Satan Is Imprisoned During The Millennial Reign Of Christ (Doctrinal Bible Church in Huntsville, Alabama)

Doctrinal Bible Church

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday January 22, 2025

The Day of the Lord Series: Satan Is Imprisoned During The Millennial Reign Of Christ

Lesson # 55

During the millennial reign of Christ, Satan will be imprisoned for a thousand years, which will contribute to the perfect environmental, social, economic and political conditions during this period.

At His Second Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven with the elect angels and the church to deliver Israel from Satan and the non-elect angels and Antichrist, the false prophet and the Tribulational armies.

At that time, our Lord will destroy the Eastern and Western Confederacies and will have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:11-19), He will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and will establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6).

The fact that Revelation 20:3 teaches that Satan will be incarcerated for a thousand years at Christ’s Second Advent clearly implies that he is not incarcerated at this present time in history and won’t be until the Second Advent of Christ.

In fact, 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that Satan is the “god of this world” at the present time and also deceives the entire world as well (1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:10).

The greatest enemy of the church is Satan whose name means, “adversary” because he is the enemy of God.

He is also called the “tempter” (Mt. 4:3), the murderer (Jn. 8:44) and he is compared to a “lion” in 1 Peter 5:8, a serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9).

He is called an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:13-15) and so therefore the Christian is not to be ignorant of his schemes and devices (2 Cor. 2:11).

Satan is a creature (Ezek. 28:13) and a person since the Scripture state that he possesses the traits of personality in that he shows intelligence (2 Cor. 11:3), exhibits emotions (Rev. 12:17, anger; Luke 22:31, desire), and demonstrates that he has a will (Isa. 14:12-14; 2 Tim. 2:26).

Satan is referred to as a person in both Old and New Testaments (Job 1; Matt. 4:1-12).

Satan was a prophet, priest and a king in eternity past prior to his rebellion against his Creator.

The devil was the preeminent creature in the universe before his fall, and each of the various characteristics described below call attention to specific aspects of this preeminence.

Ezekiel 28:11 The word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “ ‘You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created

till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. 18 By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. 19 All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’ ” (NIV84)

In the beginning the most exalted of all the angels was the anointed cherub, whom the Bible calls Satan or the devil, the son of the morning (Isa. 14:12).

He was entrusted with responsibilities and was granted privileges beyond those of any other angel, but he abused his freedom through arrogance and rebellion against God (Ezek. 28:12-19).

He was the anointed cherub who guarded the throne of God, he was said to be created perfect in wisdom and beauty and he was blessed with the title of Hallel Ben Shechar, “morning star, son of the dawn” (Is. 14:12).

But the Scriptures teach that he led the angels in rebellion against God (Is. 14:12-14).

Instead of being one will in the universe, now there was two…God’s and Satan’s.

Satan had the audacity to oppose God.

Isaiah 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.” (NIV84)

He was the anointed cherub who guarded the throne of God and was said to be created perfect in wisdom and beauty and he was blessed with the title of Hallel Ben Shechar, “morning star, son of the dawn” (Is. 14:12) but the Scriptures teach that he led the angels in rebellion against God (Is. 14:12-14).

Now, according to Matthew 25:41 Satan was sentenced to the Lake of Fire for his rebellion but he appealed the sentence but this sentence has not been executed since the Scriptures state that Satan is the “prince of the power of air” (Eph. 2:3), and the ruler of this world.

The elapse of time between the sentence and its execution indicates that human history is part of a momentous trial, the appeal trial of Satan.

The words “devil” and “Satan” are not names but titles, both of which mean “accuser” or “adversary” as an attorney accuses someone in court.

He is called the devil and Satan because he was the defense attorney who represented himself and the fallen angels at the prehistoric trial and because he continues to act as an attorney now that the trial has entered its appeal phase during human history (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5; Zech. 3:1-2).

Every fallen angel has already been judged and sentenced to the Lake of Fire by the Supreme Court of Heaven before human history.

The execution of that sentence will not be carried out until the conclusion of the appeal trial of Satan and the fallen angels (Rev. 20:10).

The Scriptures teach that the execution of Satan’s sentence to the Lake of Fire will not be executed until the end of human history.

Before the execution of his sentence, Satan will be imprisoned for a thousand years.

Satan must be thrown into prison at the Second Advent of Christ according to Revelation 20:1-3 before the millennial reign begins (Rev. 20:1-3).

All unbelievers will be removed from planet earth at the Second Advent of Christ and thrown into Torments and ultimately into the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgment that concludes human history.

At the Second Advent the beast (Antichrist) and the false prophet will be thrown into the Lake of Fire before Satan (Jews: Ezek. 20-33-38; Gentiles: Matt. 25:31-46).

These judgments are designed to produce perfect government and environment on planet earth.

Satan will be released from prison after the millennium and will immediately start a rebellion against the Lord Jesus Christ.

Theologians call this rebellion, the “Gog, Magog rebellion,” which God will put down decisively.

The appeal trial of Satan terminates after the Gog and Magog revolution (Rev. 20:7-9).

The eternal state will take place after the execution of the sentence against Satan and the fallen angels when they are cast into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:10) and will take place after the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-14).