ACC ~ Revelation 20 v6

AS MEMBERS OF THE ONE PRIEST, ALL CHRISTIANS ARE PRIESTS. AUGUSTINE: Here he is speaking not just of bishops and of presbyters (who are now priests in the church) but of all Christians. For just as we call all of them Christs by reason of their mystical chrism, we call them all priests insomuch as they are members of the one Priest. Peter speaks of them as a “chosen race, a royal priesthood.” Surely, too, this text implies, however briefly and incidentally, that Christ is God. The words “priests of God and Christ” mean priests of the Father and Son, even though it was in his servant form that Christ was both made Son of man and also ordained a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. CITY OF GOD 20.10.

THOSE WHO KEEP THEMSELVES FROM TEMPTATION. CAESARIUS OF ARLES: The Spirit repeats what he had written before, that the church is going to reign a thousand years in this age until the end of the world. It is clear that no one ought doubt about the eternal rule when the saints rule even in this present age. For those are rightly said to reign who with God’s aid govern well both themselves and others in the temptations of the present world. EXPOSITION ON THE APOCALYPSE 20.6, HOMILY 18.

THOSE WHO NOW REIGN WITH CHRIST. ANDREW OF CAESAREA: [Those who have a portion of the first resurrection] shall serve as priests and shall reign with Christ, as we see, for the thousand years as they are interpreted by us, until Satan is loosed and deceives the nations. Not that these will then be deprived of the kingdom. Rather, they will possess it more certainly and more manifestly with the passing of temporal reality and the arrival of things eternal. For the time between the loosing of the devil and the verdict against him and his punishment in gehenna is short. So, that “they shall be priests of God and of Christ” ought to be regarded as the restoration of former things. … Therefore, since there are two deaths, it is necessary also to accept two resurrections. There is the first, physical death, given as a wage for human disobedience. The second death is eternal punishment. The first resurrection is the giving of lifefrom dead works. The second resurrection is the transformation from the corruption of our bodies into incorruptibility. COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 20.5-6.

GOG AND MAGOG REVELATION 20:7-10

OVERVIEW: During the time of the Lord’s incarnation, the devil’s power was restrained so that the mystery of the incarnation might not be ineffective and without benefit. However, when Christ had ascended into heaven, the devil was once more released to do his customary work of deceiving the nations. In this activity he serves as a sort of athletic trainer for humankind, granting opportunity to the apostles, martyrs, pastors, ascetics and every righteous person to display the strength of their faith (OECUMENIUS). During this period of time the preaching of the gospel will bring in the full and complete harvest of the faithful. After this, the antichrist will come so that unbelievers might be condemned (ANDREW OF CAESAREA), while the saints receive the reality of eternity under the headship of Christ. At this time, too, the nether regions will be freed from the devil who will disappear into eternal perdition (APRINGIUS).

While even now the wicked are hostile to good works (APRINGIUS), at the end of time the devil will gather the nations, Gog and Magog, which are loyal to him to fight against the saints. Although some believe that this has already occurred during the time of the Old Testament or the time of the Maccabees (ANDREW OF CAESAREA), it is clear that this climatic battle will occur at the time of the consummation (OECUMENIUS, ANDREW OF CAESAREA). These nations do not yet exist, or they exist but are given different names in Scripture (OECUMENIUS). It may well be, however, that we should not think of specific tribes or nations. Rather, this last persecution will be against the city of Christ, which exists everywhere in the world. For the city of the devil also is worldwide (AUGUSTINE), and wherever the devil abides in his own people, there a hostile people will emerge out of his arrogance to fight the church (AUGUSTINE, APRINGIUS).

Exalted in their own pride (APRINGIUS, CAESARIUS OF ARLES), the devil and his followers will encompass the church, for they are intermixed and intermingled with it (AUGUSTINE, APRINGIUS). However, the blazing zeal of the saints will torment the ungodly (AUGUSTINE) even as the ungodly are consumed by the fire of their sins. Some of the ungodly may convert to Christ through the fire of the Holy Spirit and be spiritually consumed by the holy church (CAESARIUS OF ARLES). In any case, Satan, that originator of evil, will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end (OECUMENIUS), and the church will remain safe, for not a single angel but many angels surround and protect those who fear God. When Christ comes, he will slay the devil and his followers with the breath of his mouth (ANDREW OF CAESAREA) and hand them over to punishment, which, as the Lord teaches, will be eternal and neverending (AUGUSTINE).

Rev