Yes, they say this is a "spiritual" binding, so that they can redefine what that binding is. So then then they weaken the force of that binding, allowing Satan to still act as though unbound, roaming about, a "long leash", to allow as though the prophecy were fulfilled now, in this time, as a means of "reconciling" this passage with others, as they interpret within a framework that does not divide the dispensational times of the Bible, and therefore cannot allow an Israel-centric Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ. (sorry about the run-on sentence . . .)
If we understand that God has always intended, and will fulfull His promises to Abraham, and through faith in Christ, His covenant with Israel, then we recognize that Israel has been blinded in part, now, but that at the end of the age will be the "time of Jacob's trouble", and he will be saved through that happening. Meanwhile in this time of partial blinding, God is calling out the body of Christ out of the world.
Israel was to be the light of the world, the city on a hill, to which the gentiles would flow, and come into covenant with God. When Israel refused to receive Jesus, their lamp was removed, and God sent His Apostle directly to the gentiles.
It's this outright rejection of "all things dispensational" that forces people into that position of having to turn things into allegory, parable, symbol, though no such is stated, and no meaning is given. I realize that many people have a difficult time with many aspects of dispensational teaching, just the same, dispensational distinctions do appear in the Scriptures, and unless you take them into account, you are going to come up with the wrong answer.
And when that happens, when we find our view creates a conflict in our understandings of one passage when compared to another, we have a choice, either change our view, or "change the passage". And that's one way to do it. "That obviously doesn't mean what it seems to say!"
It's a cognitive device to protect the mind from self-contradiction. But we need to understand, God means what He says, and He does not contradict Himself. We need to be the ones to change, not change the Scriptures into something they are not.
Much love!
It is so hard to get Premils to address simple questions. I will re-present my queries to you that you avoided.
Imprisonment and chains are constantly used in Scripture to describe spiritual restraint. This is seen in how the Holy Spirit depicts the wicked. For example, Satan is presented in Scripture as imprisoning his followers and refusing to release them from his spiritual prison.
Psalms 79:10-11 declares,
“Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die.”
Were all the heathen literal prisoners? Of course not!
Did this indicate they were immobile? Did this mean they could not kill, steal and destroy? Of course not!
Psalms 102:19-20 says,
“For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death.”
Is the Psalmist talking about literal prisoners? Of course not!
Does this mean the wicked are unable to move freely on this earth, influence others and cause evil? Of course not.
Psalms 107:8-16 describes,
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.”
Were these chains literally iron? Of course not!
Does this mean the wicked are unable to move freely on this earth, influence others and cause evil? Of course not.
Psalms 146:7-8 declares,
“The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous.”
Are these literal prisoners or is it describing the wicked?
Does this mean the wicked are unable to move freely on this earth, influence others and cause evil? Of course not.
Lamentations 3:33-34 says,
“For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.”
Does Satan have all his devotees in a literal physical prison? Of course not!
Psalms 68:6 prophesied of those in darkness in the Old Testament:
“he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”
Were the Gentiles (before the cross) curtailed by literal chains? Of course not!
Does this mean the wicked are unable to move freely on this earth, influence others and cause evil? Of course not.
Isaiah 14:12-17 tells us,
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (helel or shining one), son of the morning (dawn)! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?”
Does Satan have all his devotees in a literal physical prison? Of course not!
Does this mean the wicked are unable to move freely on this earth, influence others and cause evil? Of course not.
Isaiah 42:6-7 says,
"I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house."
Were the Gentiles (before the cross) held in a literal prison house? Of course not!
Does that mean all Gentiles will be enlightened? Of course not. It is a general statement like Revelation 20.
Does this mean the wicked are unable to move freely on this earth, influence others and cause evil? Of course not.