The Devil is Chained Up
Friends in the Lord, today we continue to read from the Book of Revelation, about the mysterious signs and symbols described by St. John.
John says that he saw an Angel come down from heaven who seized the serpent who is the Devil, and tied him up with a chain – for a thousand years. He says the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
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These texts have made many people wonder over the centuries, they are symbolic, and mysterious.
Our Lord describes the establishment of his kingdom as happening in two stages – his first coming when he demonstrates his power over the devil, and his second coming at the end of time, when that kingdom will be established in its finished form.
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Now there are some who read this at face value only, and say that Christ will return to rule the earth for a thousand years; this is called millenarianism, but this is a false interpretation. Like other numbers mentioned in scripture, this number is highly symbolic.
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St. Augustine explains it this way: According to him, this thousand years, or ‘millennium,’ covers the time between the incarnation of the Son of God, and his coming at the end of the world. So this is the time we are in now, awaiting the 2nd coming of Christ.
During this period, this millennial period of God’s kingdom, the activity of the devil is to some degree restricted, he is chained up. The devil is chained up, but like a mean, nasty, dog, he still lures us with his puppy eyes, lures us to come close to pet him. If we are foolish we will get bitten, and sometimes we do. But if we take care, and hold fast to the grace of Christ, and try to live a holy life, that chained devil cannot bite us.
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In the End he will be ‘let loose,’ and that will be the great tribulation of the Church before the end of the world. Christ reigns fully in that part of the Church already in heaven, the Triumphant Church, but he only reigns incompletely, in the Church on earth. The devil here is chained, but he still causes us some trouble. He will be unchained for the great tribulation, the great persecution by the Anti-christ, and many will be weak and turn from God;
but God-willing, We will stand firm in our Faith, and then will occur the glorious 2nd coming of Christ, and his final victory over the Enemy
