so six thousand years of human existence on earth will end before this twentieth century ends, or in 1996 C.E. According to a more recent calculation of the Bible timetable, six thousand years of man’s existence will end in the latter half of the year 1975, which is well within this century. The Bible millennium is ahead of us, and, according to the count of time and the events of world history, it is approaching. It is not ending, as Roman Catholic comments on the Bible would make us believe. In the Murphy edition of the English Douay Version of the Holy Bible, Apocalypse 20:1, 2 reads:

26, 27. (a) According to the footnotes of the Murphy edition of the Bible, when did Satan begin to be bound? (b) Also, when is the time of the millennium, and during it, what do the martyred saints do?

²⁶ “And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”

²⁷ The footnote on the expression “bound him, &c.” reads: “The power of Satan has been very much limited by the passion of Christ.” Then the footnote on the expression “for a thousand years” reads: “That is, for the whole time of the New Testament: but especially from the time of the destruction of Babylon or pagan Rome, till the new efforts of Gog and Magog against the church, towards the end of the world. During which time the souls of the martyrs and saints live and reign with Christ in heaven, in the first resurrection, which is that of the soul to the life of glory; as the second resurrection will be that of the body, at the day of the general judgment.”​—Baltimore (Md.) edition.

28. How long is it now since the passing away of “pagan Rome,” and what do facts of history indicate as to whether Satan is in the bottomless pit?

²⁸ However, it is now more than a thousand years since “pagan Rome” gave way to papal Rome in the fifth century. Today the facts of history belie that Satan the Devil has yet been bound and cast into the abyss, as foretold in Apocalypse (Revelation) 20:3 (Dy), saying: “And he [the angel from heaven] cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should no more seduce the nations, till the thousand years be finished. And after that, he must be loosed a little time.”

29. Where does the Revelation locate the battle of Armageddon, and what, in that connection, proves whether the Dragon Satan the Devil is yet bound and in the bottomless pit?

²⁹ The Apocalypse or book of Revelation unmistakably lines up the battle of Armageddon as taking place before Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit or abyss. The Bible account describes Satan the Devil as having a direct part in gathering the nations to that battlefield, saying that out of the mouth of the Dragon Satan the Devil an unclean spirit comes forth and joins the unclean spirits out of the mouths of the beast and the false prophet in going to the kings of the whole earth and gathering them to the battle of the great day of God the Almighty, which is to be fought at Armageddon. Now is when those three spirits of devils from those three sources are going to the earthly rulers. Now is when those rulers and their armies are on the march to Armageddon, as we have so frequently been warned by prominent men. Logically, then, the Dragon Satan the Devil could not now be bound and be in the bottomless pit unable to seduce the nations any more, if the unclean spirit out of his mouth is joining in the gathering of the earthly rulers and their armies to Armageddon.​—Rev. 16:13-16, Dy.

30. (a) What respecting Satan’s earthly political tools argues that he is not yet sealed up in the pit? (b) What will happen to those political tools at Armageddon, and when will Satan join them there?

³⁰ No, Satan the Devil has not yet been bound and sealed up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. The symbolic “beast” and the “false prophet” are yet on the earth. Likewise Satan the Devil is yet in the vicinity of our earth and using the “beast” and the “false prophet” as his tools to gather the earthly rulers and their armies to their destruction in the war of the great day of God the Almighty. The Apocalypse or Revelation, chapter nineteen, describes the battle of Armageddon on God’s great day, and the chapter locates it just before the binding of Satan and the casting of him into the bottomless pit or abyss. In that coming battle the “beast” and the “false prophet” are cast to their destruction in the symbolic lake of fire and brimstone; and Satan the Devil joins them there first after the thousand years of Christ’s reign over all mankind.​—Rev. 19:11 to 20:3, 7-10, Dy.

31. Why, then, must the millennial reign of Christ yet be future, and what grand fact about it is there today?

³¹ So, then, just as the battle of Armageddon is yet future, the binding and casting of Satan into the bottomless pit is future, for these acts follow the battle of Armageddon. In view of that, the thousand-year reign of Christ must yet be future, for it follows the casting of Satan into the bottomless pit and continues during the thousand years that Satan is imprisoned in that bottomless pit or abyss. Thus again the anti-millenarian teachings of Augustine and other religious leaders of Christendom are proved to be false. We must yet have a real millennial reign of Christ. The grand fact is that it is very near, for our relief.

The Benefits of Mankind’s Millennium

1. (a) What does the Bible indicate as to whether the battle of Armageddon will leave all earth without inhabitant? (b) Who will be the first subjects over whom Christ will reign during the millennium?

DOES the destruction of Babylon the Great and the battle of Armageddon mean wiping out the human race? Will those events leave all earth without inhabitant? Will not even the remnant of Christ’s faithful congregation of 144,000 be left on the earth in vindication of Almighty God’s protective power over them? In answer the Holy Bible strongly indicates that a remnant of these heavenly Kingdom heirs will be preserved through the war of Armageddon for earthly service before their earthly demise and their resurrection and glorification in the heavens. Also, a “great crowd” of dedicated, baptized Christian companions will survive Armageddon with them. These latter will be the first of the human subjects on earth over whom Christ will reign for mankind’s blessing. What is a kingdom without subjects?​—Prov. 14:28.

2. Who make up this “great crowd,” and what does Revelation 7:14 mean in saying that they come “out of the great tribulation”?

² The Apocalypse or book of Revelation itself shows that there will be human survivors of the war of Armageddon and the imprisoning of Satan in the abyss. Revelation, chapter seven, makes it plain that these survivors are different from the 144,000 spiritual Israelites, the associate kings of Jesus Christ. They are an international “great crowd” who acknowledge themselves as subjects of God and his Christ; and Revelation 7:14 states that “these are the ones that come out of the great tribulation.” This means more than that they have come out in favor of God and his Christ during the time of the “great tribulation” with which this worldly system of things ends. It means that they also survive that tribulation under God’s protection and live on into the new system of things that follows on earth. They worship and serve God at his spiritual temple and follow the Lamb Jesus Christ like a Shepherd, who leads them to life-giving waters.​—Rev. 7:9-17.

3. How did Jesus, at Matthew 24:21, 22, 37-39, strongly indicate that there would be survivors of the battle of Armageddon?

³ In his prophecy concerning the end of this system of things the “Fine Shepherd” Jesus Christ indicated that there would be survivors of the “great tribulation,” when he said: “Then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.” And when Jesus added that, as it was in the days of Noah, so it would be in the days of his invisible second presence, he strongly suggested that there would be survivors of the great tribulation, inasmuch as both Noah and the seven members of his family survived the flood with which the ungodly world of his days was destroyed. (Matt. 24:21, 22, 37-39) After the flood, when Noah and his family came out of the ark into the cleansed earth, God told them what to do. (Gen. 9:1-17) No less so will the survivors of the great tribulation need new and suitable instructions.

4. What state of affairs will make it fitting that Christ step in and begin governing the survivors of Armageddon?

⁴ Certain prominent persons of today will not survive the destruction of Babylon the Great and the destruction of the earthly kings and their armies and supporters in the war of Armageddon. There will be no survival for the religious rulers of the Babylonish world empire of false religion or for the political and military rulers who war against the heavenly kingdom of God and his Christ. (Rev. 17:14; 19:19-21) Thereafter, by being imprisoned in the abyss, Satan “the ruler of this world,” “the god of this system of things,” will be removed from all touch with mankind. (John 12:31; 14:30; 2 Cor. 4:4) That state of affairs will make it most fitting that Jesus Christ step in and fill the need of those surviving on earth for a new, righteous, perfect government.

5. What does Revelation 20:4-6 say about this needed government?

⁵ Revelation, chapter twenty, after describing the casting of Satan into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, tells us of this needed government, as the apostle John says: “And I saw thrones, and there were those who sat down on them, and power of judging was given them. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed with the ax for the witness they bore to Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who