The Binding of Satan - Revelation 20:1-3a

In the last blog I noted that the events in Revelation 20 appear chronologically after Revelation 19 but in fact are a recapitulation of the events of Christ from His life through to His Second Coming.  Indeed they are compressed but since Revelation 19 already refers to the Battle of Armageddon, and so does chapter 20, we assume that the this is a recap, not the next sequence.

If we fail to view Revelation 20 as a recapitulation then we must be forced to conclude that there are two battles of Armageddon.  This is not plausible.  It is likely that John is following the same pattern as Ezekiel 38-39, which is the same pattern as Revelation 19:17-21, which is the same for Revelation 20.

Dr. Beale shows us the clear structure of these verses:

  A      judgment of the harlot (17:1–19:6)
    B      the divine Judge (19:11–16)
      C      judgment of the beast and the false prophet (19:17–21; cf. Ezekiel 39)
         D      Satan imprisoned for 1,000 years (20:1–3)
         D′      the saints reign/judge for 1,000 years (20:4–6)
      C′      the judgment of Gog and Magog (20:7–10; cf. Ezekiel 38–39)
    B′      the divine Judge (20:11–15)
  A′      vindication of the bride (21:1–22:5; cf. 19:7–9).  [1]

The point to be made is that the 1000 years that Satan is imprisoned is the same 1000 years that the saints reign.  Now what are we to make of these 1000 years?   It is critical to recall the genre of Revelation.

The number 1000 is an ideal number, ten cubed. In fact this passage in Revelation is all symbolic and one would err to take this woodenly literally.  "This view has the great advantage of offering a simpler explanation of what will happen when Christ returns. The binding of Satan and the reign of the martyrs happen before the Second Coming, so the Second Coming (19:11–21) is followed immediately by the last judgment (20:11–15) and the final state (21:1–7)." [2]

So it is important as we read this literature to see chain,” “abyss,” "key," "chain," “dragon,” “serpent,” “locked,” “sealed,” “beast”, and so on, figuratively and symbolically.  So we read: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.” (Revelation 20:1, ESV).

Who is this angel?  This would appear with Revelation to be an angel that is a direct emissary of Christ executing His authority.  The abyss is probably the realm of "death and Hades" as in chapter 1 with the keys being Christ's sovereign rule even over the dead. "The same “keys” are referred to in ch. 3 to show that Christ has authority not only to raise the dead at the end of the age but also to impart spiritual life in the present age." [3]

So again the text says: “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.” (Revelation 20:2–3, ESV).

The plainest way to see these events is that an angelic agent of Christ has bound Satan specifically that "he might not deceive the nations" for 1000 years.  Do not think of an actual binding with material, nor think of an actual pit or an actual 1000 years.  The clearest interpretation is that from the ministry of Christ to His Second Coming, Satan's activities have been curtailed so that he did not have unlimited freedom to deceive the nations. This should be of no surprise.  In Matthew 12:26–28 (ESV) we read,

²⁶ And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

"Please notice that exactly the same word ‘binding’ is used here in Matthew as in Revelation 20. This work of binding the devil was begun when our Lord triumphed over him in the temptations in the wilderness (Mt. 4: 1– 11). As a result, Christ begins to ‘cast out’ demons. The power and influence of Satan over the deluded masses was beginning to be curtailed." [4]

Father you offered Your Son the Nations.  You set Him on Your holy hill. When He defeated Satan in His Life and His Death, You inaugurated His Kingdom.  Now the Gospel can go forth in the power of the Holy Spirit.  People's eyes can be opened to the glory of the Gospel.  Since Pentecost this has been happening.  Millions see, hear and respond to the Good News because Christ reigns and Satan has been bound.  Send the Gospel in power to those in our families and in our neighbourhoods, I pray.  Grant evangelistic fervor to me and others in Your Church.  For Christ's glory.






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1.  Beale, G. K. (1999). The book of Revelation: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (983). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
2. Easley, K. H. (1998). Vol. 12: Revelation. Holman New Testament Commentary (373). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
3.  Beale, G. K. (1999). The book of Revelation: A commentary on the Greek text. New International Greek Testament Commentary (984). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
4.  Hendriksen, William (1998-06-01). More Than Conquerors: An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation (p. 187). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition