I invite you to take your Bibles and turn with me to our text for today's sermon as it is found in Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 10. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. Perhaps some may question the need to spend the time we have spent in addressing how various eschatological interpretive systems interpret the future prophetic outlook for the nations of this world, including the nation of Israel. However, I am convinced that when such a biblical study is developed and examined, when the truth of Christ is declared and when error is exposed and refuted, we will gain a renewed appreciation for the covenant love of Jesus Christ for not only individuals but for the nation of Israel and for the nations of the world. who will be brought to Christ as the Spirit of God feeds the nations of the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ in unprecedented success and glory. Such a view of the prophetic future is not one, dear ones, of idle curiosity, but is rather one of certain confidence in our sovereign God who from all eternity has decreed the victory of Christ over the nations, and has given the nations of the world unto Christ as his inheritance to rule over them for a figurative thousand years, as we find in Psalm 2. verses 8 through 12, this eternal decree of the Lord God the Father to the Son, beginning with verse 8. The Father says to the Son, ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen, that is, literally, the nations there, the nations for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. And that is why, because the nations have been given to Christ, therefore the exhortation and command that follows to serve the Lord with fear. and to rejoice before the Lord with trembling, and for the kings and the princes of the earth to kiss the Son, lest ye be angry, and ye perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little." But the blessing is then uttered in the conclusion of this psalm, they that put their trust in Him, who do not resist Him, but put their trust, their faith and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is what we have seen will occur in Revelation chapter 20, verses 4 through 6, when the nations of the world will come into the visible church of Jesus Christ and will reign in the spirit and the power of the faithful martyrs and faithful witnesses of Christ for a figurative thousand years. Dear ones, because all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Christ according to Matthew 28 18, we can be absolutely confident and assured that all nations, not a few individuals in all nations, but all nations, as nations, will be discipled according to the Great Commission. In Matthew 28, 19. For the Lord's covenant love is not limited to one nation, namely Israel, but God's covenant love for the nation of Israel in converting that unworthy Christ despising nation to Christ is a paradigm, if you will, of what the Lord will accomplish for all the nations of the world in the future millennium upon the earth. Dear ones, when we see with the eye of faith the power of God's covenant love manifested in the future conversion of the ungodly nations of the world, including the nation of Israel, including the United States of America, as wicked and ungodly as it is, we are filled with a renewed hope that there is no heart that cannot be broken and brought to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thus, dear ones, faint not in bringing those loved ones to Christ in prayer. for he who will draw the nations to himself is able to draw the most resistant and rebellious sinners to Christ. Remember from the Old Testament in 2nd Chronicles 33, King Manasseh, how wicked he was. He was the son of a righteous king, Hezekiah, and yet he turned away from the the righteous and godly ways of his father in following the Lord and offered up every manner and form of idolatry to false gods, destroyed the house of God, erected abominations in the temple of God, but God judged him and he was led into captivity and in captivity he turned to the Lord in repentance and in sorrow And the Lord brought Manasseh to himself, and he returned Manasseh to the throne in Judah. And Manasseh then wrought the good ways of his father Hezekiah in bringing a glorious reformation in Judah. And don't forget, dear ones, likewise the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy. Chapter 1, verses 15 and 16. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. Howbeit, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them but should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Do not despair. Do not faint. Do not grow weary. The Lord is going to save the nations as he has promised. He is certainly able to save those for whom you pray day and night. This Lord's Day we continue to examine the interpretive system of partial preterism in light of Revelation chapter 20. If you want to review where partial preterism fails to do justice to the restoration of the nation of Israel in Romans 11, where partial preterism errs in its interpretation of the binding of Satan in Revelation 20 verses 1-3, and where partial preterism misinterprets the living and reigning with Christ for a figurative thousand years in Revelation 20 verses 4 through 6, I refer you to the previous three sermons for review. We won't be going over those three sermons right now. Our focus today will be upon the little season as it's referred to in Revelation 20 verse 3, the little season after the termination of the figurative thousand years in Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 10, in which Satan is released from Christ's divine restraint so that he once again goes out to deceive and mislead the nations of the world into false religion and to lead the nations in a worldwide attack upon the pure and faithful church of Christ. And so our first main point today, and the main point that we will be focusing on then is partial preterism and Revelation 20 verses 7 through 10. Once again, just to have this passage very clearly in mind, read this portion of God's Word. Revelation 20, verses 7 through 10. And when a thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. Gog and Magog. to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." There are two questions that we will seek to answer from this portion of God's Word today. The first question to be answered is this one. Does the little season in which Satan is released continue the blessings of the first resurrection in which God's people live and reign with Christ. The partial preterist interprets this little season of Satan's resurgence in the nations of the world and attacking Christ's faithful church as happening simultaneous with the first resurrection and the living and reigning of God's people with Christ. For remember that the partial preterist claims that the living and reigning with Christ in the first resurrection is the regeneration of God's elect upon earth and the enjoyment of all spiritual blessings by God's people in heaven and on earth since the first century. And since the blessings of spiritual regeneration and the blessings of heaven for God's people cannot come to an end, whether in heaven or on earth, but rather continue from age to age, the partial preterist argues that when the figurative millennium ends and the little season begins, when Satan is released, God's people continue to enjoy the blessings of the first resurrection in heaven and on earth in living and reigning with Christ. However, is that what the inspired text in Revelation chapter 20 declares? Well, let us see. With the historic postmillennial interpretive system, I maintain that the scripture as found in Revelation 20 cannot be used to support this interpretation proposed by the partial preterist. Why? For the following two reasons. First, because it is clearly the intention of the Holy Spirit to teach that the blessings of the first resurrection in living and reigning with Christ are temporally limited and enclosed by a stated period of time, namely a figurative thousand years, as we've noted in previous sermons. For example, in Revelation 20, verse 4, "...and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Likewise, in Revelation 20, verse 6, "...and shall reign with him a thousand years." In other words, when the figurative thousand years comes to an end, that is, when the little season begins, and when Satan is released to deceive the nations once again The blessings of the first resurrection and living and reigning with Christ also come to an end. But since the spiritual blessings, dear ones, of regeneration and the blessings of heaven are not and cannot be temporally limited by a figurative thousand years, the blessings of the first resurrection and living and reigning with Christ cannot be identical to the spiritual blessings of regeneration and the blessings of heaven as is maintained by the partial preterist. Second, because even as the blessings of the first resurrection in living and reigning with Christ are temporarily limited to a figurative thousand years, according to Revelation 20, verses 4-6. Even so, the divine restraint of Satan is temporarily limited to the exact same figurative thousand years, according to Revelation 20, verse 3. where it says, and cast him, that is Satan, into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should not deceive the nations no more till a thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season. But note, dear ones, that after the figurative thousand years have ended when the divine restraint of Satan has ceased then shall be released Satan, so that he goes out to deceive the nations once again." Notice in Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 8. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth. So here is the point. If Satan is bound for a temporally limited period of time, namely a figurative thousand years, and shall after the thousand years no longer be bound, then likewise the blessings of the first resurrection in living and reigning with Christ, which are also temporally limited to the same exact figurative thousand years shall, after the thousand years, no longer continue." In other words, the little season that begins after the figurative thousand years have expired brings to an end both the divine restraint of Satan, in Revelation 20, 1-3, and brings to an end the first resurrection and the living and reigning with Christ, in Revelation 20, verses four through six, contrary to the view of the partial preterist. Why would, I ask, the Holy Spirit use the exact same temporal limitations of time, namely a figurative thousand years, for both the divine restraint of Satan And the blessings of the first resurrection and living and reigning with Christ if they did not both begin and cease at the same time. And they do cease when the figurative thousand years are ended. The second question from our text today that needs to be answered. Who are the rest of the dead that lived not again until the thousand years were finished? In Revelation chapter 20 verse 5. The partial preterist, at least one popular version held by the partial preterist, identifies the rest of the dead as the rest of all the spiritual dead who come to life when they are physically resurrected. Notice, physically resurrected in the general resurrection as we find that general resurrection mentioned later on in Revelation 20 verses 12-13. where it speaks of the dead, small and great, coming to life and standing before God. Since, dear ones, the general resurrection, Revelation 20, verses 12 through 13, occurs after, though not immediately after, the thousand years, The partial preterist argues that that is the time in which the spiritual dead come to life, physical life, raised physically. Thus the partial preterist maintains that the first resurrection is spiritual and is enjoyed by only those who are regenerated on earth and reign with Christ in heaven for a figurative thousand years, while the second resurrection is physical and though experienced by the just and the unjust there is special attention attached to the physical resurrection of only the unjust in Revelation 20 verse 5 that is according to the partial preterist. But does this interpretation of the rest of the dead by the partial preterist do justice to the inspired words of the Holy Spirit. Again, I submit that they do not. There is not justice done to the inspired words of the Holy Spirit. With a historic post-millennial interpretive system, once again, I stand and maintain that the scripture as found in Revelation 20 cannot be used to support this interpretation proposed by the partial preterist. Why? For the following three reasons. First of all, the first reason why the interpretation of the partial preterist in maintaining that the rest of the dead are all of the spiritual dead coming to physical life at the general resurrection is not faithful to the inspired text is because a first resurrection implies by good and necessary consequence a second resurrection of like kind to follow, not a second resurrection altogether different in kind from the first resurrection. But that is precisely what the partial preterist does not have, namely a second resurrection of like kind to follow the first resurrection. To the contrary, the two resurrections of the partial preterist are anything but alike. For the partial preterist maintains a spiritual resurrection of all the elect in the first resurrection, and a physical resurrection of all the wicked in the second resurrection. However, the historic post-millennialist maintains the same kind of resurrection for both the first resurrection and the second resurrection. Namely, a figurative resurrection of the faithful martyrs and witnesses of Christ and their spiritual descendants who come alive in the spirit and power of the faithful martyrs and faithful witnesses of Christ to fill and to govern the nations of the world for a figurative thousand years in the first resurrection. Revelation 20 verses 4-6. And the historic Postmillennialist also maintains a figurative resurrection of the unfaithful, wicked, and their spiritual descendants who come alive in the spirit and power of those nations previously deceived and misled by Satan before the millennium to fill and govern the nations of the world for a little season as Satan goes out to deceive the nations once again in the second resurrection as we find in Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 10. In other words, the historic post-millennial position has as the first resurrection a figurative resurrection of the righteous and the second resurrection being a figurative resurrection of the wicked. They're both like and kind, whereas the partial preterist has a spiritual resurrection of the elect and a physical resurrection of all, but focusing mainly upon the wicked. As we have noted in previous sermons, Resurrection language is used a number of times by God in Scripture when a nation like Israel or nations that appeared to be dead and buried by enemies come to national life once again. As we noted in, again we won't look up all of these passages but I will just refer to them, in Isaiah 26 verses 15 through 19 There we see the nation of Israel depicted as dead but coming to life. Likewise, in Ezekiel 37 verses 12-14, again, Israel, dead, conquered by its enemies, comes to life again nationally and is planted once again in its own land that God had promised to it. Again, The same thing taught in Hosea 6, verses 1-3. However, when we come to Romans 11-15, there a resurrection is spoken of, but it's not a resurrection of one nation, but it's a resurrection of the nations and the world coming to life by the power of God's Spirit as the gospel is proclaimed and received by the nations of the world. And in Revelation chapter 11, verses 11 through 12, we find the two witnesses there who represent Christ's faithful church during this period of apostasy, 1260 year period of apostasy, that during that period of time, the faithful witnesses of Christ proclaim the truth. But toward the end of that period, they are subdued. In fact, it speaks of them being slain, but their bodies not being buried, lying openly to be ridiculed and scandaled. And so there would seem that again, we see toward the end of that 1260 year period, an overwhelming power of Satan that silences the faithful testimony of Christ, at least public testimony of Christ, in declaring God's glories throughout the whole world. But in that same passage there is a resurrection. Revelation chapter 11, verse 12, there is a resurrection, a coming to life of these witnesses, which I submit to you speaks of the glorious millennial period when the nations will come into the visible church, when in fact the spirit and power of the faithful martyrs and faithful witnesses of Christ will be what is promoted, what characterizes those believers during that millennial period. And for that reason, when we come to Revelation 11 verse 15, we find that after the resurrection of these two faithful witnesses and martyrs, which represent the faithful church, we find the words that now The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever. And so, again, this resurrection language is used in the Scripture. to speak of the resurrection of nations to national life that appeared to be dead, that appeared to be conquered, and were for a period of time, but who come to life subsequently. And I think that fits very well with the historic post-millennial interpretation of the first and the second resurrection as we find it in our text. The partial preterist will appeal to a passage like John 5.25 and John 5.28. John 5.25 speaks of the spiritual resurrection of God's elect. Three verses later, in John 5.28, we find the physical resurrection of all men. And they will again promote the view that that is what is in view in Revelation chapter 20. Now it's plausible. That's certainly plausible. But is that what the text teaches? Are there any inconsistencies with that particular view? And I would submit that, in fact, that there are. I would submit, dear ones, that neither of these two resurrections, that is, the resurrections referred to in John 5.25 and John 5.28, the spiritual resurrection or regeneration of the elect, and then the physical resurrection of all men, neither of these two resurrections are referred to in the text there as The first resurrection implying a second resurrection of like kind to follow. It doesn't use first resurrection, the first resurrection. I think that that's very important that in Revelation 20, it does use the first resurrection because again, the first implies that a second like it is to follow. But that's not used in John 5, 25 and 28. Nor do the resurrections in John 5.25 and John 5.28 follow the pattern of the resurrections mentioned in Revelation 20 verse 4 and Revelation 20 verse 5. For the first resurrection, note carefully, the first resurrection in Revelation 20 verse 4 refers only to the righteous. That is the figurative resurrection of the faithful martyrs and witnesses of Christ during the millennium. They've already been regenerated when they are raised. It is not their regeneration that is the first resurrection. They're already faithful martyrs and faithful witnesses of Christ when they are raised. And it refers only to the righteous And the second resurrection that's mentioned in Revelation 20 verse 5 where it says the rest of the dead come not to life until after the thousand years are finished refers only to the wicked. The rest of the dead refers only to the wicked. That is the figurative resurrection of the wicked after the millennium when Satan is released. But according to the partial preterists The first resurrection refers to the righteous and the second resurrection refers to all mankind, both the righteous and the wicked, who will be raised physically on the last day. This is clearly contrary to what is revealed concerning the two resurrections by the Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 20 verses 4 and 5. A second reason why the interpretation of the partial preterist in maintaining that the rest of the dead are all of the spiritual dead coming to life, coming to physical life at the general resurrection, is not faithful to the inspired text, is because the rest of the dead in Revelation 20 verse 5 are mentioned previously as having been slain by the Lord in Revelation 19 verse 21. Now this is obviously very important if we find a connection between the rest of the dead in Revelation 20 verse 5 and something that's revealed earlier in the book of Revelation in just a few verses before what is revealed in Revelation 20 verse 5. For in Revelation 19.21, note what we read, "...and the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse. Which sword proceeded out of his mouth, and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." Once again, the King James Version has given two different words, the rest of the dead in Revelation 20 verse 5 and the remnant that were slain in Revelation 19.21 for one and the same Greek word used in both verses. Loipoi is the Greek word that's used in both verses. Although the Greek word loipoi may be translated as either remnant, as it is translated in Revelation 19.21, or as the remnant, as it is translated in Revelation 19.21, or as the rest, as it is translated in Revelation 20.5, nevertheless it is the same Greek word that is used and ought to be translated, I would submit, exactly the same way in English in both of those verses because they refer to the same dead and occur only a few verses apart. The way it reads where in Revelation 19.21 it's translated the remnant, and in Revelation 20.5 it's translated the rest, the English reader might suppose, because two different words are used, that they're referring to two different groups of people. Whereas in the Greek language, again, the Holy Spirit makes it clear that no, we're talking about the same group of people, because the same word is used in both cases. Again, I submit to you that it is no accident that the Holy Spirit has carefully chosen to use the same Greek word for those slain by Christ in Revelation 19.21 and for those who will live again after the thousand years are expired. They did not live during the thousand the figurative thousand years during the millennium, but they will live again after the thousand years are expired. For Christ smites the nations of the world that have been deceived and misled by Satan into false religion. Revelation chapter 19 verse 21. He smites the nations, but these same nations likewise are bound, when Satan is bound during the figurative millennium, so that they cannot go forth and, either in the case of Satan, deceive the nations, or in the case of the nations, persecute and war against the faithful Church of Christ. I submit, this is the death of the wicked who filled and governed the nations of the world under the power of Satan before the millennium. And although there will be those who are wicked and rebellious during the millennium, as we see from Isaiah 64.20 and Zechariah 14.17-19, all of those who rebel against who are rebellious in their hearts against the Lord during the millennium will feign and pretend submission to Christ or will suffer the consequences of their rebellion against the Lord during the millennium. But it is in fact those who feign obedience and submission to Christ during the millennium and as the millennium progresses there are increasingly more and more and more and more of them, though the nations haven't officially turned against Christ or changed their constitutions, continue to worship, there is a growing number of those who feign obedience and pretend obedience to Christ until when Satan is released after the millennium, in the little season, He goes forth and he deceives the hearts of many, many wicked who will then populate the earth by and large and govern the nations of the world and will lead an attack through those nations that have been deceived once again against the faithful church of Christ. Moreover, dear ones, the verb in our English text in Revelation 25 where it says, lived not again, that is, the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. That verb, live not again, as found in the Authorized Version and as found in the Greek text of the Textus Receptus implies that the rest of the dead had previously lived, died, and shall live again. When had this group identified as the rest of the dead previously lived and died? I would submit that Revelation 19.21 gives us the clear answer to that question. They lived and they died when Christ destroyed them by the sword which proceeds from his mouth, the word of God, the gospel of salvation, and bringing even from many of those nations, and bringing many of those leaders, and bringing them to Christ so that they propagate the truth of Jesus Christ. At that time, those wicked were subdued. Thus to summarize, dear ones, under this second question, there are two figurative resurrections alluded to in Revelation 20. There is the figurative resurrection of the faithful martyrs and witnesses of Christ, that's the first resurrection, who are figuratively raised to life in their spiritual descendants, who come alive by the power of the gospel in the spirit and power of the faithful martyrs and witnesses of Christ, just as John the Baptist is said to have come alive in the spirit and power of Elijah in Luke 1 17. To fill and to govern the nations of the world while the wicked under Satan are defeated and restrained from their rule for a figurative thousand years, in Revelation 20, verses 4-6. After the figurative thousand years have ended, in Revelation 20, verses 7-10, there is also the figurative resurrection of the wicked, the second resurrection, and their spiritual descendants who come alive by the power of Satan and the spirit and power of those wicked who were previously slain by Christ in Revelation 19.21 to fill and to govern the nations of the world, while the faithful church of Christ, at that time now greatly diminished in numbers, once again faces the onslaught of these wicked enemies and nations in the four quarters of the world who are figuratively designated by the names Gog and Magog in Revelation 20 verse 8. Which is again historically looking back to the Old Testament what the enemies of God are called in Ezekiel 38.2 and Ezekiel 39.1. These references to Gog and Magog appear there. But the Lord, dear ones, returns as a thief in the night, with fire from heaven, in Revelation 20, verse 9, as we likewise find in 2 Thessalonians 1, 8, to catch Satan and the wicked unaware, just when they seem to have the destruction of Christ's faithful church within their grasp. Satan will then be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where he shall be tormented day and night forever and ever as we find in Revelation 20 verse 10. The third and final reason why the interpretation of the partial preterist in maintaining that the rest of the dead are all of the spiritual dead coming to physical life in the general resurrection, is not faithful to the inspired text, is because we are told the precise time when the rest of the dead will come to life. In Revelation 25, 20 verse 5, we are found the time when the rest of the dead will come to life. when it says, but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. But when is that? Well, Revelation 20 verse 7 begins with these very words, and when the thousand years are expired or finished. And though It may appear, once again, according to the King James Version, there is a difference between the words used in Revelation 20 verse 5, when it says the thousand years were finished, and in Revelation 20 verse 7, the thousand years are expired. I submit to you, once again, the Greek words are identical in spelling and in order in both cases. Thus, when we are told in Revelation 20 verse 5 that the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. The Greek word used there for the verb is telesthe. And when we read in Revelation 20, verse 7, that when the thousand years are expired, the Greek verb once again that's used there is telesthe. We are clearly told when it is that the rest of the dead were to come to life, namely, in the little season after Satan is loose to deceive the nations." Admittedly, it would be easier to make the right connection if the English version used the same English words in both cases as does the Greek. But now that you have been told that they are the same words, you can, in your own minds, make that particular application. Why would we not seek, dear ones, to find the second resurrection of the rest of the dead in the little season of Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 10 when we're clearly told that it is the precise time according to Revelation 20 verse 5 that we should await the resurrection of the rest of the dead? It's like the Holy Spirit was saying I will tell you when the rest of the dead will live again." They will live again after the thousand years have ended, and when the thousand years have ended, Satan will go forth to deceive the nations once again, thus bringing to life once again the old enemies that war against the faithful church. Why would we entirely skip over Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 through 10 when we have that specific language used and go to Revelation chapter 20 verses 12-13 to find the resurrection of the rest of the dead, when there is such a clear temporal and grammatical connection between what is said in Revelation 20 verse 5 and what is said in Revelation 20 verse 7. And when there is no temporal or grammatical connection with what is said concerning the physical resurrection of all the dead in Revelation 20 verses 12-13. These then summarize the reasons why I believe the interpretation given by the partial preterists in Revelation 20 verses 7-10 fail to do justice to the inspired words of this prophecy. Beloved Revelation 20 verses 7-10 reveals to us, I believe, some important truths concerning which we need to be continually reminded. And I note these for you as we conclude today. Satan and the wicked who oppress and seek to destroy the faithful Church of Christ will be destroyed themselves once and for all. They will be destroyed once and for all. That is our hope even as we suffer presently. They will be destroyed, judged and destroyed once and for all. We become weary and exhausted and warring spiritually against the enemies of our soul and against the enemies of the faithful church. At time we see some significant victory over these enemies in our lives or in history, only to see again how these very enemies seem to be resurrected to come against us and to come against the faithful church once and again. What is true, dear ones of the faithful church, which reigns over its enemies for a figurative thousand years, in Revelation 20 verses 4-6 and then is besieged once again after the figurative thousand years have ended when Satan goes out to deceive the nations of the world in Revelation 20 verses 7-10 is also true of our own spiritual battle with the adversaries of our soul and of the adversaries of the faithful church presently. How often has it happened to us all that we are graciously delivered by the Lord from a besetting sin and from a dangerous temptation, and for a time we enjoy such a conspicuous victory of grace over sin, just to find out once again that the battle is not finished, when we fall once again into that sin and then rise up again to renew our repentance, faith, and new obedience. And this process seems to happen over and over and over again in our lives. Dear ones, we are instructed by the Holy Spirit as we consider how Satan goes out to deceive the nations once again after the faithful church has reigned in victory over her enemies for even a thousand, a figurative thousand years, that we must never think that those spiritual victories over our adversaries are totally and finally accomplished until Satan is finally cast into the lake of fire. Yes, we must rejoice. We must rejoice in all the victories Christ wins for us, in all the blessings God gives to us through Christ Jesus now by way of the covenant of grace, dear ones. But we must not become careless. We must not become ignorant of Satan's devices. We must not become indifferent and apathetic or proud in thinking we are now invincible to the attacks of the enemy, or acting as though we are invincible to the attacks of the enemy, because we forsake our regular worship of God, or we, in our regular worship of God, simply go through the motions, but are not laying hold, as it were, with our hands on the throne of mercy and grace. We must constantly watch and pray that we enter not into temptation. So we find in Matthew 26.41, and take heed lest when we proudly think we stand, as Peter thought he stood when walking on the sea, that we fall, according to 1 Corinthians 10-12. Thus, dear ones, we ought not to expect an easy road or a comfortable path in standing for Christ and his truth presently. Count it therefore not strange when you face opposition from family and friends who want you to join them attending unfaithful churches that have turned away from the doctrine, worship, and government delivered to us by the Apostles and our covenanted forefathers. When you face opposition from co-workers for not following them to their drunken parties or in laughing with them at their immoral jokes, When you face opposition from employers for not working on the Sabbath. When you face the opposition of the civil government because you will not join ranks with all those who tolerate false religion, covenant breaking, abortion, sexual immorality, and no-fault divorces. Dear ones, the martyr spirit that is to live and is to abide within us now, is given to us. And that same martyr spirit that will characterize those generations of believers during the millennium, I think is summarized for us. very concisely and very faithfully in Revelation chapter 12 verse 11. And they overcame him, that is Satan, by the blood of the Lamb. That is, they received And they rested in the finished work, in the completed obedience, in the righteousness of Christ on their behalf as found in the covenant of grace. They overcame Him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. That is, their testimony for Christ was not a silent testimony. They were not a secret Christian, an undercover Christian, but rather they overcame the enemy by way of the word of their testimony and standing for Christ and for his truth. and they loved not their lives unto the death, that is, nothing in this world was more important to them, not even their own lives, than Christ and his truth. Beloved, may we earnestly and continuously seek to obtain in prayer by God's grace that the spirit and power of the faithful martyrs and faithful witnesses of Christ come alive in our lives and in His church throughout the world even now. For that is what Christ will bring to pass in the millennium. Amen. Let us stand in prayer. Lord our God, we believe, but help thou our unbelief. For our faith, O Lord, is like a mustard seed, so small. But thou hast, Lord, encouraged us that even the faith of a mustard seed, ever so small, when it is placed in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His truth, in His promises, can overcome even mountains, kingdoms that Satan would raise up to come against us. We praise Thee, O Lord, for Thy Word today and ask that, Lord, we would heed both the promises that Thou has given to us that, Lord, thy church will live and reign with Christ, but also that we would heed the warnings, that we are not invincible. In fact, we are very vulnerable, and that, Lord, we must rest in the righteousness of Christ, that we must give faithful testimony, and we must not love our lives even unto death. We pray, Lord, that Thou would help us to walk faithfully before Thee, that we would not be, Lord, a people who in public are very righteous, but, Lord, in secret are very wicked and ungodly. Help us, our God, to be people of integrity, that what we declare with our mouths we are in our innermost being. Grant us, Lord, that grace. We ask in the name of Christ. Amen. The Puritan hard drive and the free online Puritan hard drive videos are available at PuritanDownloads.com along with many other Puritan and Reformed books for as little as 99 cents each. Hello and welcome to this introductory video for the Puritan Hard Drive by Stillwater's Revival Books. You'll soon see why the Puritan Hard Drive is a technological revolution in Puritan, Reformation, and Covenanter studies. For over 25 years, Stillwater's Revival Books has provided the worldwide Christian community with the finest in Puritan and Reformation resources, including classic and contemporary printed works, inspirational sermons, audio books and videos. In recent years our collection of great Christian works has more than doubled, growing to a library that would occupy nearly 130 CDs. The Puritan hard drive is a tremendous library of over 12,500 Christian resources on an external hard drive that fits easily in your pocket or purse. It features the works of more than 800 classic and contemporary authors including John Bunyan, Matthew Henry, Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Manton, Samuel Rutherford, and Charles Spurgeon. Timeless works like the English Hexafla, Fox's Book of Martyrs, Sketches of the Covenanters, and from the Puritan Divines, the complete 34-volume set of the Puritan Fast Sermons. Many of these books are rare and classic titles unavailable anywhere else. Over 25 years in the making, The Puritan Hard Drive is simply the most extensive Christian collection ever released. The Puritan Hard Drive comprises more than 12,500 Puritan and Reformation resources, over half a million pages of great Christian books, more than 10,000 sermons and audio books in mp3 format, providing years of listening enjoyment. over 70 videos. All in all, a library of thousands of exceptional works accessible and affordable to everyone. Included on the Puritan hard drive is a custom search engine that makes it easy to find, browse, and organize the resources in your library. And much easier than trying to wade through a typical file directory on your computer. Connect the Puritan hard drive to any available USB port on your PC or Mac. The drive is self-contained, so there's no software to install or configure. Within moments, you can begin exploring the library by running the custom search interface. It's also a knowledge base with information about each work, including the author, title, description, keywords, and subject category. For you techies, this database contains over four and a half million records of information. For all of us, that means we have an extremely powerful search and study tool. A list of all resources on the Puritan hard drive is available for viewing at any time. Here we see that the list of print materials contains over 2,100 works. This view is ideal for browsing all documents or media files in alphabetical order. by title or by author. The list is rather long, so using the search function of the Knowledge Base is the easiest way of finding resources of interest to you. For example, let's say that my pastor recommended a book by James Henley Thornwell. I can search the Knowledge Base by author by typing his name in this field or by selecting it from the complete list of nearly 800 authors provided at the click of a button. Clicking the search button executes the search and immediately returns a list of all resources by this author. In this case, I've quickly found the book that was recommended to me. Clicking on the green icon opens the resource, allowing me to begin my reading. Further details about any resource can be found by clicking on the book cover icon, which opens the resource detail page. From here, I can browse the details of this work, I can add and save my own notes about it and open the resource for reading, listening, or viewing. Your search capabilities don't end there. The majority of the rare, classic works on the Puritan hard drive now contain an embedded index. This means that the actual text of these resources is now fully searchable for the first time in history. Enter a search term in Adobe Acrobat Reader. In this case, a search for the word scripture yields instant results. Having searchable text also makes it possible to highlight, copy, and paste the text into another document, such as a sermon, a lesson plan, or a school paper. Less time spent on research means more time for reading, studying, and appreciating the resources in your library. Just another reason why the Puritan hard drive is a technological revolution in Puritan, Reformation, and Covenanter studies. Thank you for watching this introduction to the Puritan hard drive by Stillwaters Revival Books, serving Christians worldwide for over 25 years. Join us in our other videos as we demonstrate even more features and functionality of the Puritan hard drive. For more information, visit us on the web at puritandownloads.com. Until then, be well and God bless.