And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on 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 (Revelation 20:1-3).
The destruction of those who reject God and the removal God's people from the earth will leave the earth desolate. In Revelation 20, John describes an angel who binds Satan with a great chain and throws him in the abyss. The term abyss is used in Scripture to denote the grave, death, destruction, and the prison of the demons (Romans 10:7, Luke 8:31).
The term abyss is also used in the Greek version of the Old Testament to describe the state of the uninhabited world when it says, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld and lo the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, by His fierce anger (Jeremiah 4:23-26).
The whole world will be turned into a great prison for Satan and his demons. The great chain with which he is bound is the chain of circumstances that will prevent him from deceiving the nations, as they will have already been destroyed and no one remains on the earth. The Biblical records abound with examples of chains of circumstances: Psalm 2:3; 107:10,14; 116:16; Ecclesiastes 7:26; Isaiah 28:22, 52:2, and 58:6; Jeremiah 40:4; Lamentations 3:7.
It shall come to pass in that day
That the LORD will punish on high the host of exalted ones,
And on the earth the kings of the earth.
They will be gathered together,
As prisoners are gathered in the pit,
And will be shut up in the prison;
After many days they will be punished. (Isaiah 24:21-23 NKJV).
In these verses, we see that God's judgments fall not only upon the kings of the earth, but also on the demonic forces ("the host of exalted ones"). The evil confederacy will be shut up in prison of isolation and after one thousand years they shall be released (Revelation 20:3). During the millennium, Satan and his army will thus be captives on the desolate earth, while God's people are taken to heaven.
Learn how God's people are given an upportunity to judge
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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Persecution in the First Centuries
An Era of Spiritual Darkness The Waldenses
John Wycliffe Huss and Jerome
Luther's Separation From Rome
Luther Before the Diet The Swiss Reformer
Progress of Reform in Germany
Protest of the Princes The French Reformation
The Netherlands and Scandinavia
Later English Reformers
The Bible and the French Revolution
The Pilgrim Fathers Heralds of the Morning
An American Reformer Light Through Darkness
A Great Religious Awakening A Warning Rejected
Prophecies Fulfilled What is the Sanctuary?
In the Holy of Holies God's Law Immutable
A Work of Reform Modern Revivals
Facing Life's Record The Origin of Evil
Enmity Between Man and Satan
Agency of Evil Spirits Snares of Satan
The First Great Deception
Can Our Dead Speak to Us?
Liberty of Conscience Threatened
The Impending Conflict
The Scriptures a Safeguard The Final Warning
The Time of Trouble God's People Delivered
Desolation of the Earth The Controversy Ended
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Revelation 1: Jesus, The Heart of Revelation
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Revelation 2 Commentary: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira
Revelation 2-3: Letters to Seven Churches
Revelation 3 Commentary: Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea
The Lamb and the Sealed Book
Revelation 4 Commentary: The Throne in Heaven
Revelation 5 Commentary: The Scroll and the Lamb
Revelation 6 Commentary: The Vision of Seven Seals
Revelation 7 Commentary: The 144,000
Revelation 8 Commentary: Seven Trumpets
Revelation 9 Commentary: The Bottomless Pit
Revelation 10 Commentary: A Little Book
Revelation 11 Commentary: Two Witnesses
Revelation 12 Commentary: The Woman and the Dragon
Revelation 13 Commentary: Two Beasts
Revelation 14 Commentary: Three Angels' Messages
Revelation 15 Commentary: Seven Angels, Seven Plagues
Revelation 16 Commentary: Seven Bowls of God's Anger
Revelation 17 Commentary: A Woman Rides the Beast
Revelation 18 Commentary: Babylon Falls
Revelation 19 Commentary: The Rider on the White Horse
Revelation 20 Commentary: Millennium and the Judgment
Revelation 21 Commentary: The New Jerusalem
Revelation 22 Commentary: Invitation and Warning