and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
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 cast him into the bottomless pit,.... Or deep, into which the devils desired they might not be sent, and which they dreaded as a torment, it may be, because a place of confinement, Luk 8:31 for this is called a prison, Rev 20:7 and is distinguished from the lake of fire, into which the devil is afterwards cast, Rev 20:10.
Verse 3. And east him into the bottomless pit. . A state of peace and prosperity would exist as if Satan, the great disturber, were confined in the nether world as a prisoner. And shut him up. Closed the massive doors of the dark prison-house upon him. Compare ; . And set a seal upon him. Or, rather, "upon it"--ετανωαυτου.