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THE
TERRIBLE STORM!
SECTION ONE
THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD IN THE LAST DAYS
GOD WILL INTERPOSE - HE WILL PUNISH
"The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly
swelling figures show that the time for Gods visitation has about come.
Although loath to punish, nevertheless He will punish, and that
speedily."5 Testimonies, 209.
"Instead of being softened by the patience and
long forbearance that the Lord has exercised toward them, those who fear
not God and love not the truth strengthen their hearts in their evil
course. But there are limits even to the forbearance of God, and
many are exceeding these boundaries. They have overrun the limits of
grace, and therefore God must interfere and vindicate His own honor."5
Testimonies, 208.
"The world has become bold in transgression of Gods
law. Because of His long forbearance, men have trampled upon His authority
. . But there is a line beyond which they cannot pass. The time is
near when they will have reached the prescribed limit. Even now they have
almost exceeded the bounds of the longsuffering of God, the limits of
His grace, the limits of His mercy. The Lord will interpose to vindicate
His own honor, to deliver His people, and to repress the swellings of
unrighteousness.
"In Noahs day, men had disregarded the law of
God until almost all remembrance of the Creator had passed away from the
earth. Their iniquity reached so great a height that the Lord brought a
flood of waters upon the earth, and swept away its wicked inhabitants.
"From age to age the Lord has made known the
manner of His working. When a crisis has come, He
has revealed Himself, and has interposed to hinder the working out
of Satans plans. With nations, with families, and with individuals,
He has often permitted matters to come to a crisis, that His
interference might become marked. Then He has made manifest that there
is a God in Israel who will maintain His law and vindicate His
people." Christs Object Lessons, 177-178.
GOD GIVES MEN TIME - BUT ONLY
SO MUCH TIME
"The wrath of God is declared against unrepentant
sinners not merely because of the sins they have committed, but because, when
called to repent, they choose to continue in resistance, repeating the
sins of the past in defiance of the light given them."Acts of
the Apostles, 62.
"Now is the time for wrongs to be righted and sins
to be confessed, or they will all appear before the sinner in the day
of Gods wrath."1 Testimonies, 156.
"Men are prone to abuse the long-suffering of God
and to presume on His forbearance. But there is a point in human iniquity
when it is time for God to interfere; and terrible are the issues. The
Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the
wicked. Nahum 1:3. The long-suffering of God is wonderful, because He
puts constraint on His own attributes; but punishment is nonetheless
certain. Every century of profligacy has treasured up wrath against
the day of wrath; and when the time comes, and the iniquity is full, then
God will do His strange work. It will be found a terrible thing to
have worn out the divine patience; for the wrath of God will fall so
signally and strongly that it is represented as being unmixed with mercy;
and the very earth will be desolated."2 Selected Messages,
372-373.
"Although this nation [the Amorites] was
conspicuous because of its idolatry and corruption, it had not yet filled
up the cup of its iniquity, and God would not give command for its utter
destruction. The people were to see the divine power manifested in a
marked manner, that they might be without excuse. The compassionate
Creator was willing to bear with their iniquity until the fourth
generation. Then, if no change was seen for the better, His judgments were
to fall upon them.
"With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still
keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls
to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures
reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath
commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no
more pleading of mercy in their behalf."5 Testimonies, 208.
"For four hundred years the execution of this
sentence [of death to the wicked Amalekites] had been deferred; but the
Amalekites had not turned from their sins. The Lord knew that this wicked
people would, if it were possible, blot out His people and His worship
from the earth. Now the time had come for the sentence, so long delayed,
to be executed.
"The forbearance that God has exercised toward the
wicked, emboldens men in transgression; but their punishment will be
none the less certain and terrible for being long delayed. The Lord
shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of
Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His
act, His strange act. Isaiah 28:21. To our merciful God the act of
punishment is a strange act. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way
and live. Ezekiel 33:11. The Lord is merciful and gracious,
long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth . . forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin. Yet He will by no means clear the guilty.
Exodus 34:6-7. While He does not delight in vengeance, He will execute
judgment upon the transgressors of His law. He is forced to do this,
to preserve the inhabitants of the earth from utter depravity and ruin. In
order to save some He must cut off those who have become hardened in sin.
The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all
acquit the wicked. Nahum 1:3. By terrible things in righteousness He
will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. And the very fact of
His reluctance to execute justice testifies to the enormity of the sins
that call forth His judgments and to the severity of the retribution
awaiting the transgressor."Patriarchs and Prophets, 628.
WE FLEE FROM GODS WRATH
BY FLEEING FROM SIN
Carefully consider the following paragraphs. They explain that the
Laodicean Message of Revelation 3 is closely connected with the Three
Angels Messages of Revelation 14. And should not this be so? The
three angels warn of the coming wrath of God and the only way of avoiding
itby submission and obedience to Him. The Laodicean Message comes at
the same time in history and is a plea to Gods people to return to Him
before it is too late. It is so urgently important that they returnfor
they are commissioned to work with
those angels in giving that final warning of the
approaching wrath of God against the disobedient. It is no time for them
to relax and say that the Third Angels Message is really of little
consequencebecause there is no wrath of God!
"The prophet Ezekiel thus enumerates the causes
that led to Sodoms sin and destruction: Pride, fullness of bread,
and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did
she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. All who would escape
the doom of Sodom must shun the course that brought Gods judgments
upon that wicked city . .
"Many of you are reposing in false security,
absorbed in selfish interests, and attracted by earthly treasures. You
fear no evil. Danger seems a great way off. You will be deceived,
deluded to your eternal ruin unless you arouse and with penitence and
deep humiliation return unto the Lord.
"Again and again has the voice from heaven
addressed you. Will you obey this voice? Will you heed the counsel of
the True Witness to seek the gold tried in the fire, the white raiment,
and the eyesalve? The gold is faith and love, the white raiment is the
righteousness of Christ. The eyesalve is that spiritual discernment
which will enable you to see the wiles of Satan and shun them, to detect
sin and abhor it, to see truth and obey it.
"The deadly lethargy of the world is paralyzing
your senses. Sin no longer appears repulsive because you are blinded by
Satan. The judgments of God are soon to be poured out upon the earth.
Escape for thy life is the warning from the angels of God. Other
voices are heard saying, Do not become excited; there is no cause for
special alarm. Those who are at ease in Zion cry Peace and safety
while heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the
transgressor. The young, the frivolous, the pleasure loving, consider
these warnings as idle tales and turn from them with a jest. Parents are
inclined to think their children about right in the matter, and all
sleep on at ease. Thus it was at the destruction of the old world and
when Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by fire. On the night prior to
their destruction the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure. Lot was
derided for his fears and warnings. But it was these scoffers that
perished in the flames. That very night the door of mercy was forever
closed to the wicked, careless inhabitants of Sodom.
"It is God who holds in His hands the destiny of
souls. He will not always be mocked; He will not always be trifled with.
Already His judgments are in the land . . Yet the hearts of men are
hardened. They recognize not the warning voice of God. They will not
flee to the only refuge from the gathering storm."5
Testimonies, 232-234.
GOD WILL PUNISH
THE TRANSGRESSORS OF HIS LAW
"God has given in His Word decisive evidence that
He will punish transgressors of His law. Those who flatter themselves that
He is too merciful to execute justice upon the sinner, have only to look
to the cross of Calvary. The death of the spotless Son of God testifies
that the wages of sin is death, that every violation of Gods law
must receive its just retribution. Christ the Sinless became sin for man .
. In no other way could man be freed from the penalty of sin. And every
soul that refuses to become a partaker of the atonement provided at such a
cost must bear in his own person the guilt and punishment of
transgression."Great Controversy. 539-540.
" All the wicked will He destroy . . The
power and authority of the divine government will be employed to put down
rebellion; yet all the manifestations of retributive justice will be
perfectly consistent with the character of God as a merciful,
longsuffering, benevolent being . . The principles of the divine
government are in perfect harmony with the Saviours precept, Love
your enemies. God executes justice upon the wicked, for the good of the
universe, and even for the good of those upon whom His judgments are
visited. He would make them happy if He could do so in accordance with the
laws of His government and the justice of His character . . What source of
enjoyment could heaven offer to those who are wholly absorbed in earthly
and selfish interests? . . The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own
choice . . Like the waters of the Flood the fires of the great day declare
Gods verdictthat the wicked are incurable . . It is in mercy to the
universe that God will finally destroy the rejecters of His grace."Great
Controversy, 541-543.
Part of the "righteousness" of Gods
judgments is the fact that they come from Him. He alone is qualified to
execute judgment and do it justly. And for Him not to do so would be a
denial of His mercy. His attribute of mercy (mercy to the righteous, mercy
to the wicked, mercy to the unfallen worlds) requires that He finally blot
out the wicked, and that He do it Himself.
"A large class to whom the doctrine of eternal torment is
revolting are driven to the opposite error. They see that the Scriptures
represent God as a being of love and compassion, and they can
not believe that He will consign His creatures to the
fires of . . hell . . Such a doctrine [the error that God will not kill
the wicked], presuming upon Gods mercy, but ignoring His justice,
pleases the carnal heart and emboldens the wicked in their
iniquity."Great Controversy, 537.
"Though God is strict to mark iniquity and to
punish transgression, He takes no delight in vengeance. The work of
destruction is a strange work to Him who is infinite in
love."Patriarchs and Prophets, 139.
"The rabbis had a saying that there is rejoicing
in heaven when one who has sinned against God is destroyed; but Jesus
taught that to God the work of destruction is a strange work. That in
which all heaven delights is the restoration of Gods own image in the
souls whom He has made."Christs Object Lessons, 190.
As long as God sees that men have not passed their
probation, He ministers in every way possible to save them and draw them
to Himself. But when men continue to adamantly refuse that proffered love,
they eventually become hardened in sin; their probation runs out and they
have no more reason for life, for continued existence. The time comes when
God must work His strange work, a work that God would rather not do; yet
it is a work that He eventually must do, the work of executing the
judgment.
GOD EXECUTES THE JUDGMENT,
BUT MEN MAKE THE DECISIONS
AS TO WHO SHALL BE IN IT
"God sets before man life and death. He can have
his choice. Many desire life, but still continue to walk in the broad
road. They choose to rebel against Gods government, notwithstanding His
great mercy and compassion in giving His Son to die for them. Those who do
not choose to accept of the salvation so dearly purchased, must be
punished. But I saw that God would not shut them up in hell to endure
endless misery, neither will He take them to heaven; for to bring them
into the company of the pure and holy would make them exceedingly
miserable. But He will destroy them utterly and cause them to be as if
they had not been; then His justice will be satisfied. He formed man out
of the dust of the earth, and the disobedient and unholy will be consumed
by fire and return to dust again. I saw that the benevolence and
compassion of God in this matter should lead all to admire His character
and to adore His holy name. After the wicked are destroyed from off the
earth, all the heavenly host will say, Amen!"Early Writings,
221.
In this life, we little realize how terribly wicked is
wickedness. But when God has finally destroyed the wicked utterly in the
fires of hell and they are totally consumed and gone forever, all the
heavenly host will know that He did what was right and what needed to be
done. Those pure beings will be thankful that it has been done. The
benevolence and compassion of God in mercifully blotting the wicked from
their miserable existence should lead all to admire and adore Him.
Everything God does is right. If God omitted just one of His acts, great
suffering would come to His creation as a result. Everything God does is
right and everything God does is necessary.
BY THEIR ACTIONS NOW,
MEN ARE DECIDING FOR ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH
"God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed
will have destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of
conscience is sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a sure
harvest. By rejecting the first warning from God, Pharaoh of old sowed the
seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. God did not compel him to
disbelieve. The seed of unbelief which he sowed produced a harvest of its
kind. Thus his resistance continued, until he looked upon his devastated
land, upon the cold, dead form of his first-born . . until the waters of
the sea closed over his horses and his chariots and his men of war . .
Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."Christs
Object Lessons, 84-85.
Some try to use the above paragraph as proof that God
does not kill.
But, first, the above paragraph (from Christs
Object Lessons) must agree with all of the other inspired quotations.
It cannot be made to reject a truth that literally thousands of other
Bible-Spirit of Prophecy statements uphold.
Second, the COL paragraph does not agree with the
confused teaching of the "God never kills" error: The writings
of those who teach this error claim: (1) God does not kill. (2) Man kills
himself. (3) But, no, man does not kill himself; Satan will kill all men
in the fires of hell. This strange error is not only inconsistent with the
above paragraph, it is inconsistent with itself.
Third, if taken literally, the COL paragraph does not
say that Satan will kill them. But, if the whole paragraph is read, it
does say that God will ultimately kill them.
Fourth, the COL paragraph specifically teaches that the
sinner alone is responsible for his death, simply because he is the one
who chose sin and clung to it. God is not responsible for the decision of
the sinner to cherish and cling to sin. However, God will execute the
sentence upon the sinner who has chosen sin. All those concepts are in the
above paragraph!
Fifth, the COL paragraphthe complete paragraphdoes not agree with
the "God does not kill" error as it is being taught. Let us view
the actual
wording of the above paragraph: The first two
sentences are explained, in context, by those that follow. Man works his
own destruction by his actions, by sowing sinful seeds. These, if not
repented and turned from, bring an inevitable harvest. The harvest is
death. This paragraph teaches that man is in charge of the seedsowing and
responsible for the harvest. The paragraph also teaches that, at the
end, it is God who is in charge of the judgments.
An illustration is given in the COL paragraph, to
illustrate the meaning of the first two sentences in the paragraph. It
is the experience of Pharaoh. He was fully responsible for the
obstinacy and unbelief, and therefore for all that resulted from it. Yet
it was God who, by a direct act, caused the devastation and death: the
devastated land; the cold, dead form of his first-born; and the death of
his warriors in the Red Sea. Read the BibleExodus 3 to 13.
The magicians in Egypt calmed the fears of Pharoah
and helped him harden his heart. They did it by declaring that judgments
do not come from Israels God; He is not to be feared. The error they
taught was "Israels God does not exist, so no judgments will ever
come from Him." The error being taught today is "Israels God
does exist, but no judgments will ever come from Him."
"Peace and safety" is the message of the
world today, and some in our midst. But it is the very opposite of the
Third Angels Message!
Protestants declare that, since there no longer is a
Divine Law we are bound to obey, the judgment is past; it all fell on
Christ. The "God will not kill anyone" theory teaches that God
has no judgments at all.
Before concluding this section, it should be noted that
the magicians of Satan claimed that the judgments came by their own
enchantments (thus, as a direct act of Satan), but we know that the
judgments upon Egypt (the ten plagues) came as a direct act of God. Read Patriarchs
and Prophets, 263-280, if you question this truth.
MEN BRING THE PUNISHMENT
UPON THEMSELVES
"The precious time of probation is passing,
and few realize that it is given them for the purpose of preparing for
eternity . . Every transgression will bring its punishment."4
Testimonies, 147.
"God had pleaded with Judah not to provoke Him to
anger, but they had hearkened not. Finally sentence was pronounced
against them . . The sufferings of the men of Judah were to be in
proportion to the light they had had and to the warnings they had despised
and rejected."Prophets and Kings, 425.
"Their punishment was to be in proportion to
their intelligence [knowledge] and to the warnings they had
despised."4 Testimonies, 165.
"We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the
sinner for his sin. The sinner brings the punishment upon himself .
. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change
of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By
choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from
the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death."1
Selected Messages, 235.
It is for this reason that some of the wicked will
receive more punishment than others
(EW 294, GC 554, 673) and Satan will receive the most (EW
294-295, GC 673). In this probationary life, sin is often punished
with sin (PP 728); but the final punishment and destruction of the
wicked is a definite act on the part of God Himself. It is Gods strange
act (GC 627, PP 628, etc.).
Men bring the punishment upon themselves by their
consistent desire to remain in sin.
THE EXAMPLE OF SODOM,
ABOVE EVERY OTHER,
IS THE GREAT TYPE
OF THE FINAL DESTRUCTION
OF THE WICKED BY THEIR CREATOR
The destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plain,
by fire from heaven, is described in Genesis 18-19.
"And the men rose up from thence, and looked
toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring on the way. And the
Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that
Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation? . . For I know
him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and
they shall keep the way of the Lordto do justice and judgment . .
"And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and
Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will
go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the
cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know. And the men
turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom. But Abraham stood
yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also
destroy the righteous with the wicked? . . And the Lord said, If I
find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the
place for their sakes . . If I find there forty and five, I will not
destroy it . . I will not destroy it for twentys sake . . I will not
destroy it for tens sake.
"And there came two angels to Sodom at even . . And they smote the
men that were at the door of the house with blindness . . Hast thou here
any besides? Son-in-laws, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever
thou hast in the city, bring
them out of this place. For we will destroy this
place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the
Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it . . And Lot . . said, Up,
get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But
he seemed as one that mocked ["God does not kill," they said]
. .
"The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot
entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah
brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And He overthrew those
cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities . . And
it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God
remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when
He overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."Genesis
18:16-19:29.
"For if God spared not the angels that sinned,
but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness,
to be reserved unto judgment, and spared not the old world, but saved
Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the
flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an
ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just
Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that
righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his
righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.) The Lord
knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the
unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."2 Peter
2:4-9.
"And the angels which kept not their first
estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved . . unto the
judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the
cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication,
and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering
the vengeance of eternal fire."Jude 6-7.
"Abraham had seen in his guests only three tired
wayfarers, little thinking that among them was One whom he might
worship without sin. But the true character of the heavenly
messengers was now revealed. Though they were on their way as
ministers of wrath, yet to Abraham, the man of faith, they spoke first
of blessings. Though God is strict to mark iniquity and to punish
transgression, He takes no delight in vengeance. The work of destruction
is a strange work to Him who is infinite in love . .
"God knew well the measure of Sodoms guilt;
but He expressed Himself after the manner of men, that the justice of
His dealings might be understood. Before bringing judgment upon the
transgressors He would go Himself, to institute an examination of their
course; if they had not passed the limits of divine mercy, He would
still grant them space for repentance."Patriarchs and
Prophets, 138-139.
"Love for perishing souls inspired Abrahams
prayer . . The spirit of Abraham was the spirit of Christ. The Son of
man is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinners behalf. He who
has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human soul.
With an antagonism to evil such as can exist only in a nature spotlessly
pure, Christ manifested toward the sinner a love which infinite goodness
alone could conceive."Patriarchs and Prophets, 140.
"The long-suffering of God is wonderful, because He
puts constraint on His own attributes; but punishment is nonetheless
certain" (read 2 SM 372-373 for the entire passage).
What is this attribute? "With an antagonism to evil such as can
exist only in a nature spotlessly pure" (Patriarchs and
Prophets, 140). It is only by restraining Himself that God does not
instantly destroy sin and those that cling to it. But He does so in order
to work out the issues of the great controversy. The marvel is not that
God will someday destroy the wicked; the marvel is His self-constraint in
waiting so long to do it.
"In Sodom there was mirth and revelry, feasting
and drunkenness. The vilest and most brutal passions were unrestrained. The
people openly defied God and His law and delighted in deeds of violence.
Though they had before them the example of the antediluvian world, and
knew how the wrath of God had been manifested in their destruction, yet
they followed the same course of wickedness."Patriarchs and
Prophets, 157.
"And now the last night of Sodom was approaching.
Already the clouds of vengeance cast their shadows over the devoted city.
But men perceived it not. While angels drew near on their mission of
destruction, men were dreaming of prosperity and pleasure . . None
could discern in those humble wayfarers the mighty heralds of divine
judgment."Patriarchs and Prophets, 157-158.
"That last night was marked by no greater sins
than many others before it; but mercy, so long slighted, had at last
ceased its pleading. The inhabitants of Sodom had passed the limits of
divine forbearancethe hidden boundary between Gods patience and
His wrath. The fires of His vengeance were about to be kindled in
the vale of Siddim.
"The angels revealed to Lot the object of their
mission: We will destroy this place, because
the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord
hath sent us to destroy it . . Lot went out to warn his children.
He repeated the words of the angels, Up, get you out of this
place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed to them
as one that mocked . . They were well enough off where they were. They
could see no evidence of danger . .
"But Lot delayed. Though daily distressed at
beholding deeds of violence, he had no true conception of the debasing
and abominable iniquity practiced in that vile city. He did not
realize the terrible necessity for Gods judgments to put a check on
sin . . The heavenly messengers took him and his wife and daughters
by the hand and led them out of the city.
"Here the angels left them, and turned back to
Sodom to accomplish their work of destruction. AnotherHe with whom
Abraham had pleadeddrew near to Lot . . The command was given with
startling vehemence: Escape for thy life; look not behind thee,
neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain . . The storm
of divine judgment was only waiting that these poor fugitives might make
their escape . . Again the solemn command was given to hasten, for the
fiery storm would be delayed but little longer. But one of the
fugitives ventured to cast a look backward to the doomed city, and she
became a monument to Gods judgment . . While her body was upon the
plain, her heart clung to Sodom, and she perished with it. She
rebelled against God because His judgments involved her possessions
and her children in the ruin."
It was God (Christ) who gave the announcements of
coming destruction to Abraham and to Lot; it was He who had planned the
action and who carried it out.
"Suddenly and unexpectedly as would be a thunder
peal from an unclouded sky, the tempest broke. The Lord rained
brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities and the fruitful
plain; its palaces and temples, costly dwellings, gardens and vineyards,
and the gay, pleasure-seeking throngs that only the night before had
insulted the messengers of heavenall were consumed. The smoke of the
conflagration went up like the smoke of a great furnace. And the fair vale
of Siddim became a desolation, a place never to be built up or inhabiteda
witness to all generations of the certainty of Gods judgments upon
transgression."
In the above quotation, there is no doubt as where
the fire came from. "The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of
heaven upon the cities." And there is equally no doubt as to
where the fire comes from that destroys the wicked at the close of the
millennium. It also comes from God out of heaven. The fire that
destroys the wicked does not come from men nor from Satan. Such talk
is idle speculation!
"The flames that consumed the cities of the
plain shed their warning light down even to our time. We are taught the
fearful and solemn lesson that while Gods mercy bears long with the
transgressor, there is a limit beyond which men may not go on in sin. When
that limit is reached, then the offers of mercy are withdrawn, and
the ministration of judgment begins."Patriarchs and Prophets,
159-165.
The Flood and the destruction of the cities of the
plain occurred fairly early in human history as a warning to all time to
come, that those who persist in sin must face a similar holocaust before
the end comes. No man should make a mockery of those solemn events by
speculating that they were not judgments from Godwhen the Bible
says they were.
"There is a record kept of the impieties of
nations, of families, of individuals. God may bear long while the
account goes on, and calls to repentance and offers of pardon may be
given; yet a time will come when the account will be full; when
the souls decision has been made; when by his own choice mans
destiny has been fixed. Then the signal will be given for judgment to
be executed . .
"Christ declared, As it was in the days of
Lot . . even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is
revealed. Luke 17:28-30. The daily record of passing events testifies
to the fulfillment of His words. The world is fast becoming ripe for
destruction. Soon the judgments of God are to be poured out, and sin
and sinners are to be consumed."Patriarchs and Prophets,
165-166.
" Escape for thy life, is the warning from the angels of
God; but other voices are heard saying, Be not excited; there is no
cause for alarm. The multitudes cry, Peace and safety,
while Heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the
transgressor. On the night prior to their destruction, the cities of the
plain rioted in pleasure and derided the fears and warnings of the
messenger of God; but those scoffers perished in the flames; that very
night the door of mercy was forever closed to the wicked, careless
inhabitants of Sodom. God will not always be mocked; He will not long
be trifled with. Behold the day of
the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce
anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners
thereof out of it. Isaiah 13:9."Patriarchs and
Prophets, 167.
God warns all the world today through the powerful
message of three angels that His wrath is going to fall on all those who
refuse to worship and obey Him. Who is that man who dares to tell the
people that God is not going to manifest such wrath "because He is
too kindly to punish the wicked"?
THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD
ARE ALREADY UPON THE EARTH
AND WILL INCREASE BECAUSE OF
THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN
"The world is filled with transgression . . A
spirit of lawlessness pervades every land, and is especially manifest in
the great cities of the earth. The sin and crime to be seen in our cities
is appalling. God cannot forbear much longer. Already His judgments are
beginning to fall on some places, and soon His signal displeasure will
be felt in other places. There will be a series of events revealing that
God is master of the situation."Life Sketches, 415.
"Gods message for the inhabitants of today is,
Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man
cometh. Matthew 24:44. The conditions prevailing in society, and
especially in the great cities of the nations, proclaim in thunder tones
that the hour of Gods judgment is come and that the end of all things
earthly is at hand. We are standing on the threshold of the crisis of the
ages. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one anotherfire,
and flood, and earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to be
surprised at this time by events both great and decisive; for the angel of
mercy cannot remain much longer to shelter the impenitent.
" Behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to
punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also
shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. Isaiah
26:21. The storm of Gods wrath is gathering; and those only will
stand who respond to the invitations of mercy, as did the
inhabitants of Nineveh under the preaching of Jonah, and become sanctified
through obedience to the laws of the divine Ruler. The righteous alone
shall be hid with Christ in God till the desolation be overpast."Prophets
and Kings, 278.
"When men, being in power, oppress and spoil their
fellow men, and no earthly tribunal can be found to do justice, God will
interpose in behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. He will
punish for every act of oppression. No earthly wisdom can secure
wrongdoers against the judgments of heaven."7 Bible
Commentary, 946.
"I am bidden to declare the message that cities
full of transgression, and sinful in the extreme, will be destroyed by
earthquakes, by fire, by flood. All the world will be warned that there
is a God who will display His authority as God."Country
Living, 7.
"The world, who act as though there were no God,
absorbed in selfish pursuits, will soon experience sudden destruction,
and shall not escape . . Dancing and carousing, drinking and smoking,
indulging their animal passions, they go as an ox to the slaughter. Satan
is working with all his art and enchantments to keep men marching blindly
onward until the Lord arises out of His place to punish the
inhabitants of earth for their iniquities."Evangelism, 26. [Are
any of us, by the errors we are teaching them, encouraging men to march
blindly onward?]
"God would show man that He can kindle upon his
idols a fire that water cannot quench. The great general conflagration
is but just ahead, when all this wasted labor of life will be swept away
in a night and day. The treasure laid up in heaven will be safe. No thief
can approach nor moth corrupt it."4 Testimonies, 49.
"God permits the wicked to prosper and to reveal
their enmity against Him, that when they shall have filled up the measure
of their iniquity all may see His justice and mercy in their utter
destruction. The day of His vengeance hastens when all who have
transgressed His law and oppressed His people will meet the just
recompense of their deeds; when every act of cruelty or injustice
toward Gods faithful ones will be punished as though done to Christ
Himself."Great Controversy 48.
"More and more, as the days go by, it is becoming
apparent that Gods judgments are in the world . . The time is
nearing when the great crisis in the history of the world will have come .
. Oh, that the people might know the time of their visitation! There are
many who have not yet heard the testing truth for this time. There are
many with whom the Spirit of God is striving. The time of Gods
destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have had no
opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look upon them.
His heart of mercy is touched; His hand is still stretched out to save,
while the door of mercy is closed to those who would not enter."9
Testimonies, 97.
It is quite obvious that the great need of our time is
to live right, to tell others the special truths for this time, and to
warn them of the great crisis ahead and the judgments which are to fall on
those who remain in their sins. And this is the message of the three
angels (Rev 14:6-12). We are to be living it and sharing it every
day. We are not to deny any part of it by our lives or by our teachings.
Inspiration tells us that Gods judgments are now falling. But
after probation closes they will increase on an immense scale and then
culmi
nate, in a massive degree, at Christs return and
again at the final destruction of the wicked after the millennium.
GOD WILL SEND FIRES AND
EARTHQUAKES AS JUDGMENTS
UPON THE WICKED CITIES
"What terrible scenes will take place when the
Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth! Then the words of Revelation
18:1-3 will be fulfilled. The whole of the eighteenth chapter of
Revelation is a warning of what is coming on the earth. But I have no
light in particular in regard to what is coming on New York, only I know
that one day the great buildings there will be thrown down by the turning
and overturning of Gods power. From the light given me, I know that
destruction is in the world. One word from the Lord, one touch of His
mighty power, and these massive structures will fall. Scenes will take
place the fearfulness of which we cannot imagine . .
"Not long hence these cities will suffer under the
judgments of God. San Francisco and Oakland are becoming as Sodom and
Gomorrah, and the Lord will visit them in wrath. [Written on September 1,
1902; the San Francisco Earthquake took place in April of 1906.]"Life
Sketches, 412.
THE STORY OF A FRIEND
My family once had a close friend that we prayed with
and were trying to help. His name was Fred Nogle. He lived a couple miles
from our home in southern Illinois in the early 1980s. Fred loved Gods
Word and he daily read in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Desire
of Ages had especially been a deep encouragement to him. He was also
reading her other books. Generously, he would purchase boxfuls of Steps
to Christ, Desire of Ages, and Great Controversy, and give them
to colporteurs to distribute. Many times, he gave expensive, new Bibles to
children, to help them in their walk with the Lord.
Although Fred had made much progress in other lines, he
had so far not been able to overcome the tobacco habit. For this reason,
he had not yet been baptized. But, month by month, he was strengthening in
his resolve. God was wonderfully blessing in his life and he was thankful
for it; he had hoped that soon this last difficulty would be put away in
the strength of Christ.
Then, one day, someone shared with him a newsprint
religious newspaper mailed out monthly by an independent Adventist
publisher in Oregon. It told him that God does not punish sin, and he
inferred from this that it did not really matter whether one sinned or
not. Now a different kind of peace came into Freds heart. No more need
for an upward walk. No more need to overcome the tobacco habit. As he
commented later, "If God doesnt punish sin, then He intends to
take me to heaven anyway. Anybody can see that."
The newspaper tabloid advertised cassettes, as well as
a book, by Fred Wright. So he ordered the cassettes and several copies of
the book. When they arrived, he listened to the cassettes and read the
bookand decided two things. And the very next day he stopped by and
told me of his discovery and his two decisions. I will never forget his
words:
"Last week, I accepted the sacred name
theory, and this week Ive accepted the God does not kill theory.
I know that neither one is in the Spirit of Prophecy, so Im done with
those books!"
He was honest enough to openly admit that those
theories were not in the Spirit of Prophecy. Fred handed me a copy of a
book by Fred Wright. Opening it and noting the chapter titles, I turned to
the chapter on the destruction of Sodom, and then to the chapter on the
final destruction of the wicked.
In the first of those two chapters (the one on Sodom),
I found, not Scripture but, page after page of descriptions of various
volcanoes that had occurred in different parts of the world, such as
Vesuvius, Krakatoa, and Mt. Pelee. The chapter concluded with the thought
that maybe, who knows, an accidental volcano is what destroyed Sodom, not
an act of God. (Which would be very fortunate, since God through the
angels had said that He would destroy the city; and since, according to
the theory, He doesnt do such things, an accidental volcanic eruption
just then would be a fine solution to a difficult problem.) In the three
years that has elapsed since I was given that book, I have tried to locate
data on volcanic activity in the Dead Sea area (where Sodom and the cities
of the Plain were once located)but what I have discovered is that there
have never been volcanoes in that area. An extinct volcano is relatively
easy for geologists and volcanologists to identify.
The other chapter in that book, the one that dealt with
the topic of the final destruction of the wicked, turned out to be
primarily a speculative exercise as to the possibility of the sun blowing
up, conveniently, all by itself at just the right timethe time that the
great controversy is concluded; the wicked would die because of an
accidental explosion of our sun, because God lacked the capacity to solve
the problem Himself.
Fred Nogle walked awayand left Gods Word. He became a changed
man. No longer did he buy Bibles or Spirit of Prophecy books. Instead,
Fred sold his own in an auction sale and moved north to central Illinois.
He became so vicious in his personal habits that, within a short time
after talking with me, his wife and children left him.
About six months later I was told that he went out in
the garage one day, turned on the ignition in the car, and sat there till
the carbon monoxide killed him. When Fred Nogle left Gods Word, he
destroyed himself.
"June 20, 1903: The judgments of God are in
our land. The Lord is soon to come. In fire and flood and earthquake, He
is warning the inhabitants of this earth of His soon approach. O that
the people may know the time of their visitation! We have no time to
lose. We must make more determined efforts to lead the people of the
world to see that the day of judgment is at hand.
"November 12, 1902: The time is nearing
when the great crisis in the history of the world will have come,
when every movement in the government of God will be watched with
intense interest and inexpressible apprehension. In quick succession
the judgments of God will follow one anotherfire and flood and
earthquakes, with war and bloodshed.
"February 15, 1904: [speaking about the
erection of the large buildings in New York and how they are funded by
greed and fraud] The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence
men will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass, and
they will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah. The
scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at
lofty and supposedly fireproof buildings, and said, They are
perfectly safe But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch.
The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen
were unable to operate the engines. I am bidden to say that when the
Lords time comes, should no change have taken place in the hearts
of proud, ambitious human beings, men will find that the hand that
has been strong to save will be strong to destroy. No earthly power can
stay the hand of God. No material can be used in the erection of
buildings that will preserve them from destruction when Gods
appointed time comes to send retribution on men for their insolence and
their disregard of His law. "Life Sketches, 412414.
CALVARY WAS PROVIDED
TO SAVE US FROM
THE CLOUD OF VENGEANCE
"When we study the divine character in the light
of the cross we see mercy, tenderness, and forgiveness blended with
equity and justice. We see in the midst of the throne One bearing in
hands and feet and side the marks of the suffering endured to reconcile
man to God. We see a Father, infinite, dwelling in light unapproachable,
yet receiving us to Himself through the merits of His Son. The cloud of
vengeance that threatened only misery and despair, in the light reflected
from the cross reveals the writing of God: Live, sinner, live! ye
penitent, believing souls, live! I have paid a ransom."Acts of
the Apostles, 333.
"Through Jesus, Gods mercy was manifested to
men; but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the
attributes of Gods character, and not a jot or tittle of it could be
changed to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law,
but He sacrificed Himself, in Christ, for mans redemption . . Thus they
have remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. More
than this, Christ imbues men with the attributes of God. He builds up the
human character after the similitude of the divine character . . Gods
love has been expressed in His justice no less than in His mercy . . It
had been Satans purpose to divorce mercy from truth and justice. He
sought to prove that the righteousness of Gods law is an enemy to
peace. But Christ shows that in Gods plan they are indissolubly joined
together; the one cannot exist without the other. Mercy and truth are
met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Psalm
85:10. By His life and His death, Christ proved that Gods justice did
not destroy His mercy . . Another deception was now to be brought forward.
Satan declared that mercy destroyed justice."Desire of Ages,
762.
Through the mercy of God we may have forgiveness and a
changed life. And thus
His mercy may kiss His justice; for the changed life comes into harmony
with His law. But there is another aspect to this. Through Calvary, mercy
continues to be extended to the stubborn and rebellious. But Gods
mercy does not blot out His justice. Those who persist in refusing to
accept the preoffered mercy will experience His justice. They have refused
harmony with His law; so they will have to contend with that which
condemnation of their lives will someday bring.
CHRIST SUFFERED
THE SIN OF THE WORLD
ON OUR BEHALF,
AT THE HANDS OF A JUST GOD
"God permits His Son to be delivered up for our
offenses. He Himself assumes toward the Sin Bearer the character of a
judge, divesting Himself of the endearing qualities of a father."Testimonies
to Ministers, 246.
"The sin of the world, with all its terribleness, was felt to the
utmost by the Son of God. The displeasure of the Father for sin, and its
penalty, which is death, were all that He could realize through this
amazing darkness. He was tempted to fear that sin was so offensive in the
sight of His Father that He could not be reconciled to His Son. The fierce
temptation that His own Father had forever left Him caused that piercing
cry from the cross: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
"Christ felt much as sinners will feel when
the vials of Gods wrath shall be poured out upon them. Black
despair, like the pall of death, will gather about their guilty souls,
and then they will realize to the fullest extent the sinfulness of sin .
. If they refuse the heavenly benefit and choose the pleasures and
deceitfulness of sin, they have their choice, and at the end receive
their wages, which is the wrath of God and eternal death."2
Testimonies, 210.
What took place at Calvary? Jesus experienced the wrath
of God, which is His anger against sin. And it involves separation of
God from the one identified with the sin. Jesus experienced all of this to
the full. It is in Gods nature to be angry with sin. And those
who stubbornly refuse to separate from it will have to experience that
anger or wrath someday. It is not wrong for God to be angry with sin. It
is not wrong for Him to punish those who have lived their days cherishing
it and refusing to leave it. It is not wrong for God to someday kill
in hellfire those who live to injure, hurt, and destroy. It is not wrong
for Him to blot out of existence those who shall continue in these
thoughts and actions as long as they have being.
Christ experienced the wrath of God and His judgment
against sin. Those who refuse to accept Christ will also experience Gods
wrath and His judgments. Refusing repentance, acceptance and obedience,
they have refused the Atonement.
Only He who received the full wrath of God, in order to
save us, will someday inflict it upon those who refuse the salvation which
He now offers them.
Question: Is it just and right to let Jesus execute the
final judgment upon the wicked? Yes, it is fully just and right.
Question: Would it be just and right for God to let
Satan inflict the final judgment upon the wicked? No, it would not be just
and right. Satan has not been appointed to do it (anywhere in
Scripture). He is not qualified to do it. He would not, and could not, do
it properly. Every sinner finally lost will suffer in the fire only a
certain amount, exactly equivalent to his sinful life, and then will cease
to exist. That is fair and right. But Satan would not do this.
He would try to continue their suffering on and onjust as he did
through the papists to the martyrs in the Dark Ages. The character of God
would not be vindicated if He were to turn the final destruction of
sinners over to Satan. To do so would be a blot on His justice and on His
mercy. And if the "God does not kill" theory were correct, there
would be no way that God could stop Satan from continuing on their misery
for unending agesbecause God would not step in and put a stop to
it by destroying Satan!
BECAUSE OF CALVARY,
CHRIST HAS BEEN APPOINTED
TO BE OUR JUDGE.
HE WHO DIED TO SAVE US WILL BE
THE ONE TO EXECUTE THE JUDGMENT.
"He has given light and life to all, and according
to the measure of light given, each is to be judged. And He who has given
the light, He who has followed the soul with tenderest entreaty, seeking
to win it from sin to holiness, is in one its advocate and judge. From the
opening of the great controversy in heaven, Satan has maintained his cause
through deception; and Christ has been working to unveil his schemes and
to break his power. It is He who has encountered the deceiver, and who
through all the ages has been seeking to wrest the captives from his
grasp, who will pass judgment upon every soul.
"And God hath given Him authority to execute
the judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Because He has tasted
the very dregs of human affliction and understands the frailties and sins
of men; because in our behalf He has victoriously withstood the
temptations of Satan, and will deal justly and tenderly with the souls
that His own blood has been poured out to savebecause of this, the
Son of man is appointed to execute the judgment."Desire of
Ages, 210.
"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 crossHe
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 the 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."Review, November 22, 1898.
"His [Christs] object was to reconcile the
prerogatives of Justice and Mercy, and let each stand separate in its
dignity, yet united. His mercy was not weakness, but a terrible power
to punish sin because it is sin, yet a power to draw to it the love
of humanity. Through Christ, Justice is enabled to forgive without
sacrificing one jot of its exalted holiness."7 Bible
Commentary, 935-936.
This is one of the reasons that the great controversy
has continued for so long a timeto reveal to all intelligences that
God is just in doing so when He finally destroys the wicked.
THE WORKING OUT
OF THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
WILL REVEAL THAT GOD IS JUST
IN DESTROYING THE WICKED
"Even when it was decided that he could no longer
remain in heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since the service
of love can alone be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures
must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The
inhabitants of heaven and of other worlds, being unprepared to comprehend
the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice
and mercy of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately
blotted from existence, they would have served God from fear rather
than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully
destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated.
Evil must be permitted to come to maturity. For the good of the entire
universe through ceaseless ages Satan must more fully develop his
principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen
in their true light by all created beings, that the justice and mercy of
God and the immutability of His law might forever be placed beyond all
question."Great Controversy, 498-499.
"In the final execution of the judgment it will
be seen that no cause for sin exists. When the Judge of all the earth
shall demand of Satan, Why hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed Me
of the subjects of My kingdom? the originator of evil can render no
excuse. Every mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will
be speechless . .
"In the Saviours expiring cry, It is
finished, the death knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy
which had been so long in progress was then decided, and the final
eradication of evil was made certain. The Son of God passed through the
portals of the tomb, that through death He might destroy him that had
the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebrews 2:14. Lucifers
desire for self-exaltation had led him to say: I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God . . God declares: I will bring thee to ashes
upon the earth and never shalt thou be any more. Isaiah 14:13-14;
Ezekiel 28:18-19 . .
"The whole universe will have become witnesses to
the nature and results of sin. And its utter extermination, which in
the beginning would have brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will
now vindicate His love and establish His honor before the universe of
beings who delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His law. Never
will evil again be manifest. Says the Word of God: Affliction shall
not rise up the second time. Nahum 1:9. The law of God, which Satan
has reproached as the yoke of bondage, will be honored as the law of
liberty. A tested and proved creation will never again be turned from
allegiance to Him whose character has been fully manifested before them as
fathomless love and infinite wisdom."Great Controversy,
503-504.
One of the objectives of the book, Great
Controversy, is to clearly reveal whyand howsin will finally be
eliminated from the universe:
"To unfold the scenes of the great controversy
between truth and error; to reveal the wiles of Satan and the means by
which he may be successfully resisted; to present a satisfactory
solution of the great problem of evil, shedding such a light on the
origin and final disposition of sin as to make fully manifest the
justice and benevolence of God in all His dealing with His
creatures; and to show the holy, unchanging nature of the law is the
object of this book."Great Controversy, xii.
The book, Great Controversy, reveals that God has
repeatedly shown mercy to sinners; but those who resolutely reject His
forgiving and enabling grace shall burn in hellfire. And Jesus, who
suffered and died for them on Calvary, is just and merciful to do this act
and put them out of their otherwise endless misery of existence. Read Great
Controversy, chapters 29, 33, and 42 for further details.
CONTINUE
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