Revelation 20:1

The first word, "And," supports the idea of chronological sequence. It implies a continuation from what John just revealed (cf. Revelation 19:11; Revelation 19:17; Revelation 19:19; Revelation 20:4; Revelation 20:11-12; Revelation 21:1-2; Revelation 21:22). Amillennial interpreters disagree. [Note: Beale, pp. 974-83.]

"John says nothing to place this chapter in the time sequence." [Note: Morris, p. 235. Jack Deere answered this objection very effectively in "Premillennialism in Revelation 20:4-6," Bibliotheca Sacra 135:537 (January-March 1978):60-62. Thomas, Revelation 8-22, pp. 404-5, is also helpful here.]

It is logical that having judged the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 19:20) Jesus Christ should next deal with Satan. God assigned an angel to bind Satan. Previously God cast Satan out of heaven (Revelation 12:9), and now He cast him out of the earth. This is the end of Satan’s "short time" in which God allowed him to spread havoc on the earth (Revelation 12:12). This angel now has the key to the abyss (cf. Revelation 9:1-2; Revelation 9:11; Revelation 11:7; Revelation 17:8; Luke 8:31; Romans 10:7). The binding of Satan is real, though the chain must be figurative since it is impossible to bind spirit beings with physical chains (cf. Revelation 9:14). Though Jesus Christ defeated Satan at the Cross (Luke 10:18; John 12:31; John 16:11), He did not bind him then nor will He bind him until the beginning of the Millennium. Presently Satan has considerable freedom to attack God’s people and oppose His work (cf. Revelation 2:13; Revelation 3:9; Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Peter 5:8).