Exit The Dragon

EXIT THE DRAGON (REVELATION 20)

Thomas Brooks said:

“Satan promises the best, but pays with the worst;

He promises honor and pays with disgrace;

He promises pleasure and pays with pain;

He promises profit and pays with loss;

He promises life and pays with death.”

The war in heaven that began in chapter 12 (Rev 12:7) spells doom and gloom for God’s enemies. Chapter 12 is the might of the dragon, chapter 13 is that of the beast, chapter 14 is that of Babylon, chapters 15-17 seven vials of the seven angels, Babylon is fallen in chapter 18 (Rev 18:2), the beast and the false prophet were taken in chapter 19 (Rev 19:20) and Satan is defeated in chapter 20 (Rev 20:10).

What is the world like with and without the devil? How is our obedience to God with or without the devil? Why are believers and not God the target of the devil?

Fear the Almighty, not the Adversary

1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The coronation of the former Prince Charles as the new King of England on May 6, 2023 was a once-in-seventy years event. BBC estimated that the one-hour ceremony attended by some 2,000 VIP guests would cost between £50 million and £100 million ($63-125 million). I did not watch the ceremony, but I sampled the 26 songs the government put together on their "Coronation Celebration Playlist," including music from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Greek Orthodox music in honor of his father Prince Phillip, 16th- and 17th-century British composers, traditional coronation anthems, hymns, choirs and soloists.

https://www.timeout.com/uk/news/what-music-is-being-played-at-king-charless-coronation-050523

An old favorite “Be Thou My Vision” was played, and I learned a new song, the coronation anthem “Zadok the priest.”.

The noun “throne” (thronos) occurs 62 times in the Bible, of which as many as 47 times are in Revelation, three times in chapter 20 (vv 4, 11, 12). The three highlights of the throne are the difference between those offered a seat (v 4), the one occupying the throne (v 11) and those observing (v 12).

Faithful believers will occupy their place on the throne (v 4), but not before Satan is bound for a thousand years (vv 2-3). The verb “seize” (v 2 krateo, “He seized the dragon”), from which the nouns autocrat, democrat or aristocrat is derived, is translated as lay hands (Matt 21:46), take (Matt 22:6), held (Matt 28:9), kept (Mark 9:10). The noun form (kratos) means strength (Luke 1:51), might (Acts 19:20), power (Eph 1:19) and dominion (1 Peter 4:11).It is to retain (John 20:23), obtain (Acts 27:13) and detain.

Seized (v 2) Bound Threw (v 3) Locked (v 3) Sealed (v 3)

Caught

Chained Chucked Closed Contained

Corralled

Snatched Shackled Swooshed Shut Sealed

Taken Tied Thrown Trapped Tightened

The “hina” grand purpose of the angel is foil the dragon to “deceive” (v 3) the nations. The verb occurs three times in the chapter (vv 3, 8, 10), more than any chapter in Revelation. The verb “deceive” occurs five times previously in the book, but all to the detriment of God’s people, from Jezebel deceiving God’s servants (Rev 2:20), Satan deceiving the whole world (Rev 12:9), the beast deceiving earth’s inhabitants (Rev 13:14, 19:20), and Babylon deceiving all nations (Rev 18:23). To deceive is to mislead or misguide someone, to misrepresent something so as to misplace their trust in Satan and not God. Satan never had a throne or a crown. He is the prince of the devils (Matt 9:34),

the prince of this world (John 12:310 and the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2), but never king of anything, least of all the King of glory (Ps 24:7), the King of all the earth (Ps 47:7), King of saints (Rev 15:3), Lord of lords, and King of kings (Rev 17:14).