Why Will Satan Be Bound For 1,000 Years And Then Released?
Q: Why does Revelation say Satan will be bound for 1,000 years and then released? What is the purpose of that?
A: I think what’s really significant about this is that it happens after the glorious return of Jesus Christ but before the final judgment, in conjunction with a period of time that we often call the Millennium. Christians from different perspectives have all different opinions on this. But I am in the premillennial camp. I think that the Millennium is a literal reign of Jesus Christ over this earth. I think that it will come to pass after the glorious return of Jesus Christ.
Let me just say from the outset, folks, Jesus reigns forever and ever. It’s not like His reign is limited to 1000 years. There’s just going to be a special 1000 years when God is doing something very particular and very important in human history. But it’s really not a matter of Jesus only reigning for 1000 years. It’s very important to understand about that time is that what is described in Revelation is the complete cessation of Satan’s activities. Those who are perhaps amillennial in their end times thinking think that this somehow describes a lessening of the activity of Satan. But what is described there, he’s bound, he’s captured, he’s bound. He’s put in a pit, and the pit is covered over. This is a cessation of Satan’s activity, not a lessening of it. So we look forward to that time, and that time that we call the Millennium has an important role in God’s unfolding plan of the ages.