"The only other reference in the Bible to Gog and Magog is found in the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth chapters of Ezekiel. This use of the term by John is rooted in the Old Testament passage. One will have to admit that this is a rather strange battle which Ezekiel described in his vision. Israel is pictured at peace and dwelling in security in her land, with no attempt made to defend herself against the enemy which suddenly and powerfully sweeps down upon her. Without a struggle, as soon as the enemy marches into the land, he is smitten with a catastrophic judgment directly from God. The rest of the vision tells of a glorious celebration of victory on the part of the people of Israel. We must keep in mind that in both passages the language is highly figurative and symbolic, and it can only be interpreted in that light. The fact is, history records no battle in the history of Israel that answers to the one described in Ezekiel’s vision. Nor can we conceive of it as taking place in a literal way in our day or at some future time, for, you see, all the invading army comes riding upon horses, a great company having bucklers and shields, bows and arrows, and all of them handling swords. In addition to this all their weapons are made of wood, and there are so many of them that no man of Israel needs to cut any fire wood for seven years while they use these weapons for fire wood! It certainly doesn’t sound like modern warfare, does it?"
"If John’s vision is symbolic, then so also is Ezekiel’s. The only difference is that John’s version is a little more complete and is given to us in the fuller light of New Testament revelation. In both instances most of our struggles of the Lord’s people are already over, and they are dwelling in a sense of peace and security. There is no struggle at all. In John’s vision this is due to the fact that they have already overcome the beast, the false prophet, Mystery Babylon, and now Satan himself has been bound in the abyss. Ah, there is peace and security! But suddenly the old devil is brought out of his pit where he has been placed. He is turned loose in their midst and there is unleashed upon them an awful attack of the adversary! He gathers all his forces and rants and raves against the redeemed of God. But before he is able to harm a hair on the head of one saint, at once the fiery judgment of God falls upon all the enemies and the devil who leads them. This, my beloved, is no literal warfare fought with conventional weapons — this is the final battle of our spiritual warfare; this is the climax of the most magnificent celebration of victory!"
Much more in the link:
It is incredible to think that having lived under Christ's benevolent Kingship for 1000 years that people should still choose to reject Him.
Don't know how this will be achieved but only those of the first resurrection will have been changed the rest will still carry the sin state in them.
Also worth remembering that Psalm 2:9 & Revelation 2:27 that Christ will rule with a rod of iron.
I believe lucifer could only deceive people if over the course of generations he is able to confuse the history. Look around us today does it not appear that the world is deceived into believing all that science says, that UFOs are from other world, and then all of the evil that is in the world. WW1, WW2, now a possible WW3. Just thinking outside of all that I have been taught by schools and even the church.
Certainly the devil could - but what is history? Look at the distrust in Wikipedia - history it is said is written by the victor, it's only one sided. The best grasp on history we might have is from our own short lifetime - even then there are things I might want to 'modify' in the telling of my life!
Three times in Matthew 24 Jesus talks about being deceived, verses 4, 11 & 24, indeed when the disciples first ask their three questions the His first response is '... take heed no one deceives you...' the 'you' here is I think important and it is personal to each of us, we must arm ourselves with the knowledge of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and use our faith as a shield, and it's easier to say/type that then to live it!