PMW 2021-053 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I continue to receive this question on a regular basis. So I thought it a good idea to re-visit it.

In Rev 20 John focuses briefly on ultimate eschatological events that look well beyond the short time frame of the book. This is anticipated in his referring to the thousand years (Rev 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), which by definition must extend beyond the “near” / “at hand” time frame. “Now, although the closing part of the Revelation relates beyond all doubt to a distant period, and some of it to a future eternity, yet the portion of the book which contains this is so small, and that part of the book which was speedily fulfilled is so large, that no reasonable difficulty can be made concerning” the book’s claim to focus on near-term events” (Moses Stuart, Apocalypse, 2:5).

But you may ask why Satan will be loosed. You will have to ask John, not me — for he does not say. Just as God surprisingly allows Satan to enter Eden and tempt Adam and Eve, so does he allow Satan’s re-release to tempt the nations live for a long time under Christ’s rule (cf. G. R. Beasley-Murray, Revelation, 291).

John does indicate, though, that Satan “must [dei] be released” (Rev 20:3d): it is God’s will (cp. dei, Rev 1:1; 4:1; 10:11; 11:5; 17:10; 22:6). Satan does not escape his captivity, he is “released.” Note that luthēsetai is in the passive voice, which is almost invariably associated with divine activity in Rev (cp. 20:3). H. B. Swete (Apocalypse, 261) declares that “it is in vain to speculate on the grounds of this necessity.” Mounce (Revelation, 363) states that it is “futile to speculate” why another war (the consequence of Satan’s release) is necessary. As J. M. Kik (The Eschatology of Hope, 237) well observes: why the Lord releases Satan “is within the secret counsel of the Godhead.” John states only the historical fact of Satan’s release, not the divine reason.

Olivet Discourse Made Easy (by Ken Gentry)

Verse-by-verse analysis of Christ’s teaching on Jerusalem’s destruction in Matt 24. Show the great tribulation is past, having occurred in AD 70.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

This fact of Satan’s release embarrasses the premillennialist’s literalistic scheme (especially the classic dispensationalist variety), for it results in a second humiliation for Christ after his glorification (Kik, Eschatology, 237): Satan “will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war” (Rev 20:8b). Here Satan is leading nations to rebel against Christ’s personal, direct, ages-long rule (Rev 20:4–6).

What is more, on the literalist scheme they actually surround Christ and his glorified saints, holing them up in Jerusalem (Rev 20:9). Literalist Thomas (Revelation 2:425) notes that in this episode (Rev 20:8–9) John speaks of “the land of Palestine as being fully occupied by these attacking forces,” including the surrounding of Jerusalem which “will be the location of the Messiah’s throne.” Walvoord (Bible Knowledge Commentary, 1985:980) agrees: “Satan’s release will produce a worldwide rebellion against the millennial reign of Christ. The armies will be so vast in numbers that they are said to be ‘like the sand on the seashore.’”

John’s scene does not pose a problem for other evangelical viewpoints, for they do not have the exalted Christ living on earth for 1000 years and being surrounded by rebellious hordes.

We should not understand this whole scene in 20:7–9 literally, as if God’s kingdom is headquartered in historical Jerusalem and can actually be surrounded. Rather, it presents in militaristic imagery an end-time apostasy of the nations from the long dominance of Christianity. Though John draws his images from Ezekiel, which does seem to refer to actual military engagements, we see once again his departure from Ezekiel for “John thought and acted for himself” (Stuart Apocalypse, 2:367).

Four Views on the Book of Revelation
(ed. by Marvin Pate)

Helpful presentation of four approaches to Revelation. Ken Gentry writes the chapter on the preterist approach to Revelation, which provides a 50 page survey of Revelation .

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

Regarding the reason, perhaps Terry (Biblical Apocalyptics, 455) captures the significance of this event:
“These verses 7–10 depict the last great struggle of Satan and his forces to overcome the saints of God, and their overwhelming defeat before the manifested power of heaven. The obvious purpose is to show the final and decisive victory of the seed of the woman over their ancient foe. It is a great symbolic picture, and its one great teaching is clear beyond the possibility of doubt, or misunderstanding, namely, that Satan and his foes must ultimately perish. . . . That final victory is in the far future, at the close of the Messianic age, and it is here simply outlined in apocalyptic symbols.”

Tagged: final apostasy, Satan loosed