prophet are represented as being taken and
thrown into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. "The remnant" that
were slain refers to the other powers of wickedness not embraced in
Catholicism and Protestantism This series being now traced to its close,
the narrative returns to take up another important theme of prophetic
truth.

CHAPTER XX.

And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is
the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.

3. And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and
set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more,
till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he
must be loosed a little season.

It is commonly supposed that the events here described are to occur at
the second advent; but by considering carefully the different things
enumerated in this chapter--the binding of the dragon; then a thousand
years; after that the Armageddon battle; and last of all the judgment
scene, in which all the dead, both small and great, are rewarded, and
all the powers of wickedness cast into the lake of fire--it will be seen
at once that this is not a continuation of the series of prophecy
immediately preceding, but an entirely new theme, running partly
parallel with that series, and both ending at the same point--the second
coming of Christ and the general judgment, in which the lake of fire is
the final doom of the combined powers of wickedness. In that series the
beast and the false prophet--Romanism and Protestantism--were the chief
powers of evil under consideration; in this series the dragon feature
predominates. If this be not true, then there will be two judgment
scenes and the wicked cast into the lake of fire twice. Positive proof
of the position here taken will be given as we proceed.

The power here referred to as "the Devil and Satan" is also denominated
"the dragon." This use of the definite article shows clearly that a
particular character is designated--_the_ dragon--and implies that the
object has already been introduced. In his first appearance upon the
symbolic panorama (chap. 12:3) he is simply styled _a_ dragon, but in
every subsequent instance he is called _the_ dragon, which proves that
the same character is meant. In addition to the former remarks on
chapter 12:9 relative