Chapter 20 of Revelation is so fascinating, because it is full of symbolism which produces a riddle. If we define the symbolism and metaphorical language the riddle will be solved. This chapter covers the outset of the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth, the day He rose from the dead. It also reveals the saints in the heavenly realm before their Savior. It addresses Armageddon, the final battle between Satan and God, and describes the final judgment of all mankind standing before the Great White Throne, after the earth melted with a fervent heat. All who were not part of the first resurrection - born again - were cast into the Lake of Fire - along with Death & Hades.
This chapter covers the whole Christian era from beginning to the end of the ages! In the last three blogs of this series we have clearly established when the 1000 year reign of Christ began. It began the moment Jesus Christ rose from the dead. If Satan Bound 1000 Years is a simultaneous event, and it is, from what or how is Satan bound? What is the meaning of the word bound?
And He said to them...I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven...Luke 10:18. 70 disciples were rejoicing about the demons that were subject to them in the Name of Jesus, but Jesus prophesied that He saw the fall of Satan out of Heaven giving them...the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you...Luke 10:19. This would take place the moment Jesus rose from the dead.
Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand...he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years...Rev. 20:1-2.
When Satan was cast to the earth he was no longer allowed in Heaven -- no longer allowed to join the sons of God in the heavenly realm. He was now confined to the earth and the spiritual space surrounding it -- some call it the second heaven. How do we know this?
Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out...John 12:31. Jesus was explaining to His apostles what would take place with His death & resurrection. Judgment of the world began the moment He rose from the dead, because the ruler of this world, Satan, would be cast out from Heaven to the earth. The world has been under judgment since that day!
This is the day that Satan was bound. It means that Satan no longer wields the power of death over mankind. He is limited in his power and scope over human beings, which was unrestrained previous to the death and resurrection of Christ. The day Adam & Eve sinned, they surrendered their God-given authority to Satan, he became god of this world from that day forward...II Cor. 4:3-4. Jesus restored the power, authority and dominion originally given to them at their creation, putting mankind back in charge -- over Satan too! Now Satan is bound!
The author of Hebrews explained what Jesus accomplished...that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil; and deliver them, who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage...Heb. 2:14-15. Under the Law the sins of mankind were only covered by the blood of animals, so they always feared death, not knowing if they would arrive in Heaven. This left them in bondage to Satan.
The blood of Jesus Christ paid the price for sins, once and forever, removing all fear of death. So now the power, authority & dominion of Satan on the earth is bound. Yes, he is still allowed on the earth to torment and harass men until he is cast into the Lake of Fire at the end of the age, but the only authority he has is what men willingly surrender to him. If a human being surrenders his allegiance to Satan, then Satan has authority over him.
The Apostle Peter said...be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour...resist him steadfast in the faith...I Pet. 5:8. Satan is permitted by God to walk and roar on the earth, but only the will of man can invite him to be an authority over him. We must use the whole armor of God to resist Satan and he will flee from us...James 4:7. Satan has been bound by the blood of Jesus Christ!
I hear all the time people complaining about God, saying if He destroyed the authority of Satan He did a really bad job of it -- we have chaos, anarchy, calamity, violence, death, destruction, paganism, immorality, and corruption running rampant across the planet! Sadly, the Church authorities aren't teaching Christians that Jesus Christ restored to them what Satan stole from them in the Garden of Eden. They don't know the power they have in the Name of Jesus or understand how to don the whole armor of God...Eph. 6:10-18.
God doesn't need a great chain in order to confine Satan, so what is this symbolism telling us? The angel with a great chain binding Satan a thousand years can be defined with an illustration. Satan bound by a chain is not unlike a chain on a dog. The chain on a dog gives him a lot of freedom to roam, but he is limited. He can't go beyond the length of the chain - he is bound. God is the one who sets limits on all of His creation. Satan is allowed to roam the earth, area above the earth, and the bottomless pit. He no longer has dominion over mankind - he is bound - by the blood of Jesus Christ!
What is the symbolism telling us when it says...and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished...but after these things he must be released for a little while...Rev. 20:3. Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
Keep in mind as we research Chapter 20 of Revelation, that Jesus is allowing us to see into the spirit realm. While there will be an earthly manifestation of these events, nonetheless, what we are being shown in this chapter is taking place in the invisible spiritual realm. We are getting to see who is the power and authority in the invisible spiritual realm, perpetrating the physical manifestation of the depicted events on the earth. Once we define the symbolism the message locked inside will be revealed to us for our understanding.
In the last two blogs we established that two events are simultaneous events. What are they? Satan bound 1000 years and they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years. By establishing the outset of lived and reigned with Christ 1000 years, we will also establish when Satan was bound 1000 years.
The Apostle Paul said about Jesus Christ...He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence...Col. 1:18. The sinless Jesus, Son of the living God, offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind because...the wages of sin is death...Rom. 6:23. Since the man Jesus never sinned, His was a righteous blood sacrifice enabling Him to victoriously rise from the dead. When He was resurrected three days after He was crucified, He became the...firstborn from the dead. This is the first resurrection.
By this victory, Jesus Christ defeated the power of death that had been foisted upon the human race by Satan, tormenting them for centuries. The moment Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, Satan was deposed as reigning king on the earth -- he no longer had dominion over every living thing on the earth. But he is still god of this world, if people choose to follow him. He will be cast into the Lake of Fire at the end of the world.
When Jesus rose from the dead this was evidence that our sins had been paid for and our reconciliation to our Father in Heaven had been accomplished. Heavens doors are now open to those who receive Jesus as their Savior. But Jesus accomplished even more...through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage...Heb. 2:14-15.
Jesus paid for our sins, reconciled us to our Father in Heaven, and destroyed him who had the power of death over all mankind - the devil. This is the day that all things were restored to mankind, that He originally gave to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Through disobedience they surrendered all power and authority to Satan. Jesus gave it back to us. The day Jesus rose from the dead is the day...they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years...Rev. 20:4. The saints of God have been living and reigning with Christ for nearly 2000 years.
Since Satan bound a thousand years is a simultaneous event, then Satan was bound nearly 2000 years ago. It doesn't happen sometime in the future during a mythical millennial reign of Christ, because the day Jesus Christ returns...the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up...II Pet. 3:10.
When we were last together I asked, "Do you think if we define the meaning of a thousand years we can solve this riddle?" You bet we can!
The word thousand in our study in the original Greek language is chiloi meaning: uncertain; an indefinite period of time. It can also mean continual or uninterrupted, depending on the context in which it is used. If the word thousand in chapter 20 meant a numerical calculation, the Greek word would have been chilias. At the time this vision was given to John there was no larger word in the vocabulary of his day to describe a long indefinite period of time than thousand. The words million, billion or trillion had not been conceived.
John could have said one thousand, thereby limiting the amount of years in the prophecy, or he could have said ten thousands of years, indicating unending, but neither meaning was intended. John was shown the beginning of the reign of Christ on the earth and the beginning of Satan bound on the earth. Eventually, both will end which we will discuss later.
We glean insight on the meaning of the word thousand - chiloi - from the Apostle Peter. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, a thousand years as one day...II Pet. 3:8. What is Peter telling us?
Peter is explaining that one day is as a thousand years - one and the same - a continuum in the spirit realm. Time on the earth has a beginning and an end. In the spirit realm there is no time restriction. Eternal life is continual, an uninterrupted existence. Time in the spirit realm is always NOW. This is why God told Moses that His name is I AM...Ex. 3:14. He always was, is, and shall be forever...Heb. 13:8.
We now understand that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ permitted mankind to live and reign with Christ on the earth. This spiritual relationship was severed by the sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus Christ once again established the Kingdom of Heaven on the earth and invited mankind to partake. There is only one way. Jesus said...I am the way, the truth, and the life...no one comes to the Father except through Me...John 14:6.
If the Reign of Christ on the earth is still being offered to the human race, we can conclude Satan Bound 1000 Years is still happening. From what or how is Satan bound? What is the meaning of bound? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
Chapter 20 of Revelation covers the whole Christian era -- from the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ, Armageddon, and the great White Throne judgment to the Lake of Fire. This is a very important chapter for us to define the symbolism, so we will understand the message and the sequence of the events. Has any portion of this vision been fulfilled, or is it all future? My blog reveals the historical viewpoint on end-time prophecy, so before we research the historical answer for this question, let's take a look at what mainline denominations believe -- modern viewpoint on end-time prophecy of scripture.
Those who embrace the modern viewpoint believe that first, Jesus returns for His church and secretly swoops them away to Heaven. This is called the Rapture. Next, they say the 70th week of Daniel's vision, received in 459 B.C. has not been fulfilled. Once the Rapture takes place the 70th week of his vision will be fulfilled - described as a 7-year tribulation period where an Antichrist figure will reign from the temple in Jerusalem.
King Solomon built the temple for God in 932 B.C. - it was destroyed by war in 509 B.C. After the Jewish captives in Babylon were released to go back home to Israel, they rebuilt the destroyed temple in 435 B.C. King Herod began a grandiose reconstruction project to enlarge the temple in 20 B.C. He did not complete the wall or roads by the time he died in 4 B.C.
King Herod's rebuilt temple was destroyed in the war of 70 A.D. Modern scholars believe this temple must be rebuilt again, and animal blood-sacrifices must resume during the reign of an Antichrist, who will torment the Jewish people causing them to flee in terror to the mountains to hide. After the seven years of tribulation are over, Jesus will return - again - with the saints in Heaven and set up His kingdom on the earth for a 1000 years. The surviving flesh & blood human beings of the tribulation will be ruled by the spirit beings that Jesus brings with Him.
This modern end-time doctrine claims that Satan will be bound a 1000 years and cast into the bottomless pit for this period of time. This doctrine has been embraced by the Church for approximately 100 years: after the publication of Cyrus Scofield's Bible and end-time commentary in 1909 was added to the curriculum of Bible schools and seminaries all over America.
It has been a real head-scratcher for me, since this doctrine is at odds with other prophecy of scripture, leaving me with more questions than answers. Have you ever questioned the modern viewpoint on end-time doctrine? Hmm...why not? We should keep asking questions regarding men's doctrines, until scripture confirms the answer. What scripture is at odds with Cyrus Scofield's doctrine?
Let's take a look at what the Apostle Peter said about the return of Jesus Christ. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up...II Peter 3:10-12. His statement doesn't need interpretation. He says that the day of the Lord - day Jesus returns - the heavens will pass away and the earth with it works will burn up at the same time.
How does his prophecy equate with a 1000 year reign of Christ on the earth or Satan bound a 1000 years in the bottomless pit? It doesn't, so let's dig a bit deeper to find the answer to this riddle. Since Satan bound a 1000 years is a simultaneous event with a 1000 year reign of Christ, we must find out when these two events begin. When we were last together I asked, "When did the First Resurrection take place?"
And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped 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...but the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished...this is the first resurrection...Rev. 20:4-5.
John was given a sneak peak at the resurrected saints of God in the heavenly Kingdom, after they had died on the earth, standing before His throne of judgment. Jesus opened the gates of Heaven for the first time. Before His resurrection, saints who died were sent to Abraham's Bosom - Sheol - to wait for the first resurrection...Luke 16:22-23. Jesus revealed this heavenly vision to John to encourage His saints on the earth, who will experience severe persecution.
This text reveals a happening in the spiritual realm not the earthly realm. Saints of God are standing before His throne where judgment was given to them. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years - this is the first resurrection. The modern viewpoint says: Jesus will return and rule and reign on the earth a 1000 years, before the earth burns up - everything destroyed. Since this scene takes place in Heaven, there must be another meaning to - reigned with Christ a thousand years. Can you see the contradiction?
The word resurrection in the Greek language is anastasis meaning: standing up again. Jesus died and lived again - He was resurrected. This is the first resurrection. Human beings are...dead in trespasses and sins...Eph. 2:1. How do they live again? If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new...II Cor. 5:17. If someone is dead and stands up again - lives again - he has been resurrected.
Jesus said...unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...John 3:3. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, we spiritually live again - we have experienced our first resurrection - standing up again. Though we live on the earth this experience is spiritual. We spiritually began to reign with Christ the moment we were born again.
Now we understand that reigned with Christ a thousand years began the moment we became born again, the resurrection of Christ in our life. If this is so, then Satan bound a thousand years must have begun at the resurrection of Christ, since they are simultaneous events.
Do you think if we define the meaning of a thousand years we can solve this riddle? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand...he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years...Rev. 20:1-2.
This blog is dedicated to defining all of the symbolism in Revelation -- all the metaphors, idioms, enigmas and esoteric imagery. After researching church history, I found that the message Jesus left to His Church in His revelation, is locked up in the symbolism. If we define the symbolism the accurate and succinct message to us will be revealed - unlocked.
After I became born again in 1972, I became aware of the thousands of books and several movies that had been produced regarding Bible prophecy. The information in these mediums seemed to parrot one another, with a few twists to distinguish one author from another. Studying the Bible became my passion so it didn't take long before I was totally confused. Why?
I ran across a pesky scripture in the epistles of Peter, which contradicted all the books and movies I had been perusing. Let's take a serious look at what Peter said...And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts...know this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation...for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit...II Peter 1:19-21.
Now what do we do with this scripture? Do we say the meaning isn't clear so just ignore the admonition, or, do we heed what the prophet is saying? Now it is 2018 and I still see thousands of books, several movies, preachers on radio and television interpreting prophecy of scripture, apparently hoping to be the one to get it right. Jesus was very clear regarding prophecy of scripture when He said...now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe...John 14:29.
I cannot find one scripture where Jesus tells us to interpret prophecy of scripture. Yes, He gives visions and dreams to His followers in the 21st century, confirming His promises and giving guidance. But prophecy of scripture is totally different.
What did Sir Isaac Newton say about prophecy of scripture in 1692? He loved researching prophecy in the Bible. Regarding the book of Revelation he said, "The folly of interpreters has been to foretell times and things, by this Prophecy, as if God designed to make them Prophets. By this rashness they have not only exposed themselves, but brought the Prophecy also into contempt. He gave the Prophecies, not to gratify men's curiosities by enabling them to foreknow things, but that after they were fulfilled they might be interpreted by the event and His own Providence, not the interpreters -- the event predicted many ages before, will then be a convincing argument that the world is governed by Providence.
Over 400 years ago Sir Isaac Newton understood what the Prophet Peter proclaimed regarding prophecy of scripture, so what happened to modern-day researchers of the Bible? Why do they ignore what Peter, Jesus, and Sir Isaac Newton said -- when the prophesied event occurs, we will understand the interpretation and believe? Believe what? Believe in Jesus and all that God said about Him has come to pass -- what He says is true and faithful!
The last few months of this blog we have done a Bible study on several topics, but now it is time to get back to defining the symbolism of Revelation, Daniel & the Olivet Discourse. Since I began this blog in 2013, you will find that we have defined the symbolism in several chapters of prophecy. My study of church history has found that the majority of John's visions have already come to pass, and I give names, dates and places of their fulfillment.
When we look back at fulfilled prophecy we simply delineate the facts, recorded by historians, for clear understanding of the prophecy - and believe. By attempting to interpret prophecy of scripture with our finite minds, we fall into the trap of foretelling God's intention, bringing the prophecy into contempt as Sir Isaac Newton proclaimed.
One chapter in Revelation in particular is full of symbolism -- Chapter 14 - 144,000. In my archives you will find this fascinating study in 2015 - Feb. 15 through Mar. 29. When the symbolism is defined you will find yourself saying, "Wow...is that what that scripture means, now I understand!" After all, doesn't Jesus want us to believe and understand the Providence of God? The fulfilled event interprets prophecy of scripture - then we will understand and believe.
In my 2017 archives I began a study series of Revelation Chapter 20 - Thousand Year Reign with Christ. I promised my readers that we would finish the study of this very important chapter, which we begin today -- Satan Bound 1000 Years. So reading the Thousand Year Reign with Christ Series will help you to better understand this series.
As we delve into Revelation chapter 20, we will find that Reigned with Christ a Thousand Years and Satan Bound a Thousand Years are simultaneous events. The outset of these two events began the moment that Jesus rose from the dead. By His death and resurrection He brought the Kingdom of Heaven to the earth - men could now reign with Christ on the earth. And Jesus broke the power of death that Satan had in his grasp since the fall of Adam and Eve - Satan could no longer hold men in bondage to death - his power was now bound (limited).
When did the First Resurrection take place? Stay tuned..
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question~~~
