The People Will Conspire To
- Root Out The Hated Sect
- WHEN the protection of human laws shall be withdrawn from those who honor the law of God, there will be, in different lands, a simultaneous movement for their destruction. As the time appointed in the decree draws near, the people will conspire to root out the hated sect. It will be determined to strike in one night a decisive blow, which shall utterly silence the voice of dissent and reproof.
The people of God--some
in prison cells,
some hidden in solitary
retreats in the
forests and the
mountains--still
plead for divine
protection, while
in every quarter
companies of armed
men, urged on by
hosts of evil angels,
are preparing for
the work of death.
It is now, in the
hour of utmost extremity,
that the God of
Israel will interpose
for the deliverance
of His chosen. Saith
the Lord; "Ye shall
have a song, as
in the night when
a holy solemnity
is kept; and gladness
of heart, as when
one goeth . . .
to come into the
mountain of the
Lord, to the Mighty
One of Israel. And
the Lord shall cause
His glorious voice
to be heard, and
shall show the lighting
down of His arm,
with the indignation
of His anger, and
with the flame of
a devouring fire,
with scattering,
and tempest, and
hailstones." Isaiah
30:29, 30.
With shouts of triumph,
jeering, and imprecation,
throngs of evil
men are about to
rush upon their
prey, when, lo,
a dense blackness,
deeper than the
darkness of the
night, falls upon
the earth. Then
a rainbow, shining
with the glory from
the throne of God,
spans the heavens
and seems to encircle
each praying company.
The angry multitudes
are suddenly arrested.
Their mocking cries
die away. The objects
of their murderous
rage are forgotten.
With fearful forebodings
they gaze upon the
symbol of God's
covenant and long
to be shielded from
its overpowering
brightness.
By the people of
God a voice, clear
and melodious, is
heard, saying, "Look
up," and lifting
their eyes to the
heavens, they behold
the bow of promise.
The black, angry
clouds that covered
the firmament are
parted, and like
Stephen they look
up steadfastly into
heaven and see the
glory of God and
the Son of man seated
upon His throne.
In His divine form
they discern the
marks of His humiliation;
and from His lips
they hear the request
presented before
His Father and the
holy angels: "I
will that they also,
whom Thou hast given
Me, be with Me where
I am." John 17:24.
Again a voice, musical
and triumphant,
is heard, saying:
"They come! they
come! holy, harmless,
and undefiled. They
have kept the word
of My patience;
they shall walk
among the angels;"
and the pale, quivering
lips of those who
have held fast their
faith utter a shout
of victory.
- It Is At Midnight That God Manifests His
- Power For The Deliverance Of His People
- 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.
That voice shakes
the heavens and
the earth. There
is mighty earthquake,
"such as was not
since men were upon
the earth, so mighty
an earthquake, and
so great." Verses
17, 18. The firmament
appears to open
and shut. The glory
from the throne
of God seems flashing
through. The mountains
shake like a reed
in the wind, and
ragged rocks are
scattered on every
side. There is a
roar as of a coming
tempest. The sea
is lashed into fury.
There is heard the
shriek of a hurricane
like the voice of
demons upon a mission
of destruction.
The whole earth
heaves and swells
like the waves of
the sea. Its surface
is breaking up.
Its very foundations
seem to be giving
way. Mountain chains
are sinking. Inhabited
islands disappear.
The seaports that
have become like
Sodom for wickedness
are swallowed up
by the angry waters.
Babylon the great
has come in remembrance
before God, "to
give unto her the
cup of the wine
of the fierceness
of His wrath." Great
hailstones, every
one "about the weight
of a talent," are
doing their work
of destruction.
Verses 19, 21. The
proudest cities
of the earth are
laid low. The lordly
palaces, upon which
the world's great
men have lavished
their wealth in
order to glorify
themselves, are
crumbling to ruin
before their eyes.
Prison walls are
rent asunder, and
God's people, who
have been held in
bondage for their
faith, are set free.
Graves are opened,
and "many of them
that sleep in the
dust of the earth.
. . awake, some
to everlasting life,
and some to shame
and everlasting
contempt." Daniel
12:2. All who have
died in the faith
of the third angel's
message come forth
from the tomb glorified,
to hear God's covenant
of peace with those
who have kept His
law. "They also
which pierced Him"
(Revelation 1:7),
those that mocked
and derided Christ's
dying agonies, and
the most violent
opposers of His
truth and His people,
are raised to behold
Him in His glory
and to see the honor
placed upon the
loyal and obedient.
Thick clouds still
cover the sky; yet
the sun now and
then breaks through,
appearing like the
avenging eye of
Jehovah. Fierce
lightnings leap
from the heavens,
enveloping the earth
in a sheet of flame.
Above the terrific
roar of thunder,
voices, mysterious
and awful, declare
the doom of the
wicked. The words
spoken are not comprehended
by all; but they
are distinctly understood
by the false teachers.
Those who a little
before were so reckless,
so boastful and
defiant, so exultant
in their cruelty
to God's commandment-keeping
people, are now
overwhelmed with
consternation and
shuddering in fear.
Their wails 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, and for
the glory of His
majesty. The lofty
looks of man shall
be humbled, and
the haughtiness
of men shall be
bowed down, and
the Lord alone shall
be exalted in that
day. For the day
of the Lord of hosts
shall be upon everyone
that is proud and
lofty, and upon
everyone that is
lifted up; and he
shall be brought
low." "In that day
a man shall cast
the idols of his
silver, and the
idols of his gold,
which they made
each one for himself
to worship, to the
moles and to the
bats; to go into
the clefts of the
rocks, and into
the tops of the
ragged rocks, for
fear of the Lord,
and for the glory
of His majesty,
when He ariseth
to shake terribly
the earth." Isaiah
2:10-12, 20, 21,
margin.
- God's Our Refuge And Strength,
- A Very Present Help In Trouble
- Through a rift in the clouds there beams a star whose brilliancy is increased fourfold in contrast with the darkness. It speaks hope and joy to the faithful, but severity and wrath to the transgressors of God's law. Those who have sacrificed all for Christ are now secure, hidden as in the secret of the Lord's pavilion. They have been tested, and before the world and the despisers of truth they have evinced their fidelity to Him who died for them. A marvelous change has come over those who have held fast their integrity in the very face of death. They have been suddenly delivered from the dark and terrible tyranny of men transformed to demons. Their faces, so lately pale, anxious, and haggard, are now aglow with wonder, faith, and love. Their voices rise in triumphant song: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-3.
While these words
of holy trust ascend
to God, the clouds
sweep back, and
the starry heavens
are seen, unspeakably
glorious in contrast
with the black and
angry firmament
on either side.
The glory of the
celestial city streams
from the gates ajar.
Then there appears
against the sky
a hand holding two
tables of stone
folded together.
Says the prophet:
"The heavens shall
declare His righteousness:
for God is judge
Himself." Psalm
50:6. That holy
law, God's righteousness,
that amid thunder
and flame was proclaimed
from Sinai as the
guide of life, is
now revealed to
men as the rule
of judgment. The
hand opens the tables,
and there are seen
the precepts of
the Decalogue, traced
as with a pen of
fire. The words
are so plain that
all can read them.
Memory is aroused,
the darkness of
superstition and
heresy is swept
from every mind,
and God's ten words,
brief, comprehensive,
and authoritative,
are presented to
the view of all
the inhabitants
of the earth.
It is impossible
to describe the
horror and despair
of those who have
trampled upon God's
holy requirements.
The Lord gave them
His law; they might
have compared their
characters with
it and learned their
defects while there
was yet opportunity
for repentance and
reform; but in order
to secure the favor
of the world, they
set aside its precepts
and taught others
to transgress. They
have endeavored
to compel God's
people to profane
His Sabbath. Now
they are condemned
by that law which
they have despised.
With awful distinctness
they see that they
are without excuse.
They chose whom
they would serve
and worship. "Then
shall ye return,
and discern between
the righteous and
the wicked, between
him that serveth
God and him that
serveth Him not."
Malachi 3:18.
The enemies of God's
law, from the ministers
down to the least
among them, have
a new conception
of truth and duty.
Too late they see
that the Sabbath
of the fourth commandment
is the seal of the
living God. Too
late they see the
true nature of their
spurious sabbath
and the sandy foundation
upon which they
have been building.
They find that they
have been fighting
against God. Religious
teachers have led
souls to perdition
while professing
to guide them to
the gates of Paradise.
Not until the day
of final accounts
will it be known
how great is the
responsibility of
men in holy office
and how terrible
are the results
of their unfaithfulness.
Only in eternity
can we rightly estimate
the loss of a single
soul. Fearful will
be the doom of him
to whom God shall
say: Depart, thou
wicked servant.
The voice of God
is heard from heaven,
declaring the day
and hour of Jesus'
coming, and delivering
the everlasting
covenant to His
people. Like peals
of loudest thunder
His words roll through
the earth. The Israel
of God stand listening,
with their eyes
fixed upward. Their
countenances are
lighted up with
His glory, and shine
as did the face
of Moses when he
came down from Sinai.
The wicked cannot
look upon them.
And when the blessing
is pronounced on
those who have honored
God by keeping His
Sabbath holy, there
is a mighty shout
of victory.
- Soon There Appears In The East
- A Small Black Cloud, About Half
- The Size Of A Man's Hand
- Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man's hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a "Man of Sorrows," to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. "Faithful and True," "in righteousness He doth judge and make war." And "the armies which were in heaven" (Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands." No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light." Habakkuk 3:3,4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head; but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. "And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords." Revelation 19:16.
Before His presence
"all faces are turned
into paleness;"
upon the rejecters
of God's mercy falls
the terror of eternal
despair. "The heart
melteth, and the
knees smite together,
. . . and the faces
of them all gather
blackness." Jeremiah
30:6; Nahum 2:10.
The righteous cry
with trembling:
"Who shall be able
to stand?" The angels'
song is hushed,
and there is a period
of awful silence.
Then the voice of
Jesus is heard,
saying: "My grace
is sufficient for
you." The faces
of the righteous
are lighted up,
and joy fills every
heart. And the angels
strike a note higher
and sing again as
they draw still
nearer to the earth.
The King of kings
descends upon the
cloud, wrapped in
flaming fire. The
heavens are rolled
together as a scroll,
the earth trembles
before Him, and
every mountain and
island is moved
out of its place.
"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."
Psalm 50:3,4.
"And the kings of
the earth, and the
great men, and the
rich men, and the
chief captains,
and the mighty men,
and every bondman,
and every freeman,
hid themselves in
the dens and in
the rocks of the
mountains; and said
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?" Revelation
6:15-17.
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
that 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
out--warnings despised,
invitations refused,
privileges slighted.
- There Are Those Who Mocked
- Christ In His Humiliation
- There are those who mocked Christ in His humiliation. With thrilling power come to their minds the Sufferer's words, when, adjured by the high priest, He solemnly declared: "Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64. Now they behold Him in His glory, and they are yet to see Him sitting on the right hand of power.
Those who derided
His claim to be
the Son of God are
speechless now.
There is the haughty
Herod who jeered
at His royal title
and bade the mocking
soldiers crown Him
king. There are
the very men who
with impious hands
placed upon His
form the purple
robe, upon His sacred
brow the thorny
crown, and in His
unresisting hand
the mimic scepter,
and bowed before
Him in blasphemous
mockery. The men
who smote and spit
upon the Prince
of life now turn
from His piercing
gaze and seek to
flee from the overpowering
glory of His presence.
Those who drove
the nails through
His hands and feet,
the soldier who
pierced His side,
behold these marks
with terror and
remorse.
With awful distinctness
do priests and rulers
recall the events
of Calvary. With
shuddering horror
they remember how,
wagging their heads
in satanic exultation,
they exclaimed:
"He saved others;
Himself He cannot
save. If He be the
King of Israel,
let Him now come
down from the cross,
and we will believe
Him. He trusted
in God; let Him
deliver Him now,
if He will have
Him." Matthew 27:42,
43.
Vividly they recall
the Saviour's parable
of the husbandmen
who refused to render
to their lord the
fruit of the vineyard,
who abused his servants
and slew his son.
They remember, too,
the sentence which
they themselves
pronounced: The
lord of the vineyard
"will miserably
destroy those wicked
men." In the sin
and punishment of
those unfaithful
men the priests
and elders see their
own course and their
own just doom. And
now there rises
a cry of mortal
agony. Louder than
the shout, "Crucify
Him, crucify Him,"
which rang through
the streets of Jerusalem,
swells the awful,
despairing wail,
"He is the Son of
God! He is the true
Messiah!" They seek
to flee from the
presence of the
King of kings. In
the deep caverns
of the earth, rent
asunder by the warring
of the elements,
they vainly attempt
to hide.
- In The Lives Of All Who Reject Truth
- There Are Moments When Conscience Awakens
- 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 compared with the remorse of that day when "fear cometh as desolation," 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. In the midst of their terror they hear the voices of the saints in joyful strains exclaiming: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us." Isaiah 25:9.
Amid the reeling
of the earth, the
flash of lightning,
and the roar of
thunder, the voice
of the Son of God
calls forth the
sleeping saints.
He looks upon the
graves of the righteous,
then, raising His
hands to heaven,
He cries: "Awake,
awake, awake, ye
that sleep in the
dust, and arise!"
Throughout the length
and breadth of the
earth the dead shall
hear that voice,
and they that hear
shall live. And
the whole earth
shall ring with
the tread of the
exceeding great
army of every nation,
kindred, tongue,
and people. From
the prison house
of death they come,
clothed with immortal
glory, crying: "O
death, where is
thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory?"
1 Corinthians 15:55.
And the living righteous
and the risen saints
unite their voices
in a long, glad
shout of victory.
All come forth from
their graves the
same in stature
as when they entered
the tomb. Adam,
who stands among
the risen throng,
is of lofty height
and majestic form,
in stature but little
below the Son of
God. He presents
a marked contrast
to the people of
later generations;
in this one respect
is shown the great
degeneracy of the
race. But all arise
with the freshness
and vigor of eternal
youth. In the beginning,
man was created
in the likeness
of God, not only
in character, but
in form and feature.
Sin defaced and
almost obliterated
the divine image;
but Christ came
to restore that
which had been lost.
He will change our
vile bodies and
fashion them like
unto His glorious
body. The mortal,
corruptible form,
devoid of comeliness,
once polluted with
sin, becomes perfect,
beautiful, and immortal.
All blemishes and
deformities are
left in the grave.
Restored to the
tree of life in
the long-lost Eden,
the redeemed will
"grow up" (Malachi
4:2) to the full
stature of the race
in its primeval
glory. The last
lingering traces
of the curse of
sin will be removed,
and Christ's faithful
ones will appear
in "the beauty of
the Lord our God,"
in mind and soul
and body reflecting
the perfect image
of their Lord. Oh,
wonderful redemption!
long talked of,
long hoped for,
contemplated with
eager anticipation,
but never fully
understood.
The living righteous
are changed "in
a moment, in the
twinkling of an
eye." At the voice
of God they were
glorified; now they
are made immortal
and with the risen
saints are caught
up to meet their
Lord in the air.
Angels "gather together
His elect from the
four winds, from
one end of heaven
to the other." Little
children are borne
by holy angels to
their mothers' arms.
Friends long separated
by death are united,
nevermore to part,
and with songs of
gladness ascend
together to the
City of God.
On each side of
the cloudy chariot
are wings, and beneath
it are living wheels;
and as the chariot
rolls upward, the
wheels cry, "Holy,"
and the wings, as
they move, cry,
"Holy," and the
retinue of angels
cry, "Holy, holy,
holy, Lord God Almighty."
And the redeemed
shout, "Alleluia!"
as the chariot moves
onward toward the
New Jerusalem.
Before entering
the City of God,
the Saviour bestows
upon His followers
the emblems of victory
and invests them
with the insignia
of their royal state.
The glittering ranks
are drawn up in
the form of a hollow
square about their
King, whose form
rises in majesty
high above saint
and angel, whose
countenance beams
upon them full of
benignant love.
Throughout the unnumbered
host of the redeemed
every glance is
fixed upon Him,
every eye beholds
His glory whose
"visage was so marred
more than any man,
and His form more
than the sons of
men." Upon the heads
of the overcomers,
Jesus with His own
right hand places
the crown of glory.
For each there is
a crown, bearing
his own "new name"
(Revelation 2:17),
and the inscription,
"Holiness to the
Lord." In every
hand are placed
the victor's palm
and the shining
harp. Then, as the
commanding angels
strike the note,
every hand sweeps
the harp strings
with skillful touch,
awaking sweet music
in rich, melodious
strains. Rapture
unutterable thrills
every heart, and
each voice is raised
in grateful praise:
"Unto Him that loved
us, and washed us
from our sins in
His own blood, and
hath made us kings
and priests unto
God and His Father;
to Him be glory
and dominion for
ever and ever."
Revelation 1:5,
6.
- Jesus Opens Wide The Pearly Gates, And The Nations That Have Kept The Truth Enter In
- Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There they behold the Paradise of God, the home of Adam in his innocency. Then that voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: "Your conflict is ended." "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Now is fulfilled
the Saviour's prayer
for His disciples:
"I will that they
also, whom Thou
hast given Me, be
with Me where I
am." "Faultless
before the presence
of His glory with
exceeding joy" (Jude
24), Christ presents
to the Father the
purchase of His
blood, declaring:
"Here am I, and
the children whom
Thou hast given
Me." "Those that
Thou gavest Me I
have kept." Oh,
the wonders of redeeming
love! the rapture
of that hour when
the infinite Father,
looking upon the
ransomed, shall
behold His image,
sin's discord banished,
its blight removed,
and the human once
more in harmony
with the divine!
With unutterable
love, Jesus welcomes
His faithful ones
to the joy of their
Lord. The Saviour's
joy is in seeing,
in the kingdom of
glory, the souls
that have been saved
by His agony and
humiliation. And
the redeemed will
be sharers in His
joy, as they behold,
among the blessed,
those who have been
won to Christ through
their prayers, their
labors, and their
loving sacrifice.
As they gather about
the great white
throne, gladness
unspeakable will
fill their hearts,
when they behold
those whom they
have won for Christ,
and see that one
has gained others,
and these still
others, all brought
into the haven of
rest, there to lay
their crowns at
Jesus' feet and
praise Him through
the endless cycles
of eternity.
As the ransomed
ones are welcomed
to the City of God,
there rings out
upon the air an
exultant cry of
adoration. The two
Adams are about
to meet. The Son
of God is standing
with outstretched
arms to receive
the father of our
race--the being
whom He created,
who sinned against
his Maker, and for
whose sin the marks
of the crucifixion
are borne upon the
Saviour's form.
As Adam discerns
the prints of the
cruel nails, he
does not fall upon
the bosom of his
Lord, but in humiliation
casts himself at
His feet, crying:
"Worthy, worthy
is the Lamb that
was slain!" Tenderly
the Saviour lifts
him up and bids
him look once more
upon the Eden home
from which he has
so long been exiled.
After his expulsion
from Eden, Adam's
life on earth was
filled with sorrow.
Every dying leaf,
every victim of
sacrifice, every
blight upon the
fair face of nature,
every stain upon
man's purity, was
a fresh reminder
of his sin. Terrible
was the agony of
remorse as he beheld
iniquity abounding,
and, in answer to
his warnings, met
the reproaches cast
upon himself as
the cause of sin.
With patient humility
he bore, for nearly
a thousand years,
the penalty of transgression.
Faithfully did he
repent of his sin
and trust in the
merits of the promised
Saviour, and he
died in the hope
of a resurrection.
The Son of God redeemed
man's failure and
fall; and now, through
the work of the
atonement, Adam
is reinstated in
his first dominion.
- Worthy, Worthy, Worthy Is The
- Lamb That Was Slain, And Lives Again!
- Transported with joy, he beholds the trees that were once his delight--the very trees whose fruit he himself had gathered in the days of his innocence and joy. He sees the vines that his own hands have trained, the very flowers that he once loved to care for. His mind grasps the reality of the scene; he comprehends that this is indeed Eden restored, more lovely now than when he was banished from it. The Saviour leads him to the tree of life and plucks the glorious fruit and bids him eat. He looks about him and beholds a multitude of his family redeemed, standing in the Paradise of God. Then he casts his glittering crown at the feet of Jesus and, falling upon His breast, embraces the Redeemer. He touches the golden harp, and the vaults of heaven echo the triumphant song: "Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again!" The family of Adam take up the strain and cast their crowns at the Saviour's feet as they bow before Him in adoration.
This reunion is
witnessed by the
angels who wept
at the fall of Adam
and rejoiced when
Jesus, after His
resurrection, ascended
to heaven, having
opened the grave
for all who should
believe on His name.
Now they behold
the work of redemption
accomplished, and
they unite their
voices in the song
of praise.
Upon the crystal
sea before the throne,
that sea of glass
as it were mingled
with fire,--so resplendent
is it with the glory
of God,--are gathered
the company that
have "gotten the
victory over the
beast, and over
his image, and over
his mark, and over
the number of his
name." With the
Lamb upon Mount
Zion, "having the
harps of God," they
stand, the hundred
and forty and four
thousand that were
redeemed from among
men; and there is
heard, as the sound
of many waters,
and as the sound
of a great thunder,
"the voice of harpers
harping with their
harps." And they
sing "a new song"
before the throne,
a song which no
man can learn save
the hundred and
forty and four thousand.
It is the song of
Moses and the Lamb--a
song of deliverance.
None but the hundred
and forty-four thousand
can learn that song;
for it is the song
of their experience--an
experience such
as no other company
have ever had. "These
are they which follow
the Lamb whithersoever
He goeth." These,
having been translated
from the earth,
from among the living,
are counted as "the
first fruits unto
God and to the Lamb."
Revelation 15:2,
3; 14:1-5. "These
are they which came
out of great tribulation;"
they have passed
through the time
of trouble such
as never was since
there was a nation;
they have endured
the anguish of the
time of Jacob's
trouble; they have
stood without an
intercessor through
the final outpouring
of God's judgments.
But they have been
delivered, for they
have "washed their
robes, and made
them white in the
blood of the Lamb."
"In their mouth
was found no guile:
for they are without
fault" before God.
"Therefore are they
before the throne
of God, and serve
Him day and night
in His temple: and
He that sitteth
on the throne shall
dwell among them."
They have seen the
earth wasted with
famine and pestilence,
the sun having power
to scorch men with
great heat, and
they themselves
have endured suffering,
hunger, and thirst.
But "they shall
hunger no more,
neither thirst any
more; neither shall
the sun light on
them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb which
is in the midst
of the throne shall
feed them, and shall
lead them unto living
fountains of waters:
and God shall wipe
away all tears from
their eyes." Revelation
7:14-17.
- They Love Much Because They
- Have Been Forgiven Much
- In all ages the Saviour's chosen have been educated and disciplined in the school of trial. They walked in narrow paths on earth; they were purified in the furnace of affliction. For Jesus' sake they endured opposition, hatred, calumny. They followed Him through conflicts sore; they endured self-denial and experienced bitter disappointments. By their own painful experience they learned the evil of sin, its power, its guilt, its woe; and they look upon it with abhorrence. A sense of the infinite sacrifice made for its cure humbles them in their own sight and fills their hearts with gratitude and praise which those who have never fallen cannot appreciate. They love much because they have been forgiven much. Having been partakers of Christ's sufferings, they are fitted to be partakers with Him of His glory.
The heirs of God
have come from garrets,
from hovels, from
dungeons, from scaffolds,
from mountains,
from deserts, from
the caves of the
earth, from the
caverns of the sea.
On earth they were
"destitute, afflicted,
tormented." Millions
went down to the
grave loaded with
infamy because they
steadfastly refused
to yield to the
deceptive claims
of Satan. By human
tribunals they were
adjudged the vilest
of criminals. But
now "God is judge
Himself." Psalm
50:6. Now the decisions
of earth are reversed.
"The rebuke of His
people shall He
take away." Isaiah
25:8. "They shall
call them, The holy
people, The redeemed
of the Lord." He
hath appointed "to
give unto them beauty
for ashes, the oil
of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise
for the spirit of
heaviness." Isaiah
62:12; 61:3. They
are no longer feeble,
afflicted, scattered,
and oppressed. Henceforth
they are to be ever
with the Lord. They
stand before the
throne clad in richer
robes than the most
honored of the earth
have ever worn.
They are crowned
with diadems more
glorious than were
ever placed upon
the brow of earthly
monarchs. The days
of pain and weeping
are forever ended.
The King of glory
has wiped the tears
from all faces;
every cause of grief
has been removed.
Amid the waving
of palm branches
they pour forth
a song of praise,
clear, sweet, and
harmonious; every
voice takes up the
strain, until the
anthem swells through
the vaults of heaven:
"Salvation to our
God which sitteth
upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb."
And all the inhabitants
of heaven respond
in the ascription:
"Amen: Blessing,
and glory, and wisdom,
and thanksgiving,
and honor, and power,
and might, be unto
our God for ever
and ever." Revelation
7:10, 12.
In this life we
can only begin to
understand the wonderful
theme of redemption.
With our finite
comprehension we
may consider most
earnestly the shame
and the glory, the
life and the death,
the justice and
the mercy, that
meet in the cross;
yet with the utmost
stretch of our mental
powers we fail to
grasp its full significance.
The length and the
breadth, the depth
and the height,
of redeeming love
are but dimly comprehended.
The plan of redemption
will not be fully
understood, even
when the ransomed
see as they are
seen and know as
they are known;
but through the
eternal ages new
truth will continually
unfold to the wondering
and delighted mind.
Though the griefs
and pains and temptations
of earth are ended
and the cause removed,
the people of God
will ever have a
distinct, intelligent
knowledge of what
their salvation
has cost.
The cross of Christ
will be the science
and the song of
the redeemed through
all eternity. In
Christ glorified
they will behold
Christ crucified.
Never will it be
forgotten that He
whose power created
and upheld the unnumbered
worlds through the
vast realms of space,
the Beloved of God,
the Majesty of heaven,
He whom cherub and
shining seraph delighted
to adore--humbled
Himself to uplift
fallen man; that
He bore the guilt
and shame of sin,
and the hiding of
His Father's face,
till the woes of
a lost world broke
His heart and crushed
out His life on
Calvary's cross.
That the Maker of
all worlds, the
Arbiter of all destinies,
should lay aside
His glory and humiliate
Himself from love
to man will ever
excite the wonder
and adoration of
the universe. As
the nations of the
saved look upon
their Redeemer and
behold the eternal
glory of the Father
shining in His countenance;
as they behold His
throne, which is
from everlasting
to everlasting,
and know that His
kingdom is to have
no end, they break
forth in rapturous
song: "Worthy, worthy
is the Lamb that
was slain, and hath
redeemed us to God
by His own most
precious blood!"
- The Mystery Of The Cross
- Explains All Other Mysteries
- The mystery of the cross explains all other mysteries. In the light that streams from Calvary the attributes of God which had filled us with fear and awe appear beautiful and attractive. Mercy, tenderness, and parental love are seen to blend with holiness, justice, and power. While we behold the majesty of His throne, high and lifted up, we see His character in its gracious manifestations, and comprehend, as never before, the significance of that endearing title, "Our Father."
It will be seen
that He who is infinite
in wisdom could
devise no plan for
our salvation except
the sacrifice of
His Son. The compensation
for this sacrifice
is the joy of peopling
the earth with ransomed
beings, holy, happy,
and immortal. The
result of the Saviour's
conflict with the
powers of darkness
is joy to the redeemed,
redounding to the
glory of God throughout
eternity. And such
is the value of
the soul that the
Father is satisfied
with the price paid;
and Christ Himself,
beholding the fruits
of His great sacrifice,
is satisfied.
The Great Controversy
Between Christ
and Satan - Chapter
-40 - Pg. 635-652
If you liked this
chapter and want
to see the
whole book, click
on:
The Great Controversy
Preparing For Eternity
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