ght up to God through martyrdom and there "lived
and reigned with Christ." The other phase of the church, symbolized by
the woman, is not said to reign with Christ a thousand years, but, on
the other hand, is represented as driven into the wilderness, her public
reign on earth being ended by the holy city being trodden under foot of
a profane multitude of apostate beast-worshipers; and the two witnesses,
clothed in sackcloth, were prophesying only in a few isolated,
individual hearts.

A careful study of this scripture, taken in connection with others in
the Revelation applying to the same object, will show that all God's
people, both those here brought to view during the thousand years and
those following that period, are spoken of as dead people resurrected
and reigning. They are considered under two phases--those who, as
symbolized by the man-child, were caught up to God through martyrdom and
there lived and reigned with Christ; and those who, as symbolized by the
woman, were deprived of their public reign on earth and were driven into
the wilderness during the same period. The first phase were "priests of
God and of Christ" and reigned with him in Paradise (chap. 6:9-11); but
"the rest," the phase symbolized by the woman, did not live and enjoy
their public reign again, as in the early days of Christianity, until
the expiration of the thousand-year period. It is true that individuals
on earth received life from God and were thus spiritually resurrected
during the thousand-year period; but the dominant beast-power martyred
them by thousands, the two witnesses were then in their sack-cloth
state, and thus the public triumphal reign of the saints on earth
ceased. The statement of verse five that "the rest of the dead lived not
again until the thousand years were finished" should be applied not in
an individual, but in a general sense, the same as the reign above
during the same period is considered. There is also some doubt as to the
authenticity of this sentence. It is not found in the Vatican
Manuscript, which is one of the oldest in existence; and the Syriac
Version, which has come down to us from early days through an entirely
separate channel, does not contain it. However, it is evident that the
phase of the church symbolized by the woman actually reigns triumphantly
on earth after the thousand years is finished; for verses 7-9 of this
chapter show that the dragon, combined with Gog and Magog, goes forth on
the br