The Revelation of Jesus Christ - The Herald

ighteousness shall flourish and be the predominating characteristic of those times, it is
also a fact that the Scriptures teach that there will be exceptions to the general rule. We
read in one of the prophecies respecting those times that "the strangers shall submit
themselves unto Me." (Psa. 18:44.) In the margin this is rendered "lie" or "yield feigned
obedience," which evidently means that they shall submit to superior power, but not in
heart; and this is implied in the next verse, which reads: "The strangers shall fade away,
and be afraid out of their close places." The Prophet Isaiah also describing Millennial
conditions says: "When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants [in general,
doubtless] of the world will learn righteousness," but further adds, "Let favor be shewed to
the wicked [the goat class], yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness
[the Millennial earth] will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord."
(Isa. 26:9,10.) Likewise the Prophet Zechariah speaking of the same times pronounces the
punishment of those who do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the glorious King.--
Zech. 14:16,17.
With the binding of Satan and his being cast into the "abyss," the forces of evil lose their
great inspirer and leader. Evil itself is thus deprived of its source or fountain. As one has
truthfully said:
"While the stream of evil may no longer flow from its 'source,' there still remains that
which already issued forth to deal with; thus while Satan may no longer be permitted to
send forth a further stream of evil to corrupt the nations, that which has issued and been
absorbed by humanity must be removed. This removal constitutes the work of Christ and
His Church in the coming Age; and it is surely encouraging to know that the source of this
evil has been cut off, thus making the task of eradicating evil in the human heart much
simpler than if the 'fountain' continued its supply. What evil has been absorbed by
humanity, still abiding in the hearts of transgressors, must be annihilated and replaced by
righteousness."
The Divine reason given for Satan's being bound is stated to be, "that he might deceive the
nations no more until the thousand years should be ended." A very important matter to
decide in order to a correct interpretation of this thousand-year period as it is related to
God's great Plan of the Ages is, Who or what is represented by the nations that are to
benefit by this complete restraint of Satan and evil? In reply to this we will notice first that
the destruction portrayed in connection with the great Armageddon battle is not the
destruction of the nations or peoples, but rather the destruction of the great ruling powers.
Governments may fall, and armies may be defeated, but the nations or peoples over which
these governments rule may still continue to exist. To illustrate this matter, we may
properly say that the defeat of Germany and the overthrow of the Hohenzollern Dynasty
did not destroy the German people or the German nationality. The conquerors of Germany
might have followed up the victory and given to the Germans entirely new laws and
institutions and organized them under a new rule or government for an entirely new life.
In such an event the conquerors would have done to and for the German peoples or nation
something of a similar character to what is implied will be done to all the nations of the