Homilist Revelation 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.… I. THE GREAT ENEMY OF HUMANITY DESCRIBED. "Dragon" stands as an emblem of power. His power is seen in the vast authority which he wields. 1. Over fallen angels (Ephesians 6:11, 12). He is the leader of those myriads. 2. The authority he exercises over men. He leadeth the world captive at his will. He worketh in the "children of disobedience." He opposes God, Christ, the universe. The existence of such a being in the universe as this impresses us with — (1) The fallibility of the holiest creature. (2) The independent force of moral mind. (3) The mysteriousness of the Divine government. II. THE GREAT ENEMY OF HUMANITY IMPRISONED. 1. His imprisonment is effected by a Divine messenger. 2. His imprisonment is effected by Divine authority. 3. His imprisonment is effected by a Divine instrument.What is the chain? Gospel truth. What is meant by imprisoning Satan? Limiting the sphere of his agency. Every man who expels him from his own heart helps to imprison him, and every man who seeks to expel him from the heart of others helps to imprison him. As liberty binds the influence of slavery, intelligence the influence of ignorance, religion the influence of infidelity, so Divine truth will bind the influence of the devil. Lesson: 1. The true sphere of heroic action. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Resist him as he is on the arena of. your own soul; resist him as you find him on the arena of society in everyday life. 2. The grandeur of the Christian character. "Put on the whole armour of God," etc. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.WEB: I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. |
    |