Satan chained 1 And I saw an angel coming 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 the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations, till the thousand years be finished. And after that, he must be loosed a little time. 20:1 key to the bottomless pit: this is because he has in his power the hearts of those whom he hardens, and of those whom he opens to believing. The bottomeless pit is the great number of the faithful peoples, because just as it is incomprehensible, so also is the great number of peoples. (Thietland of Einsiedein Com 2 Thess 2) Here he narrates the destruction of the Devil which had taken place during the Lord's passion, in which the Devil who appeared to be strong, having bound us as his spoils, one stronger than he, Christ our God, redeemed us from his hands, condemning him to the abyss. This is shown by the demons calling upon him not to be cast into the abyss.Lk 8:31 chain: John called the restraint of his evil activity chain for our clarification. (St. Andrew of Caesarea) 20:2 Below are various views concerning the millenium, thousand year reign of Christ. Though I hold amillennial views concerning this passage, I don't scoff at the premillenial views since it was accepted by the likes of some great saints of the early Church as you can see below. Typically the amillennialists understand the 1000 years to be the entire age of the Church from the time of Christ until the coming of the Antichrist near the end of the world. While most amillennialists understand the '1000 years' to be symbolic of a long period of time and not a literal 1000 years, some did understand the Church age to last literally 1000 years, such as Thietland and Bulus al-Bushi, in which they also predicted when the end of the world would come. Time being unforgiving eventually proved their error. Premillennialists believe that after the Church age the Antichrist will come, and once the Antichrist is defeated, Christ will bind Satan and literally reign 1000 years on earth in sort of a Sabbath like material kingdom. There are different variations about this position just as there are among amillennialists. Premillennialists typically believe in a literal 1000 year reign, but not all. As we can see below, the premillennial view was held by some very early Fathers of the Church, such as St. Papias, St. Justin, St. Irenaeus, etc. Origen saw that this understanding was a Jewish idea, which makes sense because many Jews were expecting the Messiah to come and to overthrow the Roman empire, in which their false messianic hope led them to not recognizing the Suffering Servant who came not to establish an earthly kingdom but a heavenly one. Perhaps some of the Jewish Christians held on to that understanding and applied it to the 1000 year reign found in Revelation 20. Since it was very common for Jewish rites and traditions to be practiced from time to time in order to avert the lack of belief of the Jewish Christians so that they would not feel as if they were being dragged away all at once from their beliefs, more than likely the earthly messianic kingdom that many Jews had hoped for while under Roman oppression was then transferred over to Christ's second coming and gained some popularity among some early Christians, even Gentile Christians. Another observation I find concerning the premillennial views of some of the Fathers is that their explanation about the 1000 year reign is very limited in the sense of an exposition and articulation of the passage found in Revelation. Their whole eschatology is quite undeveloped as well as often being inconsistant and contradictory to some of their own words in their whole body of writings. Eusebius seemed to think that St. Papias is the main reason why some Church Fathers after him adopted a premillennial position, because he was among the Apostolic times. Eusebius was fortunate enough to have access to his writings, which are lost now, and he did not appear to be impressed with Papias' 'understanding' on many things. Perhaps some of the misunderstandings of Papias was adopted by later Fathers like St. Irenaeus, who also had spurious ideas such as Jesus living to an old age (Against Heresies, 2:22:4-6), which is another tradition that he very likely got from Papias. Among the many interpretations I find, the one by Oecumenius is quite appealing to me as he takes an independent route. He views the 1000 years to be the time of Christ's Incarnation, and the binding of the Devil in the sense of the Devil not able to hinder the success of the Lord's ministry. The only drawback I have with his interpretation is how he can view the 1000 years to be the 3 and half year ministry of the Christ while he considers the Devil being set loose for a "short time" as the entire time of the Church age. That just seems to be disproportionate even for symbolism, with a 1000 years symbolic of three and a half years, while going on 2000 years being symbolic of a short time. (John Litteral) 20:3 set a seal upon him: that it was designed to keep it a secret who belonged to the devil's party and who did not. For in this world this is a secret, for we cannot tell whether even the man who seems to stand shall fall, or whether he who seems to lie shall rise again. no more suduce the nations: The devil, then, is bound and shut up in the abyss that he may not seduce the nations from which the Church is gathered, and which he formerly seduced before the Church existed. For it is not said that he should not seduce any man, but that he should not seduce the nations— meaning, no doubt, those among which the Church exists. (St. Augustine City of God 20) he must be loosed for a little while: Peter Auriol and Alexander Minorita explain with regards to the time of the Antichrist when the power of the Devil will be released to deceive the nations. (Nicholas of Lyra) Reign of the saints 4 And I saw seats; and they sat upon them; and judgment was given to them; and the souls of them that were beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and who had not adored the beast nor his image, nor received his character on their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead lived not, till the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection. In these the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ; and shall reign with him a thousand years. 20:4 And I saw the seats: For, after saying that the devil is bound a thousand years and is afterwards loosed for a short season, it goes on to give a sketch of what the Church does or of what is done in the Church in those days. It is not to be supposed that this refers to the last judgment, but to the seats of the rulers and to the rulers themselves by whom the Church is now governed. And no better interpretation of judgment being given can be produced than that which we have in the words, What ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:18 Whence the apostle says, What have I to do with judging them that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? 1 Corinthians 5:12 And the souls of them: that is, the souls of the martyrs not yet restored to their bodies. For the souls of the pious dead are not separated from the Church, which even now is the kingdom of Christ; otherwise there would be no remembrance made of them at the altar of God in the partaking of the body of Christ, nor would it do any good in danger to run to His baptism, that we might not pass from this life without it; nor to reconciliation, if by penitence or a bad conscience any one may be severed from His body. For why are these things practised, if not because the faithful, even though dead, are His members? Therefore, while these thousand years run on, their souls reign with Him, though not as yet in conjunction with their bodies. (St. Augustine City of God 20) beheaded: According to Rabanus Maurus this signifies rebuke; or, severe persecution. they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years: The Church therefore reigns with Christ in the living and in the dead. For "to this end," as the Apostle says, "Christ died, that He might be Lord both of the living and the dead (Rm 14:9);" and for this reason he has mentioned the souls of the martyrs alone, that they chiefly reign after death, who even unto death have contended for the truth. (St. Bede) 20:5 The rest of the dead: Now this resurrection regards not the body, but the soul. For souls, too, have a death of their own in wickedness and sins, whereby they are the dead of whom the same lips say, Let the dead to bury their dead, Matthew 8:22— that is, let those who are dead in soul bury them that are dead in body. It is of these dead, then— the dead in ungodliness and wickedness— that He says, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. They that hear, that is, they who obey, believe, and persevere to the end. Here no difference is made between the good and the bad. For it is good for all men to hear His voice and live, by passing to the life of godliness from the death of ungodliness. Of this death the Apostle Paul says, Therefore all are dead, and He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them and rose again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 Thus all, without one exception, were dead in sins, whether original or voluntary sins, sins of ignorance, or sins committed against knowledge. (St. Augustine City of God 20) until the thousand years were finished: That is, the time of Christ; for they will rise with others at the end of the world to be punished simultaneously in body and spirit. (Nicholas of Lyra) 20:6 But what do chiliasts say to the apostle who speaks of a resurrection of souls? For certainly it was in the inner and not the outer man that those had risen again to whom he says, If you have risen with Christ, mind the things that are above. Colossians 3:1 The same sense he elsewhere conveyed in other words, saying, That as Christ has risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 So, too, Awake you that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. Ephesians 5:14 (St. Augustine City of God 20) priests of God and Christ: it is not said of bishops only and of presbyters, who properly are called "priests" in the Church. But as we are all called Christs because of the mystical chrism, so are we all called priests, because we are members of the one Priest, of Whom the Apostle Peter says, "a holy people, a royal priesthood." 1Pet 2:9 (St. Bede) Satan loosed 7 And when the thousand years shall be finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go forth, and seduce the nations, which are over the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, and shall gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 8 And they came upon the breadth of the earth, and encompassed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. 9 And there came down fire from God out of heaven, and devoured them; and the devil, who seduced them, was cast into the pool of fire and brimstone, where both the beast 10 And the false prophet shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 20:7 seduce: He will then seduce them, to the end that he may gather them together to this battle. For even before he used to seduce them in whatever manner he was able, through many different evils. And "he will go out" means, he will burst forth into open persecution from the hiding-places of his hatred. (St. Bede) the four quarters of the earth: that is, from all parts of the earth. (Nicholas of Lyra) Gog and Magog: He links Gog to the rest of the nations who fought with the Antichrist. The blessed prophet Ezekiel also told us about Gog and Magog, describing the evil end of evil men. These will be some of the nations and their leaders at the end of the age, (Ez. 38-39) but they do not now exist, or they are some of the present nations called by other names in holy Scripture. So these will be allies of detested Satan in his fight against the slaves of Christ. (Oecumenius) 20:8 This does not mean that they have come, or shall come, to one place, as if the camp of the saints and the beloved city should be in some one place; for this camp is nothing else than the Church of Christ extending over the whole world. And consequently wherever the Church shall be,— and it shall be in all nations, as is signified by the breadth of the earth,— there also shall be the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and there it shall be encompassed by the savage persecution of all its enemies; for they too shall exist along with it in all nations,— that is, it shall be straitened, and hard pressed, and shut up in the straits of tribulation, but shall not desert its military duty, which is signified by the word camp. (St. Augustine City of God 20) 20:9 It is not to be understood of the final punishment which shall be inflicted when it is said, Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire; Matthew 25:41 for then they shall be cast into the fire, not fire come down out of heaven upon them. It is well understood of the firmness of the saints, wherewith they refuse to yield obedience to those who rage against them. For the firmament is heaven, by whose firmness these assailants shall be pained with blazing zeal, for they shall be impotent to draw away the saints to the party of Antichrist. This is the fire which shall devour them, and this is from God; for it is by God's grace the saints become unconquerable, and so torment their enemies. For as in a good sense it is said, The zeal of Your house has consumed me, so in a bad sense it is said, Zeal has possessed the uninstructed people, and now fire shall consume the enemies. Isaiah 26:11 And now, that is to say, not the fire of the last judgment. ; Or if by this fire coming down out of heaven and consuming them, John meant that blow wherewith Christ in His coming is to strike those persecutors of the Church whom He shall then find alive upon earth, when He shall kill Antichrist with the breath of His mouth, ; but the last judgment is that which they shall suffer when the bodily resurrection has taken place. (St. Augustine City of God 20) pool of fire: that is Gehenna. (Oecumenius) The last judgment 11 And I saw a great white throne, and one sitting upon it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged every one according to their works. 14 And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire. 20:11 Earlier verse 20:4 John described the status of the Church preceding the general judgment, here he describes the judgment itself, saying, I saw a great throne, that is the infinite power of the judging of Christ. A white throne, that is the clarity of judgment is indicated, because it will be known to everyone that He is just. (Nicholas of Lyra) For after the judgment is ended, the heaven and the earth cease to be, when there begin to be a new heaven and a new earth; that is, by the change of the things that are, and not by any means by their destruction. He said not also the substance, in that we believe that the same is to be changed for the better. (St. Bede) 20:12 He says dead, meaning either all people as enduring the death of the body, or those which became dead by means of transgressions, great and small, either those being such by age or those who did more or fewer deeds of deadness and accordingly will be punished for the deeds, or great being the righteous and small being the worthless sinners, inferior by means of the soul. The books having been opened denote the deeds of each and the consciousness of each person. The one book is the book of life, in which are inscribed the names of the saints. (St. Andrew of Caesarea) 20:13 This will happen before the judgment, which precedes the resurrection of the dead. Moreover, the dead will rise who have been submerged in both the sea and in an arid place, which is what is meant by ‘death.’ Even the souls held in hell will return to their bodies, although they are already dead by the death of sin and hell. (Nicholas of Lyra) Or some very sensibly suppose that in this place the sea is put for this world; death to indicate the good, who have suffered only death and not hell; hell to indicate the wicked, who suffer also the punishment of hell. (St. Augustine City of God 20.15) Amillenial vs. Premillennial views; with Independent views
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