To: topcat54
Actually, it does state that Satan would be powerless during his binding during the thousand year reign. Rev 20:1-3 KJV - "[1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. [2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, [3] 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." I'd say that is pretty strong language indicating that Satan is bound for literally a thousand years. Combined with the following passage, I'd say that it presents a pretty solid picture of Christ reigning both on Earth as well as in Heaven for a literal thousand years. Rev 20:4-8 KJV - "[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. [5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. [6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. [7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, [8] 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." Now is this the same thing as what is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18? The day of the Lord and the End of Days are two seperate, different events. Otherwise, how would Christ return with His followers to destroy the Anti-Christ as shown in Revelation 19? Rev 19:11-21 KJV - "[11] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. [12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. [13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. [14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. [15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. [16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; [18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. [19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." There's more here than just "Christ returned, everyone's judged, end of time" and the thousand year literal reign is actually a solid part of that future.
To: paladin1_dcs
And I really, really wish I could figure out the formatting on this site. It's terribly aggravating to put together a post only to have a mess like my last one show up.
To: paladin1_dcs
Actually, it does state that Satan would be powerless during his binding during the thousand year reign. Powerless only insofar as being able to deceive the nations.
Prior to Christ's coming, all the nations, with the exception of Israel, were in total darkness wrt the gospel message of salvation.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Eph. 5:8)
The nations were blinded by Satan. But once Christ came, all that changed. Paul tells us in Colossians:
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth; (Col. 1)
The gospel was no able to go out into the entire world unimpeded. Satan has been powerless to stop it.
Some folks are confused about the language of Rev. 20, but it does not demand a view that Satan is absolutely powerless, just powerless to stop the spread of the gospel.
[I'm having a hard time seeing your comments due to formatting issues with your post.]
206 posted on
02/09/2011 4:30:18 PM PST by
topcat54
("Dispensationalism -- an error of Biblical proportions.")
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