill Jesus, 12:4.

2.      He gave power to the beast to rule the earth, 13:4.

B.     That old Serpent – this refers to his subtlety and deception.

C.    The Devil – is the accuser, the slanderer, John 8:44.

D.    Satan – the adversary, the accuser, he accused Job, Job 1:8 – 12, 1 Peter 5:8.

 

III.             The Great Enemy Imprisoned, Revelation 20:3

A.     Laid hold on – same word as used to describe Jesus’ arrest in Matthew 26:50 – “took him.”

B.     Cast him into the bottomless pit

1.      Abyss – a vast subterranean cavern where fallen or disobedient angels wait for judgment, Luke 8:31 – “the deep.”

2.      Hades and Sheol is the place of the departed spirits or dead.

3.      Paradise is where Lazarus and the thief on the cross went. (Now all who die in the Lord go immediately to Heaven.)

4.      Tophet is the ‘place of burning,” Isa. 30:33, Jer. 7:31 -32.  This is Gehenna in the New Testament, Mark 9:43.

5.      Hell is the final place of judgment, the lake of fire and brimstone, and 19:20b, and 20:10, 14 – Hades not hell.

The abyss for angels and Hades for humans is the county jail; hell is the federal penitentiary for all.

C.    Shut him up – closed and locked the door

D.    Set a seal – Satan had Jesus’ tomb sealed (Matt. 27:66).  Jesus broke that seal.  Jesus has a seal placed on Satan’s cell.  He will not escape.

E.     Deceive the nations no more this is a purpose clause in the Greek.  This is not punishment. This is curtailing his activities.  Satan is loose now, Acts 5:3, 2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4, I Peter 5:8.

F.     After 1000 years – Day is sometimes used other than literally.  However, month and year are always used as literal.  Every number in Revelation is taken literally, 5:11, 9:16.  There will be peace not just, because Satan is bound. That is like saying, “Peace is the absence of war.”  There will be peace because Jesus reigns.

G.    Must be loosed, for the end is in God’s control, not Satan.  Remember Job.

 

CONCLUSION

• Christians have every reason to live Truthfully and with Integrity.

Falsities and treacheries, confront us unblushingly at every point.  People not only make falsehoods, speak falsehoods, print falsehoods, and believe falsehoods; but they eat them, and drink them, and wear them, and act them, and live them, and make them one of the elements of their being,” wrote Joseph Seiss, a Lutheran pastor in the 1800’s.

• Christians have every reason to be the most Realistic people.

Christians have an explanation for the way things are, sin!  Satan is evil.  Man is a sinner.

• Christians have every reason to be the most Hopeful people.

Evil will not prevail forever.

• Christians have every reason to be the most Optimistic people.

I have read the back of the book and we win.