Read Revelation 20:7–10
We are inching nearer and nearer to the end. In literature and film, tension and conflict steadily build until the climax of the story, then resolve by its conclusion. The book of Revelation follows a more cyclical structure, as we have seen, but today’s passage certainly feels like the climax of the story. Evil has steadily increased over time, culminating in a final, dramatic battle.
After Satan is released from the abyss, he deceives the nations and gathers a gigantic army to fight against God. He recruits soldiers from the “four corners of the earth” and “Gog and Magog” (20:8). Let’s pause there. What are Gog and Magog? During the 6th century B.C., Ezekiel prophesied against Gog, the prince of Magog (see Ezekiel 38–39). Some scholars believe “Gog” and “Magog” are veiled references to some enemies of Israel during Ezekiel’s time, while others think the names refer to Alexander the Great and Macedonia or another unknown opponent in the distant future. Regardless, John’s reference to Gog and Magog here shows that God has had a plan for dealing with this type of enemy for quite some time. He is not—and never will be—taken by surprise.
God’s plan to punish the enemy has been in place since the very beginning. We see a glimpse of this plan in Genesis 3:15, when God tells the serpent that one of Eve’s descendants “will strike [his] head.” Thousands of years later, Jesus fulfilled that mission. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus destroyed “the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). However, we still live in that “already, not yet” era. Jesus is already victorious over death, but we have not seen every aspect of His plan come to fruition yet. Someday, we will. Look at verse 10: “The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire… [and] will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” One day, the justice we long for will be served. Today, we can rest in the fact that God will bring our story to a good resolution.
