Satan is bound by an angel, cast into the bottomless pit, and sealed for the entire thousand-year reign of Christ, unable to deceive the nations.
Les Feldick teaches from Revelation 20 that this binding lasts a literal thousand years, and the confinement is in a special pit — not hell and not the lake of fire. Satan is shut up and sealed so that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are fulfilled. After that time, Scripture says he must be loosed for a little season (Revelation 20:3, 7).
Revelation 20:1-3 — This is the central passage describing what happens to Satan during the thousand-year reign of Christ.
Revelation 20:7 — Shows that Satan's confinement ends when the thousand years expire, completing the picture of his temporary binding.
During the thousand-year reign of Christ, the Bible records that an angel comes down from heaven holding the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. The angel lays hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, binds him for a thousand years, casts him into the bottomless pit, shuts him up, and sets a seal upon him. The stated purpose is that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled (Revelation 20:1-3). The passage then adds an explicit time marker: 'after that he must be loosed a little season' (Revelation 20:3). When the thousand years are expired, Revelation 20:7 says, 'Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,' and he shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth (Revelation 20:8).
Les Feldick is a literalist on this passage. He teaches that when the Bible says Satan will be bound for a thousand years, that is exactly what it means — Satan will be confined for that entire thousand-year period of time (Clip 4). The 'great chain' in Revelation 20:1 does not necessarily mean an iron chain; rather, it is some sort of material that God knows will confine even a spirit being such as Satan (Clips 4, 6). Les emphasizes that the place of confinement is not hell and not the lake of fire, but a special pit — the bottomless pit — a unique place known only to God (Clips 3, 7). He explains that God cannot send Satan to the lake of fire yet because that is a place of eternity, and Satan has one more opportunity at the end of the thousand years (Clip 7). Les repeatedly points to the 'until' phrases in Revelation 20 to show the temporary nature of the binding (Clips 1, 3). Throughout the millennium, Christ's power is absolute, total, and glorious, while Satan is shut up so he cannot deceive the nations (Clips 5, 6). After the thousand years are fulfilled, Satan is released and loosed for a little season, and he will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth (Clips 1, 2, 6, 7).
Les Feldick explains that God cannot send Satan to the Lake of Fire yet, because that is a place of eternity and Satan is not ready for eternity — he has one more opportunity at the end of the thousand years. Rather than putting him into his place of eternal doom, God confines Satan to the bottomless pit, a unique place known only to God, for that thousand-year period of time.
Les notes that the 'great chain' in Revelation 20 does not necessarily mean an iron chain. Because Satan is a spirit being, it will be some sort of material that God knows will confine even a spirit being such as Satan. God knows what to use to bind him.
Revelation 20:1-3 says an angel lays hold on Satan, binds him a thousand years, casts him into the bottomless pit, shuts him up, and sets a seal upon him 'that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.' Les adds that this is a special place that is neither hell nor the lake of fire.
Both Scripture and Les Feldick's teaching show that the binding is temporary. Revelation 20:3 says 'after that he must be loosed a little season,' and Revelation 20:7 says 'when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.' Les explains that Satan will be released to activate the free will of the new generations of children born of believers, and he will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth.
Why Christ Must Reign Until All Enemies Are Under His Feet
the Majesty on high. Exactly what Psalms said, exactly. Only Psalms was speaking of it in the future. Now Paul can write of it as a past tense. It's now accomplished. Prophecy in that regard already fulfilled. Well let's come back again to I Corinthians 15.
Satan Released After the Thousand Years
Les emphasizes the repeated time phrase 'until the thousand years should be fulfilled,' showing that Satan's binding during the millennium is temporary and that he will be released afterward.
Satan Loosed for a Little Season
Les explains that after the perfect thousand-year reign of Christ, Satan must be loosed for a little season and will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth.
Satan Cast into a Special Pit
Les stresses that Scripture repeats the one-thousand-year timeframe for emphasis and that the angel casts Satan, bound, into a special pit — not hell or the lake of fire — shutting him up and sealing him until the time is fulfilled.
The Chain That Confines a Spirit Being
Les teaches that the 'great chain' in Revelation 20 does not have to be an iron chain; it is a material God knows will confine even a spirit being like Satan, and he takes the thousand-year binding literally.
Christ's Absolute Rule During the Kingdom
Les contrasts Satan's present rule, held in check by God's sovereign boundaries, with the absolute, total, and glorious power Christ will have when He sets up His kingdom.
Satan Bound and Released to Activate Free Will
Les connects the angel's binding and sealing of Satan with Satan's later release, explaining that the release comes after the thousand years and activates the free will of new generations born of believers.
Why Satan Is Confined Rather Than Cast into the Lake of Fire
Les explains that the lake of fire is a place of eternity and Satan has one more opportunity at the end of the thousand years, so God confines him in the bottomless pit for that period instead.
Revelation 20:1-3: And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 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.
The central passage describing Satan's binding, confinement, and sealing during the thousand-year reign.
Revelation 20:7: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison;
Shows that Satan's confinement ends when the thousand years expire.
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.
Describes what Satan does immediately after he is released from the bottomless pit.
Satan is cast into the bottomless pit, a special place that is neither hell nor the lake of fire. He is shut up and sealed there for the entire thousand-year period, in a unique place known only to God.
No. Revelation 20:3 says a seal is set upon him 'that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.' Les Feldick emphasizes this 'until' to show the binding is temporary but complete for the duration of the millennium.
Yes. Revelation 20:7 says 'when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.' Les explains that Satan has one more opportunity to deceive the nations, and Revelation 20:8 says he will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth.
According to Les Feldick, the lake of fire is a place of eternity, and Satan is not ready for eternity yet. He has one more opportunity at the end of the thousand years, so God confines him in the bottomless pit rather than sending him to his eternal doom.
Watch the Teaching: Why Christ Must Reign Until All Enemies Are Under His Feet