Revelation 20:7-10

We often come to things in Scripture that make us ask "Why?" There is nothing wrong with this, as long as we truly desire the answer and trust the One who wrote it. So: why is Satan released again to deceive the nations? Why doesn't God just destroy him in the lake of fire and be done? He has the power.¶

Why God allows it¶

These questions sound familiar: Why is God letting this happen to me? Why does he allow bad things? Job, who understood suffering better than any, said something profound: "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10). God uses both the building up and the tearing down. The question is whether we trust that "every good gift is from above" (James 1:17). We may not fully see what God is doing, but we can trust him through it. Job's story shows us deep truths: God has authority over Satan; Satan is not free to do whatever he wants; God uses Satan for his purposes and painful things for his glory; and God proved to Satan that when someone puts their faith in God, he is stronger than anything Satan can do.¶

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.

Revelation 20:7-8 (ESV)¶

So God still has a purpose for Satan: to deceive and draw out the nations for battle and destruction. Just as in Job, I believe this is also for Satan's sake — showing him how futile his efforts are, that he is not like God and never will be. This is part of the judgment of the devil.¶

Gog and Magog¶

This fulfills Ezekiel 38 ("Gog, of the land of Magog"). Satan is the hook in their jaws, drawing them to destruction. Interestingly, nearly all the names there — Gog, Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Cush, Put, Gomer, Beth-togarmah — come from only two of Noah's three sons (Japheth and Ham; Genesis 10:1-7). From these two came the godless, idol-worshiping nations (the Canaanites, Babel, the Philistines, Sodom, Nineveh), while from Shem came the line leading to Abraham and ultimately Christ. It seems we see Ham's descendants' influence before Christ and Japheth's after, while Shem — the line of Christ — will rule over both. Just as Noah's blessing said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem" (Genesis 9:26).¶

No contest¶

And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Revelation 20:9-10 (ESV)¶

No battle, no war, no struggle — just fire from heaven. If anyone says hell is just separation from God, they aren't telling the whole truth: the lake of fire is eternal torment, the second death. This is the destiny of the devil and his angels, who have no provision for salvation, not being made in the image of God — and, sadly, of all who do not believe. But that is what's so heartbreaking: it does not have to be the destiny of any man. God has provided in Jesus Christ a way of escape, simply by believing in his Son.¶