Satan Bound - Podcast
There's A Man Going 'Round Taking Names • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewGod deals with Satan, the beasts and those who follow them
Notes
Transcript
Hi and welcome to this episode of Pastor’s Corner I’m Thomas Hogan Senior Pastor of Amazing Grace Church of The Nazarene in Walla Walla Wa.
In this episode are are continuing our series in the Book of Revelation entitled There’s A Man ‘Going ‘Round Taking Names.
If you haven’t yet please subscribe to our YouTube Chanel, and like this video. That way you can be kept updated on new content.
Also if you have comments or questions please leave them in the comment section below, I would love to hear from you.
God has finished pouring our his wrath on the Roman Empire in brining justice to the dead martyrs of his churches. Then we see that he is worshipped for his righteous judgment against that nation and all those who reject him.
We saw what it means to fall into the hands of the living God.
Now we enter into the time when God will deal with Satan and the beasts who lead so many nations and people astray with a lie.
This brings us then to Chapter 20, this chapter is fascinating yet difficult.
There seems to be some issues and questions as we consider this chapter, N.T. Wright dealt with them too
First, after the beasts are throne into the lake of fire, there is a delay before Satan joins them. Only after this temporary period in which He is allowed out of jail one last time to try and do his worst before his final defeat. Why the delay? Why is he released?
Second, what is John referring to , in real historical terms when he speaks of a thousand years? This is the first resurrection in which people reign with the Messiah. What is the connection this has with the New Jerusalem in chapters 21-22? Are they describing different things?
Third, how does this first resurrection relate to the second one? This is implies by his description inverse 6. What sort of story can we tell, or should tell, that will bring out the reference, the meaning, and the flavor of the puzzling 6 verses?
Does this adequately describe where we are in trying to understand this passage?One of the issues we have is just like Revelation 16:16 is the only place that mentions Armagedon, so Revelation 20 is the only place where a millenium is even mentioned.
Some have snagged these passages out of context and constructed a ver different world-view in which they seem to have a more important role that they do in scripture itself.
N.T. Wright, “That ought to make us wary of following where such interpreters lead.”
So the millenium must be symbolic and not literal, like we have seen in much of Revelation. Which we will get to in a moment.
The answer to why why is Satan set free may cone from what we know of him in Scripture.
Satan was part of the heavenly host in fact a leader of such.. Though he has fallen from that position, he may still, by God’s permission, play a role.
N.T. Wright, “Satan’s job was always to accuse where accusation was due, to make sure that nothing reprehensible went unreprehended. Now, one last time, he must play that role, even though as before he will pervert it and try to deceive and accuse in all directions, warranted or not.”
Satan is going to do the worst he can because he knows his time is short. He is given one last move on the chess board before check-mate!
No we come to the millennial reign f Jesus and his people. Should we take this symbolically or literally?
There are three prominent views on the millenium:
Postmillennialists - Christ will come after the millennium begins
Premillennialists - Christ will come before the millennium begins.
Amillennialists - - Regard the thousand years as symbolic. Which is where I am as I teach this
Notice the central idea in all three is the coming of Christ.
This may need to be the central take away for us as we consider this passage.
Think about Revelation so far, John has used all kinds of symbolic language, why would that change now?
Let’s tie this with what we already know from Scripture.
Jesus reigns now Matthew 28:18
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:25-28
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him.
28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.
Those who have died, the martyrs are already reigning with him and will reign with him Ephesians 2:6
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus,
So is it possible then that the millenium is symbolic not of something that will occur in actual history but of something that has occured in the heavenly places?
That is something you will need to ponder for yourself.
As to the binding of Satan Jesus declared that he had already accomplished this, which was why he was able to do exorcisms according to Matthew 12:29
29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Satan was still able to work in Judas and others to accuse Jesus and bring about his death.
Perhaps what we are seeing in Revelation 20 is the cosmic version of the story.
Additionally Gordon Fee states, “What all of this together seem to point to, therefore, is not a literal thousand year reign on earth for a special group, but an intentional reminder to all God’s people that even thought they may expect it to get worse before it ever gets better, God has not forgotten his own even though for some it may seem to be so.”
We may not totally understand why Satan was released and what that all might mean. But consider what N.T. Wright wrote, “The release of Satan, though unexpected and unwelcome to us, seems to be part of t he divine plan to ensure that all evil, every trace is rooted out of this world, allowing for the great transformation into new heave and new earth to take place.”
After Satan has done his worst he is defeated and thrown into the lake of fire. Then the beasts jin him.
The two that remain are death and hell.
Once they give up the dead they contain they are also thrown into the lake of fire.
The most important book is the book of life. The judgment is clear, a person is judged according to what they have done.
Gordon Fee write, “John identifies the lake of fire as the second death almost certainly meaning an eternal death following ones earthly dying.”
For all those who were not found in the book of life the lake of fire awaits.
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Bruce Metzger, “The first death is one of the body alone, the second death which is absolute unmitigated death, is final and complete separation from God, the source of life.”
The second death is not annihilation but separation from God. Those who continue in aligning themselves with Satan, despite the Lamb’s offer of life, are in danger of sharing Satan’s judgment.
Ultimately, we must leave final judgment to God.
Now with all this done, over, and taken care of we are now ready to talk about what waits those who accept the offer of salvation from the Lamb of God.
A glimpse of the life to come.
I pray that you continue to study and consider the wonderful book for yourself. May God guide you through his spirit as you study.
Thank you for joining me today in the Pastor’s Corner.