rwb
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- Jun 19, 2020
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While that is obviously true, thus I do understand that, the point I was trying to make is this, though. First there is no deception taking place. But not because satan was not already devising a plan, but that the opportunity wasn't there yet, not until he encountered Eve, recorded in Genesis 3. In a similar way, when satan is bound a thousand years, it's not that he isn't already devising a plan how to deceive the nations again, it's that the opportunity is not there yet, not until he is loosed first.
David, the only reason Satan was able to hold the nations in bondage to fear of death before he was bound, is because the Gospel was not preached unto the Gentile nations until after Christ's crucifixion and resurrection from the dead. Prior to the first advent of Christ only the nation of Israel knew of a Savior who would come to redeem them from sin and defeat death. Every Jew of old who believed the prophets when they told of the Savior to come were redeemed by grace through faith, believing in the Messiah who would come, they had no fear of dying. After the cross we have the added benefit through the power of the Holy Spirit convicting us of sin. The Old Covenant nation had the Mosaic Law to convict them of sin. Through the Gospel and power of the Spirit we have been delivered from death when we believe. There is no more fear of death for those who have been eternally saved by Christ.
If Satan had not been bound by the crucifixion and resurrection, why are great multitudes being saved? According to you that could not happen until Satan is bound in the future and deception has been completely removed from the earth.
When Satan is loosed after time, likened to a thousand years are finished, the only ones left alive on this earth during Satan's little season that he is still able to deceive are Gog & Magog (antichrist & antichristians). There will still be some faithful saints (Church) that Satan hopes to destroy, but Satan cannot deceive them. Before Satan can utterly destroy the last of the faithful Church on earth, the saints will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and fire will come down from God out of heaven to destroy whatever/whoever is still alive on this earth at the coming of Christ.
Since Satan's binding through the work of Christ, the message goes out to all the nations of the earth, and whosoever believes the Gospel by grace through faith has no more fear of death because they know they possess eternal life through Him.
Amils' interpretation of his thousand year binding contradicts this---that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled. You argue that satan doesn't operate alone. But that is already plainly obvious since satan is only one being and that he can't be in more than one place at a time, therefore, he has to operate through others in order to affect as many people as he does. But every time, though?
Actually there is not contradiction through the doctrine of Amill. The contradiction comes for those who say Satan must be bound so there will be no more deception on this earth. And that Satan must be bound before the nations of the world can be saved?
What about when satan initially fell and convinced billions of angels to follow him? He didn't do that through the beast and false prophet, he did that all by himself. The point being, if Premil is correct that the thousand years are after the 2nd coming, which means the beast and fp would already be in the LOF when satan is loosed, satan doesn't need the beast and fp to deceive the ones meant in Revelation 20:8 anymore than he needed them when he deceived billions of angels to follow him when he initially fell.
When did Satan initially fall and convince billions of angels to follow him? God said the serpent (Satan) was more subtil (cunning (usually in a bad sense):—crafty) than any beast of the field. This explains why Christ calls Pharisee's who profess to be of Abraham's seed 'of the devil', who from the beginning was a liar and murderer.
Genesis 3:1 (KJV) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
John 8:44 (KJV) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Satan was not once good and then fell and became evil. He has always been evil from the beginning.
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