mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and
they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first
resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him
a thousand years.

We have in this description another division of the subject
introduced--a history of God's people, or one phase of the church,
during the same thousand years following the casting down of the dragon.
"They lived and reigned with Christ." It was those who had "part in the
first resurrection" that were exalted to this honored position with
Christ. Millenarians always _assume_ that this refers to a literal
resurrection at the second coming of Christ, but no such thing is hinted
at. Not one word is said about literally resurrected saints reigning.
John says, "I saw the _souls_ of them which were beheaded for the
witness of Jesus ... and _they_ lived and reigned with Christ a thousand
years." Nothing whatever is said about any reign on earth at all; but
the description shows plainly that it was disembodied spirits that were
reigning with Christ in Paradise during the period that followed the
casting down of the dragon, which was in reality one of long apostasy
and darkness on earth. Before and during this conflict with Paganism the
church of God was publicly triumphant on earth. Afterward, during the
apostasy, a false church was, in the public view, triumphant, while the
church of God was crowded out of sight into the wilderness. However, the
reign of God's saints did not cease; for when they were slaughtered by
their relentless persecutors and deprived of their reign on earth, they
were, as symbolized by the man-child, caught up to God and to his throne
and there "lived and reigned with Christ" during the thousand years
under consideration.

This same thought concerning the reign of the martyrs in Paradise while
the powers of evil triumphed on earth, was brought to view on the
opening of the fifth seal in chapter 6:9-11. "And when he had opened the
fifth seal, I saw under the altar the _souls of them that were slain_
for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost
thou not judge and aveng