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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
Gregory of Nyssa
Do we romance about three Resurrections? Do we promise the gluttony of the Millennium? Do we declare that the Jewish animal-sacrifices shall be restored? Do we lower men's hopes again to the Jerusalem below, imagining its rebuilding with stones of a more brilliant material?
Athanasius of Alexandria
When the prince of the demons appears in this wise, the crafty one, as I said before, strikes terror by speaking great things... But not even then ought we, the faithful, to fear his appearance or give heed to his words. For he is a liar and speaketh of truth never a word. …
Oecumenius
Could it not be that the thousand years of the atheistic Greeks and the transmigrations of souls and the water of Lethe, and I do not know what foolish confusions the Revelation hands over to us, saying that the Devil will be bound for a thousand years and then will be released and will deceive the nations? Away with such destructive doctrines and with the silliness fitting for the Greeks. What then does it say has been spoken to the prophet? …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
Our Lord Jesus Christ himself said, "No one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man." By "strong man" he means the devil, who was able to hold the human race in bondage. By his "goods" that Christ was to "plunder," he means God's future faithful ones whom the devil was keeping for himself because of their ungodliness and various sins. …
Gregory the Dialogist
Concerning this abyss it is said by John, And I saw an Angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled. …
Bede
And he bound him for a thousand years. That is, restraining and curbing his power from seducing those who were to be freed. If he were allowed to exercise his full power with force or deceit, he would deceive many of the weak in such a long time. He said a thousand years, meaning a part, that is, the remainder of the thousand years of the sixth day in which the Lord was born and suffered.
Translation