was driven into the wilderness: in manifested and lasting glory, the Lord God and the Lamb are the temple); but it was the tabernacle or tent of God: this included the most holy and holy place. This heavenly dwelling-place of God with the saints he blasphemed; he would have the earth, the inheritance, in his own way: this was an evidence there was a power beyond all this. He blasphemed also those who were characterized by this dwelling-place—dwellers in heaven, the saints of heavenly places. This, as regards heavenly things, was what characterized the Church which sits in heavenly places. Further, it was given him to make war with the saints and overcome them, here on earth. Satan they overcame, see xii. 11;[1] but in present physical persecution, the beast overcame, and prevailed against the saints. It is not, however, here a question of individual death, but of prevalence, as in xii. 11, But he had the day on earth, for this was not redeemed nor vindicated to Christ yet: this is true also as regards (within the range of the beast) the long protracted period of years, and
- ↑ This had been previously to this period, which commenced on the closing of that by the casting down of Satan. Up to that they had suffered actual death, at least they had not loved their lives unto death.
