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death. It is not so with those who wait until the second resurrection. Some of those do
enter into the second death.
The reign of the Overcomers.
The reign of these favoured ones is the reign of priests. Both on earth and in the
heavens "over the earth" (Rev. 5: 10) there will be a royal priesthood. The nation of
Israel on earth; the overcomers over the earth; and under their dual ministry the nations
are taught the truth of God, and many will pass from darkness to light.
The apostle Paul, in Rom. 15: 16, speaks of his ministry to the Gentiles as a priestly
work: "that the offering up of the Gentiles might be accepted." If Paul's ministry among
the Gentiles, as set forth in the Acts, is any foreshadowing of the priestly ministry of the
royal priesthood during the thousand years, the blessedness of that millennial rule cannot
be described in words. We can only look forward with high hope and anticipation. But,
like as it was in the case of Paul, so will it be again. While an unnumbered host are
saved, apostasy and revolt follow hard upon the close of the period. Perfection comes
under the personal administration of Christ. The millennial reign is the final preparation
for the working out of the great commission.
Satan's Last Act (20: 7-10).
pp. 37 - 42
When the thousand years have run their course, Satan is let loose out of his prison.
Rev. 20: 3 has already told us that "he must be loosed a little season"; here we see the
purpose. We must notice carefully what the Scriptures actually say here. We must not
make a mistake and speak of the nations as a whole. The nations that yield to Satan's last
deception and perish at the hand of God are specified:--
"And when the thousand years 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."
During the priestly rule of Israel and the overcomers many nations shall be joined to
the Lord, as prophecy testifies. The nations who are deceived by Satan at the close of the
millennium are found in the four corners of the earth as far away as can be from God's
holy city and centre. Their name is given as Gog and Magog. This will not be the first
time that Gog and Magog have threatened the land and people of Israel.
In Exek. 38: and 39: we read of a gathering of nations under Gog of the land
of Magog. Just who Gog and Magog may be is a very difficult problem to solve. It is
usual to interpret them as general names of the northern nations of Europe and Asia. This
may be true, but is not by any means all the truth or the most important aspect of it. We
are not concerned as to whether these nations originally occupied the north, for after the