The binding of Satan for a thousand years is described in Revelation 20:1-3, which says “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.”
This passage teaches that at some future point, Satan will be bound and sealed in the bottomless pit (or abyss) for a thousand years. This thousand year period is referred to as the millennium or millennial kingdom. During this time, Satan will not be able to deceive the nations.
There are several views on the timing and nature of the millennium among Bible scholars:
Premillennialism
This view teaches that Christ will literally and physically return to earth before (pre) the millennium starts. At this second coming, Satan will be bound and believers will be resurrected to rule and reign with Christ on earth for the thousand years. After this period, Satan will be loosed and there will be a final rebellion before the eternal state begins.
Postmillennialism
Postmillennialism believes that Christ will return after (post) the millennium. According to this view, the millennium represents a long period of time in which the gospel will spread and Christian principles will influence the world. Satan’s power will be curtailed through this missionary and revival work. Christ will return after this kind of millennium.
Amillennialism
This view teaches that the description of the millennium in Revelation 20 is symbolic and figurative. The millennium represents the current age of the church between Christ’s first and second comings. Satan is currently bound through Christ’s death and resurrection, and the reign of saints is happening now in the hearts of believers rather than in an earthly millennial kingdom.
Within these major positions, there are also variant views on the exact nature, timing, and purpose of the millennium. But in general terms:
- Premillennialism sees a future, literal 1,000 year kingdom on earth after Christ returns.
- Postmillennialism sees a symbolic 1,000 year golden age of Christianity before Christ returns.
- Amillennialism sees the 1,000 years as symbolic of the current age of the church between Christ’s comings.
The Purpose of Binding Satan
A key question is why God will bind Satan during this period. Revelation 20:3 gives one specific purpose – to keep Satan from deceiving the nations. This implies that during the millennium:
- Satan will be unable to hinder the proclamation of the gospel or the establishment of God’s kingdom.
- Nations and people groups who have previously been under Satan’s deception will now have the veil removed and will come to salvation.
- There will be an unprecedented outpouring of God’s Spirit to draw people to himself (cf. Joel 2:28).
So a major purpose of binding Satan seems to be massive growth of God’s kingdom and the salvation of nations – something not fully possible when Satan is active in deceiving the world.
Why Will Satan Be Released?
An important question is why Satan will be unbound at the end of the millennium if the purpose is the salvation of nations. Revelation 20:3b gives one potential clue – “After that he must be released for a little while.”
The Greek word translated “must” can also mean “it is necessary.” So it seems there is some necessary purpose for releasing Satan. Some possibilities include:
- To demonstrate that even after an ideal period of righteousness and justice, some will still rebel against God when given the chance.
- To test the allegiance of those who submitted outwardly to Christ during the millennium but did not truly believe.
- To allow a final choice between Satan and Christ before the eternal state begins.
Ultimately, it seems the release of Satan gives unbelievers an opportunity to fully demonstrate the hardness of their hearts in contrast to the true believers.
Common Questions
Where do people on earth come from during the millennium if believers are reigning in heaven?
Premillennialists believe there will be three categories of people during the millennium:
- Glorified believers ruling and reigning with Christ (e.g. Rev 20:4).
- Non-glorified believers living on the earth (e.g. Matt 25:34).
- Unbelievers who survive the tribulation and their offspring (e.g. Zech 14:16). They will acknowledge and submit to Christ’s rule.
What happens to unbelievers at Christ’s return before the millennium?
The sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25:31-46 indicates there will be a separation. Believers will enter the millennial kingdom while unbelievers face judgment and condemnation (cf. Rev 19:15).
Will there be evangelism and salvation during the millennium?
Most premillennialists hold that there will be extensive evangelism during the millennium. With Satan bound and righteousness reigning, conditions will be ideal for people to respond to the gospel. There will still be a choice between obedience or rebellion against Christ’s reign.
What starts the rebellion at the end of the millennium?
Nothing definitively reveals what causes rebellion at the end of the millennium. Possibilities include:
- Dissatisfaction with Christ’s rule
- Pride and arrogance
- Forgetting the lessons of the past
- Longing for the old sinful ways
But the text implies the root cause is that the hearts of the rebels remain unregenerate despite outward obedience to Christ.
Practical Implications
While views of the millennium differ, some implications appear consistent:
- God has appointed a limit to evil and rebellion. One day Christ will decisively triumph over Satan, but only after allowing rebellion to fully express itself.
- Following Christ requires perseverance. Some who outwardly conform will eventually rebel. But true faith produces works that will endure trial by fire (1 Cor. 3:12-15).
- We must not compromise with sin and deception now, thinking that rebellion will be prevented in the millennium anyway. The path to salvation remains narrow now as it will at the end (Matt. 7:13-14).
- Proclaiming the gospel remains an urgent priority. The hope of worldwide revival underscores the importance of missions and evangelism in the present age.
While views on the timing and nature of the millennium differ, the absolute sovereignty of Christ is the unifying theme. At the name of Jesus, every knee in heaven and on earth and under the earth will eventually bow (Phil. 2:10). Satan’s rebellion will ultimately fail. King Jesus will decisively triumph over all evil, and his kingdom shall have no end.
