The Binding of Satan

The Binding of Satan - Article 3

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There have been quite a few discussions on the internet concerning Revelation 20 and the binding of Satan. From my point of view it has never been my intent to be a part of a heated debate and I hope I have stayed far enough removed so as not to participate in that manner. However, I believe it is time to take the gloves off. We are going to go through Revelation 20 one verse at a time. This article will cover the first three verses. Why this chapter? This is the most misinterpreted chapter in Revelation and that means it is the most misinterpreted chapter in the whole Bible. I pray that God will open this to us from His Word that we may know the truth. I pray that before you read this article and teaching that you will first enter with an attitude of hearing the Spirit of God speak to you. If you cannot do that then I insist you stop reading here and leave this article. It is simply that important that you leave your preconceived ideas at the door.

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 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 20:1-3 ESV)

Some translations render the first word in this verse as “And.” Even though chapter 20 follows chapter 19 it does not mean that the vision John is seeing here a continuation of the one from Chapter 19 and previous. This is simply John’s introduction into a new vision. The book of Revelation is not chronological. I have made that mistake myself insisting that events are sequential throughout the book. As we saw in the book of Daniel there is no sequential order to the chapters there so why must we insist on that here?

The word John used for “Angel” here is the Greek word for “messenger.” It is the same word used throughout the New Testament. What was he carrying? He had a key and a great chain. What was the key to? It was to the bottomless pit. This Angel is God’s anointed messenger who has the authority to bind Satan. Now who could that be? Isn’t this our Lord Jesus Christ?

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

Jesus Christ our Lord is the Messenger of the Covenant of God. He comes down from Heaven with the power and authority to bind Satan. What gave Him this authority? It was by His death and shed blood that fulfilled the New Covenant that gives Him the authority. He is worthy and our enemy cannot stand before Him. This binding of Satan is the fulfillment of Prophesy of the messenger of God who redeems from the hand of the strong one who is Satan. (Matthew 12:29, Mark 3:27, Luke 11:21) Our Lord, the Messenger of the Covenant is the deliverer out of Zion that was prophesied to defeat Satan and free the captives. He was to make strong the New Covenant with Israel. (Jeremiah 31) He is also the foundation of the Temple rebuilding, and the freeing of Israel. How did He do all of this? He had to bind Satan first. Why? Satan actually held the nations (Gentiles) captive with the strong hand of death. Therefore, this Messenger who binds Satan and frees the peoples of the World, is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1 “Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1 ESV)

This passage speaks of the anointed Christ. He is the Word made flesh. The Hebrew word for “messenger” here is the same word translated as “Angel” in other parts of the Old Testament. He came from Heaven to give the Covenant strength. He came with the key and the great chain to bind our enemy in the Abyss or Bottomless Pit. Why? It is so he can no longer deceive the nations (Gentiles) by holding them in the bondage to death. Revelation 20 is the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Isaiah prophesied about a time when the Gentiles or Nations would come into the Kingdom of God. (Isaiah 9:1, Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:2, Isaiah 49:22) They would come into the Kingdom when the Messiah came to free them from captivity. When Jesus came the first time this was fulfilled. Our Lord warned Peter not to call unclean that which He had declared clean. (Acts 10) Our Lord died for His people, His Covenant people who are the Elect. The Gospel must now go unto all nations of the world. This can and does happen because Satan’s deceiving hold upon the Gentiles has been bound. All power is now given to Christ to evangelize the world.

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

How much authority has been given to Christ? All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him. Therefore, this Messenger from Heaven cannot be overcome or thwarted by Satan in the building the Lord’s Temple with His Elect, the chosen from all the Nations, because he has been bound from doing so. The power of this binding is symbolized in the key and the great chain and the great Messenger from Heaven.

Satan is a spiritual being. He cannot be bound with a physical rope or chain or handcuffs. The Key here symbolizes that the Messenger has the right and authority to bind and loose. Therefore, this Messenger from Heaven holds the right and authority and the means to bind Satan. The Chain symbolizes the power to bind. This is a “Great” Chain because Satan possesses significant spiritual power. He is the strong adversary who can be bound only by God. What about the Bottomless Pit? It is a boundless void of nothingness or Abyss. Satan is bound from deceiving the Nations or Gentiles. At the same time, God is drawing the Gentiles by pouring out the Holy Spirit. Satan is unable to stop Him from doing this because He is bound from it. The Church is being built (Matthew 16) primarily of Gentiles. Satan cannot stop this.

2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, (Revelation 20:2 ESV)

Honestly, I have sat under the teaching and preaching of people who say this hasn’t happened yet. I have probably even taught that myself in the past. However, if we practice sound biblical hermeneutics then we know we are in a chapter full of symbolic language and must be very careful of what we literalize or spiritualize or symbolize. We have already seen that Satan was bound at Christ’s victory on the Cross. He is a defeated foe who cannot deceive the Gentiles as long as he his bound. His binding also released the Gentiles so God could draw His chosen Elect into belief. Let’s look at the principle of spiritual authority.

22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:22-32 ESV)

The Pharisees proclaimed that Jesus cast out demons by the power of Satan. Jesus makes it clear that Satan is not going to fight his own kingdom. He also tells them that by His casting out the demons He is demonstrating that the Kingdom of God had come unto them. This truth is clear and in plain sight and not open to private interpretation. Nor should it be taken lightly or trampled upon. The Kingdom of God had come to Israel in Christ. Look at v29. Jesus came to take spoil from Satan’s kingdom. He tells us here that to do this he must first bind the strong man. What was the spoil? They were Satan’s possessions. They were the unregenerate of the World being held captive by our enemy. However, our Lord came to free us from that captivity and to do that He had to bind the strong man to take his spoil. Who is the Strong man? What is his house? Who is it that comes to bind him? What are the possessions in the strong man’s house that are the spoil taken by our Lord? What must be done before this can happen? If we answer these questions honestly then we must understand that for the Church to exist, Satan must be bound. By the way, his house is his adversarial principality or kingdom.

While Satan is bound, the Holy Temple is being built and the true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is going forth throughout the Nations. Satan cannot deceive them so people are saved. As long as he is bound the Lord’s Church is being built from the spoils taken from Satan’s house. Iniquity is held down until all who are to be sealed are sealed. When the symbolic 1000 years are up, the kingdom prepared to be delivered up to God, Satan will be allowed loose from his binding. Who will loose him? The one who has the key will do it. Who is that? That is Christ. Once he is loosed, he will go forth deceiving the nations as he did before. This will be, of course, the Great Apostasy. The Saints will then be overrun and the people therein brought into captivity to Satan. That means the great falling away will take place. The Great Apostasy will be before our eyes. This tribulation will be horrible and full of deception. Unless God would shorten those days there would not be one saved person left. However, those who keep God’s word over man’s word will be Saved. They will be changed instantly, without death, into their new spiritual bodies.

Now let’s look at the 1000 years from v2 and v3. It’s been quite a bit longer than 1000 years since the victory at the cross. However, we are in a chapter full of symbolism. Why must the 1000 years be literal since the key and the chain are not? No it’s not literal. Instead, it symbolizes here that Satan cannot deceive the Nations until the fullness of God’s time. It is like the bottomless pit or the Abyss. That cannot be taken literally nor can we conceive of it. Therefore, the 1000 years are taking place right now and have been going on since the Church began. Christians are ruling and reigning with Christ right now. When Christ returns, it will be to gather His people in the heavens to meet Him in the air (commonly called the Rapture), raise the unsaved to stand for Judgment, and to cast Satan in the lake of fire. All scripture consistently indicates this takes place at “The Last Day” and at “The Last Trumpet”. There is no 1000-year reign on earth at the second advent of Christ. Believers reign with Christ “now” having been translated from the Satan’s power of darkness, into this kingdom of Christ. Either that is true, or it is a lie. There is no in between.

If this is true, and I believe it is, then why are we who are in Christ living as if we are not ruling and reigning with our Savior? I’m not talking about walking around in arrogance or pride, but in humility as suffering servants as our Lord walked. He never compromised. He always spoke the truth or remained silent. He loved His people and died for them. How are we to live this life then? We must be alert and watching the signs of the times. It appears that the Church is already being overrun with apostasy. I’m sure it will get worse unless the Lord sends another Great Awakening upon us. We cannot depend on that though. We may be on the very doorstep of the Great Apostasy. If that is so, then the time is very short. We must be about telling all we know about Jesus to everyone who will hear. We must be praying for our loved ones and the lost all over this planet. We must support missionaries and give the gospel to all around us. Even so…Come soon Lord Jesus.