Rev. 20: “1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,”

Who is the Angel that Bound the Dragon?

Ans. Jesus introducing Himself to John said; Rev. 1;

“17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death…” Rev. 1:1-19.

In Luke 8. we read of His encounter with the Legion,

“30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.”

Evidently we can see that this is Jesus Christ, for He alone has the key of death and hell. For,

“He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death,” Ps. 68:20.

So what do we mean “to BIND the Dragon?”

Rev. 20:2, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”

Ans. The word bind (bound) means to “restrain.” It speaks of “lack of freedom;” e.g.,

Matt. 22: 11, “And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The man in this picture that has no true and relevant identity with the host of the feast was restrained, taken way from participating in the feast. He was BOUND.

In Luke 13, the woman that was BOUND for 18 years was set loose by Jesus in the Temple, (14-16).

She had no freedom before then, until Jesus loosed her.

Again in Rom. 7:2 we are told, “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.”

By implication, a married woman by customs has no such freedom unlike when she is single. But don’t forget in all of these scenarios, they are still alive but with no ability to function.

So what that means is, Satan is completely bound, restricted for the saints, but his power still operates upon the wicked (world), the unconverted.

For, “14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage,” Heb. 2.

Again, “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out, John 12:31.

Jesus said this when He was heading to the cross some two thousand years ago. My question is, was Satan cast out through the cross and from where?

Look at this statement of Jesus;

Matt. 12: 28, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”

And then, Eph. 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

Meaning the devil was actually resident in the hearts of men; he is their controlling force. But as a believer when you received the Holy Spirit into your heart the devil was replaced by the Holy Ghost, cast out and Bound from functioning and having authority over you.

So he is bound for the believer but roaming around with and using the unbeliever as they respond to his dictates the way you were before now.

Therefore if we believe that he was cast out through the cross, why do we think it is His second coming that will bind the devil?

If Jesus didn’t succeed in His first coming how will He be able to do it in His second coming? How did the devil grow up or be resurrected to await His second coming in the Millennium period before being bound?

The casting out of the devil through the cross and binding him in Rev. 20, should be more permanent and destructive to the works of the devil.

Hebrews tells us Jesus came to DESTROY the WORKS of the devil. Is that not full restraining and full incapacitation?

Friends, Jesus accomplished this work the first time He came. In fact, it was for that purpose that He came; and if He didn’t accomplish that, it means He failed in His purpose. But assuredly he did not . You are a free man with authority over the devil.

Jesus saw the fall and casting out of the devil through the cross and said in Luke 10:18,

“And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven,” KJV.

And that was so. Satan fell and was bound, from the position of authority.

He is just acting like he is someone who he is not; hence it is said, “like a roaring Lion.” ‘He is like’ but he is not. There is only one Lion and that is Jesus Christ. The devil is a fake.

Next will be “WHAT DOES THE WORD “ONE THOUSAND” MEAN?

To be continued…