The Book of Revelation gives us seven visions of the Person and Work of Christ in this gospel age. They are visions given to John when he was exiled in the isle of Patmos for the testimony of Christ. And in these seven visions The Lord revealed to John what he had done, is doing and shall hereafter do for his church, in his Church and with his Church. The whole purpose of the Book is to assure God's children in this world of their ultimate conquest over the world, the flesh and the devil. This blessed Book is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." By revealing to us who he is and what he does, our Lord calls for us to ever look unto him with confident faith, and assures us that we are "more than conquerors through him that loved us."
The seven visions which John saw and recorded by Divine Inspiration are set before us in consecutive order in the twenty-two chapters of this Book. He saw… The seven golden candlesticks.
1. Christ in the midst of his churches in this world (1-3).
2. Christ opening and fulfilling the seven sealed book of God's sovereign, eternal purpose (4-7).
3. Christ answering the prayers of his people, protecting them from their enemies, and vindicating them, by executing the seven trumpets of judgment in his providential rule of the universe (8-11).
4. Christ and his Church persecuted by satan, world government, and false religion 12-14). (The Dragon – The Beast – The Harlot).
5. Christ sending his angels to pour out the seven vials of his wrath upon the earth (15-16).
6. Christ's conquest over Babylon, the beast and the false prophet 17-19).
7. Christ's dominion over and destruction of satan and the glory of the New Jerusalem (20-22).
Now this is very important. Be sure you see it clearly; These seven visions each cover the whole gospel age from the first to the second coming of Christ. They do not represent different ages, dispensations, or prophetic events. They all tell the same story. They all tell us what our Lord has done, is doing, and shall do for the salvation of his people. The use of the word "seven" is striking. There are "seven golden candlesticks," "seven stars," "seven trumpets," "seven angels," "seven vials." Seven is the number of perfection, completion, and satisfaction. And in each of these seven visions the Holy Spirit is assuring us of the perfect rule of Christ as the Monarch of the universe, for the complete victory and eternal satisfaction of his Church.
In Revelation 20 the final vision begins. Chapter 19 brought us to the very end of world history, to the final day of judgment. In chapter 20 we return to the beginning of the gospel age once again. In this vision we see once more the accomplishments of Christ's first advent, and we are carried through to the final conquests of his second advent. Revelation 20:1-3 reveals The Binding of Satan which took place and was accomplished by the work of Christ in his first advent. The sequence of events is clear:
1. Our Lord's first advent is followed by a long period of time, represented by "a thousand years," in which satan is bound.
2. At the close of this gospel age satan is based for "a little season."
3. And the loosing of satan is followed by Christ's glorious second advent to judge the world and make all things new.
It should be clear to anyone who reads Revelation so that the language is figurative, as it is in all the pictures we have seen. "The thousand years" is a literal chain. As "the chain" represents restraining power, "the thousand years" represents a long period of time, that whole span of time between Christ's first and second coming. And it is also obvious that "the thousand years" precede (they do not follow) the second coming of Christ. In other words, we are now living in this "thousand year" period which began with the incarnation of Christ. This "thousand years" is this present gospel age. See for yourself! It does not begin at Christ's second coming. It ends at his second coming (See v. 11).
Tonight, I want to show you The Binding of Satan, as it is described in verses 1-3. May God the Holy Spirit give us eyes to see and hearts to believe that which he has revealed. It will surely give us comfort, courage and confidence, as we make our pilgrimage through this world, to see that.
Proposition:Our Lord Jesus Christ has so thoroughly bound the prince of darkness that he has total dominion over him. (Read vv. 1-3).
In order to see the meaning of these verses, we must go back in time to the first century. Things have not always been as they now appear. In the days of the apostles spiritual darkness engulfed the whole world. Idolatry, superstition, witchcraft and paganism were, if you can imagine it, even more rapant than they are today. Idols were everywhere. Heathen temples, with their vile practices, filthy festivals, and indescribably wicked customs held the world in gross darkness. There were a few churches established by Paul and his companions, scattered here and there. But they were very few and very small. Except for a very small remnant, according to the election of grace, the whole world was under the power of satan's influence, lost and ignorant in sin.
Before that, during the Mosaic age, the light of Divine Truth was even more restricted. With the exception of the nation of Israel, all the nations of the world were under constant satanic delusion. Israel alone had the revelation of God, the oracles of God, the prophets of God and the pictures of redemption. And even in the nation of Israel the true worship of God was scarce. By the time Christ came the light that was in them had become darkness. In those dark days, almost universally, satan blinded the minds of them which believed not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.
God's saints in those days prayed and longed for the darkness to be dispelled. I am sure they must have cried, with heavy hearts, "Will this darkness continue forever? Will satan forever hold the world in darkness? Will the light of God never be seen in the world? Will the nations of the earth be forever lost in moral and spiritual darkness? Has God in his anger forgotten mercy?" But even in those dark days the promise of mercy was given. The faithful prophets spoke of a day in which darkness would be dispelled from the nations of the earth, and true light would shine brightly. The prophets spoke of a great and glorious day in which the good news of accomplished redemption would be proclaimed among all nations, for the salvation of God's elect out of every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue. And that day is today! This is the day of the Lord. It began nearly two thousand years ago. And it will continue until our Lord comes again in power and great glory.
The very first promise of grace to Abraham spoke of grace to all the nations of the earth, saying, "In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). And that promise of grace to the nations of the earth was always connected with the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Messiah, the Christ of God.
This was the promise of God given by the prophets: the spiritual darkness that covered the earth would not continue forever. The time must come when satan would deceive the nations no more. Now that time has come. And in our text John tells us how the darkness was dispelled by the coming of Christ.
Divisions:As we look at these three verses of Scripture, I want to show you four things:
1. The Purpose Of Our Lord's Incarnation (v. 1).
2. The Character Of Our Great Enemy (v. 2).
3. The Binding Of Satan (vv. 2-3).
4. The Little Season Of Great Deception (v. 3).
I. The first thing revealed in our text is The Purpose Of Our Lord's Incarnation – (v. 1).
This great and mighty Angel John saw come down from heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Angel of the covenant, the Angel of God's presence. (10:1-7; 18:1). He alone has the keys of death and hell. (1:18) No creature could ever bind the devil, or even hinder his influence. He was the greatest, most powerful creature of the Almighty. None but Christ, the Creator, could bind him.
We know that the primary purpose of our Lord's incarnation was the redemption and salvation of God's elect by the merits of his blood and the power of his grace (Matt. 1:21; I Tim. 1:15). But in order to accomplish our salvation satan had to be bound. And here we see Christ coming with the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He is coming to shackle a treasonous rebel and lock him away! The Scriptures plainly tell us that one purpose of our Lord's incarnation and birth was to make war with, conquer and bind the prince of darkness.
II. Secondly, John gives us four names by which he describes The Character Of Our Great Enemy – (v. 2).
I cannot sufficiently express the power and subtlety of satan. He is too wise, too crafty, too strong, too cunning for any of us to resist him, over come him, or avoid his blinding delusions. And this great rebel against God is full of enmity, anger, wrath, and malice toward the souls of men. He knows that by the merits of Christ and in union with Christ we shall have the place he desired. We shall sit with Christ upon the very throne of God and judge the world (Rev. 3:21; I Cor. 6:2). Satan's hatred for God's elect is filled by envy and jealousy. Let us ever beware of this great enemy.
A. He Is Called "The Dragon."He is a beast of ferocious power in the earth. He is the instigator of all rebellion and opposition to God, holding power over the minds of men, taking them captive at his will. The governors, kings and rulers of the earth are his willing subjects, by whom he breathes out the fires of persecution upon God's saints. Since the days of Nimrod, he has led the confederated kings of the earth against the Lord and his Christ. And he will continue to do so, as god permits, until the time of Armageddon.
B. This Great Enemy Of Our Souls Is "The Old Serpent."He is old, very old. He has been around since the beginning of history. And he is the serpent. He is best represented by the slithering, crooked, deceiving serpent, with his subtle, hidden poison and deadly malignity.
1. It was the serpent who deceived our first parents and seduced them into sin and death.
2. It is the serpent who today deceives the souls of men and women.
3. It is the serpent who corrupts, divides and seeks to destroy the Church of God.
C. This Deceiver Is Also "The Devil."The word "devil" means "slanderer, liar," This has been his character throughout history. "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth; when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
1. He slanders God to man – "Yea, hath God said."The word "satan" means "accuser." He is one who waits to entrap, to oppose, to disable, to bring disaster, and to destroy. He is ready, vicious, unrelenting adversary.
1. He opposed God in the beginning.
2. He opposed Christ upon the earth.
3. He opposes God's elect from the cradle to the grave.
Child of God, this is the character of your soul's great enemy. He is a powerful dragon, a subtle serpent, a deceiving slanderer, and a bitter, relentless adversary. But our Savior is mightier than our adversary! Satan is too great for us. But he is not too great for our Christ.
III. So, thirdly, I want you to see what John describes as The Binding Of Satan – (vv. 2-3).
John saw the Lord Jesus come down from heaven with a key to lock the bottomless pit and a chain to bind the devil – (9:1, 11; 11:7). This bottomless pit has a lid upon it that can be locked and sealed. Remember, this is only a picture, a figurative symbol, nothing more. But it tells us of the work of Christ. He laid hold upon satan, overpowered him, rendered him helpless, and bound him securely with the mighty chain of his sovereign power. He cast him into the bottomless pit, locked the lid, and sealed it for a thousand years, more literally, "for the thousands of years." What does this mean? How did this binding of satan take place?
You will remember that, when our Lord Jesus began his public ministry, the Pharisees accused him of casting out demons by the power of satan. His answer was, "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" (Matt. 12:29). That word, "bind" is exactly the same in Matthew 12:29 and in Revelation 20. And it is talking about the same thing.
A. The Binding Of Satan Began When Our Lord Triumphed Over Him In The Wilderness Of Temptation (Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13).
When satan met Christ Jesus in the wilderness, he was foiled by the Word of God. As a result of this triumph, our Lord, having bound the strong man, began to spoil his goods, casting out demons. "The power and influence of satan over the deluded masses was beginning to be curtailed" (William Hendrickson).
B. In The Garden Of Gethsemane Our Lord Jesus Again Broke The Power Of Satan By Faith And Prayer (Matt. 26:36-46).
In that dark, cold night, satan came to oppose our dear Savior, taunting him with the hideous load of sin that must be put upon him, tormenting him with the anticipation of being made sin, being made to suffer the wrath of God, and being forsaken by the Father. He was trying to keep the Lord from the cross. And our Savior's tender, holy, human soul was crushed with sorrow. But he rose in triumph after he prayed (Heb. 5:7-9). In confident faith, he rose up to lay down his life for his sheep (Heb. 12:1-2).
C. Then, Our Great Savior, Crushed The Serpent's Head, Bound Him As A Wild Beast, And Cast Him Into The Bottomless Pit, By His Glorious, Triumphant Death Upon The Cross (John 12:28-32).
By his death upon the cursed tree, our Lord broke the arms of satan's usurped dominion over the nations of the world, and began to draw all men unto himself, Gentiles as well as Jews. The light was taken from the Jews who despised it, and sent to the Gentiles who never had it, that God's elect in every nation might see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and be saved.
D. When Our Savior Ascended Up To Heaven And Was Exalted As King Over All Things, He Brought Satan Into Captivity Under His Sovereign Rule (Ps. 68:18-19: Col. 2:13-15; Rev. 12:5-11).
Our Lord Jesus has always ruled satan, as he has ruled all things, by virtue of his total sovereignty as God. But now, he has, as the God-man, our Mediator, taken away satan's power to deceive the world, so that he might gather his elect out of every nation in the world.
You will notice that every text of Scripture which speaks of the binding and captivity of satan refers to and is associated with our Lord's first advent, his life, his death and his exaltation. This is a glorious, comforting gospel truth, which few people seem to apprehend. We are not awaiting the day when satan shall be bound and Christ shall be King. Jesus Christ is the sovereign King over all things today! And satan is bound already!
1. Our great adversary is under the total rule and control of our dear Savior – He cannot harm us!
2. This binding of satan is not his destruction. That comes later, at the day of judgment. This binding of satan is specifically the destruction of his power, or the restraint of his power, to deceive the nations.
Satan's influence in the world is not destroyed, but curtailed, so that he is unable to prevent the spread of the gospel, the salvation of God's elect and the progress of Christ's kingdom in the nations of the world. Satan cannot prevent, or withstand, the increase and completion of Christ's Church in this world (Matt. 16:18).
E. I want you to see this too: Satan Is Bound Today, By The Power Of Christ, Through The Preaching Of The Gospel (Luke 10:16-20).
As we preach the gospel of the grace of God, when it is effectually applied to the hearts of men and women by the Holy Spirit, satan is bound and his house is spoiled!
NOTE: I do not say, by any means, that satan is bound with reference to all men. We know better than that. Most people are yet under his dominion. But, in so far as God's elect are concerned, satan is bound everywhere. He cannot stop the progress of the gospel until the thousand years are finished, until the Church of Christ is complete, and all God's elect are saved. But then he must be loosed for "a little season."
IV. So, fourthly, I want to briefly show you something about The Little Season Of Great Deception – (v. 3).
At the close of this present gospel age, John tells us that satan "must be loosed a little season." The Lord Jesus will once again allow satan freedom to deceive the nations of the world, because they would not believe the gospel, men receive the love of the truth – (II Thess. 2:1-12).
I do not know, but it may be that we have already entered this little season of worldwide religious deception. The present day onslaught of free-will, fundamentalist, works religion would certainly indicate such.
A. In That Little Season, There Will Be A Famine Of The Word Of God (Amos 8:11-13).
B. In That Little Season, The World Will Be Zealously Religious, But Utterly Ignorant Of The True And Living God, Deceived With False Religion (II Thess. 2:1-12; Rev. 16:12-14).
C. But, Thanks Be Unto God, His Elect Shall Not Be Deceived (II Thess. 2:13-14).
God's elect are safe. They shall not be moved away from the hope of the gospel – (I John 2:20-29).
Application: 1. Children of God, Rejoice! Satan is bound for you!2. Let us ever pray for the binding of satan in the hearts of men by the preaching of the gospel.
3. May it please God to bind satan tonight and spoil his goods in the hearts of some here tonight.
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