Satan is released after the thousand-year reign, deceives the nations one final time, and is then cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented forever.
Revelation 20:7-10 records that when the thousand years are expired, Satan is loosed out of his prison and goes out to deceive the nations from the four quarters of the earth. Fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours the armies he gathers against the beloved city. Then the devil is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet already are, and they are tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:7-10 — This is the central passage that directly answers the question: Satan is loosed after the thousand years, deceives the nations, is stopped by fire from heaven, and is cast into the lake of fire.
After the thousand years are expired, Revelation 20:7-8 records that "Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea." Then "they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them" (Revelation 20:9). Finally, "the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:10). Immediately afterward, John is shown the great white throne and the judgment of the lost (Revelation 20:11).
Les Feldick teaches that Revelation 20 is the first place Scripture gives a delineated time of a thousand years, and that when the thousand years are fulfilled, Satan must be loosed for a little season. He stresses that throughout the millennium Satan is still alive — merely bound in an abyss under spiritual chains — and that the final setting away of Satan cannot take place until the thousand years have finished. Les connects this to 1 Corinthians 15:25: Christ must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. After his release, Les explains, Satan goes out to deceive the nations from the four quarters of the earth, including those from the first rebellion at the Tower of Babel — Gog and Magog. He gathers them together to battle, almost a second battle of Armageddon, and their number is as the sand of the sea. They surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. Then, Les emphasizes, the devil who deceived them is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. The beast and the false prophet are already there — the verb is "are," meaning they have been there the whole thousand years and have not been annihilated. Satan joins them, and these three personalities who made up the unholy trinity of the tribulation go to that eternal doom. Les also notes that these are the only three personalities who go to the lake of fire without going before the Judge at the Great White Throne.
Les teaches that when the thousand years should be fulfilled, Satan must be loosed for a little season (Revelation 20:3). He ties this to God's own sovereign way of doing things and to 1 Corinthians 15:25: Christ must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. Satan is still alive throughout the millennium, so the final setting away of Satan cannot take place until the thousand years have finished.
Revelation 20:8-9 says Satan gathers the nations from the four quarters of the earth — Gog and Magog, whose number is as the sand of the sea — and they go up on the breadth of the earth and compass the camp of the saints about and the beloved city. Then fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. Les describes this as almost a second battle of Armageddon.
Les points out that in Revelation 20:10 the beast and the false prophet are already in the lake of fire and brimstone. The verb is "are" — after a thousand years they are still there and have not been annihilated or destroyed. When Satan is cast in, the three personalities who made up the unholy trinity of the tribulation are together in the lake of fire, which burneth forever and ever.
Les teaches that these are the only three personalities who go to the lake of fire without going before the Judge at the Great White Throne. The Great White Throne is the place where all the unbelievers of the ages will be brought before Christ the Judge — with no chance for salvation, because He is no longer the benevolent Savior but the stern, righteous, fair, and just Judge.
What Happens After Hell? The Great White Throne Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Satan Cast Into the Lake of Fire
Les teaches that after the thousand years, the devil who deceived them is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet have been for a thousand years — they are still there, not annihilated.
Satan Released After the Thousand Years
Les notes in passing that after the thousand years are fulfilled, Satan will be released, and he indicates he will explain the reason when he comes to that passage.
Satan Loosed for a Little Season
Les teaches from Revelation 20 that when the thousand years are fulfilled, Satan must be loosed for a little season, and at the end of the reign he goes out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth.
Satan Deceives the Nations and Fire Destroys Them
Les describes how Satan gathers the nations — including Gog and Magog, those from the Tower of Babel rebellion — like the sand of the sea against the beloved city, and fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them.
Satan Joins the Beast and False Prophet in the Lake of Fire
Les teaches that the beast and false prophet are still in the lake of fire after a thousand years, that Satan then joins them, and that these three are the only personalities who go to the lake of fire without standing before the Great White Throne.
Christ Must Reign Until All Enemies Are Under His Feet
Les explains that Satan is merely bound in the abyss during the millennium — still alive — and will be released again to cause the nations to reject the King, which is why Christ must reign until all enemies are under His feet.
The Final Setting Away of Satan Waits Until After the Millennium
Les teaches that from the onset of Christ's rule in the thousand years, He is absolute King of Kings and Lord of Lords with nothing of Satanic power opposing Him; yet Satan is still alive, and the final setting away of Satan cannot take place until the thousand years have finished.
Revelation 20:3: And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
This verse sets the timetable — after the thousand years are fulfilled, Satan must be loosed a little season.
Revelation 20:7: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
The direct answer to the question: when the thousand years expire, Satan is loosed out of his prison.
Revelation 20:8: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Shows the purpose of his release — to deceive the nations and gather them to battle.
Revelation 20:9: And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
The rebellion is stopped when fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours the armies.
Revelation 20:10: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Satan's final destination — cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet already are.
Revelation 20:11: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
The great white throne judgment follows immediately after Satan is cast into the lake of fire.
1 Corinthians 15:25: For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
Les cites this verse to explain why Christ must reign until all enemies, including Satan, are under His feet.
Les teaches that Satan is released for a little season, and we do not know exactly how long it will take — in God's timing it could be several years. During that time he deceives the nations and gathers them to battle against Jerusalem, and fire from heaven devours them.
Yes. Les points out that Revelation 20:10 says the beast and the false prophet "are" still there after a thousand years — they have not been annihilated or destroyed. Satan joins them in the lake of fire, and all three are tormented day and night forever and ever.
No. Les teaches that these are the only three personalities who go to the lake of fire without going before the Judge at the Great White Throne. The Great White Throne is where all the other unbelievers of the ages are brought before Christ the Judge.
According to Les, Satan is still alive during the thousand-year reign — he is merely bound in the abyss under spiritual chains. The final setting away of Satan cannot take place until the thousand years have finished, because Christ must reign until He has put all enemies under His feet.
Watch the Teaching: What Happens After Hell? The Great White Throne Explained