Magog, &c. (xxxix. 6). So in Rev. xx. 8, it is said, Fire came down from heaven and devoured them. This striking coincidence, both in the title of Gog and Magog, which occurs in Ezekiel, and is noticed in no other passage of Scripture except Rev. xx., and also in the various parts of the two prophecies, convinces my own mind that the Holy Ghost foretells the same course of events in each of them.

These various considerations, therefore, lead me to conceive that the second resurrection, or the living again of the rest of the dead (ver. 6), will be fulfilled in the spiritual resurrection of the whole house of Israel, and of a vast multitude of Gentiles, as a consequence of and connected with that glorious event.

It will be necessary now to notice the binding of Satan, foretold in verse 3. Many of my readers, simply on this ground, may be disposed at once to reject all that I have now ventured to suggest. They may be ready to say, "This view cannot be true, for we see no symptoms of the binding of Satan; and yet it suggests that we are living in the thousand years during which he is declared to be bound." I will venture, therefore, to make the following observations upon this subject.

First, I would suggest a doubt as to whether our translation may not render the original rather incorrectly. The expression in the original, in verse 3, is να μη πλανηση τα εθνη ετι, αχρι τελεσθη τα χιλια ετη. This, I conceive, might be translated, that he should not deceive the nations yet until the thousand years shall be finished. [Note GG.] But, even if we do not render

[GG.] We have a somewhat similar mode of expression in chap. x. 6, where the angel is represented as swearing οτι χρονος «κ εσται ετι : αλλα εν ταις ημέραις της φωνης τε εβδομε αγγελε οταν μελλη σαλπίζειν, και τελεσθη το μυστηριον, &c. Our translation of this, that there should be time no longer; but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, appears to be incorrect. It ought rather to be, that the time (that is, of the things which the seven thunders uttered, and which John was about to write, but was commanded to seal up, verse 4) shall not be yet, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, and when the mystery of God shall be finished, &c. : and the similar expression in chap. xx. 3, α μn Thaynon Tα εbun εTI, might, I conceive, be translated, that he should not deceive the nations yet, until the thousand years are ended.

yet, in reference to time, I do not conceive that we are warranted in the use of the word any, in the expression any more; but that it should be rendered that he should not deceive the nations more, or longer, until, &c. I mention this because the expression any more seems to me stronger than the original warrants, there being no double negative, like & μn, and conveys an idea of the total suspension of all the influence of Satan, which does not appear to me to be signified in the original.

Secondly, I conceive from the parable of the tares and the wheat, that there never will be a time during which the influence of Satan will be entirely suspended, but that he will be continually engaged in sowing tares among the wheat until the second coming of Christ. (See pages 24, 116.)

Thirdly, The nations, in verses 3, 8, seem to me to refer only to the ungodly, and not to include the saints, but to be entirely distinct from them (see page 107). It appears to me that Satan's deceiving the nations refers neither to the warfare which the people of God have to maintain with him in their own souls, nor even to his influence as the god of this world, by which he blinds the minds of men in general in unbelief (2 Cor. iv. 4); and that the binding of him signifies merely that he would be restrained during the millennial period from deceiving the nations of the ungodly by some peculiar species of (λavn) error, into which he will be permitted to lead them after that period is ended. The deception or error is not, I conceive, of a general but of some particular kind, the effect of which is pointed out in verses 8, 9, by the nations which are in the four quarters of the world, Gog and Magog, being gathered together to battle, going up on the breadth of the earth, and compassing the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. What this particular kind of (λavn) error or deception will be in itself, I conceive, only the event will determine. As, however, Satan is described as being loosed out of the bottomless pit (ver. 3), it appears to me that the error may possibly have some kind of connection with what is described under the sounding of the fifth angel in chapter ix. 2-11, which is supposed to refer to the Mohammedan delusion. See Mede, Newton, Gill, Scott, on the passage. And, as I conceive the Jews will be

gathered into the land of Canaan, and that that and the countries more immediately under the dominion of the Mohammedan power will be peculiarly the scene of the second resurrection; so it appears to me, on this ground also, that the λavn, or error or deceit, which will then break forth under the influence of Satan, will peculiarly affect the nations now under Mohammedan delusion, and may have some, though I pretend not to conjecture what, kind of connexion with that. All this, however, I merely throw out in the way of suggestion, as to what may possibly be the case.

As the reader will, I doubt not, regard the observations which I have now made, respecting the binding of Satan, as falling entirely short of the view which he has been accustomed to take upon this subject, I would call his attention to some of the many strong expressions which occur in other passages of Scripture, respecting Satan and his influence. I do this in order that he may be led to consider, whether he has not perhaps annexed rather too strong a meaning to the declaration in Rev. xx., concerning the binding of Satan. Thus, the devil and his angels are described as being already cast down into hell-delivered into chains of darkness and reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day (2 Pet. ii. 4, and Jude 6). So the occasion of the disciples of Jesus casting out devils in his name, drew from him that declaration, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven (Luke x. 17). Let me, however, more especially call the reader's attention to a passage in this very book, Rev.xii.7-9: "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." This passage contains a prophetical description of some remarkable transaction, which was to take place with regard to the devil and his angels. Those striking expressions, war in heaven-the devil and his angels being cast out of heaven (ver. 7)—their place not being found any more in heaven (ver. 8)—all appear to

me to be at least as strong as those concerning the binding of Satan in chap. xx. The prophecy itself is considered by Mede, Newton, Gill, and Scott, to have been fulfilled at the time when idolatry, as the religion of the Roman empire, was cast down by Constantine and his immediate successors. Assuming, therefore, this to be correct, let the reader consider what was the extent of fulfilment of the above highly figurative expressions. If, beforehand, he had been informed that they related to the suppression of idolatry, would he not have said, that they must foretell its total and universal suppression, so that it should never again exist in any part of the world? Yet, in reality, the fulfilment only extended to the Roman empire, leaving two-thirds at least of the human race, then and ever since, sunk in idolatry. And even as to the Roman empire itself, idolatry, though no longer dominant, was not, I conceive, even in name, totally suppressed or destroyed in every part of that empire; and, in spirit at least, sprang up afresh in the kingdom of the beast in its Papal form. When, therefore, we meet with such figurative expressions in chap. xx., as the binding of Sutan-setting a seal upon him-and his not deceiving the nations yet (as I conceive it may be rendered) until the thousand years are ended; and when we find the effect of his deceiving the nations expressly pointed out in ver. 8, the impression produced in my mind is, that the passage does not foretell the entire and universal suppression in every part of the world of all the spiritual influence of Satan; but that it may signify his being powerfully restrained by the hand of the Lord from introducing, until the thousand years are ended, that particular λavn, or deceit, the effect of which is distinctly specified in vers. 7, 8. [Note HH.]

[HH.] The expression in ver. 8, where Satan is said to go forth, πλανησαι τα εθνη, &c....... συναγαγειν αυτες, to deceive the nations......lu gather them together, &c. is similar to that in chap. ii. 20, thou sufferest the woman Jezebel......to teach and (#λavaobai e de Tovodi) to seduce (or deceive) my servants to commit fornication, &c. In this passage the particular species of λavn, deceit or error, into which Jezebel (signifying perhaps a body of corrupt teachers) led some of the Lord's professed servants at Thyatira, was, not sin in general, but the eating things sacrificed to idols, and committing fornication. So I conceive that Satan's deceiving the nations in chap. xx. does not refer to his influence in general, by which he leads mankind into idolatry, and sin of all kinds; but to a particular species of λan, or error, into

I do not, by these observations, intend to imply that every thing foretold under these figurative expressions in both passages, either has not been, or will not be, fully accomplished according to the mind of the Spirit; but merely to suggest that so much of the fulfilment as we at present see may not come up to those ideas which we may have annexed to the prophecy. Many and great events may go on in the unseen world of spirits, with which we may be entirely unacquainted at present. I leave the reader, of course, to form his own judgment respecting what I have suggested.

Having thus given an outline of the view which a careful consideration of the passage leads me to conceive may be the true one, I shall venture to offer some further suggestions for the reader's consideration.

First, I would suggest an inquiry, as to whether the slaying of the two witnesses (chap. xi. 7) may not, if the above view be correct, synchronize with the close of the millennial period; and their revival and ascent up to heaven (vers. 11, 12), with the second resurrection. (1) The slaying of them is, I believe, generally considered to signify the entire suppression throughout the kingdom of the beast of all open testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus by the preaching of the Gospel. As the living and reigning with Christ after the first resurrection (chap. xx. 4), is only noticed as continuing during the thousand years; and as the ending of this period is so peculiarly marked, being mentioned three times (vers. 3, 5,7), I conceive that this is intended to intimate that the living and reigning signified in this passage will cease at the end of the thousand years. And it appears to me, that this may foretell the entire suppression of all open profession of the Gospel in the kingdom of the beast; and may thus harmonize with the slaying of the two witnesses, both as it respects the events themselves, and also the place where they come to pass; namely, the which he will be permitted to lead the nations at the commencement of the period subsequent to the Millennium, and by means of which he will excite them to open rebellion against the Lord, and furious and universal hostility against the saints. This may, probably, be specially occasioned by that wonderful revival in religion which, as I conceive, will then take place both among Jews and Gentiles, and by which the enmity both of the devil and of his seed among men will doubtless be awfully excited.

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