Part 23 (1/2)

From this time the dragon _as such_--as a public deceiver of the nations throughout the Apocalyptic earth--was overthrown. This marks the beginning of the thousand years mentioned.

Since many of the principles of heathenism were copied by the church of Rome, it may be difficult for some to understand at first why it is said that the dragon no longer deceived the nations after being cast down by primitive Christianity; but this becomes clear when we consider what the dragon really was and what the church of Rome was understood to be. A time came when the entire civilized world knew that heathenism as such was wrong and rejected the very idea of a plurality of G.o.ds; but they were led to believe that they could adapt many of their former rites and ceremonies to the wors.h.i.+p of the one true G.o.d in whom they believed and thereby render acceptable service to him, and were sure that the Romish church was the one true apostolic church. It was not the dragon, or heathenism, that then deceived them; it was Christianity--_a false Christianity_. The manner in which the people were deceived during the time following the casting down of heathenism in the beginning has already been considered in chapters XII, XIII, XVII, XVIII, etc., covering the same period of time included in the one thousand years in the vision before us.

We can not apply this period specified as literally one thousand years without varying from every principle of time prophecy in the Revelation, for they are all symbolic; neither can we apply it according to the usual year-day method, which, signifying three hundred and sixty thousand years, would throw this series of events out of harmony with the time-periods allotted to the other themes of truth running over the same ground and terminating at the same point--the general judgment.

Therefore, to be consistent, we shall have to apply it as (so far as human knowledge of the exact dates is concerned) an indefinite length of time, on the same principle that ”the hour of temptation” in chapter 3:10, the three and one-half days in chapter 11:9, and the ”hour” in which the ten kingdoms receive power with the beast (chap. 17:12), etc., are applied.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of G.o.d, and which had not wors.h.i.+pped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of G.o.d and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

We have in this description another division of the subject introduced--a history of G.o.d's people, or one phase of the church, during the same thousand years following the casting down of the dragon.

”They lived and reigned with Christ.” It was those who had ”part in the first resurrection” that were exalted to this honored position with Christ. Millenarians always _a.s.sume_ that this refers to a literal resurrection at the second coming of Christ, but no such thing is hinted at. Not one word is said about literally resurrected saints reigning.

John says, ”I saw the _souls_ of them which were beheaded for the witness of Jesus ... and _they_ lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Nothing whatever is said about any reign on earth at all; but the description shows plainly that it was disembodied spirits that were reigning with Christ in Paradise during the period that followed the casting down of the dragon, which was in reality one of long apostasy and darkness on earth. Before and during this conflict with Paganism the church of G.o.d was publicly triumphant on earth. Afterward, during the apostasy, a false church was, in the public view, triumphant, while the church of G.o.d was crowded out of sight into the wilderness. However, the reign of G.o.d's saints did not cease; for when they were slaughtered by their relentless persecutors and deprived of their reign on earth, they were, as symbolized by the man-child, caught up to G.o.d and to his throne and there ”lived and reigned with Christ” during the thousand years under consideration.

This same thought concerning the reign of the martyrs in Paradise while the powers of evil triumphed on earth, was brought to view on the opening of the fifth seal in chapter 6:9-11. ”And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the _souls of them that were slain_ for the word of G.o.d, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 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.” This quotation will make clear one point concerning the refusal of the martyrs to wors.h.i.+p the beast and his image. We are not to understand that every soul of the martyrs John saw in these visions reigned during the entire period under consideration; but he beheld the reign of the saints above during the one thousand years, and he saw there the souls of all the martyrs--such as had been slain in the early days of Christianity (chap. 12:11); such as refused to wors.h.i.+p the beast and were martyred therefor (chap. 13:7); and also, such as ”should be killed as they were” (chap. 6:11) and were put to death shortly after the formation of the image of the beast. Chap.

13:15; 16:6.

This company of souls that the apostle saw reigning with Christ above were those who had had part ”in the first resurrection,” which had made them ”blessed and holy.” They were not on earth; they were disembodied spirits above, hence had not been literally resurrected. The Scriptures clearly teach that mankind in their ordinary condition are ”_dead_ in trespa.s.ses and in sins,” and that through salvation, which makes them ”blessed and holy,” they are ”quickened” to a new life in Christ. Eph.

2:1. That this is Scripturally ”the first resurrection” is proved most positively by the words of Christ--”Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, _and now is_, when the _dead_ shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d: and they that hear _shall live_. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, _hath_ everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is _pa.s.sed from death unto life_.”

John 5:25, 24. Although many other proofs could easily be given, this of itself is sufficient to establish the point that the host of early Christians who had ”pa.s.sed from death unto life” in Christ and who gave their lives gladly for the sake of Christ, const.i.tuted the ones referred to as having had ”part in the first resurrection.” According to verse 6 it was only on those who had part in the first resurrection that the second death had no power. The church at Smyrna received the sure promise from Christ himself that they should ”not be hurt of the second death” (chap. 2:11); and this shows beyond all question that even at that early date they had had part in this first resurrection that makes men blessed and holy.

It is the trick of Beelzebub to deceive souls by causing them to overlook the fact that this first resurrection that made men blessed and holy is of a spiritual nature and to fix their hopes in two literal resurrections at the end. There will be but one literal resurrection then, as is clearly shown by the account given of the judgment in this chapter, verses 11-15. The writer of the Revelation declared positively, ”Behold, he cometh with clouds: and _every eye_ shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Chap. 1:7. If this does not prove that there is but one literal resurrection when Christ comes, then I would not know how to state such a fact if I desired. Furthermore, Jesus himself, in the same chapter in which he described ”the first resurrection,” says most positively that all the literal dead shall be resurrected at the same time. ”Marvel not at this,” he says: ”the _hour_ is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of d.a.m.nation.” John 5:28, 29. This _hour_ certainly can not signify more than a short period of time. In their efforts to prove two literal resurrections, millenarians always quote with emphasis, ”The dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thes. 4:16. In doing so they, either ignorantly or wilfully, wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction; for any one can see at a glance that no such thing as two resurrections is even hinted at. Verses 15-17 simply teach this, that the righteous who are living on the earth at the time Christ appears will not ascend to heaven _before_ the righteous dead are resurrected, but the dead will rise first, then they will all be caught up together at one and the same time. The wicked are not mentioned in this connection; for, as stated, Paul was writing this only for the comfort and the edification of the church. In the following chapter, however, their ”sudden destruction” at the second coming of Christ is mentioned as a warning to the church.

It is evident that the first resurrection as applied in this connection specified particularly that phase of the church which, as symbolized by the man-child, was caught up to G.o.d through martyrdom and there ”lived and reigned with Christ.” The other phase of the church, symbolized by the woman, is not said to reign with Christ a thousand years, but, on the other hand, is represented as driven into the wilderness, her public reign on earth being ended by the holy city being trodden under foot of a profane mult.i.tude of apostate beast-wors.h.i.+pers; and the two witnesses, clothed in sackcloth, were prophesying only in a few isolated, individual hearts.

A careful study of this scripture, taken in connection with others in the Revelation applying to the same object, will show that all G.o.d's people, both those here brought to view during the thousand years and those following that period, are spoken of as dead people resurrected and reigning. They are considered under two phases--those who, as symbolized by the man-child, were caught up to G.o.d through martyrdom and there lived and reigned with Christ; and those who, as symbolized by the woman, were deprived of their public reign on earth and were driven into the wilderness during the same period. The first phase were ”priests of G.o.d and of Christ” and reigned with him in Paradise (chap. 6:9-11); but ”the rest,” the phase symbolized by the woman, did not live and enjoy their public reign again, as in the early days of Christianity, until the expiration of the thousand-year period. It is true that individuals on earth received life from G.o.d and were thus spiritually resurrected during the thousand-year period; but the dominant beast-power martyred them by thousands, the two witnesses were then in their sack-cloth state, and thus the public triumphal reign of the saints on earth ceased. The statement of verse five that ”the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” should be applied not in an individual, but in a general sense, the same as the reign above during the same period is considered. There is also some doubt as to the authenticity of this sentence. It is not found in the Vatican Ma.n.u.script, which is one of the oldest in existence; and the Syriac Version, which has come down to us from early days through an entirely separate channel, does not contain it. However, it is evident that the phase of the church symbolized by the woman actually reigns triumphantly on earth after the thousand years is finished; for verses 7-9 of this chapter show that the dragon, combined with Gog and Magog, goes forth on the breadth of the earth to compa.s.s the camp of the saints just before the end of time.

The fact that the reign of G.o.d's people on earth is divided into two distinct periods is shown also by other prophecies. In the seventh chapter of Daniel is recorded a vision of four great beasts, symbolizing the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Roman empires. Verse 18, connected with Dan. 2:31-44, shows that the saints were to possess the kingdom of G.o.d before the overthrow of all these four kingdoms, which was actually fulfilled by Jesus Christ appearing during the reign of the Roman empire and planting the kingdom of G.o.d in the earth. See Mark 1:15; Luke 12:32; 16:16; Col. 1:13. Then follows a description of the rise of the Papacy, which was to ”_wear out the saints of the most High_” for a time, times, and the dividing of times--three and one-half times, or forty-two months, or, prophetically, twelve hundred and sixty years. This, as before explained, reaches to the year A.D. 1530. During this period the public reign of the saints on earth ceased. Then immediately following it is said, ”The judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it _unto the end_.” This does not refer to the final judgment; it is a spiritual judgment that commences before that time and continues ”_unto the end_.”

For example of a similar _judgment_ see Acts 7:7.

G.o.d had a people during the Protestant era who walked in all the light they possessed and who were filled with judgment against the beast-power that had worn out the saints for ages. And though in places some were put to death for refusing to wors.h.i.+p the image of the beast that lifeless professors had set up, yet there were from time to time reformations that resurrected many people to life in Christ. A little later, however, the real spiritual reign of the saints is perfectly restored in the pure gospel light of the evening time, and now the next verse is fulfilled, which says, ”And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.” It is only reasonable to suppose that the public reign on earth would commence gradually and would finally reach its perfect fulfilment, just the same as it ceased gradually in the beginning.

Therefore we can not point to a definite date exactly marking the end of the thousand years, any more than we can locate exactly the time of its commencement; but we must be satisfied just to consider this symbolic expression as covering a long period of time during which these important phases of deep truth are considered merely from a general standpoint.

This special reign of a thousand years above is doubtless brought to our view for the express purpose of making the history of the triumph of Christianity continuous. When interrupted on earth, the scene is suddenly transferred to Paradise; then when the woman comes out of the wilderness and the public reign on earth begins again, while the woman is being prepared as a bride for the coming of the Lamb, the scene, as the following description in verse 9 also will show, is again transferred to earth. The reign above does not in reality cease with the expiration of the thousand years, but we are permitted to obtain a view of it only for that length of time during the down-trodden state of the church on earth. This reign of the martyrs' above is placed in direct contrast with the public reign on earth during the same time, which consisted of mult.i.tudes of people wors.h.i.+ping the beast, recieving his image and his mark. What the ”thrones” on which they sat and the ”judgment” given them signifies, I do not know for certain, but it is doubtless the same exalted privilege and authority which Christ promised to all his over-comers--to sit with him on his throne. Chap. 3:21.

7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compa.s.sed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from G.o.d out of heaven, and devoured them.

10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The loosing of Satan, or the dragon, is the first important point to be considered. Before this matter can be rightly understood, however, we must take into account carefully certain facts regarding his binding. It was not the dragon as a political power that Christianity attacked (it did not labor to that end), but it was its huge public system of false belief that was overthrown. This great system, as opposed to Christianity, can all be summed up under the one word _infidelity_.

_Infidel_ signifies ”a heathen; one who disbelieves in Christ, or the divine origin and authority of Christianity.”--Webster. This system was positively an antichristian power that sought by every possible means to destroy the religion of Jesus and to blot out his very name. It failed in the attempt. It was bound. During the long reign of Popery, when the doctrine was be-a-Catholic-or-die, infidelity could not publicly lift its head in the sense in which it was cast down by the early Christians.

It had no power over the nations of the Apocalyptic earth to then deceive them; but they were greatly deceived by a false Christianity until almost all the world wondered after the beast. The release of the dragon, then, in order to be entirely satisfactory and consistent, must embrace the following points: First, it must at least include the development of a great public antichristian power whose avowed object is to destroy the whole fabric of Christianity. Second, being bound by divine power, his release must be the result of divine permission for a special purpose. Third, the scene of his imprisonment must necessarily be the place of his release; namely, the earth--the Apocalyptic earth--the territory of the Roman empire.

We find all these requirements meeting a most perfect fulfilment in the events described under the pouring out of the first vial, which was done by the direction of Him that sat upon the throne. A sufficient history of that fearful system of infidelity which, through the labors of Voltaire and his coadjutors, spread throughout all Europe has already been given. The very object of the leaders of this movement was the extermination of the Christian religion, and their secret watchword was ”Crush the wretch,” meaning Jesus Christ. The dragon was loose in all his terrible features. The Pagans upheld a false belief; these modern wors.h.i.+pers of the dragon did likewise and publicly exalted the ”G.o.ddess of Reason” as an object of devotion, setting aside every tenth day for their h.e.l.lish orgies in her honor. The former endeavored to overthrow the Christian religion; the latter had for its special aim the utter destruction of everything Christian either in name or in character. This devilish system spread over all Europe and almost undermined the whole fabric of society, and threatened to convert the world from Christianity to the wors.h.i.+p of the G.o.ddess of Reason. Its foothold gained was so extensive and its effects so far-reaching that prominent historians, D'Aubigne among the number, have denominated the period of its greatest triumph ”the day of Reason.” It is one of the three and one-half days covered by the prophecy in Rev. 11:9.