In the end “the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where also the beast and the false prophet were; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (v. 10). The lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41). However, the beast and the false prophet, as well as the “goats” in Matthew 25:32-33 and 41, will be cast into it a thousand years earlier than the devil (Rev. 19:20). After the millennium of a thousand years, the devil also will be thrown into it. After the millennium the rebellious nature of mankind will have been thoroughly purged, and Satan will be cast into the lake of fire.
The war at Armageddon will remove all the obstacles to the coming millennial kingdom. Christ and His bride will work together to cast all the dirty things in the universe into the lake of fire. God’s sweeping in the universe began in Genesis 1. God swept the dirt first into the sea (v. 2), for at that time the sea was the “trash can” in this universe. Eventually, all the dirt will be put into the ultimate “trash can,” the lake of fire. In Matthew 25:41 the Lord Jesus said, “Go away from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Since the goats followed the devil, they will be cast into the lake of fire prepared for him and his angels. God prepared the lake of fire as a “trash can” to dispose of all the trash in the universe. Antichrist, the false prophet, and their armies will be swept into the “dust pan” and then dumped into the lake of fire. After the millennium Satan will join them there. After the judgment at the great white throne, all the dead unbelievers, the demons, death, and Hades will also be cast into the lake of fire. Then there will be no more dust in the universe. There will be no dust in the New Jerusalem; there will be only gold, pearl, and precious stones.
Satan was originally an angel created by God before He created the earth. From the day that Satan was created, he was perfect in his ways. However, he rebelled against God. Immediately after Satan rebelled against God, God pronounced His judgment on him. However, God’s judgment over Satan is being executed over a very long period of time.
The Son of God was manifested to undo the works of the devil. Through His death on the cross, He destroyed the devil, who has the might of death. The Lord gave His disciples the authority over all the power of the enemy, Satan, for them to execute the sentence that God pronounced on him. Furthermore, once there is a proper local church manifested as the practical expression of the Body, God is able to crush Satan under the feet of the believers in that local church, and they are able to experience the God of peace and enjoy the abundant grace of the Lord.
At the end of this age, the judgment of Christ will come upon Antichrist, the false prophet, Satan, and their followers. Antichrist, the false prophet, and Satan form a counterfeit trinity. Before the great tribulation the man-child will cast Satan out of heaven to the earth. At the end of the great tribulation, Antichrist and the false prophet with their followers, who are one with Satan, will be cast into the lake of fire. After the defeat of Antichrist, Satan will be bound and imprisoned so that the rebellious earth may be cleared up and the kingdom of Christ may come. The abyss is in the heart of the earth; Satan will be imprisoned there for a thousand years.
After the millennium Satan will be released from his prison and will deceive the nations to rebel against God and to surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city. However, fire will come down out of heaven and devour the rebellious ones. After this, Satan, the devil who deceives the nations, will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, which is where the beast and the false prophet are. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
God’s children should have a strong enmity toward Satan, the devil, and should have a clear knowledge concerning the destiny of Satan ordained by God so that through their oneness with Christ, they might withstand all the works of the devil.