UNDERSTANDING REVELATION 20
The binding of Satan is the preface to the vision the apostle John saw at the beginning of Revelation 20. Let’s review the verses and relate them where applicable to the millennium kingdom.
First of all, Jesus was sending the saints out to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to the world (Matthew 28:16+ RSV), and subsequently, the two witnesses would follow (Revelation 11:1+ RSV). Jesus tells the disciples (Matthew 24:14 KJV):
And the gospel of the kingdom must be preached to all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
How is Jesus going to arrange this when Satan is out there opposing the saints? This is where the binding of Satan is required, and we are told by John in his vision in Revelation 20:1-3 RSV:
And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. V2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, V3 and threw him into the bottomless pit (Abyss) and shut It and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more: till the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be loosed for a little while.
Please note that Satan was only partially bound, as he was bound to keep him from interfering with the preaching of the gospel. This was confirmed by 1 Peter 5:8 KJV:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your advisory the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.
John’s vision was of heaven. Satan was partially bound for a thousand years. After that, he must be loosed for a little while. Revelation 20:4-6 RSV continues:
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God and who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. V5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. V6 Blessed and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.
The souls that John saw were in heaven. They had mortally died and then spiritually gone on to heaven and were reigning with Christ a thousand years. These are the souls who had experienced the first resurrection. The physical death has no power over them, having already died.
In chapter 20, the word thousand is used six times. Because of its frequent use, the literalist maintains it is used that often to impress the reader that it means a literal thousand years. That is not necessarily the purpose. It could well be to draw the reader’s attention to another literal use, which we will further explain.
Revelation 21:25 is telling us about heaven and states there is no time there. It is a physical surety that a day must have an evening and a morning (Genesis 1:3+; Daniel 8:14). In heaven, you have no night. If no night, then no day, then no means of a calendar. So to assist our literal expositor, I am going to suggest that person might indicate a heavenly period of time by using the term “H thousand” years to express that a heavenly period of time is intended. This would indicate an unknown infinite amount of time. Likewise, an “E thousand” would indicate an earthly amount of time, which would be a typical calendar designation.
John’s vision of the binding of Satan with a chain and key was allegoric. How else could you allegorically bind Satan? One thing Satan uses is sin. How could we take Satan’s weapon of sin from him? The good news, it has already been done. When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and are baptized for the remission of sins, we are declared righteous, and our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. Satan can’t convict us in front of God. Jesus is right there and tells God this is one of my righteous saints. In God’s eyes, because of Jesus, we are righteous. Satan cannot convict us.
Another milestone that was created was the date Satan was bound. That would be AD 33 when Jesus was crucified. Also, on that date, the tribulation started. The binding of Satan is the preface to chapter 20 of Revelation (Ibid, Deceived). Satan will be bound until Christ returns.
These are the dates the literalists don’t want to talk about. Why not? Because the binding of Satan, the beginning of the millennium, and the tribulation, are to them, each a thousand years. They all started in 33 AD. But if you added a literal thousand to 33 AD, you would be at 1033 AD. But Mr. Literalist says, “that can’t be.” Why not! Because the time is heavenly and can’t be equated to earthly time, and you want to use it literally. Also, Mr. Literalist, you are telling me when Christ returns, he is going to commence his millennial kingdom. This, I am told, will be for a thousand years in Jerusalem. Jesus will be king and will reign with his Saints. But wait, don’t forget you are to build a new temple. This is going to be an interesting time, as the binding of Satan, the beginning of the millennium, and the tribulation all started in 33 AD at the crucifixion of Christ and run concurrently until Christ returns. This will probably be “H” 100 when their quota is fulfilled.
By the way, it would help if there was supporting scripture for all these machinations. John’s vision takes place in heaven with Jesus and his saints. The premillennials have Jesus reigning in the alleged millennial kingdom in Jerusalem at the same time.