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for the Christian Church, even here upon earth. For the days will come, and seem at no very great distance, (the present century may perhaps disclose them,) when, the beast and false prophet being removed, and Babylon sunk for ever, the devil, that ancient foe, shall be deprived of his wonted influence; and the prophecies, which in the Old Testament, as well as in the book of Revelation, promise happy times, shall be accomplished *.

* An abstracted view of the sentiments of the Ancients on this difficult, and as yet obscure subject, may be seen in Bishop Newton's Dissertations, vol. iii. 329–343. 8vo; and of the Moderns, in Lowman's Paraphrase and notes on Rev. p. 242-248. Some ingenious and useful hints are suggested in Mr. Kett's last volume on Prophecy. And a comprehensive, learned, and very judicious view of the whole subject may be read in Mr. Gray's Discourse on Rev. xx. 4, 5, 6. It is remarkable that Dr. Whitby, who had declined to comment on the Apocalypse, assigning as his motive, that he felt himself unqualified for such a work, has ventured to explain this particular prediction of the Millennium; which being, as all agree, a prophecy yet unfulfilled, is, of all others, the most difficult. Yet his Treatise on the true Millennium may be perused with advantage. But, as it plainly appears that no one, who lived before the completion of the prophecies of the Seals, the Trumpet, or the Harlot of Babylon, however learned and sagacious, was able to penetrate through the veil of these mysteries; nor was any progress made in assorting these prophecies, until the historical events fulfilling them appeared; so, to the events alone are we to look with confidence for the complete illustration of these predictions. We can at present collect from them with safety, only general notions and assurances. Such however are sufficient to support our faith, if not to gratify our curiosity.

PART

PART VII.

SECTION V.

Satan loosed, deceiveth the nations, and is cast into the burning lake.

CHAP. XX. VER. 7-10.

And when the thousand years shall be completed, satan shall be loosed from his S prison: And he shall

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τὸν Γὼν καὶ τὸν

Μαγώγ, συνα[αδεῖν

αὐτὲς εἰς πόλεμον, ὧν ὁ ἀριθμὸς αὐτῶν ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θα Ο λάσσης. Καὶ ἀνέ βησαν ἐπὶ τὸ πλά τος τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν τὴν πα ξεμβολὴν τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἠγαπημένην· καὶ καλέβη τοῦρ ἀπὸ τῆ Θεό ἐκ τῶ ἐρανό, και κατέφαγεν αὐτές. 10 Καὶ ὁ διάβολος ὁ πλανῶν αὐτὲς, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμο νην τῷ πυρὸς καὶ θεία, ὅπως καὶ τὸ

θηρίον καὶ ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης και βασα

come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, the Gog,

and the Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of

9 the sea. And they

went up on the extent of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, even the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven, and de10 voured them. And the

devil, who deceiveth them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone; where were likewise the wild-beast and the false prophet; and they shall be torment

7 And when the thou

sand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed 8 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. 9 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 10 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.

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After the grand period of the Millennium, so favourable to the Christian cause, shall have come to its end, another apostacy shall unhappily take place. This is expressed figuratively, by satan being again loosed, to deceive the nations. This new rebellion against the laws of God, and against the easy yoke of the Redeemer, is of formidable extent. The four corners of the earth, (that is, the nations of the whole earth)* are engaged in it. It is an apostacy of a new kind; different at least from the former apostacy, in which the beast and false prophet were satan's instruments of mischief. Beyond this we have little ground of conjecture. The enemies of the Christian Church, numerous as the sands upon the sea-shore, surround the camp of the Saints, which is represented as in a state of siege. But the extinction of these enemies shall be sudden, miraculous, and complete. They shall be destroyed by fire, by fire from heaven, that is, miraculously, and utterly †.

This description is conformable to other ancient prophecies, still remaining to be fulfilled; or which have received only a partial and typical completion. Such are Isaiah lxiii. lxvi. Joel iii. Ezek. xxxviii, and xxxix; which is the last prophecy in the book ‡, and is said expressly to be of the latter days. Gog and Magog will be found to signify the nations; those which were

*See note, ch. iv. 6.

+ See note, ch. xvii, 12. Excepting the exhibition of the temple, which, being a subject entire of itself, was reckoned by the Jews as an additional book. See Joseph. Ant. Jud. lib. x. c. 6.

most

most distant, and yet hostile to the Church. On all these prophecies, evidently not yet fulfilled, little can be conjectured with safety. They are to be handed down to the Church of the latter days, even as those prophecies, which we have seen fulfilled, have been delivered to us; and with this consolation, that this "overflowing of iniquity," whenever it arrives, shall be miraculously and completely terminated t. And this is the last successful effort of satan against the Church. He is then consigned to his eternal prison.

* See Mede's Works, p. 280; Abp. Newcome on Ezekiel xxxviii. 2; also Lowth on the same passage.

+ So Ezek. xxxix. 6. Isaiah xivii. 13, 14; xxxiii. 14.

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τὰς ἐν αὐτῇ νεκρές, xj ó Dávalos xj ó ᾅδης ἔδωκαν τὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς νεκρὲς καὶ ἐκρίθησαν έκαςος nalà rà igya ad14 τῶν. Καὶ ὁ θά καλος καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἐβλήθησαν εἰς τὴν Hiμry to wugós ὗτός ἐσιν ὁ δεύτερος 15 Súvalos. Kai i

τις ἐχ εὑρέθη ἐν τῇ βίβλω της ζωής γειςαμμένος, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην το πυξός.

life. And the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to 13 their works. And the

sea gave up the dead which were in it: and death and hell gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every one according to their works. 14 And death and bell

were cast into the lake of fire. This is the 15 second death. And if any one were not found written in the book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

dead were judged out

of those things which

were written in the books, according to 13 their works. And the

sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged, every man according 14 to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the se15 cond death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire.

The Christian Church being now triumphant over its enemies, and the instigator of all mischief being himself eternally banished, there is no more warfare to relate. Nothing remains but to describe that general judgment, which shall render to every man according to his works; when, immortality succeeding to mortality, death, that "last enemy, shall be destroyed *." The appearance of the great Judge, before whose " presence "the earth and the heaven are seen to flee away;" at whose approach, the former scenery, (as described in ch. iv. &c.) vanishes, and the process of the tribunal,

* 1 Cor. xv. 26.

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