I believe that satan is not just bound during the 1000 years, but he is also put into a bottomless pit and also a seal put on him. Amillennialist miss the part that he is put in a bottomless pit, so like a prison, and then a seal is put on him too. So, it is pretty clear that during this time, he will not be having an active part in the world.
Scripture also talks about the beast being in the bottomless pit (Acts 17:8). Should we understand that to be talking about a literal beast being bound in a literal bottomless pit? It also talks about locusts being in the bottomless pit and being let out at the fifth trumpet (Revelation 9:1-11). Should we understand that to be talking about literal locusts being bound in a literal bottomless pit?
Revelation 20 is not talking about Satan himself being literally chained up in a literal bottomless pit. It's talking about a dragon, which symbolically represents Satan, being chained up in a prison. A spirit being like Satan cannot be literally chained up in a prison. You're missing the symbolism there and taking it literally instead as if a literal great chain could actually be used to literally bind a spirit being.
But this does not mean that there will not be evil. For man's heart is evil and so even without satan doing his work during this time, we could still choose not to obey Christ.
I know you have said that he is only bound, but if he is put in a bottomless pit as well as being bound and sealed, I fail to see how he is like a roaring lion that may devour. One that is bound and put into a pit that has no bottom is definitely not walking about.
You're only failing to see that because of taking it all literally. And you are also not taking into consideration the verse that follows 1 Peter 5:8 which talks about resisting the devil by standing firm in the faith. Why do Premils focus only on him seeking who he may devour while ignoring the fact that we can resist him? And James 4:7 says that if we do resist him then he must flee from us. That is because he is bound. In Old Testament times, no one could resist him like that because they didn't have the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. So, he held the power of death in those times which allowed him to keep people in slavery to the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). But, that all changed in New Testament times because of the death and resurrection of Christ and the subsequent preaching of the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit.
I do not mind if the bottomless pit is a figurative place, a spiritual place or a literal place, but it is a place where satan is bound and out of the way.
How are you coming to that conclusion if it is a figurative place? Why would you interpret a figurative place in a literal way, which is what you're doing if you assume that him being bound figuratively renders him completely incapacitated. That is how one would understand a literal binding in a literal place, not a figurative binding in a figurative place. And, it makes no sense to interpret it as a literal binding in a figurative place. There's no consistency in that.
Remember it is a bottomless pit. What is important to note is that he is currently very active right now. We have Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and many other false religions. Not to mention many other evil things going on. Look at the stuff Isis did. It seems as though satan is pretty free right now. This seems pretty much the same as before Christ assentation. I do not see him being restrained at all.
You don't see him as even being restrained? Have you never read this:
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for
that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Can you see here that Paul spoke about "the mystery of iniquity" already being at work in his day and, yet, it was restrained to an extent? And he spoke of a future time during which there would be a mass falling away from the faith. Why would that happen? Because iniquity would no longer be restrained during that time. Notice it says regarding the coming of "that wicked" it would be "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved". This shows that the restraint of wickedness involved the restraint of "the working of Satan". This shows that this time period, which I equate with Satan's little season when he is loosed, requires a restraint that had previously been on Satan to be removed.
The removal of this restraint of Satan and wickedness results in the mass falling away and increase in wickedness that Paul wrote about. Jesus also talked about a future time where deception and wickedness would increase and the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:11-12).
If Satan has not been restrained at all during New Testament times, then what do you make of passages like 2 Thess 2:1-12 and passages like this:
Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that
by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
If Satan was not restrained at all, then how could it be true that the power of death he once held was taken away from him, resulting in multitudes "who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" being set free because of the new hope of eternal life that Jesus provided by way of His death and resurrection?
Just because it came first does not mean it is correct. Revelation is named Revelation for a reason. It is to be revealed. The Greek word apokalypsis translated, denotes “an uncovering” or “a disclosure”. Knowing this, there is good chance that the first understanding is probably going to be an incorrect understanding as the true understanding had not been uncovered.
It is quite possible that an understanding of these scriptures had not been revealed at that time. Thus, we have amillennialism.
I have no idea where you came up with this idea, but this is only something you have made up and nothing more.
I agree with this too as I have stated just above. Christ can reign in a literal sense for 1000 years, but people will still have their own evil desires.
You will find that other viewpoints also look at the whole Bible. They just don't put as many mystical meanings to make their theories fit. Such as 1000 years is actually 2000 years. Also, even though in the 1000 years, satan has been taken away and put in a bottomless pit, he still seems pretty free right now. He is only bound a little.
Only bound a little? Really? He was not bound at all in Old Testament times and what happened then? How many people were saved in those times? We know there was only 8 people in Noah's day. There weren't many saved throughout the OT times, right? What about NT times? Has there not been multitudes that have been saved? Far more than in OT times? Why do you only focus on the negative and not think about things like this?
#1. Satan is still working in the world. (Correct. Definitely not bound and put into a pit and sealed. You have just made a big hole in your proof. In a court of law, you would lose with such evidence.)
#2. Yet still, Satan was somehow restrained. (Correct. But you forgot, cast into a bottomless pit and sealed. Another big hole in your proof. (NOTE: You said that amillennialisist look at the whole bible, but you choose to miss the pit and sealed.))
#3. After a while, that restraint would be removed (Agreed. After the literal 1000 years, he will be set free for a short time)
#4. And The wickedness of Satan revealed (Agreed)
#5. And then Christ will come and destroy Him (Agreed)
Not just bound. Please read the whole scripture. Not just parts of the bible. He was also put into a bottomless pit and sealed. I don't know of anyone who could climb out of a bottomless pit especially when he is bound and then walk about like a roaring lion.
What you're saying here would be true only if it's talking about him being literally bound and incapacitated, but can a spirit being be literally chained up? I say no. What say you?
