it says he is loosed a little season to DECEIVE THE NATIONS: that means goyim (the jews are included in this as well though)
yes, we've got sin and death and war, just like always: but THE GOSPEL CAN NOT BE STOPPED: Jesus said the gates of Hades wouldn't prevail against it (He didn't mean that hell wouldn't succeed in drawing in christians, He spoke that militantly that the gates of hell couldn't withstand the Church/Gospel CRASHING THROUGH them to save lost sinners!)
SW: Jesus made it very clear to the Pharisees that The Kingdom of God had come upon them, and He proved it by casting a demon out of a man.....their dialogue is very telling. remember that the gentiles used to be outside the Commonwealth of Israel, having NO HOPE! but after Calvary, the church was for gentile and jew.....this is how the strong man was no longer able to deceve and torment the nations about the True God.>>THE GOSPEL CAME! THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME!
but the coming trib will be SO EXTREME, with God Himself also sending strong delusion, that when the time comes we will indeed know satan HAD BEEN RESTRAINED PREVIOUSLY.
just look at this dialogue:
Matthew 12
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?”
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?
27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
28But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but
whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw.
Jesus did indeed cast out a demon from a possessed man (one of satan's "possessions") and healed him
But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
The Pharisees accused Him of working his miracles by Satan (Beelzebub - the unpardable sin).
He clealry tells them He has done ot by The Spirit of God, AND that the Kingdom of God HAD COME UPON THEM THEN! (this is very important concerning Daniel 9)
Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Jesus is verifying and expressing His Authority by saying that, in fact, how is one able to plunder a strong man's house (satan's possession victim) unless He first binds the strong man.
many of these signs during the apotolic era continued by the Authority of Christ, until the Gospel had reached far and wide and we had our canon. satan has not been able to stop the church (yep...people have died for Christ, but the church continues on).
however: there will come a brief but intense time ahead when there will be no more repentence mentioned in the woes. and, people will have already taken the mark. that's all during satan's SHORT SPACE.
whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
finally, from this passgae we see that The Pharisees understood the 2 age model (this world and the world to come). they understood that a thousnad years was an hebraism which meant the messianic portion of redemptive history: THIS AGE (1,000 means full or complete), and they understood the age to come as ETERNITY.
notice Jesus doesn't diuscuss a literal millennium here.
FIRST ADVENT...............messianic era...................>short space>..SECOND ADVENT/ETERNITY