I think you and I may have discussed this in the past, and if so, it's currently not fresh in my memory as to how that discussion went.
So the first thing I'm thinking is this. Before satan is cast out of heaven this obviously means that satan still had access to heaven in some sense or another. If by satan's little season you are meaning his little season after the thousand years, this would indicate you have satan bound in the pit during the time he still had access to heaven, since the thousand years are what precede his little season in
Revelation 20.
I don't find it logical that satan would be bound in the pit while he still had access to heaven before this war in heaven breaks out, and that he is then cast to the earth.
The way I solve this is like such. I fully agree that when satan gets cast out of heaven, this is meaning a little season. But not the little season in
Revelation 20, but the little season in
Revelation 6, and that that little season is meaning the 42 month reign of the beast in
Revelation 13.
Once again, though I'm probably sounding like a broken record here----this part in
Revelation 20:4---which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands--I take this to mean that they are martyred during the 42 month reign of the beast in
Revelation 13. And that they are already martyred before satan is ever loosed from the pit, therefore it is impossible that the 42 month reign of the beast in
Revelation 13 occurs after the thousand years, as some Amils insist, if according to this verse they are already martyred during this 42 months before satan is ever loosed from the pit. Even if I weren't Premil, this would still be my conclusions. Yet at the same time, because these are my conclusions, how can I help be anything but Premil?
Before we can talk about the binding of Satan for 1,000 years, let's address when Satan is cast out of heaven.
We must reconcile the symbolic nature of Revelation with the words of Christ. Per Jesus, satan was to be cast out at his death, resurrection, and ascension.
John 12:21-23 Now is the judgment of this world;
now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
The parabolic language of Revelation 12, when reconciled with the teachings of Jesus, reveals that Satan was thrown down at the ascension of the Child to the God and to His throne.
Revelation 12:5-9 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
This sets the timing for WHEN satan is cast out. If we ignore Jesus' teaching for when satan is cast out, we can make up any date we desire, which is evident from the hundreds of different revelation interpretations.
Such as, if you are applying the little season in
Revelation 20 to that of when satan gets cast out of heaven, this indicates you have satan bound a thousand years in the pit while he still has access to heaven. I see zero logic in that.
While I do believe the little season of revelation 20 and 12 are the same, what you are saying is not something I have proposed or believe in. I do not believe satan is bound and has access to heaven at the same time. I believe satan is bound and cast out at the same time. Bound in that he cannot prevent the spread of the Gospel nor bring charge against God's elect, and cast out that he prowls the earth looking to devour and persecute, no longer being able to access heaven.
I don't believe the 1,000 years are symbolic for the entire church, as the traditional amil does. I believe the 1,000 years are symbolic for the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant.
Through Christ's ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and sending of the Spirit, the promises to David were fulfilled, which resulted in:
1.) the binding of satan
Mark 3:27 But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Matthew 12:28-29 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 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
Romans 8:33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us
2.) The first resurrection
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
1 corinthians 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
John 5:25 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live
ephesians 2:5-7 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
3.) those in Christ are now a kingdom of priests
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
4.) Satan being cast out
John 12:21-23 Now is the judgment of this world;
now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
a.) and because satan is cast out, he is furious and comes to persecute:
John 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has
no claim on me
Revelation 12:12-13 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to
you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows
that his time is short!” And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth,
he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion, seeking someone to devour
I guess I would equate it with both. What I would like to point out that I fully agree with you about, is what you stated per the following.
It's nice to find common ground
As to the following below that I quoted you on, I don't see
Revelation 17-19 connecting to
Matthew 23:35-36 the way you are seeing it connecting.
Revelation 17-19 is still all future to me. Some of
Matthew 23 would involve past events in the first century, yet some of it is involving events having to do with judgment that is yet to take place.
Revelation 17-19 perfectly fits with the words of Christ
The harlot is charged with all the righteous blood shed
Revelation 18:24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
First century Jerusalem was charged with all the righteous blood shed
Matthew 23:35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah,
f whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
Luke 11:50-51 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.
When the harlot is destroyed, and the servants' blood avenged, the wedding feast is ready:
Revelation 19:2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
Revelation 19:6-9 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—
for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
And the angel said
a to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
When Jerusalem is destroyed for the murdering the servants, the wedding feast is ready:
Matthew 22:6-10 While the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
What does this prophecy have to do with what happened in 70 AD? Are the events of 70 AD what Jesus was meaning by the damnation of hell? Or was He perhaps meaning the following instead---
Revelation 20:11-15? The point I'm trying to make, Jesus seemed to be just as concerned about their spiritual condition in this chapter, as He was about what might ultimately happpen to them in future if they haven't changed their ways by the time 70 AD rolls around. And since we have hindsight they didn't at the time, we all know what happened in 70 AD to many of them.
The question is----That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation---should that only be applied to the time they were living in back then, or is Jesus perhaps meaning this generation in another sense?
According to Jesus, who is responsible for the death of the prophets, the Israelites? or someone else?
How could Jesus charge 1 generation for the responsibility of shedding all the righteous blood shed since the foundation of the world? IMHO, one can only be righteous through Christ, thus murdering Christ makes one responsible for righteous blood shed past and future.
In
Matthew 24 Jesus is meaning this generation in another sense, though I fully realize you totally disagree. But in the event I'm correct about His use of this in
Matthew 24, and that you are incorrect about His use of this in
Matthew 24, why would I assume Jesus is applying 'this generation' two entirely different ways in both chapters?
What grammatical evidence do you have to demonstrate that Jesus is using "this generation" in any other sense than those living at the time of the 1st century?
