Revelation 20:7-10 - Where Help Comes From
Have you heard the advice that when things are looking down, you should look up? Look to the sky. See how small you are and how big the universe is. Turn your thoughts to God.
That’s the approach described in Psalm 121. It says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” God’s people would sing those words as they journeyed once a year up to the city of Jerusalem. For many, the trip was difficult and even dangerous. So they sang a song to remind them to look to God with humility and hope and to trust in Him. Otherwise, they would be fixed on their troubles and fears and look for some other form of help.
That’s what we naturally do – trust in ourselves or something or someone on this earth. Ultimately, though, help doesn’t come from within or around us. It comes down – from God. But judgment also comes down from above. Which will it be for you – help coming down, or judgment? These verses of Revelation cause us to look at our lives and think about that question.
Now earlier in the chapter, Christ reiterates that when He came into the world, He limited Satan’s power for the gathering of God’s people. The strong man has been bound; the ruler of this world has been cast out. Jesus is drawing people from all nations to Himself. This period of time is often referred to as “the gospel age.” It’s symbolized in Revelation by “a thousand years.”
But the gospel age will come to an end – and yet it will not be quite time for Jesus to return. There will be a short season during which there will be no more salvation for the lost. There will be no more coming to Christ by faith – no more opportunity for repentance.
Revelation 11 symbolically calls this the “three and a half days.” In verse 3 of this chapter, John calls it “a little while.” During that future time, the Church will appear to be left for dead. Believers will exist on earth and they will remain in Christ, but the enemies of God will be allowed to gloat for a brief time.
Look again at verse 7. John says, “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog.” Revelation has already told us that things will get worse as history moves toward its finale.
There will be, at the time Jesus returns, a severe antichrist movement and an awful person at the helm of that movement. This is a person who is guided by Satan, which is exactly what Revelation has described all along: worldly entities with Satan as the puppetmaster. And the antichrist movement will be worldwide, indicated by “the four corners of the earth.” North, south, east, and west – the whole world against the church.
Now who or what is Gog and Magog? This is from the OT book of Ezekiel. Gog was the prince of Syria, also called Magog. And historically, Syria’s attack on the OT people of God was the last one they had to endure before the coming of Christ into the world. Gog and Magog are referenced here because Christ shows John a vision of the final attack that the Church will have to endure before Christ comes into the world again.
There are many parallels, and the comparison is helpful to our understanding for a few reasons. First of all, Gog and Magog were great in number, just as the opposition to the church will be. Also, the attack by Gog and Magog was very severe, just as the opposition to the church will be. But thankfully, the attack was also very brief, just as the opposition to the church will be.
Now in addition, God’s people defeated Gog and Magog, which wasn’t expected because they were so powerful. For that reason, the victory was obviously God’s doing. God, in His providence, designed it that way.
What do I mean by “providence?” “God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions.” Such is the perfect and complete control of God over all that occurs, and His powerful ability to work all things together for the good of His people.
God achieved the victory against Gog and Magog, therefore it was a total defeat. So you can see why the comparison is so appropriate. Gog and Magog rose up against God – confident in their own strength – and they got crushed.
So, Satan is unbound, you see in verse 8, “to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.” And look at what John sees them doing. Verse [9] “they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” “Broad plain” here means something like the “breadth” of the earth. In other words, they come from all over the planet. Again, this is a worldwide onslaught.
And John sees them surrounding God’s people and their city, which is reminiscent of ancient Jerusalem, but we understand that in the New Covenant era there is no single location where the Spirit of God dwells. He is wherever His people are. God is omnipresent – He’s everywhere – and He is able to be with all of His people all over the planet at all times by the presence of His Holy Spirit dwelling within them.
Satan and His followers will come after the chosen people of the one true God. They won’t be fearful, or respectful, or reverent toward God and Christ. This will be the posture and attitude of God’s enemies in this short season before the Last Day. They rise up, confident in their own strength.
But really, is that anything new? No, it’s not.
At the end, the enemies of God will do what they’ve always done apart from His grace. They’ll do basically what they’re doing right now, even as we speak: puffing out their chests and raging in defiance of God’s ways and His truth.
This is who we are apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ. And for that reason, each of us should look inward. We must humble ourselves before Christ and surrender to His plans for us. We must look up for His help. Because His enemies don’t look up; they rise up. And if you rise up, confident in your own strength, there can be only one outcome: judgment will come down.
Look at the end of verse 9. “But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.” This moment has already been featured in Revelation more than once. Revelation 16 and 19 both depict it. In Rev. 16, the sixth angel pours out the sixth bowl, and God’s enemies gather at the place called Armageddon. And with the seventh bowl, God’s wrath is poured out on them.
Then in Rev. 19 – another perspective on the same future event – the armies of Satan gather to make war against the rider of the white horse and His armies – Christ and His people. Notably, in that chapter the armies with Jesus have no weapons. Why? Because there will be no fight. Christ will slay His enemies with simply a word.
Judgment comes down. And we see another perspective on those events in this chapter. Notice that God’s enemies are on the earth and judgment falls from heaven. Remember Psalm 121. “I lift up my eyes…My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” On the Last Day, help and judgment will come from where it always comes from and from Who it always comes from.
Any help you’ve ever received, any blessing you’ve ever enjoyed, came down from who James calls “the Father of lights.” Our help comes from the LORD. And He can dispense of His enemies quickly and easily.
That includes every enemy – look at verse [10]. John says, “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were.” These deceived people don’t get to cry out, “But the devil tricked us!” It’s too late for that.
Maybe you wonder, “Who are the beast and the false prophet?” They came up repeatedly in past chapters. The beast is a symbol of anti-Christian government, and the false prophet is a symbol of anti-Christian religion and systems of belief that props up and promotes anti-Christian government in the last days – the days in which we now live.
On the Last Day, they’re all going down – and they are going down to hell. See the end of the verse, “and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” This is not the annihilation of the soul, so that they cease to exist. The enemies of God will most certainly continue to exist. Body and soul will be cast into eternal hell – everlasting separation from God. This is non-stop endurance of God’s awful wrath toward sin for all of His enemies. From the greatest to the least, the punishment is basically the same.
You see, if you rise up, confident in your own strength, you will fall, consumed by your own foolishness. It’s our own ignorance that compels us to rely on our own power, just as it’s our own desires that entice us to sin, and sin – in all its many forms – destroys. It pits us against God – against His moral law and His character – and we can’t win, although the way God allows His enemies to seemingly succeed and gloat looks like winning. You can appear to get some traction in your own strength.
Similar to God’s enemies here at the end, you may think you’re capable – you may believe that God’s law doesn’t apply to you. You may even think you’ll abide by that later, but for now, sin feels right. Scripture confirms that sin can be pleasurable for a season, but you’re only hurting yourself.
And one application of this for our lives is clear: we cannot throw in our lot with the ungodly. There is great pressure to do things as the world does them, but we can’t follow that. Our aim must be to follow Jesus every day, in every area of life, with every decision.
Scripture also confirms that we will fail sometimes. And so where will you look for help each day? Will your confidence be in God or yourself? The struggle not to trust in ourselves must keep us coming back to Jesus and the good news of who He is and what He's done for His people.
We must keep studying Jesus and seeking to know Him more. He died the kind of death reserved for those who puff out their chests at God. Judgment came down from above – but it fell on Him. He didn’t deserve judgment, but He bore it. And in doing so, He bought us salvation from God’s judgment.
God’s judgment came down on Him, so God’s help could come down for you.
Will you renew your faith in Christ today, and renew your efforts to follow Him by submitting to God’s divine will? And if you’ve never trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord, will you do so today?
Will you stop being puffed up toward God, and start bowing down before Him? Eventually, everyone will bow, and one day, it will be too late for faith. Both help and judgment come from above.
Which will it be for you? Will you come to Jesus? He offers grace to the humble.
Let’s bow in prayer.
That’s the approach described in Psalm 121. It says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” God’s people would sing those words as they journeyed once a year up to the city of Jerusalem. For many, the trip was difficult and even dangerous. So they sang a song to remind them to look to God with humility and hope and to trust in Him. Otherwise, they would be fixed on their troubles and fears and look for some other form of help.
That’s what we naturally do – trust in ourselves or something or someone on this earth. Ultimately, though, help doesn’t come from within or around us. It comes down – from God. But judgment also comes down from above. Which will it be for you – help coming down, or judgment? These verses of Revelation cause us to look at our lives and think about that question.
Now earlier in the chapter, Christ reiterates that when He came into the world, He limited Satan’s power for the gathering of God’s people. The strong man has been bound; the ruler of this world has been cast out. Jesus is drawing people from all nations to Himself. This period of time is often referred to as “the gospel age.” It’s symbolized in Revelation by “a thousand years.”
But the gospel age will come to an end – and yet it will not be quite time for Jesus to return. There will be a short season during which there will be no more salvation for the lost. There will be no more coming to Christ by faith – no more opportunity for repentance.
Revelation 11 symbolically calls this the “three and a half days.” In verse 3 of this chapter, John calls it “a little while.” During that future time, the Church will appear to be left for dead. Believers will exist on earth and they will remain in Christ, but the enemies of God will be allowed to gloat for a brief time.
Look again at verse 7. John says, “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog.” Revelation has already told us that things will get worse as history moves toward its finale.
There will be, at the time Jesus returns, a severe antichrist movement and an awful person at the helm of that movement. This is a person who is guided by Satan, which is exactly what Revelation has described all along: worldly entities with Satan as the puppetmaster. And the antichrist movement will be worldwide, indicated by “the four corners of the earth.” North, south, east, and west – the whole world against the church.
Now who or what is Gog and Magog? This is from the OT book of Ezekiel. Gog was the prince of Syria, also called Magog. And historically, Syria’s attack on the OT people of God was the last one they had to endure before the coming of Christ into the world. Gog and Magog are referenced here because Christ shows John a vision of the final attack that the Church will have to endure before Christ comes into the world again.
There are many parallels, and the comparison is helpful to our understanding for a few reasons. First of all, Gog and Magog were great in number, just as the opposition to the church will be. Also, the attack by Gog and Magog was very severe, just as the opposition to the church will be. But thankfully, the attack was also very brief, just as the opposition to the church will be.
Now in addition, God’s people defeated Gog and Magog, which wasn’t expected because they were so powerful. For that reason, the victory was obviously God’s doing. God, in His providence, designed it that way.
What do I mean by “providence?” “God’s works of providence are His most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions.” Such is the perfect and complete control of God over all that occurs, and His powerful ability to work all things together for the good of His people.
God achieved the victory against Gog and Magog, therefore it was a total defeat. So you can see why the comparison is so appropriate. Gog and Magog rose up against God – confident in their own strength – and they got crushed.
So, Satan is unbound, you see in verse 8, “to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.” And look at what John sees them doing. Verse [9] “they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.” “Broad plain” here means something like the “breadth” of the earth. In other words, they come from all over the planet. Again, this is a worldwide onslaught.
And John sees them surrounding God’s people and their city, which is reminiscent of ancient Jerusalem, but we understand that in the New Covenant era there is no single location where the Spirit of God dwells. He is wherever His people are. God is omnipresent – He’s everywhere – and He is able to be with all of His people all over the planet at all times by the presence of His Holy Spirit dwelling within them.
Satan and His followers will come after the chosen people of the one true God. They won’t be fearful, or respectful, or reverent toward God and Christ. This will be the posture and attitude of God’s enemies in this short season before the Last Day. They rise up, confident in their own strength.
But really, is that anything new? No, it’s not.
At the end, the enemies of God will do what they’ve always done apart from His grace. They’ll do basically what they’re doing right now, even as we speak: puffing out their chests and raging in defiance of God’s ways and His truth.
This is who we are apart from the person and work of Jesus Christ. And for that reason, each of us should look inward. We must humble ourselves before Christ and surrender to His plans for us. We must look up for His help. Because His enemies don’t look up; they rise up. And if you rise up, confident in your own strength, there can be only one outcome: judgment will come down.
Look at the end of verse 9. “But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.” This moment has already been featured in Revelation more than once. Revelation 16 and 19 both depict it. In Rev. 16, the sixth angel pours out the sixth bowl, and God’s enemies gather at the place called Armageddon. And with the seventh bowl, God’s wrath is poured out on them.
Then in Rev. 19 – another perspective on the same future event – the armies of Satan gather to make war against the rider of the white horse and His armies – Christ and His people. Notably, in that chapter the armies with Jesus have no weapons. Why? Because there will be no fight. Christ will slay His enemies with simply a word.
Judgment comes down. And we see another perspective on those events in this chapter. Notice that God’s enemies are on the earth and judgment falls from heaven. Remember Psalm 121. “I lift up my eyes…My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” On the Last Day, help and judgment will come from where it always comes from and from Who it always comes from.
Any help you’ve ever received, any blessing you’ve ever enjoyed, came down from who James calls “the Father of lights.” Our help comes from the LORD. And He can dispense of His enemies quickly and easily.
That includes every enemy – look at verse [10]. John says, “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were.” These deceived people don’t get to cry out, “But the devil tricked us!” It’s too late for that.
Maybe you wonder, “Who are the beast and the false prophet?” They came up repeatedly in past chapters. The beast is a symbol of anti-Christian government, and the false prophet is a symbol of anti-Christian religion and systems of belief that props up and promotes anti-Christian government in the last days – the days in which we now live.
On the Last Day, they’re all going down – and they are going down to hell. See the end of the verse, “and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” This is not the annihilation of the soul, so that they cease to exist. The enemies of God will most certainly continue to exist. Body and soul will be cast into eternal hell – everlasting separation from God. This is non-stop endurance of God’s awful wrath toward sin for all of His enemies. From the greatest to the least, the punishment is basically the same.
You see, if you rise up, confident in your own strength, you will fall, consumed by your own foolishness. It’s our own ignorance that compels us to rely on our own power, just as it’s our own desires that entice us to sin, and sin – in all its many forms – destroys. It pits us against God – against His moral law and His character – and we can’t win, although the way God allows His enemies to seemingly succeed and gloat looks like winning. You can appear to get some traction in your own strength.
Similar to God’s enemies here at the end, you may think you’re capable – you may believe that God’s law doesn’t apply to you. You may even think you’ll abide by that later, but for now, sin feels right. Scripture confirms that sin can be pleasurable for a season, but you’re only hurting yourself.
And one application of this for our lives is clear: we cannot throw in our lot with the ungodly. There is great pressure to do things as the world does them, but we can’t follow that. Our aim must be to follow Jesus every day, in every area of life, with every decision.
Scripture also confirms that we will fail sometimes. And so where will you look for help each day? Will your confidence be in God or yourself? The struggle not to trust in ourselves must keep us coming back to Jesus and the good news of who He is and what He's done for His people.
We must keep studying Jesus and seeking to know Him more. He died the kind of death reserved for those who puff out their chests at God. Judgment came down from above – but it fell on Him. He didn’t deserve judgment, but He bore it. And in doing so, He bought us salvation from God’s judgment.
God’s judgment came down on Him, so God’s help could come down for you.
Will you renew your faith in Christ today, and renew your efforts to follow Him by submitting to God’s divine will? And if you’ve never trusted in Christ as Savior and Lord, will you do so today?
Will you stop being puffed up toward God, and start bowing down before Him? Eventually, everyone will bow, and one day, it will be too late for faith. Both help and judgment come from above.
Which will it be for you? Will you come to Jesus? He offers grace to the humble.
Let’s bow in prayer.
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