Satan is released after the thousand years to activate the free will of the generations born during Christ's perfect Kingdom, giving them a genuine choice to follow God or reject Him.
Les Feldick teaches that during the Kingdom, with Satan bound, the Adamic nature lies dormant and no real rebellion is possible. For a genuine choice to exist, there must be a competing option. Satan's release supplies that option and repeats the Eden temptation — the appeal to be like God — so those who have lived under perfect conditions can choose whom they will follow.
Revelation 20:7 — This is the verse that explicitly states Satan will be loosed out of his prison after the thousand years.
Revelation 20:8-9 — This explains the immediate result of his release: he deceives the nations, gathers them to battle against Jerusalem, and is destroyed by fire from God.
The Book of Revelation records that an angel bound Satan for a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit, sealing him so that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years should be fulfilled (Revelation 20:2-3). Then, when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison (Revelation 20:7). Once released, he will go out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle (Revelation 20:8). The same passage says that they compassed the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them (Revelation 20:9).
Les Feldick teaches that the thousand-year Kingdom is a period of perfect conditions — no sin, no sickness, no pain — under the absolute rule of Christ. But people will still be working, marrying, and having children. The children born during that time have the same Adamic nature their parents had. Since Satan is locked away, there is no tempter to activate that nature, so it just lies dormant. Les says Satan is kept bound to give these new generations the same kind of opportunity Adam and Eve had — but in order for their free will to be exercised, a genuine choice must be available. Therefore Satan has to be released for a short season to present that choice. When Satan is released, Les says he will use the same ploy he used in Eden. Since no one in the Kingdom can be tempted with a better spouse or a more comfortable life, the only thing left is the appeal to be like God — the very ambition that caused Satan's own fall in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. The release will prove, as Les puts it, that the human makeup is incorrigible. Even in a perfect environment, the nations will follow Satan and gather against Jerusalem, and fire from God will devour them.
Revelation 20:8-9 says that when Satan is loosed he goes out to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle. They surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. Les Feldick says this happens automatically and that the rebellion proves the human makeup is incorrigible even under perfect Kingdom conditions.
Les explains that without Satan on the scene there is no real rebellion and no sin, so the Adamic nature lies inoperative. A choice requires more than one option, and because God is so benevolent, the only remaining choice is whether to follow the adversary or remain true to God. Satan's release activates that dormant nature and forces the new generations to make a decision.
Les compares the Kingdom to Eden: perfect surroundings, no lack, no sickness or pain. Adam and Eve had everything they could want, yet they still needed to make a choice. Since Satan could not tempt them with a better marriage or better conditions, he tempted them with the desire to be like God. Les says the same thing will happen in the Kingdom — people will have everything, and the only temptation left will be the appeal to be like God.
Revelation's Timeline: Tribulation to Eternity Explained
as it was in Eden, and now comes the thousand years. Now I always like to remind my classes, we know that the Kingdom has been spoken of, it�s been prophesied all the way up through the Old Testament. The coming of the King and the Kingdom, when Israel shall reign gloriously. But it isn�t until we get to Revelation that we have a time frame attached to it of a thousand years.
Satan Released to Activate Free Will
Les directly connects the release of Satan with activating the free will of the new generations born during the Kingdom, then moves into the binding account in Revelation 20.
God's Sovereign Release and Rebellion
Les explains that after the thousand years Satan will again be released and will cause the nations to follow him and reject Christ's rule, which is why Christ must reign until all enemies are under His feet.
Proving Human Nature Incorrigible
Les says the Millennium proves the human makeup is incorrigible; even with a perfect environment, the released Satan will deceive the nations to battle, and fire from God destroys the rebels.
The Eden Temptation Repeated
Les compares the Kingdom to Eden and says the only temptation left in a perfect environment is the Satanic ploy, 'Wouldn't you like to be like God?' — the same appeal that worked on Adam and Eve.
The Adamic Nature Without an Activator
Les teaches that with Satan off the scene, the Adamic nature lies dormant because there is no tempter; for the Kingdom generations to show their choice, Satan has to be released.
New Generations in a Perfect Kingdom
Les shows that people will still marry and have children under Christ's rule, and that Satan is locked up to give these new generations the same kind of opportunity Adam and Eve had.
A Choice Requires an Alternative
Les stresses that free will requires a choice; in the perfect Kingdom the only possible choice is to follow the adversary or remain true to God, and the only temptation left is to be like God.
Revelation 20:2: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Shows that the dragon is Satan and that he is bound for a thousand years before the release described later.
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.
States the purpose of the binding: he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years are fulfilled.
Revelation 20:7: And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Directly answers when Satan is released — after the thousand years are expired.
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.
Explains what he does upon release: he deceives the nations and gathers 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.
Shows the outcome: fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them.
Les Feldick teaches that the Adamic natures of the generations born during the Kingdom have never been tested. Without Satan present, there is no real choice to make. His release supplies the alternative option and brings them to a point of decision.
Yes. Revelation 20:8-9 says he will deceive the nations and gather them to battle against Jerusalem, and fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. Les says this proves the human makeup is incorrigible.
Les says he will use the same temptation he used in Eden: the appeal to be like God. Since the Kingdom is perfect and there is nothing else lacking, that is the only temptation left.
Watch the Teaching: Revelation's Timeline: Tribulation to Eternity Explained