The angel laid hold of the dragon (i.e. the old serpent, the devil, satan) and he bound him in the chain for 1000 years and cast him into the abyss, or the bottomless pit, where he would be unable to deceive the ‘nations’ (ethnos; G1484) for that period of time he was there (Revelation 20:2-3). The Greek word for nations is usually translated gentiles or nation(s) or heathen, all with the intended meaning that the people cited are not Jews. However, Jesus mentioned that there are natural Jews who are not Jews (spiritually; Revelation 2:9; 3:9). In fact, he told the Jewish authorities that Abraham was not their father (John 8:39-40). Paul reiterated this claim in Romans 2:28-29, saying a Jew is a Jew inwardly (spiritually), not he who is one outwardly (physically). The point is this: how would one refer to natural Jews, if he wished to differentiate them from spiritual Jews (believers)? Couldn’t ethnos (G1484) refer to natural Jews that rejected Jesus, i.e. the Jewish nation? If so, then the text would mean the dragon could no longer deceive the Jews for the thousand years (cp. Revelation 7:1; Ezekiel 7:2)?
In Acts 8:9 Luke uses the Greek word ethnos (G1484) to say that Simon bewitched “the people (ethnos – G1484) of Samaria” (i.e. the citizens of the nation). Later, Paul used the same word (G1484) twice in Romans 10:19 to refer to “them that are no people (ethnos – G1484) …a foolish nation (ethnos – G1484). Paul wrote about making Israel jealous through the believing community he called the church. Therefore, since most of the church in Paul’s day were Jews, he couldn’t have been referring to the nations (the gentiles). In fact he claimed the church was a nation that wasn’t a real (physical) nation. It was a nation one couldn’t find on any map. Why am I making this point?
Most folks who read John’s account think the dragon is a spirit entity in competition with God, a second power, if you will, whom we know as Satan, the Devil, but this is not so. According to an earlier study, I showed that the dragon was the state of ancient Israel.[1] That is, the independent but rebellious state of Israel, when she ruled herself. She may have been a client kingdom under an emperor, but she, nevertheless, ruled herself for all intents and purposes. This independent rulership was taken away in 6 AD, when the Jews fell under the direct rule of Roman procurators. This change of government was requested by the Jewish authorities, because of the cruelty of Herod’s son, Archelaus.[2] No doubt it was hoped Caesar would select one among the Jewish hierarchy to rule their land, but Caesar didn’t fulfill those wishes. Instead, he chose to rule their land through Roman governors.
The rule of the Roman procurators lasted sixty years, from 6 AD to 66 AD, when the Jews rebelled against Rome. According to the Law a man’s value is estimated highest between the ages of twenty and sixty. Notice:
And your estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even your estimation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary (Leviticus 27:3).
The highest expectation of value was a 40 year period, or between the ages of 20 and 60. Therefore, if the government of the procurators were to be estimated, its greatest estimation would begin cir. 26 AD or 20 years after it had begun with the banishment of Archelaus (6 AD). It was about this time that Jesus entered the scene, or, to be precise, one year later in the fall of 27 AD, when he entered his thirtieth year. It was between the ages of 30 and 50 that a man was considered for the service of the Tabernacle (Numbers 4:3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47). In essence, at that time Jesus came to the Jewish leadership and asked: “Which do you prefer—the government of Rome through its procurators, or do you wish to fall under the government of your Messiah (Luke 4:18-21)?”[3] Jesus offered himself as their Messiah, but the Jewish leadership tried to kill him (Luke 4:28-29). In his three and one half years of ministry, Jesus continually offered himself as their Messiah, but they rejected him, ultimately preferring Rome with the words, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).
During the remainder of the 40 year period, the Jewish hierarchy sought to control or otherwise influence their Roman procurators, but with little success. In the end, which was the sixtieth year of the estimation according to the Law (Leviticus 27:3), the Jews decided to rebel against Rome and they sought to recapture their independence. Thus, the dragon was once more brought into existence, being released from its prison.
Nevertheless, one may ask: how can 60 years (6 AD to 66 AD) or 40 years (26 AD to 66 AD) equal 1000 years? The understanding of the thousand years (called the millennium by most students of the Bible) is that many Christians believe it is a literal period, and, therefore, must lie sometime beyond the first century AD, and, even more specifically, it lay in our future (so say many modern believers). Nevertheless, a literal understanding of the millennial period has no real support in the Bible. The number 1000 has to do with perfection of something, whether good or evil.[4] So however long the real period of time would be (10, 40, 60 years etc.), it would be complete and perfect in character. That is, it would be a legitimate period of time in which believers judge a matter—i.e. a person or an institution.[5] In other words, it was a sufficient enough time to judge whether or not the Gospel were true. It was a sufficient amount of time to choose between Jesus and the beast, whether or not to believe the false prophet and receive the mark of the beast. The power of deception had been severely limited (Revelation 20:3), but this doesn’t mean one couldn’t deceive himself by walking in darkness instead of with the Lord (1John 1:5-10). Nor was it impossible for others to deceive the believer, if the believer permitted them to do it (Ephesians 4:14; 5:6). What John shows us in Revelation 20:3 is that the believer in the first century had a choice (cp. Matthew 6:21-24), serve Jesus or receive the mark of the beast.
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[1] See my earlier studies: The Dragon and Its Seven Heads; and The Dragon Had But a Short Time
[2] See Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews 17.13.2 (342-344).
[3] See my earlier studies: The Spirit of the Lord Is upon Me; Jesus of Nazareth—Messiah!; and This Day this Scripture Is Fulfilled.
[4] See Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary for Revelation 20:2.
[5] See also my previous studies on the 1000 years in 2Peter: A Thousand Years Is AS a Day, and A Thousand Years, a Watch in the Night.
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