Destiny of Satan

The story of Satan as the one who leads mankind towards evil away from home is portrayed in picturesque in the book of Revelation.  Chapter 19 details the struggle within mankind at this end of this age with the final banishment of Satan and all his cohorts for a 1000 years.

The absence of devil and all its hosts at the time of the 1000 year reign of the Lord will bring a period of peace and prosperity on earth.  But this will not however solve the problem of evil.  Notice that the 1000 years as rendered stands only for a long time and not exactly 1000 years in earth time.

Evidently the Satan will still have a hold on many on earth even after this 1000 years of visible reign of Jesus.  It is evident that the possibility of evil is still within man as a choice.  When a leadership emerges it blows out.

At the white throne of judgment another group of humans joins them in the everlasting fire.

The End.  Or is it?

Satan's final rebellion against God will be thwarted, and God will finally deal with the devil. The tenth verse of Revelation 20 describes how God handles Satan. Just what does this verse tell us about the fate of the Adversary?

The first part of the answer lies in the Greek word basanisthesontai, translated "tormented" here.  The word basanisthesontai, comes from the verb basanizo and the noun basanos,   

The greek word basanisthesontai is derived from the precious stone industry that was popular in Lydia.  It means  "rub upon the touchstone (basanos),"  which would give it the meaning of  to  "test or make proof of anything . . ."

 This implies that all punishments and sufferring imposed by the loving God is only to prove or to refine his children.  This is true of human suffering here on earth now and also to hell. 

But how long is this suffering in the hell?  If it is for purification or proving it has to be finite.  Does the bible indicate that?

  Greek eis tous aionas ton aionon, literally means "into the ages of the ages."  or "ages into ages". The Greek nouns aionas and aionon are plural forms of the Greek aion, which simply means an "eon" or "age." This word refers to an indefinite period of time; however, it does not convey the idea of eternity.

This Greek phrase is used numerous times in the Scriptures 

aiwn aion

Mat_6:13 Mat_12:32 Mat_13:22 Mat_13:39-40 Mat_13:49 Mat_21:19 Mat_24:3 Mat_28:20 Mar_3:29 Mar_4:19 Mar_10:30 Mar_11:14 Luk_1:33 Luk_1:55 Luk_1:70 Luk_16:8 Luk_18:30 Luk_20:34-35 Joh_4:14 Joh_6:51 Joh_6:58 Joh_8:35 Joh_8:51-52 Joh_9:32 Joh_10:28 Joh_11:26 Joh_12:34 Joh_13:8 Joh_14:16 Act_3:21 Act_15:18 Rom_1:25 Rom_9:5 Rom_11:36 Rom_12:2 Rom_16:27 1Co_1:20 1Co_2:6-8 1Co_3:18 1Co_8:13 1Co_10:11 2Co_4:4 2Co_9:9 2Co_11:31 Gal_1:4-5 Eph_1:21 Eph_2:2 Eph_2:7 Eph_3:9 Eph_3:11 Eph_3:21 Eph_6:12 Phi_4:20 Col_1:26 1Ti_1:17 1Ti_6:17 2Ti_4:10 2Ti_4:18 Tit_2:12 Heb_1:2 Heb_1:8 Heb_5:6 Heb_6:5 Heb_6:20 Heb_7:17 Heb_7:21 Heb_7:24 Heb_7:28 Heb_9:26 Heb_11:3 Heb_13:8 Heb_13:21 1Pe_1:23 1Pe_1:25 1Pe_4:11 1Pe_5:11 2Pe_2:17 2Pe_3:18 1Jo_2:17 2Jo_1:2 Jud_1:13 Jud_1:25 Rev_1:6 Rev_1:18 Rev_4:9-10 Rev_5:13-14 Rev_7:12 Rev_10:6 Rev_11:15 Rev_14:11 Rev_15:7 Rev_19:3 Rev_20:10 Rev_22:5

This phrase came to be interpreted as "eternity"; however, some scholars realize that this connotation was not present in the original Koine ("common") Greek of the New Testament. 

The concept of "Age" is well known in the dispensation theology.  It postulates a period of time during the life time of a person, community, being or cosmos.  Thus we have the seven ages within the church age.  The church age itself is part of the seven age cycle of the Israel nation and of the gentile period.  Those in itself form part of the ages of the mankind.  Those in itself form part of the ages of the earth.  The ages of earth beginning the formation of earth itself is part of the cosmic ages.  The messianic age is this age within the age till the cosmos is redeemed and returned to God.  This idea is presented by Paul:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward.

Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.

Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope

Rom 8:21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Rom 8:23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Rom 8:24 For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth?

Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

The cross of Calvary and the resurrection is the gurarantee of total redemption of the created cosmos, which evidently includes the whole mankind and the whole created beings.  Until the the whole Sons of God are redeemed the redemption of the matter (liberation from the bondage of decay and death) cannot be achieved.  But we are told that this will not happen in one resurrection.  

Co 15:20 But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep.

1Co 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Co 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.

1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power.

Christ reigns until this total redemption is achieved.  Death shall be abolished.  Some people define death as a seperation from God.  This is true because the physical death is the result of the spiritual separation from God.  We cannot have the abolishing of death as long as Satan and a large number of spiritual beings and a larger number of human beings are still in hell, separated from God.  There is an end to the reign of the Messia.  This period is the Mesianic Age.  It ends with the total redemption which evidently include Even Satan.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet.

1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.

1Co 15:27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him.

1Co 15:28 And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.

At 1 Cor. 15:25, where the Greek text shows, dei gar auton basileuein achri hou the pantas tous echthrous hupo tous podas autou, "For He must be reigning until He should be placing all His enemies under His feet." This clearly states that Christ's reigning is limited. There is no Scripture to contradict the statement when aion and aionios are correctly translated.

Dr. William Barclay concurs in his commentary (p. 166-169) on The Letters to the Corinthians. If the Greek words eis tous aionas ton aionon mean endless time, as translated in the KJV, "forever and ever," we have a contradiction in Scripture, for Rev. 11:15 says, in the same version: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." That contradicts 1 Cor. 15:25, which says: "He must be reigning till . . ." If Rev. 11:15 is translated "eons of the eons," or "ages of the ages," there is no contradiction. The ASV says (1 Cor. 15:24-25), "Then cometh the end, when He shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; When He shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He hath put all His enemies under His feet;" consequently, the reigning of Christ Jesus and the saints (Rev. 22:5) will be "for the eons of the eons" or "for the ages of the ages." (ch. 5, An Analytical Study of Words)

At the end  of the ages and ages, at the end of this Mesianic age, the whole creation will be redeemed.  That is the Sabbath of the cosmos.   God will look at it again and see that everything is GOOD.  On the Seventh Day God rested.  

Rev 21:5 And he that sitteth on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he saith, Write: for these words are faithful and true

However the scripture is given to the church age and not for beyond that.  Hence it spells out only the matters of grace within this period.  We are not told anything about the age beyond the creation of the new heaven and the new earth very much.

Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Rev 21:8 But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.

The scripture ends therefore with the Great White Throne and the end of the old earth. 

 But we have indications of what lies beyond the current age

But the book of Revelation closes without any judgement of the angels by the Church.  We are left with Satan and Angels in the Pit.  

What Isaiah has prophecied - the visitation  in the Hell  is not fulfilled nor the judgement of the Angels.  This is what "ages into ages" means.   This Mesianic Age and the Redemption of the Cosmos and Reconciled All Things unto God.