Join us as we delve into the extraordinary future of our world during the millennium, a time when Jesus Christ will reign supreme without opposition. Bible teacher David Hawking guides us through Revelation 20, offering insights into a future filled with peace and justice. Tune in to explore the destiny of Satan, the absence of war, and the significance of resurrection in the believer’s life.
00:00:00 Overview of Satan’s Activity and the Millennium
When we looked at the activity of Satan during the tribulation, it doesn’t look like what we have described in the millennium. It looks like he’s really in charge. But when God moves in, he binds him. The political system of the world will be run by Jesus Christ and there will be no opposition. Can you imagine what that’s going to be like? There will be no problems whatsoever. There won’t be two parties or four or five. No more Democrats or Republicans. Just Jesus Christ. Boy, may that day come soon. The millennium.
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Thank you.
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Imagine a world where the sky is clear of war and the sound of chaos, it’s gone. Where darkness no longer whispers its threats and every authority on earth bends to the one who spoke it into existence. Revelation 20 verses 1 through 10 pulls back the veil and lets us see it. An age when Jesus Christ reigns without challenge, without resistance, without a single voice rising against him. On today’s edition of Hope for Today, Bible teacher David Hawking continues his look into its inevitable reality with day two of a message called The Millennial Ring. Stay tuned. Just before today’s study time, I want to tell you about the Hope for Today Christmas Package for 2025. The package includes Jesus Christ the Reason. This is David’s 87-page book, and Jesus Christ the Reason, what a powerful study resource this is. It takes you beyond Christmas trees, gifts, family traditions, and all the seasonal noise, and reveals the real meaning of Christmas, that God and human flesh stepped into our world to bring salvation to all who believe. Now, in the package, you’re going to also receive David’s three-message audio series. That’s titled, Jesus Christ the Reason. And the Jesus Christ the Reason audio is an amazing teaching set that points everything back to the birth and then the ministry, death, and resurrection of our Savior. Now, the entire package, the book, Jesus Christ the Reason, and the three-part audio series, Jesus Christ the Reason, The complete package is just $20, and this is going to make your Christmas special, and it will also help the ministry of hope for today. Call 800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, Bible by the numbers 24253, or purchase this online at davidhawking.org. And here’s David with today’s study.
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The Millennium Latin word for a thousand years. Chapter 20, verse 1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled. And after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God and who had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath no power. but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog. to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.” Now, we’ve looked at the revelation of Satan’s destiny. He’s in the bottomless pit and a great chain is there and he’s going to be kept there for a thousand years. When we looked at the activity of Satan during the tribulation, it doesn’t look… like what we have described in the millennium. It looks like he’s really in charge. But when God moves in, he binds him, binds him with a great chain. And the result is that Satan will be unable to do any of this for 1,000 years. Think of it for a moment. The political system of the world will be run by Jesus Christ, and there will be no opposition. And it’s very interesting what’s going to happen because Satan is bound. For instance, go to Isaiah chapter 2. Here’s an interesting fact. With Satan being bound for a thousand years, then there’s not going to be any military conflicts or wars, are there? There won’t be any for a thousand years. Look at Isaiah chapter two, verse two. It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord’s house, that’s the millennial temple, shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. And he will teach us of his ways. We will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many peoples. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Isn’t that great? No more war, no more military conflict. Satan’s bound for a thousand years. Something else. Turn over to Isaiah chapter 11. There will no longer be any injustice. You say, we need our rights. Well, there won’t be any problem in the millennium. In Isaiah 11, verse 3, speaking of the Messiah, the rod out of the stem of Jesse, the branch that grows out of his roots from verse 1. Verse 3 says… The Spirit is going to make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins.” and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. Look down in chapter 42 of Isaiah, verses 1 to 4. It says in chapter 42, verse 1, “…behold my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry nor lift up.” nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment and truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment or justice in the earth, and the isles shall wait for his law. Hey, things are going to be different. Things are going to be different. No injustice. He will rule and reign with judgment and equity. Everything’s going to be different. Why? Because Satan is is bound for a thousand years. Now back to Revelation 20. The fourth thing that we’re mentioning here, first was the revelation of Satan’s destiny in verse 1, and then the recognition of his activity during the tribulation in verse 2, and then the result that he’ll experience for a thousand years, he’ll be bound. The fourth thing is the release of Satan at the end of the thousand years. Haven’t you wondered about that as you read it? Why does God do that? It says after that, he must be loosed a little season. And then you don’t pick up that argument until verse 7 to verse 10 about the final battle. Now, during the millennium, there are going to be children born. During the millennium. Isaiah 65 makes it clear. They apparently are going to be able to live for 100 years, and if they turn to the Messiah and bow their knee to him, they will continue to live. If they don’t, they’re going to be cursed and cut off. That means that the rebellion at the end has got to be people 100 years old or less at that time. And many of them who have died earlier will not be a part of that. Satan will be loosed. Now, what would be the purpose of it? Well, because they’ll have natural bodies. They will bear children. They’re just like us. They will, in fact, have depravity. Something the believer has been rescued from, redeemed from, will have bodies fashioned like to our Lord’s glorious body. We’re going to rule and reign over these people. Now, according to the Bible… The real problem is in the human heart. Jesus said, it’s not that outside that defiles us. It’s that which comes out of our own heart. So I believe what happens at the end of the millennium is that with a perfect society, which all the nations of the world have been longing for, a utopia. with the perfect dictator, Jesus Christ. Everything done with justice and equity, yet sin is still in the human heart. And the rebellion at the end when Satan is loosed and appeals to these people demonstrates once and for all that the real need is in the human heart. And that’s what I think is the Lord’s purpose in it, although it is a very difficult passage to understand. Let’s come to verse 4 and take a look at the blessings that believers will experience. Do you need a little blessing in your life? Amen? Here’s one that you probably haven’t suspected or thought much about. Verse 4, that’s the responsibility for judgment. You know one of the blessings believers are going to get is they’re going to be called on to judge. Here comes the judge. And it’s going to be believers. Revelation 4.4 says the 24 elders sit on thrones. Turn to Matthew chapter 19. Matthew chapter 19. And look at verse 28. Peter had just said to Jesus that, Behold, we’ve forsaken all and followed thee. What shall we have, therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Matthew 19, 28, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory… ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. So even those disciples of Jesus are going to be involved in judgment. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 6. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Verse 2. Have you ever thought about this? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? Wow. Look at verse 3. Know ye not that we shall judge angels? Now, certainly not the good elect angels, so it’s got to be even the demonic forces of the devil. We, in our resurrected state, ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ, we’re going to be judging unbelievers, and we’re also going to be judging fallen angels and demons. Can you believe that? That sounds to me like when we get resurrected, we’re going to be a little better off than we are now. Isn’t that interesting? A lot of people just read that and pass right by it. You and I are going to judge the world and judge angels. That’s what it says. Believest thou this? Now come back to Revelation 20. One of the blessings that believers will experience is a responsibility for judgment. But also another blessing is the resurrection, brand new bodies. And here he expresses it concerning those who suffered during the tribulation. Revelation 20, verse 4. I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark on their foreheads or in their hands. So these are tribulation saints. Clearly identify that great multitude of chapter 7 that no man can number out of every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. Many of them, we believe millions, are going to be killed for their faith. They will not take the mark of the beast. And they’re going to be killed. And what does God say to them? You’re going to live and reign with Christ a thousand years. And the end of verse 5, this is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy, verse 6, is he that hath part in the first resurrection. There’s going to be a resurrection of believers. Turn to John chapter 11. John chapter 11. We’re going to get a brand new body. Fashioned like in the glorious body of Jesus Christ. What a precious promise that is to us. And in John 11, Jesus said this in verse 25. You remember it to Martha? He said, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. And he said, believest thou this? Apparently there is a problem in our hearts about believing such an amazing thing. Believest thou this? She came out with a great statement. Lord, I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world. The resurrection is our hope. 1 Thessalonians 4.16 says, The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. We are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Aren’t you glad you’re going to be resurrected? You know, that’s one of the blessings of having bodily pain and illness. How many of you right now have something wrong in your physical body? Good. What a day that’s going to be, folks, when we get a brand new body from the Lord Jesus Christ. No more sickness, no more pain, no more tears, no more suffering, no more sorrow, no more death. It’ll all be gone. Praise the Lord. But you know, back to Revelation 20, if you follow this carefully, we have also the resurrection of unbelievers. Did you catch it? Verse 5 says, the rest of the dead, well, who would that be? Those who are not believers. The rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. Now, it’s a little misleading to read the next statement. This is the first resurrection. You say, well, that sounds like the second one. But it’s a very common device in Greek grammar. It simply picks up the discussion. But it added a note to make sure we understood that the unbelievers will not be resurrected at the same time as believers. He makes it clear in verse 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. So what we’re going to learn in our next message is that all unbelievers are also going to be resurrected. not with bodies fashioned like unto Christ, but in the bodies in which they sinned and rejected the Lord, and they’re going to be cast into the lake of fire. And that’s the second death. And that’s the second resurrection. The resurrection of unbelievers. By the way, the Old Testament, as well as the gospel, speak about the two resurrections. The resurrection of the just and the unjust has always been not only among the Jews, but among the Christians as well. But it’s separated by a thousand years. Now look at verse 6 and you see the reward of believers there very clearly. You have, first of all, a promised rescue from the second death. It says, “…on such the second death hath no power.” What’s the second death? Look at verse 14. Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The great reward of believers is to escape hell. You know, since I got this asthma problem and breathing problem, I’ve been thinking about breath. You know, it really is true, isn’t it? We’re just a breath away from eternity. Makes you think. Yeah, the great reward of believers, I’ll tell you what it is. We don’t have to go to hell. We can go to heaven. Praise the Lord. It’s also, however, this reward, not only a promised rescue from the second death, but it’s a special relationship to God and to Christ. Look at verse 6. Isn’t this special that God would say, and, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ. We’re going to be priests serving the Lord, participating in worship and service to our Lord Jesus Christ during the millennium. What a wonderful thing to say, priests. A third thing is said, however, we’re going to have an extended reign with Jesus Christ. It says we’ll reign with him. I love that. Reign with him a thousand years. We’re going to be with the Lord Jesus, ruling and reigning. Some of us are going to be managing several cities. Did you know that? The Lord Jesus taught in the parables. And based on our faithfulness here, what we’ve done for the Lord, God’s going to reward us enormously, more than we’ve ever dreamed. Every cup of cold water given his name will receive a reward. He said, it’ll be a hundredfold more than you ever dreamed. The Lord is not unjust, says Hebrews 6.10, to forget our work and our labor of love that we’ve shown in ministering to the saints and that we still do minister. God’s going to reward us. And what a precious thing to see that included right here in the encouragement to all of us.
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That’s Bible teacher and author David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. David’s back to bring our time in the Word to a close momentarily, so do stay right there. Just before that, David’s son Matt’s here, and together we have something for you that’s going to make your Christmas even more special this year. Take it away, Matt.
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What evidence does the Bible give us that Jesus is in fact the Almighty God? And can that claim be proven from the Scriptures? Yes, indeed.
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That wasn’t a question for me, wasn’t it, Matt?
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That’s right. Indeed, yeah.
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The evidence is found throughout the Bible on virtually every page. And David Hawking takes readers to that evidence with his concise, encouraging, and hope-filled compact book, Jesus Christ the Reason. And Matt, this book really broadens and deepens our appreciation for Christmas.
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You know, Isaiah 9-6 says, and we hear this often at the Christmas season, for unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
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And when we dive deep into the scriptures to study our Savior, Christmas becomes brighter, more vibrant, overflowing with hope and healing. And that’s just what Jesus Christ, the reason, brings.
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To readers. Which is exactly why we’re offering it as part of a special Christmas 2025 Hope for Today Christmas package for our listening family. The 2025 Christmas package also contains a three-message audio miniseries taught by my dad that also carries the title Jesus Christ, The Reason. And the complete package is just $20.
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Your purchase today will make the holidays that much more meaningful and special for years to come, and it will help the ministry of Hope for Today. We are a listener-sponsored radio and online ministry. And as you consider year-end giving, please prayerfully consider Hope for Today as the Bible teaching here ministers to you. Help others to hear the same with a generous year-end donation. And please continue praying for Hope for Today. Amen. Amen. We count on your prayers. And to get your copy of this very special Christmas package, the Hope for Today 2025 Christmas Package, with David’s compact book, Jesus Christ the Reason, and the three-part audio series, Jesus Christ the Reason, call us at 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. 800-75-242-53. Or in Canada, call us at 888-75-BIBLE. That’s 888-75-24253. And you can also go to DavidHawking.org to order. That’s DavidHawking.org. And if you’d like to stand with us at year’s end, this is a very important time for ministries. Well, please know that your giving helps us continue doing what God has called us to do. Proclaim His Word clearly, faithfully, and without compromise, reaching people all over the world every single day with the truth of Scripture. When you give, you are partnering with us to help keep Hope for Today strong on the air and online, available to those who desperately need to hear God’s Word. And that’s everybody, isn’t it? You can send your gift by good old-fashioned letter, if you like, to Hope for Today, Box 3927, Tustin, California, 92781. That’s in the U.S. Or in Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S, 8P1. And of course, you can contribute by phone at 875-BIBLE in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, or online at davidhawking.org. And here’s David.
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Well, friends, thank you for listening and for supporting our broadcast with your prayers and your gifts. It’s the only way we can survive. We don’t have any church or organization behind us. We depend upon you, our listener friends. This is the Lord’s ministry, not mine, not anybody else. I know I’m involved teaching and teaching the book of Revelation is, of course, my delight. And thanks for listening. And we’re still talking about the millennial reign of our Lord, and that’s chapter 20 of Revelation, verses 1 to 10. One of the sweetest news that we could ever hear is that The devil that deceived the world will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false prophet are and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Wow. But the thousand years Satan is bound during that whole time. And the thousand years when they’re expired, Satan will be loose for just a little bit to show that the problem is in the human heart responding to the deception of the enemy. And it tells us that they’re going to be gathered together to battle. The nations will be deceived again. And wow, what interesting times. Well, I hope you’re enjoying the study of Revelation. What an exciting time it is. Revelation 20, boy, that’s at least a thousand years from now, if not much more than it’s a thousand-year reign of our Lord. God bless you.
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Well, next time David takes us deeper into the millennial reign, imagine life on earth with no resistance to Christ, no corruption, no darkness, only the King of Kings reigning exactly as God declared for 1,000 years. Well, our study of the millennial reign continues next time on Hope for Today. Hope for Today
