SATAN BOUND AND LOOSED
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 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. 4 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 which 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.
This is one of the least understood passages in the Holy Scriptures. Yet good men, not willing to simply state that they have no clear light, go ahead and set forth false suppositions, to the harm of its rightful understanding. Sad!
Therefore let us carefully remain conscious to be guided by our Master’s instructions that His words are spirit and they are life! Therefore we will not wander off into fanciful conjectures, but remain under the Spirit’s biblical and spiritual interpretations as He guides us into “the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him.”
And we are not unfamiliar with this angel. For we have had him introduced to us before. Revelation 10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he has been shown to be a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ in his glory! Carefully consider these verses concerning his keys: Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Revelation 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. 3:7 ¶ And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
Therefore prior to this our Lord had not afforded himself his sovereign right to use his powerful keys to limit Satan in this manner. So what caused him to do so now? It was done at the time of the Father’s giving to the Son all power in heaven and in earth. And this power structure was to remain his throughout time, even to the end of the world! Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
And, as we see, it was done at the launching of his gospel kingdom, by sending the Holy Spirit to enliven his church to go forth conquering souls by the preaching of the gospel. This is revealed in the white horse rider. Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
And according to Revelation 19, this can be none other than the Lord Jesus in his exalted state. Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
This recovered the dominion which the first Adam lost to Satan, back to the Last Adam, giving Him all authority in heaven and in earth. Thus changing Satan’s role now to only being allowed to blind the minds of those who, after hearing the gospel, would not believe! 2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world (Satan), hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Then in Revelation 20:4 we read that those who were made spiritually alive in this gospel era were seen to sit on thrones. For they not only “lived,” but also “reigned with Christ” during this “thousand years.” For God has made them spiritually “kings and priests.” Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. This is spoken of by the Apostle Paul in his Ephesian letter. Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
This further informs us that this thousand years is a gospel millennium, beginning at Pentecost and lasting “till all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more.”
For the Lord Jesus Christ, as the door of the sheep fold, {John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.}, gives the sovereign command for all the New Testament, born again believers to be raised up into a spiritual consciousness. Revelation 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Take careful note that the result of Christ’s command that they all “Come up hither,” was not to physically transport them to ‘heaven!’ But that they were all then “immediately in the spirit!” They were all filled with the Holy Spirit! John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
And being made alive with Christ is the “first resurrection!” For regeneration is a spiritual resurrection! Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
And it exempts one from the horrors of the second death of eternal damnation, as it renders one “Blessed and holy!” Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 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 those not made alive with Christ, not being conquered by the gospel, remain dead in trespass and sin (Ephesians 2:1), and are said not to live again, until they receive “the resurrection of damnation” at the last day! For there is but one general resurrection, but it is divided into two parts. John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
And King Jesus has one more task for his conquered servant Satan. Therefore he is to be loosed to do that which he was doing before he was bound. He goes forth to deceive the nations once again, to bring them against the Lord Jesus for their final destruction.
Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. gb