The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-05-01


the people of God living during Millennium
before the coming of Christ will have tn
martyr spirit, what then will become OF tn
millions of Gods people who will have live
and died before the Millennium, and hence
have no part in this first resurrection!
they too are "blessed and holy" and If o.
"such" also the second death will have n
power, why are these advantages spoken
as the peculiar privileges of those who hav
part in the first resurrection Again, whel
lit is said "Blessed and holy is he that hatl
part in the first resurrection, it would seen
as if ''he" was person and not a principl
that was to be resurrected. But who ar
"the rest of the dead ?" All the redeemed
being parties to the first resurrection, th'
" "rest of the dead" are the wicked dead. Blu
if the first resurrection is the resurrection o.
dead principles, then the rest offthe deat
must be certain dead principles. by what
laws for the Interpretation of language, OF
symbols, car this first resurrection be made
spiritual one, and the second, literal Tc
make the dead raised at the first resurrec.
ton, the martyr spirit, and the rest of the
dead persons, is perfectly arbitrary inter
probation. Both resurrections must be either
spiritual or literal Bishop Newton says,
"we should be cautious and tender of making
the fret resurrection an allegory, lest others
should reduce the second resurrection into
an allegory Also
But Brown and others do fud in this pas
sage a second spiritual resurrection. Brown,
in his "Second Advent, in one place, calls
"the rest of the dead, "ths opposing party" "
now alive, dead during the Millennium, and
living in their successors during the "little
season" after the Millennium. In another
place he calls them dead cause" And
so there are two spiritual resurrectOns-an
interval occurring between them of thou
sand years-and then third the literal re-
surrection, described in the last verse of the
chapter. By this reasoning, the two parties
or causes must be simultaneously in the state
of the dead, the first party or cause rising at
the beginning of the Millennium, and the
rest of the dead, or the second party or cause,
at its end or else no just meaning can be
attached to that term" the rest of the
dead"
Another insuperable objection to the Post
millennisl Interpretation of this passage is
that by that Interpretation, the vision of
John, instead of being symbol of what is
yet actually to take place, is symbol of q
symbol of what is yet actually to take place.
Another insuperable objection to this inter
probation is thaslit makes ths vision recorded
in this (the twentieth) chapter different one
from that recorded in the preceding one,
(the nineteenth9 1t is very evident that the
vision recorded in both chapters is the same.
But We have proved that in the nineteenth
chapter John records bis vision of the BRIDE
READY FOR HER MARRIAGE WITH THE LAMB
that Is, all the elect of God made perfect
in holiness.
But it may be asked, how can the inter.
probation l have given be made consistent
with the events which it is declared will take
place during that little season, when the
Devil will be let loose? Where are the peo-
pie called Cog and Magog, who are to be
deceived by Satan, and 60 to war with the
saints, to come from :? The earth containing,
at the end of the thousand years, glOriGed
saints only, is there to be mighty falling
from glory, as was once the case in heaven !?
If the Interpretation / have given Of this
chapter be the correct one, it is easy to see
who these agents of the Devil are The time
of the letting loose of their leader, is also the
time of their letting loose, the time of the
resurrection of the "rest of the dead" (the
wicked dead) At whatever time the events
symbolized in the visions of Ezekiel (chap.
ters 38-4S) may take place, the Cog and
Magog there spoken of were either the ene-
mics of God by that name, inhabiting the
north quarter of Asia, or they represented
the enemies of God. The people called by
the same name in Revelation, are the enc
mics of God from "the four quarters Of the
EARTH" among whom are these people from
the north quarter, risen from the dead, if
Ezekiel had alluSion to any particular peo-
ple. All the wicked dead are called Cog
Magog, probably for the same reason that
Isaiah once called ttR Jews the "peOple Of
Gomorrah." These ysmned spirits pouring
forth out of he'll with their Internal leader,
proceed to take possession of their risen
bodies rising in sll parts of the earth. The
earth is full of them. Their leader makes
one more desperate effort to defeat Gods
plans of mercy. Whether hopeful himself
of success or not, with the wonderful cunning
of an arch devil, he instils this wild hope into
the breasts of his subjects. Many persons
suppose that the deception here spoken of is
deception on the subject of religion. But
the passage does not even hint at such al
idea. We are told in SO many words what
the point of deception is-Viz: "tO gather then
toqethsr to battle" He deceived them with
the vain hope of cOnquering the army of tht
saints. 1t is not even said that battle wai
actually fought; but FIRE came down from
God out of heaven, and devoured them. =
/ What will he tha lanrth of the H little sea