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 God,

and which had not worshipped 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.  But the rest of the

dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.  This is

the first resurrection.  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 God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a

thousand years.  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall

be loosed out of his prison, 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.

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of

the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out

of heaven, and devoured them.  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'

(Rev. 20:1 -10).

features stand out in this record:

The Restraint of Satan.

The Reign of the overcomer.

The Rebellion at the close.

Here are three R's that are fundamental and ignored at our peril.

Satan is only loosed for 'a little season' yet the response to his deception

is immediate: 'they went up'.  The objection, that this is beyond the

Millennium, is invalid.  What takes place in 1960 is intimately connected

with what was done and thought in 1959.  The nations who are thus deceived

are differentiated from the people of Israel.  The nations are called Gog and

Magog, and inhabit the four quarters or corners of the earth, whereas Israel,

we must assume, occupy the beloved city and form the camp of the saints (Rev.

20:9).  The antichristian character of this rebellion in spite of the

intervening thousand years, is indicated by the titles Gog and Magog.  The

writer of the Apocalypse assumes acquaintance with Ezekiel.

'Son of Man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief

prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him' (Ezek. 38:2).

In association with Gog and Magog, are Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer

and all his bands, the house of Togarmah of the north quarters and all his

bands; and many people with thee (Ezek. 38:5,6).  This invasion by these

hordes will be met by the Lord Himself.

'I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws' (Ezek. 38:4)

'It shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come

against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come

up in My face' (Ezek. 38:18).

'Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,

and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous

birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured ...

And I will send a fire on Magog' (Ezek. 39:4,6).