It is in the book of revelation. I never said he's locked up twice. All I know he will be 'released' for 'awhile' before the end comes. So now could be that "awhile".
Moreover, no one (can) ever claimed that he fully understands what the book of revelation would like to say. So when you say the "Rev. says so" (especially chronogically), perhaps you say so with a grand of salt, don't you.
Sounds like the tradition of man you're following is the false idea that Christ's Millennium reign has already started. It hasn't.
It won't until Christ returns (literally) to the earth and gathers His Church to Jerusalem on earth (Zech.14; Acts 1; Matt.24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27; Matt.25, 2 Thess.2, etc.). That's... when Satan is to be locked in his pit prison for a thousand years of Rev.20, then released one final time at the end of Christ's future "thousand years" reign.
I don't claim to understand absolutely everything written in our Lord's Book of Revelation, but for most it, yes, I do claim to understand. God's Word is The Living Word, so more is always revealed when we continue to study His Word doing it His Way (Isa.28). That's why no believer should ever claim they understand everything; wouldn't be anything left to discover with that kind of absolute kind of claim.
Many believers lack understanding in Revelation today because of not first having studied all the previous Books of God's Word. Paul told Timothy to study to show himself approved... of God, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim.2). So there is a simple matter of us showing God our willingness to discipline ourselves in study of His Word. When we do that, that's when He will really open His Word up to our understanding by The Holy Spirit. I tell you now. If you do that study His Way, line upon line, chapter by chapter, from Genesis all the way through, asking Him for guidance 'directly', He WILL give it to you if you are sincere; even a level of understanding that many preachers today don't even have.
What exactly do I mean by that, that He will give us understanding by 'direct' means if we are sincere ask Him directly?
It involves the parable our Lord Jesus taught about the "old bottles" (actually wine skins) (Mark 2:22). You don't put newly fermenting wine that must have space to expand into an old wine skin that is dried which won't handle the pressure. You put the new wine into new wine skins that will expand, so both are preserved. The old wine skins are equal to men's doctrines and traditions. The British Christian scholar E.W. Bullinger described that idea using a tether. A tether is like a rope tied to a stake in the ground with a limited length of rope. It will only reach as far as the rope allows, and no farther.
Many of the Biblically unlearned think that the majority of modern-day preachers have a high understanding in all of God's Word when most of them really do not. The college seminary systems are not setup to fully teach a minister all of God's Word. They are mostly taught the organization's doctrine they must hold to in order to keep their positions to get a retirement pension later. They have to learn like two years of either Biblical Hebrew or Greek, and much of what they are taught involves basic Christian doctrine and traditional history, and how to run a Church. What is stressed mostly is the office of evangelist, which is mainly about preaching The Gospel to those who have yet to hear. They are taught to get away from any controversial Bible topics when asked, and get back to the simple preaching of The Gospel. Preachers that graduate are then left to follow the 'system' they are attached to, and must get deeper Bible understanding on their own. So essentially, many of them are in no better position to cover all of God's Word line upon line than many new believers. Yet we still respect those who God has called in that office.
But what do we do if our Church has no learned pastor who can teach all The Bible line upon line so we're not continually bombarded with the organizational system's dried wine skin doctrines from men in some far away city?
The answer is simple. Ask God's help through His Son, get down to Bible discipline asking Him, and always check our preacher out in God's Word for ourselves. Doing that makes it easy to know when a preacher is simply regergitating an organizationl doctrine from some Church Quarterly printout written by God knows who in some far away city (all the mainstream Church denominations use some type of Church Quarterly guide from their organizational headquarters). Same thing with Sunday School printed guides in many of them.
A lesson in understanding how God uses Satan as His punisher...
God is talking about the historical king of Assyria within this, so it has a lot of history in it. But it's not all history just yet for some of it is about the very end of this world. By the end of this one should begin to realize how God is not just talking about the historical king of Assyria, but about Satan also, using the Assyrian as a 'type'.
Isa 10:3-11
3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?
4 Without Me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.
God is speaking this especially to His people of Israel. It now applies an example for Christ Church which became part of God's Israel through Christ Jesus with The Gospel going to the Gentiles (Eph.2).
Isa.10:5 O Assyrian, the rod of Mine anger, and the staff in their hand is Mine indignation.
6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
Our Heavenly Father is not the originator of evil. That's why He uses Satan to do the punishing of even His people when they are rebellious against Him. Here God calls the Assyrian His "rod", a punishing rod that serves God's indignation against wickedness. Satan is merely a whipping stick that God uses. We know Satan has already been judged and sentenced to perish, so why is he still around? It's because God used him as His punishing rod. So if we stand in God's good grace then that punishing is not upon us. It's meant for those who do wickedness, and will only affect a believer IF we also turn away from God to do iniquity. So we have no reason to fear Satan and his minions. Like Apostle Paul said in Rom.8, 'if God be for us, then who can be against us?'
Isa.10:7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
8 For he saith, "Are not my princes altogether kings?
9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?
10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;
11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?"
(KJV)
God is kind of mocking the Assyrian there. It's in his heart to destroy and cut off nations, but he doesn't consider how God is simply using him as a punishing rod upon the rebellious. The Assyrian even brags how he has conquered by his own hand, slandering God's people at Samaria (ten tribes) for falling to idol worship
that he caused, and bragging he will do the same at Jerusalem. (Important to note that Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, an Israelite, is who started the golden calf idol worship over the ten tribes in the north with his capitol set at Samaria.
The historical king of Assyria wasn't who did that. Instead, God used the historical kings of Assyria to come and take the ten tribes captive out of the land after... they had fallen into idol worship. So who do you think God is ultimately pointing at with this? He's pointing to Satan himself, using the Assyrian as a type).
Isa 10:12-19
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.
Here we have yet another marker to show God is not just talking about the flesh historical king of Assyria. Has God finished His whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem for this present world time? You should easily understand that as a no. It's not finished yet, not even today. However, we already know the historical king of Assyria is dead and buried, not around any more. So who is our LORD really pointing to with that? He's pointing directly to Satan again within this. And the idea is that once God has finished His whole work upon mount Zion and Jerusalem, then He's going to punish Satan and haughtiness. Later in Isaiah 14, we learn how after Christ's return with Satan locked in his pit prison, some of Satan's servants are going to look at him in that pit and ask if he has become as weak them.
Isa.10:13 For he saith, "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:
14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped."
The Assyrian (Satan) is bragging again, like, "by my wisdom" I did this, and I did that, etc.; I did it and none even so much as yelled or peeped.
Isa.10:15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
But God says back, can an axe boast against him that cuts wood with it? Or can the saw exalt itself against he that cuts with it? As if the rod could move itself against one who holds it up, or as if a stick could lift itself like it was something more than just simple wood. God is saying that only... by His Hand is the rod able to be used. This is why we should never... fear the devil nor any of his servants, but fear God Who is able to lift up the devil as a punishing rod when rebellious against Him.
Isa.10:16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among His fat ones leanness; and under His glory He shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
17 And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day;
18 And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.
19 And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.
(KJV)
Got some heavy metaphor going on there. Has God yet brought that consuming fire to burn the briers and thorns in ONE DAY? You should know what time that's about. It's about the "day of the Lord" when Jesus comes and His wrath is poured out upon the earth, upon the wicked. The briers and thorns symbols represent Satan's host on earth, his servants. The idea of few trees being left after that event is about Satan's servants on earth being burned up on that day, especially the army that's come out of the northern quarters upon Jerusalem per Ezekiel 38 & 39. So that's yet another marker here that He is not just talking about the historical king of Assyria with this.
Isa 10:20-27
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
In that day when God does that, the deceived of his people will no more trust in the servants of the devil who have tricked them away from The Gospel. The believing remnant of Israel shall then return. So when is that to occur, and has it occured already today? It's still future, because the remnant of Judah that returned to Jerusalem in the past few centuries have still yet to accept The Gospel of Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns is when that consumption is to occur, with the "day of the Lord" type events.
Isa.10:24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in their destruction.
So God wants His people to understand, us, His Church of faithful believers, don't be afraid of the Assyrian (devil), even though he may smite with a rod and lift up his staff. Because in a little while it's going to end, along with God's anger.
Isa.10:26 And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.
27 And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.
(KJV)
What was that historical slaughter of Midian about? It's in Judges 7 when Gideon through God's Hand raised the tribe of Ephraim to go against the Midianites, slaying them unto waters in Jordan, and executing the two Midianite princes Oreb and Zeeb. Interesting that God would point to Ephraim here with this end of days timing, since Ephraim was taken captive beyond the holy lands and has yet to this day to return to the middleast. It's simply a Biblical pattern for a similar event to occur once again.
Here's another Scripture proof to show how God uses the Assyrian as a type to point to Satan...
Isa 30:30-33
30 And the LORD shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
31 For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will He fight with it.
33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
(KJV)
That symbolic reference to Tophet is a pointer to the "lake of fire" in Rev.20. Satan and his angels only have already been judged and sentenced to perish in the future lake of fire. Tophet is where our Lord Jesus was pointing to when the word for hell in the Greek is 'geena'.
