Bells on Christmas Morning
There are many reasons people love the Christmas season. Maybe it’s the hot chocolate. Maybe it’s the eggnog. Maybe it’s the presents. Maybe it’s the decorations, and lights, and snow but I guarantee it is the music—which sometimes starts back at Halloween! (Shame on you!). One famous song, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, later set to music. While he wrote about peace, Longfellow’s life knew tragedy. During a home fire, he watched his wife die from a severe burn. He was burned so badly, he go no longer shave and grew out his signature beard. His son, Charles, fought in the Civil War and was nearly paralyzed from a bullet wound suffered in battle. Can you imagine the pain he felt from this loss and tragedy? On Christmas Day, December 25th, 1863, Longfellow heard the familiar sound of Christmas Bells in the distance. He heard carolers singing, “Peace on Earth, Good-Will to Men.”
How could there be peace … when his life had known great tragedy? In that moment, Longfellow put pen to paper and wrote this poem to capture the dissonance in his heart on Christmas:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play;
In music sweet the tones repeat,
“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”
But the carol is not cotton candy; it is a beating heart, laid bare. It’s a carol that still rings true today. By the third stanza we sing:
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
This past Sunday we lit the Advent Candle of “Peace.” While we, as a country, are not entrenched in a literal Civil War as in 1863—there is much polarization. The news cycle—it never seems to stop. Just this week I’ve seen stories where Russia is open to Nuclear War, weird drones are flying all over New Jersey, and a health-care executive was murdered in broad daylight on his way to a meeting in Manhattan. What is happening?! Our world feels Apocalyptic, as if the book of Revelation is playing out before our eyes. Like Longfellow, we’ve faced tragedy and the Christmas bells … they’ve stopped ringing. Have the bells stopped ringing in your life this Christmas?
For many of us, the candle of peace is illusive. Career, finances, friends, family … they all feel strained. The bells are silent; there is an absence of ringing in your life. Is that you today? You might be asking—how can I find peace this Christmas? I believe Revelation 20 offers a solution to our peace problem.
The Chain
We read this is Revelation 20:1,
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. (Revelation 20:1, ESV)
The phrase, “And I saw,” indicates that this is a continuing vision from chapter 19. This angel is coming down on a mission. In his hand, he has two items: (1) A Key. Specifically, this key locks and unlocks the “bottomless pit” or the “abyss.” This refers to the underworld, or the place where demons live. This key symbolizes authority to unlock this place. (2) Second, he holds a GREAT CHAIN. This is the instrument will be used to bind and restrain the Great Dragon, Satan himself. This section completes the reversal and destruction of the unholy trinity—in chapter 19 the beasts are destroyed; in chapter 20, the dragon is finished off.
And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. (Revelation 20:2-3, ESV)
So what does the text say? In chapter 19 Jesus comes back and defeats his enemies … but then John sees something else. An angel, perhaps Michael the archangel, bursts forth from the throne room in heaven with a KEY and CHAIN. He has power and authority to end Satan’s rule. In fact, the entire host of heaven may start chanting, “Lock him up! Lock him up! Lock him up!”
Friends, can you imagine a world where Satan has no power? Can you imagine a world where he could not cause trouble? The point is this: when the dragon is chained, peace with reign.
The Reign
What does John see next?
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4, ESV)
This verse is hugely important—and hotly debated. This one verse in Revelation talks explicitly about the Millennium—the 1000 years. Since it is just one verse, we should be humble in our discussions. There is room for disagreement.
What happens during this 1000 year reign? An A-Millennial position says this is the saints reigning with Jesus in heaven and all the promises of the OT are fulfilled in the Church. A Post-Millennial person say we must continue to spread the Gospel and Christianize the world, ushering in the millennium. A Pre-Millennial position says this is a future intermediate kingdom before the eternal state. Some people think this will involve fulfillment of promises to Israel, others think it is a time when the church—OT and NT believers—reign with Christ on earth.
John finishes this section in v. 6 by telling us of the glory that awaits us at this first resurrection:
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6, ESV)
Church, what powerful images! This verse, right here, is the sound of the coming kingdom … it is the bells ringing in the distance which provide peace for today! When Christ returns, he will defeat his enemies, he will bind up Satan and throw him in the pit … then all his people will come to life and REIGN with him! The CHAIN leads to the REIGN! Why can we have peace? Christian, look at these promises: (1) First, the second death is the “lake of fire.” This is the eternal torment and separation from God. But if you are a Christian … that is not your fate. This should bring us peace. (2) Second, the priestly image is found throughout the biblical storyline. 1 Peter 2:9 applies that language to the church and here, it is confirmed, that in the coming kingdom we will be priests of God! We will REIGN with him!
The Great White Throne
To close this section, John shares his vision of the Great White Throne.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. (Revelation 20:11, ESV)
Now we see images that have been present throughout Revelation coming into focus. The whiteness of the throne seems to be intentional pointing to the “purity, beauty, goodness, and righteousness of God’s judgments.” Earlier in the book, Jesus has been described with white hair, riding on a white horse, and seated on a white cloud. Here … he is on his white throne for the final judgment.
All the evil in this world has been put to an end—the de-creation has now tuned to recreation. David Mathewson comments:
Moreover, even the present creation is forced to flee in judgment before the presence of the throne. The present earth has been the home of the dragon, the beasts, and the kingdom of empires like Rome. So it is also removed in judgment. Everything is now in the lake of fire (v. 15). Chapter 20, then, ends the series of judgment scenes, so that everything that opposes the full realization of God’s kingdom is cleared away. All that remains now is the emergence of the new creation in 21:1–22:5.[1]
Friends, the bells are ringing … peace is coming. Who approaches this Great White Throne?
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:12-13, ESV)
Vv. 12-13 describe the final judgment. Now, there is debate about how many judgements there will be at the end … some people say there are as many as FOUR. I tend to think believers experience the “first resurrection” in v. 5 where they are judged for their sins and acquitted based on Christ’s atoning work, and are rewarded with eternal life. Can you imagine that? As a believer you stand before God … and he knows your sins … but then he says you are forgiven based on your faith in Christ. Wow.
Here, in Revelation 20:12-13 however, is probably describing the “second resurrection of unbelievers.” Notice, that this resurrection and judgment are comprehensive—no one is left. Death, Hades, the seas … there are no dead left. All will face judgment.
What does this white throne judgment entail? BOOKS. Yes, my friends, this is the ultimate book war. Here we have an echo of Daniel 7. There the Ancient of Days is seated in a courtroom and books are opened. When unbelievers stand before the throne of God and the books are opened … their works convict them. There is no acquittal … only judgment. And those works certify, or deny, your name in the second book, the book of life. Still, all face judgment for what they have done in this life. Then … the judgment is complete.
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15, ESV)
Friends, we’ve made it through Revelation 20—and this is the end of the bad news. It only gets better from here. These last two verses of Rev. 20 are happy … and sad. On one hand, death has finally met its end. No one will die ever again. Wow. On the other hand, many people will experience eternity in the Lake of Fire. Those who did not give their lives to the lamb will experience eternity apart from him.
This is a heavy ending to this section. I know throughout this series, we have offered a lot of interpretative options. However, here, at the end … everyone affirms there will be a final judgment.
Is Your Name In The Book?
I want us to pause and take this in for a moment. This... is... real. Today, whether you claim to believe in God or not … you will stand before him. You will give an account. You will face judgement. There is no escape, there is no excuse. Just picture—yourself—standing beofre the white throne. Before God himself. Imagine him asking you about every aspect or your life ... even the things you have done in private—that you are doing in private, right now. Things no one knows about but him. How will you fare on that day? Because it is coming.
If you are a Christian—you will experience the joy of acquittal—Christ’s blood covers your sins. If you are listening to this and you are not a Christian—this is your future. Resurrection. The open books. Judgment according to what is in them. What will Jesus say to you? Will your name be in the book of life? I pray that it will.
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[1] David L. Mathewson, A Companion to the Book of Revelation, Cascade Companions (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2020), 114–115.
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