The Binding of Satan, Part 2 - 53

I remind you at the beginning again this evening that we're in a realm of study that is hotly debated. Godly men, scholarly men, theologically brilliant men have disagreed on the subject of eschatology. And it demands of us a spirit, a Berean spirit.

And what is a Berean spirit? A Berean, Paul commended the Bereans because they studied the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. The scriptures are only as a basis for faith and practice. Now what a preacher says, I'm mindful that some of you are sitting with a study Bible that is in contradiction to the position that I've taken in our study of Revelation. And I'm okay with that.

But, let me give this caveat. Study notes are not inspired. The text of scripture is inspired. The preacher is not inspired. Preachers can err. Men who compose study Bibles can err. So let's continue to proceed in humility with a teachable spirit. It's hard to set aside things we've thought are true for years and years and years and to be open and to think about and have our views tested by scripture.

But that's what I'm asking of you. That's what God's required of me as I've sought to lead us through this study in the book of Revelation. It is merely a coincidence that I preached from Revelation 21 to 3 and got out of town for two weeks.

No relation between the two. No, you've been very kind. You have been diligent. You have asked questions, which I'm not intimidated by, by any means.

It doesn't mean I have an answer for all of your questions. But we're studying together. We're learning together. And we need to study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen that needeth not to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth. So that's what I'm committed to.

And I trust that you are committed likewise. But again, it's hard. We bring preconceptions to the text. We read our Bible through a certain lens, things that we've been taught, things that we have believed. Many times unknowingly bring them to the text and they affect our interpretation.

And I know I'm asking you to do something that's hard, if not impossible. But things we've thought are true, things we've been taught by others. To the best of our ability, it's good to be able to say, okay, I want to give this a fresh hearing. I want to listen with discernment. I want to ask the Spirit of God to illuminate my mind that I might understand the Scriptures.

And we're dependent upon the Spirit of God to help us in that pursuit. So it's been a couple of weeks since we began here in chapter 20. So this evening I want to do a very quick review of the first three verses. I want to show you a connection between verses 1 through 10 of chapter 20.

There are three sections there. Verses 1 through 3, verses 4 through 6, verses 7 through 10. And they're very much related and I want to show you that. And then I'll conclude by focusing back at chapter 20, verses 4 through 6.

So let's again proceed. Chapter 20 opens with a description of Satan being bound by Christ through his work on the cross at his first coming. Now you're not going to see all that in verse 1, but this is a bit of a summary from the previous message.

John says, Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Six times in the first 10 verses of chapter 20, a thousand years are mentioned. And whatever this thousand year period is, listen to me, it does not occur after the second coming of Christ. Instead, it occurs after the first coming of Christ. The last time I preached, I labored to show you that this binding of Satan is not something future. It's something that happened at the first advent of Jesus Christ when he came to this earth and defeated Satan at the cross of Calvary, stripped him of his power, made him an open spectacle.

That's what he did. Revelation chapter 20 and verse 9 says, They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And we say, well, and then it goes on in verse 10 and tells us that the devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And we ask, has that happened?

No. When will that happen? That will happen at the second coming of Christ. Christ comes, according to 2 Thessalonians 1, 7 through 10, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God or them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is going to take vengeance on those folks.

There is no place for empathy and apathy when we're talking about matters of life and death. There are ferocious, awful consequences waiting those who are in rebellion to Jesus Christ when he comes. Now, because the second coming occurs in chapter 20 and verse 9, the millennium, the thousand years, which again is referenced six times prior to verse 9, tells us that the second coming is that period or the millennium is that period between the two advents of Jesus Christ, between the first and the second advent. This is clearly teaching us that the thousand years takes place before the second coming, specifically between the first and second advent of Christ. You say, well, I just can't get past the fact that a thousand years is mentioned six times. A thousand years seems like we should understand that to be a thousand years.

I understand that thinking. But if you're understanding the time frame, what we're talking about here, listen to this logic. 1000 represents the duration of time between the first and second coming of Christ. It is the total length of time for the church age, and we do not know how long that may be.

We know when the church age began, but we do not know how long it will be extended. And just like the key and the lock and the chain and the pit are all symbolic of Satan being limited and contained by an act of God, the duration of a thousand years is also symbolic of how long those limitations and containment will last. The number 1000.

It was the largest number biblical authors had and therefore they use expressions such as thousands and thousands or thousands times thousands to indicate something larger than a thousand. The church age has gone on now over 2000 years. There's been an excess of 2000 years between the first coming of Christ and the present day in which we live as we are anticipating the second coming. So obviously if we're going to insist that the millennium thousand years is literal, then we're stuck. Because the Bible clearly teaches that the millennium is something that happened, what? After the first coming of Christ, not something that would be anticipated after the second coming of Christ. And we're 2000 years removed from the first advent. That thousand years has come and gone is my point.

So the first question that I raised several weeks ago had to do with the when question. When was Satan bound? And the answer was he was bound at Christ's first coming. And I gave you a number of gospel passages. I gave you some passages from Colossians, from Hebrews.

And I know you're at a bit of a disadvantage if you missed that previous message. I can't go back and re-preach that message, but I'll give you those passages of scripture for you to look and see the reference of Christ exercising his power and authority over Satan and defeating him and containing him and stripping him of his authority and his power. Matthew 12, 22 to 29. Luke 10, 17 through 19.

John 12, 20 through 22. And in particular, verse 31 and 32 of that same chapter in John that says this, Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And who is the prince of this world?

Well, it's the devil. Now, Jesus is saying, now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto myself, Jesus said. Now that word cast, now is the judgment of this world.

Now shall the prince of this world be cast out. That word cast out in John 12, 31 is the same root word as found in Revelation 20, verse 3 where it says Satan was cast into the bottomless pit. Colossians 2 and verse 13, Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 14, 1 John chapter 3 and verse 8 are other references that support this teaching that Satan was bound at the first coming of Christ. The second question that we raised was how long is Satan bound?

How long? Well, our text says in verse 2 he laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old who is the devil and Satan and bound him for a thousand years. Satan will be bound for a thousand years. When the thousand years have passed, he is going to be loosed. Notice again, verse 3, and he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished but after these things he must be released for a little while. Again, the context demands that these years, these references to a thousand years be understood symbolically and not literally.

So, kind of in summary, let me ask some questions and answer those questions. When did the thousand years begin? It began when Satan was bound. When was Satan bound? He was bound at the first coming of Jesus.

Since Satan was bound at the first coming of Jesus, then the millennium began at the first coming of Jesus. What does that mean? It means we are living in the millennial reign of Christ right now.

I'm not the one who assigned titles to these positions. I think it's unfortunate that the position that I'm teaching from, the all millennial position, is misleading. All is a negation. It basically says no millennium.

And you say, well how can that possibly be? I think a better representation of the position is the present reign of Christ. It's not that we don't believe, that an all-millennius doesn't believe in the reign of Christ. An all-millennius believes that Christ is reigning right now.

Right now. The millennium is not something that begins in the future. It began 2,000 years ago and has been going on up to this very point in time. I don't know how anyone could argue with the fact that Jesus is reigning. What was the whole purpose of his exaltation? Exalted to the right hand of God to do what? To reign.

That's what he's doing. Now, our theology says that there is a already and a not yet. He is already reigning. And yet there is an aspect of his reign that is yet future when he will come to this earth, subdue all of his enemies, all of his enemies will be put under his footstool. And there will be no rival, there will be no unrighteousness, there will be no rebellion. But I find it rather amazing and astonishing that Christ could presently be reigning, controlling, directing history to the accomplishment of everything that's been decreed in the midst of defiance and rebellion and rejection.

That's an amazing reign, isn't it? It's one thing to say I reign and execute and kill everybody who's opposed to you, but he's reigning in the midst of opposition. Accomplishing without error his purposes in this world.

That's amazing to me. And the third question, why was Satan bound? Why was Satan bound? And the text tells us very clearly, verse 3, and he cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. Some people struggle with this idea, well, if Satan's bound, how come he's roaming around creating such havoc? Why is he like a roaring lion roaming about seeking whom he may devour?

Why is he creating such havoc in this world? Well, the binding of Satan is very specific and particular. The binding of Satan does not mean or imply that all evil everywhere is gone.

It will be one day. It doesn't say that Satan is rendered powerless, but it does say he is bound so that. He is bound for this purpose. He is bound so that he should deceive the nations no more. And I find it interesting, out of all the scheming and all the activity of Satan mentioned in the Bible, one thing and one thing only is mentioned here in Revelation 20, verse 3.

His activity and very successful in his activity of deceiving the nations. You think about the influence of Christianity and how small it began in such a very small place in Palestine with such a small group of people. And the Bible tells us that Jesus bound Satan so that he could not deceive the nations for a period, for this millennium, for this set duration of time.

And what was the result of that? On the first day at Pentecost, Peter preaches and 3,000 souls are added to the church. None of that happened when Jesus was on the earth for three plus years.

The end of his earthly ministry, there may be 120 or so gathered in the upper room. And as you begin to read the book of Acts, you see the explosion of the church and of the gospel. And how do we explain that? Satan, who had been effective in deceiving the nations, has been bound. And his ability to deceive the nations has been hindered. And therefore, the gospel is going with great success.

That's how we explain that. While verses 1 through 3 give us a description of the millennial period, they give us that description of what will take place on the earth. And the topic is Satan's relationship to the nations of the earth during the thousand year period. That's what's being described in verses 1 through 3. In verses 4 through 6, there is a change of scenery. John introduces verse 4 and he says, And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Well, where do we see thrones mentioned in the Bible? 44 times thrones are mentioned. One time, Satan's throne is mentioned. Two other times, they're mentioned, not referencing God or the saints.

But of the 44 times, 41 or 42 times, they are the thrones in heaven. So what do we have here in verses 4 through 6? We have a description of the same millennial period, but this time in heaven. And the focus is upon the souls who are on thrones with Christ. So verses 1 through 3 and verses 4 through 6 run parallel with each other. Verses 1 through 3 focus upon what is happening on the earth, verses 4 through 6 focusing upon what is happening in heaven, both of which are happening at the very same time. And then verses 7 through 10, we have a description of the conclusion of the millennial period on earth at the end of this age, in which the topic is Satan's relationship to the nations of the earth during the little season that he is loosed to deceive the nations. So that's the connection between verses 1 through 10.

They're not unconnected in any way. They stand as a unit. So let me again now revisit verses 4 through 6. And as we do, let me read these verses. John says, And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received a mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, but the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.

Over such, the second death has no power. But they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. Four headings here in these verses. Number one, the dwelling place of the martyrs. Number two, the justification of the martyrs. Number three, the identity of the martyrs. And lastly, the faithfulness of the martyrs.

The dwelling place of the martyrs. Verse four says, I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God. As I've already said, verse four changes the scene from earth to heaven. John sees thrones, occupied thrones of redeemed souls who were faithful to Christ. And these are souls in heaven who were killed on earth during this thousand year millennial period. What are they doing in heaven? We're told they are sitting on thrones and they are reigning. I think for most of us, we have reserved that concept, that idea, that teaching for the future. That there's a day reserved where we will reign with Christ.

But this text seems to suggest that that's something that is going on right now. In fact, the hymn that Greg chose for us this evening underscores that very thing. Listen to this. This is the victor, hymn number 168, stanza five. They suffer with their Lord below. They reign with him above. Their prophet and their joy to know the mystery of his love. They reign with him above.

If my understanding is correct, that the millennial reign of Christ is not future, but it's something that's taking place right now between the first and second advent of Christ. Those saints who are in heaven are reigning with Christ even as we speak. And it tells us they were beheaded for their witness of Jesus and for the word of God. Dale Wallace is a great friend of the church, of the pastors here. I had the privilege of preaching a Bible conference from them a month or so ago.

And it was just delightful to get to know Dale and the history there and his father-in-law. And he told me, he says, my father-in-law told the church 30 years ago, if this world figures out who we are and what we believe, they will be after us to kill us. And he said, when he told us that 30 years ago, I thought, well, that sounds like a bit of an exaggeration.

He says, I've thought a lot about what he said. When they figure out who we are and they figure out what we believe, they're going to be after us to kill us. I think that's not far from the truth. If what we're studying here, Satan is bound, but there is a time coming, God's appointed time, when he will be released to create havoc. And there will be deception beyond anything we have known. There will be hatred. There will be persecution, intensified, escalated. And I don't want to create fear in you, but I certainly want you to be prepared.

I don't want you to be caught off guard. Difficult days are coming. The scriptures warn us of that.

They teach us this. The dwelling place of the martyrs, where are they? Well, they are there, not in their glorified bodies, they are there in their souls and they are reigning on thrones with Christ in heaven, even as we speak. Number two, the justification of the martyrs. The justification of the martyrs. John says, I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them. Judgment was committed to them. And I think there has been an interpretation there that's a little bit misleading.

Some of your translations will render that a bit different. Some say, I saw thrones and they sat upon them and judgment was given to them. Judgment was given to them. And while believers here on earth, the world passes judgment on us. We are scorned, we are mocked, we are ridiculed, we are marginalized.

And we are viewed more and more as a danger, as the enemy. We are misrepresented. Society looks down on Christians, treats them with injustice and scorn. And the idea here is that judgment was passed upon believers, upon these saints that are in heaven while they were on the earth. And the world gave them a very unfavorable judgment.

They did not esteem them, they did not value them, they scorned them, they mocked them, they marginalized them. And the world passes judgment and their judgment of us is that we are condemned. But God will pass his judgment on his saints when they appear before him. And God's justification is, we are righteous.

We are righteous. Forget what the world says about you. We don't cater to the world. We don't want to be a friend of this world. Jesus says if you are a friend of the world, you are opposed to me.

So we just need to quit trying to placate the world and make the world happy because you can't have it both ways. Jesus says you're either for me or you're against me. This world's no friend of grace. But we see here the justification of the martyrs. Paul said in Romans 8 31, if God be for us, if God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. And if you stand before God justified, forget what the world says about you. Because in the end, the only thing that matters is God's opinion of you, God's judgment of you. The accusation of the evil one and his cohorts will be rendered meaningless in that day.

They will have no merit. The justification of the martyrs. I think you'll be helped with this next heading, and that is the identity of the martyrs. The identity of the martyrs. I do not think that this class of people that are mentioned here only consists of those who suffered a literal beheading while they were on the earth.

You say, well, why do you say that? What about those who were burned at the stake? What about those who were fed to the lions? What about those who were sawn asunder?

Read Hebrews chapter 11. What of those who were starved to death in prison or beaten to death or stoned to death? What about those who were shot for their faith? What of those who suffered the slow death of many decades of pouring out their lives and their health as a living sacrifice to Christ in faithful service to Christ?

What about the Stuart Waugh's of the world? What about the David Edens and Don Edens of the world who poured out their lives as a sacrifice to Christ for the sake of Christ and his gospel? Every Christian without exception is represented, I believe, by those who are said to be beheaded for their witness of Jesus. Every Christian without exception is a martyr because every Christian without exception lays down his life in one way or the other for Jesus Christ. In fact, the word martyr is the same word that's translated witness in the New Testament. A martyr is a witness for Jesus. Every Christian is a witness for Jesus, so every Christian pours out and lays down his life for Christ and every Christian presents his body as a living sacrifice for Christ. Therefore, every Christian is a martyr for Christ. And I'm not saying that the time will come where you will have to physically give your life for the cause of Christ, but I'm not saying that there's no one here that that might be required of them.

I don't know what the future holds. I heard a story that happened in the Soviet Union. The church was gathered in secret and as they were gathered in secret, the doors burst open and men came in with masks and guns. And said, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, put your hands up. Well, if you were there, what would you expect? They were going to identify believers in Jesus Christ and require your life right there on the spot. The story goes on to say, put your hands down. We too are believers in Jesus Christ. We just wanted to be sure this was a safe place to worship.

That will elevate your heart rate. I have had conversations with people who've struggled with assurance and their assurance is unsettled because they are honest enough to say, I don't know what the future is going to hold. I don't know what may be required of me. I don't know whether I can stand in that day when a gun is put to my head or to my wife's head or to my children and I'm commanded to recount or witness the horrific death of a loved one or myself.

And I said, well, I understand that sentiment. But what does God tell us? God promises grace in time of need. And if you are in a situation where you want to be faithful to Christ, God will give grace in order for you to be able to stand.

You're not going to be able to stand on your own. And a lot of things that we've heard, we've imbibed, we've embraced, made part of our thinking that need to be rethought. I was thinking of one of those this week.

One of those that I've heard and I've even repeated. God will never put more on you than you can handle. And I've thought that through. God will never put more on you than you can handle. And I'm thinking, God does that all the time. And He does it on purpose. He does it deliberately. He puts more on you than you can handle.

Why? So that you'll turn to Him and trust Him and not trust yourself. You see what I'm saying? There's a lot of things we've said and embraced and thought were true, but the more you think about them and view them through the lens of Scripture, you have to stop and say, now wait a minute. Well, why do I say that?

Listen to, this is a rabbit trail, but it's a good one, I think. Listen to what Paul said. This is Paul. This is not some average Christian. This is the Apostle Paul.

He says this. He's writing to the church in Corinth. He says, For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sense of death in ourselves.

Now there's a so that coming. Why did God put Paul in a situation where he was burdened beyond measure, above strength, despaired even of life? Had the sense of death.

Why? So that, he says, we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. Yes, God will bring more upon you than you can handle so that you won't trust yourself and you'll trust him.

So if that day comes and our life is required for our commitment to Jesus Christ, I have confidence that God will supply whatever grace we need in order to be faithful to the end. Read church history. Read about the martyrs. How did they endure? How did they stand? How did they remain faithful? God sustained them. God supplied grace.

They weren't superhuman. And then number four, the faithfulness of the martyrs. The faithfulness of the martyrs.

Again, verse four. I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, had not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. These martyrs, these saints in heaven, maintained their witness for Jesus. They continued to confess Christ before men. They would not deny Christ, no matter the cost, and they openly confessed Christ, no matter the price. They defended the word of God. They taught the word of God. They lived according to the word of God. Here's two positive virtues that mark these believers in Jesus Christ, and I trust that they mark us. And if they don't mark us, that it is our prayer, Lord, may these things mark me ever more so in the days ahead.

What are they? Number one, they openly maintained their witness of Jesus. They openly maintained their witness of Jesus, and they lived by and proclaimed the word of God.

The word of God. They refused the pressures of this world. They would not conform to this world, regardless of how much pressure came upon them. And folks, pressure is coming, intensified pressure to conform. No longer does the world tolerate us and say, well, if you just keep quiet, if you just don't verbalize your opposition to us, we'll leave you alone. No, they want us, they're going to insist upon that we approve of their sinful lifestyle.

They're becoming more and more bold in their opposition to us. But these were faithful. They did not yield to threats of persecution.

They remained faithful to Jesus Christ. I, on purpose, did not move on into this discussion about the first resurrection, and blessed are those who partake of the first resurrection and the second death and all that's mentioned there, because that is sufficient for a sermon altogether. So, Lord willing, as we move forward, we'll revisit that and consider what is being taught there.

But again, I come back to my challenge. We need to continue to study the scriptures. There's an end coming to this world.

Let me read to you. This is 1 Corinthians 15 verse 20. But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since by man came death, by man, capital M, also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ, all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order, Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming.

Now listen to what Paul's injecting here. Each one in his own order, Christ the first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's at his coming. Then, the next verse, verse 24, then comes the end. Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet.

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For he has put all things under his feet, but when he says all things are put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under him is expected. Now when all things are made subject to him, then the son himself will also be subject to him.

That is God the Father who put all things under him that God may be all in all. We need to rethink our end time eschatology that says well when Christ comes then there's going to be a thousand years and this is going to happen and that's going to happen. Listen, this says when Christ comes, what does Paul say? Then comes the end. That will be the consummation of the ages. That will usher in a new heaven and a new earth.

That's what the Bible teaches here in 1 Corinthians 15. New thoughts, I'm sure. Challenging teaching.

But we need challenge. We need to be good students of the word of God. So thank you again for your interest. Thank you for your prayers as we continue in our study together. Let me pray. Father, how we thank you for the revelation of yourself. How we thank you for this precious book, the book of the revelation. How we thank you for the promise of blessing to those who read it and to those who study it.

And Father, may you inculcate this truth. Would you keep us from error? Would you direct us in the path of righteousness?

Would you help us to draw the right conclusions? Would you help our eschatology to connect with our sanctification and our pursuit of holiness? Knowing that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Thank you for this portion of the word of God. Thank you for the Holy Spirit of God, who is our teacher. Thank you for the promise to illuminate our minds that we might understand the scriptures. Lord, we thank you for the spirit of humility. We thank you for the revelation of yourself. We confess our God that some things are hard for us to understand. And yet, God, you are worth our pursuit. Your word is a delight to us.

It is honey to us. And the more we dig, the more we study, the more reward there is for us. Increase our appetite for the truth. May we be men and women of the word. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.