Amillennial/Idealist
A/I does not alagorize prophecy. It interprets the book literally in the sense that it does so according to the genre in which it is written.
That isn't what literal means. Case in point. Satan is bound in chains, thrown into a pit, and a seal is placed on him so that he cannot go deceiving nations. That is pretty straightforward. What makes it even more straightforward? A few verses later when it says that he is released from his prison so he can go a deceive the great nations of the world into attacking God's people at Jerusalem. I am not sure what that has to do with the Great Commission. If you look at the premil view, Satan through the beast, his image, and his mark, deceives these people of all the nations of the world into attacking Jerusalem, when Jesus shows up and defeats the beast, his image, and his armies, with the flaming sword in his mouth. (I distinctly remember a prophecy outside of Revelation literally speaking to this.) So, Satan is bound in chains, thrown in a pit, and sealed within to prevent him from doing that again until the 1000 years is over. It is very straight forward. It doesn't break any scriptural continuity. For instance, what were the disciples doing after the Holy Spirit came? They were hanging out in Jerusalem. They didn't leave. However Jesus had commanded them to leave and go out and spread the gospel. So what did God do? Destroyed Jerusalem forcing them to go out into the world. It had nothing to do with Satan. Everything to do with prophecy (the great diaspora) and the Great Commission (get out of Jerusalem and go make disciples of all nations.)
Revelation is apocalyptic (revealing) prophecy in the form of an epistle (letter). It is presented in the same manner as much of the OT apocalyptic prophecy----through figurative and symbolic language. Therefore it is to be interpreted symbolically where symbolism is used, and figuratively where representations are used, such as in the repetitive use of specific numbers or combinations/multiplications of those numbers. The entire book is presented in first a series of sevens, in which are also threes, twelves, thousand/thousands. They are ever and always representing something figuratively. And literally where the language is literal such as it is a letter to specific people for a specific reason. The "what is".
I think what you fail to understand is that with symbolism and figurative language, the prophecy doesn't change. However, A/I has changed the prophecies. The prophecies have been allegorized. No longer is Satan bound and thrown in a pit so he cannot deceive nations into attacking God's people, as the prophecy is literally stating, perhaps figuratively, though there is no reason to believe there isn't a literal pit, that he isn't bound in literal chains, and that he isn't sealed. A/I says that this means that Satan cannot hinder the Great Commission. However, if you read the Old Testament, God's word and knowledge of God was never hindered. So, why bind up Satan to keep him from doing something he has never been able to do? Since when did Satan become more powerful than God that he can thwart God? Inquiring minds want to know.
In the premil view, Satan has deceived the world through the beast, his image and his mark. At the end of the period of time which is when God pours out his wrath on the kingdom of the beast, his image, and his mark, the armies of the kingdom rally and move to attack Jerusalem, having been thoroughly deceived by Satan. Remember what happened as recorded in Revelation. "19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21
And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh."
"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is
the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him,
so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while."
Notice how what is done to Satan is directly linked to what happened prior with this wonderful word... "then".
Finally:
"7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number
is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where[
b] the beast and the false prophet
are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Both prophecies are linked directly to the deceit of nations, and an attack on the people of God.
Paul's words on the end times:
"Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of [
a]Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for
that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [
b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [
c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God."
I believe that is the antichrist, though in view as God, who is the triune God, as the blasphemous trinity of the beast, his image (a definition of son), and his mark. He makes himself as God, but there is nothing spiritual or godly about him. A blasphemous, human/demonic representation of God.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the [
d]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [
e]He who now restrains
will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the
lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Someone once said that the idea of worship the beast and his image, in a greek context, has such strong meaning that it conveys the idea that even in death, having seen the glory of God, they would give anything to keep worshiping the beast and his image. Utterly lost. Even the glory of God will mean nothing to them.
Here is some of what Paul said:
Romans 11
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own [
f]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be [
g]saved, as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this
is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the gospel
they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election
they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God
are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has [
h]committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all."
Like a Redneck wrote them...
