Why? Why? Why?
There are some things that happen in Revelation that we simply aren’t privileged to understand. One of those things is why the devil would be defeated, bound and then tucked away in the heart of the earth for 1,000 years. Why not just throw him into the lake of fire and be done with it? What possible advantage is there in keeping him around?
Of course, only God knows the answer to that, and you can be sure from heaven’s perspective it makes perfect sense. By the way, it seems that mankind was originally supposed to live about 1,000 years. Adam lived for 930 years, and Methuselah lived 969. The 1,oo0 year reign of peace with God on his throne interacting with His people would be a nice “book-end” to the creation/salvation story.
Whatever the reason, satan is released to go out and deceive the world once again. I note several things from this account:
1. satan cannot be redeemed. He is unrepentant and beyond salvation.
2. God is always in control. (This should be the first note, since it is most important)
3. We don’t always understand what God is doing, but that doesn’t mean what God is doing doesn’t make sense.
4. The earth must be repopulated during the 1,000 year reign
5. People may still have the right to choose God during the 1,000 years. Satan cannot deceive anyone, so are all the people Christians? And if they are, then how does satan amass an army to fight against God? Perhaps the Holy Spirit isn’t calling on people during this time, so they are born in sin, and remain that way without any way to become Christian, save the possibility to going directly to Christ in Israel. Either way, it’s confusing.
6. The lake of fire is a different place than (Hell, Ghenna or Death) otherwise one couldn’t be thrown into the other. I surmise that death and ghenna are both temporary, and the lake of fire is permanent.
7. In the end, the devil loses. In the end, God wins, and so does everyone with Him.
Judgment day is a concrete event that takes place at the “end of days”. There are several things to note here:
1. There are several different books, but the most important one is the “Book of Life”. If your name isn’t in that book, you don’t enter heaven…no matter how much good you have done. The only way to make sure your name is in the book of life is to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and then live accordingly.
2. Our works will be judged…perhaps measured. Anyone who says to you that works aren’t important is missing a significant part of what John was trying to relay to us. God is paying close attention to what you do with your time and talents. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can shirk this and have no consequences.
3. Everyone will be judged. No one escapes judgment.
4. Those who are not found in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire, which we already established was permanent. There is no indication that you can ever be released from it.
Reverently,
PR