What is the meaning of Revelation 20:2? He seized • “He” points back to the mighty angel who “came down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the Abyss and a great chain” (Revelation 20:1). • The angel’s effortless action shows that God’s authority over Satan is absolute; the enemy’s power collapses when the Lord decides (Luke 10:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:8). • Believers can draw courage: the final victory is not a struggle but a sure event already scheduled on God’s calendar (Psalm 115:3). the dragon • Revelation repeatedly pictures Satan as a dragon—ferocious, destructive, and opposed to God’s people (Revelation 12:3-4, 9; 13:2). • The term highlights his role in empowering the beasts of Revelation and waging war against the saints. • Unlike mythic dragons, this one is real; his defeat is likewise real and future. that ancient serpent • The phrase reaches back to Eden, linking the dragon with the serpent who deceived Eve (Genesis 3:1-5, 14-15; 2 Corinthians 11:3). • “Ancient” reminds us that Satan has been hostile from the dawn of human history, yet God has promised his doom just as long (Romans 16:20). • What began with a whisper in the garden ends with chains in the Abyss—God finishes what He starts. who is the devil and Satan • Scripture piles up the names so there’s no confusion: – Devil (diabolos) means slanderer or accuser (Job 1:9-11; Revelation 12:10). – Satan means adversary, the one opposing God and His people (1 Peter 5:8; Zechariah 3:1-2). • The verse strips away every disguise; humanity’s greatest enemy is exposed and targeted. and bound him • The angel “bound him” with God-given authority, then “threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him” so that “he would deceive the nations no longer” (Revelation 20:3). • Binding is literal confinement, not mere limitation; Satan’s worldwide deception ends (Isaiah 14:15-17). • This act fulfills long-standing prophecies of the Lord crushing evil (Psalm 110:1; Colossians 2:15). for a thousand years • Six times in Revelation 20 (verses 2-7) the Spirit specifies “a thousand years,” marking a distinct, future period often called the Millennium. • During this era: – Christ reigns on earth with His resurrected saints (Revelation 20:4-6). – Creation enjoys peace and justice (Isaiah 11:6-9; Micah 4:1-4). – The nations experience life without Satan’s deception, proving that sin’s root is the human heart, not merely the tempter’s influence (Jeremiah 17:9). • Taking the number plainly keeps in step with other time indicators in Revelation (such as the 1,260 days of 11:3 and the 42 months of 13:5). summary Revelation 20:2 paints a vivid, literal snapshot of God’s decisive victory over His ancient foe. A mighty angel, acting under divine command, seizes the dragon—none other than the serpent of Eden, the devil, Satan—and locks him away for a literal thousand years. This binding ends his global deception and ushers in Christ’s righteous kingdom on earth. The verse assures believers that evil’s reign is temporary, God’s plan is unstoppable, and the promised Millennium will showcase the Lord’s glory and justice in full view of a liberated world. |
    |