“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of 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 upon 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).

In the vision preceding the one here recorded St. John had portrayed to him in symbol the last act in the final overthrow of the present order — generally termed Christendom. We have seen that this most significant event will result in a dreadful and unspeakable destruction of human life; and that which has hitherto been termed Christendom will be left in a chaotic condition, without a government, either civil or religious. Notwithstanding this fact the Scriptures teach that a remnant of humanity will survive that great catastrophe, and with these the new dispensation will commence. Nearly all the ancient prophets of Israel have depicted the various aspects of this utter collapse of so-called Christian civilization.

Nor is the reason for this collapse far to seek — the time has at last come for the fulfillment of our Lord’s prayer, “Thy Kingdom come,” and before that Kingdom can control, the present kingdoms and arrangements under Satan’s dominion must be displaced. The nations of Christendom have made boastful claims of being the most enlightened concerning what constitutes Christian ideals and requirements, and they are therefore held the more responsible and will have more to answer for, on account of their inconsistencies and unholy practices, and will consequently suffer most in the judgment troubles (Isaiah 24). These judgments will also extend to those nations that have been in close commercial and other relationships with Christendom; but the heathen tribes and peoples will most naturally be the least affected and will suffer less, being less responsible than enlightened Christendom. When the new order of things is introduced at Jerusalem, the heathen nations, together with the others, will then hear the true Gospel and become recipients of the great blessings of restitution that will then be due (Isaiah 66:19).

Such a condition of affairs as is portrayed in the collapse of civilization in the end of this present evil world has occasionally in a limited, local sense, occurred in past history. The French Revolution, particularly that aspect of it known as the Reign of Terror, is an illustration in a local sense of the conditions that seem to be described as prevailing in the whole civilized world when this present order is overthrown. All of these catastrophes in the past have been followed by a reorganization, a reconstruction of human affairs. Satan, the great adversary of God, is referred to by Christ and St. Paul as the “prince” (ruler), and as the “god” of this world, or present order, and this being true, it is most reasonable to suppose that at such times he has exerted a powerful influence in the work of reconstruction and reorganizing governments. In so far as Satan has been able to accomplish this work, he has had as his object the continuation of his control and the furtherance of his empire upon the earth. This was true after the French Revolution, when Papacy, his chief agent in ecclesiastical matters, was reinstated. It will therefore be seen that before the earthly phase of the new, just, righteous government can be successfully organized, Satan, whether operating personally, or through other invisible agencies under his influence — the demons — must be placed completely under restraint; and this is the principal thing evidently that is intended to be described in this vision of the binding of Satan.

The recent World-war, the most cruel in human history, the effects of which, according to the world’s statesmen, are even now threatening the overthrow of the present civilization, has made it necessary for the great leaders of the world to come together and formulate plans for a work of reconstruction, which would be better described from the Scriptural standpoint as a work of propping up the old world or order of things. This work is that which is occupying the time and attention of some of the world’s greatest leaders and statesmen at the present time. We may be very sure that so far as he is able the “god” of this present order is exerting a molding influence in this work of so-called reconstruction. The reorganization of the affairs of Christendom, civil and ecclesiastical, in which the attempt will be made to prop up the present order, is portrayed in the previous Revelation visions. This portrayal, it will be recalled, is that of a great federation of the three parts of Christendom. It would seem that this will be Satan’s final effort to continue his waning influence and power in human affairs and to keep the present order from collapsing; but the visions plainly teach that it will fail — the present order will go down.

Humanity in general has little or no conception concerning the influence that Satan and the fallen angels (demons under Satan’s control) have exerted in this world. Indeed, only a few even of the Lord’s people have any proper conception of this matter. However, when the Scriptures are carefully examined, it will be found that he is at the head of a most gigantic and powerful organization of wicked spirits, whose chief interest and work has been to build up and establish a great empire over the affairs of this world, and to deceive and blind humanity concerning the attributes and character of God. The prime motive and incentive that has ever spurred Satan on in this evil work is not so much his enmity to man as it is his ambition to be exalted as a mighty ruler; hence his spirit of rivalry toward God and his hatred of Jehovah and righteousness (Isaiah 14:13,14). The Scriptures inform us that as the “god [mighty one] of this world,” he it is that has “blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:4); that he is the “spirit that now worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2); and that he is the author of false doctrines, called doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). In the book of Revelation (chapter 12) it is plainly taught that his seat of authority, the place where he received homage in the beginning of the age, was in the great system of Paganism, and that when Paganism fell, in the Fourth Century, he transferred his power and influence to the perverted Christianity then ruling, and later on set up his throne in that so-called Christian system of Romanism.

Satan at the Courts of Earthly Governments

We have a hint here and there in the Scriptures which indicates that Satan has his representatives at the courts of worldly governments. A remarkable suggestion to this effect was made by the angel Gabriel who had been sent from the court of heaven in response to the earnest importunate prayer of the saintly Daniel (who had discovered by reading Jeremiah’s prophecy that the seventy years of captivity were closing) that his people might be restored from Babylon to the land of their fathers. The angel Gabriel’s words to Daniel were, “Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for [on account of] thy words [prayer]. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:12,13). It has seemed to expositors inconceivable that a human prince of Persia could withstand, hold back, for twenty-one days, a mighty angel who had been sent by God on so important an errand, and that before he could fulfill his commission, the Archangel, Michael, would have to be sent to his assistance. For this reason the conclusion generally reached by expositors is that this one called by Gabriel, “the prince of the kingdom of Persia,” was a powerful, fallen angel, who secretly represented Satan at the court of Persia’s king. It would not be a great strain on our imagination to believe that Satan has had in the past, and has at the present time, his ambassadors or representatives at all the worldly, national courts of earth.

Therefore, it will be seen that the binding of Satan has its two aspects: one affecting his power and influence amongst the fallen angels; the other, as it has to do with human governments, organizations, individuals. It would not be reasonable to suppose that the binding or restraint of his power and influence in either of these directions would be accomplished in a moment, but would rather be brought about in a gradual way. The binding process would refer particularly to the gradual taking away or restraining of his power and influence, which, when completed, would be followed by what is symbolized by his being cast into the “abyss,” etc.

The vision of St. John describing this binding and imprisonment of Satan has reference to the time when not only the restraint of his power and influence will be complete but when that which is represented by his incarceration in the abyss also will be effected. In brief, the vision is a symbolical description of the restraining of Satan’s power and influence amongst fallen angels and men, and finally his imprisonment.

In considering the particular symbols it will be noted that he has four names given to him by the Revelator: the Dragon, that Old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan. These names evidently describe his evil characteristics in their operation amongst men. The dragon is first mentioned in chapter 12 and is there portrayed as a great monster having seven heads and ten horns. This of course is not Satan himself, but a symbolic picture of Satan’s connection with the earthly government of Pagan Rome. Regarding the symbolical dragon being called that “Old Serpent, the Devil, and Satan” (Revelation 12:9), as we previously explained, Satan, the wicked spirit being, was the originator of Paganism and was the power behind the scenes, and in one part of the vision is represented as inciting and inspiring the Pagan Roman government in its warring against Michael and his angels. After the dragon is cast down from his throne in the Pagan Roman power, at the fall of Paganism, he is represented as giving his power unto the beast (Revelation 13:2) — the beast being another symbol of the Roman power when it was changed from Pagan to Christian (?). The dragon is next mentioned as continuing to receive worship (Revelation 13:4), which would signify that Satan continues to exercise the same power and receive the same homage in the professed Christian power of Papacy that he did in Pagan Rome. There is no special mention made of the dragon again until under the sixth vial (Revelation 16:13) he is seen acting in connection with the beast and the false prophet.

Coming now to the vision under consideration, we apply the dragon symbol as having special reference to Satan’s connection with earthly governments — political world-powers. When these political world-powers are destroyed, swept away forever, the dragon phase of Satan’s power ceases forever. There seems to be a special significance in the fact that this particular designation as applied to Satan ceases with his Pre-millennial imprisonment. When the thousand years are ended and he is loosed out of his prison for a little season he is not called by the name “dragon.” The significance seems to be that he never again, after his imprisonment at the beginning of the thousand years, exerts an evil influence upon or gets possession of the sovereignties of the earth. When Christ begins his reign with his saints, Divine power holds control of the sovereignties, both heavenly and earthly, forever. Whoever these are, therefore, whom Satan succeeds in deceiving when he is loosed at the end of the thousand years, they cannot be the governing or ruling authorities, but are those “in the four quarters of the earth” (Revelation 20:8) — those that come from earth’s distant corners. The dragon phase of Satan’s power will forever cease when the confederated kings, etc., meet their final end at the close of Armageddon.

The name given to Satan — “Serpent of Old,” is evidently an allusion to the temptation in Eden, and designed to identify him with the one who tempted Eve and caused the fall of our first parents. The name serpent is also designed to refer to his subtlety, his character as a deceiver of mankind. It was in the form of a serpent that he deceived and beguiled Eve. It has been by the exercise of these same evil propensities that he has deceived the whole world, introduced his false doctrines, and corrupted the Church. Since the temptation and fall in Eden and onward to the glorious Apocalypse of Christ and his saints, Satan fulfills the character designation of the “serpent.”

The word devil (Greek: diabolos) is found about thirty-five times in the New Testament, and means an accuser or slanderer, a calumniator or malignant falsifier. These have also been prominent characteristics or traits of Satan from the very beginning of human history. “He was a murderer [murderous liar] from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, for he is a liar, and the father of it,” are the words of our Savior concerning him (John 8:44). It is his lie to Eve, “Thou shalt not surely die,” that has corrupted the Scripture teaching concerning the future life, and more than anything else has caused God’s character to be maligned and misrepresented amongst the nations and peoples of the earth, as also the ecclesiastical systems.

The word satan means an adversary, an opposing spirit. It is a Hebrew word and is transferred into the New Testament. It is used in this sense very often in the Scriptures, and represents that characteristic of the chief of the fallen angels, who is described as the great adversary of both God and men.

The one possessing all these particular characteristics is represented in this vision as being bound and cast into the abyss by a mighty angel. Who or what is represented by this angel is not stated. There have been several different interpretations given by expositors; but that by Mr. Russell given many years ago appeals to us as being the correct one, and his latest utterances prove that he continued to hold to this interpretation up to the time of his death:

“The word angel signifies messenger, and this picture [Revelation 20:1] shows us that God will send some messengers with authority and power to subdue Evil — the adversary of truth and right. In this work of binding, many agencies will doubtless take a part — an increase of knowledge probably being one of the strongest. Yet all of these agents are typified by the one messenger [angel]. There is that about this figure which seems to indicate that Christ Jesus and his Body, the Church of the First-Born, is the one in whose hand is the power of authority to bind and control Evil — ‘To bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgments written — this honor have all His saints’ (Psalms 149:8,9). …

“Many may be the instruments [angels] used in this work [of binding] — some moral and upright infidels, honest in their unbelief; and some God-dishonoring and defiant unbelievers; to displace errors and prepare a place [the world] for the Truth. So too, among the nations, He may make the wrath of man to praise Him, and perhaps use bloody-handed Communists, as advocates of civil rights, and for the overthrow of evil and oppressive governments. But the result will be that Satan shall be bound for a thousand years.”

It would seem then that the angel who did the work of binding represents those agencies of various kinds that Christ uses to accomplish this work; and that the binding of Satan is the restraining of his power and influence to do evil, etc. This binding work is going on in the period of the Second Presence of Christ, and is caused by his exercise of Divine authority, which is represented by the “key.”

Satan’s Empire Plunged into Disorder

Concerning when this binding began and how it will proceed and when it will end we quote further:

“The Lord’s parable (Matthew 12:27-29) respecting the binding of the ‘strong man’ seems to imply that it will begin in a sudden manner. He says that if that ‘strong man’ knew at what time the thief would come he would watch and not suffer his house to be broken up. He thus intimates that Satan would not know at what time the catastrophe would come upon him and his arrangements and that therefore he would be taken somewhat at a disadvantage.

“As to what constitutes the ‘house’ of this ‘strong man’ would be another matter. His ‘house’ here would stand for his household, which at the present time would include the fallen angels. These fallen angels, who have been subject to Satan as their prince, will in some sense of the word be thrown out of harmony with him. The time at which we might expect this would be in the Second Presence of our Lord, and it would seem that, from about the time of our Lord’s parousia, disorder began to operate in Satan’s household and that these different endeavors that we see in many quarters to carry out certain schemes more or less antagonistic the one to the other, might be the result of this disorganization. It would further seem that there are different bands of evil spirits working upon humanity. These various hostile bands may work a great deal of havoc, perhaps equally as much as could have been done had they all remained in organized relationship to Satan himself. But still the undermining or overthrow of his authority seems to be in progress.”

Concerning the binding of Satan’s power and influence in human affairs, and as to what is represented by the “chain” that was in the hand of the angel, we have another very interesting, reasonable, and helpful comment by the same writer:

“We believe that every advance step of light and knowledge is that much of a restraint upon darkness and evil and superstition. We properly enough speak of the chains of superstition, the chains of darkness, which bound mankind for a long time; and very properly we say that these are of the Adversary. Now, have we anything to indicate that light will serve as a ‘chain’? Did we ever hear of light being a chain? We answer that there has never yet been a manifestation of that kind. There is nothing in the past operation of light that served as a chain, but it seems that now it should operate thus. ‘Whatsoever doth make manifest is light,’ and that which makes manifest is a ‘chain,’ is a restraint upon that which is darkness. So here are the two — light and darkness; the Prince of Light and the Prince of Darkness. The Prince of Light has only recently invaded, as it were, the land of the Prince of Darkness to commence his work. This work is first, chiefly in the Church and in the restraining of the [symbolical] ‘winds’ and the ‘powers’ and the troubles coming upon the world; but meantime the whole world is getting awake, not necessarily to the light of truth, but getting awake to the chains of darkness which are upon them and of which they are striving to rid themselves. …

“In connection with the binding of Satan we read that he shall be ‘bound for a thousand years, that he might deceive the nations no more till the thousand years be finished’ — implying that deception was one of the main things in which he had been previously engaged and that henceforth he would be so restrained or disabled, whether by the light of ‘present truth,’ or by light of science, or whatever it might be, that he would not be able to deceive the world in the same manner as formerly.

“We believe that the restraining of his influence is in operation. In respect to the temperance question, also, we see that enlightenment is proceeding and people are making rapid advancement in the knowledge that alcoholic liquors are dangerous.

“And so the education of the world goes rapidly on. The knowledge that is spreading is wonderful. And the thought that practically all this is being accomplished by the world itself, and that we [the Lord’s people] have little or nothing to do with it, makes it appear still more wonderful. This work is being done by people who do not believe in the true religion; they do not know God aright; the majority of them, so far as we can gauge their own testimony, repudiate the Bible. They believe in a vague way in a God of some kind. Nevertheless, they are free from the shackles of the darkness of the past and apparently have no desire to go back, but forward. It would appear, then, that all of the things peculiar to our day in the way of restraining error are part of the binding of the Adversary. We may be doing our little mite in that direction by advertising sermons, giving out literature, etc.

“As to the question when the great Adversary’s binding will be accomplished, we believe that it will not be brought about until the time that the ‘Great Company’ class is completed.”

Summing up the interpretation, we would understand that all the agencies that have had to do with the exposing of the errors of the great systems and organizations termed Christendom are symbolized by the angel employed by Christ to bind Satan, in the harvest period now closing; and that truth is symbolized by the chain. Furthermore, we think it in perfect harmony with this exposition to conclude that the binding of Satan here applies more especially to the particular time of its completion, after the change of the “Great Company” class.

The period of Satan’s restraint is stated to be for a thousand years. From the days of St. John down to the present time, expositors, with scarcely an exception, though differing with one another regarding the nature and character of those times, have understood these years to be literal.

In the Bottomless Pit

After Satan’s binding, and the restraint of his power and influence in the affairs of humanity have been accomplished, and after the overthrow and collapse of the present order of things is complete, there remains yet one more thing necessary to make further evil operations of his power and influence impossible. This is his complete subjection and banishment, either by destruction or by his being placed in a condition in which he will be utterly helpless to deceive or in any way injure mankind, who during that period of a thousand years will be having their judgment, trial, or probation. We learn in the symbolic words that follow that the latter is what is to be done — that he is to be cast into the “abyss,” which is shut up and sealed that he might deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are ended. Concerning the symbolical significance of the “abyss,” we have already explained in a previous chapter. Briefly stated, it signifies a state or condition rather than a place. The abyss being without bottom is strongly suggestive of a condition of restraint in which Satan will be without any foundation for hope — no basis on which to formulate any plans — all will be total darkness, uncertainty, hopelessness; he will be awaiting his final punishment, which will be his utter destruction.

The sealing up of the abyss is designed to further strengthen the symbol — to show the utter powerlessness of Satan and his followers to do harm or to escape from the bonds that hold them. This binding and imprisonment of Satan portrayed in this Revelation vision is not the only place in which it is mentioned in the Scriptures. Jehovah, through the Prophet Isaiah, had long before St. John’s day foretold it, as we read: “It shall come to pass in that day [see context], that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.” That it occurs in connection with the establishment of the Lord’s Kingdom is also shown: “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His ancients gloriously” (Isaiah 24:21-23).

In this Scripture we have just as clearly revealed as in the one under consideration, the judgment of the great evil governmental powers, both the unseen, spiritual, and the earthly; and it is just as clearly revealed that the judgment is governmental, not individual, and that it is not the final one.

It should be kept in mind that the Millennial period represents righteousness reigning on the earth, rather than righteousness in its full sense dwelling on earth. While it is true that righteousness shall flourish and be the predominating characteristic of those times, it is also a fact that the Scriptures teach that there will be exceptions to the general rule. We read in one of the prophecies respecting those times that “the strangers shall submit themselves unto Me” (Psalms 18:44). In the margin this is rendered “lie” or “yield feigned obedience,” which evidently means that they shall submit to superior power, but not in heart; and this is implied in the next verse, which reads: “The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.” The Prophet Isaiah also describing Millennial conditions says: “When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants [in general, doubtless] of the world will learn righteousness,” but further adds, “Let favor be shewed to the wicked [the goat class], yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness [the Millennial earth] will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord” (Isaiah 26:9,10). Likewise the Prophet Zechariah speaking of the same times pronounces the punishment of those who do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the glorious King (Zechariah 14:16,17).

With the binding of Satan and his being cast into the “abyss,” the forces of evil lose their great inspirer and leader. Evil itself is thus deprived of its source or fountain. As one has truthfully said: “While the stream of evil may no longer flow from its ‘source,’ there still remains that which already issued forth to deal with; thus while Satan may no longer be permitted to send forth a further stream of evil to corrupt the nations, that which has issued and been absorbed by humanity must be removed. This removal constitutes the work of Christ and his Church in the coming age; and it is surely encouraging to know that the source of this evil has been cut off, thus making the task of eradicating evil in the human heart much simpler than if the ‘fountain’ continued its supply. What evil has been absorbed by humanity, still abiding in the hearts of transgressors, must be annihilated and replaced by righteousness.”

The Divine reason given for Satan’s being bound is stated to be, “that he might deceive the nations no more until the thousand years should be ended.” A very important matter to decide in order to a correct interpretation of this thousand-year period as it is related to God’s great Plan of the Ages is, Who or what is represented by the nations that are to benefit by this complete restraint of Satan and evil? In reply to this we will notice first that the destruction portrayed in connection with the great Armageddon battle is not the destruction of the nations or peoples, but rather the destruction of the great ruling powers. Governments may fall, and armies may be defeated, but the nations or peoples over which these governments rule may still continue to exist. To illustrate this matter, we may properly say that the defeat of Germany and the overthrow of the Hohenzollern Dynasty did not destroy the German people or the German nationality. The conquerors of Germany might have followed up the victory and given to the Germans entirely new laws and institutions and organized them under a new rule or government for an entirely new life. In such an event the conquerors would have done to and for the German peoples or nation something of a similar character to what is implied will be done to all the nations of the earth in the Millennium. They will all be placed under a new government. It will at first be an iron rule.

“The nations will be ruled by force, irresistible force, until righteous order is established by a general submission — every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess Divine power and glory, and outward obedience will be compulsory.”

As another has described it: “The battle of the great day of God Almighty is one thing; the shepherdizing with the rod is another. The two are closely connected. They are both judgment administrations. The one is temporary, the other is continuous. The sword comes first, and strikes down the enemy in the field; and then follows the shepherdizing with the rod of discipline and new rule over the peoples whose kings and armies are no more. The two together fulfill what is stated in Psalms 2:5-12, Isaiah 11, and Matthew 25:31-46, where the same rod power and shepherdizing are further described. The Shepherdizer is the same who conquers in the battle with the beast and his confederate kings. He is the All-Ruler, and it is his power and dominion which are thus enforced with justice and with judgment. But his army of glorified saints accompanies him. They follow him in his victorious treading down of his armed enemies. … And particularly in this shepherding with the rod of iron, the Scriptures everywhere assign to them a conspicuous share” (Joseph Seiss).

It will be to the point to say in this connection that while this writer as well as many others of those who are termed Pre-millennialists saw quite clearly the shepherdizing judgment features of these Millennial times, they failed to see that it would have any relation to the vast multitudes of the human family who lived and were deceived and blinded by the “god of this world,” and died without experiencing the enlightening influences of the great Shepherdizer. This is a matter that is described in another vision in this same chapter, the consideration of which will be taken up in due order. It is the vision of the judgment of the “Great White Throne.”