END
OF TIME SERIES
PART SEVENTEEN

THE THIRD ADVENT TO THE FINAL DEATH OF THE WICKED
This study begins with the third advent of Christ to Planet Earth, and
ends with the final destruction of the wicked. It is an important subject,
which we should understand.
PART ONE - CHRIST AND THE REDEEMED RETURNS TO
THE EARTH
1 - Christ returns to the earth.
"At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the
earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed and attended by a
retinue of angels."-Great Controversy, 662:1.
-2
- CHRIST DESCENDS UPON THE MOUNT
OF OLIVES
1 - He descends upon the very mountain from whence He earlier ascended to
heaven.
"Christ
descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence,
after His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the promise
of His return. Says the prophet: 'The Lord my God shall come, and all the
saints with Thee." "And His feet shall stand in that day upon
the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount
of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof, . . and there
shall be a very great valley.' .. -Great Controversy, 662:3-663:0.
-3 - THE CITY OF GOD DESCENDS
1
- The City
comes down through the region of Orion.
"Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The
atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could lookup through the open
space in Orion, whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come
down through that open space. "-Early Writings, 41:2.
Note: What Is the "open space in Orion"? It is very easy to
assume something that is not stated. It is definitely located somewhere in
the region of Orion constellation. but that is one of the largest of
constellations -and we are not told that the
"open space" is the Great Nebula in Orion, or a portion of it.
Therefore we can guess that the "open space in Orion" may be the
Orion Nebula. But we should keep in mind that Inspiration never said so.
According to EW 41, the Voice of God, which delivers the saints, will
sound from the area of this constellation, and the City of God will come
down through that part of the sky at Christ's third advent. It is likely
that, at His second advent, Christ will also return through that area -but we are not specifically told that. It
is nice to think that the Great Nebula is the passageway to heaven, but
keep in mind that we are nowhere told in the inspired books that it is.
2
- The immense City is welcomed by God's children.
"After
the judgment of the wicked dead had been finished, at the end of the one
thousand years, Jesus left the city, and the saints and a train of the
angelic host followed Him. Jesus descended upon a great mountain, which
as soon as His feet touched it, parted asunder and became a mighty
plain. Then we looked up and saw the great and beautiful city, with
twelve foundations, and twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at
each gate. We cried out, 'The city! the great city! It is coming down from
God out of heaven!' And it came down in all its splendor and dazzling
glory and settled in the mighty plain which Jesus had prepared for
it." Early Writings, 291:1.
3
- It comes to rest upon the place Jesus has purified for it. Christ and
His people enter it.
"As
the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven, It
rests upon the place purified and made ready to receive It, and
Christ, with His people and the angels, enters the Holy City."
-Great Controversy, 663:0.
- 4 - CHRIST
RAISES THE DEAD TO LIFE
1 - Jesus and His people leave the City, and He
raises the dead.
"Then
Jesus and all the retinue of holy angels, and all the redeemed saints,
left the city. The angels surrounded their Commander and escorted Him on
His way, and the train of redeemed saints followed. Then,
in terrible, fearful majesty, Jesus called forth the wicked
dead; and they came up with the same feeble, sickly bodies that
went into the grave. What a spectacle! What a scene! At the first
resurrection all came forth in immortal bloom; but at the second the marks
of the curse are visible on all. The kings and noblemen of the earth,
the mean and low, the learned and unlearned, come forth together." -Early
Writings, 292:1.
2
- Jesus calls the wicked dead to arise, and they involuntarily admit His
lordship.
"He
bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come
forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea.
What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The
righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear
the traces of disease and death.
"Every
eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of
God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim: "Blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the Lord!" It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling
lips. As the wicked went
into their graves, so they come forth
with the same enmity to Christ and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new
probation in which to remedy the
defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained by this. A lifetime
of transgression has not softened their hearts. A second probation, were
it given them, would be occupied as was the first in evading the requirements
of God and exciting rebellion against Him."-Great Controversy, 662:1-2.
3
- Then they
flee and seek to hide from His
face.
"All
behold the Son of man; and those very men who
despised and
mocked Him, who put the crown of thorns upon
His sacred brow, and smote Him with the reed, behold Him in all His kingly
majesty. Those who spit upon Him in the hour of His trial now turn from
his piercing gaze and from the glory of His countenance. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet
now look upon the marks of His crucifixion. Those who thrust the spear
into His side behold the marks of their cruelty on His body. And they know
that He is the very one whom they crucified and derided in His expiring
agony. And then there arises one long protracted wall of agony, as they
flee to hide from the presence of the King of kings and Lord of
lords.
"All are seeking to hide in the rocks, to shield themselves from the terrible glory of Him whom
they once despised. And, overwhelmed and pained with His majesty and
exceeding glory, they with one accord raise their voices, and with terrible
distinctness exclaim, 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the
Lord!' "-Early
Writings, 292:1-2.
4
- Jesus and His children again enter the City. Satan resumes his work with
the wicked.
"Then
Jesus and the holy angels, accompanied by all the saints, again go to the city, and the
bitter lamentations and wailings of the doomed wicked fill the air. Then
I saw that Satan again commenced his work. He passed around among his subjects, and made the weak and feeble strong,
and told them that he and his angels were powerful."-Early
Writings, 298:1.
- 6 - SATAN LAYS PLANS WITH THE WICKED TO CONQUER THOSE IN
THE CITY
1 - Gradually,
they prepare for a single, overmastering
onslaught against the City.
"He
pointed to the
countless millions who had been raised. There were mighty
warriors and kings who were well skilled in battle and who had conquered
kingdoms. And there were mighty giants and valiant men who had never lost
a battle. There was the proud, ambitious Napoleon, whose approach had
caused kingdoms to tremble. There stood men of lofty stature and dignified
bearing, who had fallen in battle while thirsting to conquer. As they come forth from their graves, they resume the current of their
thoughts where it ceased in death. They
possess the same desire to conquer
which ruled when they fell. Satan
consults with his angels, and then with those kings and conquerors and
mighty men. Then he looks over the vast army, and tells them that the
company in the city is small and feeble, and that they can go up and take
it, and cast out its inhabitants, and possess its riches and glory
themselves.
"Satan succeeds In deceiving them, and all immediately
begin to prepare themselves for battle. There
are many skillful men in that vast army, and they construct all kinds of
implements of war."-Early Writings,
293:1-2.
2
- He inspires
them with courage, and they follow
his directions.
"Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While
deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the
prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are
raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive,
and he determines not to yield the great controversy. He will marshal all
the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans. The
wicked are Satan's captives. In
rejecting Christ they have accepted the rule of
the rebel leader. They are ready
to receive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early
cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the
prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has
been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself
to
his deluded subjects as a redeemer,
assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves and that he is about to rescue
them from the most cruel tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed,
Satan works wonders to support his
claims. He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and
energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints and to
take possession of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points
to the unnumbered millions who have been raised from the dead and
declares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city and
regain his throne and his kingdom.
"In that vast throng are multitudes of the longlived race that
existed before the Flood; men of lofty stature and giant intellect, who,
yielding to the control of fallen angels, devoted all their skill and
knowledge to the exaltation of themselves; men whose wonderful works of
art led the world to idolize their genius, but whose cruelty and evil
inventions, defiling the earth and defacing the image of God, caused Him
to blot them from the face of His creation. There are kings and
generals who conquered nations, valiant men who never lost a battle, proud, ambitious warriors whose approach made kingdoms
tremble. In death these experienced no change. As they come up from the
grave, they resume the current of their thoughts just where it ceased.
They are actuated by the same desire to conquer that ruled them when they
fell.
"Satan consults with his angels, and then with these kings and
conquerors and mighty men. They look upon the strength and numbers on
their side, and declare that the army within the city is small in
comparison with theirs, and that it can be overcome.
They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem.
All immediately begin to prepare
for battle. Skillful artisans construct implements of war. Military
leaders, famed for their success, marshal the throngs of warlike men into
companies and divisions."-Great Controversy, 663:1-664:2.
- 6 - THE IMMENSE ARMY MARCHES TO THE CITY AND SURROUNDS IT
1 - After extensive preparations, the army marches to the City.
"At
last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on -an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began
on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this
final struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes
follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. With military
precision the serried ranks advance over the earth's broken and uneven
surface to the City of God. By command of Jesus, the gates
of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city
and make ready for the onset." -Great Controversy, 664:3.
Note: Regarding this matter of when the gates are shut: In Early
Writings, 41, Jesus and the redeemed leave the City and they watch as He
raises the dead; then they go back into the city. After that, an
unspecified period of time -probably covering a number
of years -is spent by the wicked in
preparing for war (GC 662:1-664:2). Then they begin marching toward the
City -and Jesus at that time gives orders to shut the gates
(GC 664:3)
2 - Armed with all kinds of
weapons, a fierce conflict Is
expected.
"Then
with Satan at their head, the multitude move on. Kings and warriors
follow close after Satan, and the multitude follow after in companies. Each
company has its leader, and order is
observed as they march over the broken surface of the earth to the Holy
City. Jesus closes the gates of the city, and this vast army surround it, and place themselves in battle array, expecting
a fierce conflict." -Early Writings, 293:2.
-
7 - CHRIST APPEARS ON A THRONE HIGH ABOVE THE CITY
1 - Amid
vast power and majesty, Christ appears to
the view of the lost.
"Now Christ again appears to the view of His enemies. Far above the city, upon a foundation
of burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up.
Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and around Him are the
subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty of
Christ no language can describe, no pen
portray. The glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The
brightness of His presence fills the City of God, and flows out beyond
the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance."-Great Controversy,
665:1.
2 - Awed by the truth of the situation, the courage of
the wicked fails them.
"And as they witness the splendor of their glittering crowns and
see their faces radiant with glory, reflecting the image of Jesus, and
then behold the unsurpassed glory and majesty of the King of kings and
Lord of lords, their courage falls." -Early Writings, 294:0.
- 8 - THREE GROUPS
OF REDEEMED SURROUND THEIR LORD AND SAVIOUR
1 - Around
Jesus are the most devoted, consistently faithful, the martyrs, and the
great multitude.
"Nearest the throne are
those who were once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as
brands from the burning, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense
devotion. Next are those
who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and
infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world
declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their faith. And
beyond is the 'great multitude, which
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,
. . before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands.' Revelation 7:9. Their warfare Is ended, their
victory won. They have run the race and
reached the prize. The palm branch in their hands is a symbol of their
triumph, the white robe an emblem of the spotless righteousness of
Christ which now is theirs." -Great Controversy, 665:2.
-9 - FEARLESS OF THE WICKED THEY SING PRAISES TO THEIR GOD
1 - Although
with millions of armed wicked surrounding
them, the redeemed, secure in the protection of Jesus, raise a grateful
song of praise. Undeceived by Satan, they well know that the wicked are
powerless to cause them harm.
"The redeemed raise a song
of praise that echoes and re-echoes
through the vaults of heaven: "Salvation to our God which sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Verse 10. And angel and seraph
unite their voices in adoration. As the
redeemed have beheld the power and malignity of Satan, they have seen, as never before, that no power but that
of Christ could have made them conquerors. In all that shining throng there are none to ascribe salvation to
themselves, as if they had prevailed by their own power and goodness. Nothing
is said of what they have done or
suffered; but the burden of every song, the keynote of every anthem, is: Salvation to our God and unto the Lamb." -Great
Controversy, 665:3.
- 10 - THE FINAL CORONATION OF CHRIST OCCURS
1 - All power and dominion are given into the hand of Christ.
"In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the
final coronation of the Son of God takes place." -Great Controversy, 666:1.
PART TWO - THE EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
-1 - CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE
1 - He
who died for the wicked will be their Judge.
"God
has committed all judgment unto the Son, for
without controversy He is God manifest in
the flesh.
"God designed that the Prince of sufferers in
humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from
eternal death; . . He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who
suffered the ignominious death of the cross- He alone is to pronounce the sentence
of reward or of punishment. He who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God
is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowledged
by all the heavenly universe as the King of saints. He has undertaken the
work of salvation, and shown before unfallen worlds and the heavenly family that the
work He has begun He is able to
complete. .
"In the day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners
will recognize in Him who was
crucified the Judge of all living. . solemn will be the day of final decision. . Probationary time
is granted us; opportunities and privileges are given us, to make our
calling and election sure. How we should prize this precious time, and
improve every talent God has given, that we may be faithful stewards over
ourselves." Maranatha, 341:3-5.
- 2 - ALL THE WORLDS WILL VIEW PROCEEDINGS OF THIS JUDGMENT
1
- The entire universe is empowered to behold this final judgment of the
wicked.
"In His teachings. Christ sought to impress men with the certainty
of the coming judgment, and with its publicity. This is not the
Judgment of a few Individuals, or even of a nation, but of
a whole world of human intelligences, of accountable beings. It
is to be held in the presence of other worlds, that the
love, the integrity, the service, of man for God, may be honored to the
highest degree. There will be no lack of glory and honor. . The
law of
God will be revealed in its majesty; and those who have stood in
defiant rebellion against its holy precepts will understand that the law
that they have discarded, and despised and trampled underfoot is God's
standard of character. .
"In this speck of a world, the heavenly universe
manifests the greatest interest; for Jesus paid an infinite price for the
souls of its inhabitants." -Maranatha, 341:1-2.
-3 - THE BOOKS OF RECORD ARE OPENED
1 - The
judgment at the great white throne begins.
"And
now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence
upon the rebels against His
government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law
and oppressed His people. Says the prophet of God: 'I saw a great
white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And
I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the book
of life: and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.'
Revelation 20:11-12." -Great Controversy, 666:1.
2 - Angels are now preparing records
for that final judgment.
"Angels of God are taking a
daguerreotype (photos) of the character just as accurately as the artist
takes the likeness of the human features; and. . it is from this that we are to be judged!" -Maranatha,
340:2.
3 - It is an exact record of character and actions.
"In the case of each individual there is a process going forward
which is far more wonderful than that which transfers the features to the
polished plate of the artist. The art of the photographer merely
imprints the likeness on perishable substance; but in the life-record
the character is faithfully delineated, and this record, however dark, can never be effaced by the blood of the atoning sacrifice,"-Maranatha,
340:1.
-4 - THE WICKED KNOW THE RECORDS
1 - As soon as the books are opened and Jesus gazes upon them, each
person's record is etched into his own mind.
"As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are
conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path
of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them
in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they
encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers
of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by
the stubborn, unrepentant heart-all appear as if written in letters of fire."-Great
Controversy, 666:2.
"All will appear as a real life-picture," Maranatha,
340:4.
2 - It will all be recalled to their minds.
"Memory
will be true and vivid in condemnation
of the guilty one, who in that day is found wanting, The mind will
recall all
the thoughts and acts of the past; the whole life will come in review
like the scenes in a panorama," Maranatha, 340:6.
- 6 -
THE RECORDS WILL ALSO BE OPEN TO
EVERYONE ELSE
1 - All
the universe will understand why these
people were not saved.
"When the Judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, there will be many astonishing
disclosures. Men will not then appear as they appear to the human eyes
and finite judgments. Secret sins will then be laid open to
the view of all. Motives and intentions which have been hidden in the dark chambers of the
heart will be revealed." -Maranatha, 340:3.
2
- There will be no question about the accuracy of the judgment.
"In that solemn and awful hour the
unfaithfulness of the husband will be opened to the wife, and the
unfaithfulness of the wife, to the husband. Parents will then learn, for
the first time, what was the real character of their children, and
children will see the errors and
mistakes that marked the lives of their
parents. The man who robbed his neighbor through false representations, is
not to escape with his ill-gotten gains. God has an exact record in His books, of every
unjust account and every
unfair dealing." -Maranatha, 340:5.
- 6 - THE WICKED ARE SHOWN A PANORAMIC VIEW OF CHRIST'S LIFE
AND DEATH
1 - The
entire life of Christ will be shown to each lost soul.
"Above
the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the
successive steps In 'the great plan of
redemption. The Saviour's lowly
birth; His early life of simplicity
and obedience; His baptism in Jordan; the fast and temptation in the
wilderness; His public ministry, unfolding to men heaven's most precious
blessings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, the nights of
prayer and watching in the solitude of the mountains; the plottings of
envy, hate, and malice which repaid His benefits; the awful, mysterious agony in
Gethsemane beneath the crushing weight of the
sins of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands of the murderous
mob; the fearful events of that night of horror-the unresisting prisoner,
forsaken by His best-loved disciples, rudely hurried through the streets
of Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before Annas, arraigned
in the high priest's palace, in the judgment hall of Pilate, before the
cowardly and cruel Herod, mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to
die -all are vividly portrayed.
"And now before the swaying multitude are revealed
the final scenes-the patient Sufferer treading the path to Calvary;
the Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; the haughty priests and the
jeering rabble deriding His expiring agony; the supernatural darkness; the
heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open graves, marking the moment when
the world's Redeemer yielded up His life.
"The awful spectacle appears
just as It was. Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture of their own work. Each actor recalls the part
which he performed. Herod, who slew the innocent children of Bethlehem
that he might destroy the King of Israel; the base Herodias, upon whose
guilty soul rests the blood of John the Baptist; the weak, timeserving
Pilate; the mocking soldiers; the priests and rulers and the maddened
throng who cried, 'His blood be on us, and on our children" -all
behold the enormity of their guilt. They
vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty of His countenance,
outshining the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their crowns
at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming: 'He died for
me" "-Great Controversy, 666:3-667:2.
- 7 - SOME OF THOSE WHO ARE IN THE RANKS OF THE WICKED
1 - Nero's
mother ruined the
character of her son; when he became emperor of
Rome, in a whim he had her strangled to death. Papist priests and prelates
will also be there.
"Amid
the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the
heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John, and their
truehearted brethren, and with them the vast host of martyrs; while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing, are those by whom they were persecuted, imprisoned,
and slain. There Is Nero, that
monster of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy and exaltation of those whom he once
tortured, and in whose extremest anguish he found satanic delight. His mother is there to witness the result of her own work; to see how
the evil stamp of character transmitted to her son, the passions
encouraged and developed by her Influence and example, have
borne fruit in crimes that caused the world to shudder.
"There
are papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be Christ's ambassadors, yet employed
the rack, the dungeon, and the stake to control the consciences of His
people. There are the proud pontiffs who exalted themselves above God and presumed to change
the law of the Most High. Those pretended fathers of the church have an
account to render to God from which they would fain be excused. Too late
they are made to see that the
Omniscient One is jealous of His law and that
He will in no wise clear the guilty. They learn now
that Christ identifies His interest with that of His suffering people; and
they feel the force of His own words: 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto
one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' Matthew 25:4."-Great
Controversy, 667:3-668:1.
2 - Napoleon will be there.
"There was the proud, ,ambitious Napoleon, whose
approach had caused kingdoms to tremble."-Early Writings, 293:1.
- 8 - THE SENTENCE OF ETERNAL DEATH IS PRONOUNCED AGAINST THE
WICKED
1 - The sentence of eternal death is spoken. "The whole wicked world
stand arraigned at the bar of God on the charge of high treason
against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause;
they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is
pronounced against them. If -Great
Controversy, 668:2.
- 9 - ALL THE
WICKED KNOW AND ADMIT THAT GOD AND HIS LAW ARE RIGHT
1
- At last,
the wicked fully recognize the truth of the situation.
"Jesus
speaks with majesty, saying, 'Behold, ye sinners, the reward of the just!
And behold, My redeemed, the reward of the wicked!' The vast multitude
behold the glorious company on the walls of the city. And as they witness
the splendor of their glittering crowns and see their faces radiant with
glory, reflecting the image of Jesus, and then behold the unsurpassed
glory and majesty of the King of kings and Lord of lords, their courage
falls. A sense of the treasure and glory which they have lost
rushes upon them, and they realize that the wages of sin is death. They
see the holy, happy company whom they have despised, clothed with glory,
honor, immortality, and eternal life, while they are outside the city with
every
mean and abominable thing. -Early Writings, 294:0.
2
- They cry out in despair.
"It
is now
evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble
Independence and eternal life, but slavery,
ruin, and death. The wicked
see what they have forfeited by their life of rebellion. The far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory was despised when offered them; but
how desirable it now appears. 'All this, '
cries the lost soul, 'I might
have had; but I chose to put these
things far from me. Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged peace,
happiness, and honor for wretchedness, infamy, and despair.' All see
that their exclusion from heaven is just. By their lives they have
declared: 'We will not have this Man [Jesus] to reign over us.' -Great Controversy, 668:3.
3 - All admit they were wrong and God and His law have always been
right.
"As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the
Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the
divine law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed. They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and
adoration from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the
multitudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, 'Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou
King of saints' (Revelation 15:3); and, failing prostrate, they worship the Prince of life. -Great Controversy,
668:4-669:0.
-10 - ONLY SATAN HOLDS BACK BUT NOW MEMORIES AND FACTS FILL
HIS MIND
1 - As the truth of the situation forces itself upon
him, Satan seems unable to speak or move.
Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory
and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence
he has fallen. A shining seraph, 'son of the morning;' how changed, how degraded! From the
council where once he was honored, he is
forever excluded. He sees
another now standing near to the Father, veiling His glory. He has seen the crown
placed upon the head of Christ by an angel of lofty stature and majestic
presence, and he knows that the exalted position of this angel might have
been his.
Memory recalls the home of his Innocence and purity, the
peace and content that were his until he indulged in murmuring against
God, and envy of Christ. His accusations, his rebellion, his deceptions to
gain the sympathy and support of the angels, his stubborn persistence in
making no effort for self-recovery when God would have granted him forgiveness -all come vividly before him. He reviews his work among
men and its results
-the
enmity of man toward his fellow man, the terrible destruction of life, the
rise and fall of kingdoms, the overturning of thrones, the long succession
of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions. He recalls his constant
efforts to oppose the work of Christ and to sink man
lower and lower. He sees that his hellish plots have been powerless to
destroy those who have put their trust in Jesus. As Satan looks upon his
kingdom, the fruit of his toil, he
sees only failure and ruin. He has led the multitudes to believe that
the City of God would be an easy prey; but he knows that this is false.
Again and again, in the progress of the great controversy, he has been
defeated and compelled to yield. He knows too well the power and majesty
of the Eternal.
The aim
of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself and to
prove the divine government responsible for the rebellion. To this end
he has bent all the powers of his
giant intellect. He has worked deliberately and
systematically, and with marvelous success, leading vast multitudes to
accept his version of the great controversy which has been so long in
progress. For thousands of years this chief of conspiracy has palmed off
falsehood for truth. But the time has now come when the
rebellion is to be finally defeated and the history and
character of Satan disclosed. -Great Controversy, 669:1-670:1.
-11 -
EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS THAT SATAN IS WRONG AND NOW HE FINALLY ADMITS IT ALSO
1 - Satan
bows and confesses that, throughout the great controversy, God has been
right, he himself wrong, and the sentence is just.
"Satan
sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He
has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony
of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the
mercy and Justice of God are now silenced. The
reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly
upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the Justice of
his sentence. "Great
Controversy, 670:2.
-12 - THE GREAT CONTROVERSY IS ENDED THERE IS NO MORE REASON
FOR SINNERS TO LIVE
1 - The great controversy between Christ and Satan is now at an end, for all
creatures everywhere know and acknowledge the eternal truths of God's
character and His law.
'Who shall not fear Thee, 0 Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only
art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.' Verse 4. Every question of truth
and error in the long-standing controversy has now been
made plain. The results of rebellion,
the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of
Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to
the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him. God's wisdom,
His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all
His dealings in the great controversy have been conducted with respect
to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He
has created. 'All Thy works shall praise Thee, a Lord; and Thy saints
shall bless Thee.' Psalm 145:10. The history of sin will stand to all
eternity as a witness that with the existence of God's law is bound
up the happiness of all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the
great controversy in view, the whole universe,
both |