vs 3 and then 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.

The binding of Satan is a specific binding “he would not be able to deceive the nations (the elect among the gentiles)” that is, keep them in darkness as he does the unbelieving non-elect.

Prior to Christ first coming all the nations—with the exception of the Jews—were under the bondage of Satan. Not, of course, in the absolute sense of the term, for God always reigns supreme but in the sense that he blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not believe the truth about God and worship Him.

Now, in order to arrive at the real meaning of “the binding and throwing into the abyss” of Satan we must first ask the question: just what meaning or value did this passage have for the persecuted Christians of John’s day?

Up until the coming of the messiah Jesus Christ, all the nations of the world except Israel were under Satan’s rule. At that time the people of Israel were the recipients of God’s special revelation, so that they knew God’s truth about themselves, about their sinfulness, and about the way they could obtain forgiveness for their sins.

During this same time, however, the other nations of the world did not know that truth, and were therefore in ignorance and error except for an occasional person, family, or city which came into contact with God’s special revelation. One could say that during this time these nations were deceived by Satan, as our first parents had been deceived by Satan when they fell into sin in the Garden of Eden.

Satan had deceived the nations and kept them in the darkness of paganism without hope and without God in the world. Only since the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, has the gospel gone out into all the world, into every tongue, tribe and nation. While Satan is bound he cannot deceive the nations (elect Gentiles) in such a way as to keep them from learning about the truth of God and coming to Christ.

Jesus has bound the strong man (Satan) from deceiving the nations (His elect among the gentiles). It started when Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4), and continued as Jesus cast out demons and bound the strong man (Satan).

Jesus said in John 12:31-32 Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; and I will draw all men (elect Jews & Gentiles) to Myself.

It is interesting to note that the verb translated “cast out” (ekballo) is derived from the same root as the word used in Revelation 20:3 “and He threw (ballo) him (Satan) into the abyss.”

Jesus disarmed Satan at the cross, and put Satan in subjection under His feet through His resurrection.

Colossians 2:15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through the cross.

Ephesians 1:20-22 God displayed His power when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church.

Ò  Note, that these passages referring to Satan’s defeat and Christ’s rule are associated with the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ò  We may say, therefore, that the binding of Satan, according to all these passages, begins with the first coming, where Jesus binds the strong man from deceiving the nations (God’s elect among the gentile nations), and keeping them in darkness and away from the gospel.

Ò  Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away (Gentiles/ethnos/nations), have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

God had allowed Satan to blind the eyes of the nations, so that these nations walked in their own ways. A great change was to take place. God, under the New Covenant would begin to draw sinners from among the Gentile nations to Himself and there was nothing Satan could do to stop it.

Ò  Satan is bound so that he can deceive the nations no more. Christ will draw “all men” (Elect Jews & Gentiles from every tongue tribe and nation) to Himself (Revelation 7:9-10). Elect from every nation will be saved.

Revelation 7:9-10 9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.

Ò  So the “binding of Satan” has reference only to his ability to deceive the nations as he did prior to Christ’s coming. He is not bound in every sense. Satan still incites and tempts men to all kinds of evil. As Peter proclaims, Satan is like a lion roaming about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

A dog securely bound with a long and heavy chain can do great damage within the circle of his imprisonment. Outside of that circle, however, the animal can do no damage, can hurt no one.

Revelation 20:1-3 therefore, teaches us that Satan’s power is curbed and his influence curtailed with respect to one definite sphere of activity: “that he should deceive the nations no more until the just before Christ return when the “Restrainer” is removed as we see in 2 Thessalonians 2. Then the full fury of Satan’s wrath is let out and he will go out to deceive the nations of the world to gather them together to fight against the people of God.

We conclude, then, that the binding of Satan during the gospel age means that, first, he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel into all the world, and second, he cannot gather all the enemies of Christ together to come against the church.