Chapter Forty - Crushing the Serpent's Head

Tormented Day and Night Forever

Referring to the Devil as well as the wild beast and the false prophet, John now tells us:  "And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Revelation 20:10b)  What could this mean? As mentioned already, it is not logical to say that symbols, such as the wild beast and the false prophet, as well as death and Hades, could suffer torture in a literal way.  Hence, we have no reason to believe that Satan will be suffering for all eternity. His is to be annihilated.  

The Greek word used here for "torment," ba'sa-ni'zo, means primarily  "to test (metals) by the touchstone." To question by applying torture" is a second meaning.  (The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament)  In the context, the use of this Greek word indicates that what happens to Satan will serve, for all eternity, as a touchstone on the issue of the  righteous and righteousness  of Jehovah's rule.  That issue of sovereign rulership will have been settled   once and for all time. Never again will a challenge to Jehovah's sovereignty  need to be tested over an extended period of time in order to be proved wrong.  -Compare Psalm 92:1, 15. 

Additionally, the related word ba-sa-bu-stes', "tormenter, " is used in the Bible to mean "jailer."  (Matthew 18:34, Kingdom Interlinear)  In harmony with  this, Satan will be imprisoned  in the lake of fire forever; he will never be released. Finally, in the Greek Septuagint, which was well known to John, the related word ba'sa-nos is used to refer humiliation that leads to death. (Ezekiel 32:24, 300  This helps us to see the punishment that Satan undergoes is a humiliating everlasting death in the lake of fire and sulfur. His words die with him. -1 John 3:8.

Again, the demons are not mentioned in this verse. Will they be released with Satan at the end of the thousand  years and then undergo the punishment of everlasting death along with him?  The evidence answers yes.  In the parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus said that goats would go "off "into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil  and his angels."  (Matthew 25:41)  The expression "everlasting fire" must refer to the lake of fire and sulfur where Satan is to be hurled.  The Devils angels were cast out of heaven with him. Evidently, they went into the abyss with him at the beginning of the Thousand Year Reign.  Consistently then, they will also be destroyed with him in the lake of fire and sulfur.-Matthew 8:29. 

In this way, the final detail of the prophecy recorded at Genesis 3:15 is fulfilled. When Satan is hurled into the lake of fire, he will become as dead as a snake at the head  of which has been ground under an iron heel. He and his demons will be gone forever. There is no further mention   of them in the book of Revelation. Now, having prophetically  disposed of these, Jehovah's spirit draws attention  to a matter of pressing interest to those who cherish and earthly hope. What will result  to humankind from the heavenly reign of the "King of kings" and those called  and chosen and faithful with him"? (Revelation 1  7:14)  To answer, John brings us back once again to the beginning of the Thousand Year Reign. 

Next time: Chapter Forty-One - God's Day of Judgment - It's Joyful Outcome!

From the book of Revelation