Revelation chapter 20 reveals the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, who is seized by an angel from heaven and bound for a thousand years whille the martyrs reign.
Revelation 20:1-3 English Standard Version
The Thousand Years
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
In the theology of Revelation chapter 20, the millennium is to be understood as happening within a very close time frame with Jesus' second coming.This is evident by the fate of Satan, who shares the same fate as the beast and false prophet. The consequence of the Parousia, His second coming, is the destruction of all evil. That destruction of evil is portrayed, not as an immediate consequence, but one delayed a thousand years. The fate of the beast and false prophet are depicted in Revelation Chapter 19.
Revelation 19:20 English Standard Version
20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
The binding of Satan for a thousand years is described in Revelation chapter 20:1-3.
Revelation 20:1-3 English Standard Version
The Thousand Years
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
Satan is released, after the thousand years ended. Satan and his minions gather to wage war on believers in Jesus Christ. They were defeated by fire coming down from heaven, and then the devil, Satan himself shared the same fate as the beast and false prophet, being thrown into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet were.
Revelation 20:7-10 English Standard Version
The Defeat of Satan
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Before discussing why this thousand year delay is portrayed, we should also see another aspect of Jesus' return. The destruction of all evil is separated from the last judgment itself. The reign of Satan on earth is over, and Christ, the martyrs and all other believers now rule the earth.
Revelation 20:4,11-13 English Standard Version
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who 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 for a thousand years.
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
The Old Testament Book of Daniel 7:9-10, was a major source for John's Revelation chapter 20. The thrones of Rev 20:4 come from Daniel 7:9.
Revelation 20:4 English Standard Version
4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who 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 for a thousand years.
Daniel 7:9 English Standard Version
The Ancient of Days Reigns
9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
The opening of books in Revelation chapter 20:11 are from Daniel 7:10.
Revelation 20:11 English Standard Version
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
Daniel 7:10 English Standard Version
10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
The Daniel allusions in Revelation chapter 20, concerns the destruction of the beast that has persecuted God's people and the transference of the beast's rule on earth, to the rule and kingdom of God alongside Jesus and His believers .
The destruction of the beast is written in Rev 19:11-21 and the transference of the kingdom to Jesus and believers in Rev 20:4-6. The negative aspect of the final judgment against the beast, requires as its positive counterpart that judgment be given in favor of the martyrs and all those who believed Jesus is Lord.
In the conflict between the beast and the witnesses of Jesus, the beast appears to have won and the martyrs defeated. As the kings of the earth that supported the beast's arrogated rule are deprived of their kingdoms, so the martyrs now reign with Jesus Christ.
So, what is said concerning the martyrs and other believers in Revelation chapter 20:4-6 is strictly limited to what contrasts with the fate of the beast. Their witness alongside Jesus' condemns the beast and his followers and the divine court vindicates and rewards believers.
The beast and his followers have been thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death, Revelation chapter 20:14, but the martyrs and other believers come to life when Jesus returns and the second death has no power over them, Revelation chapter 20:4-6.
Evil's kingdom on earth has been taken from them and given to Jesus and His believers. Life and rule, the two issues on which the battle between believers and the beast have focused, are the sole theological theme of Rev 20:4-6, and John merely asserts that without explanation or details.
This shows that the theological point of the "thousand years,"is solely to demonstrate the triumph of the martyrs and other believers over evil. Those who believe in Jesus are those who will truly live when Jesus returns at the end of days.
Revelation 20:1-3 English Standard Version
The Thousand Years
20 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while
John's allusion to the Old Testament strategy of Ezekiel 38-39, in Revelation 16-20, which precede and follow the second coming of Jesus Christ, leads to the conclusion that the "thousand years," of Revelation chapter 20, is the present church age, that period of time between the birth, life, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to believers in Acts chapter 2 and the second coming of Jesus Christ.
So, what is meant by Satan being bound during the New Testament church age?
John writes that Satan was alive and well, persecuting believers in Revelation 2:10,13 and trying to kill the messiah child in Revelation 12:1-6 and persecuting believers in Revelation 12:13-17.
Revelation 2:10,13 English Standard Version
10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 13 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Revelation 12:1-6 English Standard Version
The Woman and the Dragon
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:13-17
English Standard Version
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
The rest of the New Testament bears clear and abundant witness to Satan's activity during the present church age, during which time John in Revelation Chapter 20 says he is "bound...so that he might not deceive the nations." Here are a few examples of Satan's activities on earth during the church age, there are many more.
Matthew 13:39 English Standard Version
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
Acts 5:3 English Standard Version
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?
Acts 10:38 English Standard Version
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
1 Peter 5:8 English Standard Version
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2 Corinthians 11:14 English Standard Version
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Ephesians 6:11 English Standard Version
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
The Biblical text is clear that Satan, when God allows him to, leads the nations against Zion, against God Himself and those who believe in Him and His Son Jesus Christ.
These nations, are the 70 nations, people groups, descended from Noah and his family. God disinherited them and the fallen "sons of God" that led them, at Babel, to stay in the plains of Shinar to build a temple to "make a name for themselves,". Instead of spreading throughout the earth after the flood, and multiply into a people who worshipped God, not the devil, Satan. This plan of Satan is to lead these nations and their armies into a final attempt to overthrow, the eschatological, end times, plan of God and the judgment against themselves, the fallen "sons of God, and those who worship them.
Psalm 82:6-8 English Standard Version
6 I said, “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; 7 nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!
Isaiah 34:1-4 English Standard Version
Judgment on the Nations
34 Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. 2 For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. 3 Their slain shall be cast out, and the stench of their corpses shall rise; the mountains shall flow with their blood. 4 All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree
The answer is very clear, when you have a Deuteronomy 32 worldview. A Biblical framework that began at Babel and God's disinheritance of all survivors of the flood, except Noah and his family, the calling of Abram, a pagan follower of other gods, to be His portion, his own nation, which would one day be called the promised land, Israel. These people are all who believe as Abram did, in God the Father, Creator and sustainer of the universe, and all those who believe in His son, Jesus Christ, God the Son, whom He sent to defeat the works of the devil, Satan.
God wants to delay the judgment of the nations in order to redeem people from all those nations.
Understanding John’s use of the Old Testament in Revelation 19:11–21 and Revelation chapter 20:7-10, is key understanding how to approach these chapters. The implications are broad, ranging from the proper understanding of Armageddon to Revelation chapters 16-20 should not be taken as a sequential chronology of events.
Part of this Old Testament framework has already been established by John in his note to readers that Armageddon is a Hebrew phrase in Revelation 16:16. Remember that Revelation was written in Greek. The transliteration of the Hebrew word translated into English is "harmagedon", which points to the final conflict of Armageddon to be at Mt. Zion, Jerusalem. You can read a detailed explanation of this in the lesson on Armageddon.
With respect to Revelation 19–20, the key observation is that John uses Ezekiel 38–39 for events before and after the Armageddon conflict of Revelation 16–19 and Revelation 20:7–10, especially v. 8. This imagery thus foreshadows Armageddon and re-references it. This means that Revelation 16–19 cannot be read as a linear, sequential chronology of events. Rather, the content repeats in cycles, which means that Revelation 20:1–6 cannot be read as a millennial kingdom following Armageddon.
Revelation 20:7-10 English Standard Version
The Defeat of Satan
7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Verse 8, Satan deceives the nations, the 70 nations disinherited at the Babel incident to gather their armies to attack God’s people. Gog is the son of God, the chief prince, of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. Daniel refers to these fallen spiritual beings, the “sons of God,” as chief princes. Paul calls them authorities, rulers and cosmic powers, the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.
Daniel 10:13 English Standard Version
13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia,
Ephesians 6:12 English Standard Version
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Below is a map of the earth at the Tower of Babel incident. You can see the nations of Meshech and Tubal and Magog, just below the Black Sea. Put and Cush, now part of Egypt can be found in northern Egypt and to the west of the Red Sea, respectively. Gog is a spiritual being, created by God the Father. Gog, a fallen, "son of God," he is a usurper and arrogantly proclaims he will defeat God and take His place at Mt. Zion, and be the head of the Assembly of God, the divine council. John alludes to and repurposes Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39, to describe the defeat of Satan in Revelation chapter 20:7-10. Excerpts of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are found below the map.
Ezekiel 38:1-6 English Standard Version
Prophecy Against Gog
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
Ezekiel 39:1-6 English Standard Version
39 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 And I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. 4 You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. 6 I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
Revelation 20:11-15 English Standard Version
Judgment Before the Great White Throne
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This scene of John’s vision is a continuation of what happens at the second coming of Jesus Christ. The dead in Christ and living believers are glorified and join in Jesus in Heaven. The spirits/souls of non-believers in Jesus Christ as Lord, are thrown into the lake of fire.
Death and Hades’ reign of terror meet their end. They are forced to give up the souls of the dead and they themselves are thrown into the lake of fire. Jesus throws Death and Hades into the lake of fire symbolizing the end of death, because believers in Jesus Christ will live forever in the new heaven and the new earth, with Him.