Was Satan Bound Already?

[rwb]

He was/is only restrained for a thousand years. So this little hypothesis (which I'm likely wrong about) would mean he has already been released and is behind many of the massive wars in the last 1,000 years.

What else happens after a thousand years are finished?

Revelation 20:7-10 (WEB) And after the thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison, and he will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. They went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of heaven from God, and devoured them. The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

 

[Ivan Hlavanda]

He was/is only restrained for a thousand years. So this little hypothesis (which I'm likely wrong about) would mean he has already been released and is behind many of the massive wars in the last 1,000 years.

And from when was he restrained? From Jesus' resurrection? Look how the Church for persecuted in the first century, even after 1st century, many horrible events in history happened.

I am a pre-millenialist. I believe the thousand years is to happen after Christ returns.
1. Jesus is yet to sit on David's throne in Israel 'He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. (Luke 1)
God has started to bring Jewish people back to Israel from 1948. The people of Israel, the land of Israel, the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem are being prepared for the Coming of the Lord. He has started to move the history of this world forward towards His goals: the coming of the Kingdom and the coming of the King of the Kingdom. We are witnesses of this process that takes place before our very eyes.

2. Many of the prophecies about the Millennium in OT are I believe literal. Let's take a look at the prophet Isaiah, particularly chapter 11 I recommend reading, for me that chapter is textbook millennium. Verses like 'The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.'

Such peaceful will be the millennium, because Lord Jesus reigns in Israel and Satan is bound. This is unheard of. Isaiah 65 says that in millennium, if a person dies 100 years old, he/she will be considered young 'No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.' Again, the last time a 100 year old person was considered young was before the flood. There are others who describe the millennium as an event that will happen after the Lord's second coming.

3. The way the book of revelation is written. I am someone who believes in pre-trib rapture. Why?
Because of the clear division of chapters 1-3 of the book of revelation to chapter 4-19.

The 4th chapter begins like this ‘After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. The Greek words for ‘after this’ μετά ταύτα (pronounced Meta Tauta) .

But after what? What was the theme of the first 3 chapters book of revelation? The Church, and only the Church of Jesus Christ. In Chapter 1 we are introduces to Lord Jesus who is walking around 7 golden lampstands which represents the 7 churches of chapter 2-3, 7 churches in Asia Minor which represent the whole church throughout the history up until Jesus takes His Church with Him.

Chapter 1-3 represent the age of the Church, the year of God’s favour (Isaiah 61, Luke 4). Let’s look at now verses 17-19 of chapter 1. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 19 Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are [(καὶ ἃ εἰσὶν – kai ha eisin). The word εἰσὶν is the present tense of the verb ‘to be’. The Church IS.] And then verse 19 continues ‘and the things that will happen after this (μετά ταύτα). When? After this, after the age of Church. Therefore I am convinced, rev. chapters 1-3 talk about the age of the Church, then rapture happens and then starts chapter 4 onwards.

 

[DavidPT]

His binding only prevents him from holding whosoever believes the Gospel in bondage to fear of death.

You really need to listen to the logic you are proposing here.

The first thing to note, satan isn't bound indefinetely, regardless when he is bound. He is eventually loosed, which means he is no longer bound at that point. Yet, you argue that "his binding only prevents him from holding whosoever believes the Gospel in bondage to fear of death". Which then means what, once he is no longer bound but loosed instead? This? Whosoever believes the Gospel is once again in bondage to fear of death. Because, after all, you indicated it is his binding preventing that. And once again, once he is loosed he is obviously no longer bound.

I don't know what it is about some of you Amils, but your views of satan's binding make some of the rest of us assume there is no difference between being bound and being loosed, assuming your view of his binding correct. IOW, whatever satan is able to do once he is loosed, you all have him still being able to do while he is bound.

For instance. If Revelation 20 indicates that satan is not involved in any battles or the deceiving of the nations, until after he is loosed, what should this tell us about while he is bound? It should tell us he is involved in no battles, no deceiving of the nations, while he is bound. Assuming the thousand years are meaning now, one would have to be blind to miss the fact that satan has still been deceiving the nations throughout the past 2000 years, and that satan has still been involved in battles the past 2000 years.

Why is it, the locusts in Revelation 9, for instance, that while they are in the pit they can't do what they can do when they are no longer in the pit? Why does the pit prevent them from doing things while locked inside, but that this same pit, when satan is locked up in it, it is pointless in satan's case? He can still do the same things while he is bound that he can do while he is loosed. IOW, it's as if binding and loosing mean the exact same thing, in satan's case.

 

[DavidPT]

Those being deceived from the nations are people who live and die on the earth from the beginning of the universal Church on earth until the Church or Kingdom of heaven is complete. These people live in time, likened to a thousand years. Since the time referenced is when Satan can no longer deceive the nations, it is the time when the Gospel through the Church is being sent unto the nations and those of the nations who believe are no longer deceived. So the binding of Satan during a thousand years began when Christ defeated death, and sent His Church unto all the nations of the earth to proclaim His Gospel. And whosoever believes the Gospel throughout the earth has eternal life.

The logic would be this, assuming the millennium is meaning now. First let's assume the millennium began 2000 years ago and that it concludes in 2033 AD, which then marks the beginning of satan's little season.

These in Revelation 20:8 couldn't possibly be including ppl for the past 2000 years since some of them would already be dead when 2033 AD arrives. And besides, these in verse 8 are devoured by fire from God out of heaven. You don't do that to dead ppl, you do that to someone who is still alive at the time. Unless you want to agree with the Adventists, in this case, that those in verse 8 are meaning the rest of the dead after they have been resurrected, rather than someone who was still alive during the final years of the millennium.

In this hypothetical, since we have the millennium ending in 2033 AD, and since it's possible for some ppl to live a hundred years, though most don't, this tells us that those in verse 8 would be meaning those living from maybe the 1940s through 2033 AD. Everyone else would already be dead by the time 2033 AD arrives. And once again, you don't devour dead ppl with fire from God out of heaven, you devour ppl still alive at the time.

 

[rwb]

You really need to listen to the logic you are proposing here.

The first thing to note, satan isn't bound indefinetely, regardless when he is bound. He is eventually loosed, which means he is no longer bound at that point. Yet, you argue that "his binding only prevents him from holding whosoever believes the Gospel in bondage to fear of death". Which then means what, once he is no longer bound but loosed instead? This? Whosoever believes the Gospel is once again in bondage to fear of death. Because, after all, you indicated it is his binding preventing that. And once again, once he is loosed he is obviously no longer bound.

Satan is bound by Christ's cross and resurrection. Prior to Christ defeating Satan, Satan was able to hold the Gentile nations in bondage to fear of death. Why only nations (Gentiles), why wasn't Satan able to hold Jews of faith in bondage to fear of death before the cross? Because Israel knew of the Messiah who would come and redeem them from sin and give them eternal life. This was prophesy given only to Israel. The rest of the nations (Gentiles) had no prophets or priests to prophesy about the Messiah to come.

This is why only believers from the nations (Gentiles) were affected by Satan's binding. This is not to say Jews in unbelief were not deceived. They were! But their deception came because they refused to believe the prophesy from the Prophets of old telling them Messiah would come.

And this is also why Satan's binding prevents him from deceiving the nations (Gentiles) who had no knowledge of the Promised Messiah who would come and whosoever believed would have eternal life. The nations (Gentiles) could not know this before the Gospel was sent to them. Christ had to first come to earth a man, defeat Satan by His cross and resurrect from the dead. Through this Satan is bound that he can no longer hold Gentiles in bondage to fear (deceive them) when they hear the Gospel proclaimed, and by grace through faith and the power of the Spirit believe Christ for eternal life.

Once a person hears and by grace through faith and the power of the Spirit believe the life they receive through Christ is FOREVER! They will never be deceived by Satan again!

I don't know what it is about some of you Amils, but your views of satan's binding make some of the rest of us assume there is no difference between being bound and being loosed, assuming your view of his binding correct. IOW, whatever satan is able to do once he is loosed, you all have him still being able to do while he is bound.

The difference between Satan's binding and being loosed again is the Gospel proclaimed unto all the nations of the world. No long would the message of Christ, the promised Messiah be limited to only one small nation of the world. Satan was bound because Christ proved death could not hold Him. And if death could not hold Him, neither can death hold whosoever among all people of the earth in bondage to fear of death.

Just as Satan could not hold Jews of faith in bondage to fear of death before the advent of Christ, neither can he hold Gentiles of faith in bondage to fear of death after the cross and resurrection of Christ. The only people Satan has ever been able to deceive through fear of death are unbelievers. This is true both before and after the advent of Christ coming to earth a man.

For instance. If Revelation 20 indicates that satan is not involved in any battles or the deceiving of the nations, until after he is loosed, what should this tell us about while he is bound? It should tell us he is involved in no battles, no deceiving of the nations, while he is bound. Assuming the thousand years are meaning now, one would have to be blind to miss the fact that satan has still been deceiving the nations throughout the past 2000 years, and that satan has still been involved in battles the past 2000 years.

You seem to be under the impression that Satan is bound to bring peace to the earth??? Even though Satan was bound by the cross and resurrection he is not without power in this world. If Satan were still able to deceive the nations then there would be no salvation for Gentiles on the earth. The fact that many Gentiles from all the nations of the earth have been, are being and will be saved proves Satan was bound by the cross and resurrection of Christ. When Satan is loosed, he will continue deceiving the masses throughout the earth who are always deceived, never coming to knowledge of Christ through His Gospel.

 

[rwb]

The logic would be this, assuming the millennium is meaning now. First let's assume the millennium began 2000 years ago and that it concludes in 2033 AD, which then marks the beginning of satan's little season.

A thousand years symbolizes TIME! This is TIME given the Church on earth to proclaim the Gospel unto all the nations of the earth so the Kingdom of heaven will be complete. Since this symbolic TIME is given for the Church to go out to all the world with the Gospel, this symbolic TIME began with the Gospel being proclaimed. So the thousand symbolic years would be TIME from the beginning of the Gospel era until this symbolic TIME is finished and Satan is freed to continue to deceive all who are alive on earth after the thousand symbolic years are finished and have not believed the Gospel by grace through faith. IOW all alive on earth during Satan's little season who are already in unbelief.

Matthew 24:14 (KJV) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

 

[DavidPT]

You seem to be under the impression that Satan is bound to bring peace to the earth???

Why not, when there are passages such as the following?

Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Then there is this as well.

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.


Notice in this verse this---and dust shall be the serpent's meat. Which should remind us of the following.

Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:


and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And once he is cast into the LOF though, he still isn't eating dust.

Yet, Isaiah 65:25 tells us, that during the time when the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, dust is still the serpent's meat, thus satan can't be already in the LOF at this point since it would be ludicrous to apply Genesis 3:14 to forever. Genesis 3:14 shows satan's fate throughout human history, and not his fate once he is cast into the LOF. Once he is cast into the LOF, the days involving dust being his meat will have ended.

 

[HTacianas]

If Satan is restrained, then how do events like Holocaust and wars happen?

We don't know if he's been unrestrained or not. But there are people out there who will commit atrocities on their own. They don't need Satan egging them on. History is filled with them.

 

[grafted branch]

We don't know if he's been unrestrained or not. But there are people out there who will commit atrocities on their own. They don't need Satan egging them on. History is filled with them.

Good point, from 1 Corinthians 3:18 and 1 John 1:8 we can deceive ourselves. From Ephesians 4:14 and 1 John 3:7 others can deceive us. From 1 Kings 22:19-23 we know spirits besides Satan can deceive.

In Revelation 20 only Satan is bound, no other evil spirits are bound. Also Satan is bound from deceiving the nations (1484 ethnos). It doesn’t say Satan is bound from deceiving the Jews, so apparently we are going to have a millennium with righteous Gentiles and evil Jews according to how some interpret this.

 

[Original Happy Camper]

At Jesus's return, Jesus will look to the statue image, Satan within, and cause it to burst into flames, turning it to ashes.... and there will be Satan exposed on the temple mount for everyone to see.

your interpertation of scripture appers to be a script written for a Hollywood movie listed as fiction.

 

[rwb]

Why not, when there are passages such as the following?

Isaiah 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

When will this prophesy come to pass David? When we look at the context we find it is in the last days. This is when people come to the Lord to learn of His ways and walk in His paths. It is through the Word; the Gospel of Christ that people are judged by His Spirit. This prophesy is for the spiritual Kingdom of God upon this earth, being built as the Gospel goes unto all the nations. IOW this prophesy speaks of the time symbolized a thousand years when Christ is ruling over His people in all the nations of the earth from heaven. When people turn to Christ in salvation they no longer seek for physical warfare. Instead, they are at peace through Christ with both God and their fellow man.

Isaiah 2:2-5 (KJV) And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

Then there is this as well.

Isaiah 65:25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. Notice in this verse this---and dust shall be the serpent's meat. Which should remind us of the following.

Again, read the passage in context David. This prophesy is not fulfilled in this world, on this earth, but when God creates new heavens and a new earth. When everything is restored. The serpent meat is now the dust, for in the new heavens and new earth he shall be no more.

Isaiah 65:17 (KJV) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And once he is cast into the LOF though, he still isn't eating dust.

Yet, Isaiah 65:25 tells us, that during the time when the wolf and the lamb shall feed together, dust is still the serpent's meat, thus satan can't be already in the LOF at this point since it would be ludicrous to apply Genesis 3:14 to forever. Genesis 3:14 shows satan's fate throughout human history, and not his fate once he is cast into the LOF. Once he is cast into the LOF, the days involving dust being his meat will have ended.

Once Satan, symbolized as the serpent is cast into the eternal flames, in the new heavens and new earth it will be as though he never existed.

 

[rwb]

If Satan is restrained, then how do events like Holocaust and wars happen?

The restraining of Satan was not to bring peace upon the earth. It is through the Gospel preached and man enters the Kingdom of God by grace through faith that peace comes to man. The restraining of Satan was accomplished by Christ's victory on the cross and resurrection from the dead. When Christ arose from the grave Satan's power to hold the nations in fear of bondage to death was broken forever for all who hear the Gospel and believe. The nations (Gentiles) were in bondage to fear of death before the Gospel of Christ came to them. Now, since Christ defeated Satan, that bondage is broken for all who believe now have assurance they shall never die.

 

[rwb]

We don't know if he's been unrestrained or not. But there are people out there who will commit atrocities on their own. They don't need Satan egging them on. History is filled with them.

This is very true. But it can also be said that those committing atrocities are in unbelief, and have not the Spirit of God in them. Therefore, they are guided by their natural spirit that every human possesses.

 

[rwb]

Good point, from 1 Corinthians 3:18 and 1 John 1:8 we can deceive ourselves. From Ephesians 4:14 and 1 John 3:7 others can deceive us. From 1 Kings 22:19-23 we know spirits besides Satan can deceive.

In Revelation 20 only Satan is bound, no other evil spirits are bound. Also Satan is bound from deceiving the nations (1484 ethnos). It doesn’t say Satan is bound from deceiving the Jews, so apparently we are going to have a millennium with righteous Gentiles and evil Jews according to how some interpret this.

Satan was bound so he could not deceive the nations (Gentiles) because the Gentile nations had no knowledge of the Messiah/Christ who was to come to redeem them from sin and death. Since Gentile nations had no knowledge of the One to come and free them from deaths bondage, they were in darkness and destined to die because Satan had power to hold them in fear until Christ literally came and defeated death. It is by His cross and resurrection from death that Satan is now bound. Now, since Christ has sent His Gospel message of salvation unto all the world every man who believes the Gospel has assurance of eternal life, knowing he shall never die.

 

[Timtofly]

Binding doesn't necessarily mean completely bound. Only restrained. Satan is restrained for a time. Remember that the Church is amillennialist.

The church may be, but God's Word is not Amil. The Gog Magog war at the end is just generic people, They will be born over 900 years from now in a totally different environment. Has nothing to do with current humanity.

 

[HTacianas]

The church may be, but God's Word is not Amil. The Gog Magog war at the end is just generic people, They will be born over 900 years from now in a totally different environment. Has nothing to do with current humanity.

It was the Church that decided what God's word is.

 

[Timtofly]

It was the Church that decided what God's word is.

So your church has replaced God? Your religion defines God now as well as what God's Word is?

 

[HTacianas]

So your church has replaced God? Your religion defines God now as well as what God's Word is?

Where do you think the bible came from? Who decided what books belong in it?

 

[shepherdsword]

The scripture proves by explicit statement that Satan is not bound at this time:

1 Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

He would not be walking about if he was bound.

 

[Timtofly]

Where do you think the bible came from? Who decided what books belong in it?

God.