THE
TERRIBLE STORM!
WHEN HUMAN PROBATION
FINALLY CLOSES
"When individuals commit sins which are too grievous
for the Lord to pardon, their names are erased from the book, and they
are devoted to destruction."7 Bible Commentary, 987.
As long as you are convicted that you should
repent and return to God, your probationary opportunity
has not closed. Those who have sinned away the day of grace are hardened
and calloused in sin and have no conscience in what they say and do.
"The day of Gods vengeance is just upon us.
The Seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh
and cry for the abominations done in the land. Those who link in
sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the drunken and
will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity."5
Testimonies, 212.
"The One who has stood as our Intercessor; who
hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who is represented with a
rainbow, the symbol of grace and love, encircling His head, is soon to
cease His work in the heavenly Sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then
descend from the throne, and justice will take their place. He for whom
His people have looked will assume His right--the office of Supreme
Judge."7 Bible Commentary, 989.
"God is long-suffering, not willing that any
should perish; but His forbearance has a limit, and when the boundary is
past, there is no second probation. His wrath will go forth and He will
destroy without remedy . . He will punish for every act of oppression.
No earthly wisdom can secure wrongdoers against the judgments of
heaven."7 Bible Commentary, 946.
"The cup of iniquity is nearly filled, and the
retributive justice of God is about to descend upon the guilty."4
Testimonies, 489.
After the close of probation, the judgments of God will
fall in greater intensity than earlier.
"Gods judgments will be visited upon those
who are seeking to oppress and destroy His people. His long forbearance
with the wicked emboldens men in transgressions, but their punishment is
nonetheless certain and terrible because it is long delayed. The Lord
shall rise up . . 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. Ezekiel 33-11 . .
The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged
by the Lords reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which He
bears long, and which He will not smite until it has filled up the
measure of its iniquity in Gods account, will finally drink the cup
of wrath unmixed with mercy. When Christ ceases His intercession in the
Sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened against those who worship the
beast and his image and receive his mark [Rev 14:10; promised in
the Third Angels Message] will be poured out. The plagues upon Egypt
when God was about to deliver Israel were similar in character to those
more terrible and extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world
just before the final deliverance of Gods people . . [Some of the
plagues are described] . . Terrible as these inflictions are, Gods
justice stands fully vindicated. The angel of God declares: Thou art
righteous, O Lord . . because Thou hast judged thus. For they have shed
the blood of saints and prophets and Thou hast given them blood to
drink."Great Controversy, 627-628.
A careful reading of these post-probation passages in Great
Controversy reveals the following carefully arranged pattern: (1)
Probation ceases as Jesus concludes His ministry in the Most Holy Place (GC
611-614). (2) Satan then brings misery and trouble upon the wicked. He
is permitted by God to do this because their probation is now past (GC
614-615). Note this significant paragraph, showing that destructive
acts can come in two different waysdirectly from God or directly from
Satan, when God permits:
"A single angel destroyed all the first-born of
the Egyptians and filled the land with mourning. When David offended
against God by numbering the people, one angel caused that terrible
destruction by which his sin was punished. The same destructive power
exercised by holy angels when God commands, will be exercised by evil
angels when He permits. There are forces now ready, and only waiting the
divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere."Great
Controversy, 614.
(3) The focal point of the controversy will continue to
be the Sabbath, and therefore a death decree will be enacted against those
who faithfully observe it (GC 615-616).
(4) Jacobs Trouble will then take place as Gods
people agonize with Him for help; we should now prepare ourselves for what
is ahead, for it will include the personation by Satan himself as Christ (GC
616-626).
(5) But, not forgetting His own, God will, by His own
angels, pour out the seven last plagues upon the wicked. These plagues
represent the beginning of the outpouring of the wrath of God. This
outpouring was predicted by the Third Angel. These plagues represent the
first part of that wrath (GC 626629).
(6) God will, throughout this entire experience,
protect His beloved children (GC 629-634). And that is the
outline for chapter 39 of the book, Great Controversy. Read the
chapter yourself if you think that this outline is incorrect.
Very carefully, Ellen White separates her discussion
and description of two activities. One is various desolations brought on
by Satan (GC 614). The other is the seven last plagues as the
initiation of the outpouring of the wrath of God upon the wicked (GC
627-629). These two are not the same. Havoc will come to the wicked
from two different sources.
A careful reading will show that they both begin
when probation closes. The troubles brought on by Satan
are not the plagues and wrath of God. The two are carefully separated in
this chapter (The Time of Trouble, chapter 39). The one (GC 614)
comes directly from Satan; the other directly from God (GC 627-629).
The timing of this chapter is between the close of probation and the
deliverance of Gods people by the Voice of God, at the time when the
death decree is about to be enforced.
"Christ has spoken: Come, My people, enter
thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as
it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For,
behold, the Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of
the earth for their iniquity: Isaiah 26:20-21. Glorious will be the
deliverance of those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose
names are written in the book of life."Great Controversy,
634.
The above quotation concludes chapter 39. Opening
chapter 40, we find still further descriptions of the outpouring of the
plagues. Continually the falling of the plagues is linked with the
outpouring of the wrath of God. A careful study of the Spirit of Prophecy
reveals this wrath of God against sin, and those determinedly clinging to
it, is not concluded until the fire falls from Heaven at the close of the
millennium.
Note, in the next quotation, that the devils themselves
are terribly frightened as these plagues intensify. The demons are not
causing them; they wish they would stop! (A parallel passage is Patriarchs
and Prophets, 99, where Satan fears for his own life in the midst of
the violence of the flood that God has brought upon the world.)
"Great hailstones, every one about the weight
of a talent, are doing their work of destruction [Rev 16:9, 21;
quoting from the Revelation passage that speaks about the seven last
plagues]. The proudest cities of the earth are laid low. The Lordly
palaces, upon which the worlds great men have lavished their wealth
in order to glorify themselves, are crumbling to ruin before their eyes
. . Fierce lightnings leap from the heavens, enveloping the earth in
sheet of flame. Above the terrific roar of thunder, voices, mysterious
and awful, declare the doom of the wicked . . Their wails [cries of the
wicked] are heard above the sound of the elements. Demons acknowledge
the deity of Christ and tremble before His power, while men are
supplicating for mercy and groveling in abject terror. Said the prophets
of old, as they beheld in holy vision the day of God: Howl ye; for
the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the
Almighty. Isaiah 13:6. Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the
dust, for fear of the Lord. "Great Controversy, 637-638.
Read the rest of the paragraph.
One receives the impression from reading all this that
Satans joyful fun at causing scattered desolation and carnage here and
there, when probation first closed, was later swallowed up by the
overwhelming immensity of the seven last plagues as they seemingly
intensify in fury with the passing of timeuntil the devils are so
concerned for their own existence in the plagues that they have little
time to consider what new deviltry they can inflict. In these judgments
from Heaven, demons are trembling at Christs power, not rejoicing at
their own. Also note that these plagues are falling even as the Voice of
God sounds from heaven, to deliver the faithful from physical threat
(GC 636-638).
"Then I saw that the seven last plagues were soon
to be poured out upon those who have no shelter, yet the world regarded
them no more than if they were so many drops of water that were about to
fall. I was then made capable of enduring the awful sight of the seven
last plagues, the wrath of God. I saw that His anger was dreadful and
terrible, and if He should stretch forth His hand or lift it in anger, the
inhabitants of the world would be as though they never had been or would
suffer from incurable sores and withering plagues that would come upon
them, and they would find no deliverance, but be destroyed by them. Terror
seized me, and I fell upon my face before the angel, and begged of him to
cause the sight to be removed, to hide it from me, for it was too
dreadful."Early Writings, 6465.
God not only manifests His power in sending judgments
on the wicked, but He manifests it in delivering His faithful ones.
"He [God] has always chosen extremities, when
there seemed no possible chance for deliverance from Satans workings,
for the manifestation of His power."5 Testimonies, 714.
"It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the
deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs
and wonders follow in quick succession. The wicked look with terror and
amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the
tokens of their deliverance. Everything in nature seems turned out of its
course. The streams cease to flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash
against each other. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space
of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of
many waters, saying: It is done. Revelation 16:17."Great
Controversy, 636.
"The powers of heaven will be shaken at the
voice of God. Then the sun, moon, and stars will be moved out of their
places. They will not pass away, but be shaken by the voice of God.
Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The
atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could look up through the
open space in Orion, whence came the voice of God."Early
Writings, 41.
"After the people have heard the voice of God
they are in despair and trouble such as never was since there was a
nation, and in this the people of God will suffer affliction. The clouds
of heaven will clash, and there will be darkness. Then that voice comes
from heaven and the clouds begin to roll back like a scroll, and there
is the bright, clear sign of the Son of man. The children of God know
what that cloud means."9 Manuscript Releases, 251 (Morning
Talk, September 21, 1886).
"The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were lighted
up with the glory of God."Early Writings, 37.
"When the voice of God turns the captivity of
His people, there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in
the great conflict of Life."Great Controversy, 654.
"The day of wrath to the enemies of God is the
day of final deliverance to His church."Prophets and Kings,
727.
"The people are fast being lulled to a fatal
security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God."Great
Controversy, 562 (Signs, December 8, 1909).
"The Lord in judgment will at the close of
time walk through the earth, the fearful plagues will begin to fall.
Then those who have despised Gods Word, those who have lightly
esteemed it, shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to
the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and
shall not find it . . The ministers of God have done their last work,
offered their last prayers, shed their last bitter tear for a rebellious
church and an ungodly people."Maranatha, 264 (Manuscript 1,
1857).
"Gods love has been expressed in His
justice no less than in His mercy. Justice is the foundation of
His throne, and the fruit of His love."Desire of Ages,
762.
"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 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.
"At His own will God summons the forces of
nature to overthrow the might of His enemiesfire, and hail;
snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling His word. Psalms 148:8.
When the heathen Amorites had set themselves to resist His purposes, God
interposed, casting down great stones from heaven upon the
enemies of Israel. We are told of a greater battle to take place in the
closing scenes of earths history, when Jehovah hath opened His
armory, and hath brought forth the weapons of His indignation.
Jeremiah 50:25. Hast thou, He inquires, entered into the
treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of
battle and war? Job 38:22-23.
"The revelator describes the destruction that is
to take place when the great voice out of the temple of heaven
announces, It is done. He says, There fell upon men a great
hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent.
Revelation 1:17, 21."Patriarchs and Prophets, 509.
"In the day of the Lord, just before the coming
of Christ, God will send lightnings from heaven in His wrath,
which will unite with fire in the earth. The mountains will burn like a
furnace, and will pour forth terrible streams of lava, destroying
gardens and fields, villages and cities; and as they pour their melted
ore, rocks and heated mud into the rivers, will cause them to boil like
a pot, and send forth massive rocks and scatter their broken fragments
upon the land with indescribable violence. Whole rivers will be dried
up. The earth will be convulsed, and there will be dreadful eruptions
and earthquakes everywhere. God will plague the wicked inhabitants of
the earth until they are destroyed from off it."3
Spiritual Gifts, 82-83.
The outpouring of Gods wrath marks the beginning of the Battle of
Armageddon. It is a
battle, fought on behalf of His faithful ones, between God and wicked men
and angels. (For additional quotations on this, read Volume 7A,
982-983.) That battle does not actually end until the wicked are
forever blotted from existence.
"The powers of evil will not yield up the
conflict without a struggle. But Providence has a part to play in the
Battle of Armageddon."7 Bible Commentary, 983.
"He on whose vesture is written the name, King
of kings and Lord of Lords leads forth the armies of heaven on white
horses, clothed in fine linen, clean and white . . The captain of the
Lords host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct
the battle."7 Bible Commentary, 982.
"The judgment scene will take place in
the presence of all the worlds; for in this judgment the government
of God will be vindicated, and His law will stand forth as holy,
just, and good: Then every case will be decided, and sentence will
be passed upon all. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be
seen in all its hideous magnitude."Sons and Daughters, 361.
"I thought of the day when the judgment of
God would be poured out upon the world, when blackness and horrible
darkness would clothe the heavens as sackcloth of hair . . My
imagination anticipated what it must be in that period when the Lords
mighty voice shall give commission to His angels, Go your ways, and
pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
"Revelation 6 and 7 are full of meaning. Terrible
are the judgments of God revealed. The seven angels stood before God
to receive their commission. To them were given seven trumpets. The Lord
was going forth to punish the inhabitants of the earth . . When the
plagues of God shall come upon the earth, hail will fall upon the wicked
about the weight of a talent."Maranatha, 284 (Manuscript 59,
1895).
It appears that the terrible immensity of the seven
last plagues will continue right down to the second coming of Christ.
The devastating intensity of these plagues is mammoth.
"The earth shall reel to and fro like a
drunkard, and be removed as a cottage. The elements shall be in flames,
and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll."5 Bible
Commentary, 1110.
"The earths crust will be rent by the
outbursts of the elements concealed in the bowels of the earth. These
elements, once broken loose, will sweep away the treasures of those who
for years have been adding to their wealth by securing large possessions
at starvation prices from those in their employ."3 Selected
Messages, 391 (Manuscript 24, 1891).
"The great general conflagration is just ahead,
when all this wasted labor of life will be swept away in a night and
day."4 Testimonies, 49.
"There will be . . great destruction of human
life. But as in the days of the great deluge Noah was preserved in the
ark that God had prepared for him. So in these days of destruction
and calamity, God will be the refuge of His believing ones. Through
the psalmist He declares, Because thou hast made the Lord which is my
refuge, even the most High, thy habitation there shall no evil befall
thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For in the
time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion . . Then shall we
not make the Lord our surety and our defense?"Maranatha, 283
(Letter 258, 1907).
"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. And
this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall consume away while
they stand upon their feet . . In the mad strife of their own fierce
passions, and by the awful outpouring of Gods unmingled wrath,
fall the wicked inhabitants of the earthpriests, rulers, and the
people, rich and poor, high and low. And the slain of the Lord shall
be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the
earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried.
"Great Controversy, 656-657.
" Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God
hath remembered her iniquities . . In the cup which she hath filled,
fill to her double . . Therefore shall her plagues come in one day,
death and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with
fire [before it is all over with]: for strong is the Lord God who
judgeth her . . Such are the judgments that fall upon Babylon in
the day of the visitation of Gods wrath. She has filled up the
measure of her iniquity; her time has come; she is ripe for
destruction."Great Controversy, 653.
"Now they are stripped of all that made them
great and are left destitute and defenseless. They look with terror upon
the destruction of the idols which they preferred before their Maker . .
The gain of a lifetime is swept away in a moment. The rich bemoan the
destruction of their grand houses, the scattering of their gold and
silver. But their lamentations are silenced by the fear that they
themselves are to perish with their idols. The wicked are filled with
regret, not because of their sinful neglect of God and their fellow men,
but because God has conquered . . The world see the very class whom they
have mocked and derided, and desired to exterminate, pass unharmed
through pestilence, tempest, and earthquake. He who is to the
transgressors of His law a devouring fire, is to His people a safe
pavilion . .
"Saith the Lord . . Woe be unto the pastors
that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! . . Behold, I will
visit upon you the evil of your doings. "Great
Controversy, 654-655.
"The wrath of God in the seven last plagues had been visited
upon the inhabitants of the earth, causing them to gnaw their tongues
from pain and to curse God. The false shepherds had
been the signal objects of Jehovahs wrath. Their
eyes had consumed away in their holes, and their tongues in their
mouths, while they stood upon their feet."Early Writings,
289-290.
PEN PICTURES
OF THE FINAL CATACLYSM
Some of the following descriptions occur before the
millennium and some afterward, but they are grouped here to clearly show
how God will climax His controversy with the wicked.
Second Advent and Executive Judgment:
"The wheat and tares grow together until the
harvest, the end of the world. Then the tares are bound in bundles to be
burned, and the wheat is gathered into the garner of God. Then shall
the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Then the Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather
out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and
shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and
gnashing of teeth."Christs Object Lessons, 75.
Prior to the Second Advent:
"Before the Son of man appears in the clouds of
heaven, everything in nature will be convulsed. Lightning from heaven
uniting with the fire in the earth, will cause the mountains to burn like
a furnace, and pour out their floods of lava over villages and cities.
Molten masses of rock, thrown into the water by the upheaval of things
hidden in the earth, will cause the water to boil and send forth rocks and
earth. There will be mighty earthquakes and great destruction of human
life. But as in the days of the great Deluge Noah was preserved in the ark
that God had prepared for him [Noah], so in these days of destruction and
calamity [just before the Second Coming], God will be the refuge of His
believing ones."7 Bible Commentary, 946.
"The tempest is coming, and we must get ready for
its fury by having repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord will arise to shake terribly the earth. We shall see
troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths
of the sea. Navies will go down and human lives will be sacrificed by
millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be
able to quench them, The palaces of earth will be swept away in the fury
of the flames. Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent;
confusion, collision, and death without a moments warning will occur on
the great lines of travel. The end is near, probation is closing. Oh, let
us seek God while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near! . . It
may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger."Messages
to Young People, 89-90.
Before the Second Advent:
" A noise shall come even to the ends of the
earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations. He will plead
with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword.
Jeremiah 25:31. For six thousand years the great controversy has been in
progress; the Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in conflict
with the power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children
of men. Now all have made their decisions; the wicked have fully united
with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to
vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now the controversy is not
alone with Satan, but with men. The Lord hath a controversy with the
nations; He will give them that are wicked to the sword.
"The mark of deliverance [the Seal of God5T
212] has been set upon those that sigh and that cry for all the
abominations that be done: Now the angel of death goes forth, represented
in Ezekiels vision by the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom
the command is given: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and
little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the
mark; and begin at My sanctuary: Says the prophet: They began at the
ancient men which were before the house. Ezekiel 9:1-6. The work of
destruction begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual
guardians of the people. The false watchmen are the first to fall . .
" 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. And
this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that
have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall consume away while they
stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,
and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."Great
Controversy, 656-657.
Satans confession after millennium; events prior to
Second Advent:
"Gods dealings with rebellion will result in
fully unmasking the work that has so long been carried on under cover. The
results of Satans rule, the fruits of setting aside the divine
statutes, will be laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The
law of God will stand fully vindicated. It will be seen that all the
dealings of God have been conducted with reference to the eternal good of
His people, and the good of all the worlds that He has created. Satan
himself, in the presence of the witnessing universe, will confess the
justice of Gods government and the righteousness of His law . .
"The time is not far distant when God will arise to vindicate His
insulted authority. The Lord cometh out of His place to punish the
inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. Isaiah 26:21 . . How
terrible must be His tribunal when He comes for the execution of these
sacred statutes. How will those who have trampled upon His authority
endure His glory in the great day of final retribution?
. . The voice of the Archangel and the trump of God
shall summon, from the whole earth, both the living and the dead to the
presence of their Judge . .
"When Christ shall come in glory with His holy
angels the whole earth shall be ablaze with the terrible light of His
presence. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire
shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about
Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He
may judge His people. A fiery stream shall issue and come forth from
before Him, which shall cause the elements to melt with fervent heat,
the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up. The
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel."Patriarchs and Prophets, 339-340.
Probably referring to the Second Advent:
"Never since man was created had there been
witnessed such a manifestation of divine power as when the law was
proclaimed from Sinai . . Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but
also heaven . . The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter His
voice from His holy habitation; and the heavens and the earth shall
shake . . And every mountain and island shall be moved out of its place
. . Therefore shall all hands be faint, all faces shall be turned
into paleness, and every mans heart shall melt. And they shall be
afraid . . And I will punish the world for their evil, saith the
Lord, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will
lay low the haughtiness of the terrible . . And they shall say to the
mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb: for the great day
of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? . . for fear
of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake
terribly the earth. "
At this point, the scene probably changes to the final
destruction of the wicked:
"Then it will be seen that Satans rebellion
against God has resulted in ruin to himself and to all that chose to
become his subjects . . It will be seen that the wages of sin is death.
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the
proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that
cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave
them neither root nor branch. Satan, the root of every sin, and all
evil workers, who are his branches, shall be utterly cut off. An end will
be made of sin, with all the woe and ruin that have resulted from it. Says
the psalmist, Thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou has put out their
name forever and ever. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual
end. "Patriarchs and Prophets, 340-341.
"Against every evildoer Gods law utters
condemnation. He may disregard that voice, he may seek to drown its
warning, but in vain. It follows him. It makes itself heard. It destroys
his peace. If unheeded, it pursues him to the grave. It bears witness
against him at the judgment. A quenchless fire, it consumes at last soul
and body."Education, 144-145.
Disobedience to Gods Moral Law is what destroys man .
God, who made the law and the man, is the One who executes the sentence.
Someone must finally do it, and no one else is qualified to do it in
total justice and fairness, than the Giver of the law which has been
violated.
Probably the Final Execution of the Judgment:
"From India, from Africa, from China, from the
islands of the sea, from the downtrodden millions of so-called Christian
lands, the cry of human woe is ascending to God. That cry will not long be
unanswered. God will cleanse the earth from its moral corruption, not by a
sea of water as in Noahs day, but by a sea of fire that cannot be
quenched by any human devising."Christs Object Lessons, 179.
Executive Judgment, "the final
conflagration":
"The hand of Omnipotence is at no loss for ways
and means to accomplish His purposes. He could reach into the bowels of
the earth and call forth His weapons, waters there concealed, to aid in
the destruction of the corrupt inhabitants of the old world . .
"Water will never destroy the earth again, but the
weapons of God are concealed in the bowels of the earth, which He will
draw forth to unite with the fire from heaven to accomplish His purpose in
the destruction of all those who would not receive the message of warning
and purify their souls in obeying the truth and being obedient to the laws
of God."7 Bible Commentary, 946.
Wording indicates identity with above passage :
"In the bowels of the earth God has in reserve
the weapons that He will use to destroy the sinful race. Since the
Flood, God has used, to destroy wicked cities, both the water and the
fire that are concealed in the earth. In the final conflagration God
will in His wrath send lightning from heaven that will unite with the
fire in the earth. The mountains will burn like a furnace, and pour
forth streams of lava."7 Bible Commentary, 946-947.
Before and at the Second Advent:
"His wonderful works in their deliverance from
bondage and His dealings with them in their travels through the
wilderness were not for their benefit alone. These were to be an object
lesson to the surrounding nations. The Lord revealed Himself as a God
above all human authority and greatness. The signs and wonders He
wrought in behalf of His people showed His power over nature and over
the greatest of those who worshiped nature. God went through the proud
land of Egypt as He will go through the earth in the last days. With
fire and tempest, earthquake, and death, the great I AM redeemed His
people."Christs Object Lessons, 286-287.
Concludes with the time just before the Second Advent:
"At this time [during the Flood] immense forests
were buried. These have since been changed to coal, forming the extensive
coal beds that now exist, and also yielding large quantities of oil. The
coal and oil frequently ignite and burn beneath the surface of the earth.
Thus rocks are heated, limestone is burned, and iron ore melted. The
action of the water upon the lime adds fury to the intense heat, and
causes earthquakes, volcanoes, and fiery issues. As the fire and water
come in contact with ledges of rock and ore, there are heavy explosions
underground, which sound like muffled thunder. The air is hot and
suffocating. Volcanic eruptions follow; and these often failing to give
sufficient vent to the heated elements, the earth itself is convulsed, the
ground heaves and swells like the waves of the sea, great fissures appear,
and sometimes cities, villages, and burning mountains are swallowed up.
These wonderful manifestations will be more and more frequent and terrible
just before the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world, as signs
of its speedy destruction."Patriarchs and Prophets, 108-109.
Next we are told of judgments of God down through the
ages:
"The depths of the earth are the Lords arsenal,
whence were drawn weapons to be employed in the destruction of the old
world. Waters gushing from the earth united with the waters from heaven to
accomplish the work of desolation. Since the Flood, fire as well as water
has been Gods agent to destroy very wicked cities. These judgments are
sent that those who lightly regard Gods law and trample upon His
authority may be led to tremble before His power and to confess His just
sovereignty. As men have beheld burning mountains pouring forth fire and
flames and torrents of melted ore, drying up rivers, overwhelming populous
cities, and everywhere spreading ruin and desolation, the stoutest heart
has been filled with terror and infidels and blasphemers have been
constrained to acknowledge the infinite power of God."Patriarchs
and Prophets, 109.
There are at least five ways that God can use to warn
sinners to turn from their evil ways before it is too late:
(1) Let circumstances work out their own retribution; (2) permit Satan to
bring catastrophes upon them; (3) allow accidents to occur, from which, in
their disobedience, He cannot shelter them; (4) permit the forces of
nature (flood, earthquake, etc.) to awaken men to their danger; (5) bring
even more direct interventions and retributions upon those who are
especially bold. God can also use each of the above to bring judgments
upon those resolute in their wickedness. In the first two, He permits
events and circumstances, the wicked, and Satan to work. In the next two,
He may permit them or may actively use them. The fifth is a direct act of
His that clearly shows its Source. An example of this was the Flood,
with its deluge of water from the skies meeting geysers of water from
beneath. Another example would be the fire from Heaven upon Sodom at its
destruction. Note in the above paragraph, that natural disasters may be
judgments from God.
There are three types of judgments: (1) Less severeoften
the removal of possessions or personal injury. Gods goodness is given
to lead men to repentance; but, when this fails then His judgments begin
to fall, as a last effort to awaken men (as an example, the Battle Creek
fires in 1902). (2) More severefrequently results in death: Without
judgments upon the emboldened wicked, the world would soon be demoralized
and the righteous would be destroyed; for the evil and criminal-minded
would gain the ascendancy and would blot out the faithful from the earth.
(An example: During the Dark Ages, international warfare, coupled with the
Turkish threat, kept the wicked from focusing their full attention on
wiping out the Christians.) (3) Most severevery often resulting in
death: Judgments may fall upon those who have passed their personal
probation and whose lives are only a curse to the world (the destruction
of Sodom, etc.). As we consider these various types of judgments, we note
that the reason for them dictates their nature and intensity.
The Second Advent:
"Said the prophets of old, referring to scenes like these: Oh
that Thou wouldst rend the heavens, that Thou wouldst come down, that the
mountains might flow down at Thy presence, as when the melting fire
burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make Thy name known to
Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence! When Thou
didst terrible things which we looked not for, Thou camest down, the
mountains flowed down at Thy presence. The Lord hath His way in the
whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet. He
rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers.
"Patriarchs and Prophets, 109.
THE DEATH OF THE WICKED
AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
What causes the death of the wicked at the Second
Advent of Christ?
(1) Some of the wicked die at the hands of one another.
After the saints had been delivered by the voice of
God, the wicked multitude turned their rage upon one another. The
earth seemed to be deluged with blood, and dead bodies were from one end
of it to the other."Early Writings, 290.
" 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. And
this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that
have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall consume away while they
stand upon their feet . . In the mad strife of their own fierce
passions, and by the awful outpouring of Gods unmingled wrath, fall the
wicked inhabitants of the earthpriests, rulers, and the people,
rich and poor, high and low. And the slain of the Lord shall be at that
day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they
shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried. "Great
Controversy, 656-657.
(2) Many of the wicked die from the plagues.
"More terrible manifestations than the world has
ever yet beheld, will be witnessed at the Second Advent of Christ. The
mountains quake at Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at His
presence, yea, the world, and all that dwell therein. Who can stand before
His indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? Bow
Thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall
smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out Thine arrows, and
destroy them.
" I will show wonders in heaven above, and
signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. And
there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great
earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake and so great. And every island fled away, and the
mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of
heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent.
"As lightnings from heaven unite with the fire in
the earth, the mountains will burn like a furnace, and will pour forth
terrific streams of lava, overwhelming gardens and fields, villages and
cities. Seething molten masses thrown into the rivers will cause the
waters to boil, sending forth massive rocks with indescribable violence
and scattering their broken fragments upon the land. Rivers will be dried
up. The earth will be convulsed; everywhere there will be dreadful
earthquakes and eruptions. Thus God will destroy the wicked from off
the earth."Patriarchs and Prophets, 110.
After the Voice of God sounds from heaven delivering
His people from the physical oppression of the wicked, those who are
lost realize the terrible situation and turn upon one anotherand injury
and deaths result. But this is in addition to the outpouring of the wrath
of God.
Some therefore speculate that it is the fistfighting
among the wicked, following the Voice of God, that causes all the wicked
to die by the time Christ returns. But this is not true. A careful
reading of GC 640-644 and 653-656-657 reveals the following:
Although some have died from violence or the plagues,
all strife and passion cease when Jesus appears in the skies. The
wicked are frozen by fear into silence; and then, as they attempt to run
and hidethey are destroyed by the brightness of the presence of
Christ. Every man who is destroyed will have destroyed himself (COL
84) . . It is the sins they have clung to that are the cause of their
death. The purity of Christs presence will consume sin, but the wicked
have cherished it until they have become identified with it. And then,
viewing the brightness of the presence of Christ, they die from its
nearness.
After the Voice of God and before the Second Advent:
"The mark of deliverance has been set upon those
that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done. Now
the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiels vision by
the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is given: Slay
utterly old and young . . but come not near any man upon whom is the mark;
and begin at My sanctuary. Says the prophet: They began at the
ancient men which were before the house. The work of destruction begins
among those who have professed to be the spiritual guardians of the
people. The false watchmen are the first to fall."Great
Controversy 656.
"At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face
of the whole earthconsumed with the spirit of His mouth and destroyed
by the brightness of His glory. Christ takes His people to the City of
God, and the earth is emptied
of its inhabitants. Behold, the Lord maketh the
earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and
scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. The land shall be
utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this
word. Because they have transgressed the laws . . changed the
ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse
devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore
the inhabitants of the earth are burned. Isaiah 24:1, 3, 5-6. The
whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness."Great
Controversy, 657.
"My attention was again directed to the earth. The
wicked had been destroyed, and their dead bodies were lying upon its
surface."Early Writings, 289.
During the millennium, Jesus and the righteous are
involved in a special work of determining the amount of punishment that
each of the wicked shall receive at the time that they are finally blotted
from existence in hellfire (Rev 20:4; 1 Cor 6:1-3; EW 52-54, 291; GC
660-661). If it is wrong for God to put the wicked to death for
their sins, why is it right for Him and holy beings to decide on the
details of that executive sentence?
AFTER THE MILLENNIUM:
THE EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
"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 Gods standard of character."Review,
November 22, 1898.
"Their faces shone with glory, for they were in
the express image of Jesus; and as they arose and moved all together to
the top of the city, I was enraptured with the sight. Then the wicked saw
what they had lost; and fire was breathed from God upon them and
consumed them. This was the executive judgement. The wicked then
received according as the saints, in unison with Jesus, had meted out to
them during the one thousand years. The same fire from God that
consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken, ragged
mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all the
stubble was consumed."Early Writings, 54.
"When the Judgment shall sit, and everyone shall
be judged by the things written in the books, the authority of Gods
law will be looked upon in a light altogether different from that in which
it is now regarded by the Christian world . . The law of Jehovah is
great, even as its Author is great. In the judgment it will be recognized
as holy, just, and good in all its requirements. Those who transgress this
law will find that they have a serious account to settle with God; for His
claims are decisive."7 Bible Commentary, 986.
"In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of
earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place. 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 . .
"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."Great Controversy, 666.
"Though all nations are to pass in judgment before
Him, yet He will examine the case of each individual with as close and
searching scrutiny as if there were not another being on earth."7
Bible Commentary, 986.
Why is there such a careful analysis of each caseif,
afterward, the carrying out of the sentence is haphazardly turned over to
the devil?
"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 . .
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 Saviours feet,
exclaiming: He died for me! "Great Controversy, 667.
"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."Great
Controversy, 668.
"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. Satans own works have condemned
him. Gods 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 . . The history of sin will stand to
all eternity as a witness that with the existence of Gods 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 loyal and
rebellious, with one accord declare:
Just and true are thy ways, thou King of
saints."Great Controversy, 670-671.
"The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are
hushed into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, with
confused noise, and garments rolled in blood (Isaiah 9:5), is
stilled. Nought now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of
weeping and lamentation. The cry bursts forth from lips so lately
scoffing: The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able
to stand? The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the
mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom they have despised and
rejected.
"That voice which penetrates the ear of the
dead, they know. How often have its plaintive, tender tones called them
to repentance. How often has it been heard in the touching entreaties of
a friend, a brother, a Redeemer. To the rejecters of His grace no other
could be so full of condemnation, so burdened with denunciation, as the
voice which has so long pleaded: Turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways; for why will ye die? Ezekiel 33:11. Oh, that it were to them
the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: I have called, and ye refused; I
have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at
nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof. Proverbs 1:24-25.
That voice awakens memories which they would fain blot outwarnings
despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted . .
"In the lives of all who reject truth there are
moments when conscience awakens, when memory presents the torturing
recollection of a life of hypocrisy and the soul is harassed with vain
regrets. But what are these when compared to the remorse of that day . .
when destruction cometh as a whirlwind! Proverbs 1:27.
Those who would have destroyed Christ and His faithful people now
witness the glory which rests upon them."Great Controversy,
642, 644.
"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 . . 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 . . It is now
evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence and
eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death."Great
Controversy, 668.
"Satans own works have condemned him. Gods
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, O Lord;
and Thy saints shall bless Thee . . With all the facts of the
great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and
rebellious, with one accorddeclare: Just and true are Thy ways,
Thou King of saints. "Great Controversy, 670-671.
"He (Satan) rushes into the midst of his
subjects and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury . . There
are none now to acknowledge his supremacy. His power is at an end.
The wicked are filled with the same hatred of God that inspires Satan;
but they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot prevail
against Jehovah. Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have
been his agents in deception. With the fury of demons they turn upon
them, and there follows a scene of universal strife."Story
of Redemption, 428.
The wicked may fight among themselves, but in this they
do not take judgment away from God. It is God who executes the judgment
and sends the fire from heaven. It is God who destroys the wicked. It is
right for Him to do this. It is just. It is honest. It is fair. And it is
Biblical!
Prior to the Second Advent, some of the wicked died at
the hands of other sinners; at the time of the final destruction of the
wicked, though there is "strife," none of them slay one another
before the fire falls. As for Satan, we just read, "His power is at
an end."
"Satan rushes into the midst
of his followers and tries to stir up the multitude to action. But
fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them, and the great men, and
mighty men, the noble, the poor and miserable, are all consumed
together. I saw that some were quickly destroyed while others suffered
longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in the body. Some
were many days consuming, and just as long as there was a portion of
them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained."Early
Writings, 294.
" Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of
fire. The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His
fury upon all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath
delivered them to the slaughter. Upon the wicked He shall rain
quick burning coals, fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest:
this shall be the portion of their cup. Fire comes down from God
out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealedin
its depth are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every
yawning
chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come
that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the
earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. The earths
surface seems one molten massa vast, seething lake of fire. It is
the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly menthe day of
vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.
"Great Controversy, 672673.
Fire comes from God, out of heaven, down upon the
wicked; in response, fire bursts out of the ground to unite with it and
the wicked are consumed by the conflagration. There is no other source
for the fire that destroys the impenitent. But even if there were, it
would be like a box of matches in comparison with the holocaust which
God has started.
Each person is punished exactly the right amount, and
then he ceases to exist. Total fairness.
"The wicked receive their recompense in the
earth. They, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts. Some are destroyed as in a
moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished according
to their deeds. The sins of the righteous having been transferred to
Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for
all the sins which he has caused Gods people to commit. His
punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has
deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is
still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at
last destroyed, root and branchSatan the root, and his followers
the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the
demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding,
declare the righteousness of Jehovah."Great Controversy,
673.
Satan could not be trusted to punish people the right
amount of time. There is nothing he ever does fairly or correctly.
Nothing, not even hellfire, could be entrusted to him. God is justand
justice is not met by turning things over to Satan.
"Then they meted out to the wicked the portion
which they must suffer, according to their works; and it was written
against their names in the book of death. Satan also and his angels
were judged by Jesus and the saints. Satans punishment was to be
far greater than those whom he had deceived. His suffering would so
far exceed theirs as to bear no comparison with it. After all those
whom he had deceived had perished, Satan was still to live and suffer
on much longer."Early Writings, 291.
"Also it would be for his [Satans] own
interest to keep from Jesus as many as possible. For the sins of those
who are redeemed by the blood of Christ will at last be rolled back
upon the originator of sin, and he must bear their punishment, while
those who do not accept salvation through Jesus will suffer the
penalty of their own sins."Early Writings, 178.
"And they went up on the breadth of the earth,
and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and
fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."Revelation
20:9.
"Whose fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but
He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."Matthew
3:12 (Luke 3:17).
"Then are fulfilled the words of the prophet;
The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His fury upon
all their armies: He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered
them to the slaughter: Upon the wicked He shall rain quick coals,
fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion
of their cup: Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is
broken up. The weapons concealed in its depth are drawn forth.
Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on
fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements
melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works therein are
burned up. The fire of Tophet is prepared for the king, the chief of
rebellion; the pile thereof is deep and large, and the breath of
the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. The earths
surface seems one molten massa vast, seething lake of fire. It is
the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly menthe day of
the Lords vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the
controversy of Zion. Isaiah 34:8.
"The wicked receive their recompense in the
earth. They shall be as stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn
them up, saith the Lord of hosts. Some are destroyed as in a
moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished according to
their deeds. The sins of the righteous have been transferred to Satan,
the originator of evil, who must bear their penalty."Story
of Redemption, 428-429.
"While the earth was wrapped in the fire of destruction, the
righteous abode safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the
first resurrection, the second death has no power. While God
is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His
people both a sun and a shield."Great Controversy, 673.
"I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the
first heaven and the first earth were passed away. The fire that
consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is
swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed
the fearful consequences of sin."Great Controversy, 674.
"Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The
earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn
forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks
are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements
melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein
are burned up."Great Controversy, 672 (3 Bible Commentary,
1142).
" Then the wicked shall not be: yea, thou
shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be; they
shall be as though they had not been. Psalms 37:10; Obadiah
16."Desire of Ages, 763.
"The justice of God is satisfied, and the
saints and all the angelic host say with a loud voice, Amen. While the
earth is wrapped in the fire of Gods vengeance, the righteous abide
safely in the Holy City. Upon those that had part in the first
resurrection, the second death has no power (Rev 20:6). While
God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun
and a shield (Ps 84:11)."Story of Redemption, 429.
"The feet of the wicked will never desecrate
the earth made new. Fire will come down from God out of heaven and
devour themburn them up root and branch. Satan is the root, and his
children are the branches."Early Writings, 52.
"When the flood of waters was at its height
upon the earth, it had the appearance of a boundless lake of water,
When God finally purifies the earth, it will appear like a boundless
lake of fire. As God preserved the ark amid the commotions of the
Flood, because it contained eight righteous persons, He will preserve
the New Jerusalem, containing the faithful of all ages, from righteous
Abel down to the last saint which lived, Although the whole earth,
with the exception of that portion where the city rests, will be
wrapped in a sea of liquid fire, yet the city is preserved as was the
ark, by a miracle of Almighty power. It stands unharmed amid the
devouring elements."3 Spiritual Gifts, 87-88.
"The fire that consumes the wicked purifies
the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally
burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of
sin."Story of Redemption, 430.
There is not one quotationnot oneanywhere in
the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy in describing the actual destruction of
the wicked at the Second Coming, at the final Executive Judgment, or the
antitypical instances of it in the Flood and the destruction of Sodom
("As it was in the days of Noah . . and Sodom so shall it be in the
days when the Son of Man shall appear.") that says or implies that
Satan directly causes the outpouring of fire and destruction which
destroys the wicked. Yes, it is true that Satan and the wicked are
responsible for it by their sins. But, in the execution of the Judgment,
the fire comes from the presence of God and by His direct action.
"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."7 Bible Commentary, 935-936.
"The final overthrow of rebellion and the
total eradication of sin, is also a demonstration of Gods
unchanging love."Patriarchs and Prophets, 33.
" A noise shall come even to the ends of
the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will
plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword.
For six thousand years the great controversy has been in progress; the
Son of God and His heavenly messengers have been in conflict with the
power of the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children of
men. Now all have made their decisions; the wicked have fully united
with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to
vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now the controversy is
not alone with Satan, but with men. The Lord hath a controversy
with the nations; He will give them that are wicked to the sword.
"I am instructed 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."9 Testimonies, 13.
"Said the angel, It is the wrath of God and
the Lamb that causes the destruction or death of the wicked. "Early
Writings, 52.
"God carries with Him the sympathy and
approval of the whole universe as step by step His great plan advances
to its complete fulfillment. He will carry it with Him in the final
eradication of rebellion."Patriarchs and Prophets, 79.
"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 Satans rule in
contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole
universe. Satans own works have condemned him. Gods
wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully
vindicated . .
"With all the facts of the great controversy
in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one
accord declare, Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.
"Great Controversy, 670-671.
Read the following quotation carefully. First, the
warning of judgment to come is given to the world (Rev 14:6-12).
After that, the sickle is thrust in, the earth is reaped (Rev
14:14-20).
Now is the time to give the message! We must not
exchange it for a message of peace and safety to the sinner!
"[In our day] men in their blindness boast of
wonderful progress and enlightenment; but to the eye of Omniscience are
revealed the inward guilt and depravity. The heavenly watchers see the
earth filled with violence and crime. Wealth is obtained by every
species of robbery, not robbery of men only, but of God. Men are using
His means to gratify their selfishness. Everything they can grasp is
made to minister to their greed. Avarice and sensuality prevail. Men
cherish the attributes of the first great deceiver. They have accepted
Him as God, and have become imbued with his spirit. But the cloud of
judicial wrath hangs over them, containing the elements that destroyed
Sodom.
"In his visions of things to come the prophet
John beheld this scene. This demon worship was revealed to him, and it
seemed to him as if the whole world were standing on the brink of
perdition. But as He looked with intense interest he beheld the company
of Gods commandment-keeping people . . And I looked, and behold a
white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like the Son of man, having on
His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another
angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat
on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for
Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And He that sat on
the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also
having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which
had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp
sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of
the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel
thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth,
and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. Revelation
14:12-19.
When the storm of Gods wrath breaks upon the
world, it will be a terrible revelation for souls to find that their
house is being swept away because it is built upon the sand. Let the
warning be given them before it is too late. We should now feel the
responsibility of laboring with intense earnestness to impart to others
the truths that God has given for this time. We cannot be too much in
earnest . .
"Now is the time for the last warning to be
given. There is a special power in the presentation of the truth at the
present time; but how long will it continue? Only a little while. If
there was ever a crisis, it is now. All are deciding their eternal
destiny. Men need to be aroused to realize the solemnity of the time,
the nearness of the day when human probation shall be ended. Decided
efforts should be made to bring the message for this time prominently
before the people. The Third Angel is to go forth with great power. Let
none ignore this work or treat it as of little importance. The light we
have received upon the Third Angels Message is the true light. The
Mark of the Beast is exactly what it has been proclaimed to be . .
"There is to be no change in the general
features of our work. It is to stand as clear and distinct as prophecy
has made it . . No line of truth that has made the Seventh-day Adventist
people what they are is to be weakened. We have the old landmarks of
truth, experience, and duty, and we are to stand firmly in defense of
our principles, in full view of the world . . Satan is constantly
seeking to cast a shadow about these messages [of the three angels], so
that the people of God shall not clearly discern their import, their
time and place . . The Lord God of heaven will not send upon the world
His judgments for disobedience and transgression until He has sent His
watchmen to give the warning. He will not close up the period of
probation until the message shall be more distinctly proclaimed. The law
of God is to be magnified; its claims must be presented in their true,
sacred character, that the people may be brought to decide for or
against the truth."6 Testimonies, 14-19.
"There must be no toning down of the truth, no
muffling of the message for this time. The third angels message must
be strengthened and confirmed. The eighteenth chapter of Revelation
reveals the importance of presenting the truth in no measured terms but
with boldness and power . . There has been too much beating about the
bush in the proclamation of the third angels message."Evangelism,
230.
"When God sends men warnings so important that they are
represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven,
He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the
message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the
beast and his image (Rev 14:9-11) should lead all to a diligent
study . . But the masses of the people turn away their ears from hearing
the truth and are turned unto fables. The apostle Paul declared, looking
down to the last days: The time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine. That
time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because
it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and
Satan supplies the deceptions which they love."Great
Controversy, 594-595.
"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.
For 6,000 years, God has predicted judgments. When
Adam sinned, God sent His angels to require that the pair leave the
garden (Gen 3:22-24). Then Cain was reproved by his brother for
disobeying God. Following the death of Abel, God sent a divine judgment
upon Cain (Gen 4:1-16). Lamech, a descendant of Cain, openly
defied God and dared Him to send judgments in response to his sins (Gen
4:23-24; cf. PP 81). Enoch lived a pure life and God gave prophecies
through Him that He would some day execute Judgment upon all the world
for its sins (Gen 5:21-24, Jude 14-15). Fifteen centuries after
Cain (PP 78), the world was nearly demoralized because of the
lawlessness of sinners (Gen 6:1-6). And God said that He would
destroy them (Gen 6:7-13). Twice He said that He would do it (Gen
6:7, 13) and He did it (Gen 7). Following this, another heavy
judgment fell upon the wicked from God when He intercepted their purpose
to federate together to destroy the righteous; by changing mens
languages, He dispersed them (Gen 11:1-9).
Here are some examples from Bible times of the
Judgments of God:
CONTINUE ~~ TERRIBLE
STORM TOC |
BOOKSTORE