time the dragon _as such_--as a public deceiver of the nations
throughout the Apocalyptic earth--was overthrown. This marks the
beginning of the thousand years mentioned.

Since many of the principles of heathenism were copied by the church of
Rome, it may be difficult for some to understand at first why it is said
that the dragon no longer deceived the nations after being cast down by
primitive Christianity; but this becomes clear when we consider what the
dragon really was and what the church of Rome was understood to be. A
time came when the entire civilized world knew that heathenism as such
was wrong and rejected the very idea of a plurality of gods; but they
were led to believe that they could adapt many of their former rites and
ceremonies to the worship of the one true God in whom they believed and
thereby render acceptable service to him, and were sure that the Romish
church was the one true apostolic church. It was not the dragon, or
heathenism, that then deceived them; it was Christianity--_a false
Christianity_. The manner in which the people were deceived during the
time following the casting down of heathenism in the beginning has
already been considered in chapters XII, XIII, XVII, XVIII, etc.,
covering the same period of time included in the one thousand years in
the vision before us.

We can not apply this period specified as literally one thousand years
without varying from every principle of time prophecy in the Revelation,
for they are all symbolic; neither can we apply it according to the
usual year-day method, which, signifying three hundred and sixty
thousand years, would throw this series of events out of harmony with
the time-periods allotted to the other themes of truth running over the
same ground and terminating at the same point--the general judgment.
Therefore, to be consistent, we shall have to apply it as (so far as
human knowledge of the exact dates is concerned) an indefinite length of
time, on the same principle that "the hour of temptation" in chapter
3:10, the three and one-half days in chapter 11:9, and the "hour" in
which the ten kingdoms receive power with the beast (chap. 17:12), etc.,
are applied.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was
given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had
not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his