"It threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them." This is speaking symbolically of Christians who have been torn down from their position with Christ in the heavenlies because of lust or the love of money. We have seen such tearings down in our own day. And as for the great majority of God's saints, those who no longer are alive on the earth, we must remember that God is judging both the living and the dead.

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (I Peter 4:5,6—NIV)

"It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low." The Prince of the host can be none other than the Lord Jesus. This tells us that in the last days Antichrist will work in the Christian churches in such a manner that the believers no longer will trust in the blood atonement, the daily sacrifice, but will look to the god within them, their own self, and worship themselves, just as Antichrist does.

"Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it." Here is the key to the whole passage. God is seeking out every tiniest bit of rebellion whether it be in the nations, in the Christians on earth, or in the host in the heavens. In addition the ancient rebellion of the angels has not been dealt with thoroughly to the present hour. The passages above tell of the climax of the ages, the period when God drives the rebellion from the creation.

First the Lord Jesus was made perfect in obedience through the things He suffered.

Next the members of the royal priesthood must be made perfect in obedience through the things they must suffer. Earth, not the realm of spirits, is the crucible where stern obedience to the Father is mastered.

Then the heavenly host itself must be shaken until every member showing the least particle of rebellion is removed from the throne of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom is the doing of the Father's will, and all rebellion must be abolished.

You can see from this how far from being ready for the Kingdom the present Christian churches are.

The host of the saints, those who have been sprinkled by the blood of the daily sacrifice, that is, by the blood of the Lamb, must be shaken! shaken! shaken! until every trace of rebellion has been removed! These will be intensely hot fires because rebellion is so deeply rooted in us.

And then too, we see at the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age how readily the nations are deceived by the released Satan and encouraged to go up and surround the camp of the saints. After a thousand years of the totally righteous rule of Christ and His saints the nations still are ready to rebel against God and His saints. Imagine!

To be continued.