Hi there,
So the pattern in Revelation, is a window of time, for all time. Specifically regarding Satan, it points to his being chained and then let out for a season. What the Holy Spirit is able to make clear is that, at various times, other evil entities have also had their time in the pit. Lucifer was chained and thrown into the pit, and got out by allowing intrigue at the Cross, to flourish (the intrigue outweighed the confusion he had caused). Beelzebub also gets out, but in his case by allowing families at the foot of the Cross to be spared (the sparing outweighed the guilt he had caused). This does not mean that Satan will not face his own time in the pit, but it does make it more likely that men on earth, will be more aware of his absence, once his time in the pit has been at its fullest. And just as God takes the restrainer out of the way on earth, that men may live, God will limit the power of Satan, that men may not die.
The importance of limiting the power of Satan, is important because it points to another relationship on earth, which men must take seriously: living under the rule of the anti-Christ. Many Christians panic at the thought of the whole world living under the rule of the anti-Christ (I myself grew up being taught that there was no way out) but the truth is God will limit the anti-Christ's power, just as He will limit Satan's. This limiting will not be without sacrifice, but it will be powerful! There is a great sense in which, the story of how the anti-Christ's rule was overcome will be told for all time. God will not try to hide limiting the power of the anti-Christ but will own it responsibly. Just as Christ was made a little lower than the angels, so the one sacrificed for the limitation of the power of the anti-Christ, will be made a little lower than he needs to be, to face the end completely. This is an indication that it is of faith (the limiting).
What is remarkable, is that there will be places on Earth, where people willingly take on marks similar to that of the anti-Christ, for purely convenient reasons. People with tattoos, people with bionic implants, people with credit chips, all these things come under the same condemnation as the mark of the anti-Christ and will be punished accordingly. There is nothing remarkable about this, God does not allow idols, to boast or be boasted of. It is this fact that allows the delusion of the anti-Christ to pervade - the anti-Christ does nothing but assume rule, when rule is not his. In a way, without the power of God, we are all like this - but if God limits the power of the anti-Christ, then undoubtedly the power of God will abound the more. This is something we can trust.
I hope this edifies what the Spirit has been telling you recently.
God bless.
So the pattern in Revelation, is a window of time, for all time. Specifically regarding Satan, it points to his being chained and then let out for a season. What the Holy Spirit is able to make clear is that, at various times, other evil entities have also had their time in the pit. Lucifer was chained and thrown into the pit, and got out by allowing intrigue at the Cross, to flourish (the intrigue outweighed the confusion he had caused). Beelzebub also gets out, but in his case by allowing families at the foot of the Cross to be spared (the sparing outweighed the guilt he had caused). This does not mean that Satan will not face his own time in the pit, but it does make it more likely that men on earth, will be more aware of his absence, once his time in the pit has been at its fullest. And just as God takes the restrainer out of the way on earth, that men may live, God will limit the power of Satan, that men may not die.
The importance of limiting the power of Satan, is important because it points to another relationship on earth, which men must take seriously: living under the rule of the anti-Christ. Many Christians panic at the thought of the whole world living under the rule of the anti-Christ (I myself grew up being taught that there was no way out) but the truth is God will limit the anti-Christ's power, just as He will limit Satan's. This limiting will not be without sacrifice, but it will be powerful! There is a great sense in which, the story of how the anti-Christ's rule was overcome will be told for all time. God will not try to hide limiting the power of the anti-Christ but will own it responsibly. Just as Christ was made a little lower than the angels, so the one sacrificed for the limitation of the power of the anti-Christ, will be made a little lower than he needs to be, to face the end completely. This is an indication that it is of faith (the limiting).
What is remarkable, is that there will be places on Earth, where people willingly take on marks similar to that of the anti-Christ, for purely convenient reasons. People with tattoos, people with bionic implants, people with credit chips, all these things come under the same condemnation as the mark of the anti-Christ and will be punished accordingly. There is nothing remarkable about this, God does not allow idols, to boast or be boasted of. It is this fact that allows the delusion of the anti-Christ to pervade - the anti-Christ does nothing but assume rule, when rule is not his. In a way, without the power of God, we are all like this - but if God limits the power of the anti-Christ, then undoubtedly the power of God will abound the more. This is something we can trust.
I hope this edifies what the Spirit has been telling you recently.
God bless.
