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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.
Gog and Magog, Used With Intention
"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).
"I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel . . . . . and seven months shall
the house of Israel be burying of them" (Ezek. 39: 11, 12).
"Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble
yourselves, and come . . . . . ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of
the princes" (Ezek. 39: 17, 18).
The parallel of this passage with Rev. 19: 17-21 is INESCAPABLE. There again
we have the call to the fowls to eat the flesh of captains and kings. Here the warring
hosts are gathered by the Beast who is cast into the lake of fire.
The "Millennium" is bounded on each side by an invading army, led either by the
Beast or deceived by Satan, either gathered against "Him that sat on the horse" or
"against the beloved city and camp of the saints" and both end in fire, being destroyed as
were the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha. If only a handful of rebels were discovered at
the close of the thousand years, it would cause us to question the idea of universal peace
or righteousness, but this is no "handful". The number is said to be "as the sand of the
sea", nothing but the overriding desire to hold to a personal pre-conception could ever
lead a child of God to belittle this description.
Sand of the Sea---Numberless
From the blessing of Abraham in Gen. 22: 17 to Hosea 1: 10 this figure is used
consistently:
"Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot
be MEASURED nor NUMBERED" (Hos. 1: 10).