Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain.
We have here, I. A prophecy of the binding of Satan for a certain term of time, in which he should have much less power and the church much more peace than before. The power of Satan was broken in part by the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world; it was further reduced by the empire's becoming Christian; it was yet further...
Commenting on Revelation 20:1-10
And I saw an angel come down from heaven,.... All Christ's enemies, and Satan's instruments being removed, the devil is left alone, and only stands in the way of Christ's kingdom; and what will be done to him, and how he will be in the issue disposed of, this vision gives an account: by the "angel" John saw, is not to be understood Constantine the...
CHAPTER XX ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTER THIS chapter, like chapters , xvii., xviii., xix., pertains to the future, and discloses things which are yet to occur. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, for the reason stated in the Notes on chap. , that much obscurity should hang over it, nor that it is difficult to explain it so as to remove all obscurity.