Chapter 40--God's People Delivered
Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of God, spans the heavens and seems to encircle each praying company. The angry mobs are suddenly arrested.
Their insulting mocking shouts die away. The objects of their murderous extreme anger are forgotten. With a fearful, feeling that the doomsday train is finally crashing, they look at the symbol of God's salvation and mercy, they long to be shielded from its overpowering brightness.
By the people of God a voice, clear and sweet-sounding, is heard, saying, Look up, and lifting their eyes to the heavens, they see the bow of promise. The black, angry clouds that covered the stars and the heavens are parted, and like Stephen they look up steadily into heaven and see the glory of God and the Son of man seated on the throne.
In His wonderful kingly form they see the marks of His shame and public embarrassment in front of many people and from His lips they hear the request presented before His Father and the holy angels I will that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am. John 17 verse 24.
Again a voice, musical and triumphant, because winners on Jesus team are winners in the great war between good and evil.
A voice is heard, saying: "They come! they come! holy, harmless, and pure. They have kept the word of My patience; they will walk among the angels" and the pale, shaking and trembling lips of those who have held fast their faith total a shout of victory.
That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, such as was not since men were on the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. Verses 17, 18. The starry heavens 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 storm. The sea is thrown and whipped into extreme rage. There is heard the screams of a gigantic dangerous storm like the voice of demons on a mission of destruction.
The whole earth lifts up and undulating sways 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. Lived in islands disappear. The seaports that have become like Sodom for evilness are swallowed up by the angry waters.
Babylon the great has come in memory before God, to give to her the cup of the wine of the scary strength of His anger. Great hailstones, every one about the weight of a talent, are doing their work of destruction. Verses 19, 21.
The proudest most magnificent cities of the earth are laid low. The king-like palaces, on which the world's great men have given their wealth in order to honor and praise themselves, are crumbling to ruin before their eyes. Prison walls are smashed to smithereens and God's people, who were held in slavery for their faith are set free.
The dusty graves, places where bodies are buried 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 shame. Daniel 12 verse 2.
All who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come forward from the graveyards, the place where a body is buried, honored and praised, to hear God's promise of peace with those who have kept His law.
They also which pierced Him, Revelation 1verse 7, those that made fun of and insulted Christ's dying very awful pain and the most violent fighters of His truth and His people, are raised to look at Him in His glory and to see the honor placed on the loyal always following all Jesus' instructions.
Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now and then breaks through, appearing like the revenge-related eye of Jehovah. Strong and scary, lightnings leap from the heavens, surrounding the earth in a sheet of flame.
Above the terrific roar of thunder, voices, mysterious and awful, declare the doom of the evil. The words spoken are not understood by all; but they are clearly understood by the false teachers.
Those who a little before were so careless and dangerous, so proud and always bragging, angry and uncooperative, so extremely happy in their desire to destroy and hurt God's commandment-keeping people, are now distressed and body-shaking in fear.
Their loud cries are heard above the sound of the elements. Demons recognize the majesty of Christ and shake with fear or emotion before His power, while men are praying for mercy and crawling on the ground in miserable and hopeless terror.
Said the predictors of the future of old, as they saw in holy vision the day of Godverse Howl you; for the day of the Lord is happening soon; it will come as a destruction from the All-powerful. Isaiah 13 verse 6.
Enter into the rock, and hide you in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty. The sky-high looks of man will be low and the pride of men will be bowed down and the Lord alone will be praised in that day.
For the day of the Lord of hosts will be on everyone that is proud and sky-high, and on everyone that is lifted up; and he will be brought low.
In that day a man will 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 divisions 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 arises to shake terribly the earth. Isaiah 2 verse 10-12, 20, 21, margin.
Through a splitting in the clouds there shines a star whose brilliancy is increased four times in contrast with the darkness. It speaks hope and joy to the faithful, but dreadfully sounds angry to the law-breakers 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 haters of truth they have clearly showed their loyalty 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 treatment of men changed to demons. Their faces, so lately pale, nervous, worn and tired, are now glowing with wonder, faith, and love.
Their voices rise in triumph about winning the great controversy song.
God is our safe place 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 middle of the sea; though the waters of roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling of of it. Psalms 46 verse 1-3.
While these words of holy trust rise to God, the clouds sweep back, and the starry heavens are seen, unspeakably beautiful in contrast with the black and angry stars and heavens on either side. The glory of the heavenly city streams from the gates open.
Then there appears against the sky a hand holding two tables of stone folded together. Says the predictor of the future. The heavens will declare His moral rightness goodness for God is judge Himself. Psalms 50 verse 6.
That holy law, God's moral rightness, that in the middle of thunder and flame was announced 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 rules of the Decalogue (the 10 Commandments), traced as written of fire.
The words are so plain that all can read them. Memory is awakened, the darkness of superstition or belief in the power of magic, bad luck, spirits, and unholiness is swept from every mind, and God's ten words, brief, complete and thorough, and excellent, are presented to the view of all the citizens of planet earth.
It is impossible to describe the horror and feelings that there is no hope of those who have trampled all over on God's holy law. The Lord gave them His law and a lifetime for probation, a second chance so they might have compared their characters with it and learned their defects while there was still opportunity to turn around and repent.
To go thru feelings of deep sorrow for past sin and reform. Now its too late to get the Ultimate Makeover and get born again.
But in order to secure the favor of the world, they set aside its rules and taught others to be law breakers. They tried to force God's people to ignore His sabbath (Bible-based day of rest). Now they are strongly-criticized by that law which they have hated. With awful clearness they see that they are without excuse.
They chose whom they would serve and worship. Then will you return, and see between the morally right and the evil, between him that serves God and him that serves Him not." Malachi 3:18.
Too late they see the true nature of their false (sabbath day of rest) 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 hell while saying 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, the neverending story can we rightly guess (of a number) the loss of a single soul. Sad and scary will be the doom of him to whom God will say: Leave/move away from, you evil servant.
The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus' coming, and delivering the everlasting agreement to His people. Like rings of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes upward.
Their faces are lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The evil cannot look upon them. And when the blessing is obvious on those who have honored God by keeping His Bible based sabbath day of rest 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. It is the cloud which surrounds the Rescuer and which seems in the distance to be covered or hid in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man.
In serious silence they look at it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more beautiful, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like devouring fire, and above it the rainbow of the agreement.
Jesus rides forward as a mighty powerful ruler. Not now a "Man of Sadness and Sorrows," to drink the bitter cup of shame and trouble, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. "Faithful and True," "in moral rightness He does judge and make war." And "the armies which were in heaven" revelation 19 verse 11 and 14) follow Him.
With songs of heavenly melody the holy angels, a huge, unnumbered crowd, attend Him on His way. The starry heavens seems filled with glowing forms--"ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."
No human pen can depict the scene and no mortal mind is able take in its beauty. "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 sees the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that holy and untouchable head; but a crown of glory rests on His holy brow. His face outshines the amazing brightness of the noonday sun. "And He has on His clothing 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 never-ending feelings that there is no hope. "The heart melts, and the knees knock together, and the faces of them all gather blackness." Jeremiah 30:6; Nahum 2:10.
The morally right cry with shaking (with fear or emotion): "Who will be able to stand?" The angels' song is quiet and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: "My grace is (good) enough for you."
The faces of the righteous friends of Jesus 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 landing down on the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll the earth shakes before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place. "Our God will come, and will not keep silence: a fire will devour before Him, and it will be very stormy round about Him. He will call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people." psalms 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 sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb: for the great day of His anger is come; and who will be able to stand?" Revelation 6:15-17.
The insulting & joking have stopped. Lying lips are quieted into silence. The battle of arms, the (angry, noisy disturbance) of fight, "with confused noise, and articles of clothing rolled in blood" (Isaiah 9:5), is stilled. Nothing now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of crying and sad complaint.
The cry bursts forward from lips so lately making fun and jesting: "The great day of His anger is come; and who will be able to stand?" The evil pray to be buried beneath the rocks of the mountains rather than meet the gracious face of Him whom they have hated and rejected.
That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they know. How often have its sad, tender tones called them to feelings of deep sorrow for past sin. How often has it been heard in the touching begging of a friend, a brother, a Redeemer.
To the rejecters of His grace no other could be so full of strong criticism, so weighed down with insult, as that voice which has so long pleaded: "Turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why will you die?" Ezekiel 33:11.
Oh, that it were to them the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: "I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but you have set at nothing all My advice, and would none of My criticism." Proverbs 1:24, 25.
That voice awakens memories which they would, with pleasure, blot out, warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges ignored.
There are those who made fun of Christ in His embarrassment (in front of many people). With thrilling power come to their minds the Sufferer's words, when, begged by the high priest, He seriously declared: "After now will you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64.
Now they see Him in His glory, and they are yet to see Him sitting on the right hand of power.
Those who insulted His claim to be the Son of God are amazed and shocked now. There is the snobby Herod who jeered at His royal title and invited the insulting (by imitating) soldiers crown Him king.
There are the very men who with not religious hands placed upon His form the purple robe, upon His holy and untouchable brow the painful and difficult crown, and in His unresisting hand the false scepter and bowed before Him in insulting to God joking and making fun of him.
The men who hit hard, killed and spit upon the Prince of life now turn from His piercing look and try to run away from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, see these marks with terror and shame and guilt.
With awful clearness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary. With body-shaking (from being upset) horror they remember how, wagging their heads in Devilish evil gleeful celebration, they yelled: "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.
Clearly and colorfully they recall the Rescuer's story of the husbandmen who refused to give to their lord the fruit of the vineyard, who (treated or used in a very mean, unfair way) his servants and killed his son.
They remember, too, the sentence which they themselves said: The lord of the vineyard "will terribly destroy those evil men." In the sin and punishment of those unfaithful men the priests and older (people) see their own course and their own just doom. And now there rises a cry of extreme pain.
Louder than the shout, "crucify him, nail to a cross) Him, (nail to a cross) Him," which rang through the streets of Jerusalem, swells the awful, desperate loud cry, "He is the Son of God! He is the true Messiah!"
They try to run away from the presence of the King of kings. In the deep caves of the earth, rent into parts by the fighting of the elements, they unsuccessfully attempt to hide.
In the lives of all who reject truth there are moments when sense of right and wrong awakens, when memory presents the torturing memory of a life of hypocrisy (when a person doesn't do what he or she orders everyone else to do) and the soul is tormented by guilty regrets.
But what are these compared with the shame and guilt of that day when "fear comes as loneliness," when "destruction comes as a strong wind tornado comes! Proverbs 1:27.
Those who would have destroyed Christ and His faithful people now witness the glory which rests upon them. In the middle of their terror they hear the voices of the saints in joyful strains yelling: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us." Isaiah 25:9.
In the middle of the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forward the sleeping saints. He looks upon the (places where bodies are buried) of the morally right, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: "Awake, awake, awake, you that sleep in the dust, and arise!"
Throughout the length and width of the earth the dead will hear that voice, and they that hear will live. And the whole earth will ring with the tread of the going beyond great army of every nation, close family, tongue, and people.
From the prison house of death they come, clothed with incapable of dying glory, crying: "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living morally right and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory!
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All come forward from their graves (places where bodies are buried) the same in height as when they entered their graves. Adam, who stands among the risen crowd, is of sky-high height and beautiful form, in height but little below the Son of God.
He presents a big difference from the people of later generations; in this one respect is shown the great degeneracy of the race.
But all arise with the freshness and energy of never-ending youth. In the beginning, man was created in the likeness of God, not only in character, but in form and feature. Sin (damaged the looks of) and almost destroyed the wonderful/God-related image; but Christ came to restore that which had been lost. He will change our disgusting bodies and fashion them like t
His beautiful body. The mortal, (able to be convinced to do wrong things) form, without attractiveness, once (added unwanted things to/made dirty) with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and (unable to do something) of dying. All marks or mistakes and flaws and deformities (misshapen or missing body parts) are left in grave.
Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Very beautiful, peaceful place, the redeemed will "grow up" (Malachi 4:2) to the full height of the race in its (very old, from almost the beginning of time) glory.
The last (staying around; not going away) 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, thought about with eager excitement but never fully understood.
The living good and kind are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye." At the voice of God they were honored and praised; now they are made (unable to do something) of dying and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air.
Angels "gather together His elect and chosen friends from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Little children are carried/held by holy angels to their mothers' arms. Friends long separated by death are united, never again to part, and with songs of gladness rise together to the City of God.
On each side of the cloudy (two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle) are wings, and beneath it are living wheels; and as the (two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle) rolls upward, the wheels cry, "Holy," and the wings, as they move, cry, "Holy," and the group of helpers of angels cry, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God All-powerful."
And the redeemed shout, "Alleluia!" as the two-wheeled, horse-drawn chariot moves onward toward the New Jerusalem.
Before entering the City of God, the Rescuer gives His followers the symbols of victory and invests them with the written symbol of their royal state.
The shining and dazzling ranks are drawn up in the form of a hollow square about their King, whose form rises in beauty high above saint and angel, whose face beams on them full of kind love.
Throughout the unnumbered host of the redeemed every quick look is stuck upon Him, every eye looks on His glory whose "face 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 written saying, "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 excellent touch, awaking sweet music in rich, sweet-sounding strains.
Joy unspeakable thrills every heart, and each voice is raised in thankful praise: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God and His Father; to Him be glory and rule for ever and ever." Revelation 1:5, 6.
Before the ransomed crowd is the Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There they see the Paradise of God, the Garden of Eden, 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, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Now is joyful triumphant fulfilling of the Saviour's prayer for His loyal students: "I will that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am." "Perfect before the presence of His glory with going beyond joy" (Jude 24), Christ presents to the Father the purchase of His blood, announcing: "Here am I, and the children whom You have given Me."
"Those that You gave Me I have kept." Oh, the wonders of redeeming love! the joy of that hour when the eternal Father, looking on the ransomed ones, all of His friends will look on His face, sin's wiped away, its ugly sight and disease removed, and the human once more in harmony with the wonderful goodness of God!
With unspeakable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to the joy of their Lord. The Rescuer's joy is in seeing, in the kingdom of glory, the souls that have been saved by His extreme pain and embarrassment (in front of many people).
And the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they look, among the blessed, those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their work, and their loving sacrifice.
As they gather about the great white throne gladness (too terrible to speak about) will fill their hearts, when they see those whom they have won for Christ and see that one has gained others.
And these still others, all brought into the safe place of rest, there to lay their crowns at Jesus' feet and praise Him through the endless cycles of (time going on forever).
As the ransomed ones are welcomed to the City of God, there rings out upon the air an extremely happy cry of deep love. 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 carried on the Rescuer's form.
As Adam sees better and detects the prints of the cruel nails, he does not fall upon the chest of his Lord, but in humility (in front of many people) casts himself at His feet, crying: "Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was killed!"
Tenderly the Rescuer lifts him up and bids him look once more upon the Eden Home, the Very beautiful, peaceful place home from which he has so long been (permanently removed from a country).
After his casting out from his Eden home a beautiful, peaceful place, Adam's life on earth was filled with sadness.
After his casting out from his Eden home a beautiful, peaceful place, Adam's life on earth was filled with sadness.
The Son of God redeemed man's failure and fall; and now, through the work of the apology (for sin), Adam is restored back (to a previous state) in his first rule.
Moved with joy, he sees 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 understands the reality of the scene; he understands that this is in fact Very beautiful, peaceful place restored, more lovely now than when he was kicked-out from it.
The Rescuer leads him to the tree of life and pulls the beautiful fruit and bids him eat. He looks about him and sees a large number of his family redeemed, standing in the Paradise of God.
Then he casts his shining and twinkling (like jewelry) crown at the feet of Jesus and, falling on His breast, hugs the Redeemer.
He touches the golden harp, and the (strong arches that help form a building's roof) of heaven echo (glad about winning) victory song: "Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was killed, and lives again!"
The family of Adam take up the strain and cast their crowns at the Rescuer's feet as they bow before Him in deep love.
This reunion is saw by the angels who cried at the fall of Adam and joyfully celebrated when Jesus, after His returning from the dead, climbed up to heaven, having opened the graves (place where a body is buried) for all who should believe on His name.
Now they see the work of redemption completed, and they unite their voices in the song of praise.
On the crystal sea before the throne, that sea of glass as it were mixed with fire, so glowing 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 on Mount Zion, "having the harps of God," they stand, the hundred and forty and four thousand that were redeemed from among men.
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, the seat of King Jesus' power, 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 Redemption, rescue from evil.
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 to wheresoever He goes." 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 trouble;" they have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have lasted through and endured the trauma 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 deception and victorious: 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 sits on the throne will dwell among them."
They have seen the earth wasted with widespread death from starving and disease, the sun having power to burn men with great heat, and they themselves have lasted through suffering, hunger and thirst.
But "they will hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither will the sun light on them, nor any heat.
For the Lamb which is in the middle of the throne will feed them, and will lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes." Revelation 42:45
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As the nations of the saved look on their Redeemer and look on the never-ending glory of the Father shining in His face; as they look on His throne, which is from everlasting to everlasting, and know that His kingdom is to have no end, they break out in joyful song. Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us, and has redeemed us to God by His own most precious blood!.
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