Chapter Forty - Crushing the Serpent's Head

The Final Test

By the end of the Thousand Year Reign, all earth will have come to resemble the original Eden. It will be a veritable paradise. Perfect mankind will no longer need a high priest intercede for it before God, since all traces of the Adamic sin will have been removed and the last enemy, death, brought to nothing. Christ's Kingdom will have achieved God's purpose to create one world with one government. At this point, Jesus "hands over the kingdom to his God and Father." -1 Corinthians 15:22-26; Romans 15:12. 

It is now time for a final test. Will that perfected world of mankind, in contrast with the first humans in Eden, stand firm in its integrity? John tells us what happens: "Now  as soon as the thousand years have been ended, Satan will be let loose out of his prison, and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war.  The number of these is as the sand of the sea. And they advanced over the breadth of the earth and encircled the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city." -Revelation 20:7-9a.

How will Satan's last effort fare?  He deceives "those nations n the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog," and leads them to "the war." Who could possibly side with Satan after a thousand years of joyful, upbuilding theocratic rule?  Well, do not forget that Satan was able to mislead the perfect Adam and Eve while they were enjoying life in the Paradise of Eden. And he was able  to lead astray heavenly angels  who had seen the bad results of the original rebellion.  (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)  So we should not be surprised that some perfect humans will be enticed to follow Satan even after a delightful thousand years of rule by God's Kingdom.

Next time: Chapter Forty - Crushing the Serpent's Head - Conclusion of The Final Test

From the book of Revelation