I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Revelation 20-22.

    After the beast and his false prophet have been defeated, Satan will be chained and Christ will rule over the earth for “a thousand years”. (I put quotes around that because I am not sure if the thousand years which John writes about is literal or figurative). Those who refused to accept the mark of the beast will reign with Him for that time period. At the end of that time Satan will be released and gather the nations to attack God’s people. This is another place where it is unclear whether the term “God’s people” refers to the Church or to the Jews. The phrasing seems to suggest that Satan will inspire the nations of the world to attack Jerusalem. Whatever the meaning, the armies will gather and appear to be on the verge of victory when fire will come down from heaven and destroy them. At that point Satan will be cast into the lake of fire to suffer torment for the rest of his existence. Then all who have ever lived will come before God for judgement. The earth and skies will be destroyed and God will create a new earth and a new heaven. Those who have not accepted through faith God’s free gift of grace will be cast into the lake of fire along with Satan.

    Then John describes the new Jerusalem which will exist after all of this is over. A city where nothing evil will be allowed to enter. No temples or places of worship will be necessary because the people living within it will continually be in God’s presence. There will be no pain, or death, or suffering for those who dwell within that city. The curse of entropy (and all other curses which came from that one) which came to be because of Adam’s sin will not be on this new city, nor on the new earth in which it will be placed. In that city there will be a river of life…a river of life to which everyone is invited to drink. And this is where it gets interesting, despite the fact that this city does not yet exist, we are all invited to drink now from the river of life which flows through it. Will you join with me in drinking from the River?