During
the Millennium
Much has been written and more has been discussed about the status of Satan during the
1000 years following Christ's Second Coming. Some hold that Satan is imprisoned
somewhere to shield the earth's inhabitants from this master deceiver. Others hold
that the problem is solved by redeeming all of Christ's true followers to heaven and
totally destroying all others -- leaving this earth a giant compost pile for 1000
years, with Satan exiled here.
In the book of Revelation, after John presents in vision a des- cription of the Battle
of Armageddon, he presents what happens to Satan.
Rev. 20:1-3 -- And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,
having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
He seized the dragon, that ancient
serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for 1000 years.
He threw him into the Abyss, and locked
and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore, until the 1000
years were ended.
I believe we have considerable evidence in several places in the Bible which should
clear up for us just what happens to Satan during this time. Each description of the
event begins and is intimately associated with the Battle of Armageddon, which occurs at
Christ's Second Coming.
In the Battle of Armageddon notice the description of what God will do to the armies of
this world-wide Conglomerate led by this great general (Gog) who calls himself
"God" and above every god.
The next presentation is a very concise picture of the essential elements which
portrays the events at Armageddon. It consists of four parts; each part is
inseparably blended together to compose the full picture. The title of this chapter
in the NIV is "Judgment Against the Nations."
First Part:
Isa. 34:1-5 -- Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention,
you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out
of it!
This is Christ calling the nations of the end-time evil Conglomerate with their armies
to Armageddon to judge them -- to be followed by their execution.
Vss. 2,3 -- The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon
all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown out, their
dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
This referrs to the mountains of Israel where the carcasses of the slain are spread at
Armageddon.
Vs. 4 -- All the stars of heaven will be dissolved and the sky
rolled up as a scroll.
All the starry host will fall like
withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree. My sword has
drunk its fill in the heavens.
Now let us consider the first verse in more detail. "Come near, you
nations, and listen."
Read all of verse one and compare with Zephaniah 3:8.
Zeph. 3:8 -- "Therefore wait for me," declares the
Lord, "for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the
nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them -- all my fierce
anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger."
Joel 3:1,2 -- "In those days and at that time, when I
restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will enter into judgment against
them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the
nations and divided up my land."
The second part of the story is told in verses 2,3 --
The Lord is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies, etc.
Now compare:
Joel 2:20 -- "I will drive the Northern army far from you,
pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the Eastern
Sea and those in the rear into the Western Sea. And its stench will go up; its smell
will rise." (This whole chapter describes events at Armageddon.)
Eze. 39:2-4 -- "I will bring you from the far North
and send you against the mountains of Israel...
On the mountains of Israel you will fall,
you and all your troops and the nations with you.
I will give you as food to all kinds of
carrion birds and to the wild animals." (This is God speaking to this great
general of the evil Conglomerate at Christ's Coming -- Satan personified as a
man.)
The third part presents a sign to weld the story to Christ's Second Coming.
Isa. 34:4 -- And the sky rolled up like a scroll.
Compare:
Rev. 6:14 -- The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every
mountain and island was removed from its place." (All agree this is
describing the signs and events in the heavens at Christ's Coming.)
The fourth part reveals all the starry host falling from the sky "like
shriveled figs from the fig tree. My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens."
Now compare:
Rev. 6:13 -- And the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late (shriveled)
figs from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
Could this mean that God's sword has drunk its fill in the heavens by chopping down
suns and planets? This starry host that falls to the earth like overripe figs are
obviously Satan and his demons who are long overripe for this harvesting. It is of
these that God's sword has drunk its fill. The real stars and their constellations
are not overlooked in describing this scene of Christ's Second Coming. Note the
following:
Isaiah 13:9,10 -- See, the day of the Lord is coming -- a cruel
day, with wrath and fierce anger -- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners
within it.
The stars of heaven and their
constellations will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened and the
moon will not give its light.
If the stars and their constellations will not give their light, no one could see them
falling -- could they?
Compare the following versions of Isaiah 34:4.
(NIV) -- All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved
and the sky rolled up like a scroll; All the starry host will fall like withered leaves
from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree. My sword has drunk its fill in
the heavens.
(RSV) -- All the host of heaven shall rot away, and
the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the
vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. For my sword has drunk its fill in the
heavens.
(NEB) -- All the host of heaven shall crumble into nothing,
the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll, and the starry host fade away, as the leaf
withers from the vine and the ripening fruit from the fig tree, for the sword of the Lord
appears in heaven.
All the starry host of the heavens:
1. will be dissolved
2. shall rot away
3. shall crumble into nothing.
This can not be speaking of the stars and constellations in the heavens. Isaiah
13:10 states that "the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give
their light." There is no indication that they will dissolve away or rot.
Note John's description of these events which are a sign of Christ's coming:
Rev. 6:13 --
(NIV) -- And the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs
drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a
scroll.
(NEB) -- The stars in the sky fell to the earth, like figs shaken
down by a gale; the sky vanished, as a scroll is rolled up.
This is obviously speaking of the same prophecy as given by Isaiah above.
Now, let us consider Christ quoting from this prophecy of Isaiah as to the starry host
which will fall from the heavens. It is written in the form of a couplet one line
followed by another, adding meaning to the first.
Matt. 24:29 --
(NIV) -- The stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly
bodies will be shaken.
(KJV) -- The stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken.
(NEB) -- The stars will fall from the sky, the celestial powers
will be shaken.
These heavenly bodies, powers of heaven, celestial powers can only be referring to the
fallen angels. When these powers are shaken by the sword of God they fall to the
earth like shriveled figs when shaken by a strong wind.
I believe it becomes crystal clear that this in no way is describing a meteor shower
either in times past or in future times. It obviously refers to the time of Christ's
Second Coming, so at this present time it can only refer to the future.
We have another Scriptural presentation of when Satan and his angels meet their
doom. It is vividly described by Isaiah:
Isa. 24:18-23 -- The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the
foundations of the earth shake.
The earth is broken up, the earth is
split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken.
The earth reels like a drunkard, it
sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls
-- never to rise again." (No question about it, this is the great
earthquake at Christ's Coming)
In that day the Lord will punish the
powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished
after many days.
The moon will be abashed, the sun
ashamed; for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mt. Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its
elders, gloriously.
Compare:
Isaiah 24:21,22 (RSV) -- On that day the Lord will punish the host
of heaven, in heaven, and the kings of the earth, on earth.
They will be gathered together as
prisoners in a pit (Abyss);
They will be shut up in a prison, and
after many days will be punished.
(NEB) -- On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven
in heaven, and on earth the kings of the earth, herded together, close packed like
prisoners in a dungeon; shut up in gaol (jail), after a long time they shall be
punished.
(KJV) -- 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 the kings of the earth upon
the earth.
And they shall be gathered together, as
prisoners in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they
be visited.
This is speaking of the carnage, specifically of that great Conglomerate who is
surrounding Jerusalem at the time of Christ's Second Coming. They are led by Gog
-- Satan personified as a man. The powers in the heavens above (Satan and his
angels) and the kings of the earth below (the 10 kings with each his army) will be herded
together like prisoners bound in a dungeon.
The powers in the heavens above and the armies of the earth below are herded together
in one large bottomless pit -- the Abyss. They are bound like
prisoners in a dungeon. Remember, Satan will be bound for 1000 years. They
(both groups) will be shut up in prison (the grave) and be punished after many days.
If Satan would remain alive this would be unbearable punishment, but the text clearly
states that they will be punished after many days -- after 1000 years to be exact.
Now let us look briefly at the greatest description of the Battle of Armageddon in the
Bible (Ezekiel 38 & 39). This is presenting the 10 kings with each his army and
led by this great general who claims to be God and above every god. He is called Gog
in this description. Scripture describes him as Satan personified as a man.
Eze. 38:17-20 -- This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "Are
you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At
that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. This is
what will happen in that day:
"When Gog attacks the land of
Israel, My hot anger will be aroused," declares the Sovereign Lord. "In my zeal
and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land
of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every
creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble
at my presence.
"The mountains will be overturned,
the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground."
Vss. 21,22 -- "I will summon a sword against Gog on all
my mountains," declares the Sovereign Lord. "Every man's sword will be
against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plagues and
bloodshed. I will pour down sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations
with him."
Eze. 39:3-5 -- "Then I will strike your bow from your
left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. On the mountains of Israel
you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as
food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals."
Vs. 11 -- "On that day I will give Gog a burial place in
Israel, in the valley of those who travel toward the Sea. It will block the way of
travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called
the Valley of Hamon Gog."
This battle is the Battle of Armageddon. This is the multi-national Conglomerate
that has previously destroyed Jerusalem and for the subsequent 3-1/2 years have been
trampling and brutalizing the survivors of the Israelites who remain in Jerusalem.
It is for the purpose of liberating this remnant group of survivors that God calls these
nations and their armies and their great general to Jerusalem for the final showdown at
Armageddon.
At this showdown Christ judges these nations; their leaders and their armies, and then
executes them at the time of this battle that is so vividly described above.
Now this Conglomerate, also known as Babylon, and their great leader are all
dead. Notice the taunt that God asks the liberated Israelites to take up against the
king of Babylon (Gog).
Isa. 14:3-20 -- "On the day the Lord gives you relief from
suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage, (Trampling and exiling for 3-1/2 years
preceding the Second Coming) you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon
(Gog):
"How the oppressor has come to an
end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the
scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down people with unceasing blows, and in fury
subdued nations with relentless aggression.
"The grave below is all astir to
meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you -- all those
who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones -- all those who were
kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, "You also
have become weak, as we are; You have become like us."
"All your pomp has been brought down
to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; Maggots are spread out beneath you and
worms cover you.
"How you have fallen from heaven, O
morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once
laid low the nations!
"You said in your heart, ‘I
will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned
on the Mount of Assembly, on the utmost heights of the Sacred Mountain. I will
ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’
But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
"Those who see you stare at you,
they ponder your fate; ‘Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms
tremble, the man who made the world a desert (the abomination that causes desolation)
who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home (the exiled
Israelites)?
"All the kings of the nations lie in
state, but you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; You are covered with the
slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit.
"Like a corpse trampled underfoot,
you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your
people."
I believe this proves that this wicked general who rules the earth for 3-1/2 years
prior to Christ's Second Coming is Satan personified as a man, and for a certainty he
meets his demise at Christ's Second Coming in the Battle of Armageddon.
We have another account of events that occur at Christ's Second Coming, and the chapter
title in the NIV is "Deliverance of Israel." This is referring to those
Israelite survivors in Jerusalem who are liberated at Christ's Coming.
Isa. 27:1 -- The Lord will punish with his sword, his fierce,
great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he
will slay the monster of the sea. (Satan for sure)
Compare Rev. 20:2 -- He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent,
who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years."
(Continue) Isa. 27:8,9 -- By warfare and exile you contend
with her (Israel) -- with his fierce blasts he drives her out, as on a day the east
wind blows.
By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be
atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin.
Vss. 12,13 -- In that day the Lord will thresh from the
flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by
one.
And in that day a great trumpet will
sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come
and worship the Lord on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.
This whole chapter inseparably blends the demise of Satan with the restoration of the
Israelite exiles to their homeland where they will worship the Lord on the holy mountain
in Jerusalem -- where He will be ruling.
This is now five separate presentations from Scripture that we have presented to show
Satan's demise, along with all his angels. Each description of this event is
inseparably bound to the time of Christ's Second Coming.
Now that it is clear when Satan is bound and how it is accomplished, we are better able
to understand the description of Satan as the beast the Holy Spirit reveals to John in
Revelation:
Rev. 17:8 (NEB) -- The beast you have seen is he who was once
alive, and is alive no longer; but has yet to ascend out of the Abyss before going to
perdition.
Those on earth whose names have not been
inscribed in the roll of the living ever since the world was made will all be astonished
to see the beast; for he once was alive, and is alive no longer, and has yet to appear.
(The beast described here is the lamb-like beast—the counterfeit of the
Lamb of God.)
Rev. 13:11 -- Then I saw another beast, coming out of the
earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.
I believe that some, in the past, have jumped to conclusions by noting him coming up
out of the earth and interpreting that to mean that he is coming up out of the
Abyss. The Abyss is also known as the bottomless pit, or the grave. It is
called the bottomless pit because the grave has no limitation to its capacity.
The first beast of Revelation 13 is noted to be coming up out of the sea. The sea
is symbolic of nations and peoples. This obviously does not mean that the
inhabitants who make up this beast must refer to the peoples of the earth who perished at
sea.
In the same symbolic manner Satan comes up out of the earth. Where would we
naturally be expecting him to come from? Obviously we would expect him to come down
from the sky, but this lets us know that he will appear to us in human form as an
inhabitant of the earth and not as an angel spirit.
In the various passages which we have quoted from it is evident that this evil entity,
along with all his evil angels, will meet their fate at Christ's Second Coming.
There is absolutely no mention, anywhere in the Bible, that Satan is killed and placed in
the Abyss (bottomless pit) prior to this time. The fact that he is placed
there following Christ's Second Coming couldn't be plainer.
Rev. 20:1-3 (KJV) -- And I saw an angel come down from heaven,
having the key of the bottomless pit (NIV -- Abyss) and a great chain in his
hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and
bound him a thousand years.
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and
shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the
1000 years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
The most remarkable identifying mark of this beast is that he comes up out of the
Abyss. We know for certain just when he is thrown into the Abyss and that he remains
in it for a thousand years. Then he comes up out of the Abyss (is released from his
prison) and will go out to deceive the nations of the earth. The angel reveals to
John, in vision, a description of this beast:
Rev. 17:8 (NEB) -- The beast you have seen (past
tense) is he who was once alive, and is alive no longer; but has yet to ascend
out of the Abyss.
The beast you have seen; being past tense, would also have to say 'he who came up out
of the Abyss' if such is the case. However, he is told that that event is still
future -- "has yet to ascend out of the Abyss."
When this beast makes his first appearance on the earth it initially is not remarkable:
Dan. 8:9,10 -- Out of one of them (horns) came another
horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the
Beautiful Land.
It grew until it reached the host of
heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on
them." (The only evil entity that could do that is Satan)
This states that he comes in a small way but grows in power. Now consider that
this satanic being takes control of the earth and rules it for 3-l/2 years. Everyone
on earth will be required to worship him and all will, except for those whose names
are written in the book of life. Can you imagine the number of statues, portraits,
books, movies, etc., that will be made of him? Has there ever been such a well
publicized being in prior times?
Even though he will remain in the grave for 1000 years I'm sure the inhabitants of the
earth will be warned of his returning. Can't you imagine that, after hearing this
for 1000 years, the reality wears thin very much like humanity in general at the present
time does not have a firm belief in Christ's return.
Rev. 17:8b (NEB) -- Those on earth whose names have not been
inscribed in the roll of the living ever since the world was made will be astonished to
see the beast; for he was once alive, and is alive no longer, and has still to appear.
They are astonished because, after 1000 years of being in the grave, he comes up out of
it. During the time he is ruling the earth the inhabitants are almost totally
unaware that he will be destroyed by Christ's Coming. Then he will spend a thousand
years in the grave before coming up for a short period -- before his final trip to
perdition.
This description is presenting the life cycle of Satan. "He once
was alive," and will remain so until Armageddon where he is terminated.
Then for 1000 years he will be alive no longer. "And has yet to appear."
This can only be at the end of the 1000 years at which time it states, "After that
he must be let loose for a short while."
He is released from where he has been bound as a prisoner, in the grave. It's the
people who are living on the earth at the end of the 1000 years who are astonished to see
the beast. This will present no astonishment to the redeemed who are living in the
holy land.
It is to those whose names have not been inscribed in the roll of the living ever since
the world was made who will be astonished. It is to those who have failed to respond
to 1000 years of opportunity. Notice that the door of opportunity is still open at
this time on the earth following Christ's Second Coming.
Micah 4:1-3 -- In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple
will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and
peoples will stream to it.
Many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways, so that we may
walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion, the word
of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle
disputes for strong nations far and wide.
These nations that fail to seek the Lord Almighty to be taught His ways so as to walk
in His paths; it is these who are astonished when they see the beast.
Now we come to the description of the last chapter in Satan's life cycle:
Rev. 20:1-3 -- And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,
having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the
dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for 1000
years.
He threw him into the Abyss, and locked
and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the 1000
years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
Now it should be coming into focus that Satan is bound so as to prevent him from
deceiving the nations anymore. If there were no nations to deceive, there would be
no need for him to be bound. This would represent a problem solved when there was no
existing problem. God is too precise to carefully explain how He solved a problem
for which there was no basis.
We know from a great multitude of texts that the problem did exist -- there are
"strong nations far and wide" on the earth following Christ's Second Coming, as
we have just read. The real problem was solved by binding Satan in the Abyss, the
bottomless pit, the grave for 1000 years. When the 1000 years are over, Satan will
be released from his prison. (Rev. 20:7).
Compare Rev. 17:8 with Rev. 20:7 --
Rev. 17:8 (NEB) -- The beast you have seen is he who once was
alive, and is alive no longer, but has yet to ascend out of the Abyss (grave) before
going to perdition.
Rev. 20:7 -- When the thousand years are over, Satan will be
released from his prison
Vss. 8-10 -- and will go out to deceive the nations in the
four corners of the earth ... to gather them for battle. (He now has the
opportunity to deceive the nations because he has been released from the grave).
They marched across the breadth of the
earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. (His people
-- the redeemed. The city He loves is Jerusalem where He has been
reigning and ruling for the past 1000 years.)
But fire came down from heaven and
devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning
sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.
This is where Satan goes to perdition as described in the 17th chapter as well.
In the face of all this evidence, do we have any excuse to doubt the evidence presented
in these passages of Scripture? If we should believe otherwise, can we support it
from the Bible? If we hold to a contradicting scenario and one that cannot be
supported by Scripture, would we be among those Christ was speaking about when he stated:
Mark 7:7 (RSV) -- In vain do they worship me, teaching for
doctrines the precepts of men...
Vs. 13 -- Thus making void the word of God through your
tradition which you pass on.