IV. Tu STRONGER FOBCII OF GOOD BAS :&VD BEEN AT wo:as:. This world bu DeTer been given up to the evil one. He bas never roamed unchecked. He bas gone aboutonly so far as the Lord of BOula hu permitted. When Jesus hu111( on the CJ'OIIS, his power wu grappled with ; when he died, " the prince of this world ,. was "east out." Through death our Lord means to deetroy him that has the power of death, even the devil, and to deliTer them who throug:h fear of dea.th are all their lifetime subject to bonda::te. " For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." And when the Prince of life resigned his breath, crying, "It is ftni.shed ! " then did the empire of darlaieas receive a fatal blow, and the death-knell of sin Wllll aounded in the hearing of heaven, earth. and hell ( cf. Gen. iii. 16; John xii. 31 ; Hi:b. Ii. 14, 15; Col. ii 15; Matt. xii 29; A.cts xxvi. 18). V. Wns:svu TD GOBPJ:L BAB BERN PBEACHBD 'l'BERE A BIRDING OJ' SATAN BAS DEN AND 18 BEING EFFECTED. Probably no one supposes that the phrase " binding " is to be taken literally. One way in which an effect would .be wrouj!:ht which would moat naturally and impressively bedescribedaaa binding of Satan, would be that of mns- ferriog his subjects t.o another power, and so despoiliag his kingdom. When Satan is rendered powerlt'WS to retain his prey, and more powerless still when he has lost them, surely he is bound. Now, we know not only that in and on the cross our Lord spoiled principalities and powers, and made a show of them openly, but also that Paul and others were sent forth to turn men from the power of Satan unto God, and that the great apostle praised God that the Colossians were snatched from the power of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of the Son of God. Even so. Satan is no match for the Saviour's cross and the Spirit's sword. He has ever moved in chains, but never were bis chai~ so heavy or so fast as since Je;:us died. VI. NKVEBTBl!ILESS, THE PASSAGE BEFORE UB LEADS US TO EXPEOI' A JI.UOH GBli'l'SR RESTBAINT Olll SATAN'S ACTIVITY TILUI HAS A.8 YET BEBN KNOWN. Peter refers to him as "going about," etc. Paul said, " The God of peace shall brui88 Satan under your feet shortly." So that we are already prepared to expect a time when Satan's power on the earth shall be curtailed more and more. The verb here used (ltrpclriJir•) gives the impresaion of some very strong, decided, and perhaps sudden a,rrest. What will be the mean.a by 1DAieA: thu will be cairrud. out we are oot here told. In the absence of aught to the contrary, we have a right to expect that the "Word of truth ana the power of God" will suffice to bring about the whole, when the Spirit of God "~victe Uie world of sin" (John xvi. 8). No one can show that these "weapons of the holy war" are inadequate, nor that the power of the Holy Ghost is to be supplanted by aught more eJfective for the sulljugation of eviL Let but the Divine power which has aub- dued ow hearts be universally diffused, and it. is enoug:\l, For surely Satan will be dectually bolllld when hearts refuse to give him room. ·. · VIL Wmm THE Bll!Dll'G 01' SATAN Ill COJIPLBTELY BFFECTl!D, TBEBE J(lJST UJIDS BZ A PBBIOD 01!' BEST, SUOH AS NBITHEB THE WORLD NOB THE CHURCH BAB ENJOYBD Buro& .. BIN. El!ITEBED INTO TBE WOlilLD, AND DEA.TH BY BIN." We a.re more and more drawn towards the oonvietion that QUr Lord himself commenced this binding of the evil when he hei!:an his public ministry; and tha.i as twl power of the gospel advances, the binding becomes more and more stringent. The dnratkm of time intended by a thouaand years we cannot define, Some, a.~ Professor Milligan,1 regard it as giving no temporal indication at all, but as expressive of oomplelttnmos. But if the binding of Satan has been going on ner sinee. our Lord was on earth, the- thousand yeara begua then are going on now, and are moving forward to their completion. Well ma1 we pn.:,, 1 See both his work and hi■ •Commentary• on the Revelation. For a biitory ·of Tari'ou views on the millennium, see •Theories concerning the Millennium,' by Dr. Ora:teu, American editor, in La.nge's •Commentary,' p. 8-15; art. "Chiliaam," in Dr. Bom~rger■ edition of Herzog; and &rt. "Millennarianism,'" in Dr. Scha1'1t edition of &he ll8llle. "'!'he Rev. E. Storrow, in his• Coming Reign of Christ,' h88 some valuable notes on eh; :u:. 1 ~ in Appendix D; his fifth chapter, oa "The Great Featurea of the Millennium,• is admir- able. Dr. David Brown's and Dr. Urwick'a books on the second advent, Bishop Walde- grav-e's • Bampton Leotnres,' Dean Vaughan's •LectuN!II oo the Be.ela&fou,' and Mr. Lyon's 'Millennial 8iudies.' are boob oC whiell students should not 1o.ee sight. Wtbster and Wilkhuion's • Introduction to the Apocalyp■e' r,nd their DOtea Oil ihis dlapter will be found mremely helpful 478 THE REVELATION O.F ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [OIL n. 1--15.
"0 Lord, hasten that day when Satan shall be so completely bound that he will be unable to 'retain a single captive in his hold I" How will an ernaneip-ated world rejoice! The rebuke of God's people will be taken away from off all the earth. The reign of peaee and righteousness shall set in, and the time be comtJ when on the bells of the horses shall be graven, " Holiness to the Lord." Why it should be that after this effectual 'binding there should be allowed another onrush of evil, we cannot tell; ·but the holy aeer bids us look, to the end even of that, and to luxuriate in the blessed vision of complete and endless rest. Note: 1. Let our faith embrace all that ill in the Word, and we shall.then find nothing in the fiercest conflicts of the age to shock or disturb it. 2. Let us thank God for the restraint which we know iB even now put upon Satan. He worries, but he cannot devour. Christ prays for us, that Satan may not sift na as wheat. 3. Let ue be stimulated by the fact that, through the energy of the Spirit of God, the power of evil is being subdued within us and around.us. 4. Let. us, with renewed faith, energy, prayer, and hop!', be found doing our part towards bringing about earth's time of rest. Let no disbelief, either in the efficacy of the gospel or in the power of the Spirit, be allowed to paralyze our movements by lessening our hope. The grace which has conquered millions on millions of hearts is adequate still to go forth conquering and to conquer.