Revelation 20:
v. 1) And I saw an angel come down from
heaven, having the key of the bottomless
pit and a great chain in his hand.
v. 2) And he laid hold on the dragon,
that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand
years,
v. 3) And cast him into the bottomless
pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the
nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he
must be loosed a little season.
The Bible refers to a
specific 1000-year period that we call the Millennium. This is a period of peace, tranquility and
justice when Jesus Christ will rule and reign, when Satan will be bound and is
no longer free to deceive the nations.
Present or Future?
There are a number of
different views on the Millennium, but the purpose of this article is not to
address each one of those views. We are
only addressing the “amillenial” view.
The word “amillenial” actually means “no millenium” (the Greek prefix
“a” meaning “no” or “not”). Those people
who hold this view do not actually say that there is no millenium, but rather that there is no future Millenium. These
believe that we are living in the Millennium NOW. To them, the 1000 years is not literal, but
only symbolic, and simply means “a long time,” or “an undetermined amount of
time.” They also believe that Jesus
Christ is reigning on His throne now through
the church.
This “amillennial” view is
accepted not only by Catholics and Orthodox, but even by some Protestant groups,
as well. Nevertheless, we intend to demonstrate
that it is an unbiblical and
illogical view.
How Long is a Thousand Years?
First of all, is this 1000
years mentioned in Revelation literal?
If not, why not? Catholics often
tell us that this time frame is symbolic, and they will give other examples of
“a thousand” in Scripture, like when it says that God owns “the cattle upon a thousand hills”
(Psalm
50:10). Well, we know that God
owns all the cattle on every hill, so this is obviously
symbolic. Or, they will point to 2
Peter 3:8, which says that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand
years and a thousand years as one day.”
Again, symbolism. But just
because the term “thousand” is used figuratively in these places in the Bible,
does not necessarily mean it has to be figurative in Revelation 20.
It is also quite interesting
that Catholics emphasize the words of Jesus, “whoever eats My flesh”
and “whoever
drinks My blood” in John 6, in a literal sense. They believe that His words are to be taken
literally because of the fact that He is repeating
them several times. Yet, the term
“thousand years” is mentioned six times
in chapter 20 of Revelation, but they refuse to see this as literal. We are not
saying that repetition makes something literal, we’re saying that Catholics are
inconsistent with their logic.
Ok, so suppose that it
doesn’t really mean exactly 1000 years?
Suppose it is only symbolic of “a long time”? So what?
That wouldn’t present a problem for the “Pre-millennial” crowd (those
who believe that Jesus returns before
the Millennium). If the Millennium is
only approximately a thousand years,
then that’s still ok. That doesn’t
negate the “pre-millennial” view, nor does it necessarily support the
amillennial view. But we don’t see any
reason to doubt that it is an actual 1000 years.
But there is a more important
issue in all this concerning the binding of Satan and his work on earth…
Imprisoned or Just “Limited”?
What does it mean for Satan
to be “shut up” in the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:3)? Amillennialists believe that this simply
means that he is now limited in his ability to deceive the nations. They believe that before Jesus came, Satan had
much more reign over the nations, but that now he is “bound” and therefore restricted
in the sense that he cannot destroy the church, and he cannot stop the spread
of the gospel. In other words, there
won’t be as much deception as there
used to be. But this is not what the
passage says. The text says nothing
about a lesser degree of deception, or that Satan will merely be limited in his deceiving of the nations. Revelation 20:3 specifically says “that
he should deceive the nations NO MORE, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled.”
But Satan is still “the
deceiver” in our modern world. He didn’t
just deceive the nations in the Old Testament, but he is also alive and well
today. Satan’s activity in the world is
obvious.
· Revelation 12:9 – “Satan… which deceiveth the whole
world…”
· 2 Corinthians 11:14 – How can Satan disguise himself as an angel of light
if he is bound and locked up in the abyss?
· Matthew 13:19 – How can Satan “catcheth away that which was sown in his
heart” if he is bound and locked up in the abyss?
· 2 Timothy 2:26 – What “snare of the devil” is there if he is bound and locked up in
the abyss?
· 1 Thessalonians 2:18 - “Satan hindered us” - How
can Satan hinder someone if he is bound and locked up in the abyss?
Why Have Armor?
If Satan is bound, then why
are we told to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-17)? If he is bound,
he should not be able to attack… therefore, why are we “wrestling” at all? And why is there a need for a shield to “quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked”? Someone who is imprisoned, bound by a chain,
and sealed away in the abyss should be no threat to us, should he? There seems to be a great contradiction here.
Alive and Well
If Satan is already bound, then why does the apostle
Paul call Satan “the god of this world,” who is still blinding the minds of those who are not believing the gospel
(2
Corinthians 4:4)? Paul also said
that Satan is the “prince of the power of the air, the spirit that NOW WORKETH in the
children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
Furthermore, the apostle
Peter tells us that Satan is free to roam about “as a roaring lion… seeking whom
he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). And again, the same John who wrote Revelation,
says in his epistle (1 John 5:19) that the whole world “lieth
in wickedness” (KJV)… “lies in the power of the evil one”
(NASV)… “is under the control of the evil one” (NIV). Why would these apostles, these trusted men
of Jesus, say such things if Satan is indeed bound and we are living in the “golden age” today? Does anyone really think that the nations are
not deceived today? Unfortunately, deception is everywhere. Amillenialists want us to deny the obvious.
If Satan is still the god of this world, and still blinding unbelievers, and is now working in those unsaved people, and
this world lies in his power and
people are in his control today, then
it is utterly foolish to think that we are now living in the glorious
Millennium. Just watch the evening news
any day of the week. We are flooded with
stories of war, terrorism, persecution of Christians, violence and death
worldwide. We are also seeing the rise
of atheism, false religions and apostasy within the church.
An honest person would conclude
that this is proof that Satan is extremely busy and influential in the world
today. His continual deception and activity is seen throughout the New
Testament. Furthermore, 2
Timothy 3:1, 13 warns us that the world is getting worse and worse, not
better. One has to ask, how can there be
a falling away from the faith if Satan is “bound”? We clearly see him working throughout the
church age. The truth is, Satan is far
from “chained,” isolated, and “sealed” in the abyss today.
The Overall Picture
If the apostle John wanted to
portray the absolute disabling of Satan and his influence, making him completely
inactive, he could not have described it in a better way than in Revelation 20!
This passage, whether
symbolic or not, is NOT a picture of Satan merely being “hindered” or “on
probation,” but totally paralyzed and isolated.
To say that he is merely “limited” in Revelation 20 is a gross (and
unbiblical) understatement! Rather, this
prophetic imprisonment will be a complete
and abrupt ending of his influence
(at least during the Millenium). All
this points to the fact that we are NOT living in that special time of calm, peace
and harmony today.
The Real Millennium
If the Millennium is
happening today, then one is forced to ask, where is the worldwide peace and
righteousness promised during this period (Jeremiah 23:5-6; Isaiah 9:6-7)? Where today can you find the wolf that dwells
together with the lamb (Isaiah 11:6)? Or the bear and the cow happily feeding
together (Isaiah 11:7)? Or has
anyone casually allowed their children to play near the hole of the poisonous
snake lately (Isaiah 11:8)? Do we see everyone
in the Middle East beating their swords into plowshares (Isaiah 2:4)? Not hardly.
These things will happen
during the Millennium, the 1000 years of peace, tranquility and justice that we
mentioned at the beginning of this article, so we know for a fact that we are
not yet in the Millennium.
Scriptures Amillennialists Use
Catholics and other
amillennialists will use certain Bible passages to try and prove that Satan is
bound today. Many will try to say that
Jesus has already bound Satan through
His work on the cross, and they will try to apply verses like Matthew
12:29 (where Jesus is casting out demons by “binding the strong man”),
or John
12:31-32 (where Jesus says that the devil is “cast out”), or 1
John 3:8 (where the works of the devil are destroyed), along with many
other similar passages. They will try to
equate these types of verses with Revelation 20:1-3 and its binding of
Satan, saying that this is happening today,
putting us in the Millennium now. But
none of these passages clearly refer to the event in Revelation 20.
But a much greater problem
arises here when you equate these passages with Revelation 20. If the binding
of Satan in Revelation 20 is simply referring to Jesus’ work on the cross, then
what does the release of Satan in
that same passage point to? Does this
mean that the work on the cross will be reversed
or will somehow be incomplete at that
time? God forbid!
If verses like Matthew
12:29 , John 12:31-32, and 1 John 3:8 (above) really do apply
to the devil’s binding in Revelation
20, then they must also necessarily connect to his release, as well. In other
words, whatever is accomplished in Satan’s
imprisonment, must necessarily be UNDONE when he is released! If we are going to be true to the comparison,
then you would have to say that Jesus’ finished
work on the cross becomes unfinished
after Satan is loosed (even if temporarily)!
No real Christian would want to say that. So, we cannot equate these verses with Revelation
20:1-3. They are two different situations.
Yes, Satan was defeated and
bound legally at the cross, but he is
bound literally in this pit in Revelation
20:1-3. We must distinguish
between the spiritual accomplishment at the cross and its outworking in the
physical and spiritual realms. It will
be in the future, but one day, we will see the full realization of Satan’s
defeat. Although Satan legally still has
access to mankind today, he will have
access to no one during his imprisonment in the pit.
If it can be demonstrated
that Satan is NOT BOUND today (and we believe that this is obviously the case),
then this is proof that we are not now in the Millennium. Therefore, the amillennial position is false.
A Real Abyss
Some amillennialists maintain
that the “abyss” in Revelation 20 is not literal, but only symbolic of the
spiritual sphere or dimension in which Satan and his demons function. They don’t believe that it is an actual
location. But if this is true, then why
did the demons in Luke 8:31 beg not to be sent there? Why would they fear being “sent” to the
spiritual realm in which they already live?
Furthermore, how could Satan be captured and “cast into” the place where
he normally functions anyway? This makes
no sense at all. Thus, we see that this
same abyss in Revelation 20:1-3 (although not physical) is a real and literal
place.
But the fact is,
amillennialists seem to overlook such verses as Luke 8:31 above. This is the case of the Gadarene demoniac,
where the demons in the man begged Jesus not to send them into “the deep” (“bottomless
pit” or “abyss” – the same Greek word used in Revelation 20). They were speaking of a specific place which terrified them. This abyss is not just a “symbol” or
“metaphor.” It is an actual place. It is a prison
for evil spirits, and it is the same place spoken of in Revelation 20:1-3. Demons are not physical, but they are real. The same can be said of the abyss.
A Strange Hermeneutic
A strange thing happens in
the amillennial camp when dealing with prophecy. They seem to interpret all of the prophecies
about the First Coming of Jesus literally. Yet, when interpreting the prophecies of His
Second Coming, they are buried in allegory and symbolism. They will only interpret these in a figurative way. But why should anyone think that the prophecies
about His Second Coming should be interpreted any differently than those of His First? This is a poor and inconsistent hermeneutic (principle of Bible interpretation). No wonder there are so many people that are
confused on this topic. But such is the
result when there is too much emphasis on allegorizing or “spiritualizing”
God’s Word.
Israel in Prophecy
Amillenialism is also an
attack on Israel, at least indirectly, although perhaps not intentionally. But this teaching has contributed to much of
the anti-semitism (discrimination against Jews) existing today. The biblical role of Israel in these last
days is often missed altogether by such groups.
Many amillennialists say that the church
is now the true Israel, and because of the Jews’ denial of Jesus Christ, their
Messiah, the church is now receiving what was meant to be for the Jews. Many believe that Israel has been rejected
and the Jews have actually been permanently replaced
by the church. But this is not so (Romans
chapters 9, 10, 11).
There are many unconditional promises to the nation of
Israel and to its people. In other
words, they are going to receive ALL that God promised, sooner or later. In many of the Old Testament prophets, major
and minor, we see an abundance of promises concerning Israel in the Millennium. Here is just a sampling:
- Promises concerning a supernatural change in nature – Isaiah 11:6-9; 35:1-2, 6-7; 62:4; 65:25
- Promises concerning the Jews returning to Israel – Isaiah 11:11-12; Amos 9:15; Zephaniah 3:19-20
- Promises with specific geographical references – Zechariah 14:4, 10
- Promises of righteousness – Isaiah 9:7; 11:4-5; 35:8; 60:21; 62:1-2; Jeremiah 23:5-6
- Promises of peace – Isaiah 2:4; 9:7; 60:18; Zechariah 14:11
- Promises of overall blessings – Isaiah 35:10; 62:8-9; 65:19, 22-23; Amos 9:13-15
- Promises of the rest of the world finally embracing Israel – Isaiah 2:2-3; 62:7, 12; Jeremiah 3:17; Zephaniah 3:19-20; Zechariah 14:16
Was God only trying to take up space in these Old
Testament books? Are all these promises
just meaningless verbiage to be spiritualized away? Not if God is faithful to His Word! These
promises make sense because the physical and geographical land of Israel was
NEVER promised to the church, but to the Jews.
So these promises are indeed relevant for future Israel.
Why Does it Matter?
So what if a person believes in
the amillennial view? Does that mean he is
a bad person, or that he can’t be saved?
No, that’s not what it means. So
why then should it matter which end-time view a person holds?
Because truth matters.
If we think that this really is the Millennium we’re living
in today, then we’re all living in a fantasy land… we’re living a lie. God specifically said that the nations would NO
LONGER be deceived during the
Millennium, yet we are seeing more deception than ever today, even in our
“enlightened” society. If this is God’s Millennium, then this is a
poor excuse of a “golden age,” and a terrible reflection on God’s idea of “peace,
tranquility and justice.” The
amillennialists are truly insulting God in this.
Attacking God’s character even further, amillennialism is a view
that paints God as One who makes empty promises of land and blessings; promises
that are meaningless. Worse yet, these promises were made to people
who are called “His own” (John 1:10-11), even those He has
called the “apple of His eye” (Zechariah 2:8). What kind of God does this? After making such wonderful promises to His
children, is He now admitting it all as a cruel hoax? No, but this is the result of too much allegorizing
of the Scriptures.
Since there are no hard and fast rules when interpreting
prophecy in the way they do, amillennialism is a deceptive teaching, and its
illogical, subjective, and unbiblical nature opens the door to greater deception.
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