PART SEVENTEENTHE THIRD ADVENT TO THE FINAL DEATH OF THE WICKED
This study begins with the third advent of Christ to Planet Earth, and ends with the final destruction of the wicked. It is an important subject, which we should understand.
PART ONE
CHRIST AND THE REDEEMED RETURNS TO THE EARTH
1 - Christ returns to the earth.
"At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed and attended by a retinue of angels." Great Controversy, 662:1.
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CHRIST DESCENDS UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
1 - He descends upon the very mountain from whence He earlier ascended to heaven.
"Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives, whence, after His resurrection, He ascended, and where angels repeated the promise of His return. Says the prophet: 'The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with Thee." "And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof, . . and there shall be a very great valley.'" Great Controversy, 662:3-663:0.
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THE CITY OF GOD DESCENDS
1 - The City comes down through the region of Orion.
"Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back; then we could lookup through the open space in Orion, whence came the voice of God. The Holy City will come down through that open space." Early Writings, 41:2.
Note: What Is the "open space in Orion"? It is very easy to assume something that is not stated. It is definitely located somewhere in the region of Orion constellation. but that is one of the largest of constellations -and we are not told that the "open space" is the Great Nebula in Orion, or a portion of it. Therefore we can guess that the "open space in Orion" may be the Orion Nebula. But we should keep in mind that Inspiration never said so.
According to EW 41, the Voice of God, which delivers the saints, will sound from the area of this constellation, and the City of God will come down through that part of the sky at Christ's third advent. It is likely that, at His second advent, Christ will also return through that area -but we are not specifically told that. It is nice to think that the Great Nebula is the passageway to heaven, but keep in mind that we are nowhere told in the inspired books that it is.
2 - The immense City is welcomed by God's children.
"After the judgment of the wicked dead had been finished, at the end of the one thousand years, Jesus left the city, and the saints and a train of the angelic host followed Him. Jesus descended upon a great mountain, which as soon as His feet touched it, parted asunder and became a mighty plain. Then we looked up and saw the great and beautiful city, with twelve foundations, and twelve gates, three on each side, and an angel at each gate. We cried out, 'The city! the great city! It is coming down from God out of heaven!' And it came down in all its splendor and dazzling glory and settled in the mighty plain which Jesus had prepared for it." Early Writings, 291:1.
3 - It comes to rest upon the place Jesus has purified for it. Christ and His people enter it.
"As the New Jerusalem, in its dazzling splendor, comes down out of heaven, It rests upon the place purified and made ready to receive It, and Christ, with His people and the angels, enters the Holy City." -Great Controversy, 663:0.
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CHRIST RAISES THE DEAD TO LIFE
1 - Jesus and His people leave the City, and He raises the dead.
"Then Jesus and all the retinue of holy angels, and all the redeemed saints, left the city. The angels surrounded their Commander and escorted Him on His way, and the train of redeemed saints followed. Then, in terrible, fearful majesty, Jesus called forth the wicked dead; and they came up with the same feeble, sickly bodies that went into the grave. What a spectacle! What a scene! At the first resurrection all came forth in immortal bloom; but at the second the marks of the curse are visible on all. The kings and noblemen of the earth, the mean and low, the learned and unlearned, come forth together." Early Writings, 292:1.
2 - Jesus calls the wicked dead to arise, and they involuntarily admit His lordship.
"He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death.
"Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim: "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips. As the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth with the same enmity to Christ and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation in which to remedy the defects of their past lives. Nothing would be gained by this. A lifetime of transgression has not softened their hearts. A second probation, were it given them, would be occupied as was the first in evading the requirements of God and exciting rebellion against Him." Great Controversy, 662:1-2.
3 - Then they flee and seek to hide from His face.
"All behold the Son of man; and those very men who despised and mocked Him, who put the crown of thorns upon His sacred brow, and smote Him with the reed, behold Him in all His kingly majesty. Those who spit upon Him in the hour of His trial now turn from his piercing gaze and from the glory of His countenance. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet now look upon the marks of His crucifixion. Those who thrust the spear into His side behold the marks of their cruelty on His body. And they know that He is the very one whom they crucified and derided in His expiring agony. And then there arises one long protracted wall of agony, as they flee to hide from the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords.
"All are seeking to hide in the rocks, to shield themselves from the terrible glory of Him whom they once despised. And, overwhelmed and pained with His majesty and exceeding glory, they with one accord raise their voices, and with terrible distinctness exclaim, 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!' " Early Writings, 292:1-2.
4 - Jesus and His children again enter the City. Satan resumes his work with the wicked.
"Then Jesus and the holy angels, accompanied by all the saints, again go to the city, and the bitter lamentations and wailings of the doomed wicked fill the air. Then I saw that Satan again commenced his work. He passed around among his subjects, and made the weak and feeble strong, and told them that he and his angels were powerful." Early Writings, 298:1.
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SATAN LAYS PLANS WITH THE WICKED TO CONQUER THOSE IN THE CITY
1 - Gradually, they prepare for a single, overmastering onslaught against the City.
"He pointed to the countless millions who had been raised. There were mighty warriors and kings who were well skilled in battle and who had conquered kingdoms. And there were mighty giants and valiant men who had never lost a battle. There was the proud, ambitious Napoleon, whose approach had caused kingdoms to tremble. There stood men of lofty stature and dignified bearing, who had fallen in battle while thirsting to conquer. As they come forth from their graves, they resume the current of their thoughts where it ceased in death. They possess the same desire to conquer which ruled when they fell. Satan consults with his angels, and then with those kings and conquerors and mighty men. Then he looks over the vast army, and tells them that the company in the city is small and feeble, and that they can go up and take it, and cast out its inhabitants, and possess its riches and glory themselves.
"Satan succeeds In deceiving them, and all immediately begin to prepare themselves for battle. There are many skillful men in that vast army, and they construct all kinds of implements of war." Early Writings, 293:1-2.
2 - He inspires them with courage, and they follow his directions.
"Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans. The wicked are Satan's captives. In rejecting Christ they have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. They are ready to receive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves and that he is about to rescue them from the most cruel tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints and to take possession of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points to the unnumbered millions who have been raised from the dead and declares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city and regain his throne and his kingdom.
"In that vast throng are multitudes of the longlived race that existed before the Flood; men of lofty stature and giant intellect, who, yielding to the control of fallen angels, devoted all their skill and knowledge to the exaltation of themselves; men whose wonderful works of art led the world to idolize their genius, but whose cruelty and evil inventions, defiling the earth and defacing the image of God, caused Him to blot them from the face of His creation. There are kings and generals who conquered nations, valiant men who never lost a battle, proud, ambitious warriors whose approach made kingdoms tremble. In death these experienced no change. As they come up from the grave, they resume the current of their thoughts just where it ceased. They are actuated by the same desire to conquer that ruled them when they fell.
"Satan consults with his angels, and then with these kings and conquerors and mighty men. They look upon the strength and numbers on their side, and declare that the army within the city is small in comparison with theirs, and that it can be overcome. They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem. All immediately begin to prepare for battle. Skillful artisans construct implements of war. Military leaders, famed for their success, marshal the throngs of warlike men into companies and divisions." Great Controversy, 663:1-664:2.
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THE IMMENSE ARMY MARCHES TO THE CITY AND SURROUNDS IT
1 - After extensive preparations, the army marches to the City.
"At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on -an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this final struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. With military precision the serried ranks advance over the earth's broken and uneven surface to the City of God. By command of Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city and make ready for the onset." Great Controversy, 664:3.
Note: Regarding this matter of when the gates are shut: In Early Writings, 41, Jesus and the redeemed leave the City and they watch as He raises the dead; then they go back into the city. After that, an unspecified period of time-probably covering a number of years-is spent by the wicked in preparing for war (GC 662:1-664:2). Then they begin marching toward the City-and Jesus at that time gives orders to shut the gates (GC 664:3)
2 - Armed with all kinds of weapons, a fierce conflict is expected.
"Then with Satan at their head, the multitude move on. Kings and warriors follow close after Satan, and the multitude follow after in companies. Each company has its leader, and order is observed as they march over the broken surface of the earth to the Holy City. Jesus closes the gates of the city, and this vast army surround it, and place themselves in battle array, expecting a fierce conflict." Early Writings, 293:2.
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CHRIST APPEARS ON A THRONE HIGH ABOVE THE CITY
1 - Amid vast power and majesty, Christ appears to the view of the lost.
"Now Christ again appears to the view of His enemies. Far above the city, upon a foundation of burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray. The glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The brightness of His presence fills the City of God, and flows out beyond the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance." Great Controversy, 665:1.
2 - Awed by the truth of the situation, the courage of the wicked fails them.
"And as they witness the splendor of their glittering crowns and see their faces radiant with glory, reflecting the image of Jesus, and then behold the unsurpassed glory and majesty of the King of kings and Lord of lords, their courage falls." Early Writings, 294:0.
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THREE GROUPS OF REDEEMED SURROUND THEIR LORD AND SAVIOUR
1 - Around Jesus are the most devoted, consistently faithful, the martyrs, and the great multitude.
"Nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burning, have followed their Saviour with deep, intense devotion. Next are those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their faith. And beyond is the 'great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, . . before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.' Revelation 7:9. Their warfare Is ended, their victory won. They have run the race and reached the prize. The palm branch in their hands is a symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of the spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs." Great Controversy, 665:2.
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FEARLESS OF THE WICKED THEY SING PRAISES TO THEIR GOD
1 - Although with millions of armed wicked surrounding them, the redeemed, secure in the protection of Jesus, raise a grateful song of praise. Undeceived by Satan, they well know that the wicked are powerless to cause them harm.
"The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and re-echoes through the vaults of heaven: "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb." Verse 10. And angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. As the redeemed have beheld the power and malignity of Satan, they have seen, as never before, that no power but that of Christ could have made them conquerors. In all that shining throng there are none to ascribe salvation to themselves, as if they had prevailed by their own power and goodness. Nothing is said of what they have done or suffered; but the burden of every song, the keynote of every anthem, is: Salvation to our God and unto the Lamb." Great Controversy, 665:3.
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THE FINAL CORONATION OF CHRIST OCCURS
1 - All power and dominion are given into the hand of Christ.
"In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place." -Great Controversy, 666:1.
PART TWO
THE EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
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CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE
1 - He who died for the wicked will be their Judge.
"God has committed all judgment unto the Son, for without controversy He is God manifest in the flesh.
"God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; . . He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of the cross- He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. He who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowledged by all the heavenly universe as the King of saints. He has undertaken the work of salvation, and shown before unfallen worlds and the heavenly family that the work He has begun He is able to complete. .
"In the day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living. . solemn will be the day of final decision. . Probationary time is granted us; opportunities and privileges are given us, to make our calling and election sure. How we should prize this precious time, and improve every talent God has given, that we may be faithful stewards over ourselves." Maranatha, 341:3-5.
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ALL THE WORLDS WILL VIEW PROCEEDINGS OF THIS JUDGMENT
1 - The entire universe is empowered to behold this final judgment of the wicked.
"In His teachings. Christ sought to impress men with the certainty of the coming judgment, and with its publicity. This is not the Judgment of a few Individuals, or even of a nation, but of a whole world of human intelligences, of accountable beings. It is to be held in the presence of other worlds, that the love, the integrity, the service, of man for God, may be honored to the highest degree. There will be no lack of glory and honor. . The law of God will be revealed in its majesty; and those who have stood in defiant rebellion against its holy precepts will understand that the law that they have discarded, and despised and trampled underfoot is God's standard of character. .
"In this speck of a world, the heavenly universe manifests the greatest interest; for Jesus paid an infinite price for the souls of its inhabitants." Maranatha, 341:1-2.
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THE BOOKS OF RECORD ARE OPENED
1 - The judgment at the great white throne begins.
"And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people. Says the prophet of God: 'I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.' Revelation 20:11-12." Great Controversy, 666:1.
2 - Angels are now preparing records for that final judgment.
"Angels of God are taking a daguerreotype (photos) of the character just as accurately as the artist takes the likeness of the human features; and. . it is from this that we are to be judged!" Maranatha, 340:2.
3 - It is an exact record of character and actions.
"In the case of each individual there is a process going forward which is far more wonderful than that which transfers the features to the polished plate of the artist. The art of the photographer merely imprints the likeness on perishable substance; but in the life-record the character is faithfully delineated, and this record, however dark, can never be effaced by the blood of the atoning sacrifice." Maranatha, 340:1.
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THE WICKED KNOW THE RECORDS
1 - As soon as the books are opened and Jesus gazes upon them, each person's record is etched into his own mind.
"As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart-all appear as if written in letters of fire." Great Controversy, 666:2.
"All will appear as a real life-picture." Maranatha, 340:4.
2 - It will all be recalled to their minds.
"Memory will be true and vivid in condemnation of the guilty one, who in that day is found wanting, The mind will recall all the thoughts and acts of the past; the whole life will come in review like the scenes in a panorama," Maranatha, 340:6.
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THE RECORDS WILL ALSO BE OPEN TO EVERYONE ELSE
1 - All the universe will understand why these people were not saved.
"When the Judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, there will be many astonishing disclosures. Men will not then appear as they appear to the human eyes and finite judgments. Secret sins will then be laid open to the view of all. Motives and intentions which have been hidden in the dark chambers of the heart will be revealed." Maranatha, 340:3.
2 - There will be no question about the accuracy of the judgment.
"In that solemn and awful hour the unfaithfulness of the husband will be opened to the wife, and the unfaithfulness of the wife, to the husband. Parents will then learn, for the first time, what was the real character of their children, and children will see the errors and mistakes that marked the lives of their parents. The man who robbed his neighbor through false representations, is not to escape with his ill-gotten gains. God has an exact record in His books, of every unjust account and every unfair dealing." Maranatha, 340:5.
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THE WICKED ARE SHOWN A PANORAMIC VIEW OF CHRIST'S LIFE AND DEATH
1 - The entire life of Christ will be shown to each lost soul.
"Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall, and the successive steps In 'the great plan of redemption. The Saviour's lowly birth; His early life of simplicity and obedience; His baptism in Jordan; the fast and temptation in the wilderness; His public ministry, unfolding to men heaven's most precious blessings; the days crowded with deeds of love and mercy, the nights of prayer and watching in the solitude of the mountains; the plottings of envy, hate, and malice which repaid His benefits; the awful, mysterious agony in Gethsemane beneath the crushing weight of the sins of the whole world; His betrayal into the hands of the murderous mob; the fearful events of that night of horror-the unresisting prisoner, forsaken by His best-loved disciples, rudely hurried through the streets of Jerusalem; the Son of God exultingly displayed before Annas, arraigned in the high priest's palace, in the judgment hall of Pilate, before the cowardly and cruel Herod, mocked, insulted, tortured, and condemned to die-all are vividly portrayed.
"And now before the swaying multitude are revealed the final scenes-the patient Sufferer treading the path to Calvary; the Prince of heaven hanging upon the cross; the haughty priests and the jeering rabble deriding His expiring agony; the supernatural darkness; the heaving earth, the rent rocks, the open graves, marking the moment when the world's Redeemer yielded up His life.
"The awful spectacle appears just as It was. Satan, his angels, and his subjects have no power to turn from the picture of their own work. Each actor recalls the part which he performed. Herod, who slew the innocent children of Bethlehem that he might destroy the King of Israel; the base Herodias, upon whose guilty soul rests the blood of John the Baptist; the weak, timeserving Pilate; the mocking soldiers; the priests and rulers and the maddened throng who cried, 'His blood be on us, and on our children" -all behold the enormity of their guilt. They vainly seek to hide from the divine majesty of His countenance, outshining the glory of the sun, while the redeemed cast their crowns at the Saviour's feet, exclaiming: 'He died for me" " Great Controversy, 666:3-667:2.
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SOME OF THOSE WHO ARE IN THE RANKS OF THE WICKED
1 - Nero's mother ruined the character of her son; when he became emperor of Rome, in a whim he had her strangled to death. Papist priests and prelates will also be there.
"Amid the ransomed throng are the apostles of Christ, the heroic Paul, the ardent Peter, the loved and loving John, and their truehearted brethren, and with them the vast host of martyrs; while outside the walls, with every vile and abominable thing, are those by whom they were persecuted, imprisoned, and slain. There Is Nero, that monster of cruelty and vice, beholding the joy and exaltation of those whom he once tortured, and in whose extremest anguish he found satanic delight. His mother is there to witness the result of her own work; to see how the evil stamp of character transmitted to her son, the passions encouraged and developed by her Influence and example, have borne fruit in crimes that caused the world to shudder.
"There are papist priests and prelates, who claimed to be Christ's ambassadors, yet employed the rack, the dungeon, and the stake to control the consciences of His people. There are the proud pontiffs who exalted themselves above God and presumed to change the law of the Most High. Those pretended fathers of the church have an account to render to God from which they would fain be excused. Too late they are made to see that the Omniscient One is jealous of His law and that He will in no wise clear the guilty. They learn now that Christ identifies His interest with that of His suffering people; and they feel the force of His own words: 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' Matthew 25:4." Great Controversy, 667:3-668:1.
2 - Napoleon will be there.
"There was the proud, ,ambitious Napoleon, whose approach had caused kingdoms to tremble." Early Writings, 293:1.
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THE SENTENCE OF ETERNAL DEATH IS PRONOUNCED AGAINST THE WICKED
1 - The sentence of eternal death is spoken. "The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them." Great Controversy, 668:2.
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ALL THE WICKED KNOW AND ADMIT THAT GOD AND HIS LAW ARE RIGHT
1 - At last, the wicked fully recognize the truth of the situation.
"Jesus speaks with majesty, saying, 'Behold, ye sinners, the reward of the just! And behold, My redeemed, the reward of the wicked!' The vast multitude behold the glorious company on the walls of the city. And as they witness the splendor of their glittering crowns and see their faces radiant with glory, reflecting the image of Jesus, and then behold the unsurpassed glory and majesty of the King of kings and Lord of lords, their courage falls. A sense of the treasure and glory which they have lost rushes upon them, and they realize that the wages of sin is death. They see the holy, happy company whom they have despised, clothed with glory, honor, immortality, and eternal life, while they are outside the city with every mean and abominable thing.” Early Writings, 294:0.
2 - They cry out in despair.
"It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble Independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death. The wicked see what they have forfeited by their life of rebellion. The far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory was despised when offered them; but how desirable it now appears. 'All this, ' cries the lost soul, 'I might have had; but I chose to put these things far from me. Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged peace, happiness, and honor for wretchedness, infamy, and despair.' All see that their exclusion from heaven is just. By their lives they have declared: 'We will not have this Man [Jesus] to reign over us.' “ Great Controversy, 668:3.
3 - All admit they were wrong and God and His law have always been right.
"As if entranced, the wicked have looked upon the coronation of the Son of God. They see in His hands the tables of the divine law, the statutes which they have despised and transgressed. They witness the outburst of wonder, rapture, and adoration from the saved; and as the wave of melody sweeps over the multitudes without the city, all with one voice exclaim, 'Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints' (Revelation 15:3); and, failing prostrate, they worship the Prince of life.” -Great Controversy, 668:4-669:0.
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ONLY SATAN HOLDS BACK BUT NOW MEMORIES AND FACTS FILL HIS MIND
1 - As the truth of the situation forces itself upon him, Satan seems unable to speak or move.
“Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence he has fallen. A shining seraph, 'son of the morning;' how changed, how degraded! From the council where once he was honored, he is forever excluded. He sees another now standing near to the Father, veiling His glory. He has seen the crown placed upon the head of Christ by an angel of lofty stature and majestic presence, and he knows that the exalted position of this angel might have been his.
“Memory recalls the home of his Innocence and purity, the peace and content that were his until he indulged in murmuring against God, and envy of Christ. His accusations, his rebellion, his deceptions to gain the sympathy and support of the angels, his stubborn persistence in making no effort for self-recovery when God would have granted him forgiveness—all come vividly before him. He reviews his work among men and its results—the enmity of man toward his fellow man, the terrible destruction of life, the rise and fall of kingdoms, the overturning of thrones, the long succession of tumults, conflicts, and revolutions. He recalls his constant efforts to oppose the work of Christ and to sink man lower and lower. He sees that his hellish plots have been powerless to destroy those who have put their trust in Jesus. As Satan looks upon his kingdom, the fruit of his toil, he sees only failure and ruin. He has led the multitudes to believe that the City of God would be an easy prey; but he knows that this is false. Again and again, in the progress of the great controversy, he has been defeated and compelled to yield. He knows too well the power and majesty of the Eternal.
“The aim of the great rebel has ever been to justify himself and to prove the divine government responsible for the rebellion. To this end he has bent all the powers of his giant intellect. He has worked deliberately and systematically, and with marvelous success, leading vast multitudes to accept his version of the great controversy which has been so long in progress. For thousands of years this chief of conspiracy has palmed off falsehood for truth. But the time has now come when the rebellion is to be finally defeated and the history and character of Satan disclosed.” Great Controversy, 669:1-670:1.
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EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS THAT SATAN IS WRONG AND NOW HE FINALLY ADMITS IT ALSO
1 - Satan bows and confesses that, throughout the great controversy, God has been right, he himself wrong, and the sentence is just.
"Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and Justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the Justice of his sentence." Great Controversy, 670:2.
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THE GREAT CONTROVERSY IS ENDED THERE IS NO MORE REASON FOR SINNERS TO LIVE
1 - The great controversy between Christ and Satan is now at an end, for all creatures everywhere know and acknowledge the eternal truths of God's character and His law.
“'Who shall not fear Thee, 0 Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest.' Verse 4. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan's rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan's own works have condemned him. God's wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all His dealings in the great controversy have been conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He has created. 'All Thy works shall praise Thee, a Lord; and Thy saints shall bless Thee.' Psalm 145:10. The history of sin will stand to all eternity as a witness that with the existence of God's law is bound up the happiness of all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: 'Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.'
"Before the universe has been clearly presented the great sacrifice made by the Father and the Son in man's behalf. The hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position and Is glorified above principalities and powers and every name that Is named." Great Controversy, 670:3-671:1.
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CHRIST DECLARES HIS LOVE FOR HIS FAITHFUL ONES AND HIS PROTECTION OVER THEM
1 - Turning to the redeemed, Christ declares His love and protection over them.
"It was for the joy that was set before Him that He might bring many sons unto glory—that He endured the cross and despised the shame. And inconceivably great as was the sorrow and the shame, yet greater is the joy and the glory. He looks upon the redeemed, renewed in His own image, every heart bearing the perfect impress of the divine, every face reflecting the likeness of their King. He beholds in them the result of the travail of His soul, and He Is satisfied. Then, in a voice that reaches the assembled multitudes of the righteous and the wicked, He declares: 'Behold the purchase of My blood! For these I suffered, for these I died, that they might dwell in My presence throughout eternal ages. ' And the song of praise ascends from the white-robed ones about the throne: 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.' Revelation 5:12." Great Controversy, 671:1.
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SATAN’S LAST DESPERATE REBELLION IS USELESS
1 - Satan rushes in among his followers in one last desperate effort to incite them to battle. But none are willing to acknowledge his leadership.
"Notwithstanding that Satan has been constrained to acknowledge God's justice and to bow to the supremacy of Christ, his character remains unchanged. The spirit of rebellion, like a mighty torrent, again bursts forth. Filled with frenzy, he determines not to yield the great controversy. The time has come for a last desperate struggle against the King of heaven. He rushes into the midst of his subjects and endeavors to inspire them with his own fury and arouse them to instant battle. But of all the countless millions whom he has allured into rebellion, 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." Great Controversy, 671:2-672:0.
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WICKED PEOPLE AND ANGELS TURN ON SATAN AND HIS LEADING AGENTS
1 - Men and devils turn on Satan.
"Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception, and with the fury of demons they turn upon them."-Great Controversy, 672:0.
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GOD SENDS FIRE FROM HEAVEN UPON THE WICKED
1 - Fire from Heaven and flames from the earth.
"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. Malachi 4:1; 2 Peter 3:10. The earth's surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—'the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.' Isaiah 34:8." Great Controversy, 672:2-673:0.
2 - All the wicked are consumed.
"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." Early Writings, 294:1.
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ALL ARE PUNISHED FAIRLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DEEDS
1 - The punishment will vary according to deeds.
"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. Said the angel, 'The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long as there is the least particle for it to prey upon.
"Satan and his angels suffered long. Satan bore not only the weight and punishment of his own sins, but also of the sins of the redeemed host, which had been placed upon him; and he must also suffer for the ruin of souls which he had caused. Then I saw that Satan and all the wicked host were consumed, and the Justice of God was satisfied; and all the angelic host, and all the redeemed saints, with a loud voice said, 'Amen!' " Early Writings, 294:1-295:0.
2 - Some cease to exist instantly; others live longer. In every case, a just sentence will be carried out.
"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 God's 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 branch -Satan the root, 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, 673:1.
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SIN AND SINNERS ARE FOREVER GONE - THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE IS AT REST
1 - Satan's work is forever ended.
"Satan's work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years he has wrought his will, filling the earth with woe and causing grief throughout the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in pain. Now God's creatures are forever delivered from his presence and temptations. 'The whole earth is at rest; and is quiet: they [the righteous] break forth into singing: Isaiah 14:7. And a shout of praise and triumph ascends from the whole loyal universe." Great Controversy, 673:2.
2 - The universe is forever rid of evil people.
"Said the angel, 'Satan is the root, his children are the branches. They are now consumed root and branch. They have died an everlasting death. They are never to have a resurrection, and God will have a clean universe:" Early Writings, 295:1.
3 - They shall be as though they had not been.
"Satan and all who have joined him in rebellion will be cut off. Sin and sinners will perish, root and branch (Malachi 4:1),-Satan the root, and his followers the branches. The word will be fulfilled to the prince of evil, 'Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; . . I will destroy thee, 0 covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. . Thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more: 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.' Ezekiel 28:6-19; Psalm 37:10; Obadiah 16." Desire of Ages, 763:4.
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THE CITY OF GOD IS PROTECTED DURING THE PURIFYING WORLDWIDE FIRE
1 - The people of God and the Holy City are protected while the fire destroys the wicked.
"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. Revelation 20:6; Psalm 84:11.
" 'I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.' Revelation 21: 1. 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, 673:3-674:1.
2 - Not a single sign of the curse was visible throughout the earth's surface.
"I then looked and saw the fire which had consumed the wicked, burning up the rubbish and purifying the earth. Again I looked and saw the earth purified. There was not a single sign of the curse." Early Writings, 295:1.
3 - We are told that, after the destruction of the wicked, it is "a new heaven and a new earth." Everything in the world is purified. It is s new earth.
But in what way is it surrounded by a new heaven? The heavens are very much new, for Satan can no longer pester the inhabitants of the other worlds. Both heaven and earth have been liberated from his bothersome presence.
Thus we see that it is a new heaven and a new earth.
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ONLY ONE REMINDER OF SIN WILL REMAIN: THE MARKS ON CHRIST
1 - Only the marks on Christ will remain as an eternal reminder of what He did to save us—and the universe.
"One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in His glory: 'He had bright beams coming out of His side: and there was the hiding of His power.' Habakkuk 3:4, margin. That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that reconciled man to God-there is the Saviour's glory, there 'the hiding of His power,' 'Mighty to save,' through the sacrifice of redemption, He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised God's mercy. And the tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of Calvary will show forth His praise and declare His power." Great Controversy, 674:2.
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THE FINAL DESTRUCTION OF SINNERS WILL VINDICATE GOD AND HIS LAW
1 - The basic issue in the controversy which Lucifer started so long before in heaven at the time of his fall,—had later spread to our planet.
But now, at last, the great controversy was over. It had been settled In every mind for eternity: As with everything else that He does, God's law has been found to be good, and just, and right.
All the universe now knows that there never was a reason for sin to arise in the first place or to continue as It did for so long.
"The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love," Great Controversy, 678.
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and Is some of the best material from that volume on topics given in this section.
FINAL JUDGMENT
Man Has No Right to Punish Transgressors, But God Does. "The plea may be made that a loving Father would not see His children suffer punishment by fire while He had the power to relieve them. But God would, for the good of His subjects and for their safety, punish the transgressor. God does not work on the plan of man. He can do infinite justice, which man has no right to do . . [to) his fellow man. Noah would have displeased God to have drowned one of the scoffers and mockers that harassed him, but God drowned the vast world. Lot would have had no right to inflict punishment on his sons-in-law, but God could do it in strict justice.
God Will Carry Out His Threat to Punish Sinners. "Who will say God will not do what He says He will do? Let God be true and every man a liar." Manuscript 5, 1876, pp. 2-5. ("The Days of Noah," cir. 1876).
Everyone Will Have Had a Full Opportunity. "God will never give up His rightful claim. He will never cease to command. However, you may be determined to refuse to obey, and, if you die following your own will, refusing the will of God, He will eventually justify the reasonableness of your condemnation before the assembled universe. Not one of the countless millions of the human family will stand alone before God pleading that he had done all that he could to comply with the conditions of salvation revealed in His Word, and yet he is unsaved. Everyone who fails to obtain the immortal life will be self condemned, with not an excuse to offer before God." Letter 6, 1877, p. 3. (To "Dear Niece Mary [Clough]," November 8, 1877).
Everyone Should Live in Reference to the Day of Judgment. "[In Revelation 20:11-15] is presented before us the great and solemn day when the judgment is to sit and the books to be opened, and the dead are to be judged according to the things that are written in the books. I have questioned in my mind, as I have seen the people or our cities hurrying to and from business, whether they ever thought of the day of God that is just before us. Every one of us should be living with reference to the great day which is soon to come upon us." Manuscript 6a, 1886, pp. 1-8, 7-12. ("Prepare for the Judgment, " a sermon preached in Oreboro, Sweden, June 27, 1886). [See also-7BC 41; 3SM 354-355; UL 192.]
God's Punishment of Persecutors Will Be Proportionate to the Pain They Have Caused. "The ruler of the universe bears long with the perversity of men, but He keeps a record of their works, and in proportion as they have caused pain to others, they will themselves be punished.
Persecutors of Commandment keepers Will Be Punished in Proportion to the Pain They Have Inflicted. "God has said, 'Touch not mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm' (1 Chronicles 16:22). Men have borne false witness against God's chosen ones. They have bruised their limbs with fetters and burnt them at the stake. The Lord will avenge his children. As men have carried out the spirit and purposes of Satan in causing pain to human beings, so will they suffer. Thus will they perish who have done all in their power to compel men to transgress the law which God has commanded all to obey." Manuscript 42, 1899, pp.1-3. ("Kept in Trial," March 28, 1899). [See also: EV 266-267.]
The Coming Conflict Will Be the Most Terrible ever Seen, But Satan Will Be Defeated. "We are living amid the perils of the last days. The conflict which is right upon us will be the most terrible ever seen. But though Satan is represented as being as strong as the 'strong man armed,' his overthrow will be complete, and everyone who unites with him in choosing apostasy rather than loyalty will perish with him." Letter 28, 1900, pp. 2-3. (To "Brother and Sister [W.W.] Prescott," February 17, 1900). [See also: Maranatha 191.]
As Plain as Noonday, the Impenitent See that They Have Leagued with Fallen Angels. "Fallen men and fallen angels are sure to join in a desperate companionship. He who fell because of apostasy works constantly against goodness and obedience. He is leagued with those who refuse to keep God's law. In the day of judgment, all this opens before the impenitent. Scene after scene passes before them. As plainly as the light of the noonday sun, they see what they might have been, had they cooperated with God instead of opposing Him.
Fallen Angels, Endowed With Higher Intelligence than Man, Will Realize what They Have Done. "The picture cannot be changed. Their cases are forever decided. They must perish with the one whose ways and works they followed. A flash will come to all lost souls. They will see clearly the mystery of godliness, which during their lifetime they despised and hated. And fallen angels, endowed with higher intelligence than men, will realize what they have done in using their powers to lead human beings to choose deception and falsehood. All who have united with the deceiver, all who have learned his ways and practiced his deceptions, must perish with him." Manuscript 37, 1900, pp. 1-4. ("The Revelations of the Judgment," July 9, 1900).
God's Government Will Be Vindicated on the Largest Possible Scale et the Final Judgment. "The final judgment is a most solemn, awful event. This must take place before the universe. To the Lord Jesus the Father has committed all judgment. He will declare the reward of loyalty to all who obey the law of Jehovah. God will be honored and His government vindicated and glorified, and that in the presence of the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds. On the largest possible scale will the government of God be vindicated and exalted. It is not the judgment of one individual or of one nation, but of the whole world. Oh, what a change will then be made in the understanding of all created beings. Then all will see the value of eternal life.
All the Righteous and All the Wicked Will Be Present. "When God honors His commandment-keeping people, He would not have one of the enemies of truth and righteousness absent. And when the transgressors of His law receive their condemnations, He would have all the righteous behold the result of sin.”
The Jewish Leaders Will Recall Their Rejection of the Saviour. "When sinners are compelled to look upon Him who clothed His divinity in the garb of humanity, and who still wears that garb, their confusion is indescribable. They remember how His love was slighted and His compassion abused. They think of how Barabbas, a murderer and a robber, was chosen in His stead; how Jesus was crowned with thorns and scourged and crucified; how in the hours of His agony on the cross the priests and rulers taunted Him saying, 'Let Him come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He saves others, Himself He cannot save.' (Matthew 27:42, 43; Mark 15:31). All the insults and despite offered to Christ, all the suffering caused to His disciples, will be as fresh in their recollection as when the satanic deeds were done. The voice which they heard so often in entreaty and persuasion will again sound in their ears as when the Saviour spoke in the synagogue and on the street. Then those who pierced Him will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand. (See Revelation 6:16-17).
In the Last Great Day the Character of Each Individual Will Be Distinctly Revealed. "In that great day, all will see that their course of action decided their destiny. They will be rewarded or punished according as they have obeyed or violated the law of God. In that great day the character of each individual will be plainly and distinctly revealed. God will look into all the feelings and motives. No one can then occupy middle ground. Men and women are either saints or sinners, either entitled to a glorious life of eternity, or doomed to eternal death. What a scene that will be! The aggravated guilt of the world will be laid bare, and the voice of the eternal Judge will be heard saying, 'Depart from Me. I never knew you.'
The Judgment Based on the Law.- "The judgment will be conducted in accordance with the rules given in order that man might have eternal life. The law of God, which men are now called upon to obey and make their rule of life, but which many refuse to accept, is the law by which they will be judged. We are judged by our works. Obedience or disobedience means everything to us.
In the Last Great Day, the Lost Will See That God's Law Is as Exalted as His Throne. "The last great day will witness the triumph of the raw of Jehovah. As the impenitent look upon the cross of Calvary, the scales fall from their eyes, and they see that which before they would not see. The law, God's standard of righteousness, is exalted, even as His throne is exalted. God Himself gives reverence to His law." Letter 191,1900, pp. 2, 9, 5-9. (To A.G. Daniells, October 11., 1900). {See also: Ev 220; TDG 296.}
Satan Continues to Be Deluded. "Satan has not yet given up the idea that the world's armies will be so large that they will overcome the heavenly host." Letter 90, 1906, p. 2. ("To the Brethren Assembled in Council at Graysville, Tennessee, " March 6, 1906). {See also: TBC 975; CM 126; 3SM 122; TDG 74.}
There Is a Day Appointed. "We are drawing near to the close of this earth's history. The battle is growing daily more fierce. There is a day appointed when men who have bowed to the mandates of Satan will find themselves the subjects of the wrath of God, when the Judge of all the earth shall pronounce sentence against Satan and his adherents." Letter 244, 1907, p. 9. (To J. A. Burden, August 8, 1907)
Confession Will Be Made, Either Now or When Satan's Army Encircles the Holy City. "Confession must come sooner or later; if not voluntarily now, then finally before the universe and the multitude that shall compose Satan's army encircling the city of God in the vain supposition that numbers will prevail. Those who persist in refusing to confess now, will then be forced to confess their errors; their unfaithfulness, underhanded cheating, and all their transgression of the law of God." Letter 136, 1906, p. 5. (To G.I. Butler, and A.G. Daniells, and G. A. Irwin, April 27, 1906). {See also: 2SM 53; 3SM 54; TDG 126.}
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