Bible Study with Jairus Revelation 20 (part 1)

How Can Christians Overcome Satan's Temptations and Avoid Wandering in the Wilderness

Revelation 20:1-3 tells us that the ancient serpent who deceived the nations was bound by an angel and imprisoned for a thousand years. Before this, the church endured numerous trials before she entered the Millennial Kingdom. After the Millennial Kingdom, Satan will be temporarily released to continue testing people.

The Israelites' time in the wilderness was a period of testing. God’s people needed to overcome Satan’s temptations and learn the lessons God was teaching them so they could enter the Promised Land. Otherwise, they would continue aimlessly wandering in the wilderness. Similarly, God’s chosen people today (Christians) need to overcome Satan’s temptations and avoid wandering endlessly in the wilderness.

From studying Revelation 20, we can make the following observations about Satan’s tests and temptations.

• First, Satan’s testing will last a long time. Though many believe Jesus will come soon, this might be an unrealistic expectation. We need to be prepared to endure long-lasting hardships and trials.
• Second, many people give too much weight to their hardships, attributing too much power to Satan. They fear Satan as if he is omnipotent, while failing to recognize God’s ultimate power and sovereignty. Many people seem to fear Satan even more than they revere God. This is a grave error.
• Third, trials and tests are permitted by God. Satan's testing cannot exceed the limits allowed by God. God only allows us to be tested according to what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:15) and according to His will.
• Fourth, trials help us grow. We must understand God's will, obey it, grow, and overcome each trial. This is the way to overcome Satan and avoid wandering in the wilderness.

Many Christians fail to learn the lessons God is trying to teach them through trials. As a result, their spiritual lives stagnate and they continue wandering in the wilderness. If individual Christians do not mature in their spiritual lives, then the church (the body of Christ) cannot reach the level of maturity God desires. Just as Israel could not enter the Promised Land until she reached a certain level of maturity and faith, the church will not enter the Millennial Kingdom and the eternal state until she learns the lessons God is trying to teach her through trials. Difficult circumstances, including Satan’s temptations, help bring us to spiritual maturity. When Christ’s body reaches maturity, her maturity will be manifested in the Millennial Kingdom.

Many Christians enjoy discussing end times and trying to determine when key events will take place. However, they neglect the lessons of spiritual maturity that God is trying to teach them through their circumstances and trials. Since the coming of the Kingdom is contingent on the maturity of Christ’s bride, the church, these believers are putting the cart before the horse. In other words, the return of Jesus and the coming of the Millennial Kingdom are not as near as many imagine because His bride is not yet prepared, and our spiritual lives have not yet reached the level of maturity God desires.

Satan's Temptations Will Last for a Long Time

At the end of the book of Revelation, God's method of dealing with evil is like chopping down a tree—starting with the branches, then the trunk, and finally the roots.

• Satan is the root of all the evil in the world. He is dealt with last. Satan, the ancient serpent who deceived humankind, will be locked in the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Revelation 20). After that, he will be temporarily released to deceive the nations. His final destination is the lake of fire and sulfur (Revelation 20:7-10). When God sends Satan to the Lake of Fire, God is metaphorically chopping at the root of the tree, completely removing the source of all sin, which is Satan.
• The beast and the false prophet are like the trunk of the tree. They are thrown alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20). There, they join the beast and the false prophet who fought against Christ and His bride's army, as well as the kings of the earth and their armies. This happens after the bride has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7). This is like removing the trunk of the tree.
• Babylon the Great is like the branches and leaves of a flourishing tree. Babylon is the dwelling place of demons, the haunt of every unclean spirit, and the nest of every unclean and detestable bird (Revelation 18:2). Babylon the Great is a collective entity formed by demons, evil spirits, and sinners, and she deceived the nations (Revelation 18:3). God's judgment in the end times begins with chopping down the branches and leaves of this flourishing tree. Revelation 17 also describes the punishment of the great prostitute, and Revelation 16 records the seven bowl judgments. These judgments, along with the previous ones, prepare the way for the final judgment of Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and Satan.

I am narrating this process in reverse, hoping to give you a clear vision of where we stand today and where we are in God’s redemptive timetable. We have not yet experienced the scenarios described in Revelation 18-20. Satan has not been bound in the bottomless pit. The bride of Christ is not yet prepared, and she has not yet joined with Christ to defeat the beast, the false prophets, and the kings’ armies (Revelation 19). And Babylon the Great has not yet fallen (Revelation 18:2).

How do we know that Babylon the Great has not yet fallen? Because the judgment of Babylon in Revelation 17 happens after the seven bowl judgments recorded in Revelation 16. To evaluate whether Babylon has fallen yet, we must ask ourselves whether we have experienced the disasters of the seven bowls. The first bowl judgment is poured out on those who have the mark of the beast and worship its image. While there is much discussion about the possibility of the COVID-19 vaccine and microchips being the mark of the beast, there is no conclusion yet, and personally, I don’t believe that they are. Therefore, it is unlikely that we have experienced the scenario described in Revelation 16.

In Revelation 13-15, two beasts appear and wage war with the saints. The overcoming saints sing praise to God on the sea of glass (15:2). Have any of these events already taken place? Can we say with certainty that the beast has appeared in the world today? Even though the spirit of the antichrist is already at work on earth, no one can assert with confidence that the beast has appeared. So, we have not yet experienced the scenarios described in Revelation 13-15.

Going back even further on God’s redemptive timetable, Revelation 12 records the battle between the woman and the dragon and the birth of the male child. I believe the male child represents the victorious members of the body of Christ, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron (12:5). There are no clear signs to suggest that this event has already happened. Does the church today—whether in other countries or in Christian nations like the United States—have the ability to rule the nations? Far from it. So, we have not yet experienced the events of Revelation 12. Similarly, Revelation 11:15 declares, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.” This has not happened yet, either.

The disasters mentioned in Revelation 6-10 (the seven seals and seven trumpets) are still far from fulfillment. Similarly, the events of Revelation 4-5, where heaven is opened and we see God at work on His throne, are still a mystery to many. As the body of Christ, we have not yet experienced heaven opened. We have not yet clearly seen God’s throne or His kingly reign.

Therefore, we can conclude that the church is still in the era described in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 1-3. These letters not only describe the work of Satan in each congregation, but also the promises of victory that Jesus gives.

From this discussion, it becomes clear that we are nowhere near the return of Christ. The process of defeating Satan and his minions (including the beast, the false prophet, various evil spirits, demons, and sinners who make up Babylon the Great) is a long-term process that is nowhere near completion. Many people are discussing the imminent return of Jesus, but I believe this is an unrealistic expectation. Of course, I long for the return of Jesus, but according to this timetable, we are still many steps away from His return to reign.

When the Lord appeared to me in 2004, He clearly stated that once the body of Christ, the bride, and the New Jerusalem are completed, He will return. We are still far from the bride being ready, the body of Christ maturing, and the New Jerusalem being built. When we gain a clear understanding of the reality, we can focus our discussion on growing in maturity rather than on Christ’s imminent return. We can learn how we can participate with God in our spiritual growth, including the growth that comes through Satan’s trials and tests.

In Trials, We Must See That God is Far Greater Than Satan

In Revelation 20:1-3, an angel comes down from heaven, holding a great chain and the key to the bottomless pit. He binds the dragon (also called the ancient serpent, the devil, and Satan) for a thousand years and casts him into the abyss, shutting it and sealing it so that he can no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years are completed. Afterward, he must be released for a little while.

What can we learn from these verses? We can learn that Satan is not nearly as powerful as we often imagine. In this passage, we see that one angel by himself can bind and subdue Satan. Of course, the angel is doing these things by God's command and authority, but he is still doing them by himself. In the modern church, Satan is often portrayed as extremely powerful—sometimes to the extent that it seems he is greater than God. When a Christian is bound by a spirit of fear in their personal life, they may feel that Satan is greater than God. We may even begin to believe that Satan is all-powerful. As a result, many people fear Satan more than God. However, this passage teaches that Satan is finite and can be bound by a single angle.

Let’s look at a few more examples of Christians attributing too much power to Satan. When I was pursuing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I often heard the following objection: “Don't pursue the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If you seek the Holy Spirit, what if you end up receiving an evil spirit instead?" Such thoughts are widespread in many evangelical churches. However, Luke 11 clearly teaches that if we ask our Heavenly Father, He will certainly give us the Holy Spirit, not an evil spirit (11:13).

Additionally, even though the Bible teaches us to speak out for righteousness, many Christians are afraid to speak out in the face of evil because they fear the reactions of evil people. Fearing evil people is essentially the same as fearing Satan, because Satan is behind their sinful actions. This fear of Satan is a mindset that permeates the world and even the church. In many instances, Christians fear Satan more than they fear God. They think Satan is powerful, dark, and hopeless, while their concept of God is weak and limited. In everyday life, they do not demonstrate a faith in God’s omnipotence. But their actions show a strong belief in Satan’s power. This passage provides a much-needed reminder that Satan is not all-powerful and can be subdued by a single angel.

Who is this angel that binds Satan? The Bible does not specify whether it is Gabriel or another archangel; it simply says that an angel is given authority by God to bind Satan, and Satan is bound for a thousand years. Even after being temporarily released, he is still under God’s sovereignty. When darkness seems to have dominion, God is still seated on His throne, controlling all things. We must remember God’s sovereignty and his ability to work all things together for the good of those who love God.

The entire book of Revelation is structured around God's provision, sovereignty, and His kingly plan, even during times of trial. After describing the trials that the seven churches will face, the book of Revelation describes the throne room of God (Revelation 4-5). John sees heaven opened, and he realizes that God is still at work on His throne, promising rewards to His victorious saints. Similarly, the next several chapters include many difficult seal judgments, but in between the sixth and seventh seal, God pauses the judgment to show John a vision of 144,000 conquering believers. They had come out of the great tribulation and were serving God before His throne (Revelation 7:15). These people are likely martyrs who were killed during the great tribulation. They were willing to pay the ultimate price for their faith, but now they are being richly rewarded: "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (7:16-17). Before the sixth seal, there was much suffering, and after the seventh seal and the seven trumpets, there was even more suffering. But God does not forget to comfort the apostle John (and all suffering believers) through these visions of hope amidst suffering. There are also encouraging visions between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, just as between the sixth and seventh seal judgments. The messages of hope include the message of the seven thunders (10:3), the invitation to eat the little scroll (10:10), the command to measure the temple (11:1), and the story about the two witnesses (11:3-12). These visions encourage suffering believers to see God's sovereignty and His will in the midst of pain.

The principles revealed in Revelation are the same as the principles we experience in our lives today. God is in control of all things, and even in the midst of suffering, He continues to provide. God works all things together for His good purposes, even trials and trouble. However, the trials described in Revelation are much greater than the trials we face on a daily basis. If we cannot trust God’s purpose and provision in our everyday lives, how will we have strength to overcome these apocalyptic disasters described in Revelation? God will not suddenly give us supernatural strength that we have not already cultivated in our everyday lives. If we cannot obey God in the small trials of life, we should not imagine that we will somehow have the strength to resist the mark of the beast. This is fantasy and self-deception. We need to be victorious in the various small trials of life today so that we can face the greater trials that are coming in the future.

As we have mentioned before, Revelation 12 is the turning point of the book of Revelation. After the vision of the woman (12:3) and the birth of the male child (12:5), the battle becomes fiercer. Satan is cast down from heaven to earth (12:4, 9). In his fury, he intensifies his persecution of the woman and her remaining children (12:17). Afterward, the two beasts emerge, one after the other, and they escalate the persecution of those who refuse to receive the mark of the beast. However, amid this harsh persecution, the Holy Spirit graciously provides another vision in chapter 14, showing the 144,000 standing victorious on Mount Zion.

The next trial is the fall of Babylon the Great (14:8), God’s continued judgment of the world, and the world’s continued persecution of believers. During this time, many more believers are martyred. However, in chapter 15, God continues His pattern of encouraging and warning believers by giving a vision of the overcomers standing victorious on the sea of glass. This is followed by the seven bowl judgments (chapter 15), but in the midst of these severe judgments—between the sixth and seventh bowl judgment—the Lord again reminds believers to stay alert, because He is coming soon, like a thief (16:16). This leads into the judgment of Babylon the Great, the beast, the false prophet, and the ultimate judgment of Satan.

These trials and judgments become more and more severe as the book progresses. Yet in the midst of these harsh judgments, God continues to provide visions to encourage believers. Today, we face trials that are much less severe than the ones revealed in Revelation. If we cannot learn to experience God's provision and see His purpose in the smaller trials, it will be difficult for us to do so in the bigger ones. Let me give an example to illustrate. Since my daughter grew up in the United States, she is not accustomed to facing hardship. My wife and I often think about the greater hardships that we faced in China growing up. When our daughter complains about everyday situations, like cold water in the swimming pool, we tell her, “You need to learn to endure hardship. Your mother and I grew up in China under much more difficult situations. If you cannot tolerate small trials, how will you be able to tolerate the greater difficulties you will eventually face in life?” However, no matter how much we said, we found that she still could not endure hardship as we once could. Many children raised in the United States have not experienced very much hardship compared to children who grew up in third-world countries. As a result, their ability to handle setbacks and pressure is limited. Although their mindset is healthier, children from the United States have less survival ability than those who have experienced hardship.

Similarly, when God called Hudson Taylor to China to spread the gospel, he intentionally moved to a poor area in East London to undergo what he called “hardship training.” There, he survived on bread and water. Through these difficulties, he tried to prepare himself for what was ahead. However, even with this training, he was still not prepared for the hardship he would face when he arrived in China. Since the Chinese people were resistant to foreigners, no one would rent him a house. He had to live in an idol’s temple. He could not sleep at night because every time he closed his eyes, beggars would steal his luggage. Because Hudson Taylor had trained himself to endure hardship for many years, he was able to overcome the difficult circumstances he encountered in China. As a result, he had the resilience and fortitude he needed to spread the gospel to countless Chinese people.

These examples show that if we do not learn to endure hardship in small situations, we will not be prepared for bigger ones. If we as Christ’s body do not learn obedience through everyday difficulties, we will not be prepared for greater suffering (such as those described in Revelation. We must learn to understand God's will in hardship, while also learning what God wants to teach us through it.

God's Trials for Us Will Not Exceed What We Can Bear

In order to learn the lessons God wants to teach us through our suffering, we must understand the nature of suffering. First, we must understand that Satan does not attack us because of our past sins and failures. We all have sinned, and we all have weaknesses. But if we sinned before we came to know Christ, or if we sinned as a believer and then repented, we are cleansed and forgiven by Christ’s precious blood. If we still think that our past failures and sins are causing Satan’s attacks, this perspective is rooted in fear. Once we truly repent and God forgives us, Satan has no right to attack, because the blood of the Lord overcomes him. No one, including Satan, can bypass the cleansing of the Lord's blood in order to attack you.

If this is true, then why do we often experience various attacks from Satan in our lives? Because even though we know about the Lord's redemption and the power of His precious blood, we fail to apply them or repent, thus giving Satan a foothold to attack us through fear and other means. If we live in sin despite our faith in Christ and knowledge of the truth, we give Satan a foothold, which often leads to attacks.

We must recognize that it is impossible for Satan to attack us without God's permission. Satan is under God's control, and Satan is not greater than God. He can only attack us within the limits that God sets. As we see in the Book of Job, Satan must first ask for God's permission before he can attack a person. God sets limits on Satan’s attacks, as we see in Job 1:12. God said, "You may attack his family, but you may not harm him.” Later, God allowed Satan to attack Job's body as long as he did not take his life. Again, God established His authority over Satan. Since God is the one who determines whether Satan can attack us and to what extent, we must seek His will during times of suffering and spiritual attack. Every attack has a purpose in God's plan. If we are in sin, God may want to use suffering to deal with areas of uncleanness in our lives. Even if we are blameless like Job, he can use suffering to help us grow in our knowledge of God and experience Him more fully (Job 42:5). When we experience suffering and spiritual attacks, we must seek God’s will and ask Him how he wants to use this suffering to help us mature and make us holy. Unfortunately, many Christians fail to seek God’s guidance when facing hardships and spiritual attacks. Sadly, they miss the opportunity to receive help from God.

Two people can face the same type of suffering with very different outcomes. One person may allow God to use the difficult circumstance to make them more like Him. This person grows in maturity and makes spiritual progress. Meanwhile, another person may fail to understand God’s purpose in suffering. They are unwilling to seek God’s will and submit to Him, and they fail to deal with sin and uncleanness in their lives. As a result, they continue wandering in the spiritual wilderness. Like the Israelites of the Old Testament, they fail to enter the promised land of God's blessing.

We Must Allow God to Remove our Sins and Uncleanness Through Suffering

Nothing happens to us by chance; every event is a part of God’s good purpose. Watchman Nee from the Inner Life Movement, Mrs. Jessie Penn-Lewis from the British Inner Life movement, and Madame Jeanne Guyon from the Catholic church all teach that God works through suffering—even the attacks of Satan. When we encounter suffering, we need to seek God through prayer so we can enter His presence, understand His purpose, and obey His will. As we do, we can learn God’s intentions to work all things together for good, and we can grow in obedience and prayer. If we fail to do this, we will waste the opportunity to learn what God wants to teach us through our circumstances.

If we fail to learn the lessons God is teaching us, we will continue to go in circles, facing the same tests over and over for years or even decades—just like the Israelites, who went in circles in the wilderness for forty years. Ironically, we will continue to face tests whether we learn the lessons or not. But if we don’t learn the lessons God wants to teach us, we will continue to repeat the lessons at the same level rather than progressing to the next level. Let me use the example of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test to illustrate this point. When grad students take the GRE for admission to grad school, all students answer the same number of questions. If the student answers the questions correctly, they are given increasingly harder questions to answer. If they continue answering the harder questions correctly, the test continues to increase in difficulty. Their final score may be in the top 5% or 10%. However, if the student answers incorrectly, the computer continues to give them questions on the same level. They do not advance, and they get a score in the 40-50% range. Like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness, they make no progress.

In the same way, the individuals who make up the body of Christ (referenced in Revelation 20) need to continue making progress and growing in maturity. When facing the same daily circumstances, some Christians continue on an upward trajectory, growing through the hardships God sends. They keep advancing in their spiritual journey. However, other Christians face the same struggles over and over without learning what God wants to teach them. They continue to struggle with relationships, conflicts, or circumstances without growing or maturing. After decades, they are still facing the same difficulties. Their personality has not changed for the better, and they are still wandering in the metaphorical wilderness.

Today, Satan disguises himself within our fleshly desires, difficult circumstances, or conflicts with our loved ones. He uses these circumstances to attack us. Why does God allow Satan to attack us through the people around us? Because He is testing us to see if we can conquer our bad habits, overcome our sins, and turn to Him in the midst of difficulties. If so, we can move to a deeper level of spiritual maturity.

So, while Revelation reveals the difficult circumstances that the entire body of Christ faces in end times, as well as the level of maturity the church as a whole reaches, some individual Christians will not share in this level of victory. Throughout history, there have always been victorious saints. I believe the 144,000, the firstfruits, are examples of overcomers. It is likely that these overcomers include not only victorious Christians across generations but also all the victorious saints from the Old Testament. For example, Hebrews 11 lists numerous examples of faithful saints from Adam onward. I believe they are part of these firstfruits as well.

Even though there have been many victorious individual believers throughout the ages, these overcomers did not receive what was promised because they were waiting for the remaining members of the body of Christ to mature (Hebrews 11:39). Verse 40 says, "Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect." In the book of Revelation, God uses these various circumstances, especially these increasingly difficult trials, to bring more members of the body of Christ to maturity. This allows them to enter into the freedom and glory of God's children, which ultimately leads to the liberation of all creation from its bondage to corruption so it can join God’s children in freedom and glory (Romans 8:21).

Conclusion:

I believe that the entire body of Christ must reach maturity in order for the New Jerusalem to be fully complete. The number of chosen overcomers must reach 144,000, and the bride (the body of Christ) must become mature in order for the Lord Jesus to return. Even the martyrs, who cry out in Revelation 6:10 for God to judge those who dwell on the earth and avenge their blood, are told that they must wait until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who are to be martyred like they were is complete. Not only is there a specific number of people who must be martyred, but there is also a set number of people who must reach spiritual maturity.

Therefore, when we read Revelation, we should not focus solely on speculating about when Jesus will come back or identifying who the beast and false prophet are. Instead, we must read Revelation from the perspective of spiritual growth. We need to pray for all members of Christ’s body to recognize the necessity of progressing toward spiritual maturity. However, since every individual has free will and can decide how to live their lives, not everyone will choose the path of maturity. Those who submit to God and seek His will in the midst of life’s trials will mature more quickly and may even become part of the 144,000.

The first three verses of Revelation 20 are connected to the verse that follows. Revelation 20:4 says, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.” I believe the word "those” does not refer to the Lord. Instead, the word refers to people who have attained spiritual maturity and as a result have been granted this authority. This group may include the twelve apostles, since the Lord promised them, “You who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” As we grow spiritually through the trials of life and the attacks of Satan, we are led to the thrones God has prepared for us. This does not mean we are exalting ourselves, but rather that when our spiritual lives reach that level, God bestows upon us the authority to judge. The ability to judge others is not about taking an aggressive or vocal stance, but about being filled with the life of God. It is God’s life within us that judges the world, judges people, judges evil spirits, and judges Satan. The more God’s life and His presence are expressed in us, and the more we are sanctified, set apart, and conformed to the glorious image of the Son of God, the more authority we receive to judge. This is a matter of spiritual maturity, not merely a matter of position. When we are saved in Christ, we receive the authority to judge the world, Satan, and evil spirits. Paul explicitly states this regarding our position in Christ: “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” However, if our spiritual life has not matured to that level, we will be unsuccessful in exercising this authority, just like the seven sons of Sceva were when they attempted to cast out a demon in Acts 19. When they rebuked the demon, the demon did not obey them. Instead, it replied, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15) If your level of spiritual maturity has not reached the necessary level, you will lack the authority to reign from the "throne of life" and judge others.

Therefore, as the end of the book of Revelation approaches, it emphasizes the collective maturity of Christ’s body. When we read the conclusion of Revelation, we must understand it in the context of the full maturity of Christ’s body. At this point, only one or two chapters remain before the entire old creation comes to an end. At that point, Christians will be revealed in glory with Christ, victorious. If Christ’s body has not yet matured to the extent that some believers can sit on thrones—or that the collective body of Christ can do so—how can we judge Satan and the old creation or bring God’s eternal purpose to completion? It would be impossible. Therefore, these events show that the body of Christ—Christ’s bride which is also a victorious army—has reached a certain level of spiritual growth. The maturity of the body of Christ and the maturity of individual believers is achieved through trials, attacks from Satan, and challenging circumstances. These difficulties enable us to grow and mature so we can overcome, gain the fullness and abundance of God's life, and eventually gain the authority to rule over the universe and Satan and to trample on serpents and scorpions. The final judgment in Revelation is intimately connected with the maturity of Christ’s body. When the body of Christ matures, believers can sit on thrones with Him. Without this maturity, which leads to reigning together with the Lord on the throne, the final judgment in Revelation would be impossible.