The Binding of
Satan
COPYRIGHT ©2019 -
James M. Frye
All scripture
quotations are taken from the Authorized King James Bible. Any deviations are
not intentional. All underlines, bold and words within brackets are the
author's.
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Revelation 20:2-3 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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.
When seeking to understand the binding of Satan, we
must begin by asking ourselves two questions?
1. Is this binding
literal (physical) or spiritual?
2. Is it total, or
partial?
We will look at each of these one at a time.
1. Is this binding physical or spiritual?
Even the most ardent Premillennialist will have to
admit, if he is honest, that no spiritual creature (such as an angel - Satan is
a fallen angel) could possibly be bound with a literal physical chain.
Mark 5:2-3 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of
the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among
the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
If no man could bind a man possessed by evil spirits
with a chain, how much less the evil spirits themselves? They can walk through
walls, appear, disappear, etc. So we know, based upon scripture
that this binding is not to be understood in a wooden literal/physical
sense.
Just break out a concordance and check how many times the words
"bind" and "bound" are used in a non-physical sense. The
church "binds" things upon earth that are "bound" in heaven
(Matt 18:18). A wife is "bound" unto her husband in marriage (Rom
7:2). Are people being "tied up" in these passages? No, of course
not! The words are used to refer to "an authoritative restriction upon
one's activities". The wife is not "free" to be married to
another so long as her husband is still alive. A lawyer, for example might
speak of whether or not a contract is "legally binding". He means by
this, whether or not it has authority over us. We understand, by interpreting
this unclear passage (Rev 20) in light of clear passages (1 Pet 5:8), that this
is how the term is being used here.
Is there anywhere in the New Testament that suggests that Satan was indeed
"bound" in this sort of way at the first coming of Christ? Yes, there
is! In this passage, Jesus had just cast out an evil spirit.
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow
doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
They accused Jesus of casting out evil spirits by
the power of Satan.
Matthew 12:25-26 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided
against itself shall not stand: And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided
against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
If Jesus were casting out evil spirits by the power
of Satan, then Satan would be fighting against himself (his own house), and his
own evil spirits (Matt 25:41) and his kingdom would fall and could not stand.
Matthew 12:28-29 But if I cast out devils by the
Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one
enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the
strong man? and then he will spoil his
house.
Jesus says, that is order for him to cast out evil
spirits (those of Satan's house), he had to first "BIND" the
"strong man" (the one in charge) of that house - Satan. Study the
passage! Jesus said that he had to "bind" Satan (at his first coming)
otherwise he would not have been able to have cast out his evil spirits. So we
know from scripture that Satan was indeed bound spiritually at the first coming
of Christ.
2. Is this binding total or partial?
Let's look at the passage.
Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon,
that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a
thousand years, 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 passage specifically says that this binding
involved setting a seal upon Satan so that he would "deceive the nations
no more" until the thousand years (millennium) is over. And after the
millennium is over
Revelation 20:7-8 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall
be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the
nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog
and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand
of the sea.
How is Satan bound? What restriction is placed upon
his power? The passage only lists one restriction that is
placed upon Satan during the millennium. He is no longer permitted to deceive
the nations (keep them in darkness). He had kept them in darkness in during the
Old Testament while God
Acts 14:16
suffered all nations [except the Jews] to walk in their own ways.
To Paul (the apostle to the gentiles) Jesus said:
Acts 26:17-18 ... the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes,
and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power
of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
The gentile nations had been kept in darkness and
under the power of Satan during the time of the Old Testament. But under the
New Covenant the gospel was to go into all the world
(Mk. 16:15) and to all nations (Matt. 28:19). Paul said to these gentiles who
had been saved that God
Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom
of his dear Son:
We also read regarding the gentiles
Ephesians 2:11-12 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who
are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh
made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far
off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the
saints, and of the household of God;
During this age (the millennium), between the first
and second coming of Christ, Satan is no longer able to keep the gentile
nations in darkness. During the tribulation the gentile nations will once again
fall under his deception (Rev 13:7, 14).
So we see, when interpreting the binding of Satan in Revelation 20 in light of
the clear passages in rest of the New Testament, that Satan is indeed bound
now. We also see that this binding is not physical, nor is it total, but is
only in regard to one aspect of his power - deceiving the nations.