Eschatology

  How can Satan be bound today? Premillennial Argument : Satan’s binding implies his total inactivity during the 1000 years. New Testament clearly witnesses to his continuing activity (1 Peter 5:8; 2 Cor 4:4) during this age. Therefore, they say, the millennium cannot be now. Response : Revelation 20:1-3 : “ And I saw an angel descending from the heaven, having the key of the abyss, and a great chain in his hand. 2  And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3  and cast him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should not any more deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be loosed for a little time.” Premillennialists have read more into this figure than the Scriptures will allow. They conclude that the metaphors of vv 1-3 refer to a complete cessation of the devil’s influence on earth. Let us focus on some passages : Mark...

  1.        From where do the nations of Rev 20:3, 8 come from? Are they unbelievers who escaped the destruction which took place at the second coming of Jesus ( Rev 19:17-21 )? If so, how can we explain that “all men, both free and bond, both great and small” is destroyed at the second coming of Jesus (Rev 19:18)? We see in Rev 19:21 that “the rest were slain”? Also Rev 13:8, 16 identifies the “all men” (of Rev 19:18, 21) who are destroyed as all unbelievers who does not have their name in the book of life. If so how any unbeliever could escape the judgment at the second coming of Jesus and be present in the millennial reign of Christ? 2.        Does it make sense that Rev 20:1-3 is describing an action designed to prevent the Satanic deception of the very nations who had already been deceived ( 16:13-16 ) and consequently destroyed ( 19:19-21 )? 3.        If unbelieving nations are pre...

  Revelation 20:4-6 “ 4  And I saw thrones; and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them; and the souls of those beheaded on account of the testimony of Jesus, and on account of the word of God; and those who had not done homage to the beast nor to his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and hand; and they lived and reigned with the Christ a thousand years: 5  the rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years had been completed. This is the first resurrection . 6  Blessed and holy he who has part in the first resurrection : over these the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” John saw the souls of those who are beheaded for Christ (Read Exposition - part 1 ). What were they doing in heaven? They lived and reigned with Christ. This is what John calls the first resurrection. They are called priests because they are in the presence of God. The...