John saw an angel seized the dragon, bound him with a great chain and threw him into the Abyss (20:2). It was revealed that the dragon would be bound for a thousand years to keep him from deceiving the nations until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time (20:3 cf., 13:14; 16:13-14).
During the thousand years, Satan will not be deceiving the nations and Christ will rule the nations with a rod of iron (19:15). There will be peace on earth among the nations.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore. Isa. 2:4, NIV
John saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. Who are these sitting on thrones? John then saw the Tribulation martyrs came to life ...
John was told that they reigned with Christ a thousand years (20:4). This is the first resurrection.
The privilege of reigning with Christ is NOT exclusively the reward of the Tribulation martyrs. The following will ALSO reign with Christ:
"On being relieved from his confinement, Satan loses no time in resuming his nefarious activities and plunges into his campaign to deceive the nations of the entire earth. These who are tempted are the descendants of the tribulation saints who survive the tribulation and enter the millennium in their natural bodies ... Outwardly they have been required to conform to the rule of the king and make a profession of obedience to Christ. In many cases, however, this was mere outward conformity without inward reality, and in their inexperience of real temptation they are easy victims of Satan’s wiles." (John Walvoord in The Reign Of Christ)
During the thousand years, the normal life span will be over 100 years (Isa. 65:20); people will continue to reproduce (Isa. 65:23); and by the end of the thousand years, the earth will be overflowing with inhabitants. And Satan deceived the nations, “Gog and Magog” and gathered a great number of these people for battle; they are like the sand on the seashore (20:8).
They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the city of God’s people but fire came down from heaven and devoured them. Satan was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also (20:9-10).
Previously in Rev. 16, three demon spirits came out of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet had gathered them together to Armageddon for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty (19:19 cf., 16:13-14,16) ... against the rider on the white horse and His army.
The beast and his false prophet were captured and these two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur while the dragon was thrown into the Abyss (20:1-3). The rest of their armies were killed with the sword and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh (19:20-21).
A Comparison of Two Battles in Rev. 19 and 20
Then the rest of the (wicked) dead came to life after the thousand years were over; this is the second resurrection. Their bodies would be resurrected from the sea and death and united with their souls which were held in their temporary abode, Hades. They were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books 20:12-13) and would be found falling short . Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire (20:14) where they would be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Often, we wish, "If only my situation is different, things will be different." But the fact that Satan is able to gathered a great number of people who have been living in a perfect environment under the perfect reign of God's Son to rebel against God proves that a perfect environment cannot change man's heart. Man's heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). Only the transforming power of Christ can change man's heart from the inside out.
Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor. 5:17, KJV
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.
For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18, ESV