Christians are safe and secure only because Jesus has bound Satan! That confidence is ours in the gospel. Satan cannot deceive the nations anymore when the message of Jesus Christ is broadcast throughout the world. We are among the people who are beyond Satan’s reach as we hear and believe that Jesus Christ has conquered Satan, forgiving our sins and receiving us into his family!
“Grace be unto you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Revelation 20:1-6
20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
Dear Friends,
The apostle John received a vision from heaven that he shares with us in our text today. It is not a vision of future events. It is a vision of the way things are with a set of eyes speaking to us from heaven’s glory. Close your eyes if you’d like and picture in your mind the vision John shares with us of heaven. As you listen to these words, may you begin to realize that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You are completely safe and secure because Jesus Christ has bound Satan and at the same time he has blessed you richly simply by bringing you to faith in him. So, hear again the revelation of Jesus Christ to John and realize that Christians really are safe and secure.
Christians are safe and secure
Because Jesus has bound Satan
Because Jesus has blessed us
John wrote, “I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the keys to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.” This angel is Jesus. He appeared as such in chapter 10 where he was described as being “robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars (10:1).” In the Old Testament Jesus appeared from time to time as the “Angel of the LORD.” An angel is a messenger from God. The book of Hebrews begins by reminding us that “in these last days (God) has spoken to us by his Son.” Yes, Jesus is the messenger of God in the purest of all forms even as he is the Word of God incarnate.
Jesus has earned the right to possess the keys to the Abyss, which is another name for hell. He said the same in chapter 1: ”I hold the keys of death and Hades.” He earned that right by his victory over Satan on the cross. Jesus “seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” Jesus spoke about this in the gospel lesson today: He said, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man.” Jesus tied Satan up when he said, “It is finished” from the cross. Jesus sent Satan to hell to be held for judgment and yet the devil is free to prowl around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That is just as true as the angels who are always in heaven and yet they are with us here as well.
It is like Satan is on a leash which prevents him from harming those who stay beyond his reach. The leash gets shorter and shorter as the gospel is preached to the nations. When Christians share the gospel throughout the world Satan is hampered in his ability to deceive people anymore. The devil and his evil angels are bound with everlasting chains. They roam the earth but only to the degree that God permits. The story of Job reminds us that the devil can go only as far as the Lord permits him to go. The devil hasn’t been removed from the earth. He has been put on a leash that gets shorter and shorter as the gospel message is proclaimed!
Now any little child knows better than to go into a yard that has a sign “beware of dog.” Any little child knows better than to approach a growling animal on a leash. The devil is much more dangerous than any other beast on any chain. He prowls around looking for someone to devour. We know his backyard detests the Word of God. We flirt with danger and walk daringly close to his bite when we convince ourselves that we can get along just fine in life without God’s Word. We become careless. We go places and do things God’s word warns us not to go and do. It is no wonder that when we don’t listen to God’s warning to stay away from the devil’s playground that our lives are a mess.
Christians are safe and secure only because Jesus has bound Satan! That confidence is ours in the gospel. Satan cannot deceive the nations anymore when the message of Jesus Christ is broadcast throughout the world. We are among the people who are beyond Satan’s reach as we hear and believe that Jesus Christ has conquered Satan, forgiving our sins and receiving us into his family!
The Bible speaks about a widespread falling away from the gospel during the last days. People either refuse to listen to the gospel or they distort it so that the devil’s chain is lengthened, and he is free to destroy souls. Jesus has promised to shorten these last days when the gospel is obscured for the sake of his believers.
John tells us that this chaining of the devil will last for a thousand years. The numbers throughout the book of Revelation are symbolic. The number ten is the number of completeness. The thousand years here is a firmly fixed period of time from the completion of Christ’s work on the cross until his return on the last day.
You and I are safe. The good news of Christ has touched our hearts. We know and believe that Jesus has saved us from Satan’s power by washing our sins away on the cross. He proved the victory by rising on Easter morning. Therefore, John shows us how Jesus has blessed us.
John wrote, “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.” John tells us later who these people are sitting on thrones. They have authority to judge. It is clear that this is not God’s throne. People are seated there! Jesus said, “ I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Mt 19:28). That is your seat! It is at the end of our text that John tells us that this reigning with Christ lasts for the whole New Testament era – the 1,000 years.
The ruling Christians are described for us this way, “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” John saw souls in heaven – not bodies reigning on earth. He saw believers who have gone to live with Christ in heaven. When persecutors chopped off the heads of believers and watched them roll in the sand of the Roman arena’s floor, little did they know that those believers now took their place on the thrones prepared for them in heaven. Those who follow Jesus to their grave have his wonderful promise that our souls will reign with Christ until the last day!
“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… This is the first resurrection.” When the Holy Spirit first worked faith in your heart, you came to life. From that day on you have been safe and secure enjoying the blessings of Christ until you take your place in heaven. Life is nothing else than the enjoyment of the blessings of Christ. While we live on earth we enjoy the temporal blessings of Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ, we enjoy the spiritual blessings of Christ. When our life comes to an end, we enjoy the eternal blessings of Christ.
“The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.” On the last day, the souls of unbelievers will come to life too. They will be reunited with their bodies that are raised from their graves to spend eternity in “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
“Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.” The first resurrection is your conversion. That is when you really began to live! Unbelievers never have that life. On the last day they will “come alive” in a sense. They will go away to a “second death” John tells us where they will be eternally separated from God in hell. John wrote, “Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”
The Lord had told Moses that his church would be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5). Peter talked in a similar way when he said, “You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Pe 2:9). Jesus has blessed us richly! “The second death” which is eternal separation from God “has no power over them.” Christians serve Christ and rule with Christ until we see him with our own eyes on that last great Day!
You have something very special going on in your life! It is the enjoyment of all the blessings of God. Cherish the message of Christ. He has bound Satan and blessed your abundantly. What a golden opportunity we have to share that message with the world!
Amen.
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