Alan Gross
Well-Known Member
MORE THAN CONQUERORS
CHAPTER FOURTEEN REVELATION 20-22:
VICTORY THROUGH CHRIST
I. FROM THE BINDING OF SATAN
TO THE FINAL JUDGMENT REVELATION 19: 19 ff.
carried us to the very end of history, to the day of final judgment.
"With Revelation 20 we return to the beginning of our present dispensation.
12: 5-12. In connection with Christ’s birth, death, ascension, and coronation,
Satan is hurled down from heaven. His accusations lose every semblance of justice.
is parallel to:
20: 1-3. Satan is bound and cast into the abyss;
his power over the nations is curbed.
11 : 2-6; 12: 14 ff. A long period of power and witness-bearing for the Church,
which is nourished ‘away from the face of the serpent (Satan)’.
The devil’s influence is curbed.
is parallel to:
20: 2. A long period of power for the Church, Satan having been bound.
He remains bound for a thousand years, that is, during this entire gospel age.
(In heaven the souls of the redeemed are living and reigning with Christ, 20: 4-6. )
"Once this ‘order of events’ or ‘program of history’ is seen,
Revelation 20 is not difficult to understand.
"All one needs to do is to remember the sequence:
Christ’s first coming
is followed by a long period during which Satan is bound;
this, in turn, is followed by Satan’s little season;
and that is followed by Christ’s second coming,
i. e. His coming in judgment.
" It should be clear immediately to anyone who carefully reads Revelation 20
that the ‘thousand years’ precede the second coming of our Lord in judgment.
"This second coming in judgment is not described until we reach the eleventh verse.
"It is clear that the theory of the premillennialists is at variance with the facts here.
"Yet, though in Revelation 20 we traverse the same ground as in the preceding visions,
namely, this entire dispensation from the first to the second coming of Christ,
we view it from a different aspect.
"You remember that Revelation 12 introduces five enemies of the Church.
"All go down together!
"Yet the account of their defeat is spread over several distinct visions.
"The preceding visions have told us what happens
to four of the five foes introduced in chapter 12.
"Only one is left, namely Satan himself.
"His defeat is described in our present vision.
"In this connection, let us remember the main theme of the entire book.
"It is the victory of Christ and of His Church over every enemy.
"When Satan also is hurled into the lake of fire and brimstone (20: 10)
not a single enemy is left to vex the Church.
"We are conquerors; indeed, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us,
for not only do we triumph over every foe but we also live and reign with Christ.
"And in this supreme joy many of those who formerly opposed us
will participate (cf. 3: 9). Truly, more than conquerors are we!
The binding of Satan (20: 1-3)
"Let us study, first, this vision in which Satan is bound for a thousand years
and hurled into the abyss.
"John sees an angel coming down out of heaven.
"He has a key with which he is going to lock the abyss (cf. 9: 1, 11).
"This abyss is a deep hole provided with a shaft (9: 1), and with a lid.
"This lid can be unlocked (9: 2), locked (20: 3), and even sealed (20: 3).
"Bear in mind, however, that all this is symbolism.
"Upon the angel's hand lies a chain, the two ends hanging down.
"Evidently, he is going to bind someone in order to lock him up in the abyss.
"What happens? John suddenly sees ‘the dragon’, strong, crafty, ugly.
"It is ‘the old serpent’, cunning and deceptive.
"In order to describe him still more accurately he is also called ‘the devil’,
that is, ‘slanderer’; and ‘Satan’, that is, ‘adversary’ or ‘false accuser’.
"Being in the Spirit John now notices that the angel overpowers Satan.
"He renders him helpless and binds him securely and firmly.
"The devil remains bound for a thousand years.
"The angel hurls him into the abyss and locks it.
"He places a seal over it.
"Thus, Satan remains ‘locked up’ for a thousand years.
"After that he must be loosed for a short time.
"What is the meaning of this symbol?
"In order to arrive at the real meaning of the binding
and hurling into the abyss’ of Satan we must first ask the question,
just what meaning or value did this passage have
for the persecuted Christians of John’s day?
"Let us, accordingly, forget for a moment the fact
that we are living in the twentieth century.
"Let us ‘transplant’ ourselves to the world of John the apostle.
"What a picture of spiritual darkness and desolation!
"Try to count the many idols that disgrace the streets
and sanctuaries of imperial Rome.
"The abominations, the filth and corruption attendant
upon the celebration of pagan festivals, the superstitions, vices, and so on,
are truly staggering.
"Temples and shrines throughout the world are crowded with ignorant,
half-despairing worshippers.
"We see a few scattered churches established through the efforts of Paul and others.
"For the rest, heathendom is everywhere triumphant.
"Now let us move back to that long period which preceded Christ’s ascension.
"All the nations—-with the exception of the Jews—are under the thraldom of Satan.
"Not, of course, in the absolute sense of the term, for God always reigns supreme,
but in the sense of Acts 14: 16:
‘God... in past generations allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. ’
"If during this present era the devil ‘blinds the minds of unbelievers' (2 Cor. 4: 4),
that was even more emphatically true during the old dispensation.
"With a sigh of horror we exclaim, 'Is this condition never going to change?
Will this Old Testament era continue forever?
Will the devil maintain his rule over the peoples of the earth?
Will the light of the glorious gospel never penetrate into the palaces
and hovels of Asia and Europe?
Will this intense moral and spiritual darkness always continue?
"Has an angry God forgotten mercy? ’
"The answer is, ‘Rejoice! ’ For Christ can say, ‘I will tell of the decree:
Jehovah said to me, “Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” ’ (Ps. 2: 7, 8).
"Again, ‘He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
and from the river to the ends of the earth.
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him;
and his enemies shall lick the dust.
"The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
"Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him...
his name shall endure forever."
His name shall be continued as long as the sun;
and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed! ’
(Ps. 72: 8-11, 17; cf. Gn. 12: 3; Am. 9: 11 f.; Mi. 4: 12).
"That was the prophecy.
"The spiritual darkness that covers the nations shall not continue;
Satan shall deceive the nations no more.
"Late comes the fulfillment.
"Jesus is born.
"He begins His ministry.
"The Pharisees accuse Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan himself.
"He answers, ‘How can one enter into the house of the strong one (namely Satan)
and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong one?
"Then he shall plunder his goods. ’
"Please notice that exactly the same word ‘binding’ is used here in Matthew
as in Revelation 20.
"This work of binding the devil was begun when our Lord triumphed over him
in the temptations in the wilderness (Mt. 4: 1-11).
"As a result, Christ begins to ‘cast out’ demons.
"The power and influence of Satan over the deluded masses
was beginning to be curtailed.
"Again, when the seventy missionaries returned, they said:
‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in thy name’.
"Observe what follows:
‘And he said to them, I beheld Satan falling as lightning from heaven’ (Lk. 10: 17, 18).
"Here the devil’s ‘falling from heaven’ is associated
with the missionary activity of the seventy.
"This is a very significant passage which does much to explain Revelation 20.
con't
CHAPTER FOURTEEN REVELATION 20-22:
VICTORY THROUGH CHRIST
I. FROM THE BINDING OF SATAN
TO THE FINAL JUDGMENT REVELATION 19: 19 ff.
carried us to the very end of history, to the day of final judgment.
"With Revelation 20 we return to the beginning of our present dispensation.
12: 5-12. In connection with Christ’s birth, death, ascension, and coronation,
Satan is hurled down from heaven. His accusations lose every semblance of justice.
is parallel to:
20: 1-3. Satan is bound and cast into the abyss;
his power over the nations is curbed.
11 : 2-6; 12: 14 ff. A long period of power and witness-bearing for the Church,
which is nourished ‘away from the face of the serpent (Satan)’.
The devil’s influence is curbed.
is parallel to:
20: 2. A long period of power for the Church, Satan having been bound.
He remains bound for a thousand years, that is, during this entire gospel age.
(In heaven the souls of the redeemed are living and reigning with Christ, 20: 4-6. )
"Once this ‘order of events’ or ‘program of history’ is seen,
Revelation 20 is not difficult to understand.
"All one needs to do is to remember the sequence:
Christ’s first coming
is followed by a long period during which Satan is bound;
this, in turn, is followed by Satan’s little season;
and that is followed by Christ’s second coming,
i. e. His coming in judgment.
" It should be clear immediately to anyone who carefully reads Revelation 20
that the ‘thousand years’ precede the second coming of our Lord in judgment.
"This second coming in judgment is not described until we reach the eleventh verse.
"It is clear that the theory of the premillennialists is at variance with the facts here.
"Yet, though in Revelation 20 we traverse the same ground as in the preceding visions,
namely, this entire dispensation from the first to the second coming of Christ,
we view it from a different aspect.
"You remember that Revelation 12 introduces five enemies of the Church.
"All go down together!
"Yet the account of their defeat is spread over several distinct visions.
"The preceding visions have told us what happens
to four of the five foes introduced in chapter 12.
"Only one is left, namely Satan himself.
"His defeat is described in our present vision.
"In this connection, let us remember the main theme of the entire book.
"It is the victory of Christ and of His Church over every enemy.
"When Satan also is hurled into the lake of fire and brimstone (20: 10)
not a single enemy is left to vex the Church.
"We are conquerors; indeed, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us,
for not only do we triumph over every foe but we also live and reign with Christ.
"And in this supreme joy many of those who formerly opposed us
will participate (cf. 3: 9). Truly, more than conquerors are we!
The binding of Satan (20: 1-3)
"Let us study, first, this vision in which Satan is bound for a thousand years
and hurled into the abyss.
"John sees an angel coming down out of heaven.
"He has a key with which he is going to lock the abyss (cf. 9: 1, 11).
"This abyss is a deep hole provided with a shaft (9: 1), and with a lid.
"This lid can be unlocked (9: 2), locked (20: 3), and even sealed (20: 3).
"Bear in mind, however, that all this is symbolism.
"Upon the angel's hand lies a chain, the two ends hanging down.
"Evidently, he is going to bind someone in order to lock him up in the abyss.
"What happens? John suddenly sees ‘the dragon’, strong, crafty, ugly.
"It is ‘the old serpent’, cunning and deceptive.
"In order to describe him still more accurately he is also called ‘the devil’,
that is, ‘slanderer’; and ‘Satan’, that is, ‘adversary’ or ‘false accuser’.
"Being in the Spirit John now notices that the angel overpowers Satan.
"He renders him helpless and binds him securely and firmly.
"The devil remains bound for a thousand years.
"The angel hurls him into the abyss and locks it.
"He places a seal over it.
"Thus, Satan remains ‘locked up’ for a thousand years.
"After that he must be loosed for a short time.
"What is the meaning of this symbol?
"In order to arrive at the real meaning of the binding
and hurling into the abyss’ of Satan we must first ask the question,
just what meaning or value did this passage have
for the persecuted Christians of John’s day?
"Let us, accordingly, forget for a moment the fact
that we are living in the twentieth century.
"Let us ‘transplant’ ourselves to the world of John the apostle.
"What a picture of spiritual darkness and desolation!
"Try to count the many idols that disgrace the streets
and sanctuaries of imperial Rome.
"The abominations, the filth and corruption attendant
upon the celebration of pagan festivals, the superstitions, vices, and so on,
are truly staggering.
"Temples and shrines throughout the world are crowded with ignorant,
half-despairing worshippers.
"We see a few scattered churches established through the efforts of Paul and others.
"For the rest, heathendom is everywhere triumphant.
"Now let us move back to that long period which preceded Christ’s ascension.
"All the nations—-with the exception of the Jews—are under the thraldom of Satan.
"Not, of course, in the absolute sense of the term, for God always reigns supreme,
but in the sense of Acts 14: 16:
‘God... in past generations allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. ’
"If during this present era the devil ‘blinds the minds of unbelievers' (2 Cor. 4: 4),
that was even more emphatically true during the old dispensation.
"With a sigh of horror we exclaim, 'Is this condition never going to change?
Will this Old Testament era continue forever?
Will the devil maintain his rule over the peoples of the earth?
Will the light of the glorious gospel never penetrate into the palaces
and hovels of Asia and Europe?
Will this intense moral and spiritual darkness always continue?
"Has an angry God forgotten mercy? ’
"The answer is, ‘Rejoice! ’ For Christ can say, ‘I will tell of the decree:
Jehovah said to me, “Thou art my son; This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” ’ (Ps. 2: 7, 8).
"Again, ‘He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
and from the river to the ends of the earth.
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him;
and his enemies shall lick the dust.
"The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
"Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him...
his name shall endure forever."
His name shall be continued as long as the sun;
and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed! ’
(Ps. 72: 8-11, 17; cf. Gn. 12: 3; Am. 9: 11 f.; Mi. 4: 12).
"That was the prophecy.
"The spiritual darkness that covers the nations shall not continue;
Satan shall deceive the nations no more.
"Late comes the fulfillment.
"Jesus is born.
"He begins His ministry.
"The Pharisees accuse Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan himself.
"He answers, ‘How can one enter into the house of the strong one (namely Satan)
and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong one?
"Then he shall plunder his goods. ’
"Please notice that exactly the same word ‘binding’ is used here in Matthew
as in Revelation 20.
"This work of binding the devil was begun when our Lord triumphed over him
in the temptations in the wilderness (Mt. 4: 1-11).
"As a result, Christ begins to ‘cast out’ demons.
"The power and influence of Satan over the deluded masses
was beginning to be curtailed.
"Again, when the seventy missionaries returned, they said:
‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in thy name’.
"Observe what follows:
‘And he said to them, I beheld Satan falling as lightning from heaven’ (Lk. 10: 17, 18).
"Here the devil’s ‘falling from heaven’ is associated
with the missionary activity of the seventy.
"This is a very significant passage which does much to explain Revelation 20.
con't
