ACC ~ Revelation 20 v7

THE NETHER REGIONS WILL BE FREED FROM SATAN. APRINGIUS OF BEJA: [We have here a difficulty] for we must inquire how it is that when the thousand years have ended, the enemy is given his freedom and the nations [continue to] live upon the earth within that infinity [which occurs after the end]. For indeed, after the resurrection, when the judgment of the living and the dead has been rendered, all things everlasting are given and those who reign with Christ, namely, the saints, will come with God’s aid to the eternal blessings, that is, to the very reality of eternality itself. Moreover, they will be rewarded with the contemplation of him who is the Beginning, and possessing the presence of a vision of such a majesty they will be established in its bliss. When the rewards of all the blessed have been consummated and perfected, and all things have been brought to the one headship of our Lord Jesus Christ and in him all things are held together, “Satan will be loosed from his prison.” Then the nether regions themselves will be freed from him, at the same time the author of darkness will be dissolved and disappear, “and go out,” into eternal perdition. TRACTATE ON THE APOCALYPSE 20.7.

SATAN SERVES AS AN ATHLETIC TRAINER FOR HUMANKIND. OECUMENIUS: When the Lord completed the economy according to the flesh and ascended into heaven, the devil was to be released from his spiritual chains again to deceive the nations. It was said in an earlier book that the Lord’s manner of life among men destroyed the work of the devil. But when the Lord had ascended into heaven, the devil once more effected that which is proper and customary to him, and the people upon the earth were again subject to his authority, as was their custom. For the devil attempts to lead all astray. Some are persuaded by him, while others are not persuaded and struggle against the evil one. However, perhaps someone might say, “Why is it that when he was restrained and his own assaults were repulsed by the coming of the Lord in the flesh, he was let loose again against us, to lead those on earth astray? Were it not better had he been bound and humankind left free of [further] deception?” To such a person it must be said, Why do you not rather inquire after the existence of the devil at the very beginning? Or, why do you not inquire why he was not utterly destroyed when he first existed and had become a transgressor, so that he would have no access to mankind?

But, O friend, how would athletes continue to receive vigorous exercise were there no one to wrestle against? And how would athletes demonstrate their strength were there no opponent? For those persons who are lazy and subject to pleasures are inherently perverse, whether or not the devil is present and prodding them on. But the people of God who are noble athletes would be wrongly treated were their courage against the passions not put on public display. So, as it happens, the lazy would receive no benefit and the zealous would be very greatly wronged, were there no Satan. In a way, Satan serves as an athletic trainer for humankind, providing for those who contend an opportunity for victories. For as we said, those enamored with sin are in no way harmed, since, even were the devil not present, they would use their own sluggishness in place of him. And so, although unwilling, the devil does good to those [strong athletes], while he harms these not at all, or very little. But for my sake and yours, lest we be further injured by the work of the devil in any manner small or great, you [O friend] were willing that the lovers of sin be left unconstrained [by any discipline] and in a state of defeat and that the patriarchs and the prophets be despoiled of the glory [of their victories], along with the apostles, the Evangelists and those who had remained steadfast even to the point of blood for the witness of Christ and had preserved their nobility for him. Furthermore, you would have the confessors and those pastors who govern the churches well to be deprived of their glory, together with the ascetics, who endure very great hardships, and every righteous person who is perfected by their faith in Christ. “Of none of these is this world worthy.” As a result, those noble and virtuous combatants mitigate to some extent the penalty of sinners who are altogether responsible for their hurts. For one who is upright is honored more by God than are thousands of those who do evil.

Therefore, both of these actions were exceptionally good and inspired, that at the coming of the Lord the impious attacks of the devil were stopped and that after his ascension into heaven the devil was loosed to tempt humankind. For had Satan been allowed to display all of his spiritual power while the Lord sojourned upon the earth, he would not have allowed anyone to become a hearer of the divine teaching. Nor would anyone have learned who is the true God by nature and what is the pure worship of him and what is vice and what is virtue. Rather, [Satan] would have prepared the cross for Christ prematurely, even before the Lord had begun to teach. And had this happened, such a great and admirable mystery as the Lord’s incarnation would have been ineffective and without any benefit. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 20.4-8.

THE PERIOD OF THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: Some interpret the period of a thousand years to be the three and a half years from the baptism of Christ to his ascension into heaven, and they believe that after this the devil is to be loosed. Others say that after the completion of six thousand years the first resurrection of the dead will occur for the saints alone, so that on this very earth on which they endured suffering, they might enjoy temporal largess and glory for a thousand years, and that after this [period] the general resurrection will occur, which will be not only of the righteous but also of the sinners.It is unnecessary to say that the church receives nothing of this.

Rather, we listen to the Lord when he says to the Sadducees that the righteous will be “as the angels in heaven.” We listen also to the apostle who says, “the kingdom of God is not food and drink.” And so we interpret the thousand-year period to be that of the preaching of the gospel. … It is not necessary to think of these thousand years in terms of a number. When it is said in the Song of Songs “everyone was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver,” and again, “Solomon shall have a thousand and they who keep its fruit two hundred,” the precise number is not indicated, but the full and complete harvest. So also here, the harvest of faith in its entirety is meant, after which “the son of perdition, the man of lawlessness” will come “so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness,” as the apostle says.And the Lord said, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me; another will come in his own name, him you will receive.” COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 20.7-8.

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