A REFUTATION OF Don NOBINGER’S ‘SATAN’S LITTLE SEASON’

By Steven Haukdahl and Paul Sauls March 2024

In his article ‘SATAN’S LITTLE SEASON’  Written July 2023 by Don Nobinger ….

His claim is “SATAN’S LITTLE SEASON WAS PROBABLY LESS THAN 3 1/2 YEARS AND OCCURRED FROM AD 64 TO AD 67” and he bases it on the “little season” timing of Rev 6:11 and thinks he has made his case and runs with it for over 20 pages.

It appears that Nobinger has a FP (Full Preterist) position. We call our perspective Proper Preterism or PMP (Pre-Millennial Preterism) that insists Jesus returned ca. 70ad before “Pre” or about the same time the millennium began. We also think ca. 70AD was the time of the Binding of Satan.

His article reads ….

1) Revelation 6:11  And WHITE ROBES WERE GIVEN UNTO EVERY ONE OF THEM; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a LITTLE SEASON, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

It is our intention here to show that Satan -also called “the accuser of our brethren” (important to remember for later)- is not even bound until ca. 70AD dispelling another faulty paradigm used in FPism “the strong man theory” and that the “little season” of Rev 20:3 is being compared or contrasted to the long period called “the thousand years” binding.

NOBINGER’S BINDING PERIOD

Nobinger erroneously claims:

SATAN WAS BOUND AFTER THE CROSS

IV Gospel 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world; NOW THE RULER OF THIS WORLD WILL BE CAST OUT. 
IV Gospel 12:32  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.

Did you catch that? Nobinger is equating the “CAST OUT” in the above verse in John 12:31 to the Binding of Satan.

Then he bases his conclusion of this on Jesus’ words that have no correlation to the binding of Satan (the next verse he cites v.32 above) “if he [Jesus] is lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” And again somehow associates that with the Binding of Satan.

Is that what scripture teaches or did Nobinger jump the rails, get on the wrong track, run with this erroneous presupposition for over 20 pages and never look back?

We think it is the latter.

THE PURPOSE OF THE BINDING

The purpose of the Binding of Satan scripture states in Rev 20:3  is …. 👉”that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”👈

We also think the purpose of the binding may be to release this entity (Rev 20:3 “….and after that he must be loosed a little season.”) on an unsuspecting people long into the future when Christianity has had time to flourish in different places all over the earth and gets comfortable in their own land, it says with David [the greater son of David, that is] as their king Ezk 37:22-25.

This portion of Ezekiel (passage above) is written to the NC church at a time when God’s people would have Jesus Christ [the promised greater son of David as their king, in their own land it says] in the last days of the latter years. The account states “Eze 38:8  After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years….” The “after many days” we think is a correlation to Rev 20:7  “And when the thousand years are expired,” …. It says then “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, …Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog,”

At that point in history, it says “the camp of the saints” (a subset of “the beloved city” which is worldwide Christianity, see Rev 20:8-9 below) have settled and have become unaware of this type of adversary. In other words, a stark reminder and awakening and this leads to the final battle, as the Gog and Magog account indicates.

Scriptures states after the thousand year binding, Satan is released again ….

Rev 20:8  and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Rev 20:9  And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and 👉compassed the camp of the saints about,👈 and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.

Nobinger continues and contradicts himself by claiming “SATAN WAS BOUND AFTER THE CROSS” he states, then goes to say Satan’s release for a little season was the “3 1/2 YEARS AND OCCURRED FROM AD 64 TO AD 67” making Satan’s binding period approximately 30 years from the cross (ca. 33ad) to 64ad when Satan was allegedly released.

We ask how could Satan be bound from 33-64AD as Nobinger espouses, but contradicts himself later by saying Satan is deceiving the nations in 62-63ad as Nobinger admits, which is the very reason he is bound?

Nobinger writes:

The following verses in Ephesians also prove that Satan was not bound…

Ephesians 6:11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL. 
Ephesians 6:12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. 
Ephesians 6:13  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

WHEN WAS EPHESIANS WRITTEN?

ANSWER: Approximately A. D. 62-63

The following verse in 1 Peter also proves that Satan was not bound…

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL WALKS ABOUT LIKE A ROARING LION, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR.

WHEN WAS 1 PETER WRITTEN?

ANSWER: Approximately A. D. 63[1]

He contradicts himself by rightly saying that the period of 62-63ad cannot be part of the binding period, but in other parts of his article states the little season begins in 64ad, which is when Nobinger’s binding period would have to end.

We don’t know why Nobinger fabricates the actual date Ephesians is said to be written, which is 60-62ad. Could it be because he needs the end of the binding period to be as close to his release of Satan date (64ad) as possible? Either way it is a contradiction and he makes our case.

We would agree with him those scriptures prove it cannot be the binding period of Satan and add these verses as well ….

(written ca. 52AD)
In 1Th 2:18 Image “because we would fain have come unto you, I Paul once and again; and Satan hindered us.”

(written ca. 63-65AD)
and 1Ti 5:15 Image “for already some are turned aside after Satan.”

During the gospel periods it states people are seed along the path where the word is sown. Yet SATAN COMES AND TAKES AWAY THE WORD THAT WAS SOWN IN THEM. (Mk. 4:15 Image )

All the above rightly states this satanic deception was going to the nations during the period of 33-70ad.

The time of God’s judgment (see bold) pronounced on this adversary (satan) IS the time of its then future binding. Jesus states ….

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house (Judah) is left unto you desolate.” (Mat 23:37 Image )

….. and that judgment resulted in their eviction from the land ca. 70AD, and Jerusalem is where the symbolic Abyss (representing God’s judgment, Psa 36:6) took place when this Adversary (satan) was imprisoned and could no longer deceive the nations for a thousand years.
After the thousand years [binding] is expired, this adversary would be released (established) back into the land for a little season!

So, WHEN was Satan bound and when did this particular deception to the nations END?

Well first, the particular deception involves the land claim of Jerusalem which signifies the symbolic Abyss he/it was bound in/from.

Quite simply without the land this adversary was essentially a vagabond scattered throughout the nations. On the other hand, with the land this adversary can lay claim to ownership of the land being from God and to being God’s chosen and fool/deceive the nations with its National Judaism, otherwise known as Zionism.

God’s judgment on Jerusalem is the Abyss of Revelation

Lloyd Dale writes: In Rev 9:1 Image with the presentation of “the key” (authority to make war against the Jews) to the star (messenger) John marks the occasion by switching his terminology from “land” to “abyss” right in this verse:  “And the fifth messenger did sound, and I saw a star out of the heaven having fallen to the earth (land), and there was given to it the key of the pit of 👉the abyss,”👈 but he also adds a new element “the pit of the.” This “star falling from heaven to the land” of Judaea and the presentation of “the key” to this “star” are of very special importance for the people of the land as well as for John’s primary audience of readers in the seven churches of Asia. [2]

The Abyss (the prison the adversary is locked in) = God’s judgment (Psa 36:6) upon Jerusalem. 

Thus, the Abyss also = the ancient land of Judea where this judgment took place (as we seen in Rev 9:1).

This adversary personified as Satan was not prohibited (bound) from deceiving the nations until they lost their city, temple and nation (Judea).

As we demonstrated above it could not be before that happened or before the dates we stated above when this adversary was active deceiving the nations from ca. 33 – 64ad as Nobinger asserts!

This is true and is why we read in Romans 16:20, in the KJV, MKJV, YLT, ASV, RV, LITV, Paul writes to the Christians at Rome that “the God of peace shall BRUISE Satan under (their) feet shortly.”

If the correct word is not BRUISE, why did all the above translators use it? The truth is Nobinger and the FP community have used the translation “crush” to erroneously apply it to the destruction of this adversary, but even the word “crush” is not sufficient, nor equal to a total elimination in “the lake of fire” as Revelation 20:10 demands!

So, we see Paul uses the audience relevance speaking to the Romans (your feet).

The Million Dollar Question:

What other New Testament adversary (satan) was “bruised” and “bound” by the Romans shortly after Paul wrote those words other than Apostate Judah with their kingdom, temple and city destroyed and taken from them as Mat 21:43 states?

Remember, this adversary personified as Satan is Jewish, which leaves us with only one conclusion:

In Rev 18:23 the Harlot, Jerusalem, is identified as the one that “by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.” In Rev 12:10 c, “the accuser (national Judaism, Jews are identified as accusers over 30 times in the NT) of our brothers (Christians) is cast down…”

Rev 3:9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Only one group of people go to a synagogue.

Lastly for time’s sake, we will comment on Nobinger’s sloppy and unbiblical conclusion of when the millennial reign of Christ and his saints was, when he equates the time of the binding of Satan with the millennium by saying:

“From Revelation 20:3 above we know that Satan was released AFTER the 1,000 Years aka the MILLENNIUM.” And “SATAN WAS RELEASED AFTER THE MILLENNIUM TO GATHER THE NATIONS FOR WAR”

While we would agree that Satan was bound during the time of the millennium, the thousand years of the millennium and the thousand years of the binding period of Satan are two different things! In other words, it is critical to specify whether you are talking about the thousand year millennium or the thousand year binding.

Yes, the thousand year binding period represents a long indefinite period that does have an end that began around the same time as the millennium, but we think the thousand year binding ends before the thousand year millennium as we demonstrate in other works we will gladly provide upon request.

May the Truth Prevail,

Steven Haukdahl

  1. Nobinger’s Satan’s Little Season at https://nobinger.com/joomla/index.php/eschatology/satans-little-season?highlight=WyJqdWRnZW1lbnQiXQ%3D%3D&fbclid=IwAR1VBwWQ6BPbrWmKXdvhOtTUKwleR9us70ZbUUG-1UfEpZ9i9wIz0upwtD4

  2. Lloyd Dale’s The Abyss at https://thechristianmythbusterseries.com/the-abyss/