Introduction
There is a popular belief within the church that Christians in the future will reign with Jesus for 1000 years of peace upon the earth because satan is bound. Is this biblical? Does the bible actually say that? If this is true there are so many unanswered questions and assumptions, for example…
Does the 1000-year binding of satan and the 1000-year reign of the saints start and end at the same time?
If Jesus is living on the earth during the 1000 years, why is it not mentioned in the book of Revelation?
Where does Jesus go when satan is released?
Why is only satan bound and not his fallen angles?
Why didn't Jesus teach this in the gospels?
Why didn't any New Testament wright including Paul ever teach this?
Why do so many people turn against Jesus when satan is released?
Wouldn’t this mean that Jesus reign failed as at the end of his 1000-year earthly reign millions of people turn against him within a short period of time?
There are many more questions, but we first need to investigate what the reigning and binding actually are and when they happen to get to those answers.
Are the timelines of each 1000 years the same?
Revelation chapter 20 does not mention Jesus' living on the earth or even that it is a time of peace. These assumptions are added to the text because people don’t understand what the reigning and binding are. Is the reigning only because of the binding of satan? If so we must see if both timelines match up.
The 1000-year binding
Satan’s binding for 1000 years starts in Revelation chapter 20:2
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Satan’s 1000-year binding ends in verse 7.
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison.
The 1000-year reign starts in verse 4
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They 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.
The 1000-year reign ends in verse 12.
. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
We know that the reign ends here in verse 12 because verse 5 tells us.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
These are not the same timelines they don’t match up. Satan is released from his binding just before he deceives the nations again and makes his last attempt to wipe out the church before being cast into hell. The reign ends on the judgment day when the rest of the dead comes back to life (see verse 5 above) which is after satan is finally dealt with by God. We clearly see here that the reigning isn’t because of the binding of satan because they are not the same timelines.
What is the binding of Satan?
The bible only says that Satan is bound from deceiving the nations it doesn’t say he is bound from doing any evil. I believe that Satan is bound spiritually by the power of the Holy Spirit from deceiving the nations because of the proclamation of the gospel to the world. When people hear who Jesus is and what He did for them through the gospel and accept Jesus as their savior the Holy Spirit enters them.
When the day of Pentecost came, the church grew at a great rapid speed for hundreds of years and millions of people were saved from all of the nations. Paul stated more than once that the gospel was spread throughout the whole earth during his time which was only about 20 to 30 years after the day of Pentecost. Doesn’t that sound like satan was bound from deceiving the nations as he was losing ground?
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 tells us that Satan’s power is held back during Paul’s time.
6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
I believe that Satan was bound on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came into the world through the saints. Jesus now reigns over heaven and earth as satan was cast out of heaven. The nations would now learn that they are co heirs with Israel, we are all one body in Christ.
Revelation 12:10-12
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God Day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
There is a popular belief within the church that Christians in the future will reign with Jesus for 1000 years of peace upon the earth because satan is bound. Is this biblical? Does the bible actually say that? If this is true there are so many unanswered questions and assumptions, for example…
Does the 1000-year binding of satan and the 1000-year reign of the saints start and end at the same time?
If Jesus is living on the earth during the 1000 years, why is it not mentioned in the book of Revelation?
Where does Jesus go when satan is released?
Why is only satan bound and not his fallen angles?
Why didn't Jesus teach this in the gospels?
Why didn't any New Testament wright including Paul ever teach this?
Why do so many people turn against Jesus when satan is released?
Wouldn’t this mean that Jesus reign failed as at the end of his 1000-year earthly reign millions of people turn against him within a short period of time?
There are many more questions, but we first need to investigate what the reigning and binding actually are and when they happen to get to those answers.
Are the timelines of each 1000 years the same?
Revelation chapter 20 does not mention Jesus' living on the earth or even that it is a time of peace. These assumptions are added to the text because people don’t understand what the reigning and binding are. Is the reigning only because of the binding of satan? If so we must see if both timelines match up.
The 1000-year binding
Satan’s binding for 1000 years starts in Revelation chapter 20:2
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
Satan’s 1000-year binding ends in verse 7.
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison.
The 1000-year reign starts in verse 4
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They 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.
The 1000-year reign ends in verse 12.
. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
We know that the reign ends here in verse 12 because verse 5 tells us.
5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
These are not the same timelines they don’t match up. Satan is released from his binding just before he deceives the nations again and makes his last attempt to wipe out the church before being cast into hell. The reign ends on the judgment day when the rest of the dead comes back to life (see verse 5 above) which is after satan is finally dealt with by God. We clearly see here that the reigning isn’t because of the binding of satan because they are not the same timelines.
What is the binding of Satan?
The bible only says that Satan is bound from deceiving the nations it doesn’t say he is bound from doing any evil. I believe that Satan is bound spiritually by the power of the Holy Spirit from deceiving the nations because of the proclamation of the gospel to the world. When people hear who Jesus is and what He did for them through the gospel and accept Jesus as their savior the Holy Spirit enters them.
When the day of Pentecost came, the church grew at a great rapid speed for hundreds of years and millions of people were saved from all of the nations. Paul stated more than once that the gospel was spread throughout the whole earth during his time which was only about 20 to 30 years after the day of Pentecost. Doesn’t that sound like satan was bound from deceiving the nations as he was losing ground?
2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 tells us that Satan’s power is held back during Paul’s time.
6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
I believe that Satan was bound on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came into the world through the saints. Jesus now reigns over heaven and earth as satan was cast out of heaven. The nations would now learn that they are co heirs with Israel, we are all one body in Christ.
Revelation 12:10-12
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God Day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
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