The Binding of Satan

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Toasty

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Revelation 20:1-3 teaches that Satan will be bound so that he will not deceive the nations. When will this take place?
 
Revelation 20:1-3 teaches that Satan will be bound so that he will not deceive the nations. When will this take place?

Depends on your millennial view. I think most here would agree it has happened. Its not so literal that he is chained and not roaming around but that the Gospel has been spread to the nations as opposed to only Israel.
 
If your millennial view is premil, you will believe that this binding is future to us.

Both amils and postmil believe that the binding and millennium began in the first century.

In the old days - nineteenth century and previous - postmil tended to view the binding and millennium as beginning in the future. Amil and postmil later distinguished themselves more clearly.

As a postmil. I would point out that the binding happens progressively according to the symbol.

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If your millennial view is premil, you will believe that this binding is future to us.

Both amils and postmil believe that the binding and millennium began in the first century.

In the old days - nineteenth century and previous - postmil tended to view the binding and millennium as beginning in the future. Amil and postmil later distinguished themselves more clearly.

As a postmil. I would point out that the binding happens progressively according to the symbol.

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

Does "not deceive the nations" mean that his work in the world is diminished?
 
Revelation 20:1-3 teaches that Satan will be bound so that he will not deceive the nations. When will this take place?

Depends on your millennial view. I think most here would agree it has happened. Its not so literal that he is chained and not roaming around but that the Gospel has been spread to the nations as opposed to only Israel.

His activity has been diminished, not eliminated. Correct?

Would a premil believe that Satan's work is completely eliminated during that period of time?
 
If your millennial view is premil, you will believe that this binding is future to us.

Both amils and postmil believe that the binding and millennium began in the first century.

In the old days - nineteenth century and previous - postmil tended to view the binding and millennium as beginning in the future. Amil and postmil later distinguished themselves more clearly.

As a postmil. I would point out that the binding happens progressively according to the symbol.

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

Does "not deceive the nations" mean that his work in the world is diminished?
I believe Satan still deceives the nations as nations, although the elect among all nations are prevented from being deceived, but there is also a process of binding going on whereby one day his nationwide deceptions will be reduced to nothing. You can't interpret Revelation 20 without other passages that speak of Gospel progress, e.g. Daniel's mountain and the Parable of the Leaven. We've already seen in history and experience that where the Gospel finds success, Satan's room for manoeuvre is curtailed.

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Hello Henry,

It began happening when the Lord Jesus came into the world at His first advent. It accelerated when the gospel was preached in resurrection power throughout the world, for the power of God is in the preaching of the gospel (Rom 1:16) and the preaching of the cross (1 Cor 1:18), and this binds the effectiveness of Satan's grip on souls across all the nations. So as nations nations were no longer under Satan's deceptive power, though individuals within those nations still were.

For the Premil person, they would believe this binding of Satan occurs at the commencement of the Lord's supposed literal thousand-year reign over the earth from earthly Jerusalem, and ends when Satan has a brief revolt at the end of this literal 1,000 year period. There are so many problems with the premil hypothesis, but this is not the place to deal with them.

About this "thousand years": consider the usage of the number in Psalm 50:10: "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." The LORD is obviously referring to all the hills in the world—the entirety of them—and so the number 10 and its multiplicands are often used in Scripture; 1,000 is used to mean "entirety to the nth degree", especially in Revelation where number symbolism is extensively used.

But there is coming a time during this age-long millennial period of Christ's reign from His heavenly throne when He will give Satan to be loosed again "for a little season" (Rev 20:3;7,8,9), that is, the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be silenced—outlawed, under penalty of imprisonment or execution—and Satan will once again deceive the nations en mass, "to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty . . . And he [the LORD] gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev 16:14,16). This is what we see, in slightly different imagery, in Rev 20:8,9, the global attack on the church, and the Lord making quick work of them who went after His beloved bride. And then . . . the glorious eternal state.
 
Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost, but it was first necessary to bind Satan "No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."- Mark 3:27
 
Hello Henry,

It began happening when the Lord Jesus came into the world at His first advent. It accelerated when the gospel was preached in resurrection power throughout the world, for the power of God is in the preaching of the gospel (Rom 1:16) and the preaching of the cross (1 Cor 1:18), and this binds the effectiveness of Satan's grip on souls across all the nations. So as nations nations were no longer under Satan's deceptive power, though individuals within those nations still were.

For the Premil person, they would believe this binding of Satan occurs at the commencement of the Lord's supposed literal thousand-year reign over the earth from earthly Jerusalem, and ends when Satan has a brief revolt at the end of this literal 1,000 year period. There are so many problems with the premil hypothesis, but this is not the place to deal with them.

About this "thousand years": consider the usage of the number in Psalm 50:10: "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." The LORD is obviously referring to all the hills in the world—the entirety of them—and so the number 10 and its multiplicands are often used in Scripture; 1,000 is used to mean "entirety to the nth degree", especially in Revelation where number symbolism is extensively used.

But there is coming a time during this age-long millennial period of Christ's reign from His heavenly throne when He will give Satan to be loosed again "for a little season" (Rev 20:3;7,8,9), that is, the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ will be silenced—outlawed, under penalty of imprisonment or execution—and Satan will once again deceive the nations en mass, "to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty . . . And he [the LORD] gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" (Rev 16:14,16). This is what we see, in slightly different imagery, in Rev 20:8,9, the global attack on the church, and the Lord making quick work of them who went after His beloved bride. And then . . . the glorious eternal state.

I understand. Entire nations are not deceived, but individuals within those nations are deceived.

Premils suggest that Satan won't be deceiving anyone on this planet.
 
The symbol of his binding and that of his loosing are both descriptive of present realities.

Warfield:
The "binding of Satan" is, therefore, in reality, not for a season, but with reference to a sphere; and his "loosing" again is not after a period but in another sphere: it is not subsequence but exteriority that is suggested. There is, indeed, no literal "binding of Satan" to be thought of at all: what happens, happens not to Satan but to the saints, and is only represented as happening to Satan for the purposes of the symbolical picture. What actually happens is that the saints described are removed from the sphere of Satan's assaults. The saints described are free from all access of Satan - he is bound with respect to them: outside of their charmed circle his horrid work goes on. This is indicated, indeed, in the very employment of the two symbols "a thousand years" and "a little time." A "thousand years" is the symbol of heavenly completeness and blessedness; the "little time" of earthly turmoil and evil. Those in the "thousand years" are safe from Satan's assaults: those outside the thousand years are still enduring his attacks. And therefore he, though with respect to those in the thousand years bound, is not destroyed; and the vision accordingly requires to close with an account of his complete destruction, and of course this also must needs be presented in the narrative form of a release of Satan, the gathering of his hosts and their destruction from above

The Millennium and the Apocalypse
 
Unfortunately the older eschatological writers lack much, even the great BBW, who waxes more to the full idealist view. Eschatology is the one theological discipline still in flux, which is natural as the unfolding of time gives us to see prophecies realized in retrospect. It is the eclectic or modified idealist view of current amillennialism that is the most highly refined and true to the text.

We are not meant to be blinded by vague dynamics (though there are relevant age-long dynamics portrayed in Revelation) when specific historic realities are revealed for our warning and preparation. We have been blinded too long by such—now we must have our eyes open, so as to see what is coming at us, and also Him who strengthens us to stand in the midst of it.

Enough inspirational poetry Revelation stuff. Hard prophecy for hard times.
 
But there is coming a time during this age-long millennial period of Christ's reign from His heavenly throne when He will give Satan to be loosed again "for a little season"

With due respect, the loosing of Satan is said to be after the millennium, not during. If the millennium signifies an actual period of time (however long) which terminates with the loosing of Satan and Armageddon, then whatever is symbolized by the millennium ceases at the time of that loosing. Does the millennium symbolize the intermediate state? It must end with the loosing of Satan. Does it signify the Saints' reign with Christ? It must cease with the loosing of Satan. That is the challenge that the modified-idealist faces.
 
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Hello Tyler,

The short response to your remarks is that the "millennium", wherein Satan is bound for the "thousand years", signifies, as the Scripture states, that period in which "he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled" (Rev 20:3). This binding of him is effected by the world-wide preaching of the Gospel, the mighty power of God unto salvation.

During this "thousand years" Gospel-proclamation period those saints who died in the fierce battle against the dragon were caught up to Heaven with their reigning King and reigned with Him during that era (Rev 20:4,5,6). It does not mean they stopped reigning with Him after that period; it but shows they do reign with Him then, yet not then only for "they shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:5).

When you assert, Tyler, "the binding of Satan is said to be after the millennium, not during", you clearly err, not reading the Scripture's plain statement:

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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 . . . And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth (Rev 20:1,2,3,7,8). [emphasis added]​

John explicitly tells us that the binding period is the thousand years, the millennium.

The intermediate state with respect to the departed saints is not limited to the symbolic millennium, for said state continues briefly after Satan's loosing till the full number of the elect should be killed or otherwise taken to be with Christ (Rev 6:11). At that point, after all the dead and living saints are called up to be with their Lord (Rev 11:11,12), they are given their resurrection bodies. At this point I am not sure if the marriage supper of the Lamb precedes the white throne judgment or follows it. I think it quite reasonable the Lord will comfort His bride before judging the wicked.
 
When you assert, Tyler, "the binding of Satan is said to be after the millennium, not during", you clearly err, not reading the Scripture's plain statement:

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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 . . . And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth (Rev 20:1,2,3,7,8). [emphasis added]

John explicitly tells us that the binding period is the thousand years, the millennium.

Steve,

Sorry, that was a mistype! I meant to say that the loosing of Satan was after the Millennium, contra your statement, "there is coming a time during this age-long millennial period of Christ's reign from His heavenly throne when He will give Satan to be loosed again 'for a little season.'"
 
Hello Tyler,

Thanks for correcting your typo. I think your objection here simply a semantic matter. Concerning your statement just above, please think it through, for our disagreement is really elsewhere:

When I assert, "there is coming a time during this age-long millennial period of Christ's reign from His heavenly throne when He will give Satan to be loosed again 'for a little season' "—it is at that precise point the millennium has ended. When Satan is loosed the millennium has ended. I don't think I could be much clearer.

No, our difference
—and please keep this free from obfuscation—pertains to your bringing in Warfield's confusion in your post #10. If you're going to promote Warfield's view please do it without misrepresenting mine.
 
Hello Tyler,

Thanks for correcting your typo. I think your objection here simply a semantic matter. Concerning your statement just above, please think it through, for our disagreement is really elsewhere:

When I assert, "there is coming a time during this age-long millennial period of Christ's reign from His heavenly throne when He will give Satan to be loosed again 'for a little season' "—it is at that precise point the millennium has ended. When Satan is loosed the millennium has ended. I don't think I could be much clearer.

No, our difference
—and please keep this free from obfuscation—pertains to your bringing in Warfield's confusion in your post #10. If you're going to promote Warfield's view please do it without misrepresenting mine.

I'm sorry for the confusion. I have never seen someone represent the meaning of the millennial reign of Christ and his saints from a modified amil perspective (or partial preterist perspective, for that matter) as meaning something which can be said to terminate with broad-scale apostasy.

Your view appears to have some integrity, but it doesn't seem to do justice to the language of the text: "... they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison ..."

If the loosing of Satan is for a definite period of time at the end of history, and the text says that it happens after the thousand years, then what is significant about the thousand years must terminate with the beginning of that Satanic period.
 
Tyler, what of significance do you think must terminate? It is certainly not the reigning with Christ, as I mentioned above, for that continues on; that but shows the departed saints triumph during the millennium; their triumph does not end when Satan is loosed; in fact those killed in that very brief "loosing" period themselves triumph and reign with Him, and when the LORD returns, all His saints witness the vengeance He wreaks.
 
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