billy-brown 2

It seems to me that the "1000 years" is important for every believer to understand (no matter the "mill" position), because it allows all of us to observe the superiority of YHWH's gamesmanship against Satan.

Remenber, YHWH has a redemption plan that has been completed since the foundation of the world, and must be realized completely in earth time to vindicate YHWH's Name and Word. For this to be done properly, Satan has to be eradicated forever.

So, let's look at some of the appropriate scriptures on this:

Rev. 20:1-10
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
3 and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.
4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison,
8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Now verses 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 above (the bold verses) seem to be a key in understanding the following:

YHWH has "bound" Satan
specifically
to "release" Satan
to his own doom and destruction.
(But this is a "restriction binding" only,
because of the truth of I Peter 5:8.)

In other words, Satan can not even initiate his own doom--it is controlled over the "1000 years" in every way by YHWH. That doom was initiated through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God at Calvary. (See 1 John 3:8.)

So, according to the applicable verses, Satan cannot begin to deceive nations to gather FOR a battle until he is "released" BY YHWH from the "restriction binding" to do so.

Then, the "set up" is complete: YHWH devourers by fire the rebel armies of the nations (Gog and Magog) that have been deceived by Satan to gather against the saints and the beloved city, and casts Satan into the Lake of Fire.

And YHWH is in control of every bit of this destruction "set up" of Satan from beginning to end.

Remember, Satan does not have omniscience.

He is not aware that he is being "set up" by YHWH: he thinks actually that he is going to win in the end . . .

What self-deception, indeed . . .

At any rate, this is what the "1000 years" is about primarily, it seems to me.

(Of course, the other things that are mentioned concerning it in the applicable verses are important also.)