Good point. So let's see if Premil can pinpoint when he is initially bound and imprisoned then. It's not required that this has to be found in the NT though. The OT is holy writ, too.
Agreed, you have to interpret Scripture with Scripture and obviously we can use all of the Bible.
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.
It looks like the kings of the earth are being punished in
Revelation 19 to me. It looks like their punishment involves their deaths though. The beast and false prophet are also punished here. They are cast into the LOF at the time. Who do we not see being punished in
Revelation 19? satan and his angels. Obviously satan and his angels would be a part of the following in
Isaiah 24:21---the host of the high ones that are on high. If we continue on in
Isaiah 24 we see the following next.
The end of verse 20 stated "these both" (referring to the beast and the false prophet) are cast alive into the lake of fire. It doesn't say anything about the kings.
Verse 21 - the remnant were slain with the sword. The "sword of the Spirit" is the word of God. The passage calls Christ (the rider) "the word of God".
Are we making an assumption that the kings are involved in this remnant? The fowls are told to eat the flesh of kings and might men, rich and poor. Are these "the remnant"?
In other places in Scripture "the remnant" is a reference to the redeemed. We are killed by the law to be made alive in Christ. Yet I don't think this passage is talking about that though.
Isaiah 24:22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
This says they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison. Who would they be meaning though? In light of
Revelation 19 it doesn't appear it's meaning the beast and fp, nor any of their armies. The former are cast into the LOF at the 2nd coming in
Revelation 19. The latter are killed. Logically it has to be meaning someone who is a part of the host of the high ones that are on high then.
The only ones left it can fit would be satan and his angels.
Actually verse 21 of Isaiah 24 defines who are gathered together as prisoners. This included the "high ones who are on high" and the "kings upon the earth".
I think you are correct that the reference to "high ones on high" is to angels.
If we turn to
Revelation 20 next, we see satan gets cast into a pit, and that verse 7 in that same chapter calls it a prison that he had been confined in for the past thousand years prior to him being loosed from there.
Isaiah 24:22 makes a profound statement at the end of the verse, in which Amil appears to have no answer for----and after many days shall they be visited.
I looked up "visited" in the Hebrew and it means "to be attended to", "called into account", "mustered (to give an answer)"; that sort of "visit". These entities cast into this prison are now to give an account. "Accounts" are "received" at the judgement seat at the end of time.
The dispute isn't over the time Satan spends in prison. The dispute is over when the millennial reign starts.
Go back to Isaiah 23 through talks about "70 years". Now 70 years is explained in other parts of the Scripture that has to do with the Babylonian captivity. They were 70 years under Nebuchadnezzar. (Jeremiah 25)
Daniel 9 talks about the 70 years of the desolation of Jerusalem. And it said Daniel understood this to be connected to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
So if Isaiah 24 is following chronologically on Isaiah 23, we'd be looking at things connected to the first coming of Christ through to judgment day. Nothing in that passage talks about "millennial reign" as the dispensationalists interpret it.
Now the beginning of Isaiah 24 talks about the wearing out of the earth. The new testament picks this up. The earth will wear out like an old garment. Isaiah 51:6 talks about this and Hebrews 1:11-12 refer to this too.
Verses 19 and 20. The earth is broken down. It is "clean dissolved", "moved exceedingly", "will not rise again".
This is the point that these angels and kings are judged.
It seems Revelation 19 and Isaiah 24 are talking about different events. Revelation 19 talks about the commencement of Christ's reign and Isaiah encompasses the commencement to the destruction of the earth.
And like I've pointed out before, the end of Ephesians 1 states that all domain and authority was given to Christ at the resurrection.
What comes after the thousand years? satan's little season followed by him being cast into the LOF, thus no more satan to plague mankind from that time forth.
IOW----And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high---And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison for a thousand years. And after many days(a thousand years) shall they be visited during satan's little season, where they meet their end at the time by being cast into the LOF to be tormented forever and ever. Meaning satan and his angels.
So again, I don't think the dispute is about the sequence of events as much as it's about when they happened.
Revelation 12:8-10 tells us when Satan is cast out of heaven. The beginning of this passage speaks of a woman who gives birth to a man child who's "caught up to God and His throne". That obviously is talking about the birth of Christ. The woman flees into the wilderness and is there 1290 days.
Now that number shows up in 3 places; one in Revelation 11:13 (time the two witness prophecy) and Revelation 12:6 (time woman in in wilderness) and Daniel 12:11 (daily exaltation removed to abomination set up).
Now if we take Revelation 12:8-10 in sequence of the beginning of that chapter; than Satan is cast out of heaven around the time of Christ's birth.
Now can we correlate the numbers to historical events? If the woman is in the wilderness 1290 days because Satan is trying to kill Christ. Historically we see this as Herod the Great. Jesus is about 2 years old when Herod tries to kill him. Joseph takes Mary and Jesus to Egypt.
There's 2300 days spoken of in Daniel 12. Which you have 2300 days from the time the angel appears to John the Baptist's father while in the temple, to Jesus's return from Egypt. (A little more than 6 years.) He's in Egypt 1290 days. Now you have the witnesses in Jerusalem prophesying 1290 days and they are killed at the end of their testimony and the people rejoice.
The magi first come to Jerusalem and it says Herod is troubled and "all Jerusalem with him". They come looking for the King, so this is the proclamation to the nation that the Messiah has been born. The Scripture doesn't give us a specific time as to when they arrive; nor does it tell us how long it takes them to find Jesus.
Now Revelation 11 says that the two witnesses are "two olive trees" and "two candlesticks" "standing before the God of the earth". Any man seeks to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth. They can shut up heaven that it rain not in the 1290 days. The beast ascends
from the bottomless pit and makes war and kills them. Their bodies are dead in the street for 3.5 days. They are resurrected and ascend to heaven.
Now does this correlate with "many bodies of the saints came out of the graves after the resurrection"? We have people ascending to heaven and we know physically that happened. This is the only time in recorded history to date that this has happened.
Now other places in the Scripture "candle sticks" represent churches. "Olive tree" is usually a reference to that which supplies oil to the candle sticks. This language is also used in Zechariah 4. Obviously this is an allegoric picture of something in the spiritual realm because these candle sticks and olive trees are in heaven. Now is there an earthy historic manifestation of the "witnesses in the earth"; and if so what is it?
Now the 1290 days has a literal historic reference of the time span from the appearance of John the Baptist in the wilderness to the crucifixion. There's a 1335 day time span that covers John the Baptist to Pentecost. and there are 70 weeks (Daniel 9) from the death of John the Baptist to Pentecost. Also 42 months is also 3.5 years or 1290 days.
Going back to Revelation 11. The end of verse 5 is interesting. If any one (singular) should harm them, it is necessary for him (also singular) to be killed. This has historical application certainly to Herod the Great. It is recorded that he died of "an excruciating painful petrifying illness of unknown cause" which was posthumously known as "Herod's evil". Josephus stats that Herod tried to commit suicide because he was in such pain, but he was stopped by his cousin. Herod died in 4 BC.
The first reference to "shut up heaven that it rain not" is given as a warning by Moses as he disseminates the law to the people. The historical fulfillment of that was Elijah when there was no rain and a famine in the land for 3.5 years.
So what are these "two witnesses"? Metaphorically we can say that they are Moses and Elijah (the law and the prophets) and what do the law and the prophets do? They testify of Christ.
So pulling all this together, we have possibly two points. One of "the law and prophets" testifying to the nation that the Messiah has come. (I.E. when the magi come to Jerusalem.) The Messiah is in Egypt 1290 days because the people won't heed the law and the prophets. Here we have this event on the "front end" of Jesus's life. Now 36ish years later, the Messiah shows up preaching. Now this isn't just the witnesses, this is God Himself. So as He is dead "3 days"; the "witnesses" resurrect after 3.5 days.
So now if we look at the people who died prior to Christ who's bodies are raised post resurrection; these likely represent those who believed the law and the prophets from the Old Testament. We have some eluding to this when Jesus is an infant and there are two elderly people who come to Mary and Joseph when they bring Jesus into the temple. (Luke 2) The first is Simeon who's described as "just and devote". The second is Anna, who's described as a "prophetess". The law is "just and devote" and the "prophets". Historic earthly representations of "the two witnesses".
Interestingly, these two people are elderly and they are both about to die; just as "the law and the prophets" in the nation are about to "die" because the nation refuses its Messiah. So from the point the "daily sacrifice" (Hebrew phrases actually means "ceaseless exaltation") is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is "set up" is this 1290 days; the totality of the event (The angel appearing to John's father to Jesus retuning from Egypt is 2300 days.)
John 12:31 speaks of Satan "cast out" 3 days before the crucifixion. Now we are assuming here that "cast out" means cast out of heaven; but maybe that is not "cast out of heaven". Maybe it's "cast out" (of earth to the bottomless pit)? Jesus uses the term "prince of this world cast out" but does not specify "cast out of" what, or where.
It seems reasonable to conclude that Jesus is speaking of "cast out of heaven" because right before he makes this statement there is thunder and it says people perceived that an angel was speaking to him. Yet maybe the entity descending from heaven noted by the thunder is not Satan. Maybe that is the angel with the chain in his hand.
Luke 10:18, though Jesus talks about beholding Satan falling like lighting from heaven. Jesus tells the disciples this at the point the 70 return from their missions to surrounding towns. They relay to him that they are amazed that they are able to.
19 Behold,
I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not,
that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
22
All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
Now this verse looks like the verse in Revelation 19; where no one knows the rider's name but Himself.
23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
So pull all these together.
Satan is cast out of heaven in the time frame of the birth of Christ.
The two witnesses (law and the prophets) are killed by the beast who's now in the bottomless pit; in this same time frame connected to Herod the Great tying to kill Jesus. He who attempts to harm the two witnesses (the law and the prophets) is necessary that he be killed. (Herod is killed in 4 BC.)
We have a historic representation of "the law and the prophets" in Simeon and Anna coming to Jesus when he's an infant.
The "abomination that makes desolate" is set up because the nation has rejected their Messiah.
The fulfillment of the prophecy comes some 36ish years later when John first appears preaching repentance in the wilderness. This commences the next set of 1290 days. This ends at the death of Christ. "On the 3 day" He rises from the dead. 3.5 days the "two witnesses" rise from the dead. We see the representation of them in the "many bodies of the saints" that walk around in the "holy city".
1335 days in Daniel commences with the appearance of John the Baptist and ends at Pentecost.
70 weeks commences with the death of John the Baptist and ends at Pentecost.
The "great tribulation" was the week prior to the crucifixion. It commenced that Friday with Mary anointing Jesus's feet and ended "cut short" on the passover when the angel of death comes to Jesus. It is cut short for the sake of the elect because if it was not, than none would be saved.
