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The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

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66<br />

THE UNHOLY TRINITY<br />

time, Satan will use the expectation <strong>of</strong> the simple to delude them into<br />

believing that this is Christ in His second coming. To that end, the Devil<br />

has been preparing for close to 17 centuries, by spreading among<br />

Christians the heresy <strong>of</strong>:<br />

THE MILLENNIAL RULE OF CHRIST:<br />

This heresy which started in the third century is based on the wrong<br />

interpretation <strong>of</strong> Revelation 20:1-7:<br />

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key <strong>of</strong> the<br />

bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the<br />

dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him<br />

a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,<br />

and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till<br />

the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed<br />

a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and<br />

judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls <strong>of</strong> them that were<br />

beheaded for the witness <strong>of</strong> Jesus, and for the word <strong>of</strong> God, and which<br />

had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his<br />

mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned<br />

with Christ a thousand years. But the rest <strong>of</strong> the dead lived not again<br />

until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.<br />

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the<br />

second death hath no power, but they shall be priests <strong>of</strong> God and <strong>of</strong><br />

Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the<br />

thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out <strong>of</strong> his prison.<br />

Followers <strong>of</strong> this heresy, which the <strong>Church</strong> repudiated in the Second<br />

Ecumenical Council, believe that prior to Christ’s coming to judge the<br />

world, He will actually come to earth to reign for a literal thousand years<br />

with the elect. If we examine the passage carefully, we find out that<br />

those who reigned with Christ were the souls <strong>of</strong> the elect who had died,<br />

for we are told that the rest <strong>of</strong> the dead did not share in this reign with<br />

Christ. This thousand year reign <strong>of</strong> the souls <strong>of</strong> the elect with Christ is<br />

called the first resurrection, and those who participate in this first<br />

resurrection, will not suffer the second death (eternal damnation in the<br />

lake <strong>of</strong> fire.) <strong>The</strong> <strong>Church</strong> believes that we are already in the thousand<br />

year reign <strong>of</strong> Christ. Satan has been bound by Christ when he died on

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