End Time Book(1)

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Content

The
End of Time
A REMARKABLY COMPLETE COLLECTION
OF
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY STATEMENTS
ON FINAL EVENTS
FROM JUST BEFORE
THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
TO
THE END OF SIN AND ETERNITY BEYOND

HARVESTIME BOOKS

HB–3600
The End of Time
Statements by Ellen G. White
on End-time Events
Compiled by Vance Ferrell
Published by Harvestime Books
Altamont, TN 37301 USA
Printed in the United States of America
Cover and Text Copyright © 2005
by Vance Ferrell
“The great controversy is nearing its end . . Is there
a Christian whose pulse does not beat with quickened
action as he anticipates the great events before us?”—
Evangelism, 219.
“To us who are standing on the very verge of their
fulfillment, of what deep moment, what living interest,
are these delineations of the things to come—events for
which, since our first parents turned their steps from
Eden, God’s children have watched and waited, longed
and prayed!”—Prophets and Kings, 731.
“Look up, look up, and let your faith continually
increase. Let this faith guide you along the narrow path
that leads through the gates of the City into the great
beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for
the redeemed.”—Prophets and Kings, 732.
“All heaven is astir, engaged in preparing for the day
of God’s vengeance, the day of Zion’s deliverance. The
time of tarrying is almost ended. The pilgrims and strangers who have so long been seeking a better country are
almost home. I feel as if I must cry aloud, Homeward
bound! Rapidly we are nearing the time when Christ
will come to gather His redeemed to Himself.”—Evangelism, 219.
Listed below are the Spirit of Prophecy books
(and their abbreviations), which may be quoted or
referred to in this book. The list is alphabetized by
abbreviations, not by book titles.
NSL - National Sunday Law
Ms - Manuscript
Spirit of Prophecy Books - Currently in Print
AA - Acts of the Apostles
AG - God’s Amazing Grace
AH - Adventist Home
1BC, etc. - SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 7A
CC - Conflict and Courage
CDF - Counsels on Diet and Foods
CG - Child Guidance
ChS - Christian Service

CL - Country Living
CM - Colporteur Ministry
COL - Christ’s Object Lessons
CS - Counsels on Stwardship
CSW - Counsels on Sabbath School Work
CT - Counsels to Parents and Teachers
DA - Desire of Ages
Ed - Education
Ev - Evangelism
EW - Early Writings
FE - Fundamentals of Christian Education
FL - Faith I Live By
FW - Faith and Works
GC - Great Controversy
GW - Gospel Workers
HP - Heavenly Places
KH - That I May Know Him
LDE - Last Day Events
LHU - Lift Him Up
LS - Life Sketches
Mar - Maranatha
MB - Mount of Blessing
1 (2) MCP - Mind, Character, and Personality, Vol. 1
(2)
MH - Ministry of Healing
ML - My Life Today
MM - Medical Ministry
1 (2-21) MR - Manuscript Releases, Vol. 1
MYP - Messages to Young People
OHC - Our High Calling
PK - Prophets and Kings
PM - Publishing Ministry
PP - Patriarchs and Prophets
RC - Reflecting Christ
RY - Retirement Years
SC - Steps to Christ
SD - Sons and Daughters of God
1 (2-4) SG - Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1 (2-4)
SL - Sanctified Life
1 (2-3) SM - Selected Messages, Book 1 (2-3)
1 (2) Ser - Sermons and Talks, Vol 1 (2)
SR - Story of Redemption
1 (2-9) T - Testimonies, Vol. 1 (2-9)
Te - Temperance
TM - Testimonies to Ministers
TSB - Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and
Divorce
UL - Upward Look
UT - (Spalding-Magan) Unpublished Testimonies
WM - Welfare Ministry
VSS - Voice in Speech and Song
Spirit of Prophecy Periodical Articles
AST - Australian Signs of the Times
BE - Bible Echoes
GCB - General Conference Bulletin
RH - Review and Herald
ST - Signs of the Times

FOR ADDITIONAL COPIES: One copy - $10.00, plus $3.00 p&h / Available at very low cost in small boxful quantities.
In Tennessee, add 9.25% tax on total.
HARVESTIME BOOKS - BOX 300 - ALTAMONT, TN 37301 / 931-692-2777

CONTENTS

OVERVIEW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 14
Correlative Study Guide 15
Preface: World Conditions Right Now 18

PART ONE: Events before the General Close of Probation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

-

The Threefold Union and the Counterfeit Revival 23
The National Sunday Law 30
The Image of the Beast 45
The False Latter Rain 51
The Shaking and Sifting 69
The Seal and Mark 81
Perfection of Character 103
The Judgment of the Living 118
The Blotting Out of Sin 122
The Marriage in the Most Holy Place 126
The Latter Rain 133
The Loud Cry of the Third Angel 146
The Fourth Angel Strengthens the Loud Cry 153
The Little Time of Trouble 163
The Individual Close of Probation 174
The General Close of Probation 176

PART TWO: Events after the General Close of Probation
17 - The Great Time of Trouble 186
18 - Deliverance by the Voice of God 203
19 - The Second Coming of Christ 214
20 - The Millennium 225
21 - The Third Advent of Christ 235
22 - The Executive Judgment 239
23 - Eternity Beyond 248
Appendix: Additional End-Time Quotations 285
Locator Index 302

3

4

THE END OF TIME

COMPLETE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 14
Correlative Study Guide 15
Preface: World Conditions Right Now 18

PART ONE: Events before the General Close of Probation
1 - The Threefold Union and the Counterfeit Revival 23
Introduction: The threefold union 23
1 A Protestant-Catholic confederation will form the basis for this union 23
It will appear to be a twofold union 23
The union will greatly affect Protestantism 24

2 Satanic excitement empowers the church union to take action 25
3 Coercion of the government by the threefold union 26
4 Effect of the union on God’s people 27
Caused by hatred of Sabbathkeepers 27
Intense persecution will result 28

Last Days appendix 29
The union 29

2 - The National Sunday Law 30
1 Importance of this event 30
It will destroy religious freedom 31
Sabbathkeepers will be opposed and hated 31

2 The timing of the National Sunday Law 31
3 Lamb-like beast institutes the National Sunday Law 31
4 Enactment of the National Sunday Law brings worship of the leopard beast 31
5 Sunday law decree is the worship of the beast and his image and brings the mark 32
Why we must ever call ourselves “Seventh-day Adventists” 33
What will our people do at that time? 34

6 The no-buy-sell decree 34
7 The Sunday law is the sign to leave the large cities, preparatory to leaving the small ones 35
8 Trades, professional associations, and other unions will play a part in this final conflict 36
We are to have nothing to do with them 37
Labor unions will become oppressive agencies of Satan 37

CONTENTS

9 The Universal Sunday law 37
Protestantism in America and Catholicism in Europe will lead out 38
All the nations of Christendom will become involved 38
Then the non-Christian nations will adopt it 38
Every nation on earth will require it 38
The entire world will be opposed to those who remain faithful to God 39
Universal Sunday law occurs prior to the general close of probation 40

Last days appendix 40
National Sunday Law 41
Out of the cities 41
Labor unions 43
Binding into bundles 43

3 - The Image of the Beast 45
1 What the image is 45
2 How the image will be formed 45
3 Implications of this terrible event 46
4 Image formed before probation closes 47
5 Image formed when the National Sunday Law is enacted 47
6 Formation of image will bring national apostasy and national ruin 48
7 How to avoid worshiping the beast and his image 49
8 We should now try to defeat Sunday laws 49
Last days appendix 50
image of the beast 50

4 - The False Latter Rain 51
Overview: From counterfeit revival to full-blown false latter rain 51
1 When the false latter rain will occur 52
2 How Satan and his devils will work to capture and destroy 53
Satan wants to overcome everyone 53
False teachings will be taught 54
The spirits will demand Sundaykeeping 54
God’s people will be called lawbreakers 54
Fanaticism will occur 54
Miracles will be seen 55
Demons will appear as men 55
The dead will apparently appear 57
Heathen deites will appear as incarnate 57
Satan promises a millennium of happiness 58
Satan will bring terrible disasters 58

3 Satan will personate Christ 58
Satan wants to deceive and control the world 59
Both Satan and his angels will appear 60
Satan will be against God’s law 60
He cannot imitate the Second Advent 61
He will personally work miracles 61
He will bring down fire 61
He will deceive all except the faithful 62

5

6

THE END OF TIME

4 The Great Controversy passage, pages 624-625 63
5 The False revival will continue after the close of probation 64
Last days appendix 64
Heathen deities 64
Science 65
Spiritualism 65
Lying wonders and miracles 65
Satanic appearances 67
Satantic influence 67

5 - The Shaking and the Sifting 69
1 The climax of the shaking and the sifting in the future 69
2 Things that cause the shaking 70
3 The wheat will be separated from the chaff 71
4 The crisis of the mark will purify the church of its dross 72
5 The church appears as about to fall, but does not fall 73
6 At that time, a majority of Sabbathkeepers will then forsake us 74
7 Many among us will depart 75
8 Many will come in and take the places of those who depart 76
9 When the shaking and the sifting is finished 77
10 Locating the climax of the shaking/sifting 77
11 When the probation of the church will close 77
12 What will survive the crisis? 78
13 Something to think about 78
Last days appendix 79
Sifting 79

6 - The Seal and the Mark 81
1 The nature of the seal 81
2 Mark of the beast is the opposite of the seal of God 83
3 Mark and seal placed at the same time 84
4 Which decree begins the marking and sealing? 86
5 When the Sunday law decree goes forth, marking and sealing begin 87
6 The faithful will be tested by the image before being sealed 87
7 When a person will receive the mark 88
8 The sealing and marking is a progressive work 90
9 All will be marked or sealed 90
10 Seal and mark (applied at the same time) are placed prior to general close of probation 91
11 We are now deciding whether we will later receive the seal or the mark 92

CONTENTS

7

12 Those not receiving the seal will have no protection after probation closes 94
13 The mark will be a test to the church before it is a test to the world 95
14 The mark will be a test to the church before the loud cry begins 95
15 Sealing events in 5 Testimonies, pages 207-216 96
16 The deciding point 98
17 Is a seal placed before the National Sunday Law? 99
18 Can the final seal or mark be received several times? 101
Last days appendix 101

7 - Perfection of Character 103
Introduction: Why this chapter is here 103
1 Christ is waiting for us to cooperate with Him in doing a special work in preparation
for His second coming 105
2 An important message in Great Controversy, pages 423-424 106
3 Perfection of character is the aim set before us 106
4 All prepared for the Second Advent will have perfection of character 107
5 It must be obtained now, during these hours of probation 107
6 It must be attained now, through faith in His atoning blood, while the atonement continues 107
7 The seal will be placed on the heads of those who obtain it 108
8 It must not be neglected until after the latter rain and sealing 108
9 We must prepare now for what is ahead 108
10 When we enter the judgment of the living 109
11 Jesus is now pleading for us 110
12 We must now prepare for the investigative judgment 110
13 The controversy began in heaven over obedience to the law 110
14 In Christ you can overcome 111

8 - The Judgment of the Living 118
1 The Sunday law decree brings judgment to the living 118
2 The timing of the investigative judgment 120
3 Judgment of the living still future 120
4 Judged by the light we have received 120
5 The hinge of the judgment 121

9 - The Blotting Out of Sin 122
1 The nature and timing of the blotting out of sin 122
2 What happens in the blotting out of sin? 122

8

THE END OF TIME

3 The blotting out of sin will accompany the latter rain 123
4 Summary 124

10 - The Marriage in the Most Holy Place 126
1 The symbol of the marriage 126
2 The parable of the ten virgins 128
3 The call to the marriage 129

11 - The Latter Rain 133
1 When the latter rain occurs 133
2 The timing of the latter rain 134
3 The latter rain falls on a sealed people 134
4 Those receiving the seal will already have hearts cleansed of sin 134
5 The seal will only be placed on those who are praying about, and rebuking, sin 135
6 The latter rain will give power to the third angel’s message, swelling it into a loud cry 137
7 The latter rain will continue as the power in the loud cry 137
8 Preparation for the latter rain 139
Last days appendix 145
Latter Rain 145

12 - The Loud Cry of the Third Angel 146
1 Timing of the loud cry 147
2 God’s people in the other churches will be called out 147
3 During the crisis, what should God’s people do on Sundays? 147
4 The third angel’s message warns against the mark 148
5 The third angel’s message also includes the message of obedience to the Father’s laws by faith in
the Son’s enabling grace 149
6 The third angel points mankind to the Most Holy Place 149
7 The messages of all three angels will be combined in the loud cry 151
8 Events before the loud cry 151

13 - The Fourth Angel Strengthens the Loud Cry 153
1 The world will fully awaken when the Revelation 18 angel strengthens the loud cry 153
2 The Revelation 18 angel repeats the second angel’s message 154
3 The Revelation 18 angel’s message will intensify the loud cry of the third angel 154
4 The loud cry message will have great power and worldwide extent 154
5 God’s people will speak before many 155
6 Thousands will be converted in one day 155

CONTENTS

7 The loud cry message will go rapidly 156
8 The loud cry message will go to the entire world 156
9 Many will accept the message 157
10 It will be rejected by most 158
11 Giving the loud cry will largely be a laymen’s movement 158
12 God will use unusual agencies 159
13 Many will resist and oppose God’s chosen methods 161
Last days appendix 161
Loud cry 161

14 - The Little Time of Trouble 163
1 The little time of trouble begins when the loud cry begins 163
2 The little time of trouble extends to the end of the loud cry 163
3 Peace and safety has been the assurance 163
4 Strife and warfare continues, but restrained somewhat during the loud cry 164
5 Satan will bring great disasters 165
6 The faithful will be blamed for the many calamities 166
7 The world will be against God’s people 166
8 The faithful will stand before courts and councils 167
9 God’s people will be persecuted 167
10 Rome intends to renew its persecutions: The persecutions of the past will be repeated 169
11 Protestants will also persecute the faithful 170
12 The faithful will be threatened with death 170
13 Prior to the general close of probation, there will be martyrs 171
Last days appendix 172
Great troubles will occur 172
Martyrs 173

15 - The Individual Close of Probation 174
Judgment and individual probation will close for some before others 174

16 - The General Close of Probation 176
1 This solemn event is just before us 176
2 The entire world has been warned and all probationary events are ended 176
3 Human probation has closed 177
4 The timing of the close of probation 178
5 No one can predict when probation will finally close 179
6 The loud cry is finished and the faithful have been sealed 179

9

10

THE END OF TIME

7 Jesus throws down the censer, utters the “It is done,” and leaves the heavenly Sanctuary 180
8 When Christ leaves the Sanctuary, the world is without an intercessor 181
9 Christ places the sins on the scapegoat, preparatory to sending him to a desolate land 182
10 Jesus removes His priestly garments and puts on His garments of vengeance 182
11 There is no second probation 183
12 What the people in the world are doing when probation closes 183
Last days appendix 184
Close of probation 184

PART TWO: Events after the General Close of Probation
17 - The Great Time of Trouble and the Seven Last Plagues 186
1 A terrible ordeal 187
2 God removes His protection from the wicked 187
3 The four winds are loosed as Satan is permitted to cause great troubles 188
4 Satan plunges the world into conflict and disasters 188
5 The faithful are blamed for the convulsions and strife 189
6 The wicked still consider themselves servants of God 189
7 Satan will work great miracles 189
8 Satan personates Christ 189
9 The death decree 191
10 Satan’s primary objective is to destroy the Sabbathkeepers 192
11 The time of Jacob’s trouble 192
12 A final, special test 194
13 The righteous flee to secluded locations, especially in the mountains 195
14 The seven last plagues 196
15 The judgments sent directly from God 197
16 The pouring out of the plagues 198
17 The death decree 199
18 Some of the wicked plead with the righteous for help 199
19 Jacob’s time of trouble reaches its climax and angels protect them 200
20 There are no martyrs after the close of probation 201
21 On the night appointed for slaughter, deliverance comes at midnight 201
Last days appendix 202
Seven last plagues 202

CONTENTS

18 - Deliverance by the Voice of God 203
The Battle of Armageddon 203
1 Twelve rapid events 205
Darkness and rainbows 205
The bow of promise, vision of Christ, and shout of victory 205
Saints are glorified 205
The voice of God shakes the heavens and the earth 206
The great earthquake; 44 signs and wonders occur 206
The special resurrection 207
The doom of the wicked predicted; their terrible fear 208
The righteous know they are delivered and sing praises to God 208
The ten commandments are opened to the view of all 209
The horror of the wicked is indescribable 209
The day and hour of Christ’s coming is announced 211
The faithful are given the Sabbath blessing 211

2 Christ’s journey to earth 211
Last days appendix 212
Armageddon 212
The Voice of God 212
The ten commandments opened 213

19 - The Second Coming of Christ 214
1 The jubilee begins 214
2 The sign of the Son of Man 214
3 Timing of the Second Advent 214
4 Jesus returns for His people 215
5 Every eye shall see Him return 215
6 The display of overmastering power brings fear and apprehension 215
7 The heavens and the earth are shaken 215
8 Crying for the rocks to fall, the wicked flee into caves 216
9 The insolence of the wicked is ended as they awaken to the reality of the situation 216
10 Those also who pierced Him shall see Him return 217
11 The saints cry out, “This is our God; He will save us!” 218
12 The resurrection of the righteous dead 218
13 The appearance of the saints 220
14 Living saints made immortal and caught up with the risen saints 220
15 Friends and loved ones are reunited 221

20 - The Millennium 225
Post-ascension events on earth 225
1 - All the wicked have made decisions in the great controversy 225
2 - The slaughtering begins 225
3 - Strife by men and wrath from God will slay the wicked 225
4 - An incredibly immense destruction occurs 226

11

12

THE END OF TIME
5 - Earth is left uninhabited and desolate 226
6 - Sins are rolled back on Satan 226
7 - Satan is restricted to planet Earth for 1,000 years 227
8 - Unable to tempt, Satan will only have time to think 227

Post-ascension events in heaven 228
1 - The journey to the City of God 228
2 - The saints’ coronation on the sea of glass, outside of the City 228
3 - Jesus opens the gates and leads His faithful ones into the City 230
4 - A view of the City 230
5 - The two Adams meet 231
6 - Adam views the Garden of Eden 231
7 - The redeemed see the tree and the throne 231
8 - The 144,000 sing a new song on the crystal sea before the throne 231
9 - The redeemed meet their guardian angels 232
10 - Days of pain and weeping are forever ended 232
11 - Their understanding of the plan of salvation will enlarge forever 232
12 - The sentencing judgment during the millennium 233

Last days appendix 234
Second coming 234
Resurrection 234
Translation 234
On the sea of glass 234

21 - The Third Advent of Christ 235
1 Christ and the redeemed return to the earth 235
2 Christ descends upon the Mount of Olives 235
3 The City of God descends 235
4 Christ raises the dead to life 235
5 Satan lays plans with the wicked to conquer those in the City 236
6 The immense army marches to the City and surrounds it 237
7 Christ appears on a throne high above the City 237
8 Three groups of redeemed surround their Lord and Saviour 238
9 Fearless of the onlooking wicked, they sing praises to their God 238
10 The final coronation of Christ occurs 238

22 - The Executive Judgment 239
1 Christ will be the judge 239
2 All the worlds will view the proceedings of this judgment 239
3 The books of record are opened 239
4 The wicked know their own records 240
5 Those records will also be open to everyone else 240
6 The wicked are shown a panoramic view of Christ’s life and death 240
7 Some of those who are in the ranks of the wicked 241

CONTENTS

13

8 The sentence of eternal death is pronounced against the wicked 241
9 All the wicked know and admit that God and His law are right 241
10 Satan alone holds back; but now memories and facts fill his mind 242
11 Everyone else recognizes that Satan is wrong; and, now, he finally admits it 242
12 The great controversy is ended. There is no more reason for sinners to live 242
13 Christ declares His love for His faithful ones 243
14 Satan’s last desperate revolt is useless 243
15 Wicked people and angels turn on Satan and his leading agents 243
16 God sends fire from heaven upon the wicked 243
17 All are punished fairly in accordance with their deeds 243
18 Sin and sinners are forever gone. The entire universe is at rest 244
19 The City of God is protected during the purifying worldwide fire 244
20 Only one reminder of sin will remain: the marks on Christ 245
21 The final destruction of sinners will vindicate God and His law 245
Last days appendix 245
The final judgment 245

23 - Eternity Beyond

248

1 Quotations from Early Writings and Great Controversy 248
2 Quotations from other Spirit of Prophecy books 250
Non-compiled books:
1 - Education, 303:3-309:3 251
2 - Acts of the Apostles, 601:1-602:3 253
3 - Steps to Christ, 125:1-126:2 253
4 - Christ’s Object Lessons, 421:1-2 253
Compiled books:
5 - Child Guidance, 560:1-569:2 254
6 - Adventist Home, 533:1-550:1 256
7 - Christian Service, 266:1-275:1 259
8 - Counsels on Stewardship, 348:1-350:1-2 262
9 - Publishing Ministry, 402:7-404:1 262
10 - Gospel Workers, 512:1-518:1 262
11 - 7 Bible Commentary, 988/1:1-990/1:2-2:0 264
12 - My Life Today, 347:1, 3-365:7 266
13 - Faith I Live By, 359:1-370:4 270
14 - Reflecting Christ, 378:1-8 272
15 - Amazing Grace, 363:1-367:1 273
16 - Maranatha, 316:5-372:5 274

Last days appendix 282
Heaven 282

Appendix: Additional End-time Quotations 285
Locator Index 302

14

THE END OF TIME

INTRODUCTION
You have in hand what is probably the most
complete collection of Spirit of Prophecy quotations on final events ever published. It spans
a period of time from just prior to the enactment of the National Sunday Law, on through to
the final destruction of the wicked and eternity
beyond. The entire collection is categorically
arranged.
This collection, formerly in 18 booklets, is now
being released in one 8½ x 11 book, divided into
two major parts:
Part One: Events before
the Close of Probation
Part Two: Events after
the Close of Probation
This book contains everything formerly in the
18 booklets; but the material has been arranged in
a better format. For example, The Image of the Beast
is now a separate chapter.
All of the final events are keyed to one or another
of six key events, which stand as major pillars:
1 - The U.S. National Sunday Law
2 - The general close of probation
3 - The sounding of the Voice of God
4 - The second coming of Christ
5 - The third coming of Christ
6 - The final destruction of the wicked
Note: Because so many final events are mentioned, initial caps are generally only used for the
following events: “National Sunday Law” (when the
three words are used together) and “Voice” (when
used in Voice of God).
Chapter 1 deals with a few events which will
throw us into the U.S. National Sunday Law.
Chapter 2 deals with the enactment of that law.
Chapters 3 through 11 are concerned with
events which occur after the U.S. law’s initial enactment and before the general close of probation. We
will spend more time on this cluster of events than
on any other. Many of those events tend to run simultaneously with one another. But there are exceptions. For example, the loud cry of the fourth angel
begins part way through that period.
Ellen White wrote more about events prior to
the close of probation; because, when probation finally ends, it will then be too late for us to make
changes in our lives. It is especially important that
we now understand the events prior to the general

close of probation.
The decisions we are today making, along with
the words and actions accompanying them, will
greatly affect what we will do when the coming crisis suddenly breaks upon us all. It is urgent that
we now study and, by faith in Christ, carefully obey
what is written in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.
The entire final crisis explodes into action as
soon as a National (federal) Sunday Law is enacted
in the United States. That event will catapult the
entire world into the future windup of human affairs. All other final events find their reference point
in that moment in time.
The statements are clear that the passage of a
National Sunday Law will quickly set into operation a surprising number of other important occurrences. One factor which will greatly accelerate
the process is that, as soon as the law is enacted,
Satan will be permitted to unleash a holocaust of
spiritist activity and appearances of various kinds.
Decades of increasing violation of the ten commandments by individuals, families, businesses,
and governments has produced immorality, fiscal
irresponsibility, confusion, crime, terror, and bloodshed. The mounting problems will lead the nation
and then the entire world to the adoption of draconian governmental Sunday laws.
As the time for the National Sunday Law nears,
churchmen, desperate for power, will welcome a
strange excitement that appears to be working in
some of the churches. Evil spirits will prompt those
leaders with the idea that the only solution is governmentally mandated Sundaykeeping. On this issue of Sunday legislation, apostate Protestant
churches and the Vatican will find themselves in
closer harmony than ever before.
As a result, Protestantism and Catholicism will
reach across the gulf and form a union.
The sense of spiritist power undergirding it will
help impel Catholicism and the fallen Protestant
churches to lay aside their differences and form a
close working union to achieve commonly held objectives. Their willingness to move into line on the
Sunday issue will bring a response of approving
spiritist manifestations. Even though based on shallow appearances and emotional highs, the powerful excitement—which will immediately follow its
passage—will be accepted as proof that Sundaykeeping is the will of God for the nations. The awareness that hidden spirit power is sensed, as they work

CORRELATIVE STUDY GUIDE
toward Sunday legislation, will prompt a move toward forming a solid union of denominations, representing millions of members determined to force
the U.S. Congress to enact a binding National Sunday Law.
There is only one issue which can unite Protestantism, Catholicism, the labor unions, and U.S.
politicians on all levels—and that is a strict Sunday law.
The improvement of morals and health, and a
general return to God will be declared to be important objectives.
A coalition of Protestant churches will lead out
in pressuring politicians, desperate for solutions,
to enact such a law. That legislation may initially be
enacted as a political favor; that is, the secular politicians will pass it, not really believing it will accomplish any more than their obtaining additional po-

15
litical backing from a suddenly energized religious
right.
But passage of that law will quickly, dramatically change everything! It will open the floodgates
of satanic manifestations in the United States, as
well as the entire world. Mankind will be thrown
into the final crisis. About four dozen events will
rapidly follow, which will plunge the world on a fast
track to the Second Coming of Christ.
The important question is this: What will be
the first event in the entire series of occurrences
leading to the Second Advent? We know the second
event will be the threefold union. But another will
precede it. Chapter 1 discusses that event.
Each chapter will conclude with pertinent quotations from an unpublished study, called The Last
Days, which we may reprint some day when we
have time and funds to do so.

CORRELATIVE STUDY GUIDE
FIRST TIME PERIOD
RELIGIOUS UNION IN THE U.S.—of official
Roman Catholicism and a significant
portion of official Protestantism (including
Greek Orthodox). They agree to work
together to achieve commonly-held objectives. This apparent twofold union is
actually threefold, including spiritist power.
SECOND TIME PERIOD
SATANIC EXCITEMENT IN THE U.S.—begins
in excitement-loving churches, bringing
them under satanic control. This excitement spreads to other churches (and will
tremendously expand after enactment of
the NSL). The threefold union of Protestantism, Catholicism, and Spiritualism is
fully formed. This immensely empowers the
churches and their leaders to demand
enactment of a strict, nationwide Sunday
worship law by the U.S. Congress.
THIRD TIME PERIOD
NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW—is enacted and
remains unrepealed until the Second
Advent. The Final Crisis has begun!
1 - U.S. Government is coerced to enact the
National Sunday Law.
2 - National Sunday Law is actually passed.
3 - Enactment produces the worship of the

beast and the formation of the image of/to
the beast.

FOURTH TIME PERIOD
(During this period, the sealing/marking
sequences occur in the U.S.
A - SEALING SEQUENCE—Sabbathkeepers
in the U.S. already know the issues; so
they must immediately decide to obey or
disobey the law. Those who choose the
right—rapidly enter upon, what we might
call, the “sealing sequence” of events, as
follows: (Events occur to people as individuals, not as groups.)
1 - Shaking and Sifting in the U.S. Adventist
Church climaxes as the church is purified
of false brethren. (Both active and former
church members make their choice.)
2 - Sealing of U.S. Sabbathkeepers rapidly
occurs.
3 - Judgment of the Living begins.
4 - Blotting out of Sins from the heavenly
Book of Records begins.
5 - Individual Close of Probation begins.
6 - True Latter Rain begins, as soon as the
Seal is applied to an individual.
7 - Loud Cry of Third Angel begins, as the
message of Revelation 14:6-12 and Matthew 25:6 is proclaimed by the faithful.

16
8 - Little Time of Trouble begins for God’s
people: Flight and witnessing will occur.
There will be persecution, court appearances, imprisonment and (for some) death.
9 - Fourth Angel comes down, greatly
strengthens their loud cry witness to the
world, and renders it immensely convictive.
B - MARKING SEQUENCE—Sabbathkeepers
in the U.S. already know the issues; so
they must immediately decide to obey or
disobey the law. Those who choose the
wrong—rapidly enter upon, what we
might call, the “marking sequence” of
events, as follows:
1 - Shaking and Sifting in U.S. Adventist
Church (by members and former members) climaxes as many forsake the truth.
2 - Marking of U.S. former Sabbathkeepers
rapidly occurs.
3 - Judgment of the Living begins.
4 - Blotting out of Names from Book of Life
begins.
5 - Individual Close of Probation begins.
6 - Former believers, embossed with a
satanic spirit, become leading enemies of
the truth and those proclaiming it.
7 - They are bound in bundles with the
wicked.
C - SATANIC MANIFESTATIONS —
1 - False Latter Rain begins in the U.S. and
swells to massive proportions, as it falls
upon those who are rejecting the truth.
2 - Calamities begin for worldlings: satanically caused strife, warfare, and disasters.

FIFTH TIME PERIOD
UNIVERSAL SUNDAY LAW—
1 - Satan appears in various parts of the
world.
2 - False Latter Rain and Calamities spread
to other nations.
3 - Under the Threefold Union, with coercion,
the U.S. Government coerces other nations
throughout the world to enact their own
National Sunday Laws.
1. First, throughout the so-called
Christian nations.
2. Second, throughout the
non-Christian nations.
The resultant laws are known by the
general term, the Universal Sunday
Law.

THE END OF TIME
4a - Sabbathkeepers in other nations know
the issues, choose the right, and receive
the Sealing sequence.
4b - Sabbathkeepers in other nations know
the issues, choose the wrong, and receive
the Marking sequence.
5a - Non-Sabbathkeepers in other nations
learn the issues, choose the right, and
receive the Sealing sequence.
5b - Non-Sabbathkeepers in other nations
learn the issues, choose the wrong, and
receive the Marking sequence.
6 - Intense persecution of God’s people
throughout the world.

SIXTH TIME PERIOD
GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
The individual probation closed for mankind,
one by one, as they received the seal or
mark. When the last people have made
their decision for the one side or the other,
then comes the General Close of Probation, marking the end of all human probation forever:
1 - Christ throws down the censer of intercession. Grace, the atonement, and forgiveness have forever ended.
2 - The marriage of Christ to His kingdom
and to His church occurs in the Most Holy
Place.
3 - Christ stands up and leaves His position
of intercession before the Father.
4 - Christ tarries for a moment in the outer
apartment and, as Priest, places the sins
of the righteous on Satan, who will bear
them in the final punishment of sin.
5 - Christ then removes His priestly garments, puts on garments of vengeance,
and leaves the Sanctuary, preparatory to
returning to earth. He is no longer a
Priest, but a soon-returning King.
SEVENTH TIME PERIOD
GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE
Events between the General Close of Probation and the Voice of God:
1 - False Revival continues to keep people in
deception.
2 - Four winds are loosed as Satan is permitted to bring severe calamities upon the
wicked.
3 - Angels from heaven begin pouring the

CORRELATIVE STUDY GUIDE
Seven Last Plagues upon the wicked.
4 - The Great Time of Trouble begins for the
faithful.
5 - The faithful are blamed for the disasters.
6 - Heavy persecution of the faithful, but
none are slain.
7 - The Death Decree is enacted.
8 - The crisis for the faithful swells into
Jacob’s Trouble.
9 - The last of the faithful flee from urban
areas.
10 - The Death Decree is slated to take effect
at midnight.

EIGHTH TIME PERIOD
VOICE OF GOD
Events from the Voice of God to the Second
Advent:
1 - Twelve rapid events occur, including
about 50 subsidiary events.
2 - Christ’s journey to earth.
NINTH TIME PERIOD
SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST
Events at the Second Coming of Christ:
1 - Jesus returns for His people.
2 - The wicked are slain by the brightness of
His coming.
3 - The righteous dead are raised.
4 - The righteous living are translated
without seeing death.
5 - Both are glorified and caught up to
meet Christ in the air.
6 - Satan and his angels are bound to this
world.
7 - The sins of the righteous are rolled
back on Satan.
TENTH TIME PERIOD
THE MILLENNIUM
Events during the thousand years:
1 - The earth is desolate.
2 - The wicked are dead.
3 - Satan and his angels are bound to this
earth.
4 - The righteous are taken to heaven with
Jesus.
5 - Arriving there, they stand on the sea of
glass outside the gate; and each receives

17
his overcomer’s crown.
6 - They enter through the gate and behold
the holy City, the Garden of Eden, the
throne, and the tree of life.
7 - With Jesus, they begin the sentencing
judgment of the wicked.

ELEVENTH TIME PERIOD
THE THIRD ADVENT
Events from the Third Advent to the Destruction of the Wicked:
1 - Christ and the redeemed return to the
earth.
2 - He descends upon the Mount of Olives,
and flattens and purifies a large area.
3 - The holy City descends and alights on
that area.
4 - Christ and the faithful enter the City,
emerge once again, and Christ calls the
wicked to life.
5 - Christ and the redeemed reenter the City.
6 - Satan immediately enlists the wicked in
a plan to conquer the City.
7 - Preparations are completed and the
march is begun.
8 - The City is encircled and Christ and the
redeemed appear above the walls.
9 - The saints sing praises to Jesus.
10 - The sentencing begins.
11 - The wicked acknowledge God’s justice.
12 - Satan finally does also.
13 - The fire falls, destroying the wicked and
purifying the earth.
14 - The great controversy is entirely
ended!
TWELFTH TIME PERIOD
ETERNITY BEYOND
A brief overview of eternal life with Christ:
1 - Earth is the home of the redeemed.
2 - The faithful live in homes by the broad
streams.
3 - They will engage in many activities,
including gardening, the study of natural
science, and the study of the plan of redemption. They will converse with one
another, angels, and unfallen intelligences.
Each will travel to other worlds.
4 - They will frequently break into song and
sing praises to God and to the Lamb.
5 - They will gather to worship the Creator
on the holy Sabbath.

18

THE END OF TIME

— PREFACE —

WORLD CONDITIONS
RIGHT NOW
1 - A power from beneath is working to bring
about the last great scenes.
“The world is a theater; the actors, its inhabitants, are preparing to act their part in the last great
drama. With the great masses of mankind, there is
no unity, except as men confederate to accomplish
their selfish purposes. God is looking on. His purposes in regard to His rebellious subjects will be
fulfilled. The world has not been given into the hands
of men, though God is permitting the elements of
confusion and disorder to bear sway for a season. A
power from beneath is working to bring about the
last great scenes in the drama—Satan coming as
Christ, and working with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies. Those who are
yielding to the passion for confederation are working out the plans of the enemy. The cause will be
followed by the effect.”—8 Testimonies, 27:4-28:0.
2 - The wicked have almost filled up the measure of their iniquity.
“Never did this message apply with greater force
than it applies today. More and more the world is
setting at naught the claims of God. Men have become bold in transgression. The wickedness of the
inhabitants of the world has almost filled up the
measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost
reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it. The substitution of
the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation,
by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of
the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When
this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake
terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to
punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood, and
shall no more cover her slain.”—7 Testimonies,
141:1.
3 - We are standing on the threshold of the
crisis of the ages.
“We are standing on the threshold of the crisis
of the ages. In quick succession the judgments of
God will follow one another,—fire, and flood, and
earthquake, with war and bloodshed. We are not to

be surprised at this time by events both great and
decisive; for the angel of mercy cannot remain much
longer to shelter the impenitent.”—Prophets and
Kings, 278:1.
4 - Every case is about to be eternally decided,
and Satan sees that his time is short.
“The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The
sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual
round, and the heavens still declare the glory of
God. Men are still eating and drinking, planting
and building, marrying and giving in marriage.
Merchants are still buying and selling. Men are jostling one against another, contending for the highest place. Pleasure lovers are still crowding to theaters, horse races, gambling hells. The highest excitement prevails, yet probation’s hour is fast closing, and every case is about to be eternally decided.
Satan sees that his time is short. He has set all his
agencies at work that men may be deceived, deluded, occupied, and entranced until the day of
probation shall be ended and the door of mercy forever shut.”—Southern Watchman, Oct. 3, 1905.
5 - We who know the truth should be preparing.
“Transgression has almost reached its limit.
Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon
to come upon human beings. The end is very near.
We who know the truth should be preparing for
what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.”—8 Testimonies, 28:1.
6 - When the defiance of God’s law is almost
universal.
“In this time of prevailing iniquity we may know
that the last great crisis is at hand. When the defiance of God’s law is almost universal, when His
people are oppressed and afflicted by their fellow
men, the Lord will interpose.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 178:3.
7 - Everything in our world is in agitation.
“We are standing upon the threshold of great
and solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling.
Strange, eventful history is being recorded in the
books of heaven. Everything in our world is in agitation. There are wars and rumors of wars. The na-

WORLD CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW
tions are angry, and the time of the dead has come,
that they should be judged. Events are changing to
bring about the day of God, which hasteth greatly.
Only a moment of time, as it were, yet remains. But
while already nation is rising against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom, there is not now a general engagement. As yet the four winds are held until
the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads.
Then the powers of earth will marshal their forces
for the last great battle.”—6 Testimonies, 14:1.
8 - Signs thickening around us, telling of the
near approach of the Son of God.
“The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes, storms,
tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land,
follow each other in quick succession. Science seeks
to explain all these. The signs thickening around
us, telling of the near approach of the Son of God,
are attributed to any other than the true cause. Men
cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the
four winds that they shall not blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid
His angels loose the winds, there shall be such a
scene of strife as no pen can picture.”—6 Testimonies, 408:1.
9 - The agencies of evil are combining their
forces and consolidating for the last great crisis.
“The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely
being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the
grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the
unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are
portentous. They forecast approaching events of the
greatest magnitude. The agencies of evil are combining their forces, and consolidating. They are
strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes
are soon to take place in our world, and the final
movements will be rapid ones.”—9 Testimonies,
11:1-2.
10 - God is trying to arouse men to the danger.
“The time is at hand when there will be sorrow
in the world that no human balm can heal. The
Spirit of God is being withdrawn. Disasters by sea
and by land follow one another in quick succession. How frequently we hear of earthquakes and
tornadoes, of destruction by fire and flood, with
great loss of life and property! Apparently these
calamities are capricious outbreaks of disorganized,
unregulated forces of nature, wholly beyond the
control of man; but in them all, God’s purpose may
be read. They are among the agencies by which He
seeks to arouse men and women to a sense of their
danger.”—Prophets and Kings, 277:1.

19
11 - Not progress and enlightenment, but corruption and violence.
“Men in their blindness boast of wonderful
progress and enlightenment; but the heavenly
watchers see the earth filled with corruption and
violence. Because of sin the atmosphere of our world
has become as the atmosphere of a pesthouse.”—6
Testimonies, 10:2.
12 - Who can doubt that satanic agencies
are at work among men with increasing activity?
“We are living in the midst of an ‘epidemic of
crime,’ at which thoughtful, God-fearing men everywhere stand aghast. The corruption that prevails, it is beyond the power of the human pen to
describe. Every day brings fresh revelations of political strife, bribery, and fraud. Every day brings
its heart-sickening record of violence and lawlessness, of indifference to human suffering, of brutal,
fiendish destruction of human life. Every day testifies to the increase of insanity, murder, and suicide. Who can doubt that satanic agencies are at
work among men with increasing activity to distract and corrupt the mind, and defile and destroy
the body?”—Ministry of Healing, 142:4-143:0.
13 - The spirit of anarchy is permeating the
nations.
“The spirit of anarchy is permeating all nations,
and the outbreaks that from time to time excite the
horror of the world are but indications of the pentup fires of passion and lawlessness that, having
once escaped control, will fill the earth with woe
and desolation. The picture which Inspiration has
given of the antediluvian world represents too truly
the condition to which modern society is fast hastening. Even now, in the present century, and in
professedly Christian lands, there are crimes daily
perpetrated, as black and terrible as those for which
the old-world sinners were destroyed. Before the
flood, God sent Noah to warn the world, that the
people might be led to repentance, and thus escape
the threatened destruction. As the time of Christ’s
second appearing draws near, the Lord sends His
servants with a warning to the world to prepare for
that great event. Multitudes have been living in
transgression of God’s law, and now He in mercy
calls them to obey its sacred precepts. All who will
put away their sins by repentance toward God and
faith in Christ are offered pardon.”—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 102:0-1.
14 - Satan is putting forth desperate efforts
to ensnare the world.
“At the present time, when the end of all things
earthly is rapidly approaching, Satan is putting forth
desperate efforts to ensnare the world. He is devising many plans to occupy minds and to divert atten-

20
tion from the truths essential to salvation. In every
city his agencies are busily organizing into parties
those who are opposed to the law of God. The
archdeceiver is at work to introduce elements of confusion and rebellion, and men are being fired with a
zeal that is not according to knowledge.”—Acts of
the Apostles, 219:2.
15 - Satan is seeking at every point to
counterwork the work of the Lord upon this
earth.
“Satan is a diligent Bible student. He knows
that his time is short, and he seeks at every point
to counterwork the work of the Lord upon this
earth.”—9 Testimonies, 16:1.
16 - Satan is now seeking to hold God’s people
in a state of inactivity.
“Satan is now seeking to hold God’s people in a
state of inactivity, to keep them from acting their
part in spreading the truth, that they may at last be
weighed in the balance and found wanting.”—1 Testimonies, 260:2.
17 - Soon the final scenes of trouble will begin.
“The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The
prophecy of the eleventh chapter of Daniel has
nearly reached its complete fulfillment. Soon the
scenes of trouble spoken of in the prophecies will
take place.”—9 Testimonies, 14:1-2.
18 - The world is filled with terrible disasters.
“I was shown the inhabitants of the earth in the
utmost confusion. War, bloodshed, privation, want,
famine, and pestilence were abroad in the land . .
My attention was then called from the scene. There
seemed to be a little time of peace. Once more the
inhabitants of the earth were presented before me;
and again everything was in the utmost confusion.
Strife, war, and bloodshed, with famine and pestilence, raged everywhere. Other nations were engaged in this war and confusion. War caused famine. Want and bloodshed caused pestilence. And
then men’s hearts failed them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the
earth.”—1 Testimonies, 268:1-2.
19 - It is a time of spiritual darkness in the
churches.
“This is a time of spiritual darkness in the
churches of the world. Ignorance of divine things
has hidden God and the truth from view. The forces
of evil are gathering in strength. Satan flatters his
coworkers that he will do a work that will captivate
the world. While partial inactivity has come upon
the church, Satan and his hosts are intensely active. The professed Christian churches are not converting the world; for they are themselves corrupted

THE END OF TIME
with selfishness and pride, and need to feel the converting power of God in their midst before they can
lead others to a purer or higher standard.”—9 Testimonies, 65:2.
20 - The seeds of infidelity are sown broadcast
by the ministers.
“In our day, as of old, the vital truths of God’s
Word are set aside for human theories and speculations. Many professed ministers of the gospel do
not accept the whole Bible as the inspired Word.
One wise man rejects one portion; another questions another part. They set up their judgment as
superior to the Word; and the Scripture which they
do teach rests upon their own authority. Its divine
authenticity is destroyed. Thus the seeds of infidelity are sown broadcast; for the people become confused, and know not what to believe. There are many
beliefs that the mind has no right to entertain.”—
Christ’s Object Lessons, 39:1.
21 - God’s faithful messengers must go steadily
forward with their work.
“Wickedness is reaching a height never before
attained, and yet many ministers of the gospel are
crying, ‘Peace and safety.’ But God’s faithful messengers are to go steadily forward with their work.
Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they are to advance fearlessly and victoriously, never ceasing their
warfare until every soul within their reach shall have
received the message of truth for this time.”—Acts
of the Apostles, 220:1.
22 - The world is fast becoming ripe for destruction.
“There is a cause for alarm in the condition of
the religious world today. God’s mercy has been
trifled with. The multitudes make void the law of
Jehovah, ‘teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ Infidelity prevails in many of the
churches in our land; not infidelity in its broadest
sense, an open denial of the Bible, but an infidelity
that is robed in the garb of Christianity while it is
undermining faith in the Bible as a revelation from
God. Fervent devotion and vital piety have given
place to hollow formalism. As the result, apostasy
and sensualism prevail. Christ declared, ‘As it was
in the days of Lot . . even thus shall it be in the day
when the Son of man is revealed.’ The daily record of
passing events testifies to the fulfillment of His
words. The world is fast becoming ripe for destruction. Soon the judgments of God are to be poured
out, and sin and sinners are to be consumed.”—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 166:1.
23 - Some will be saved while the door will
be closed to those who reject it.
“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the
time of mercy for those who have had no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord

WORLD CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW
look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His
hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is
closed to those who would not enter.”—9 Testimonies, 97:2.
24 - Everything that can be shaken will be
shaken.
“Soon the battle will be waged fiercely between
those who serve and those who serve Him not. Soon
everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that
those things that cannot be shaken may remain.”—
9 Testimonies, 15:5-16:0.
25 - Many will humble themselves and turn
to God.
“In the time of distress and perplexity of nations there will be many who have not given themselves wholly to the corrupting influences of the
world and the service of Satan, who will humble
themselves before God and turn to Him with their
whole heart and find acceptance and pardon.”—1
Testimonies, 269:0.
26 - Many are on the verge of the kingdom,
waiting only to be gathered in.
“There are many who are reading the Scriptures
who cannot understand their true import. All over
the world men and women are looking wistfully to
heaven. Prayers and tears and inquiries go up from
souls longing for light, for grace, for the Holy Spirit.
Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only
to be gathered in.”—Acts of the Apostles, 109:1.
27 - The apostasy today is similar to that in
the time of Elijah.
“From Elijah’s experience during those days of
discouragement and apparent defeat, there are
many lessons to be drawn,—lessons invaluable to
the servants of God in this age, marked as it is by
general departure from right. The apostasy prevailing today is similar to that which in the prophet’s
day overspread Israel. In the exaltation of the human above the divine, in the praise of popular leaders, in the worship of mammon, and in the placing
of the teachings of science above the truths of revelation, multitudes today are following after Baal.
Doubt and unbelief are exercising their baleful influence over mind and heart, and many are substituting for the oracles of God the theories of men. It
is publicly taught that we have reached a time when
human reason should be exalted above the teachings of the Word. The law of God, the divine standard of righteousness, is declared to be of no effect. The enemy of all truth is working with deceptive power to cause men and women to place human institutions where God should be, and to forget that which was ordained for the happiness and

21
salvation of mankind. Yet this apostasy, widespread
as it has come to be, is not universal. Not all in the
world are lawless and sinful; not all have taken sides
with the enemy. God has many thousands who have
not bowed the knee to Baal, many who long to understand more fully in regard to Christ and the law,
many who are hoping against hope that Jesus will
come soon to end the reign of sin and death. And
there are many who have been worshiping Baal ignorantly, but with whom the Spirit of God is still
striving.”—Prophets and Kings, 170:2-171:1.
28 - The time is not far distant, when the
test will come to every soul.
“In the last solemn work few great men will be
engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of
God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will
be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now
hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They
have not had the light which has been shining in a
concentrated blaze upon you. But, it may be under
a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness
of a genuine Christian character will be revealed.
In the daytime we look toward heaven, but do not
see stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament,
but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night
we behold their genuine luster.
“The time is not far distant, when the test will
come to every soul . . In this time, the gold will be
separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy, will then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the
wind, even from places where we see only floors of
rich wheat.”—5 Testimonies, 80:1-81:1.
29 - God has a people on earth who are preparing for what is coming.
“God has a people upon the earth who in faith
and holy hope are tracing down the roll of fast-fulfilling prophecy, and are seeking to purify their souls
by obeying the truth, that they may not be found
without the wedding garment when Christ shall appear.”—4 Testimonies, 307:0.
30 - But some are not.
“I was shown God’s people waiting for some
change to take place,—a compelling power to take
hold of them. But they will be disappointed, for they
are wrong. They must act; they must take hold of
the work themselves, and earnestly cry to God for
a true knowledge of themselves. The scenes which
are passing before us are of sufficient magnitude to
cause us to arouse, and urge the truth home to the
hearts of all who will listen. The harvest of the earth
is nearly ripe.”—1 Testimonies, 261:1.

22

THE END OF TIME

PART ONE
EVENTS BEFORE
THE
CLOSE OF PROBATION
1 - The Threefold Union and the Counterfeit Revival 23
2 - The National Sunday Law 30
3 - The Image of the Beast 45
4 - The False Latter Rain 51
5 - The Shaking and Sifting 69
6 - The Seal and Mark 81
7 - Perfection of Character 103
8 - The Judgment of the Living 118
9 - The Blotting Out of Sin 122
10 - The Marriage in the Most Holy Place 126
11 - The Latter Rain 133
12 - The Loud Cry of the Third Angel 146
13 - The Fourth Angel Strengthens the Loud Cry 153
14 - The Little Time of Trouble 163
15 - The Individual Close of Probation 174
16 - The General Close of Probation 176

1 - THE THREEFOLD UNION AND COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL

23

— CHAPTER 1 —

THE THREEFOLD UNION
AND THE
COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL
INTRODUCTION
THE THREEFOLD UNION

What is the threefold union? It will appear to be
a religious confederation of only two major groups: a
majority or all of the Sundaykeeping Protestant
churches (including the Orthodox Church), with the
Roman Catholic Church. But satanic manifestations
of spiritualistic power will soon add to its strength.
These forces will unite in a common objective to enact legislation to strictly enforce a single, specific religious teaching. This corrupt confederation will first
take shape in the United States. Having achieved
success in that nation, they will then successfully
press for similar governmental decrees in the other
nations of the earth. As soon as that strict law is
enacted in a given nation, its government will have
formed an image of/to the beast. (As the quotations
will show, it is an image OF the beast, because Rome
had a hand in its formation; it is an image TO the
beast because Sunday sacredness is a child of the
papacy and therefore is homage to it.)
But there remains a crucial question: What
events will initially get this fervor for united action
started? It appears that there will be two of them:
First, a Protestant-Catholic confederation will
form the basis for the union. Not until 2004-2005,
when Christian Churches Together was being
formed, did such an official organization exist. (For
more information, write to the publisher of this book
for research articles on Christian Churches Together.)
Second, it appears that the second event will be
a satanically inspired heightened excitement in the
churches, which will focus attention on commonly
held points of doctrine and galvanize them into the
single goal of making the nation a religious one
through enactment and rigorous enforcement of a
single law.
The first step will be a common religious excitement in the Protestant and Catholic churches, which
will bring them together on certain points. From the
best that we can know, the excitement will start in

some of the churches and then spread to the others.
We would expect that the first churches would be
the ones which emphasize excitement and lowered
morals. But the excitement which produces the law
will be far less than the level of satanic intensity
which follows its enactment.
In view of what is just ahead, it is urgent that we
prepare our lives and warn others. Time is running
out and so many are not ready!
-1A PROTESTANT-CATHOLIC
CONFEDERATION
WILL FORM THE BASIS
FOR THIS UNION
Although it will be a threefold union, to human
eyes, it will appear to be a twofold union. Spiritistic
forces will empower that which is done; yet it will be
human agencies, Protestant and Catholic, which will
be used to do the work.
It appears that, when a majority of Sundaykeeping churches, through their delegated leaders,
finally establish a confederated structure to achieve
common objectives and begin moving forward in earnest to get the U.S. Congress to enact a strict Sunday worship law,—that an empowering excitement
will begin within local churches, which will propel
the movement forward. This “excitement” will probably occur in religious gatherings which, raised to
the highest pitch of excitement, will reveal a supernatural power at work. This excitement will have a
twofold effect: (1) Convincing the laity and lower
ranks of leadership that the move toward Sunday
laws must be pushed through to success. (2)
Through their united urgings and demands, Congress will be convinced it must enact such a law.
IT WILL APPEAR TO BE
A TWOFOLD UNION

1 - Protestantism will give the hand of fellowship to the Roman power. This is a key factor.
Congress cannot be coerced into enacting the law

24

THE END OF TIME

until this happens.
“Protestantism shall give the hand of fellowship to the Roman power. Then there will be a law
against the Sabbath of God’s creation, and then it is
that God will do His ‘strange work’ in the earth.”—7
Bible Commentary, 910/2:0-1.
2 - Protestantism and Catholicism will form a
confederacy.
“The professed Protestant world will form a
confederacy with the man of sin, and the church
and the world will be in corrupt harmony.”—7
Bible Commentary, 975/2:2.
“The Word of God teaches that these scenes
[suppression of the Sabbath] are to be repeated as
Roman Catholics and Protestants shall unite
for the exaltation of the Sunday.”—Great Controversy, 578.

no effort to secure a forced uniformity can ever be
made. But there has been for years, in churches of
the Protestant faith, a strong and growing sentiment
in favor of a union based upon common points
of doctrine. To secure such a union, the discussion
of subjects upon which all were not agreed—however important they might be from a Bible standpoint—must necessarily be waived.”—Great Controversy, 444:2.
“Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will
bring the people under his deceptions. While the
former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.”—Great
Controversy, 588:1.

“How the Roman church can clear herself from
the charge of idolatry we cannot see . . And this is
the religion which Protestants are beginning to look
upon with so much favor, and which will eventually be united with Protestantism.”—Review,
June 1, 1886.
3 - In using the state to achieve their objectives, papists and Protestants will unite.

1 - In coercing the government to pass this
law, Protestantism will essentially have united
with the papacy.
“When our nation [the United States] shall so
abjure the principles of its government as to enact
a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join
hands with popery; it will be nothing else than
giving life to the tyranny which has long been
eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into
active despotism.”—5 Testimonies, 712:0.
2 - It is Protestantism which will change, not
Catholicism.
“How the Roman church can clear herself from
the charge of idolatry we cannot see . . And this is
the religion which Protestants are beginning to look
upon with so much favor, and which will eventually be united with Protestantism. This union
will not, however, be effected by a change in Catholicism, for Rome never changes. She claims infallibility. It is Protestantism that will change.
The adoption of liberal ideas on its part will bring it
where it can clasp the hand of Catholicism.”—Review, June 1, 1886.
3 - By entering this union, Protestantism will
have emptied itself of God’s power and given the
control into the hands of Satan.
“What is it that gives its kingdom to this
power? Protestantism, a power which, while professing to have the temper and spirit of a lamb and
to be allied to Heaven, speaks with the voice of a
dragon. It is moved by a power from beneath.”—7
Bible Commentary, 983/2:1.
4 - In voiding God’s law, Protestantism will
have joined Catholicism and the world.
“When the law of God is made void; when the
Christian world is joined to the Catholic and
the worldly, in making of none effect the command-

“The church appeals to the strong arm of civil
power, and, in this work, papists and Protestants
unite.”—Great Controversy, 607:1.
“The Christian world has sanctioned his [the
pope’s] efforts by adopting this child of the Papacy—
the Sunday institution. They have nourished it, and
will continue to nourish it, until Protestantism shall
give the hand of fellowship to the Roman power.
Then there will be a law against the Sabbath of
God’s creation, and then it is that God will do His
‘strange work’ in the earth.”—7 Bible Commentary,
910/2:0-1.
4 - Two doctrines will unite them.
The first doctrine is the unifying error that men
continue to live in spirit form after they die. This
error unites the churches to Satan.
The second doctrine is the error that Sunday,
the first day of the week, is sacred. This error unites
the churches with one another.
“When the leading churches of the United States,
uniting upon such points of doctrine as are
held by them in common, shall influence the state
to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed
an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction
of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitable result.”—Great Controversy, 445:1.
“The wide diversity of belief in the Protestant
churches is regarded by many as decisive proof that

THIS UNION WILL GREATLY
AFFECT PROTESTANTISM

1 - THE THREEFOLD UNION AND COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL
ments of God, then God’s chosen people arise to
defend the law of Jehovah.”—Evangelism, 226:5227:0.
“As long as probation continues, there will be
opportunity for the canvasser to work. When the
religious denominations unite with the papacy
to oppress God’s people, places where there is religious freedom will be opened by evangelistic canvassing.”—6 Testimonies, 478:2.
5 - This union will not only bring the world
and the churches together, it will unite them under one head: the pope of Rome.
“As we approach the last crisis, it is of vital moment that harmony and unity exist among the Lord’s
instrumentalities. The world is filled with storm and
war and variance. Yet under one head—the papal
power—the people will unite to oppose God in the
person of His witnesses. This union is cemented
by the great apostate.”—7 Testimonies, 182:2.
“Protestants . . are opening the door for the
papacy to regain, in Protestant America, the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World.”—
Great Controversy, 573:1.
6 - Many are blind to what they are doing.
“There are many, even of those engaged in this
movement for Sunday enforcement, who are
blinded to the results which will follow this action.
They do not see that they are striking directly
against religious liberty. There are many who have
never understood the claims of the Bible Sabbath
and the false foundation upon which the Sunday institution rests.”—5 Testimonies, 711:4.
“They are working in blindness. They do not see
that if a Protestant government sacrifices the principles that have made them a free, independent nation, and through legislation brings into the Constitution, principles that will propagate papal falsehood and papal delusion, they are plunging into the
Roman horrors of the Dark Ages.”—Review Extra,
December 11, 1888.
“There is a satanic force propelling the Sunday movement, but it is concealed. Even the men
who are engaged in the work, are themselves blinded
to the results which will follow their movement.”—
Review, January 1, 1889.
-2SATANIC EXCITEMENT EMPOWERS
THE CHURCH UNION TO TAKE ACTION
1 - It appears that a strange, but strong, excitement in the fallen churches will urge the union
toward action. The loud cry, which will begin shortly
afterward, will warn all the world that it must obey
God’s holy ten-commandment law and not hallow
the Sunday, as commanded by the National Sunday

25

Law. But, a little before the loud cry, Satan will
raise an excitement in the fallen churches which will
unify them in their attainment of certain objectives.
“I saw that God has honest children among the
nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and
people will be called out from these churches and
will gladly receive the truth. Satan knows this; and
before the loud cry of the third angel is given, he
raises an excitement in these religious bodies,
that those who have rejected the truth may think
that God is with them. He hopes to deceive the honest and lead them to think that God is still working
for the churches.”—Early Writings, 261:1.
2 - A counterfeit revival will occur. As we will
discuss later, the latter rain comes at the beginning
of the loud cry and just after the National Sunday
Law. But the counterfeit revival, Satan’s counterfeit
of the latter rain, will precede the true latter rain
upon God’s people. It will appear to be God’s blessing upon the disobedient churches. Satan will use it
to extend his influence over the Christian world.
So the order of events will be: (1) The highlevel union of representatives from leading Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox denominations. (2) The
counterfeit revival, consisting of intense excitement
and low-level satanic wonders which will arouse the
laity. (3) Under the combined pressure of both official and lay demands for its enactment, Congress
will enact a strict Sunday worship law. (4) The latter rain will occur, followed by the loud cry—as Satan produces stupendous spiritualistic wonders to
hold the masses in deception. The Final Crisis has
begun!
“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments
upon the earth, there will be, among the people of
the Lord, such a revival of primitive godliness
as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The
Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon
His children . . Many, both of ministers and people,
will gladly accept those great truths which God has
caused to be proclaimed at this time, to prepare a
people for the Lord’s Second Coming. The enemy of
souls desires to hinder this work; and before the
time for such a movement shall come, he will
endeavor to prevent it by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he can bring under
his deceptive power, he will make it appear that
God’s special blessing is poured out; there will
be manifest what is thought to be great religious
interest. Multitudes will exult that God is working marvelously for them, when the work is that
of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will
seek to extend his influence over the Christian
world.”—Great Controversy, 464:1.
We are told, above, that this excitement occurs
among the “fallen churches,” the “nominal

26
Adventists,” “in those bodies which have rejected the
truth,” and “in those churches which he [Satan] can
bring under his power.”
What causes the excitement? A counterfeit outpouring of a spirit before the true latter rain. It will
appear that God’s special blessing is being given. It
is imagined that a great new religious interest has
occurred. They think God is working marvelously
for them. Of course, all this reminds us of the Celebration and Pentecostal church services. It is likely
that this stupendous excitement will initially erupt
from those churches which already emphasize excitement as the key to their faith. The evidence of
supernatural power, increased attendance, and emphasis on Sunday sanctity will spread to the other
churches. Satanic music combined with satanic wonders will produce a powerful effect.
There will be shouting, drums, music, and
dancing.
“The things you have described as taking place
in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place
just before the close of probation. Every uncouth
thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting,
with drums, music, and dancing. The senses of
rational beings will become so confused that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions . .
“A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with
the din and noise to have a carnival [i.e., a Celebration], and this is termed the Holy Spirit’s working . . Those things which have been in the past will
be in the future. Satan will make music a snare by
the way in which it is conducted.”—2 Selected Messages, 36:2-3, 38:1.
When those words were penned, it seemed unbelievable that such things could occur in our midst.
Yet, today, we see such things rapidly increasing.
Surely, the end is near!
-3COERCION OF THE GOVERNMENT
BY THE THREEFOLD UNION
1 - This threefold union will work toward one
primary objective; and, in reaching that objective,
it will succeed. The U.S. Government will be pressured into enacting the National Sunday Law. Coercion will be applied to force the people to accept a papal teaching. It will be the combined impact of the threefold union which will have
brought this about. Passage of that law will lead to
very evil results. In reaching across the gulf, the
U.S. Government will have taken an unretraceable
step to destroy liberty of conscience. (We will later
learn that it will be the unleashing of spiritist forces

THE END OF TIME
by this enacted law which will render the situation irreversible.)
“The Protestants of the United States will be
foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to
grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over
the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power;
and under the influence of this threefold union,
this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.”—Great Controversy, 588:1.
2 - By this union, Protestantism will have
united with the secular power to support a false
religion.
“When Protestant churches shall unite with
the secular power to sustain a false religion, for
opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest
persecution, then will the papal sabbath be enforced by the combined authority of church and
state. Here will be a national apostasy, which will
end only in national ruin.”—Evangelism, 235:1.
3 - By enacting this law, the nation will have
accepted the principles of Romanism.
“In the time of testing and trial the shield of Omnipotence will be spread over those whom God has
made the depositaries of His law. When legislators
shall abjure the [religious liberty] principles of Protestantism, so as to give countenance and the right
hand of fellowship to Romanism, then God will
interpose in a special manner in behalf of His own
honor and the salvation of His people.”—5 Testimonies, 525:1.
4 - The religion of the papacy will be accepted
by the rulers.
“Laws enforcing the observance of Sunday as the
Sabbath will bring about a national apostasy
from the principles of republicanism upon which the
government has been founded. The religion of the
papacy will be accepted by the rulers, and the law
of God will be made void.”—7 Manuscript Releases,
192 (1906).
5 - Rulers of the land will rank themselves with
the man of sin.
“It is at the time of the national apostasy when,
acting on the policy of Satan, the rulers of the
land will rank themselves on the side of the
man of sin—it is then the measure of guilt is full;
the national apostasy is the signal for national
ruin.”—2 Selected Messages, 373:0.
6 - It will place Catholic principles under
the care and protection of the state.
“Roman Catholic principles will be taken
under the care and protection of the state. This
national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin.”—Review, June 15, 1897.

1 - THE THREEFOLD UNION AND COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL
7 - The result will be a common goal that is
almost overwhelming in its power over the minds
of the people.
“ ‘These have one mind.’ There will be a universal bond of union, one great harmony, a confederacy of Satan’s forces. ‘And shall give their
power and strength unto the beast.’ Thus is
manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power
against religious liberty, freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, as was manifested by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted
those who dared to refuse to conform with the religious rites and ceremonies of Romanism.”—Maranatha, 187:4.
8 - Satan will be leading in this union.
“There is one pointed out in prophecy as the man
of sin. He is the representative of Satan . . Here is
Satan’s right-hand man ready to carry on the
work that Satan commenced in heaven, that of
trying to amend the law of God. And the Christian
world has sanctioned his efforts by adopting this
child of the Papacy—the Sunday institution.”—7
Bible Commentary, 910/1:3-2:0.
“Not a move has been made in exalting the idol
sabbath, in bringing around Sunday observance
through legislation, but Satan has been behind it,
and has been the chief worker.”—7 Bible Commentary, 977/1:1.
“When the legislature frames laws which exalt
the first day of the week, and put it in the place of
the seventh day, the device of Satan will be perfected.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:1.
“This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law. Satan and his angels are wide
awake and intensely active, working with energy
and perseverance through human instrumentalities
to bring about his purpose of obliteration from the
minds of men the knowledge of God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 985/1:1-2.
-4EFFECT OF THE UNION
ON GOD’S PEOPLE
CAUSED BY
HATRED OF SABBATHKEEPERS

1 - A hatred of Sabbathkeepers will lead the
churches to coerce the government to enact the
law. Initially, legislators will agree to do so only
for political reasons. But that action will catapult God’s people into the final great conflict.
What is that conflict? It is the last phase, before
Christ returns, of the long-standing great controversy between Christ and Satan over the necessity of obedience to the law of God.

27

“The same masterful mind that plotted against
the faithful in ages past is still seeking to rid the
earth of those who fear God and obey His law.
Satan will excite indignation against the humble minority who conscientiously refuse to accept popular
customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take
counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius,
education, will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church
members will conspire against them. With voice and
pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek
to overthrow their faith. By false representations and
angry appeals they will stir up the passions of the
people. Not having a ‘Thus saith the Scriptures’ to
bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath,
they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply
the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for a Sunday
law. Those who fear God cannot accept an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue. On this
battlefield comes the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. And we are not
left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the days of
Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His
people.”—5 Testimonies, 450:2-451:0.
2 - In doing this, the nation will become a tool
of Satan. It will also have the effect of more closely
bringing the Protestant and Catholic churches under the delusive control of Satan, so he can use
them to destroy commandment keepers.
“ ‘He had two horns like a lamb, and he spake
as a dragon.’ Though professing to be followers of
the Lamb of God, men become imbued with the spirit
of the dragon. They profess to be meek and humble
but they speak and legislate with the spirit of Satan,
showing by their actions that they are the opposite
of what they profess to be. This lamb-like power
unites with the dragon in making war upon those
who keep the commandments of God and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ. And Satan unites with
Protestants and Papists, acting in consort with
them as the god of this world, dictating to men as if
they were the subjects of his kingdom, to be handled
and governed and controlled as he pleases. If men
will not agree to trample underfoot the commandments of God, the spirit of the dragon is revealed.
They are imprisoned, brought before the councils,
and fined. ‘He causeth all, both small and great, rich
and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their
right hand or in their foreheads.’ ‘He had power to
give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of
the beast should both speak, and cause that as many
as would not worship the image of the beast should
be killed.’ Thus Satan usurps the prerogatives of
Jehovah. The man of sin sits in the seat of God,
proclaiming himself to be God, and acting above

28

THE END OF TIME

God.”—Maranatha, 191:1.
3 - The Sabbath will be the basic issue; and, in
opposition to it, all the wicked world will be united
against God’s people.
“In the warfare to be waged in the last days there
will be united, in opposition to God’s people, all
the corrupt powers that have apostatized from
allegiance to the law of Jehovah. In this warfare the
Sabbath of the fourth commandment will be the great
point at issue; for in the Sabbath commandment
the great Lawgiver identifies Himself as the Creator
of the heavens and the earth.”—Maranatha, 187:5.
INTENSE PERSECUTION
WILL RESULT

Are you ready for what is soon to come upon the
earth? Are you preparing your heart and life by the
study of God’s Word, and obedience to it? Are you
standing in defense of God’s Word and God’s law?
1 - Enactment of the Sunday Law will bring
intense persecution to God’s people.
“There is a marked contrast between those who
bear the seal of God and those who worship the beast
and his image. The Lord’s faithful servants will receive the bitterest persecution from false teachers, who will not hear the Word of God, and who
prepare stumbling blocks to put in the way of those
who would hear.
“But God’s people are not to fear. Satan cannot go beyond his limit. The Lord will be the defense of His people. He regards the injury done to
His servants for the truth’s sake as done to Himself.
When the last decision has been made, when all
have taken sides, either for Christ and the commandments or for the great apostate, God will arise in
His power, and the mouths of those who have blasphemed against Him will be forever stopped. Every
opposing power will receive its punishment.”—
Maranatha, 191:3.
2 - Papists and Protestants will unite in persecuting Sabbathkeepers.
“All who will not bow to the decree of the national councils and obey the national laws to exalt
the sabbath instituted by the man of sin, to the disregard of God’s holy day, will feel, not the oppressive power of popery alone, but of the Protestant world, the image of the beast.”—2 Selected
Messages, 380:1.
“Those religious bodies who refuse to hear
God’s messages of warning will be under strong
deception and will unite with the civil power to persecute the saints. The Protestant churches will
unite with the papal power in persecuting the
commandment-keeping people of God.
“This lamb-like power unites with the dragon

in making war upon those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.”—14 Manuscript Releases, 161:4-162:1
(1899).
3 - God’s commandment-keeping people
should now draw together; for the wicked will later
unite, under the papacy, to oppose them.
“As we approach the last crisis, it is of vital moment that harmony and unity exist among the Lord’s
instrumentalities. The world is filled with storm
and war and variance. Yet under one head—the
papal power—the people will unite to oppose God
in the person of His witnesses.”—7 Testimonies,
182:2.
“God’s Sabbath will be trampled underfoot, and
a false sabbath will be exalted. In a Sunday law there
is possibility for great suffering to those who observe the seventh day. The working out of Satan’s
plans will bring persecution to the people of God.
But the faithful servants of God need not fear the
outcome of the conflict.”—2 Selected Messages,
375:1.
“The Protestant world today see in the little company keeping the Sabbath a Mordecai in the gate.
His character and conduct, expressing reverence
for the law of God, are a constant rebuke to those
who have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling upon His Sabbath; the unwelcome intruder
must by some means be put out of the way.”—5 Testimonies, 450:1.
“God’s people will feel the hand of persecution
because they keep holy the seventh day.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 975/2:0; 9 Testimonies, 229:3.
“Let there be a revival of the faith and power of
the early church, and the spirit of persecution will
be revived, and the fires of persecution will be
rekindled.”—Great Controversy, 48:3.
“Before the warfare shall be ended and the victory won, we as a people are to experience trials
similar to those of Paul. We shall encounter the same
hardness of heart, the same cruel determination,
the same unyielding hatred . . Persecution will
again be kindled against those who are true to
God; their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, their names cast out as evil . .
God would have His people prepared for the sooncoming crisis. Prepared or unprepared, we must
meet it.”—Life of Paul, 251:0-252:1.
“There will come a time when, because of our
advocacy of Bible truth, we shall be treated as
traitors.”—6 Testimonies, 394:2.
“Wealth, genius, education, will combine to
cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers,
ministers, and church members will conspire
against them. With voice and pen, by boasts,

1 - THE THREEFOLD UNION AND COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL
threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow
their faith.”—5 Testimonies, 450:2.
“If popery or its principles shall again be legislated into power, the fires of persecution will
be rekindled against those who will not sacrifice conscience and the truth in deference to popular errors.
This evil is on the point of realization.”—5 Testimonies, 712:1.
“Many will plead that there is no prospect that
popery will ever be revived. If it shall regain its
lost ascendancy, it will be by Protestantism’s giving it the right hand of fellowship. If it shall be
legislated into power by the concessions of timeserving men, the fires of persecution will be rekindled against those who will not sacrifice conscience and the truth for the errors of the papacy.
Once let the minds of the Christian world be turned
away from God; let His law be dishonored and His
holy day trampled upon, and they will be ready to
take any step where Satan may lead the way.”—
Review, January 1, 1889.
“The popular ministry, like the Pharisees of
old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan and
stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.”—Great Controversy,
607:0.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
THE UNION

When the Great Succession Has Taken Place,
Deluded Men Will Rush into Superstitious Doctrines.—“Then signs of dissolution will be plainly revealed to the God-fearing student of prophecy. The great
succession . . [will have] taken place—the world and
[the] church united to tear down God’s great moral standard and erect a standard instituted by the man of sin.
Then earnest, distinguished men, blinded and deluded
with false doctrines, because they have taken a deep
draught of [the] wine of Babylon, rush into superstitious doctrines, into the great apostasy, bearing the very
stamp of that dress. God has plainly pointed out in prophecy, [that] they are drunk with the wine of Babylon, and
the same spirit moves the whole.”—Undated Manuscript
153, 1-4 (Copenhagen, Denmark, 1886).
America Can Become the Place of Greatest Peril
Because of Light Neglected.—“America, where the
greatest light from heaven has been shining upon the
people, can become the place of greatest peril and darkness, because the people do not continue to practice the

29

truth and walk in the light.”—Letter 23c, 1894, 2-3 (to
I.H. Evans, July 20, 1894. See also 3 SM 387).
Satan Will Excite Apostate Christendom to Crush
Liberty of Conscience.—“Satan will excite the indignation of apostate Christendom against the humble remnant who conscientiously refuse to accept their customs
and traditions. Blinded by the prince of darkness, popular religionists will see only as he sees, and feel as he
feels. They will determine as he determines, and oppress as he oppresses. Liberty of conscience, which has
cost this nation so great a sacrifice, will no longer be
respected. The church and the world will unite, and the
world will lend to the church her power to crush out the
right of the people to worship God according to His
Word.”—Manuscript 51, 1899, 6-12 (“The Seal of God,”
April 2, 1899. See also EV 234-235).
If Satan Can Induce a Union of the Church and
the World, Man-made Commandments Will Supplant
the Sabbath.—“Men do not seem to understand that
they are taken in Satan’s snare when they attempt to
tamper with the laws of God. Satan has them in just the
position he wants them when they manufacture laws to
control the world and place those laws where God’s
laws should be. The enemy knows that, if the church
can be controlled by political enactments, she will lose
her garments of light as did Adam and Eve. If he can
lead the church to unite with the world and accept worldly
enactments, they virtually acknowledge him as their head.
The authority of man-made commandments will work
to oppose the rule of the government of heaven. Under
the leadership of Satan, the knowledge of good and evil
will work to dispense with the righteous, holy enactments of God concerning the Sabbath, the observance
of which is to be a sign between God and His people
forever.”—Manuscript 77, 1899, 12-15 (“God’s Law Immutable,” May 14, 1899).
The Threefold Union Will Be Satan’s Great Latter-day System of Persecution.—“Satan will work
miracles to deceive those who dwell on the earth. Spiritualism will do its work, by causing the dead to be personated. Those religious bodies that refuse to hear God’s
message of warning will be under strong deception, and
will unite with the civil power in persecuting the [true]
church. The Protestant churches will unite with the papal power in persecuting the commandment-keeping
people of God. This union will constitute the great system of persecution that will exercise spiritual tyranny
over the consciences of men.”—Manuscript 16, 1899,
1-6, 10-11 (“The Word for This Time,” February 20,
1900).
God Will Bring Men from Various Churches to
Combat the Sunday Law.—“Satan seems to have been
permitted to gain many points of advantage. But the Lord
will bring men of understanding from the various
churches to combat the enforcement of a law, that the
first day of the week shall be honored as a day when no
business shall be transacted.”—Letter 168, 1909, 2, 5
(“To the Officers of the General Conference,” December 1, 1909. See also Ev 33, 40, 71-72, 377, 388; MM
300, 308-310).

30

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 2 —

THE
NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
The National Sunday Law is one of the five landmark events of the last days. They are as follows:
(1) The beginning of the investigative judgment in
1844, as Jesus and the Father pass from the first
to the second apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary
to begin the final atonement. (2) The National Sunday Law (which marks the setting up of the image to
the beast and the start of several other events which
we will soon discuss) include the marking and sealing, the passing of the investigative judgment to the
cases of the living, the blotting out of sin experience,
the marriage, the latter rain, and loud cry. (3) The
general close of probation, when the four winds are
loosed and the plagues begin to fall. (4) The sounding of the Voice of God which delivers God’s people
from the oppressive power of the world. (5) The Second Advent of Jesus Christ, at which time His faithful ones are taken to heaven, the wicked are slain,
and Satan is bound to this planet for a thousand
years.
The National Sunday Law is especially important; for it jump-starts so many crucial final events.
We are now in the last days, and have been there
for over a century. But when this Sunday law is
enacted by the U.S. federal government, the Final
Crisis will begin.
One interesting point should be mentioned:
Earlier blue (Sunday) laws in the U.S. forbade work
on Sunday, but frequently permitted public entertainments, such as sports events. The Spirit of
Prophecy specifically says that the National Sunday Law will include a no-work and public-worship
requirement. But it may also include a proviso permitting public entertainments (such as football, baseball, boxing matches, and auto racing). We are not
told that this will happen; but it would be a clever
device to enlist public approval of the law in this
way: Go to church in the morning and spend the
afternoon in frolic while permitting such things as
beer sales but closing down ordinary businesses.
- 1IMPORTANCE OF THIS EVENT
This is a subject that we need to understand.

“The fearful judgments denounced against the
worship of the beast and his image should lead all
to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what
the mark of the beast is and how they are to avoid
receiving it.”—Great Controversy, 594:2.
The Sunday law is inevitable.
“Sooner or later Sunday laws will be passed.”—
Last Day Events, 128:4.
THE OBJECTIVE

1 - It will be some type of U.S. federal enactment.
“Our land is in jeopardy. The time is drawing on
when its legislators shall so abjure the principles of
Protestantism as to give countenance to Romish apostasy. The people for whom God has so marvelously
wrought, strengthening them to throw off the galling
yoke of popery, will by a national act give vigor to
the corrupt faith of Rome, and thus arouse the tyranny which only waits for a touch to start again into
cruelty and despotism.”—4 Spirit of Prophecy, 410.
2 - A law.
“A more decided effort will be made to exalt the
false sabbath and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified. This false sabbath is to be enforced by an
oppressive law.”—7 Bible Commentary, 985/1:1.
3 - A decree.
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the
papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation
will disconnect herself fully from righteousness.”—
5 Testimonies, 451:1.
4 - An amendment to the Constitution.
“We see that efforts are being made to restrict
our religious liberties. The Sunday question is now
assuming large proportions. An amendment to
our Constitution is being urged in Congress, and
when it is obtained, oppression must follow.”—Review, December 18, 1888.
5 - A religious amendment to the Constitution.
“If the people can be led to favor a Sunday law,
then the clergy intend to exert their united influence

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
to obtain a religious amendment to the Constitution and compel the nation to keep Sunday.”—Review Extra, December 24, 1889.
IT WILL DESTROY
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

1 - It will bring religious liberty to an end.
“The law of God, through the agency of Satan, is
to be made void. In our land of boasted freedom,
religious liberty will come to an end. The contest will be decided over the Sabbath question,
which will agitate the whole world.”—Evangelism,
236:3.
2 - It will revive tyranny.
“Protestants will throw their whole influence
and strength on the side of the Papacy. By a national act enforcing the false sabbath, they will give
life and vigor to the corrupt faith of Rome, reviving
her tyranny and oppression of conscience.”—Maranatha, 179:2.
3 - Men will be compelled to obey.
“A great crisis awaits the people of God. Very
soon our nation will attempt to enforce upon all
the observance of the first day of the week as a sacred day. In doing this, they will not scruple to
compel men against the voice of their own conscience to observe the day the nation declares to be
the Sabbath.”—Last Day Events, 144:2.
SABBATHKEEPERS WILL BE
OPPOSED AND HATED

1 - The faithful will fight the battle against
great national powers.
“Seventh-day Adventists will fight the battle
over the seventh-day Sabbath. The authorities in
the United States and in other countries will rise up
in their pride and power and make laws to restrict
religious liberty.”—Last Day Events, 144:3.
2 - They will be hated for their position.
“Soon the Sunday laws will be enforced, and men
in positions of trust will be embittered against
the little handful of God’s commandment-keeping
people.”—4 Manuscript Releases, 279:0.
-2THE TIMING OF
THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
It is not possible to set a date for the occurrence of this event, nor to determine time spans
leading to or away from it. There will be no tracing
of definite time after 1844 (7 BC 971); for time setting is not a test after 1844 (EW 75, 1T 409). See
our tract study, It’s No Time for Time Excitement
[PG 21], for many quotations on this.

31
-3LAMB-LIKE BEAST
INSTITUTES THE
NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
The lamb-like beast of Revelation 13 represents
a persecuting power (TM 117). It symbolizes Protestant America (GC 445), the United States of
America (GC 440-441, 445; SR 381-382). This beast
will make Sunday observance the test; and, in so
doing, it will enforce the worship of the papacy (GC
445). The symbol of the lamb-like beast “which
speaks as a dragon” will not apply to the U.S. until
the National Sunday Law is enacted.
U.S. enactment of the Sunday law will produce
(1) an image to the beast, (2) the worship of the
papacy, and (3) begin the placement of the mark.
“The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the
power represented by the beast with lamb-like
horns shall cause ‘the earth and them which dwell
therein’ to worship the papacy—there symbolized
by the beast ‘like unto a leopard.’ The beast with
two horns is also to say ‘to them that dwell on the
earth, that they should make an image to the
beast’; and, furthermore, it is to command all, ‘both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,’ to
receive ‘the mark of the beast.’ It has been shown
that the United States is the power represented by
the beast with lamb-like horns, and this prophecy
will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims
as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But, in this homage to the papacy, the
United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome
in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy
foretells a restoration of her power.”—Great Controversy, 578:3-579:0.
-4ENACTMENT OF
THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
BRINGS WORSHIP OF
THE LEOPARD BEAST
The leopard-like beast of Revelation 13 represents the papacy (GC 443, 445). This beast is worshiped in the act of violating God’s law by keeping
Sunday sacred (TM 133). Efforts to tear down Sabbath observance distinguish the worship of the
beast (GC 446). A decree will be made enforcing
the worship of the beast (5T 525). Enforcement of
Sunday observance will be equivalent to worshiping
the beast (GC 448-449). This worship will be enforced on pain of persecution and death (5T 752).

32
1 - The decree will require the worship of the
beast.
“The decree shall go forth requiring all to worship the beast and his image.”—5 Testimonies,
525:2.
2 - That first beast is the papacy.
“In [Revelation] chapter 13 (verses 1-10) is described another beast, ‘like unto a leopard,’ to
which the dragon gave ‘his power, and his seat, and
great authority.’ This symbol, as most Protestants
have believed, represents the papacy, which succeeded to the power and seat and authority once
held by the ancient Roman empire . .
“This prophecy, which is nearly identical with
the description of the little horn of Daniel 7, unquestionably points to the papacy.”—Great Controversy, 439:1.
3 - The second beast will cause men to worship the first beast.
“The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that
the power represented by the beast with lamblike horns shall cause ‘the earth and them which
dwell therein’ to worship the papacy there symbolized by the beast ‘like unto a leopard.’ ”—Great
Controversy, 578:3.
4 - The decree will require that men worship
the beast and receive the mark.
“The decree has been passed by the highest
earthly authority that they shall worship the
beast and receive his mark under pain of persecution and death. May God help His people now, for
what can they then do in such a fearful conflict without His assistance!”—5 Testimonies, 213:0.
5 - Characteristically, the beast breaks the
commandments.
“The special characteristic of the beast, and
therefore of his image, is the breaking of God’s
commandments.”—Great Controversy, 446:1.
6 - In contrast to those who worship the
beast, there will be those who will not worship
the beast; for they will not be hallowing the firstday of the week. They will be keeping God’s commandments.
“John was called to behold a people distinct
from those who worship the beast or his image by
keeping the first day of the week. The observance
of this day is the mark of the beast.”—Testimonies
to Ministers, 133:1.
7 - The worship of the beast, mentioned in
the third angel’s solemn warning, is the opposite of obedience to God’s commandments.
“After the warning against the worship of the
beast and his image, the prophecy declares: ‘Here
are they that keep the commandments of God, and
the faith of Jesus.’ Since those who keep God’s com-

THE END OF TIME
mandments are thus placed in contrast with
those that worship the beast and his image and
receive his mark, it follows that the keeping of
God’s law, on the one hand, and its violation, on
the other, will make the distinction between the
worshipers of God and the worshipers of the
beast.”—Great Controversy, 446:0.
8 - It will be the enforcement of the false sabbath. People will be required to keep it as “a sacred day.”
“A great crisis awaits the people of God. Very
soon our nation will attempt to enforce upon all,
the observance of the first day of the week as
a sacred day. In doing this, they will not scruple
to compel men against the voice of their own conscience to observe the day the nation declares to be
the Sabbath.”—Review Extra, December 11, 1888.
9 - When the law of God is made void by the
legislature, then the sins of Babylon will have
reached unto heaven.
“When do her sins reach unto heaven [Revelation 18:2-5]? When the law of God is finally made
void by legislation.”—Last Day Events, 198:5.
-5SUNDAY LAW DECREE
IS THE WORSHIP OF THE BEAST
AND HIS IMAGE AND BRINGS
THE MARK OF THE BEAST
1 - The decree requires the worship of the beast
and the receiving of his mark.
“This small remnant, unable to defend themselves in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth
that are marshaled by the dragon host, make God
their defense. The decree has been passed by
the highest earthly authority that they shall
worship the beast and receive his mark under pain
of persecution and death.”—5 Testimonies, 213:0.
2 - No one receives the mark until he understands the issues and obeys the Sunday law.
“With the issue thus clearly brought before
him, whoever shall trample upon God’s law to obey
a human enactment, receives the mark of the beast;
he accepts the sign of allegiance to the power
which he chooses to obey instead of God. The warning from heaven is ‘If any man worship the beast
and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the
wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.’ ”—
Great Controversy, 604:3-605:0.
3 - The controversy over this basic issue will
divide between those who receive the mark and
those who receive the seal.
“While the observance of the false sabbath in

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
compliance with the law of the state, contrary to
the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God, the
keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to
God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator.
While one class, by accepting the sign of submission
to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the
other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”—Great Controversy,
605:2.
4 - Some will refuse to obey the decree to worship the beast and his image.
“If we are true servants of God, there should be
no question in our minds as to whether we will
obey His commandments or consult our own temporal interests. If the believers in the truth are not
sustained by their faith in these comparatively
peaceful days, what will uphold them when the
grand test comes and the decree goes forth
against all those who will not worship the image of
the beast and receive his mark in their foreheads
or in their hands? This solemn period is not far
off. Instead of becoming weak and irresolute, the
people of God should be gathering strength and
courage for the time of trouble.”—4 Testimonies,
251:1.
5 - The faithful can—right now—make their
decision to say no to the decree.
“Those who would not receive the mark of the
beast and his image when the decree goes forth,
must have decision now to say, Nay, we will not
regard the institution of the beast.”—Early Writings, 67:2.
WHY WE MUST EVER
CALL OURSELVES
“SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS”

We have been told that, because Sundaykeeping
will be the final test which will determine the mark
of the beast, the faithful must ever retain the name
“Seventh-day Adventist.”
“The conflict is between the requirements of
God and the requirements of the beast. The first
day, a papal institution which directly contradicts
the fourth commandment, is yet to be made a test
by the two-horned beast. And then the fearful warning from God declares the penalty of bowing to the
beast and his image. They shall drink the wine of
the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.
“No name which we can take will be appropriate but that which accords with our profession and expresses our faith and marks us a
peculiar people. The name Seventh-day Adventist
is a standing rebuke to the Protestant world.

33
Here is the line of distinction between the worshipers of God and those who worship the beast
and receive his mark. The great conflict is between
the commandments of God and the requirements of
the beast. It is because the saints are keeping all ten
of the commandments that the dragon makes war
upon them. If they will lower the standard and yield
the peculiarities of their faith, the dragon will be at
peace; but they excite his ire because they have dared
to raise the standard and unfurl their banner in opposition to the Protestant world, who are worshiping the institution of papacy.
“The name Seventh-day Adventist carries the
true features of our faith in front, and will convict the inquiring mind. Like an arrow from the Lord’s
quiver, it will wound the transgressors of God’s law,
and will lead to repentance toward God and faith in
our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Testimonies, 223-224.
“We are Seventh-day Adventists. Are we
ashamed of our name? We answer, ‘No, no! We
are not. It is the name the Lord has given us. It
points out the truth that is to be the test of the
churches.’ ”—2 Selected Messages, 384 (Letter 110,
1902).
“We are Seventh-day Adventists, and of this
name we are never to be ashamed. As a people
we must take a firm stand for truth and righteousness. Thus we shall glorify God. We are to be delivered from dangers, not ensnared and corrupted by
them. That this may be, we must look ever to Jesus,
the Author and Finisher of our faith.”—2 Selected
Messages, 384 (Letter 106, 1903).
“The banner of the third angel has inscribed
upon it, ‘The commandments of God and the faith
of Jesus.’ Our institutions have taken a name which
sets forth the character of our faith, and of this name
we are never to be ashamed. I have been shown
that this name means much, and in adopting
it we have followed the light given us from
heaven . . The Sabbath is God’s memorial of His
creative work, and it is a sign that is to be kept
before the world.
“There is to be no compromise with those who
are worshiping an idol sabbath. We are not to spend
our time in controversy with those who know the
truth, and upon whom the light of truth has been
shining, when they turn away their ear from the
truth to turn to fables. I was told that men will
employ every policy to make less prominent the
difference between the faith of Seventh-day Adventists and those who observe the first day of the week.
In this controversy the whole world will be engaged,
and the time is short. This is no time to haul down
our colors.
“A company was presented before me under
the name of Seventh-day Adventists, who were

34

THE END OF TIME

advising that the banner or sign which makes
us a distinctive people should not be held out so
strikingly; for they claimed it was not the best policy
in securing success to our institutions. This distinctive banner is to be borne through the world
to the close of probation. In describing the remnant people of God, John says, ‘Here is the patience
of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus’ (Rev. 14:12).
This is the law and the gospel. The world and the
churches are uniting in harmony in transgressing
the law of God, in tearing away God’s memorial, and
in exalting a sabbath that bears the signature of the
man of sin. But the Sabbath of the Lord thy God
is to be a sign to show the difference between the
obedient and the disobedient. I saw some reaching
out their hands to remove the banner, and to obscure its significance.”—2 Selected Messages, 384385.
WHAT WILL OUR PEOPLE
DO AT THAT TIME?

While we are on this subject, we should consider
a related question: What will the organized leadership of our denomination do when the National Sunday Law is enacted, and it is no longer legal for the
Adventist denomination to exist if, that is, its organizational structure and leadership continues to worship on the Bible Sabbath?
One possibility is that a controlling number of
our leaders will stand true to our historic principles.
Another possibility is that they will go into apostasy, leave their offices in the church, and join the
opposition. A third possibility is that they will continue on as organizational leaders of the denomination—even though they have forsaken the Sabbath and have begun worshiping on Sunday.
One of those three possibilities is going to occur.
How will all that relate to the faithful? There
are two possibilities. (1) We just read the statement,
urging the faithful to ever retain the name, “Seventh-day Adventist.” Surely, our heavenly Father will
enable the faithful to give a clear-cut message to
the world. It may be that God will protect that name
and only true Seventh-day Adventists will bear it
after the National Sunday Law crisis begins. If that
be true, then the apostates will totally forsake Adventism, repudiate identification with the “Seventhday Adventist” name, and join the ranks of the enemy. (2) Yet Satan can make life very difficult for the
faithful. He has done it for thousands of years
through a counterfeit “Christian” organization. It
could well be that there will be Adventist traitors
who will yield obedience to the decree, even while
still controlling various Adventist entities (confer-

ence offices, publishing houses, etc.). Indeed, that is
what happened to our work in China when the communists took over. With the exception of one junior
leader and one janitor in church headquarters, they
all continued in office—but henceforth as dedicated
communists!
-6THE NO-BUY-SELL DECREE
What about the no-buy-sell penalty? Is it the same
as the National Sunday Law or is it issued later as a
separate decree or law? We are not told much about
it; and it could be a follow-up piece of legislation to
render even more stringent the provisions and penalties of the National Sunday Law (cf. DA 121-122).
(1) The present writer knows of no conclusive
instance in which the no-buy-sell stipulation is referred to as a separate piece of legislation (but see
5T 152, quoted below). (2) The penalties in the original National Sunday Law are so strong that all but
the totally principled (in spite of learning the momentous issues involved) will yield, keep Sunday,
and receive the mark. (3) We are told that the “threat
of imprisonment and death” will be included in the
Sunday law itself and that would be far stronger
than the no-buy-sell stipulation. (4) Thus whether
or not the no-buy-sell proviso is a separate act does
not seem to be significant.
1 - Assets will then be worthless.
“Hoarded wealth will soon be worthless.
When the decree shall go forth that none shall
buy or sell except they have the mark of the beast,
very much means will be of no avail. God calls for
us now to do all in our power to send forth the
warning to the world.”—Last Day Events, 148:2.
2 - The no-buy-sell restriction will apply to
commandment keepers.
“The work must not stop for want of means.
More means must be invested in it. Brethren in
America, in the name of my Master I bid you wake
up! You that are placing your talents of means in a
napkin, and hiding them in the earth, who are building houses and adding land to land, God calls upon
you, ‘Sell that ye have, and give alms.’ There is a
time coming when commandment keepers can
neither buy nor sell. Make haste to dig out your
buried talents. If God has entrusted you with money,
show yourselves faithful to your trust; unwrap your
napkin, and send your talents to the exchangers,
that when Christ shall come, He may receive His own
with interest.”—Counsels on Stewardship, 40:1.
3 - The faithful will be penalized for refusing
to break God’s law.
“When we learn the power of His Word, we shall
not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to ob-

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
tain food or to save our lives. Our only questions
will be What is God’s command? and what is His
promise? Knowing these, we shall obey the one and
trust the other.
“In the last great conflict of the controversy with
Satan those who are loyal to God will see every
earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to
break His law in obedience to earthly powers,
they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death.
See Revelation 13:11-17. But to the obedient is given
the promise, ‘He shall dwell on high: his place of
defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall
be given him; his waters shall be sure.’ Isaiah 33:16.
By this promise the children of God will live. When
the earth shall be wasted with famine, they shall be
fed. ‘They shall not be ashamed in the evil time:
and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.’
Psalm 37:19.”—Desire of Ages, 121:2-122:0.
4 - Only those with the mark will be permitted
to buy and sell.
“It is now that our brethren should be cutting
down their possessions instead of increasing them.
We are about to move to a better country, even a
heavenly. Then let us not be dwellers upon the earth,
but be getting things into as compact a compass as
possible.
“The time is coming when we cannot sell
at any price. The decree will soon go forth prohibiting men to buy or sell of any man save him
that hath the mark of the beast. We came near
having this realized in California a short time since;
but this was only the threatening of the blowing of
the four winds. As yet they are held by the four angels. We are not just ready. There is a work yet to be
done, and then the angels will be bidden to go, that
the four winds may blow upon the earth. That will
be a decisive time for God’s children, a time of trouble
such as never was since there was a nation. Now is
our opportunity to work.”—5 Testimonies, 152:2.
“Satan says . . ‘For fear of wanting food and
clothing they will join with the world in transgressing God’s law. The earth will be wholly under
my dominion.’ ”—Prophets and Kings, 184:2.
5 - In addition to the no-buy-sell proviso, there
will be the threat of punishment and death.
“The time is not far distant when the test will
come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be
urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded
to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the
powers that be, rather than subject themselves to
derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and
death. The contest is between the commandments
of God and the commandments of men.”—5 Testimonies, 81:1.

35
“Wonderful events are soon to open before the
world. The end of all things is at hand. The time of
trouble is about to come upon the people of God.
Then it is that the decree will go forth forbidding those who keep the Sabbath of the Lord
to buy or sell, and threatening them with punishment, and even death, if they do not observe
the first day of the week as the Sabbath.”—Lift Him
Up, 347:3.
“As Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, issued a decree that all who would not bow down
and worship this image should be killed, so a proclamation will be made that all who will not
reverence the Sunday institution will be punished with imprisonment and death . . Let all
read carefully the thirteenth chapter of Revelation,
for it concerns every human agent, great and small.”—
14 Manuscript Releases, 91 (1896).
-7THE SUNDAY LAW IS THE SIGN
TO LEAVE THE LARGE CITIES,
PREPARATORY TO LEAVING
THE SMALL ONES
1 - Move out of the cities before you can no
longer do so.
“The trade unions and confederacies of the
world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from
them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon
be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their
work in the cities. My warning is: Keep out of the
cities. Build no sanitariums in the cities. Educate
our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land,
and make a home for themselves and their children . .
“Our restaurants must be in the cities; for otherwise the workers in these restaurants could not
reach the people and teach them the principles of
right living. And for the present we shall have to
occupy meetinghouses in the cities. But erelong
there will be such strife and confusion in the
cities, that those who wish to leave them will
not be able. We must be preparing for these issues.”—2 Selected Messages, 142:3-4.
“He wants us to live where we can have elbow
room. His people are not to crowd into the cities.
He wants them to take their families out of the cities, that they may better prepare for eternal life. In
a little while they will have to leave the cities . . Get
out of the cities as soon as possible.”—2 Selected
Message, 356:3, 5.
2 - The Sunday law decree will be a special
sign to leave the large cities.

36
“It is no time now for God’s people to be fixing
their affections or laying up their treasure in the
world. The time is not far distant, when, like the
early disciples, we shall be forced to seek a refuge
in desolate and solitary places. As the siege of
Jerusalem by the Roman armies was the signal for
flight to the Judean Christians, so the assumption of power on the part of our nation in the
decree enforcing the papal sabbath will be a
warning to us. It will then be time to leave the
large cities, preparatory to leaving the smaller
ones for retired homes in secluded places among
the mountains.”—5 Testimonies, 464:3-465:0
(Country Living, 32).
3 - In view of that, we are now to have no
centers in any city.
“For years I have been given special light that
we are not to center our work in the cities. The
turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the
strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work.
Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This
is not God’s planning, but the planning of a power
that we should in no wise acknowledge. God’s Word
is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up
in bundles ready to be burned.”—7 Testimonies,
84:2.
4 - Live where you can keep the Sabbath unhindered.
“We are not to locate ourselves where we will be
forced into close relations with those who do not
honor God . . A crisis is soon to come in regard
to the observance of Sunday . .
“The Sunday party is strengthening itself in its
false claims, and this will mean oppression to those
who determine to keep the Sabbath of the Lord.
We are to place ourselves where we can carry out
the Sabbath commandment in its fullness. ‘Six days
shalt thou labor,’ the Lord declares, ‘and do all thy
work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the
Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.’
And we are to be careful not to place ourselves
where it will be hard for ourselves and our
children to keep the Sabbath.
“If in the providence of God we can secure
places away from the cities, the Lord would have
us do this. There are troublous times before us . .
“I see the necessity of making haste to get all
things ready for the crisis.”—2 Selected Messages, 359:5.
5 - God will help you find a secluded place.
“I was pleading with some families to avail themselves of God’s appointed means, and get away
from the cities to save their children. Some were

THE END OF TIME
loitering, making no determined efforts.
“The angels of mercy hurried Lot and his wife
and daughters by taking hold of their hands. Had
Lot hastened as the Lord desired him to, his wife
would not have become a pillar of salt. Lot had too
much of a lingering spirit. Let us not be like him.
The same voice that warned Lot to leave Sodom
bids us, ‘Come out from among them, and be
ye separate . . and touch not the unclean.’ Those
who obey this warning will find a refuge. Let
every man be wide awake for himself, and try to
save his family. Let him gird himself for the work.
God will reveal from point to point what to do
next.”—Country Living, 6:6-7:0.
-8THE TRADES, PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS,
AND OTHER UNIONS WILL PLAY
A PART IN THIS FINAL CONFLICT
1 - Beware of organizations opposed to the law
of God.
“Men have confederated to oppose the Lord
of hosts. These confederacies will continue until
Christ shall leave His place of intercession before
the mercy seat and shall put on the garments of
vengeance. Satanic agencies are in every city,
busily organizing into parties those opposed
to the law of God. Professed saints and avowed
unbelievers take their stand with these parties. This
is no time for the people of God to be weaklings.
We cannot afford to be off our guard for one moment.”—8 Testimonies, 42:2.
“The trade unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble
such as has not been since the world began.”—2
Selected Messages, 142:1.
“Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities. My warning is: Keep out of the cities. Build no sanitariums
in the cities.”—2 Selected Messages, 142:3.
2 - Men are binding into bundles of disobedient ones.
“These unions are one of the signs of the last
days. Men are binding up in bundles ready to
be burned. They may be church members, but
while they belong to these unions, they cannot
possibly keep the commandments of God; for to
belong to these unions means to disregard the entire Decalogue.”—2 Selected Messages, 143:3.
WE ARE TO HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM

1 - We must not unite with them.

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
“Those who claim to be the children of God are
in no case to bind up with the labor unions
that are formed or that shall be formed. This
the Lord forbids. Cannot those who study the
prophecies see and understand what is before
us?”—2 Selected Messages, 144:1.
2 - We are to stand free in God.
“We are now to use all our entrusted capabilities
in giving the last warning message to the world. In
this work we are to preserve our individuality.
We are not to unite with secret societies or with
trade unions. We are to stand free in God, looking constantly to Christ for instruction. All our movements are to be made with a realization of the importance of the work to be accomplished for God.”—
7 Testimonies, 84:3.
3 - Membership in the unions will wrap you in
the fold of the enemy.
“The work of the people of God is to prepare for
the events of the future, which will soon come upon
them with blinding force. In the world gigantic monopolies will be formed. Men will bind themselves
together in unions that will wrap them in the
folds of the enemy. A few men will combine to grasp
all the means to be obtained in certain lines of business. Trade unions will be formed, and those who
refuse to join these unions will be marked
men.”—2 Selected Messages, 142:2.
LABOR UNIONS WILL BECOME
OPPRESSIVE AGENCIES OF SATAN

1 - The power of labor unions will be oppressive.
“The time is fast coming when the controlling
power of the labor unions will be very oppressive. Again and again the Lord has instructed that
our people are to take their families away from the
cities, into the country, where they can raise their
own provisions; for in the future the problem of
buying and selling will be a very serious one. We
should now begin to heed the instruction given us
over and over again: Get out of the cities into rural
districts, where the houses are not crowded closely
together, and where you will be free from the interference of enemies.”—2 Selected Messages, 141:1.
2 - Trade unions will help bring the time of
trouble.
“The trade unions will be one of the agencies
that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble
such as has not been since the world began.”—2
Selected Messages, 142:1.
3 - They will bring most terrible violence.
“There is a great work before us. The enemy has
succeeded in occupying the minds of those who believe the truth for this time, and hindrance after hin-

37
drance has been placed in the way of the advancement of God’s work . . It will be more difficult in the
future than it is today. Satanic agencies are becoming more determined in their rebellion against God.
The trade unions will be the cause of the most
terrible violence that has ever been seen among
human beings.”—Letter 99, 1904, 3 (to J.E. White
and wife, February 23, 1904), 4 Manuscript Releases, 23:3.
4 - These are agencies which God will not much
longer tolerate.
“Cast out of heaven, Satan set up his kingdom
in this world, and ever since he has been untiringly
striving to seduce human beings from their allegiance to God. He uses the same power that he used
in heaven—the influence of mind on mind. Men become tempters of their fellowmen. The strong, corrupting sentiments of Satan are cherished, and they
exert a masterly, compelling power. Under the influence of these sentiments, men bind up with
one another in confederacies, in trade unions,
and in secret societies. There are at work in the
world agencies that God will not much longer tolerate.”—1 Mind, Character, and Personality, 28:3.
-9THE UNIVERSAL SUNDAY LAW
Under the influence of the United States of
America, the apostasy will spread throughout the
world, as other nations enact their own National
Sunday Laws. The result will be a worldwide, or
universal, Sunday law. The pattern shown in the
quotations is this: (1) First, the National Sunday
Law is enacted in the United States. (2) Then, rather
quickly, it is enacted by other nations of the “Christian” world (Europe, Canada, Australia, Central and
South America, and the Philippines). (3) The remaining nations are then cajoled or coerced into
passing and enforcing similar enactments.
In a later chapter, The False Latter Rain, we
will discover three things which will greatly influence both the nations of Christendom and nonChristian nations: (1) The marvelous working of
Satan through miracles and healings by his agents,
(2) his appearances as Christ in various parts of
the world, (3) the appearance of foreign deities (possibly including Mohammed and Buddha). All of these
will be used to turn the people to Sundaykeeping, as
the answer to the world’s problems.
It will result in worldwide religious submission
to the antichrist power; for Sunday sacredness is
the child of the papacy. And Satan will be behind it
all.
“In this age antichrist will appear as the true
Christ, and then the law of God will be fully
made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion

38

THE END OF TIME

against God’s holy law will be fully ripe. But the
true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed
as an angel of light. Men will be deceived and
will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him.
But Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate
churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the
sentence will go forth, ‘Therefore shall her plagues
come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for
strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 62:1.
PROTESTANTISM IN AMERICA
AND CATHOLICISM IN EUROPE
WILL LEAD OUT

1 - Rome is influential in many countries.
“In homage to the Papacy the United States will
not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion is
still far from being destroyed.”—Maranatha,
188:1.
2 - Romanism in Europe and Protestantism
in North America will enact the law.
“In the last conflict the Sabbath will be the special point of controversy throughout all Christendom. Secular rulers and religious leaders will unite
to enforce the observance of the Sunday; and as
milder measures fail, the most oppressive laws will
been acted. It will be urged that the few who stand
in opposition to an institution of the church and a
law of the land ought not to be tolerated; and a
decree will finally be issued denouncing them as
deserving of the severest punishment, and giving
the people liberty, after a certain time, to put them
to death. Romanism in the Old World and apostate Protestantism in the New, will pursue a similar course toward those who honor the divine precepts.”—4 Spirit of Prophecy, 444:2-445:0 (1884
Great Controversy).
“Romanism in the Old World and apostate
Protestantism in the New will pursue a similar
course toward those who honor all the divine precepts.”—Great Controversy, 616:0 (1911).
Note: According to the above three statements,
it appears that, while Protestantism will lead in causing enactment of the National Sunday Law in Protestant America, Roman Catholicism will lead in coercing the Catholic nations of Europe to follow suit.
ALL THE NATIONS OF CHRISTENDOM
WILL BECOME INVOLVED

1 - The whole Christian world will be involved.
“In the great conflict between faith and unbelief
the whole Christian world will be involved.”—Last
Day Events, 137:1.

2 - All Christendom will enact it, and the attention of the entire world will upon it.
“The warning of the third angel . . is represented
in the prophecy as being proclaimed with a loud
voice, by an angel flying in the midst of heaven; and
it will command the attention of the world.
“In the issue of the contest all Christendom
will be divided into two great classes—those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his
image and receive his mark. Although church and
state will unite their power to compel ‘all, both small
and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ (Rev. 13:16),
to receive ‘the mark of the beast,’ yet the people of
God will not receive it.”—Great Controversy, 450:1.
3 - The Protestant world will adopt it, and the
nations will be stirred.
“Nations will be stirred to their very center. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim
God’s only standard of righteousness, the only sure
test of character. And all who will not bow to the
decree of the national councils and obey the national
laws to exalt the sabbath instituted by the man of
sin, to the disregard of God’s holy day, will feel, not
the oppressive power of popery alone, but of the
Protestant world, the image of the beast.”—2 Selected Messages, 380:1.
THE NON-CHRISTIAN NATIONS
WILL ADOPT IT

First, the Christian world and, then, every nation will become involved and worship the beast and
his image.
“The so-called Christian world is to be the theater of great decisive actions. Men in authority will
enact laws controlling the conscience, after the example of the Papacy. Babylon will make all nations
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Every nation will be involved [Rev. 18:3-7, quoted].”—Maranatha, 188:4.
EVERY NATION ON EARTH
WILL REQUIRE IT

1 - It will go to all the world.
“The decree enforcing the worship of this day is
to go forth to all the world.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:3.
2 - All the world will act a part.
“The Sabbath question is to be the issue in the
great final conflict in which all the world will act a
part.”—6 Testimonies, 352:1.
3 - Foreign nations will accept it.
“Foreign nations will follow the example of the
United States. Though she leads out, yet the same

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the
world.”—6 Testimonies, 395:1.
4 - The powers of earth will decree it.
“Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be
brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war
against the commandments of God, will decree that
all, ‘both small and great, rich and poor, free and
bond,’ shall conform to the customs of the church
by the observance of the false sabbath.”—Great
Controversy, 604:2.
5 - Every nation will join the universal bond
of union.
“The so-called Christian world is to be the theater of great and decisive actions. Men in authority
will enact laws controlling the conscience, after the
example of the papacy. Babylon will make all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Every nation will be involved. Of this time
John the Revelator declares . . [Rev. 18:3-7; 17:1314, quoted]. ‘These have one mind.’ There will be a
universal bond of union, one great harmony, a
confederacy of Satan’s forces. ‘And shall give their
power and strength unto the beast.’ Thus is manifested the same arbitrary, oppressive power against
religious liberty, freedom to worship God according to the dictates of conscience, as was manifested
by the papacy, when in the past it persecuted those
who dared to refuse to conform with the religious
rites and ceremonies of Romanists.”—3 Selected
Messages, 392:1, 4.
6 - All nations, tongues, and peoples will be
commanded to practice it.
“History will be repeated. False religion will be
exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be
set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations
and tongues and peoples will be commanded to
worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan’s plan
to make of no account the day instituted by God,
and given to the world as a memorial of Creation . .
The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go
forth to all the world.”—Maranatha, 214:2-3, 7 Bible
Commentary, 976/2:3.
7 - Every country on the globe will follow
America’s example.
“As America, the land of religious liberty, shall
unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and
compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the
people of every country on the globe will be led
to follow her example.”—6 Testimonies, 18:2.
8 - The substitution will become universal.
“The substitution of the false for the true is the
last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. When the
laws of men are exalted above the laws of God, when

39
the powers of this earth try to force men to keep the
first day of the week, know that the time has come
for God to work.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/2:4.
“The substitution of the laws of men for the law
of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority,
of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last
act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will
arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth.”—
7 Testimonies, 141:1.
9 - All will take sides; no one will remain
neutral.
“In the great conflict between faith and unbelief
the whole Christian world will be involved. All will
take sides. Some apparently may not engage in
the conflict on either side. They may not appear to
take sides against the truth, but they will not come
out boldly for Christ through fear of losing property or suffering reproach. All such are numbered
with the enemies of Christ.”—Last Day Events,
215:2.
THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL BE
OPPOSED TO THOSE
WHO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO GOD

1 - The small group loyal to God will be the
subject of universal execration.
“As the Sabbath has become the special point
of controversy throughout Christendom, and religious and secular authorities have combined to
enforce the observance of the Sunday, the persistent refusal of a small minority to yield to the popular demand will make them objects of universal
execration.”—Great Controversy, 615:2.
2 - Amid all that happens, the faithful will
stand true.
“The season of distress before God’s people will
call for a faith that will not falter. His children must
make it manifest that He is the only object of their
worship, and that no consideration, not even that
of life itself, can induce them to make the least
concession to false worship. To the loyal heart
the commands of sinful, finite men will sink into
insignificance beside the Word of the eternal God.
Truth will be obeyed though the result be imprisonment or exile or death.”—Prophets and Kings, 512:2513:0.
3 - All the corrupt powers of earth will be in
opposition to God’s people.
“In the warfare to be waged in the last days there
will be united, in opposition to God’s people, all
the corrupt powers that have apostatized from allegiance to the law of Jehovah. In this warfare the
Sabbath of the fourth commandment will be the
great point at issue, for in the Sabbath command-

40

THE END OF TIME

ment the great Lawgiver identifies Himself as the
Creator of the heavens and the earth.”—3 Selected
Messages, 392:5-393:0.
4 - The whole wicked world will be converted,
keep Sunday, and oppose God’s faithful ones.
“The wicked . . declared that they had the truth,
that miracles were among them, that angels from
heaven talked with them and walked with them,
that great power and signs and wonders were
performed among them, and that this was the temporal millennium that they had been expecting so
long. The whole world was converted and in
harmony with the Sunday law.”—3 Selected Messages, 427:5, 428:1.
“The whole world is to be stirred with enmity
against Seventh-day Adventists because they will
not yield homage to the papacy by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 37:0.
“Those who trample upon God’s law make human laws which they will force the people to accept. Men will devise and counsel and plan what
they will do. The whole world keeps Sunday, they
say, and why should not this people, who are so
few in number, do according to the laws of the
land?”—Last Day Events, 136:3.
Note: We will learn, in the chapter The False
Latter Rain, that Satan will personally appear (as
Christ) to induce other nations to enact the National
Sunday Law. We will there learn that he will also
use apparent reincarnations of heathen gods to aid
in deceiving them.
UNIVERSAL SUNDAY LAW
OCCURS PRIOR TO THE
GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION

The enactment of a National Sunday Law, by the
United States, will hurl the people of our land into
the events of the Final Crisis. But, when similar legislation spreads to every other nation thus becoming a universal Sunday law, mankind will be on the
edge of the general close of probation. Enactment of
that law, in a nation, brings the mark-seal-loud cry
cluster of events. But when the very last nation has
adopted it, nearly all the other nations will have made
their decision. Thus, probation for humanity will
close soon after the law becomes worldwide.
“God gives nations a certain time of probation.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1143/2:3.
“With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still
keeps an account with all nations. While His
mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this
account will remain open; but when the figures
reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the
ministry of His wrath commences. The account is
closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more

pleading of mercy in their behalf.”—5 Testimonies,
208:2.
“God keeps a record with the nations: the figures are swelling against them in the books of heaven;
and when it shall have become a law that the
transgression of the first day of the week shall be
met with punishment, then their cup will be full.”—
7 Bible Commentary, 910/2:1.
“When the accumulated figures in heaven’s record
books shall mark the sum of transgression complete, wrath will come, unmixed with mercy, and then
it will be seen what a tremendous thing it is to have
worn out the divine patience. This crisis will be
reached when the nations shall unite in making
void God’s law.”—5 Testimonies, 524:0.
“This earth has almost reached the place where
God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon
it. The substitution of the laws of men for the law
of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority,
of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last
act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will
arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He
will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth
shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover
her slain.”—7 Testimonies, 141:1.
“The substitution of the false for the true is the
last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. When
the laws of men are exalted above the laws of
God, when the powers of this earth try to force men
to keep the first day of the week, know that the
time has come for God to work. He will arise in His
majesty, and will shake terribly the earth. He will
come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of
the world for their iniquity.”—7 Bible Commentary,
980/2:4.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
SEEK TO PREVENT
NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
Danger of a Laissez-faire Attitude toward the
Sunday Issue.—“There are many who are at ease,
who are, as it were, asleep. They say, ‘If prophecy
has foretold the enforcement of Sunday observance,
the law will surely be enacted,’ and having come to
this conclusion, they sit down in a calm expecta-

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
tion of the event, comforting themselves with the
thought that God will protect His people in the day
of trouble. But God will not save us, if we make no
effort to do the work He has committed to our
charge. We must be found faithfully vigilant soldiers,
lest Satan shall gain an advantage, which it is our
duty to prevent.”—Manuscript 18, 1888, 2-3, 5-19,
13 (Religious Liberty, n.d. Portions appeared in the
Review and Herald, Extra, December 24, 1889. See
also EV 198, 2 SM 388-389).
NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW

Laws Enforcing Sunday as the Sabbath Bring
about National Apostasy in the United States.—
“Any fallacy is likely to be received by a people who
make void the law of God. There is a crisis just
ahead of those who are acting on a shortsighted
policy. The rulers of the land will take their position above the great Creator of the world. The claims
of a false sabbath will be brought to the front, and
the rulers and the people will act upon the principle of a shortsighted policy. The false sabbath,
the first day of the week, will be accepted, and the
rulers will unite with the man of sin to restore his
lost ascendancy. Laws enforcing the observance of
Sunday as the Sabbath will bring about a national
apostasy from the principles of republicanism upon
which the government has been founded. The religion of the papacy will be accepted by the rulers,
and the law of God will be made void.”—Manuscript
39, 1906, 1-2 (The Law of God, copied May 1, 1906;
7 BC 412).
OUT OF THE CITIES

The Time Is Coming When God’s People Will
Have to Live in Small Companies Away from the
Cities.—“The plagues of the last days are to be poured
out on the inhabitants of the world, who have shown
marked contempt for the law of God. God’s people
should seek to teach the people of the world, proclaiming the truth as it is found in His Word. But
the time will come when they will have to move away
from the cities and live in small companies by themselves.
Those Who Choose to Remain in the Cities
Must Share in Their Coming disasters.—“If our
people regard God’s instruction as of value, they will
move out of the city, so that they will not be pained
by its revolting sights, and so that their children
will not be corrupted by its vices. Those who choose
to remain in the cities, surrounded by the houses of
unbelievers, must share [in] the disasters that will
come upon them . .
Rationalizing that There is Patronage for Our
Sanitariums to Be Gained in the Cities Is Not Godinspired Reasoning.—“The time is not far distant

41
when every city will be visited by the plagues of God.
Those who suppose that the patronage to be gained
[for our sanitariums] in the congested cities would
be a great advantage, do not reason wisely. In this
respect their reasoning is not inspired of God. Men
should have less confidence in their finite wisdom.”—
Manuscript 41, 1902, 3-4, 10-11 (“The Location of
the Sanitarium in Southern California,” March 14,
1902).
It Is Time to Leave the Cities.—“It is time for
our people to take their families from the cities into
more retired localities, else many of the youth, and
many of those older in years, who put their trust in
their own capabilities will be ensnared and taken
by the enemy.”—Letter 5, 1903, 7 (to A.G. Daniells,
January 5, 1903. See also OHC, 85, 132).
Agencies through Which Satan Is Working in
Crowded Cities.—“Satan is busily at work in our
crowded cities. His work is to be seen in the confusion, the strife, and discord between labor and capital, and the hypocrisy that has come into the
churches . . The lust of the flesh, the pride of the
eyes, the display of selfishness, the misuse of power,
the cruelty, and the force used to cause men to unite
with confederacies and unions, binding themselves
up in bundles for the burning of the great fires of
the last days, all these are the working of satanic
agencies.”—Manuscript 139, 1903, 5-6 (The Message in Revelation, October 23, 1903. See also Ev
26 and UL 310).
Evil Angels Are in Every Mob, Inciting Men to
Commit Deeds of Violence.—“No scientific theory
can explain the steady march of evil workers under
the generalship of Satan. In every mob wicked angels are at work rousing men to commit deeds of
violence. Satan seems to have taken control of the
minds of men. Murder, robbery, wickedness of every
kind, reveal the leadership of the great enemy of
souls.
Man’s Cruelty Will Reach Such Heights that
God Will Reveal Himself.—“In the days of Noah, violence filled the land; and thus Christ has told us
that it will be in the last days. The history of the old
world is to be repeated. The perversity and cruelty
of men will reach such a height that God will reveal
Himself in His majesty. Very soon the wickedness of
the world will have reached its limit, and as in the
days of Noah, God will pour out His judgments.
When Wickedness Is at Its Height, God Will Be
Close to Our Side.—“But even when wickedness is
at its height, we may know that our Helper is close
by our side.”—Letter 250, 1903 (to J. E. White, November 16, 1903).
It Will Become Very Hard for Adventists to Remain in Cities.—“Conditions are arising in the cities that will make it very hard for those of our faith

42
to remain in them. It would therefore be a great mistake to invest money in the establishment of business interests in the cities . . The cities will become
worse and worse. In them will be strife and bloodshed, and at last they will be visited by earthquakes.
Buildings will be thrown down and will be consumed
by fire from heaven.
Those Remaining in the Cities Will Be Expected
to Observe Holidays.—“The cities must be worked.
Those who are living in them must be warned of
what is before us. Let time and means be wisely
spent. See if you cannot do something in the highways and byways of the cities to proclaim the message of present truth, but do not locate your families
in the city, and do not establish business interests
there. If you do this, you will in the future be expected to conform to the observance of various holidays. Watchers will be set to seek occasion of complaint against the commandment-keeping people of
God. Satan will exercise his power and enmity, and
oppression will be the result. The larger the city, the
greater will be the oppression.”—Manuscript 76,
1905 (“The Work in Melbourne, [Australia],” June
29, 1905. See also CG 66-67; PM 185-186; 2 SM
355, 357).
Unless God Positively Opens the Way, Means
Are Not to be Invested in Building in the Cities.—“Some time after this, I was shown that the
vision of the buildings in Chicago and the draft upon
the means of our people to erect them and their
destruction was an object lesson for our people,
warning them not to invest largely of their means
in property in Chicago or any other city, unless the
providence of God should positively open the way
and plainly point out duty to build or buy, as necessary, in giving the note of warning. A similar caution was given in regard to building in Los Angeles.
Repeatedly I have been instructed that we must not
invest means in the erection of expensive buildings
in cities.”—Manuscript 33, 1906, 2-3, 5-6 (The Chicago Work, March 20, 1906. See also MM 304-306).
Scientifically Constructed Buildings, Supposedly Destruction-proof, Will Suffer the Fate of the
Temple.—“Men will continue to erect expensive buildings, costing millions of money. Special attention will
be called to their architectural beauty and firmness,
and [the] solidity with which they are constructed,
but the Lord has instructed men that despite the
unusual firmness and expensive display, these buildings will share the fate of the Temple in Jerusalem.
“I am instructed to declare the message that the
cities, full of transgression and sinful in the extreme,
will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood.
All the world will be warned that there is a God who
will display His authority as God. His unseen agencies will cause destruction, devastation, and death.
All the accumulated riches will be as nothingness.

THE END OF TIME
Notwithstanding the scientific care with which men
safeguard buildings from destruction, one touch of
the great and rightful Ruler will bring to nothingness the idolatrous possessions that have been laid
up in a sightly and magnificent display. The devices
of men will come to naught.”—Manuscript 35, 1906,
5, 8-11 (The Judgments of God, copied April 27,
1906. See also Ev 27).
God’s Punishment of Transgressors Will Be
Progressively Severe.—“The Lord will not suddenly cast off all transgressors and destroy entire
nations, but He will punish cities and places where
men have given themselves up to the possession of
satanic agencies. Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited
in the extreme of God’s indignation, because some
souls will yet break away from the delusions of the
enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the
masses of the people will be treasuring up wrath
against the day of wrath.”—Manuscript 35, 1906,
5, 8-11 (The Judgments of God, copied April 27,
1906. See also Ev 27).
Cities Will be Destroyed by Earthquake, Fire,
Flood, and Lightening.—“In the future cities will
certainly feel the terrible results of earthquakes and
fires. Cities will be destroyed by flood and by lightnings. [Get] Out of the cities, is my message at this
time.
Locate Our Institutions Miles Away from Large
Cities.—“Be assured that the call is for our people
to locate miles away from the large cities . . Do not
establish institutions in the cities, but seek a rural
location. The call is, ‘Come out from among them,
and be ye separate’ (2 Cor. 6:17). The very atmosphere of the cities is polluted. Let your schools be
established away from the cities, where agricultural
and other industries can be carried on.
When a City Is Destroyed, Do not Relocate in
that City.—“The Lord calls for His people to locate
away from the cities, for in such an hour as ye think
not, fire and brimstone will be rained from heaven
upon these cities. Proportionate to their sins will be
their visitation. When one city is destroyed, let not
our people regard this matter as a light affair and
think that they may, if favorable opportunity offers,
build themselves homes in that same destroyed
city.”—Letter 158, 1906 (to Dr. H. Kress and wife,
May 10, 1906).
Earthquakes Like the San Francisco Quake
Will Be Repeated Elsewhere.—“As we near the close
of this earth’s history, we shall see the scenes of the
San Francisco calamity repeated in other places . .
Iniquity of the Most Revolting Character Is
Practiced in the Cities.—“These things make me
feel very solemn, because I know that the judgment
day is right upon us. The judgments that have al-

2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
ready come are a warning, but not the finishing of
the punishment that will come on wicked cities. Our
cities are most terrible places, wherein are practiced
all kinds of sin and iniquity of the most revolting
character. The Lord’s name is greatly dishonored.”—
Letter 154, 1906 (to J.E. White and wife, May 12,
1906).
The Judgments of God Will Fall.—“The judgments of God will certainly fall upon all transgressors. The terrible earthquake that has visited San
Francisco will be followed by other manifestations
of the power of God. His law has been transgressed.
Cities have become polluted with sin.”—Manuscript
61a, 1906, 1, 3 (“God’s Judgments on the Cities,”
June 3, 1906).
A Sample of the Future.—“God is permitting
those things to be brought to light that he who reads
may run. The city of San Francisco is a sample of
what the whole world is becoming. The wicked bribery, the misappropriation of means, the fraudulent
transactions among men who have power to release
the guilty and condemn the innocent—all this iniquity is filling other large cities of the earth and is
making the world as it was in the days that were
before the Flood.”—Letter 230, 1907 (to J.E. White
and wife, July 22, 1907).
Secure Places in Retired Country Regions for
Sanitariums and Schools, because Cities Are Becoming Increasingly Corrupt and Travel Will Become Increasingly Dangerous.—“Christ is soon
coming, and Satan knows that his time is short. As
we draw near to the close of time, the cities will
become more and more corrupt, and more and
more objectionable as places for establishing centers of our work. The dangers of travel will increase,
confusion and drunkenness will abound; and, if there
can be found places in retired mountain regions,
where it would be difficult for the evils of the cities
to enter, let our people secure such places for our
sanitariums and advanced schools . .
The Earth Is becoming Corrupt; Religious Liberty Will be Little Respected.—“In the days before
the Flood, every kind of amusement was invented to
lead men and women to forgetfulness and sin. Today Satan is working with intensity, that the same
conditions of evil shall prevail, and the earth is becoming corrupt. Religious liberty will be little respected by professing Christians, for many of them
have no understanding of spiritual things . .
Some Must Remain in the Cities to Give Our
Message, but to Do so Will Become Increasingly
Dangerous.—“At such a time as this, the people who
are seeking to keep the commandments of God should
look for retired places away from the cities. Some
must remain in the cities to give the last note of warn-

43
ing, but this will become more and more dangerous.
Moving to the Hills and Mountains Should Not
Be Considered a Great Deprivation.—“Do not consider it a great deprivation that you must go into the
hills and mountains, but seek for that retirement
where you can be alone with God, to learn His will
and way . .
Spiritual Advantages of Living in the Country.—“Do not consider it a privation when you are
called to leave the cities and move out into country
places. Here there await rich blessings for those
who will grasp them. By beholding the scenes of
nature, the works of the Creator, by studying God’s
handiwork, imperceptibly you will be changed into
the same image.”—Manuscript 85, 1908, 1-5 (“Cooperation Between Schools and Sanitariums,”
June 30, 1908. See 2 SM 355-356).
LABOR UNIONS

Revelation 18 Shows How Completely Earthly
Powers Will Give Themselves Over to Evil.—“This
terrible picture [Revelation 18:1-8], drawn by John
to show how completely the powers of earth will give
themselves over to evil, should show those who have
received the truth how dangerous it is to link up
with secret societies or to join themselves in any way
with those who do not keep God’s commandments.”—Manuscript 135, 1902, 3-6, 9 (“Instruction to the Church,” October 31, 1902. See also 7
BC 980, 984; UL 318).
If We Join Trusts and Unions, We Shall Become Like the World.—“The wicked are being
bound up in bundles, bound up in trusts, in unions,
in confederacies. Let us have nothing to do with these
organizations. God is our Ruler, our Governor, and
He calls us to come out from the world and be separate.”—Manuscript 71, 1903 (“To Every Man His
Work,” a talk to the California Medical Missionary
and Benevolent Association, June 18, 1903).
BINDING INTO BUNDLES

Everyone Will Reveal the Character He Is Developing.—“As character develops, men and women
will take their positions; for varied circumstances
brought to bear upon them will cause them to reveal
the spirit which prompts them to action. Everyone
will reveal the character of the bundle with which he
is binding himself. The wheat is being bound up for
the heavenly garner . . The true people of God are
now pulling apart, and the tares are being bound in
bundles to [be] burn[ed]. Decided positions will be
taken.”—Letter 12, 1892 (to S.N. Haskell, August
22, 1892. See also 7 BC 912-913; AH 472-473, 476;
WM 76, 105, 166).

44

THE END OF TIME

“The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power
represented by the beast with lamb-like horns shall
cause ‘the earth and them which dwell therein’ to worship
the papacy—there symbolized by the beast ‘like unto a
leopard.’ The beast with two horns is also to say ‘to them
that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image
to the beast;’ and, furthermore, it is to command all, ‘both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,’ to receive
‘the mark of the beast.’ Revelation 13:11-16. It has been
shown that the United States is the power represented by
the beast with lamb-like horns, and this prophecy will be
fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday
observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But, in this homage to
the papacy, the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her
dominion is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy
foretells a restoration of her power.”
—Great Controversy, 578:3-579:0

3 -

THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST

45

— CHAPTER 3 —

THE
IMAGE OF THE BEAST
In Revelation 13, we are told about the first (leopard like) beast, which is Rome. We are then shown a
second (lamb-like) beast, the United States of
America. This second beast makes an image of—
and to—the first beast. The setting up of that image constitutes a church-state union, mirroring the
earlier 1260-year persecuting activity of the first
beast. When apostate Protestantism, linking arm
in arm with Rome, coerces the U.S. Government to
enact the National Sunday Law, that image will have
been set up. The image does not exist until that
enactment is made.
In summary then, the image will be formed by
the two-horned beast of Revelation 13 (GC 443,
445), which is the Protestant churches of America
(GC 443-450). This image is of/to the leopard-like
beast of Revelation 13 (GC 443); so it is an image of
the papacy (GC 443, 445; SR 381-383). In addition,
we are told, it will be formed before probation closes
(7 BC 976, 2 SM 81).
A detailed analysis of the truths of Revelation
13 is given in chapter 25 of Great Controversy (433450).
-1WHAT THE IMAGE IS
1 - It is made by the lamb-like beast as a
duplicate (in principles and methods) OF the
leopard beast. It is also made TO that beast; that
is, it is done as an act of veneration to the first
beast, to enhance its power and influence.
“What is the ‘image to the beast’? and how is it
to be formed? The image is made by the twohorned beast, and is an image to the [first] beast.
It is also called an image of the beast. Then to learn
what the image is like, and how it is to be formed,
we must study the characteristics of the beast itself—the papacy.”—Great Controversy, 443:1.
2 - The image is set up when the church uses
the state’s power to force men to obey its own
dictates.
“In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so con-

trol the civil government that the authority of the
state will also be employed by the church to
accomplish her own ends.”—Great Controversy,
443:2.
-2HOW THE IMAGE WILL BE FORMED
1 - The image is formed when the religious
power, because of apostasy, tries and succeeds
in controlling the government to enforce church
decrees, just as the papacy did centuries earlier.
“In order for the United States to form an image
of the beast, the religious power must so control
the civil government that the authority of the state
will also be employed by the church to accomplish
her own ends . .
“It was apostasy that led the early church to
seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy,
the beast.”—Great Controversy, 443:2, 4.
2 - It will be formed when apostate Protestantism coerces civil authorities into enforcing
church doctrines. In so doing, the Protestant/government union will have produced a working image of the papacy.
“The ‘image to the beast’ represents that form
of apostate Protestantism which will be developed
when the Protestant churches shall seek the
aid of the civil power for the enforcement of
their dogmas.”—Great Controversy, 445:2.
3 - It will be formed when the churches unite
with the state to enforce a false religion.
“When the Protestant churches shall unite
with the secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured
the fiercest persecution; when the state shall use
its power to enforce the decrees and sustain
the institutions of the church—then will Protestant America have formed an image to the papacy,
and there will be a national apostasy which will
end only in national ruin.”—7 Bible Commentary,
976/1:4.
4 - It will be the civil enforcement of a reli-

46

THE END OF TIME

gious duty.
“But in the very act of enforcing a religious
duty by secular power, the churches would themselves form an image to the beast; hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States
would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast
and his image.”—Great Controversy, 449:0.
5 - The government legislature will command
obedience to that which is actually a papal decree.
“In the time of testing and trial the shield of
Omnipotence will be spread over those whom God
has made the depositaries of His law. When legislators shall abjure the [religious liberty] principles of Protestantism, so as to give countenance and the right hand of fellowship to
Romanism, then God will interpose in a special
manner in behalf of His own honor and the salvation of His people.
“The principles necessary for our youth to cultivate must be kept before them in their daily education, that when the decree shall go forth requiring
all to worship the beast and his image, they may
make the right decisions, and have strength to declare, without wavering, their confidence in the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, even at
the very time when the law of God is made void
by the religious world.”—5 Testimonies, 525:1-2.
6 - In contrast, the opposite of worship of the
beast is obedience through Christ’s grace to the
laws of God. In the contest, everyone will decide
whether he will obey God or man.
“After the warning against the worship of the
beast and his image, the prophecy declares, ‘Here
[in contrast] are they that keep the commandments
of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ Since those who
keep God’s commandments are thus placed in
contrast with those that worship the beast and
his image and receive his mark, it follows that
the keeping of God’s law, on the one hand, and its
violation, on the other, will make the distinction
between the worshipers.”—Great Controversy,
445:3-446:0.
-3IMPLICATIONS OF
THIS TERRIBLE EVENT
1 - This legislation will require obedience to
commonly held points of faith of the churches,
and will result in heavy persecution to the people
of God.
“By this first [leopard] beast is represented
the Roman Church, an ecclesiastical body clothed
with civil power, having authority to punish all
dissenters. The image to the beast represents an-

other religious body clothed with similar powers.
The formation of this image is the work of that beast
whose peaceful rise and mild professions render it
so striking a symbol of the United States. Here is
to be found an image of the Papacy. When the
churches of our land, uniting upon such points of
faith as are held by them in common, shall influence the State to enforce their decrees and
sustain their institutions, then will Protestant
America have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy. Then the true church will be assailed by persecution, as were God’s ancient people.”—Story of
Redemption, 381:2-382:0.
2 - The worship of the beast will be enforced
with the threat of death.
“John was shown the last great struggles of the
church with earthly powers; he was also permitted
to behold the final victory and deliverance of the
faithful. He saw the church brought into deadly
conflict with the beast and his image, and the
worship of the beast enforced on pain of death.
But looking beyond the smoke and din of the battle,
he beheld a company upon Mount Zion with the
Lamb, having, instead of the mark of the beast, the
‘Father’s name written in their foreheads.’ And again
he saw ‘them that had gotten the victory over the
beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and
over the number of his name, stand on the sea of
glass, having the harps of God, and singing the song
of Moses and the Lamb.”—5 Testimonies, 752:3753:0.
3 - The lives of God’s people will be in danger; their only safety will be in clinging to Jesus
and, by faith, looking upward to Him as He ministers in the Most Holy Place.
“Said the [third] angel: ‘They will be brought
into close combat with the beast and his image. Their only hope of eternal life is to remain
steadfast. Although their lives are at stake, they
must hold fast the truth.’ The third angel closes
his message thus: ‘Here is the patience of the saints:
here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus.’ As he repeated these
words, he pointed to the heavenly Sanctuary.
The minds of all who embrace this message are
directed to the Most Holy Place, where Jesus
stands before the ark, making His final intercession.”—Early Writings, 254:1.
4 - Persecution always follows religious favoritism by a government.
“But the stern tracings of the prophetic pencil
reveal a change in this peaceful scene. The beast
with lamb-like horns speaks with the voice of a
dragon, and ‘exerciseth all the power of the first
beast before him.’ The spirit of persecution manifested by paganism and the papacy is again to be

3 -

THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST

revealed. Prophecy declares that this power will say
‘to them that dwell on the earth, that they should
make an image to the beast’ [Rev. 13:14]. The image is made to the first, or leopard-like, beast,
which is the one brought to view in the third angel’s
message. By this first beast is represented the Roman Church, an ecclesiastical body clothed with
civil power, having authority to punish all dissenters. The image to the beast represents another religious body clothed with similar power. The formation of this image is the work of that beast
whose peaceful rise and mild professions render it so striking a symbol of the United States.
Here is to be found an image of the papacy. When
the churches of our land, uniting upon such
points of faith as are held by them in common, shall influence the State to enforce their
decrees and sustain their institutions, then will
Protestant America have formed an image of the
Roman hierarchy. Then the true church will be
assailed by persecution, as were God’s ancient
people. Almost every century furnishes examples
of what bigotry and malice can do under a plea of
serving God by protecting the rights of Church and
State. Protestant churches that have followed in the
steps of Rome, by forming alliance with worldly
powers, have manifested a similar desire to restrict
liberty of conscience. In the seventeenth century,
thousands of non-conformist ministers suffered
under the rule of the Church of England. Persecution always follows religious favoritism on the
part of secular governments.”—4 Spirit of Prophecy, 278:0 (1884 Great Controversy).
-4IMAGE FORMED
BEFORE PROBATION CLOSES
It will be formed before probation closes.
“The Lord has shown me clearly that the image
of the beast will be formed before probation
closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of
God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided.”—
2 Selected Messages, 81:0.
-5IMAGE FORMED WHEN
THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW
IS ENACTED
The image represents a religious body clothed
with civil power (SR 381) and represents a form of
apostate Protestantism (GC 445). It is formed by
the union of church and state (GC 443). Sunday
observance is the worship of the image and the beast
(GC 449, TM 133). It is formed when Sunday observance becomes the worship of the image of the beast
(GC 449). The enforcement of Sunday observance,

47
in the United States, would be the setting up of the
image to the beast (GC 449). The Sunday law decree
will enforce the worship of the beast (4T 251). The
Sunday law decree will require all to worship the
image (5T 525).
1 - The image will be formed when the churches
select jointly held religious beliefs and coerce the
federal government into requiring obedience to
them.
“By this first beast is represented the Roman
Church, an ecclesiastical body clothed with civil
power, having authority to punish all dissenters.
The image to the beast represents another religious
body clothed with similar powers. The formation
of this image is the work of that beast whose
peaceful rise and mild professions render it so striking a symbol of the United States. Here is to be
found an image of the Papacy. When the churches
of our land, uniting upon such points of faith
as are held by them in common, shall influence the State to enforce their decrees and sustain their institutions, then will Protestant
America have formed an image of the Roman
hierarchy. Then the true church will be assailed
by persecution, as were God’s ancient people.”—
Story of Redemption, 381:2-382:0.
“When the leading churches of the United
States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are
held by them in common, shall influence the state
to enforce their decrees and to sustain their
institutions, then Protestant America will have
formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the
infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.”—Great Controversy, 445:1.
2 - Protestant enforcement of Sundaykeeping
on church members is the worship of the beast.
That government enforcement of Sundaykeeping
on citizens will be both the worship of the beast
(Rome) and its image (apostate Protestantism).
“The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part
of Protestant churches is an enforcement of the
worship of the papacy—of the beast. Those who,
understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false instead of the true
Sabbath, are thereby paying homage to that power
by which alone it is commanded. But in the very
act of enforcing a religious duty by secular
power, the churches would themselves form
an image to the beast; hence the enforcement of
Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an
enforcement of the worship of the beast and
his image.”—Great Controversy, 448:3-449:0.

48
-6FORMATION OF IMAGE
WILL BRING NATIONAL APOSTASY
AND NATIONAL RUIN
1 - The Sunday law will produce national apostasy.
“Laws enforcing the observance of Sunday as the
Sabbath will bring about a national apostasy
from the principles of republicanism upon which the
government has been founded. The religion of the
papacy will be accepted by the rulers, and the law
of God will be made void.”—7 Manuscript Releases,
192.
2 - It will disconnect America from righteousness, and will mean the repudiation of the principles of the U.S. Constitution.
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the
papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation
will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand
across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman
power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp
hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence
of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a
Protestant and republican government, and
shall make provision for the propagation of
papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may
know that the time has come for the marvelous
working of Satan and that the end is near.”—5 Testimonies, 451:1.
3 - The Sunday law will bring national apostasy, which will inevitably end in national ruin.
“When the Protestant churches shall unite with
the secular power to sustain a false religion, for
opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution; when the state shall use its power
to enforce the decrees and sustain the institutions
of the church—then will Protestant America have
formed an image to the papacy, and there will be
a national apostasy which will end only in national ruin.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:4.
“When our nation, in its legislative councils,
shall enact laws to bind the consciences of men in
regard to their religious privileges, enforcing Sunday observance and bringing oppressive power
to bear against those who keep the seventhday Sabbath, the law of God will, to all intents
and purposes, be made void in our land, and national apostasy will be followed by national
ruin.”—7 Bible Commentary, 977/1:2.
“When Protestant churches shall seek the support of the secular power, thus following the example of that apostate church, for opposing which
their ancestors endured the fiercest persecution, then

THE END OF TIME
will there be a national apostasy which will end
only in national ruin.”—4 Spirit of Prophecy, 410
(1884).
4 - The national apostasy will be a signal that
the national ruin will follow.
“It is at the time of the national apostasy
when, acting on the policy of Satan, the rulers of
the land will rank themselves on the side of the
man of sin—it is then the measure of guilt is full;
the national apostasy is the signal for national
ruin.”—2 Selected Messages, 373:0.
5 - The national ruin will follow speedily.
“Protestants will work upon the rulers of the
land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of
the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state. This national apostasy will
speedily be followed by national ruin . . The
Protestant governments will reach a strange pass.
They will be converted to the world. They will also,
in their separation from God, work to make falsehood and apostasy from God the law of the nation.”—Review, June 15, 1897.
6 - A full measure of guilt will be the result.
“The people of the United States have been a
favored people; but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance
to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full,
and ‘national apostasy’ will be registered in the
books of heaven.”—Review, May 2, 1893.
“So may this apostasy be a sign to us that the
limit of God’s forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full.”—5 Testimonies, 451:1.
7 - That apostasy will be a special sign that
the end of probation is near.
“As the approach of the Roman armies was a
sign to the disciples of the impending destruction
of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to
us that the limit of God’s forbearance is
reached, that the measure of our nation’s
iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about
to take her flight, never to return.”—5 Testimonies,
451:1.
8 - Then God will work for His people.
“When the law of God has been made void, and
apostasy becomes a national sin, the Lord will
work in behalf of His people.”—Review Extra,
December 24, 1889.

3 -

THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST

49

-7HOW TO AVOID WORSHIPING
THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE

-8WE SHOULD NOW TRY
TO DEFEAT SUNDAY LAWS

1 - This is a matter of grave importance.
“The fearful judgments denounced against the
worship of the beast and his image, should lead all
to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn what
the mark of the beast is, and how they are to
avoid receiving it.”—Great Controversy, 594:2.
2 - When the test comes, will we obey God’s
commandments or our own interests and the
commands of men?
“If we are true servants of God, there should be
no question in our minds as to whether we will
obey His commandments or consult our own temporal interests. If the believers in the truth are not
sustained by their faith in these comparatively
peaceful days, what will uphold them when the
grand test comes and the decree goes forth
against all those who will not worship the
image of the beast and receive his mark in their
foreheads or in their hands? This solemn period is
not far off. Instead of becoming weak and irresolute, the people of God should be gathering strength
and courage for the time of trouble.”—4 Testimonies, 251:1.
3 - Victory over the beast and his image will
only be for those who obey God and keep His
holy Sabbath.
“And when [just before the Second Advent the
Voice of God spoke, delivering His people and] the
never-ending blessing was pronounced on those
who had honored God in keeping His Sabbath
holy, there was a mighty shout of victory over
the beast and over his image.”—Early Writings,
286:0.
4 - We are not to reverence Sunday.
“We must take a firm stand that we will not
reverence the first day of the week as the Sabbath, for it is not the day that was blessed and
sanctified by Jehovah, and in reverencing Sunday we should place ourselves on the side of the
great deceiver . .
“When the law of God has been made void and
apostasy becomes a national sin, the Lord will work
in behalf of His people.”—3 Selected Messages,
388:3, 5.
Note: A study on what God’s people should do
on Sunday during the crisis will be found near the
beginning of the chapter on the Loud Cry.

1 - Sunday laws are inevitable.
“Sooner or later Sunday laws will be passed.”—
Last Day Events, 128:4.
2 - Avert the danger.
“It is our duty to do all in our power to avert
the threatened danger . . A vast responsibility is
devolving upon men and women of prayer throughout the land to petition that God may sweep back
this cloud of evil, and give a few more years of grace
to work for the Master.”—Last Day Events, 126:3.
3 - Work earnestly.
“Those who are now keeping the commandments
of God need to bestir themselves that they may obtain the special help which God alone can give them.
They should work more earnestly to delay as
long as possible the threatened calamity.”—Last
Day Events, 126:4-127:0.
4 - Do not be silent.
“Let not the commandment-keeping people
of God be silent at this time, as though we gracefully accepted the situation.”—7 Bible Commentary, 975/1:4.
5 - Earnestly pray.
“We are not doing the will of God if we sit in
quietude, doing nothing to preserve liberty of conscience. Fervent, effectual prayer should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be deferred until we can accomplish the work which has
so long been neglected. Let there be most earnest prayer, and then let us work in harmony
with our prayers.”—5 Testimonies, 714:0.
6 - Give the warning about the coming Sunday laws.
“There are many who are at ease, who are, as it
were, asleep. They say, ‘If prophecy has foretold the
enforcement of Sunday observance the law will
surely be enacted,’ and having come to this conclusion they sit down in a calm expectation of the event,
comforting themselves with the thought that God
will protect His people in the day of trouble. But
God will not save us if we make no effort to do
the work He has committed to our charge.
“As faithful watchmen you should see the sword
coming and give the warning, that men and
women may not pursue a course through ignorance—that they would avoid if they knew the
truth.”—Last Day Events, 127:3-4.
7 - Do not support men who suppress religious liberty.
“We cannot labor to please men who will use

50

THE END OF TIME

their influence to repress religious liberty and
to set in operation oppressive measures to lead or
compel their fellow men to keep Sunday as the Sabbath. The first day of the week is not a day to be
reverenced. It is a spurious sabbath, and the members of the Lord’s family cannot participate with the
men who exalt this day and violate the law of God by
trampling upon His Sabbath. The people of God
are not to vote to place such men in office; for
when they do this they are partakers with them
of the sins which they commit while in office.”—
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 475:2.
8 - Emphasize the importance of obeying God’s
law.
“I do hope that the trumpet will give a certain sound in regard to this Sunday-law movement.
I think that it would be best if in our papers the
subject of the perpetuity [unchangeable nature]
of the law of God were made a specialty . . We
should now be doing our very best to defeat this
Sunday law.”—Counsels to Writers, 97:1, 98:1.

__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
IMAGE OF THE BEAST
It Will Appear as though Infernal Government
Has Been Transferred from Hell to Earth.—“The
two classes which are formed to enact the solemnities of the last days will be distinguished as [the]
commandment-keeping people of God and commandment-breakers, who are inspired by the devil and
his angels. The appearance is as if the infernal government had been transferred from hell to earth.”—
Letter 60, 1893 (to I.D. Van Horn, July 20, 1893).
Spiritual Fornication by Trampling on God’s
Commandments. God’s People Remain Faithful to
Him, Even if it Means Death.—“Babylon is represented as holding a wine cup in her hand, from which
she makes all nations drink. The nations commit
spiritual fornication by divorcing themselves from
God and trampling on His commandments. But there
are some who remain true to their allegiance to Jehovah. John beholds the loyal people of God, and he
exclaims, ‘Here is the patience of the saints; here are
they that keep the commandments of God and the
faith of Jesus’ (Rev. 14:12). The time in which the
saints live is a trying one for those who refuse to
receive the mark of the beast, but through it all the
saints show their patience. They continue steadfast
in the faith, even should their firmness cost them
their lives.”—Manuscript 16, 1899, 1-6, 10-11 (“The
Word for This Time,” February 20, 1900).

“When the Protestant churches shall unite with
the secular power to sustain a false religion, for
opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest
persecution; when the state shall use its power to
enforce the decrees and sustain the institutions of
the church—then will Protestant America have formed
an image to the papacy, and there will be a national
apostasy which will end only in national ruin.”
—7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:4

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

51

— CHAPTER FOUR —

THE
FALSE LATTER RAIN
OVERVIEW:
FROM COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL
TO
FULL-BLOWN FALSE LATTER RAIN
About 4,350 years ago, the wicked confederated
together to build the tower of Babel and impose their
rule on the world. If permitted to carry out their
purposes, they would have blotted the people of God
from the earth and Satan’s triumph would have been
complete.
But, in the near future, a similar objective will
be in mind. In the name of Christianity, men will
unify to require first a nation and then a world to
break the fourth of God’s ten moral laws.
Empowered by a strange excitement, Protestants will unite with Catholics in the attainment
of their objective. As soon as they have coerced
U.S. Governmental leaders to enact a National Sunday Law, the excitement in the fallen churches will
intensify into a false latter rain. Because men have
dared to defy God’s laws and mandate a counterfeit
on the populace, Satan will be permitted to work
wonders. A counterfeit revival will precede the genuine. That counterfeit revival, discussed in the first
video in a companion series to this book, brings on
the National Sunday Law. But that counterfeit revival will continue on afterward. For purposes of clarification, we will call its extension, past the National
Sunday Law, the “false latter rain.” (You will find
both names mentioned in the Spirit of Prophecy; she
treats them as synonyms, not making the time distinction that we here do.)
Do not underate this false latter rain. As soon
as the Sunday law is enacted, the power of demonic
energy, display, and appearances swells into something quite massive. It is this power which in great
measure enables the law to be rather quickly enacted by every other nation on the globe. The result
is, what is called, a universal Sunday law. It probably consists of hundreds of separate national laws;
all of which impose Sunday sacredness and demand
worship of God on Sunday.
After the National Sunday Law is passed, the
latter rain begins; and both the true and false rain

continue on concurrently together thereafter.
Satan will work miracles through his agents; and
he will personate (appear as) Christ to the masses,
work apparent miracles, endorse Sunday, and denounce Sabbathkeepers.
These spiritual manifestations, by Satan and his
agents, are extremely important in the rapid working out of final events in the Sunday law crisis prior
to the general close of probation. Without them, the
intense zeal for strictest national and later universal Sunday law enforcement could never take place.
Yet it will be Sunday enactment in the United States
which will have empowered Satan to begin demonstrating such wonders. According to EW 261:1, Satan will raise an excitement before the National Sunday Law. According to 5T 451:1, the National Sunday Law will open the door for the marvelous workings by Satan.
Those final events, once begun, will follow one
another rapidly.
Below we will list a suggested order of early
events in the Sunday law enactment. You will note
that, along with hatred of Sabbathkeepers, the religious excitement/false latter rain fervor is the engine
driving forward the fierce passions of the Sundaylaw advocates, both before and after the National
Sunday Law is enacted. Let us briefly summarize
again some of these early events in the National Sunday Law crisis:
A powerful religious excitement, or counterfeit revival, starts in the churches. This energizes
Protestants, Catholics, and spiritists to work together, yet without disturbing any denominational
leadership controls which are already in place.
A tentative threefold union of influential Protestants and Catholics, empowered by spiritist forces,
begins to take shape. Hatred of Sabbathkeepers impels the churches to search for ways by which to
push the U.S. Government into enacting sweeping
Sunday enforcements. Please understand that, to all
appearances, it is only a twofold union. The churchmen do not realize they are working with demons.
Under the empowered excitement, the threefold
union forms rather quickly. Catholicism brings to

52
the union the doctrine of Sunday sacredness and
provides the political support of millions of Catholics. Protestantism brings to it a driving leadership
that coerces the U.S. Government to legislate and
enforce it. For its part, spiritism provides the hypnotic and miracle-working power needed to carry the
movement through to success.
The National Sunday Law is enacted by the
United States Government. Initial passage of the law
is done for political reasons, in order to win favor
with the churches. At this point, the full power and
extent of the Sunday-law movement is yet future.
The False Latter Rain begins. By their heavendaring willingness to try to enact laws to overthrow
those which God has given, Satan is permitted, by
Heaven, to more directly empower the efforts of the
threefold union to win the favor of all sides to the
endeavor.
Spirits of demons, working with men, bring
massive conversions to the movement and promote
the bold, new solution to world problems. America,
first, and Europe, second, will take the lead; and the
rest of the world will follow. It is the amazing power
underlying this movement that rivets the attention
of the other nations and finally converts them to the
Sunday-law bandwagon.
Enactment of the National Sunday Law in
America has opened the way for satanic wonders,
appearances, and miracles on a wonder-working
scale never before witnessed by human eyes. The
power of the false latter rain swells immensely.
These miracles change politicians, church men,
and laymen into religious zealots, determined to
enforce Sundaykeeping by whatever penalties are
required, even if they include the imposition of imprisonment and death. Nearly all are swept into
the ranks; although, before the loud cry begins,
the great majority do not yet understand the issues
involved.
Before passage of the law, there was only a religious excitement in the churches stirring them to a
threefold union. At their behest, the law was enacted by politicians merely as a political favor. But,
after the law is enacted, the marvelous working of
Satan is unleashed to an astounding degree. Deceived minds now see the nationwide law in a new
light; it has become the basis of a great, new world
order, ushering in a millennium of peace and prosperity. Strictest enforcement of Sunday sacredness
surely must be all that is needed to bring universal
peace, prosperity, and the approval of God. That,
apparently, is the only real sacrifice He asks of them.
The gluttony, worldliness, and selfishness can continue as usual. The theologians declare that Heaven
accepts the people just as they are; and they need
not put away their sins.

THE END OF TIME
Enactment of the law places the nation in the
hands of Satan; and he is permitted to work more
openly. The wonders which follow galvanize, first,
America and, then, the entire world. The final crisis
has come.
Let us now view the effect this false latter rain
will have on, first, America and, then, on the rest of
the world:
-1WHEN THE FALSE LATTER RAIN
WILL OCCUR
1 - Sequence: According to Patriarchs and
Prophets, 686, this special working of Satan will
occur prior to the Second Advent.
“Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians,
points to the special working of Satan in spiritualism as an event to take place immediately before the Second Advent of Christ. Speaking of
Christ’s Second Coming, he declares that it is ‘after the working of Satan with all power and signs
and lying wonders.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:9.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 686:1.
2 - Sequence: According to Early Writings,
261, Satan will begin by raising an excitement in
the fallen churches before the loud cry begins.
(In a later study, we will learn that the loud cry
begins just after the law is enacted. The plagues
occur after probation ends.)
“I saw that God has honest children among the
nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and
before the plagues shall be poured out, ministers and people will be called out from these
churches and will gladly receive the truth. Satan
knows this; and before the loud cry of the third
angel is given, he raises an excitement in these
religious bodies, that those who have rejected the
truth may think that God is with them. He hopes to
deceive the honest and lead them to think that God
is still working for the churches.”—Early Writings,
261:1.
As we learned earlier, this excitement, or counterfeit revival, will lead to the enactment of the National Sunday Law. It will be this strange excitement which will produce the threefold union and,
through it, powerfully coerce Congress into passing the National Sunday Law.
But the excitement will not cease when the law
is passed; it will intensify! Its enactment will permit Satan to exhibit devilish wonders which are
astounding.
So Satan will be working both before and after
the law, but especially so after it is passed. We must
give a name to this: First, his heightened activity,
which leads to the threefold union and the National

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

Sunday Law, we will call the “satanic excitement” or
“counterfeit revival.” Second, after enactment of the
law, the continuation and mammoth deepening of
that excitement into a full-blown working of wonders we will call “satanic wonders,” “the false latter
rain,” or “the counterfeit latter rain.”
This present study is about the post-enactment
of the false latter rain and display of satanic wonders.
3 - Sequence: According to 5 Testimonies, 451,
first will come the threefold union, then the enactment of the National Sunday Law, then the marvelous working of Satan.
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the
papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation
will disconnect herself fully from righteousness.
When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across
the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power,
when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands
with spiritualism, when, under the influence of
this threefold union, our country shall repudiate
every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant
and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and
delusions, then we may know that the time has
come for the marvelous working of Satan and
that the end is near.”—5 Testimonies, 451:1.
In the above quotation, we are given a promised sign. The phrase, “the end is near,” is a warning for those who have not yet done so, to begin moving to more retired places; cf. GC 30:2-31:0.
4 - Sequence: As we have earlier learned, according to Great Controversy, 464, Satan’s counterfeit revival will precede the latter rain upon
God’s people. The faithful who understand the
issues, who have not earlier done so, will separate
from the fallen churches when the true latter rain
begins falling.
“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments
upon the earth, there will be, among the people
of the Lord, such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic
times. The Spirit and power of God will be
poured out upon His children. At that time many
will separate themselves from those churches
in which the love of this world has supplanted love
for God and His Word. Many, both of ministers and
people, will gladly accept those great truths which
God has caused to be proclaimed at this time, to
prepare a people for the Lord’s Second Coming.
The enemy of souls desires to hinder this work;
and before the time for such a movement shall
come, he will endeavor to prevent it, by introducing a counterfeit. In those churches which he
can bring under his deceptive power, he will make it
appear that God’s special blessing is poured out;

53
there will be manifest what is thought to be great
religious interest. Multitudes will exult that God is
working marvelously for them, when the work is
that of another spirit. Under a religious guise, Satan will seek to extend his influence over the Christian world.”—Great Controversy, 464:1.
-2HOW SATAN AND HIS DEVILS
WILL WORK
TO CAPTURE AND DESTROY
SATAN WANTS TO
OVERCOME EVERYONE

1 - Satan’s objective is to lead and control every Christian in the world.
“We are approaching the end of this earth’s history, and Satan is working as never before. He
is striving to act as director of the Christian
world. With an intensity that is marvelous he is
working his lying wonders. Satan is represented
as walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour. He desires to embrace the whole
world in his confederacy.”—8 Manuscript Releases, 346:1 (1901).
2 - He wants to deceive and overpower all
the faithful.
“The Word of God declares that when it suits
the enemy’s purpose, he will through his agencies
manifest so great a power under a pretense of
Christianity that, ‘if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect’ [Matt. 24:24].”—Manuscript, 125, 1901.
“As the spirits will profess faith in the Bible
and manifest respect for the institutions of the
church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power.”—Great Controversy,
588:2.
3 - There will be an emotional excitement, a
mingling of the true with the false, which will captivate all but those grounded in Scripture.
“In many of the revivals which have occurred during the last half century, the same influences have
been at work, to a greater or less degree, that will be
manifest in the more extensive movements of the
future. There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted
to mislead. Yet none need be deceived. In the light of
God’s Word it is not difficult to determine the nature of these movements. Wherever men neglect
the testimony of the Bible, turning away from
those plain, soul-testing truths which require
self-denial and renunciation of the world, there
we may be sure that God’s blessing is not bestowed.
And by the rule which Christ Himself has given, ‘Ye

54

THE END OF TIME

shall know them by their fruits,’ it is evident that
these movements are not the work of the Spirit of
God.”—Great Controversy, 464:2-465:0.
4 - Pray that you will be able to distinguish
Satan’s miracle-working power from divine
power.
“Go to God for yourselves, pray for divine enlightenment, that you may know that you do know
what is truth, that when the wonderful miracle-working power shall be displayed, and the
enemy shall come as an angel of light, you may distinguish between the genuine work of God and the
imitative work of the powers of darkness.”—3 Selected Messages, 389:4.
FALSE TEACHINGS WILL BE TAUGHT

1 - Spirits of devils will declare the Sabbath
to have been changed.
“The saints must get a thorough understanding of present truth, which they will be obliged to
maintain from the Scriptures. They must understand the state of the dead, for the spirits of devils
will yet appear to them, professing to be beloved
friends and relatives, who will declare to them
that the Sabbath has been changed, also other
unscriptural doctrines.”—Early Writings, 87:2.
2 - The lying spirits will contradict Scripture.
“The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are made to contradict what they wrote at
the dictation of the Holy Spirit when on earth. They
deny the divine origin of the Bible.”—Great Controversy, 557:1.
3 - Satan will use two special doctrinal errors to capture the people.
“Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan
will bring the people under his deceptions. While
the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the
latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome.”—
Great Controversy, 588:1.
THE SPIRITS WILL
DEMAND SUNDAYKEEPING

The spirits will speak for Sunday sacredness,
against the Sabbath and Sabbathkeepers, and declare that the laws of the land should be obeyed.
“The miracle-working power manifested
through spiritualism will exert its influence against
those who choose to obey God rather than men. Communications from the spirits will declare that God
has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws of the
land should be obeyed as the law of God. They will

lament the great wickedness in the world and second the testimony of religious teachers that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration
of Sunday. Great will be the indignation excited
against all who refuse to accept their testimony.”—
Great Controversy, 591:0.
GOD’S PEOPLE
WILL BE CALLED LAWBREAKERS

1 - God’s people will be called lawbreakers.
“While Satan seeks to destroy those who honor
God’s law, he will cause them to be accused as
lawbreakers, as men who are dishonoring God
and bringing judgments upon the world.”—Great
Controversy, 591:1.
2 - They will be accused as anarchists (against
government rule), traitors, and opposed to law and
morality.
“Those who honor the Bible Sabbath will be denounced as enemies of law and order, as breaking down the moral restraints of society, causing
anarchy and corruption, and calling down the judgments of God upon the earth. Their conscientious
scruples will be pronounced obstinacy, stubborness,
and contempt of authority. They will be accused of
disaffection toward the government. Ministers
who deny the obligation of the divine law will present
from the pulpit the duty of yielding obedience to the
civil authorities as ordained of God. In legislative
halls and courts of justice, commandment keepers
will be misrepresented and condemned. A false coloring will be given to their words; the worst construction will be put upon their motives.”—Great
Controversy, 592:1.
FANATICISM WILL OCCUR

1 - There will be shouting, drums, music,
and dancing.
“The things you have described as taking place
in Indiana, the Lord has shown me would take place
just before the close of probation. Every uncouth
thing will be demonstrated. There will be shouting, with drums, music, and dancing. The
senses of rational beings will become so confused
that they cannot be trusted to make right decisions
..
“A bedlam of noise shocks the senses and perverts that which if conducted aright might be a
blessing. The powers of satanic agencies blend with
the din and noise to have a carnival [a synonym
for celebration], and this is termed the Holy Spirit’s
working . . Those things which have been in the
past will be in the future. Satan will make music a
snare by the way in which it is conducted.”—2 Selected Messages, 36:2-3, 38:1.

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

2 - Men will engage in strange activities and
call them the work of God.
“Let us give no place to strange exercisings,
which really take the mind away from the deep
movings of the Holy Spirit. God’s work is ever characterized by calmness and dignity.”—2 Selected
Messages, 42:4.
3 - Fanaticism, tongues, and noise will be
termed special gifts of God.
“Fanaticism, false excitement, false talking
in tongues, and noisy exercises have been considered gifts which God has placed in the church.
Some have been deceived here. The fruits of all this
have not been good. ‘Ye shall know them by their
fruits.’ Fanaticism and noise have been considered special evidences of faith. Some are not satisfied with a meeting unless they have a powerful
and happy time. They work for this and get up an
excitement of feeling. But the influence of such meetings is not beneficial. When the happy flight of feeling is gone, they sink lower than before the meeting
because their happiness did not come from the right
source.”—1 Testimonies, 412:1.
MIRACLES WILL BE SEEN

1 - Through deception, Satan will produce
apparent miracles. They are appearances which
have no reality in fact.
“Satan can, through a species of deceptions, perform wonders that will appear to be
genuine miracles. It was this he hoped to make a
test question with the Israelites at the time of their
deliverance from Egypt.”—2 Selected Messages,
52:4.
2 - Satan will use miracles to demonstrate
his power.
“The way in which Christ worked was to preach
the Word, and to relieve suffering by miraculous
works of healing. But I am instructed that we cannot now work in this way, for Satan will exercise
his power by working miracles. God’s servants
today could not work by means of miracles, because spurious works of healing, claiming to be
divine, will be wrought.”—2 Selected Messages,
54:2.
3 - Satan will be able to counterfeit those
miracles done by God’s people. A counterfeit is
not the reality, but it appears so.
“God’s people will not find their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the
miracles that will be wrought.”—9 Testimonies,
16:1.
4 - Miracle-working power by the disobedient
only proves their connection to Satan. We can
know this, because God’s true followers are obe-

55
dient to His laws.
“If those through whom cures are performed are
disposed, on account of these manifestations, to excuse their neglect of the law of God and continue in
disobedience, though they have power to any and every extent, it does not follow that they have the
great power of God. On the contrary, it is the
miracle-working power of the great deceiver.”—
2 Selected Messages, 50:4-51:0.
5 - The truths of the Bible are of greater importance than miracles performed in your sight.
Never forget that.
“The Bible will never be superseded by miraculous manifestations. The truth must be studied, it must be searched for as hidden treasure.
Wonderful illuminations will not be given aside
from the Word, or to take the place of it. Cling to
the Word, receive the engrafted Word which will
make men wise unto salvation.”—2 Selected Messages, 48:2.
6 - Only by Scripture will we be able to correctly identify the counterfeit when it appears.
“The last great delusion is soon to open before
us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works
in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to
distinguish between them except by the holy
Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and
every miracle must be tested.”—Great Controversy,
593:1.
7 - The people of God will not be misled when
the time comes for the wondrous delusions of
Satan to be manifest.
“Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself and claiming the title and worship which belong
to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have
revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony
of the Scriptures . .
“But the people of God will not be misled.
The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his
image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares
that God’s unmingled wrath shall be poured out.”—
Great Controversy, 624:1, 625:1.
DEMONS WILL APPEAR AS MEN

1 - Miracles and healings will occur and Satan
will appear as an angel. The spirits will respect the
institutions of the churches.
Because the devils are not concerned about corruption in organizational leaders, structures, committees, and their activities, they will be welcomed
for the power they bring. Otherwise they might have

56
been feared and shunned by church, business, and
political leaders.
“As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to
deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted,
after the modern order of things. He will appear
in the character of an angel of light. Through
the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be
wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the
spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church,
their work will be accepted as a manifestation of
divine power.”—Great Controversy, 588:2.
2 - Healings and miracles will be performed
in the presence of God’s people in order to counteract their message before others and, hopefully, to overcome them.
“The sick will be healed before us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are we prepared for the trial which awaits us when the lying
wonders of Satan shall be more fully exhibited?”—
1 Testimonies, 302:2.
3 - Agents of Satan will, “by casting a spell,”
bring sickness upon people and then work an
apparent miracle by removing it.
“Men under the influence of evil spirits will
work miracles. They will make people sick by casting their spell upon them, and will then remove the
spell, leading others to say that those who were sick
have been miraculously healed. This Satan has done
again and again.”—2 Selected Messages, 53:2.
“Wonderful scenes, with which Satan will be
closely connected, will soon take place. God’s Word
declares that Satan will work miracles. He will
make people sick, and then will suddenly remove from them his satanic power. They will
then be regarded as healed. These works of apparent healing will bring Seventh-day Adventists to the
test.”—2 Selected Messages, 53:3.
4 - Both Satan and his devils will appear in
human form as living people.
“Satan will use every opportunity to seduce men
from their allegiance to God. He and the angels
who fell with him will appear on the earth as
men, seeking to deceive. God’s angels also will appear as men, and will use every means in their
power to defeat the purposes of the enemy.”—8
Manuscript Releases, 399 (1903).
5 - These demons will converse with God’s
people, and will try to convince others that God’s
people have a wrong message, a wrong faith.
“Evil angels in the form of men will talk with
those who know the truth. They will misinterpret
and misconstrue the statements of the messengers

THE END OF TIME
of God . .
“Have Seventh-day Adventists forgotten the warning given in the sixth chapter of Ephesians? We are
engaged in a warfare against the hosts of darkness. Unless we follow our Leader closely, Satan will
obtain the victory over us.”—3 Selected Messages,
411:1-2.
6 - Devils in human form will even become
workers in our denomination, and will speak in
our meetings. We will be able to identify those
who might be such spirits, because they will urge
our people to disbelieve our historic message. (The
following statement indicates it is discussing a
present, as well as a future, event!)
“Evil angels in the form of believers will work
in our ranks to bring in a strong spirit of unbelief.
Let not even this discourage you, but bring a true
heart to the help of the Lord against the powers of
satanic agencies. These powers of evil will assemble in our meetings, not to receive a blessing,
but to counterwork the influences of the Spirit of
God.”—2 Mind, Character, and Personality, 504:3505:0.
7 - Satan will use all conceivable methods to
ruin God’s people; for he already controls so many
others in the world.
“There is now need of earnest, working men and
women who will seek for the salvation of souls, for
Satan as a powerful general has taken the field, and
in this last remnant of time he is working through
all conceivable methods to close the door against
light that God would have come to His people. He
is sweeping the whole world into his ranks, and the
few who are faithful to God’s requirements are the
only ones who can ever withstand him, and even
these he is trying to overcome.”—3 Selected Messages, 389:3.
8 - Spirits of devils, and their human agents,
will work to convert leaders and people throughout the world to the grand new movement. They
will perform healing miracles and say they have
divine revelations.
“Fearful sights of a supernatural character
will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the
power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of
devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and
to the whole world, to fasten them in deception,
and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last
struggle against the government of heaven. By these
agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived.
Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself,
and claiming the title and worship which belong to
the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing, and will profess to have
revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.”—Great Controversy, 624:1.

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

9 - Spirits of devils will teach heresies and work
miracles.
“Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils
personating beloved relatives or friends, and declaring the most dangerous heresies. These visitants
will appeal to our tenderest sympathies, and will
work miracles to sustain their pretensions. We
must be prepared to withstand them with the Bible
truth that the dead know not anything, and that they
who thus appear are the spirits of devils.”—Great
Controversy, 560:1.
10 - The world is already teetering on the brink
of wholesale perversion and apostasy. By accepting spiritism and spiritist teachings, the world will
have its morality destroyed.
“As the teachings of spiritualism are accepted by the churches, the restraint imposed
upon the carnal heart is removed, and the profession of religion will become a cloak to conceal the basest iniquity. A belief in spiritual manifestations opens the door to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils, and thus the influence of evil
angels will be felt in the churches.”—Great Controversy, 603:2-604:0.
11 - The churches will not be able to withstand the inroads of spiritism. (This would be
because of their acceptance of the belief of innate, unconditional immortality.)
“The popular ministry cannot successfully resist spiritualism. They have nothing wherewith to
shield their flocks from its baleful influence. Much
of the sad result of spiritualism will rest upon ministers of this age; for they have trampled the truth
under their feet, and in its stead have preferred
fables.”—1 Testimonies, 344:1.
THE DEAD WILL APPARENTLY APPEAR

1 - Devils will personate departed saints and
sinners, so that they will appear to have returned
from the dead.
“It is not difficult for the evil angels to represent both saints and sinners who have died,
and make these representations visible to human
eyes. These manifestations will be more frequent;
and developments of a more startling character will
appear as we near the close of time.”—Evangelism,
604:3.
“It is Satan’s most successful and fascinating
delusion—one calculated to take hold of the sympathies of those who have laid their loved ones in the
grave. Evil angels come in the form of those loved
ones and relate incidents connected with their lives,
and perform acts which they performed while
living. In this way they lead persons to believe that
their dead friends are angels hovering over them and

57
communicating with them. These evil angels, who
assume to be the deceased friends, are regarded with
a certain idolatry, and, with many, their word has
greater weight than the Word of God.”—Last Day
Events, 161:3.
2 - Devils will come in the form of departed
loved ones in order to deceive people. Satan has
power to bring before men the appearance of
their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are
reproduced with marvelous distinctness.
“Many will be confronted by the spirits of devils personating beloved relatives or friends and
declaring the most dangerous heresies. These
visitants will appeal to our tenderest sympathies
and will work miracles to sustain their pretensions.”—Story of Redemption, 398:1.
3 - Through these appearances, Satan will
captivate and paralyze the thinking of many religious, professional, and political leaders. He
will then use them to deceive still others.
“The forms of the dead will appear, through
the cunning device of Satan, and many will link up
with the one who loveth and maketh a lie. I warn
our people that right among us some will turn away
from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils, and by them the truth will be
evil spoken of.
“A marvelous work shall take place. Ministers, lawyers, doctors, who have permitted these
falsehoods to overmaster their spirit of discernment, will be themselves deceivers, united with the
deceived. A spiritual drunkenness will take possession of them.”—Upward Look, 317:6.
HEATHEN DEITIES
WILL APPEAR AS INCARNATE

Well-known heathen deities (Buddha, Mohammed, Tao, Confucius, local devil gods, etc.) will appear to have returned to our world. They will exhibit great power. (We can be sure that such appearances will be used to advocate Sundaykeeping
and will powerfully open the non-Christian nations
to the counterfeit latter rain that is spreading
across the world.)
“As we near the close of time, there will be greater
and still greater external parade of heathen power;
heathen deities will manifest their signal power,
and will exhibit themselves before the cities of the
world; and this delineation has already begun to be
fulfilled.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 117:5-118:0.

58

THE END OF TIME
SATAN PROMISES
A MILLENNIUM OF HAPPINESS

As the excitement heightens to fever pitch, it
will be declared that the entire world is about to
be converted and the long-promised millennium
of happiness is about to begin.
“Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will
alike accept the form of godliness without the power,
and they will see in this union a grand movement
for the conversion of the world and the ushering
in of the long-expected millennium.”—Great Controversy 588:3-589:0.
SATAN WILL BRING
TERRIBLE DISASTERS

1 - Through spiritism, Satan will appear as a
healer with a better system of religion while, at
the same time, he is destroying lives through intemperance and warfare, as well as through natural disasters which he has power to cause.
“Through spiritualism Satan appears as a benefactor of the race, healing the diseases of the people
and professing to present a new and more exalted
system of religious faith; but at the same time
he works as a destroyer. His temptations are leading multitudes to ruin. Intemperance dethrones reason; sensual indulgence, strife, and bloodshed
follow. Satan delights in war; for it excites the worst
passions of the soul, and then sweeps into eternity
its victims, steeped in vice and blood. It is his object
to incite the nations to war against one another; for
he can thus divert the minds of the people from the
work of preparation to stand in the day of God.
“Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and
he uses all his power to control the elements
as far as God allows. When he was suffered to afflict Job, how quickly flocks and herds, servants,
houses, children, were swept away, one trouble succeeding another as in a moment. It is God that
shields His creatures and hedges them in from the
power of the destroyer. But the Christian world have
shown contempt for the law of Jehovah; and the
Lord will do just what He has declared that He
would—He will withdraw His blessings from the
earth, and remove His protecting care from those
who are rebelling against His law and teaching and
forcing others to do the same. Satan has control of
all whom God does not especially guard. He will
favor and prosper some, in order to further his own
designs; and he will bring trouble upon others, and
lead men to believe that it is God who is afflicting
them.”—Great Controversy, 589:1-2.
2 - At the same time that Satan is appearing
among men as a great healer, he is bringing ter-

rible disasters so serious that large cities are being
destroyed.
“While appearing to the children of men as a
great physician who can heal all their maladies,
he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation.”—
Great Controversy, 589:3.
3 - In all of this, Satan’s objective is to blame
the commandment-keeping people of God as the
cause of the disasters.
“And then the great deceiver will persuade men
that those who serve God are causing these evils.
The class that have provoked the displeasure of
Heaven will charge all their troubles upon those
whose obedience to God’s commandments is a
perpetual reproof to trangressors. It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday-sabbath; that this sin has
brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced; and that
those who present the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying reverence for Sunday,
are troublers of the people, preventing their restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity.”—
Great Controversy, 590:1.
-3SATAN WILL PERSONATE CHRIST
There are two mentions, in Great Controversy,
of Satan’s appearance as a counterfeit Christ. It is
significant that each mention of these appearances
speaks of Satan’s appeals to the people to hallow
Sunday. Such appeals would more fittingly be given
before probation closes, while men and women are
still making their decision. However, in Great Controversy, it would appear that his personations are
mentioned both before and after the general close
of probation (GC 561-562 and 624-625). Thus it
seems certain that some of these almost overmastering appearances will occur BEFORE probation
ends, during the time of the marking, sealing, and
loud cry. (Later in this study, we will analyze the
second passage [GC 624-625] in greater detail.)
The quotations indicate that the appearance of
Satan occurs after the U.S. National Sunday Law
and before all the rest of the world has enacted it.
It appears that Satan’s personal appearances will
help convince the non-Christian nations to unite in
the fevered Sunday-law excitement that first grips
America and, then, Europe. The sequence would
be as follows: (1) The threefold union begins forming; (2) the National Sunday Law is enacted; (3) the
marvelous working of Satan begins, culminating in
the appearance of Satan as an angel of light who
claims to be Christ. (4) Astonished at these occurrences (including the appearance of pagan non-Chris-

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

tian deities), other nations pass National Sunday
Laws.
Satan’s personation as Christ, along with satanic miracle working by his agents, will raise the
enthusiasm about the Sunday law to a frenzy and
carry that emotional high pitch into all other nations of earth, leading them to enact their own National Sunday Laws.
The following quotations, in addition, reveal
that, when Satan personates, he will appear as a
glorious angel claiming to be Christ Himself, not a
mere man claiming to be a last-day “Christ.”
1 - Sequence: According to 5 Testimonies, 451,
first will come the threefold union, then the National Sunday Law, and then the marvelous working of Satan.
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the
papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation
will disconnect herself fully from righteousness.
When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across
the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power,
when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands
with spiritualism, when, under the influence of
this threefold union, our country shall repudiate
every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant
and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and
delusions, then we may know that the time has
come for the marvelous working of Satan and
that the end is near.”—5 Testimonies, 451:1.
2 - Sequence: According to Testimonies to Ministers, 62, first is the appearance of Satan and,
then, the law of God will be made void throughout all nations.
“In this age antichrist will appear as the true
Christ; and, then, the law of God will be fully
made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion
against God’s holy law will be fully ripe. But the
true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed as
an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But
Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate
churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the
sentence will go forth, ‘Therefore shall her plagues
come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for
strong is the Lord God who judgeth her’ [Rev.
18:8].”—Testimonies to Ministers, 62:1.
3 - Satan will appear to the Christian world
and to those who have not yet decided for Sundaykeeping as the returned Christ. He will also appear to Sabbathkeepers and pretend to be the returned Christ.
The next quotation indicates that Satan will appear to be Christ near the latter part of the loud cry
period as “one last desperate effort” to deceive the

59
entire world.
In this crisis, the only safety for Sabbathkeepers will be in obedience to the Word of God; for Satan’s
message will always be one of disobedience to that
Word.
“Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. He
cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one
last desperate effort to overcome the faithful
by deception. He does this in personating
Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of
royalty which have been accurately described in the
vision of John. He has power to do this. He will
appear to his deluded followers, the Christian
world who received not the love of the truth but
had pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of
the law), as Christ coming the second time.
“He proclaims himself Christ, and he is believed to be Christ, a beautiful, majestic being
clothed with majesty and with soft voice and pleasant words, with glory unsurpassed by anything their
mortal eyes had yet beheld. Then his deceived,
deluded followers set up a shout of victory,
‘Christ has come the second time! Christ has
come! He has lifted up His hands just as He did
when He was upon the earth, and blessed us.’
“The saints look on with amazement. Will they
also be deceived? Will they worship Satan? Angels
of God are about them. A clear, firm, musical voice
is heard, ‘Look up.’
“There was one object before the praying ones—
the final and eternal salvation of their souls. This
object was before them constantly, that immortal
life was promised to those who endure unto the
end. Oh, how earnest and fervent had been their
desires. The judgment and eternity were in view.
Their eyes by faith were fixed on the blazing throne,
before which the white-robed ones were to stand.
This restrained them from the indulgence of sin . .
“One effort more, and then Satan’s last device
is employed. He hears the unceasing cry for
Christ to come, for Christ to deliver them. This
last strategy is to personate Christ and make them
think their prayers are answered.”—Last Day Events,
164:1-165:1.
SATAN WANTS TO
DECEIVE AND CONTROL THE WORLD

1 - One of Satan’ objectives in his appearance
is to deceive the Christian world.
“We are approaching the end of this earth’s history, and Satan is working as never before. He is
striving to act as director of the Christian world.
With an intensity that is marvelous he is working
with his lying wonders. Satan is represented as walking about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may

60

THE END OF TIME

devour. He desires to embrace the whole world in
his confederacy. Hiding his deformity under the garb
of Christianity, he assumes the attributes of a Christian and claims to be Christ Himself.”—8 Manuscript
Releases, 346:1 (1901).
2 - Men will be astounded by Satan’s appearance as Christ. They will deify him. That culminating act of apostasy will be the last step in
fully eliminating obedience to God’s law by all
but the faithful. Not long after this, the general
close of probation will occur and the plagues will
begin falling.
“In this age antichrist will appear as the true
Christ, and then the law of God will be fully
made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion
against God’s holy law will be fully ripe. But the
true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed as
an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will
exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But
Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate
churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the
sentence will go forth, ‘Therefore shall her plagues
come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for
strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.’ ”—Testimonies to Ministers, 62:1.
BOTH SATAN AND HIS ANGELS
WILL APPEAR

1 - Both Satan and His angels will appear on
earth as men, seeking to deceive the world. In
that hour of crisis, holy angels will also appear
in human form.
“Satan will use every opportunity to seduce men
from their allegiance to God. He and the angels
who fell with him will appear on the earth as
men, seeking to deceive. God’s angels also will appear as men, and will use every means in their
power to defeat the purposes of the enemy.”—8
Manuscript Releases, 399:1 (1903).
2 - Satan will appear, surrounded by his angels. He will work miracles of all kinds in the hope
of deceiving God’s people, not only the people of
the world.
“It is impossible to give any idea of the experience of the people of God who shall be alive upon
the earth when celestial glory and a repetition of
the persecutions of the past are blended. They will
walk in the light proceeding from the throne of God.
By means of the angels there will be constant communication between heaven and earth. And Satan,
surrounded by evil angels and claiming to be
God, will work miracles of all kinds, to deceive, if
possible, the very elect. God’s people will not find
their safety in working miracles, for Satan will counterfeit the miracles that will be wrought. God’s tried

and tested people will find their power in the sign
spoken of in Exodus 31:12-18. They are to take
their stand on the living Word: ‘It is written.’ This
is the only foundation upon which they can stand
securely.”—9 Testimonies, 16:1.
3 - This special masterpiece of deception will
be taken to the entire world, and will captivate
most men.
“The enemy is preparing to deceive the
whole world by his miracle-working power. He
will assume to personate the angels of light, to
personate Jesus Christ.”—2 Selected Messages,
96:1.
“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work
was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden: ‘Ye
shall not surely die.’ ‘In the day ye eat thereof, then
your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods,
knowing good and evil.’ Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in
the development of spiritualism. He has not yet
reached the full accomplishment of his designs;
but it will be reached in the last remnant of
time. Says the prophet: ‘I saw three unclean spirits like frogs . . they are the spirits of devils, working
miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them to
the battle of that great day of God Almighty.’ Except
those who are kept by the power of God, through
faith in His Word, the whole world will be swept
into the ranks of this delusion. The people are fast
being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only
by the outpouring of the wrath of God.”—Great Controversy, 561:2-562:0.
4 - The world that has rejected the truth will
receive him.
“As the second appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ draws near, satanic agencies are moved from
beneath. Satan will not only appear as a human
being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and
the world that has rejected the truth will receive him as the Lord of lords and King of kings.”—
5 Bible Commentary, 1105/2:4-1106/1:0.
SATAN WILL BE AGAINST GOD’S LAW

1 - Disguised as Christ, Satan will speak and
do good, but will reveal his true character by
turning the people against obedience to God’s
law.
“Disguised as an angel of light, he will walk
the earth as a wonder worker. In beautiful language he will present lofty sentiments. Good words
will be spoken by him, and good deeds performed.
Christ will be personified, but on one point there
will be a marked distinction. Satan will turn the
people from the law of God.”—Fundamentals of

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

Christian Education, 471:3-472:0.
2 - He will declare to men that the Sabbath
has been changed to Sunday.
“He will declare that the Sabbath has been
changed from the seventh to the first day of the
week; and as lord of the first day of the week he
will present this spurious sabbath as a test of loyalty to him.”—Maranatha, 205:4.
Note: Three facts will identify him as the antichrist: (1) his hatred of God’s law, which is shown
by his urging of the people to keep Sunday holy; (2)
his hatred of those who obey God’s law, which is
shown by his accusations against them and his call
for the world to persecute them; and (3) his inability to come in the manner in which Christ will return the second time.
HE CANNOT IMITATE
THE SECOND ADVENT

Satan will not be permitted to imitate the manner of Christ’s return in great power and with large
numbers of angels. (Instead, all he can do is to
appear suddenly on the earth, walk around, disappear, and then reappear elsewhere on the earth
as he gives his teachings and works miracles.)
“Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent.”—Great Controversy, 625:2.
“He [Satan] will come personating Jesus Christ,
working mighty miracles; and men will fall down
and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will
glorify as Christ. What shall we do? Tell them
that Christ has warned us against just such a
foe, who is man’s worst enemy, yet who claims to
be God, and that when Christ shall make His
appearance it will be with power and great
glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten
thousand angels and thousands of thousands;
and that when He shall come, we shall know His
voice.”—6 Bible Commentary, 1105/2:5-1106/1:0.
HE WILL PERSONALLY WORK MIRACLES

1 - To the degree to which he is permitted,
he will perform both counterfeit and actual
miracles to convince men that he is the Christ.
“So far as his power extends, he will perform
actual miracles. Says the Scripture: ‘He . .
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means
of those miracles which he had power to do,’ not
merely those which he pretends to do. Something
more than mere impostures is brought to view in
this scripture. But there is a limit beyond which
Satan cannot go, and here he calls deception to his
aid and counterfeits the work which he has not power
actually to perform. In the last days he will appear

61
in such a manner as to make men believe him to
be Christ come the second time into the world. He
will indeed transform himself into an angel of
light. But while he will bear the appearance of Christ
in every particular, so far as mere appearance goes,
it will deceive none but those who, like Pharaoh, are
seeking to resist the truth.”—5 Testimonies, 698:1.
2 - Personating Christ, he will work miracles
and be worshiped. But the faithful will declare
him to be Satan.
“He will come personating Jesus Christ,
working mighty miracles; and men will fall
down and worship him as Jesus Christ.
“We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What
shall we do?—Tell them that Christ has warned
us against just such a foe, who is man’s worst enemy, yet who claims to be God; and that when Christ
shall make His appearance, it will be with power
and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times
ten thousand angels and thousands of thousands;
and that when He shall come, we shall know His
voice.”—Maranatha, 206:6.
“If men are so easily misled now, how will they
stand when Satan shall personate Christ and
work miracles? Who will be unmoved by his misrepresentations—then professing to be Christ when
it is only Satan assuming the person of Christ and
apparently working the works of Christ?”—2 Selected Messages, 394:4.
3 - Claiming to be Christ, he will work miracles in the sight of the faithful. Only those clinging to Scripture will not be deluded.
“The time is coming when Satan will work
miracles right in your sight, claiming that he
is Christ; and if your feet are not firmly established
upon the truth of God, then you will be led away
from your foundation.”—7 Bible Commentary,
911/1:3.
SATAN WILL BRING DOWN FIRE

1 - Claiming to be Christ, Satan will heal and
bring down fire.
“You know that Satan will come in to deceive if
possible the very elect. He claims to be Christ,
and he is coming in, pretending to be the great
medical missionary. He will cause fire to come
down from heaven in the sight of men, to prove that
he is God. We must stand barricaded by the truths
of the Bible. The canopy of truth is the only canopy
under which we can stand safely.”—Medical Ministry, 87:5-88:0.
2 - Satan will bring fire down from the sky.
“We must not trust the claims of men. They may,

62
as Christ represents, profess to work miracles in
healing the sick. Is this marvelous, when just behind them stands the great deceiver, the miracle
worker who will yet bring down fire from heaven
in the sight of men?”—2 Selected Messages, 49:3.
“It is the lying wonders of the devil that will take
the world captive, and he will cause fire to come
down from heaven in the sight of men. He is to work
miracles, and this wonderful, miracle-working power
is to sweep in the whole world.”—2 Selected Messages, 51:2.
“It is stated in the Word that the enemy will work
through his agents who have departed from the
faith, and they will seemingly work miracles, even
to the bringing down of fire out of heaven in the
sight of men.”—2 Selected Messages, 54:0.
“ ‘He doeth great wonders, so that he maketh
fire come down from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the
earth by the means of those miracles which he had
power to do’ (Rev. 13:13-14). No mere impostures
are here foretold. Men are deceived by the miracles
which Satan’s agents have power to do, not which
they pretend to do.”—Great Controversy, 553:2.
Note: Elsewhere we are told that Satan’s healing
miracles are illusions, caused by casting spells and
then removing them, and that his other miracles are
also delusional, and not genuine. In 2 Selected Messages, 54, quoted above, he will “seemingly” work
miracles, such as bringing down fire. So it is not
real fire. In view of such consistent witness, perhaps
the Great Controversy, 553, paragraph (quoted immediately above) means this: Satan and his agents
will have almost overmastering power to actually deceive by what actually appears to the eye to be actual
wonders (rather than by obvious sleight-of-hand or
mere trickeries).
5 Testimonies 698:1 explains the above statement in Great Controversy, 553:2:
“Something more than mere impostures is
brought to view in this scripture. But there is a
limit beyond which Satan cannot go, and here
he calls deception to his aid and counterfeits
the work which he has not power actually to perform.”—5 Testimonies, 698:1.
And here is another statement:
“Those who look for miracles as a sign of divine
guidance are in danger of deception. It is stated in
the Word that the enemy will work through his agents
who have departed from the faith, and they will
seemingly work miracles, even to the bringing
down of fire out of heaven in the sight of men.
By means of ‘lying wonders’ Satan would deceive, if
possible, the very elect.”—3 Selected Messages,
408:4-409:0.

THE END OF TIME
HE WILL DECEIVE ALL
EXCEPT THE FAITHFUL

ply.

1 - He will misrepresent, pervert, and misap-

“Satan will take the field and personate Christ.
He will misrepresent, misapply, and pervert
everything he possibly can.”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 411:2.
2 - This false Christ will deceive all except
those solidly founded in Scripture.
“A power from beneath is working to bring about
the last great scenes in the drama—Satan coming as Christ, and working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are binding themselves together in secret societies.”—8 Testimonies, 28:0.
“Satan is determined to keep up the warfare to
the end. Coming as an angel of light, claiming
to be the Christ, he will deceive the world. But
his triumph will be short. No storm or tempest can
move those whose feet are planted on the principles
of eternal truth. They will be able to stand in
this time of almost universal apostasy.”—6 Bible
Commentary, 1106/2:1.
3 - Satan’s healings, miracles, and lying wonders will deceive all but those obedient to God’s
Word.
“Some will be tempted to receive these wonders as from God. The sick will be healed before
us. Miracles will be performed in our sight. Are
we prepared for the trial which awaits us when the
lying wonders of Satan shall be more fully exhibited? Will not many souls be ensnared and taken?
By departing from the plain precepts and commandments of God, and giving heed to fables, the minds
of many are preparing to receive these lying wonders.
We must all now seek to arm ourselves for the contest in which we must soon engage. Faith in God’s
Word, prayerfully studied and practically applied, will be our shield from Satan’s power and
will bring us off conquerors through the blood of
Christ.”—Maranatha, 208:6.
4 - His lying wonders, fire from the sky, and
miracles will captivate nearly the whole world.
“It is the lying wonders of the devil that will
take the world captive, and he will cause fire to
come down from heaven in the sight of men. He is
to work miracles; and this wonderful miracle-working power is to sweep in the whole world.”—2 Selected Messages, 51:2.
Will you be prepared to stand up and declare
that this beautiful being with the pleasing voice and
angelic brilliance is none other than Satan?

4 -

THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

-4THE GREAT CONTROVERSY PASSAGE,
PAGES 624-625
We earlier mentioned that the appearance of Satan is stated in two passages in Great Controversy.
The second passage is discussed both here and in
Chapter 17 of this present book, The Great Time of
Trouble. Our analysis, which you will read just below, indicates that the second passage occurs—or at
least begins—prior to the general close of probation.
If that is true, both passages would be located as
beginning during the Sunday law crisis, before probation ends.
It is clear that the first mention (GC 588-589) of
Satan’s personation of Christ occurs before the close
of probation. In connection with the second mention
(in GC 624-625) of that personation, the context indicates that it ALSO occurs before the close of probation (or, at least, begins before probation closes;
whether or not it carries over to after the Sanctuary
ministry ceases, we do not know). In order to understand this for yourself, you will want to carefully
read GC 621:2-625:1. It is the conviction of the
present compiler that the second passage is referring back to an earlier experience.
The arrangement of that entire section is as follows: [1] Jacob’s trouble (GC 615:2-620:1). [2]
Flashback to before the close of probation time (GC
620:2-626:0). [3] More on Jacob’s trouble (GC
626:1-627:1).
Let us now look at it more closely:
—Before flashback—
Discussion of Jacob’s Trouble (GC 615:2620:1).
—Flashback begins—
The preparation we should now be making (GC
620:2-623:3). Satan will soon begin presenting fearful sights of a supernatural nature to us, and will
work miracles (GC 624:1). Satan will personate
Christ (GC 624:2-625:2). We must now prepare
for what is soon to come when Satan will appear as
Christ and tell the people they should keep Sunday
instead of the Sabbath (GC 625:3-626:0). The flashback section is dated to our time right now. It is
telling us to prepare for the time that the Sunday
law is enacted and Satan appears.
—Flashback has ended—
More discussion on the Jacob’s trouble crisis,
brought on by the death decree (GC 626:1-627:1).
The plagues are poured out (GC 627:2 onward).
Here is this second Great Controversy flashback passage, which is obviously not talking about
the time of the plagues, but an earlier time prior
to the close of probation:
“Fearful sights of a supernatural character

63
will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of
the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits
of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth
and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his
last struggle against the government of heaven. By
these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ
Himself, and claiming the title and worship which
belong to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform
wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to
have relations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
“As the crowning act in the great drama of
deception, Satan himself will personate Christ.
The church has long professed to look to the
Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes.
Now the great deceiver will make it appear that
Christ has come. In different parts of the earth,
Satan will manifest himself among men as a
majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by
John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The
glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout
of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come!
Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves
in adoration before him, while he lifts up his
hands and pronounces a blessing upon them,
as Christ blessed His disciples when He was
upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet
full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he
presents some of the same gracious, heavenly
truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the
diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed
character of Christ, he claims to have changed
the Sabbath to Sunday and commands all to
hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares
that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light
and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the
least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries,
saying: This is ‘the great power of God.’ Acts 8:10.
“But the people of God will not be misled.
The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his
image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares
that God’s unmingled wrath shall be poured out.
“And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to
counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The
Saviour has warned His people against deception
upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner
of His Second Coming. ‘There shall arise false christs

64

THE END OF TIME

and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect . . Wherefore if they shall
say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not
forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe
it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east,
and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.’ Matthew 24:24-27,
31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting.
It will be universally known—witnessed by the whole
world.
“Only those who have been diligent students of
the Scriptures and who have received the love of
the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible
testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the
sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be
revealed. Are the people of God so firmly established upon His Word that they would not yield
to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such
a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will
so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle
them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a
heavy, wearisome burden that their hearts may be
overcharged with the cares of this life and the day
of trial may come upon them as a thief.”—Great
Controversy, 624:2-626:0.
-5THE FALSE REVIVAL WILL CONTINUE
AFTER THE CLOSE OF PROBATION

It is of interest that the counterfeit revival, begun at the setting up of the image by the enactment
of the National Sunday Law, will continue on beyond the general close of probation. (Later in this
book, we will learn that the satanic enchantment
will come to an abrupt end at the sounding of the
Voice of God.)
1 - After probation closes, there will continue
to be a satanic zeal in the forms of religion.
[After the close of probation:] “The forms of
religion will be continued by a people from whom
the Spirit of God has been finally withdrawn; and
the satanic zeal with which the prince of evil will
inspire them for the accomplishment of his malignant designs will bear the semblance of zeal for
God.”—Great Controversy, 615:1.
2 - The warfare, by Satan and his agents,
against God and His people will continue on down
to the end.
“Satanic agencies in human form will take part
in this last great conflict to oppose the building up

of the kingdom of God. And heavenly angels in human guise will be on the field of action. The two
opposing parties will continue to exist till the closing up of the last great chapter in this world’s history.”—Maranatha, 167:5.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
HEATHEN DEITIES

The Wicked Character and Seductive Influences of Persecutors of God’s People Represented to John.—“As we near the close of time there
will be greater and still greater external parade of
heathen power. Heathen deities will manifest their
signal power and will exhibit themselves before the
cities of the world; and this delineation has already
begun to be fulfilled. By a variety of images the Lord
Jesus represented to John the wicked character
and seductive influences of those who have been
distinguished for their persecution of God’s people.
All need wisdom to carefully search out the mystery of iniquity that figures so largely in the winding up of this earth’s history . .
“One of the marked characteristics of these false
religious powers is that while they profess to have
the character and features of a lamb, while they
profess to be allied to heaven, they reveal by their
actions that they have a heart of a dragon, that they
are instigated by and united with satanic power,
the same power that created war in heaven when
Satan sought the supremacy and was expelled from
heaven . .
Agencies through Which Satan Is Working
in Crowded Cities.—“Satan is busily at work in
our crowded cities. His work is to be seen in the
confusion, the strife, and discord between labor and
capital, and the hypocrisy that has come into the
churches . . The lust of the flesh, the pride of the
eyes, the display of selfishness, the misuse of power,
the cruelty, and the force used to cause men to unite
with confederacies and unions, binding themselves
up in bundles for the burning of the great fires of
the last days, all these are the working of satanic
agencies . .
The World Appears to Be Moving toward Destruction in a Dance Macabre.—“The world, who
act as though there were no God, absorbed in selfish pursuits, will soon experience sudden destruction, and shall not escape. Many continue in the care-

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THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

less gratification of self, until they become so disgusted with life that they kill themselves. Dancing
and carousing, drinking and smoking, indulging their
animal passions, they go as an ox to the slaughter.
Satan is working with all his art and enchantments
to keep men marching blindly onward, until the Lord
arises out of His place to punish the inhabitants of
the earth for their iniquities, when the earth shall
disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain. The
whole world appears to be in a march of death.”—
Manuscript 139, 1903, 5-6 (The Message in Revelation, October 23, 1903. See also 7 BC 966, 977978; Ev 26; UL 310).
SCIENCE

Satanic Science Will Become Stronger from
Now Until the Close of Probation.—“Throughout
the world satanic science will become stronger and
more fully developed, from this time henceforth until Christ rises from His throne and puts on the
garments of vengeance.”—Letter 136, 1906 (to G.I.
Butler, A.G. Daniells, and G.A. Irwin, April 27,
1906).
SPIRITUALISM

Few Have Any Idea of the Superhuman Power
that Will Work through Spiritualism to Capture
the World.—“Spiritualism is about to take the
world captive. There are many who think that spiritualism is upheld through trickery and imposture,
but this is far from the truth. Superhuman power
is working in a variety of ways, and few have any
idea as to what will be the manifestations of spiritualism in the future.
The Falsehood of Natural Immortality Has
Laid the Foundation for Spiritualism’s Success.—“The foundations for the success of spiritualism has been laid in the assertions that have been
made from the pulpits of our land. The ministers
have proclaimed as Bible doctrines falsehoods that
have originated with the archdeceiver. The doctrine
of consciousness after death, of the spirits of the
dead being in communion with the living, has no
foundation in the Scriptures, and yet these theories are affirmed as truth. Through this false doctrine, the way is opened for the spirits of devils to
deceive the people in representing themselves as the
dead. Satanic agencies personate the dead and thus
bring souls into captivity. Satan has a religion. He
has a synagogue of devoted worshipers. To swell the
ranks of his devotees, he uses all manner of deception.
As Men Reject the Truth and God’s Spirit Is
Withdrawn, Satan Will Work More Openly.—“The
signs and wonders of spiritualism will become more
and more pronounced as the professed Christian

65
world reject the plainly revealed truth of the Word
of God and refuse to be guided by a plain, ‘Thus
saith the Lord,’ accepting instead the doctrines and
the commandments of men. Through rejecting light
and truth, many are deciding their destiny for eternal death, and as men reject truth, the Spirit of
God will gradually withdraw itself from the earth,
and the prince of this world will have more and
more control over his subjects. He will show great
signs and wonders as credentials of his divine
claims, and through spiritualism will work against
Christ and His agencies.”—Undated Manuscript,
66, 1-6 (“Signs and Wonders of Spiritualism. See
also Ev 602-603).
LYING WONDERS AND MIRACLES

Satan’s Lying Wonders and Corrupt Harmony
among His Followers.—“We must be waiting and
watching and working diligently that Satan may not
preoccupy the field and bring the issue upon us
before our work is done. Satan has his work all
prepared that through his lying wonders he may
deceive the world. He will bind men in bundles and
claim that [the] world is on his side. A corrupt union
will exist among the wicked of the earth, and men
will be banded together to trample down the standard of righteousness—to please Satan and his evil
angels, and to gratify a world at enmity with God
and His law.”—Letter 1, 1875 (to “Dear Brother,”
October 12, 1875).
Satan Deceives by Apparently Healing Those
Whom He Has Tormented.—“The Word of God declares that when it suits the enemy’s purpose, he
will through his agencies manifest so great power
under a pretense of Christianity that, ‘if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect’ (Matt. 24:24).
The enemy is revealed in persons whom he has given
power to work miracles. He creates sorrow and suffering and disease. Seeming to change his attributes,
he apparently heals those whom he himself has tormented.”—Manuscript 125, 1901, 6-9, 12-14, 21
(“The Unchangeable Law of God,” December 9,
1901).
The World Appears to Be Moving toward Destruction in a Dance Macabre.—“The world, who
act as though there were no God, absorbed in selfish pursuits, will soon experience sudden destruction, and shall not escape. Many continue in the
careless gratification of self, until they become so
disgusted with life that they kill themselves. Dancing and carousing, drinking and smoking, indulging
their animal passions, they go as an ox to the slaughter. Satan is working with all his art and enchantments to keep men marching blindly onward, until
the Lord arises out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquities, when the earth
shall disclose her blood, and no more cover her slain.

66
The whole world appears to be in a march of death.”—
Manuscript 139, 1903, 5-6 (The Message in Revelation, October 23, 1903. See also 7 BC 966, 977978; Ev 26; UL 310).
Wonderful Scenes with which Satan Will Be
Closely Connected Will Soon Take Place.—“The
time will come, Christ tells us, when many deceivers will go forth declaring themselves to be Christ.
The Saviour says, ‘Go ye not . . after them’ (Luke
21:8). We need not be deceived. Wonderful scenes,
with which Satan will be closely connected, will soon
take place. God’s Word declares that Satan will
work miracles. He will make people sick, and then
will suddenly remove from them his satanic
power.”—Letter 57, 1904 (“To Our Leading Medical Workers,” November 12, 1903).
How Men Under the Influence of Evil Spirits
Will Work Miracles.—“Men under the influence of
evil spirits will work miracles. They will make
people sick by casting their spell upon them, and
will then remove the spell, leading others to say that
those who were sick have been miraculously healed.
This Satan has done again and again.”—Letter 259,
1903 (to “Dear Sister Hall,” November 23, 1903.
See also 2 SM 350-353).
If We Watch and Obey.—“Temptations will
come, but if we watch against the enemy, and maintain the balance of self-control and purity, the seducing spirits will not be able to obtain one jot of
influence over us. In the future you will see good
reasons for the warnings given in regard to seducing spirits.”—Letter 211, 1905 (to J.E. White, July
22, 1905).
Apostates Will Go to Great Lengths in Departing from God.—“The Lord is in earnest with us. In
His Word He has declared that many shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and
doctrines of devils. They will go to great lengths in
departing from God . . Satan is wide awake, and he
will lose no opportunity to bind men and women to
his plans, and to fasten them in such a way that
before they are aware of it, they will find a yoke of
bondage upon them.”—Manuscript 122, 1905, 2-3,
5-6 (“A Solemn Appeal,” August 1905. See also PM
174-175).
Satan’s Throne Is in this World.—“The seat or
throne of Satan is in this world, and students of
prophecy are to be fully awake regarding the powers
they are to meet . .
Satan’s Power Will Be Manifested as a Wonderful Blessing to the Race.—“There are those who
greatly desire power, and who will use inventions
that Satan places in their hands to gain power. The
evil [one] has acquired wonderful power, and this
power will be manifested as apparently a most wonderful blessing to the race.”—Manuscript 78, 1905,

THE END OF TIME
6 (“A Message to Believers,” n.d. 1905).
By Exercising Faith and Prayer, We May Call
Heavenly Angels to Our Side.—“We are warned that
in these last days satanic influences will work with
such power that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the very elect. But living amid these opposing forces, we may, through the exercise of faith
and prayer, call to our side a retinue of heavenly angels, who will guard us from every corrupting influence. The workers who make the Word of God their
guide, will walk in the light of the Lord, and be
safe.”—Letter 248, 1907 (to J.E. White and wife,
August 16, 1907).
God Will Distinguish with the Marks of His Favor Those Who Submit to be Molded by His
Spirit.—“In this age, a time of satanic wonders, everything conceivable will be said and done to deceive, if possible, the very elect. Let believers say
nothing to extol Satan’s power. The Lord will distinguish His commandment-keeping people with
signal marks of His favor, if they will be molded
and fashioned by His Spirit, and built up in the
most holy faith, hearkening strictly to the Voice of
His Word.”—Letter 195, 1903 (to W.C. White, September 6, 1903).
God Promises Deliverance from the Hour of
Temptation.—“There are severe trials before every one of us, yet we need not fail. In the hour of
temptation Christ will not leave His children, but
will send His angels to minister unto them. He will
answer their prayers for deliverance . .
If We Will Grasp the Power that Christ Offers.—“Satan knows that his time is short, and he
will put forth every effort in his power to destroy
our faith in God and in His Word . . But if we will
grasp the power that Christ offers, seeking the Lord
diligently, and watching unto prayer, we shall have
all power and wisdom to meet the attacks of the
enemy.
The Time Has Come to Take Our Stand Positively on Christ’s Side.—“Many of our people do
not seem to realize that the time has come for everyone to take his stand positively on the side of
Jesus Christ and the heavenly angels. By their indifference, by carelessness in word and act, they leave
themselves open to the molding influence of the enemy. They seem asleep as regards to the issues that
are now before the world.”—Manuscript 35, 1908,
2, 3, 6-8, 11-12 (“Conflict and Victory,” a sermon
preached in Oakland, California, March 7, 1908).
Satan, Posing as an Intellectual, Insinuates
Himself into Circles of the Intelligentsia through
Spiritualism.—“Satan personated the serpent in
Eden, regarding this creature as the best adapted
for his line of temptations. Satan has been increasing in skillful methods by constantly practicing upon

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THE FALSE LATTER RAIN

the human mind. It is his one purpose to complete
the work that he began in Eden, and work the ruin
of mankind. Through his mysterious workings he
can insinuate himself into the circles of the most
educated and refined, for he was once an exalted
being, in a high position of responsibility among the
heavenly hosts. It is a mistake to represent him as a
being with hoofs and horns, for he is still a fallen
angel. He is capable of mingling the highest intellectual greatness with basest cruelty and most debasing corruption. If he had not this power, many who
are charmed with his attractive representations and
taken captive by his delusions would escape his
snares.
Why It Is Not Surprising to Find a Species of
Refinement in Those Inspired by Fallen Angels.—
“In his synagogue Satan brings under his scepter
and into his councils those agents whom he can
use to promote his worship. It is not a strange matter to find a species of refinement, and a manifestation of intellectual greatness in the lives and characters of those who are inspired by fallen angels.
Satan can impart scientific knowledge and give men
chapters upon philosophy. He is conversant with
history and versed in worldly wisdom.
Worldly Men Claim to Possess Higher,
Grander Intellects than Christ Had.—“Almost every phase of talent is now being brought into captivity to the prince of the power of darkness. Worldly
minded men, because they wish to exalt themselves,
have separated from God, do not love to retain God
in their knowledge, for they claim to possess a higher,
grander intellect than that of Jesus Christ. Satan
envies Christ, and makes the claim that he is entitled to a higher position than the Commander of
heaven. His self-exaltation led him to despise the
law of God, and resulted in his expulsion from
heaven.
Satan Has Manifested His Character through
the Papacy.—“Through the papacy he has manifested his character and wrought out the principles
of his government.
“Satan will use his agencies to carry out diabolical devices, to overpower the saints of God as in time
past he used the Roman power to stay the course of
Protestantism. Yet the people of God can look calmly
at the whole array of evil and come to the triumphant conclusion that, because Christ lives, we shall
live also. The people of God are to advance in the
same spirit in which Jesus met the assaults of the
prince of darkness in the past. The evil confederacy
can advance only in the course that Jesus Christ
has marked out before them. Every step of their advance brings the saints of God nearer the great white
throne, nearer the successful termination of their
warfare.”—Undated Manuscript 66, 1-6 (“Signs and
Wonders of Spiritualism.” See also Ev 602-603).

67
SATANIC APPEARANCES

He Comes as a Beautiful Angel.—“Satan comes
down as a beautiful angel, and presents lovely pictures before the eyes of those who have so perverted
their ways before God that they do not see what they
are or know what they need. The enemy has come
down with great power, to work with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish.”—Letter 259, 1903 (to “Dear Sister Hall,” November 23,
1903. See also 7 BC 35, 383; 2 SM 350-351).
In the Final Conflict Satan Comes, Not Only
as a Roaring Lion, but Also as a Seducer.—“We
need to understand what we are to meet and how
we are to meet it. We must know what efforts we
are to make, so that in this perilous time we shall
not be taken by the enemy’s devices. We know that
the last great conflict will be Satan’s most determined effort to accomplish his purpose. He will
come, not only as a roaring lion, but as a seducer,
clothing sin with beautiful garments of light, that
he may take human beings in his snare.”—Manuscript 46, 1904, 1-3, 6-8 (“The Foundation of Our
Faith,” a talk given at Berrien Springs, Michigan,
May 18, 1904).
Evil Angels in Human Form Will Present
Glowing Representations.—“Satan has his allies
in men, and evil angels in human form will appear
to men, and present before them such glowing representations of what they will be able to do, if they
will only heed their suggestions, [so] that often they
[ex] change their penitence for defiance.”—Manuscript 122, 1905, 2-3, 5-6 (“A Solemn Appeal,” August 1905).
SATANIC INFLUENCE

Angels Preserve the World from Destruction
because Some Have Never Yet Heard the Message.—“God’s angels are preserving the world from
destruction, because there are some who have never
yet heard the message of truth . .
Those Who act a Part in Spiritualistic Deceptions Will Become as Mad Men When Their Deceptions Are Exposed.—“The development of these
last days will soon become decided. When these spiritualistic deceptions are revealed to be what they really are, the secret workings of evil spirits, those
who have acted a part in them will become as men
who have lost their minds.
“The world is to be flooded with specious fallacies. One human mind, accepting these fallacies, will
work upon other human minds who have been turning the precious evidence of God’s truth into a lie.
These men will be deceived by fallen angels, when
they should have stood as faithful guardians, watching for souls as they that must give an account. They
have laid down the weapons of their warfare, and

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THE END OF TIME

have given heed to seducing spirits. They make of no
effect the counsel of God, and set aside His warnings and reproofs, and are positively on Satan’s side,
giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils . .
Through Satan’s Cunning Device the Forms
of the Dead Will Appear.—“History is to be repeated . . The forms of the dead will appear through
the cunning device of Satan, and many will link up
with the one who loveth and maketh a lie . . Right
among us some men will turn away from the faith
and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of
devils, and by them the truth will be evil spoken of.
Some Who Have Been Deceived Will Repent
and Be Converted.—“Some who have been deceived
by men in responsible places will repent and be converted. And in all our dealings with them, we must

remember that none of those who are in the depth of
Satan’s snare know that they are there.”—Letter 311,
1905 (to A.G. Daniells, W.W. Prescott, and their associates, October 30, 1905. See also Ev 122, 180;
UL 317).
Satan’s Angels Are Mingling with Men.—“Satan is using his science in playing the game of life
for human souls. His angels are mingling with men,
and instructing them in the mysteries of evil. These
fallen angels will draw away disciples after them,
will talk with men, and will set forth principles that
are as false as can be, leading souls into paths of
deception. These angels are to be found all over the
world, presenting the wonderful things that will
soon appear in a more decided light.”—Manuscript
145, 1905, 4 (“Diary,” October 31, 1905).

“By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in
violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself
fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch
her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman
power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands
with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its
Constitution as a Protestant and republican government,
and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time
has come for the marvelous working of Satan and
that the end is near.”
—5 Testimonies, 451:1

5 -

THE SHAKING AND SIFTING

69

— CHAPTER 5 —

THE
SHAKING AND SIFTING
The shaking has already begun (EW 50, 4 BC
1161); and we are now in it (1T 429, 6T 332). But
erelong it will swell into a purification of the church
(2SG 284). The sieve is already moving (1T 100);
and the sifting is now taking place (1T 99, 4T 51). A
mighty sifting is soon to occur (5T 80).
Sometimes “shaking” and “sifting” are synonymous in the Spirit of Prophecy; sometimes “sifting” is the more severe of the two terms. Either
way, a separating process is involved. Shake sand
and gravel in a pan, and they will separate within
the pan. You are producing separation within the
pan. Drill holes in the bottom and continue shaking; now you are sifting, as the sand falls out and
only the gravel remains. Part of the contents are
being separated out of the pan.
Throughout the history of our church, many
superficial believers have been shaken out. (Our problem today is that the church is so lukewarm, that
the superficial feel very much at home and those faithful to our historic beliefs are instead being crowded
out, a reverse shaking!) But the shaking/sifting process in our church will climax in the crisis brought
on by the enactment of the National Sunday Law.
That crisis will powerfully affect every soul living; but it will have an immediate and terrific impact on every Sabbathkeeper. What more powerful
means of sifting out false believers from the true then
when, by government law, it is a criminal act to remain a genuine Seventh-day Adventist!
The shaking/sifting occurs among Sabbathkeepers, and has been in progress for many years.
It will climax for Sabbathkeepers as the Sunday
law crisis bursts upon the people of each nation.
The shaking/sifting is individually experienced and,
during the Sunday law crisis, results in the reception of the seal or mark. Those receiving the seal
also receive the latter rain, empowering them to
then go out and give the loud cry to the world.

-1THE CLIMAX OF THE SHAKING
AND SIFTING IN THE FUTURE
1 - Because of our sins, none of our policies
will be able to save us from it.
“All the policy in the world cannot save us
from a terrible sifting, and all the efforts made
with high authorities will not lift from us the scourging of God, just because sin is cherished. If as a
people we do not keep ourselves in the faith and
not only advocate with pen and voice the commandments of God, but keep them every one, not violating a single precept knowingly, then weakness and
ruin will come upon us.”—3 Selected Messages,
384:3-385:0.
2 - A time is coming when the church will be
purified.
“Well may we exclaim: ‘Help, Lord; for the godly
man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the
children of men.’ I know that many think far too
favorably of the present time. These ease-loving souls will be engulfed in the general ruin.
Yet we do not despair. We have been inclined to think
that where there are no faithful ministers there can
be no true Christians, but this is not the case. God
has promised that where the shepherds are not true
He will take charge of the flock Himself. God has
never made the flock wholly dependent upon human instrumentalities. But the days of purification of the church are hastening on apace. God
will have a people pure and true. In the mighty
sifting soon to take place we shall be better able
to measure the strength of Israel. The signs reveal
that the time is near when the Lord will manifest
that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly
purge His floor.”—5 Testimonies, 80:0.
3 - There is great need for such a shaking.
“It is a solemn statement that I make to the
church, that not one in twenty whose names
are registered upon the church books are prepared to close their earthly history, and would be
as verily without God and without hope in the world
as the common sinner.”—Christian Service, 41:1.

70
“Those who have had opportunities to hear and
receive the truth and who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, calling themselves
the commandment-keeping people of God, and
yet possess no more vitality and consecration
to God than do the nominal churches, will receive
of the plagues of God just as verily as the churches
who oppose the law of God.”—19 Manuscript Releases, 176 (1898).
“There are those among us who will make confessions, as did Achan, too late to save themselves
. . They are not in harmony with right. They
despise the straight testimony that reaches the
heart, and would rejoice to see everyone silenced who
gives reproof.”—3 Testimonies, 272:2.
4 - It will be a complete work.
“Oh that every lukewarm professor could realize
the clean work that God is about to make among
His professed people!”—1 Testimonies, 190:0.
“What sifting will there be among those who
claim to be the children of God!”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 163:1.
5 - All the chaff will be separated out.
“God’s people will be sifted, even as corn is
sifted in a sieve, until all the chaff is separated
from the pure kernels of grain.”—1 Testimonies,
431:2.
6 - The superficial will depart.
“And at that time the superficial, conservative class, whose influence has steadily retarded
the progress of the work, will renounce the faith
and take their stand with its avowed enemies, toward whom their sympathies have long been tending.”—5 Testimonies, 463:2.
7 - The sinners will be sifted out.
“Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he
will set up his power as supreme. The church
may appear as about to fall, but it does not
fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will
be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have
been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the
word of their testimony will be found with the loyal
and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile
in their mouths.”—2 Selected Messages, 380:2.
Note: We should keep in mind that the word,
“church,” in the Biblical sense, is composed of
people—not buildings, institutions, committees, or
an organization. Throughout history, in times of
relative peace the church has had organization, but
the organization is not the church. It never has been
and never will be. God’s faithful ones are His
church. It is they who will, by His grace, go through
to the end. Buildings, committees, agendas, policies,

THE END OF TIME
and offices are not saved; only individuals who fulfill, in their own experience, the definition given in
Revelation 14:12.
-2THINGS THAT CAUSE
THE SHAKING
1 - False theories produce a shaking.
“When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide
into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings
of bitterness . . Daniel and Revelation must be studied, as well as the other prophecies of the Old and
New Testaments. Let there be light, yes, light, in
your dwellings. For this we need to pray. The Holy
Spirit, shining upon the sacred page, will open our
understanding, that we may know what is truth.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 112:1.
“The enemy will bring in false theories, such
as the doctrine that there is no Sanctuary. This
is one of the points on which there will be a departing from the faith.”—Evangelism, 224:3.
2 - The shaking occurs when the truth is refused.
“There is to be a shaking among God’s people;
but this is not the present truth to carry to the
churches. It will be the result of refusing the truth
presented.”—2 Selected Messages, 13:1.
“The Lord is soon to come; there must be a refining, winnowing process in every church, for there
are among us wicked men who do not love the
truth.”—Review, March 19, 1895.
“Not having received the love of the truth, they
will be taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will
give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils
and will depart from the faith.”—6 Testimonies,
401:0.
3 - The rejection of the straight testimony
brings the shaking.
“I asked the meaning of the shaking I had
seen and was shown that it would be caused by
the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will
have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and
will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth
the straight truth. Some will not bear this
straight testimony. They will rise up against
it, and this is what will cause a shaking among
God’s people.”—Early Writings, 270:2.
“The Lord calls for a renewal of the straight
testimony borne in years past. He calls for a
renewal of spiritual life. The spiritual energies of His
people have long been torpid, but there is to be a
resurrection from apparent death. By prayer and

5 -

THE SHAKING AND SIFTING

confession of sin we must clear the King’s highway.”—
8 Testimonies, 297:5-6.
“One thing is certain: Those Seventh-day Adventists who take their stand under Satan’s banner will
first give up their faith in the warnings and reproofs contained in the Testimonies of God’s
Spirit.”—3 Selected Messages, 84:3.
“The very last deception of Satan will be to
make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit
of God. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’
(Prov. 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle
the confidence of God’s remnant people in the
true testimony.”—1 Selected Messages, 48:3.
“The enemy has made his masterly efforts to unsettle the faith of our own people in the Testimonies . . This is just as Satan designed it should be,
and those who have been preparing the way for the
people to pay no heed to the warnings and reproofs of the Testimonies of the Spirit of God will
see that a tide of errors of all kinds will spring to
life.”—3 Selected Messages, 83:3-4.
“It is Satan’s plan to weaken the faith of God’s
people in the Testimonies. Next follows skepticism
in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars
of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition.
When the Testimonies, which were once believed,
are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles
his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion,
which becomes incurable and ends in destruction.”—
4 Testimonies, 211:1.
4 - Disobedience brings the shaking.
“The history of the rebellion of Dathan and
Abiram is being repeated, and will be repeated
till the close of time. Who will be on the Lord’s
side? Who will be deceived, and in their turn become deceivers?”—Last Day Events, 173:2 (Letter
15, 1892).
“We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The
Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if
they do not in word and deed obey His commands.”—6 Testimonies, 332:0.
5 - Persecution produces a shaking.
“In the absence of the persecution there have
drifted into our ranks men who appear sound and
their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if persecution should arise, would go out from us.”—
Evangelism, 360:4.
6 - Acceptance of false science brings separation.
“Science, so-called, and religion will be
placed in opposition to each other because fi-

71
nite men do not comprehend the power and greatness of God. These words of Holy Writ were presented to me, ‘Of your own selves shall men arise,
speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples
after them’ [Acts 20:30]. This will surely be seen
among the people of God.”—Evangelism, 593:1.
7 - Trials increase the shaking, but the coming storm of persecution will climax it.
“As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks. Some
who are now ready to take up weapons of warfare
will in times of real peril make it manifest that they
have not built upon the solid rock; they will yield to
temptation. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will,
under one pretext or another, go out from us. Not
having received the love of the truth, they will be
taken in the delusions of the enemy; they will give
heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,
and will depart from the faith. But, on the other
hand, when the storm of persecution really
breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the
true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will
be put forth to save the lost, and many who have
strayed from the fold will come back to follow the
great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front. In
view of the common peril, strife for supremacy will
cease; there will be no disputing as to who shall be
accounted greatest. No one of the true believers will
say: ‘I am of Paul; and I am of Apollos; and I am of
Cephas.’ The testimony of one and all will be: ‘I
cleave unto Christ; I rejoice in Him as my personal
Saviour.’ ”—6 Testimonies, 400:3-401:0.
-3THE WHEAT WILL BE SEPARATED
FROM THE CHAFF
1 - The wheat and the tares grow up together.
“Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed. The wheat and tares grow
up together for the harvest.”—2 Selected Messages,
114:0.
2 - The sieve will eliminate the chaff.
“There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff
must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes
cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be
the strongest.”—Last Day Events, 173:1 (Letter 46,
1887).
3 - Adversity does the purging.
“Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church.”—4 Testimonies, 89:2.

72

THE END OF TIME

-4THE CRISIS OF THE MARK
WILL PURIFY THE CHURCH
OF ITS DROSS
The purification of the church occurs when
the crisis of the mark causes the shaking and
sifting in the church to reach its climax.
1 - The separation will occur in the marking
time.
“The time of judgment is a most solemn
period, when the Lord gathers His own from
among the tares. Those who have been members
of the same family are separated. A mark is placed
upon the righteous. ‘They shall be Mine, saith the
Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his
own son that serveth him.’ Those who have been
obedient to God’s commandments will unite with
the company of the saints in light; they shall enter
in through the gates into the City, and have right to
the tree of life. The one shall be taken. His name
shall stand in the book of life, while those with
whom he associated shall have the mark of eternal
separation from God.”—Testimonies to Ministers,
234:2-235:0.
2 - The sifting climaxes when the law of God
is made void.
“When the law of God is made void the
church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger
proportion than we now anticipate, will give heed
to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.”—2 Selected Messages, 368:1.
“The great issue so near at hand [enforcement of Sunday laws] will weed out those
whom God has not appointed and He will have
a pure, true, sanctified ministry prepared for
the latter rain.”—3 Selected Messages, 385:3.
3 - The sifting climaxes when the mark is urged.
“The time is not far distant when the test will
come to every soul. The mark of the beast will
be urged upon us. Those who have step by step
yielded to worldly demands and conformed to
worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to
yield themselves to the powers that be, rather than
be subjected to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the
commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will then go out in darkness.
Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the wind,
even from places where we see only floors of rich

wheat. All who assume the ornaments of the Sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness, will appear in the shame of their own nakedness.
“When trees without fruit are cut down as
cumberers of the ground, when multitudes of
false brethren are distinguished from the true,
then the hidden ones will be revealed to view, and
with hosannas range under the banner of Christ.
Those who have been timid and self-distrustful will
declare themselves openly for Christ and His truth.
The most weak and hesitating in the church will be
as David willing to do and dare. The deeper the
night for God’s people, the more brilliant the stars.
Satan will sorely harass the faithful; but, in the
name of Jesus, they will come off more than conquerors. Then will the church of Christ appear ‘fair
as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an
army with banners.’ ”—5 Testimonies, 81:1-82:0.
4 - The final separation occurs when the worship of the beast is commanded.
“The time is upon us when the miracle-working power of the archdeceiver will be more decidedly revealed. And his deceptions will increase
in their delusive attraction, so that they will perplex, and if possible, deceive, the very elect. The
prince of darkness with his evil angels is working
upon the Christian world, inducing those who profess the name of Christ to stand under the banner
of darkness, to make war with those who keep the
commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus.
“An apostate church will unite with the
powers of earth and hell to place upon the forehead or in the hand, the mark of the beast,
and prevail upon the children of God to worship the beast and his image. They will seek to
compel them to renounce their allegiance to God’s
law and yield homage to the papacy. Then will come
the times which will try men’s souls; for the confederacy of apostasy will demand that the loyal subjects of God shall renounce the law of Jehovah, and
repudiate the truth of His Word. Then will the gold
be separated from the dross, and it will be made
apparent who are the godly, who are the loyal and
true, and who are the disloyal, the dross and the
tinsel. What clouds of chaff will then be borne
away by the fan of God! Where now our eyes can
discover only rich floors of wheat, will be chaff
blown away with the fan of God. Everyone who is
not centered in Christ will fail to stand the test and
ordeal of that day. While those who are clothed with
Christ’s righteousness will stand firm to truth and
duty, those who have trusted in their own righteousness will be ranged under the black banner of the
prince of darkness. Then it will be seen whether the
choice is for Christ or Belial.

5 -

THE SHAKING AND SIFTING

“Those who have been self-distrustful, who have
been so circumstanced that they have not dared to
face stigma and reproach, will at last openly declare
themselves for Christ and His law; while many who
have appeared to be flourishing trees, but who have
borne no fruit, will go with the multitude to do
evil, and will receive the mark of apostasy in the
forehead or in the hand.”—Maranatha, 204:2-4.
5 - God permits affliction to purify the church.
“Soon there is to be trouble all over the world. It
becomes everyone to seek to know God. We have no
time to delay . .
“God’s love for His church is infinite. His care
over His heritage is unceasing. He suffers no affliction to come upon the church but such as
is essential for her purification, her present and
eternal good. He will purify His church even as He
purified the temple at the beginning and close of
His ministry on earth. All that He brings upon the
church in test and trial comes that His people may
gain deeper piety and more strength to carry the
triumphs of the cross to all parts of the world.”—9
Testimonies, 228:1-2.
“Afflictions, crosses, temptations, adversity, and
our varied trials are God’s workmen to refine us,
sanctify us, and fit us for the heavenly garner.”—
3 Testimonies, 115:1.
-5THE CHURCH APPEARS AS ABOUT
TO FALL, BUT WILL NOT FALL
1 - Satan will try to destroy the little company.
“Those who keep the commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the
dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as
his subjects. He has gained control of the apostate
churches; but here is a little company that are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from
the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he
influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so
in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God . . Their
only hope is in the mercy of God; their only defense
will be prayer.
“The trying experiences that came to God’s people
in the days of Esther were not peculiar to that age
alone. The revelator, looking down the ages to the
close of time, has declared, ‘The dragon was wroth
with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of
God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ Revelation 12:17 . .
“The wrath of Satan increases as his time grows
short, and his work of deceit and destruction will
reach its culmination in the time trouble.”—Faith I

73
Live By, 289:2-4.
2 - God will be with His faithful ones to the
end.
“I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that
the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and
that He will continue to be with them, even to
the end.”—General Conference Bulletin, May 27,
1913, 165.
3 - God will care for His faithful ones.
“The church, soon to enter upon her most
severe conflict, will be the object most dear to
God upon earth. The confederacy of evil will be
stirred with power from beneath, and Satan will
cast all the reproach possible upon the chosen ones
whom he cannot deceive and delude with his satanic inventions and falsehoods. But exalted ‘to be
a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel,
and remission of sins,’ will Christ, our representative and head, close His heart, or withdraw His
hand, or falsify His promise? No; never, never.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 20:0.
4 - His people will not fall, but will go through
to the end.
“The church . . does not fall. It remains.”—7
Bible Commentary, 911/2:2.
Note: The above passage, taken from Letter 55,
1886, has been quoted repeatedly. Here is the complete list:
Maranatha, 203:2
Maranatha, 32:5
Manuscript Releases, Volume 12, 324:3
Reflecting Christ, 226:6
2 Selected Messages, 380:2
7 Bible Commentary, 911/2:2
Upward Look, 356:5
In the process of looking them all up, one was
found which had the complete letter! It is 2 Selected Messages, 376:1-383:1. That is indeed fortunate. Two facts will help us understand the complete “church does not fall” passage:
(1) Consistently, the Spirit of Prophecy applies statements about “the church” to the faithful, commandment-keeping people of God. In
other words, the “church” is composed of His faithful, obedient children, plus tares. Unless they repent, the apostates will fall! But those who remain
dedicated will not. But, by their continued loyalty
to God and obedience by faith in Christ to His commandments, the faithful will not fall away. They will
cling to God and go through to the end. Yet so many
superficial believers will go out from among us in
that hour of great crisis—the Sunday law crisis,—
that it may, for a time, appear as if the entire

74
church body is disappearing! When the governmental iron fist of enforcement knocks at the door,
Sabbathkeepers will make rapid decisions, which
will determine their eternal destiny.
(2) The complete context of the passage (“The
church may appear as about to fall, but it does not
fall. It remains.”) reveals that the “about to fall”
event culminates in the National Sunday Law
crisis. It will be the National Sunday Law enactment which will very nearly overthrow the church.
But, although the disobedient will depart from the
faith, God’s faithful ones, who love and obey His
Word, will not fall but go through to the end. Thus,
the “not fall” sentence is referring not to the entire membership nor to the organizational structure, but only to those in the church who
unswervingly remain faithful and obedient to the
commandments of God through the enabling
grace of Jesus Christ His Son. Already there are
many modernists, compromisers, and apostates
among us. What a severe crisis the National Sunday Law will bring upon us when, at first, it appears there are hardly any believers yet remaining!
(Keep in mind that on October 21, 1844, there were,
by various estimates, 50,000 to 100,000 Millerites;
on October 23, there were only 50.)
It is fortunate, indeed, that we now have the
context of the “will not fall” passage (2 Selected Messages, 376:1-383:1).
In all the published reprints (with the exception
of the 2 SM passage), the full context of Letter 55,
1886, had never been presented. But that fuller context is a typical discussion of the Sunday law crisis
and mentions the National Sunday Law, Satan’s
miracles, and governmental demands. It speaks
about the apparent fall of the church and how only
the sinners are sifted out while those who remain
(those not sifted out; i.e., the remnant) will be the
ones who maintain their obedience to God’s laws.
So it will be the National Sunday Law crisis which
will cause the false professors in our church to
depart. And that which remains will be the true
professors; the passage says nothing about what will
happen to the organization (General Conference corporation, etc.).
Here is the three central paragraphs in the “will
not fall” passage. Notice that the “it” which does
not fall consists only of individuals who were overcomers and fully obedient. The “it” is not an organization; it is faithful Advent believers:
“We are to be ready and waiting for the orders
of God. Nations will be stirred to their very center. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim God’s only standard of righteousness, the only
sure test of character. And all who will not bow to
the decrees of national councils, and obey the
national laws to exalt the sabbath instituted by

THE END OF TIME
the man of sin to the disregard of God’s holy day,
will feel, not the oppressive power of popery alone,
but of the Protestant world, the image of the beast.
“Satan will work his miracles to deceive. He will
set up his power as supreme. The church may
appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It
remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted
out, the chaff separated from the precious wheat.
This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must
take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of
their testimony will be found loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths
..
“The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy . . That which God required of
Adam before the Fall was perfect obedience to His
law. God requires now what He required of Adam—
perfect obedience, righteousness without a flaw, without shortcomings in His sight . . We cannot do this
without that faith that brings Christ’s righteousness
into daily practice.”—Letter 55, 1886 (to G.I. Butler
and S.N. Haskell, December 8, 1886. This letter is
quoted in more complete form in 2 Selected Messages, 376:1-383:1).
-6AT THAT TIME, A MAJORITY
OF SABBATHKEEPERS
WILL FORSAKE US
The “church” will be tested individually, one by
one. We will not be tested as an organization, a
union, a conference, or a local church. The testing
will be personally applied, and decisions will be
individually made. It is urgent we understand that
we will experience the crisis on an individual basis. No local, statewide, or national organization
can do our thinking for us, undergo the test for us,
or shelter us from having to make our own decisions in the matter. We will only have God as our
protector and enabler.
1 - The counterworkers will be purged.
“Those who have had privileges and opportunities to become intelligent in regard to the truth
and yet who continue to counterwork the work
God would have accomplished will be purged
out, for God accepts the service of no man whose
interest is divided.”—Last Day Events, 175:1.
2 - Large numbers will leave.
“The shaking of God blows away multitudes
like dry leaves.”—4 Testimonies, 89:2.
“Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the
wind, even from places where we see only floors of

5 -

THE SHAKING AND SIFTING

rich wheat.”—5 Testimonies, 81:1.
3 - When God’s law is despised, the majority
will forsake us.
“Soon God’s people will be tested by fiery trials,
and the great proportion of those who now appear
to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal . .
“When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then
should our zeal be the warmest and our courage
and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in
defense of truth and righteousness when the
majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the
Lord when champions are few this will be our
test. At this time we must gather warmth from the
coldness of others, courage from their cowardice,
and loyalty from their treason.”—5 Testimonies,
136:1-2.
4 - All will be individually tested. The superficial modernists will totally abandon the truth
when the crisis hits.
“The work which the church has failed to do in
a time of peace and prosperity she will have to do in
a terrible crisis under most discouraging, forbidding circumstances. The warnings that worldly conformity has silenced or withheld must be given under the fiercest opposition from enemies of the faith.
And at that time the superficial, conservative
class, whose influence has steadily retarded the
progress of the work, will renounce the faith
and take their stand with its avowed enemies,
toward whom their sympathies have long been
tending. These apostates will then manifest the
most bitter enmity, doing all in their power to oppress and malign their former brethren and to excite indignation against them. This day is just before us. The members of the church will individually be tested and proved. They will be placed in
circumstances where they will be forced to bear witness for the truth. Many will be called to speak
before councils and in courts of justice, perhaps
separately and alone. The experience which would
have helped them in this emergency they have neglected to obtain, and their souls are burdened with
remorse for wasted opportunities and neglected privileges.”—5 Testimonies, 463:2.
“In the absence of the persecution there have
drifted into our ranks men who appear sound
and their Christianity unquestionable, but who, if
persecution should arise, would go out from
us.”—Evangelism, 360:4.
“Even in our day there have been and will continue to be entire families who have once rejoiced
in the truth, but who will lose faith because of calumnies and falsehoods brought to them in regard to
those whom they have loved and with whom they
have had sweet counsel. They opened their hearts to

75
the sowing of tares; the tares sprang up among the
wheat; they strengthened; the crop of wheat became
less and less; and the precious truth lost its power
to them.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 411:2.
5 - At that time, God will not use the great
ones, but only the humble.
“The days are fast approaching when there will
be great perplexity and confusion. Satan,
clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the
very elect. There will be gods many and lords many.
Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. Those
who have rendered supreme homage to ‘science
falsely so called’ will not be the leaders then.
Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or
talent will not then stand at the head of rank and
file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those
who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then
be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn
work few great men will be engaged. They are
self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot
use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who
in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed
to view. There are precious ones now hidden who
have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not
had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough
and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a
genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the
daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the
stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but
the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.
“The time is not far distant when the test
will come to every soul. The mark of the beast
will be urged upon us. Those who have step by
step yielded to worldly customs will not find it a
hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather
than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death.”—5 Testimonies,
81:1.
-7MANY WILL DEPART
1 - Many prominent leaders (salaried or otherwise) in our denomination will leave.
“Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness.”—Prophets and
Kings, 188:1.
“Men whom He has greatly honored will, in
the closing scenes of this earth’s history, pattern after ancient Israel . . A departure from the great
principles Christ has laid down in His teachings,
a working out of human projects, using the Scriptures to justify a wrong course of action under the
perverse working of Lucifer, will confirm men in misunderstanding, and the truth that they need to keep

76

THE END OF TIME

them from wrong practices will leak out of the
soul like water from a leaky vessel.”—13 Manuscript
Releases, 379, 381 (1904).
“Many will show that they are not one with
Christ, that they are not dead to the world, that
they may live with Him; and frequent will be the
apostasies of men who have occupied responsible positions.”—Last Day Events, 179:1.
“The great issue so near at hand [enforcement
of Sunday laws] will weed out those whom God
has not appointed and He will have a pure, true,
sanctified ministry prepared for the latter rain.”—3
Selected Messages, 385:3.
“Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch
of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the
hellish torch of Satan . .
“Some will go out from among us who will
bear the ark no longer. But these cannot make
walls to obstruct the truth; for it will go onward
and upward to the end.”—Testimonies to Ministers,
411:1.
“Ministers and doctors may depart from the
faith, as the Word declares they will, and as the
messages that God has given His servant declare
they will.”—7 Manuscript Releases, 192:4 (1906).
2 - Many talented men will, in the crisis, depart and become our enemies.
“As the storm approaches, a large class who
have professed faith in the third angel’s message,
but have not been sanctified through obedience to
the truth, abandon their position, and join the
ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world
and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view
matters in nearly the same light; and when the test
is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy,
popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address,
who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become
the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before
the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports
and insinuations to stir up the rulers against
them.”—Great Controversy, 608:2.
-8MANY WILL COME IN
AND TAKE THE PLACES
OF THOSE WHO DEPART
1 - Although many will leave, many others will
enter and take their places.
“But there are men who will receive the truth,
and these will take the places made vacant by those
who become offended and leave the truth . .

“Men of true Christian principle will take their
place, and will become faithful, trustworthy householders, to advocate the Word of God in its true
bearings, and in its simplicity. The Lord will work
so that the disaffected ones will be separated
from the true and loyal ones . . The ranks will not
be diminished. Those who are firm and true will
close up the vacancies that are made by those who
become offended and apostatize.”—Maranatha,
200:5-6.
2 - Precious ones will enter.
“The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are
precious ones now hidden who have not bowed
the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which
has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon
you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting
exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian
character will be revealed. In the daytime we look
toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are
there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.”—5 Testimonies, 80:1-81:0.
3 - Others will take hold of the truth.
“Some had been shaken out and left by the way.
The careless and indifferent, who did not join with
those who prized victory and salvation enough to
perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and
their places were immediately filled by others
taking hold of the truth and coming into the
ranks.”—Early Writings, 271:1.
4 - Many will come from the ranks of the enemy.
“Standard after standard was left to trail in the
dust as company after company from the Lord’s
army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from
the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God.”—8 Testimonies, 41:1.
5 - Many will enter at the eleventh hour.
“The broken ranks will be filled up by those
represented by Christ as coming in at the eleventh hour. There are many with whom the Spirit of
God is striving. The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who [now] have
no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will
the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is
touched, His hand is still stretched out to save, while
the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large
numbers will be admitted who in these last days
hear the truth for the first time.”—Last Day Events,
182:2.

5 -

THE SHAKING AND SIFTING
-9WHEN THE SHAKING
AND SIFTING IS FINISHED

The shaking and sifting will end as false professors are sifted out of the truth and the faithful are
sealed into it.
1 - The solid ones will remain.
“Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance
again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the
half-hearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the
faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a
rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter than in
days of prosperity.”—Great Controversy, 602:1.
2 - Stripped of the dross, and now in armor,
the church goes forth to its final conflict.
“The church is to be fed with manna from
heaven, and to be kept under the sole guardianship of His grace. Clad in complete armor of light
and righteousness, she enters upon her final conflict. The dross, the worthless material, will be
consumed, and the influence of the truth testifies
to the world of its sanctifying, ennobling character.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 17:1-18:0.
- 10 LOCATING THE CLIMAX OF
THE SHAKING/SIFTING
1 - Sequence: (1) The test begins as the mark is
urged [81:1a]. (2) Conformists yield to avoid the death
threat. Sifting in the church occurs as false professors leave [81:1b]. (3) Faithful ones stand unmoved
through the crisis, and are more than conquerors
[81:2-82:0]. (4) After the sifting, the loud cry begins
[82:1]. [Read 5T 81-82 for full context; for a most
powerful learning process, read the entire chapter!]
“The contest is between the commandments of
God and the commandments of men. In this time
the gold will be separated from the dross in
the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many
a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will
then go out in darkness. Chaff like a cloud will be
borne away on the wind, even from places where
we see only floors of rich wheat . .
“Then will the church of Christ appear ‘fair as
the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army
with banners.’
“The seeds of truth that are being sown by missionary efforts will then spring up and blossom
and bear fruit. Souls will receive the truth who will
endure tribulation and praise God that they may suffer for Jesus.”—5 Testimonies, 81:1, 82:1.
2 - Sequence: As the loud cry angel comes
down, the latter rain falls, and the message of obe-

77
dience by faith is (during the loud cry) carried to
the world and heard in every language.
“It is with earnest longing that I look forward to
the time when the events of the day of Pentecost shall be repeated with even greater power
than on that occasion. John says, ‘I saw another
angel come down from heaven, having great power;
and the earth was lightened with his glory.’ Then,
as at the Pentecostal season, the people will hear
the truth spoken to them, every man in his
own tongue.”—6 Bible Commentary, 1055/1:4.
“Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be
healed, and signs and wonders will follow the
believers.”—Great Controversy, 612:1.
3 - Sequence: first the shaking, then the sealing and latter rain, leading into the loud cry.
Read Early Writings, 269-271. It is a very important chapter about the shaking and, indeed, that
is its title. Here is the pattern you will find in those
three pages: Those in the church are divided by
their attitudes and actions into three classes (269:1270:2): the crying ones (269:1-270:1), the indifferent ones (270:1), and the opposing ones (270:2).
The cause of the shaking is resistance to the
“straight testimony” (the Spirit of Prophecy counsels and the pleadings of the faithful for reformation in the church, 270:2-3). As a result of that shaking, the careless and indifferent leave (271:1); and
the faithful receive the latter rain (the refreshing)
and go forth to give the loud cry (270:4-271:2). This
is an important chapter; you will want to read it
thoughtfully.
- 11 WHEN THE PROBATION
OF THE CHURCH WILL CLOSE
When will the probation of the church close? Has
it already closed? This is a matter of concern by some
of our people. Here are some facts in the case. You
will find support for these points in quotations in
the following chapters in this book: Shaking and
Sifting, National Sunday Law, Mark and Seal,
Judgment Passes to the Living, Blotting out of Sin,
Latter Rain, and Loud Cry.
In the last days, the faithful will not only engage
in earnest missionary work for those who have never
heard the message, they will also be sighing and crying for the sins done in the church. Yet, after the seal
is placed on them, they will no longer sigh and cry
over sin and sinners in the church, but will instead
only give the loud cry to the world. Why? The obvious answer is that, when the National Sunday Law
is enacted, every Sabbathkeeper in that nation will,
within a very short time (maybe a few weeks at
the most), have made his decision in regard to the

78

THE END OF TIME

Sabbath. The entire membership of the Adventist
Church in America, along with most former Adventists,
will rapidly be purified or totally fall away from God!
The loud cry is not given to the church but to the
world because everyone remaining in the true church
will be a faithful, dedicated, obedient child of God.
Their individual decisions will have been made and
their individual probations will have closed. (But
please understand that, shortly after enactment of
the Sunday law, reprobate Adventists who have joined
the Sunday movement may still control various
Adventist denominational entities, such as conference offices, etc. Or no more organized Adventist
denomination may exist in the United States.)
The sequence is this: (1) The judgment does not
pass to the living until the National Sunday Law is
enacted and the sealing begins. (2) With the exception of those who die, probation closes for no one
until they make their decision in that crisis. (3)
Within a short time after the National Sunday Law
is enacted, those who already know the basics of the
third angel’s message will be brought to the test and
have to make their decision for Sabbath or Sunday.
Each will then make his decision and be marked or
sealed. At that moment, the investigative judgment
will pass to his name; his case will be decided, and
his probation closed. (4) In the few days or weeks
necessary in each nation for that test to pass upon
the church, the probation of its members and backsliders will close. (5) As soon as that decision is
made, the faithful will receive the seal and latter rain
and begin giving the loud cry. Why will they then give
the loud cry? Because probation has not closed for
the majority of those out in the world; they have not
yet heard the Sabbath truth and understand the issues involved. So that message is taken to them, so
they also can make their decisions.
This explains when “the probation of the church”
shall close. It will close when it closes for all the
individual members in the church. It closes when
individual members make their decision in regard
to obeying the National Sunday Law.
- 12 WHAT WILL SURVIVE
THE CRISIS?
Will the Adventist Church structure go through
to the end? At the end of the chapter on the Loud
Cry, we will note that the quotations indicate that,
from the sealing, latter rain, and loud cry onward,
only individuals will give the final message and go
through to the end.
In addition, nowhere are we told of any Adventist
Church institution (such as conference headquarters, hospitals, etc.) which will continue on after the

crisis of the mark begins. However, there are indications that personal missionary work, door-to-door
visitation, individual medical missionary work,
printing, literature distribution, and colporteur work
will continue, to one extent or another. Very likely,
these will only be activities carried on by individuals
and small groups, scattered here and there. This is
understandable; for we would not expect the Adventist Church organization to have a part in such activities, since enactment of the National Sunday Law
effectively made it illegal for the Adventist organization to continue in operation, unless it immediately
switched over to Sundaykeeping (which, at that time,
an unknown number of leaders might do).
- 13 SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“From what has been shown me, there are not
more than half of the young who profess religion
and the truth who have been truly converted.”—1
Testimonies 158:1.
“Names are registered upon the church books
upon earth, but not in the book of life. I saw that
there is not one in twenty of the youth who knows
what experimental religion is.”—1 Testimonies,
504:2 (1867).
“In the last vision given me, I was shown the
startling fact that but a small portion of those
who now profess the truth will be sanctified by
it and be saved.”—1 Testimonies, 608:3 (1867).
“I have stated before them that, from what was
shown me, but a small number of those now
professing to believe the truth would eventually
be saved.”—2 Testimonies, 445:2 (1870).
“It is a solemn statement that I make to the
church, that not one in twenty whose names are
registered upon the church books are prepared to
close their earthly history, and would be as verily
without God and without hope in the world as the
common sinner.”—Christian Service, 41:1 (1893).
“Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church.”—4 Testimonies, 89:2.
“Divisions will come in the church. Two parties will be developed. The wheat and tares grow
up together for the harvest.”—2 Selected Messages,
114:0.
“When the day comes when the law of God is
made void, and the church is sifted by the fiery trials that are to try all that live upon the earth, a great
proportion of those who are supposed to be genuine will give heed to seducing spirits, and will turn
traitors and betray sacred trusts. They will prove
our very worst persecutors.”—6 Bible Commentary,
1065:1/1.

5 -

THE SHAKING AND SIFTING

“Many a star that we have admired for its
brilliance will then go out in darkness.”—Prophets and Kings, 188:1.
“Chaff like a cloud will be borne away on the
wind, even from places where we see only floors of
rich wheat.”—5 Testimonies, 81:1.
“The shaking of God blows away multitudes
like dry leaves.”—4 Testimonies, 89:2.
“In the last solemn work few great men will be
engaged.”—5 Testimonies, 80:1.
“Soon God’s people will be tested by fiery trials,
and the great proportion of those who now appear
to be genuine and true will prove to be base metal.”—
5 Testimonies, 136:1.
“To stand in defense of truth and righteousness
when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles
of the Lord when champions are few this will be
our test. At this time we must gather warmth from
the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason.”—5 Testimonies, 136:2.
“When the law of God is made void the church
will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger proportion than we now anticipate, will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.”—2 Selected
Messages, 368:1.
“Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled,
and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian
will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his
hope brighter than in days of prosperity.”—Great
Controversy, 602:1.
“Amidst the deepening shadows of earth’s last
great crisis, God’s light will shine brightest, and
the song of hope and trust will be heard in
clearest and loftiest strains.”—Education, 166:3.
“When the storm of persecution really breaks
upon us, the true sheep will hear the true
Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will be put
forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed
from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and
present to the enemy a united front. In view of the
common peril, strife for supremacy will cease; there
will be no disputing as to who shall be accounted
greatest . . Then will the message of the third angel
swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.”—6 Testimonies,
401:0-1.
“Standard after standard was left to trail in the
dust as company after company from the Lord’s

79
army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the
ranks of the enemy united with the commandmentkeeping people of God.”—8 Testimonies, 41:1.
“The numbers of this company had lessened.
Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The
careless and indifferent, who did not join with those
who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it,
and they were left behind in darkness, and their
places were immediately filled by others taking
hold of the truth and coming into the ranks.”—Early
Writings, 271:1.
“The Lord has faithful servants, who in the
shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There
are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed
the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which
has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you.
But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there,
fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.”—5 Testimonies, 80:1-81:0.
“Notwithstanding the agencies combined against
the truth, a large number take their stand upon
the Lord’s side.”—Great Controversy, 612:2.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
SIFTING

Worldly Policy and Efforts Made with High
Authorities Cannot Save Us from a Terrible Sifting that Is Coming.—“All the policy in the world
cannot save us from a terrible sifting . . There will
be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be
separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds,
the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when
the genuine will be strongest. There will be [a] separating from us of those who have not appreciated
the light nor walked in it.”—Letter 46, 1887 (to H.H.
Kellogg, April 12, 1887).

80

THE END OF TIME

“Well may we exclaim: ‘Help, Lord; for the godly man
ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of
men.’ I know that many think far too favorably of
the present time. These ease-loving souls will be
engulfed in the general ruin. Yet we do not despair.
We have been inclined to think that where there are no
faithful ministers there can be no true Christians, but
this is not the case. God has promised that where the
shepherds are not true He will take charge of the flock
Himself. God has never made the flock wholly dependent upon human instrumentalities. But the days of
purification of the church are hastening on
apace. God will have a people pure and true. In
the mighty sifting soon to take place we shall be
better able to measure the strength of Israel. The signs
reveal that the time is near when the Lord will manifest
that His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge
His floor.”
—5 Testimonies, 80:0

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

81

— CHAPTER 6 —

THE
SEAL AND THE MARK
Seals have been used for thousands of years to
provide a permanent shutting, or closing, of something. For example, a sheet of paper containing a
letter would be folded over upon itself, a bit of wax
dropped to hold it shut, and then a signet ring would
be impressed upon the wax. The sheet was now considered securely sealed; it could not be opened without tearing apart the molded wax.
When the seal of God is applied, those who receive it will be permanently identified as belonging
to God. Their already developed characters will be
sealed in. At the same time that the seal (also called
a “mark” in the Bible: Ezekiel 9) is impressed, a
different kind of closing signet will be applied: the
mark of the beast. It will be placed on those who,
by their decisions and actions, have refused the seal
of God. They have refused obedience to God’s expressed will, as stated in the Scriptures.
The sealing will be a major event in the lives of
the remnant who live at the end of time. In this
chapter, we will learn the nature of the seal, in what
way it is different than the mark, and when both
begin to be placed.
-1THE NATURE OF THE SEAL
1 - The winds of strife, war, and manifold
disasters are being held in check until the seal
is placed.
“Everything in the world is in an unsettled state.
The nations are angry, and great preparations for
war are being made. Nation is plotting against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The great day
of God is hasting greatly. But although the nations
are mustering their forces for war and bloodshed,
the command to the angels is still in force, that
they hold the four winds until the servants of
God are sealed in their foreheads.”—7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:3.
2 - The seal will be placed before the last
great battle. (In a later study, we will discuss
the battle of Armageddon.)
“As yet the four winds are held until the servants of God shall be sealed in their foreheads. Then

the powers of earth will marshal their forces for the
last great battle. How carefully we should improve
the little remaining period of our probation.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 968/2:1.
3 - It is now that we are to prepare for the
sealing.
“The sealing time is very short, and will soon
be over. Now is the time, while the four angels are
holding the four winds, to make our calling and
election sure.”—Early Writings, 58:2.
4 - The seal is an invisible mark of loyalty
and obedience to our Creator.
“What is the seal of the living God, which is
placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark
which angels, but not human eyes, can read;
for the destroying angel must see this mark of redemption. The intelligent mind has seen the sign of
the cross of Calvary in the Lord’s adopted sons and
daughters. The sin of the transgression of the law of
God is taken away. They have on the wedding garment, and are obedient and faithful to all God’s
commands.”—7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:4.
5 - The seal is a settling into the truth.
“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in
their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that
can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both
intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be
moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed
and prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed,
it has begun already.”—4 Bible Commentary 1161/
2:3.
6 - The seal will be our passport through the
heavenly gates.
“Only those who receive the seal of the living God
will have the passport through the gates of the Holy
City.”—7 Bible Commentary, 970/1:1.
7 - The seal will only be placed on those who
are like Christ.
“The seal of the living God will be placed upon
those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character.”—7 Bible Commentary, 970/1:3.
8 - They must reflect the image of Jesus.
“I also saw that many do not realize what they

82
must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the Sanctuary through the time
of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living
God and are protected in the time of trouble must
reflect the image of Jesus fully.”—Early Writings,
71:1.
9 - The seal is only placed on those who are
pure and without spot.
“The seal of God will never be placed upon the
forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never
be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious,
world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed
upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues
or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must
be without spot before God—candidates for
heaven.”—5 Testimonies, 216:2.
10 - The seal is placed on those who love God
and obey Him.
“Love is expressed in obedience, and perfect love
casteth out all fear. Those who love God, have the
seal of God in their foreheads, and work the works
of God.”—Sons and Daughters, 51:3.
11 - It is placed on those who overcome the
world, the flesh, and the devil.
“Those that overcome the world, the flesh,
and the devil, will be the favored ones who shall
receive the seal of the living God.”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 445:1.
12 - Many are erroneously neglecting to become like Jesus, and are instead waiting for the
latter rain to change them.
“Those who receive the seal of the living God
and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully. I saw that many were
neglecting the preparation so needful and were
looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the
Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw
in the time of trouble without a shelter!”—Early
Writings, 71:1-2.
13 - The seal is the property sign; it shows
who belongs to God as His special possession.
“Every soul in our world is the Lord’s property,
by creation and by redemption. Each individual soul
is on trial for his life. Has he given to God that which
belongs to Him? Has he surrendered to God all
that is His as His purchased possession? All who
cherish the Lord as their portion in this life
will be under His control, and will receive the
sign, the mark of God, which shows them to
be God’s special possession. Christ’s righteousness will go before them, and the glory of the Lord
will be their rereward. The Lord protects every
human being who bears His sign.”—7 Bible Commentary, 969/1:1.

THE END OF TIME
14 - The seal is placed on those who conscientiously keep the Sabbath.
“The seal of the living God is placed upon those
who conscientiously keep the Sabbath of the
Lord.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:2.
“Those who would have the seal of God in their
foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment.”—7 Bible Commentary, 970/1:2.
“True observance of the Sabbath is the sign
of loyalty to God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 981/2:1.
“The fourth commandment alone of all the
ten contains the seal of the great Lawgiver, the
Creator of the heavens and the earth.”—6 Testimonies, 350:3.
“The observance of the Lord’s memorial, the
Sabbath instituted in Eden, the seventh-day Sabbath, is the test of our loyalty to God.”—Last Day
Events, 220:5.
“A mark is placed upon every one of God’s
people, just as verily as a mark was placed over the
doors of the Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the
people from the general ruin. God declares, ‘I gave
them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me
and them, that they might know that I am the Lord
that sanctify them’ [Eze. 20:12].”—7 Bible Commentary, 969/1:0.
15 - The seal will be placed on every true
child of God.
“In a little while every one who is a child of
God will have His seal placed upon him. O that it
may be placed upon our foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when the
angel goes forth to seal the servants of God in their
foreheads?”—Maranatha, 211:7.
16 - All of the 144,000 will be sealed.
“The 144,000 were all sealed and perfectly
united. On their foreheads was written, God, New
Jerusalem, and a glorious star containing Jesus’
new name.”—Early Writings, 15:1.
17 - We should strive to be among the
144,000.
“Let us strive with all the power that God has
given us to be among the hundred and forty-four
thousand.”—7 Bible Commentary, 970/2:2.
18 - Through the enabling grace of Christ,
we are to strive to put away sin and obey God’s
will that we may become complete in Him.
“Are we striving with all our God-given powers
to reach the measure of the stature of men and
women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness,
ever reaching higher and higher, trying to attain to
the perfection of His character? When God’s servants reach this point, they will be sealed in their
foreheads. The recording angel will declare, ‘It is

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

done.’ They will be complete in Him whose they
are by creation and by redemption.”—3 Selected Messages, 427:2.
-2MARK OF THE BEAST
IS OPPOSITE OF SEAL OF GOD
BECAUSE
MARK IS BASED ON KEEPING THE
FALSE SABBATH
1 - The mark of the beast is a subject we all
need to understand.
“It is in the interest of all to understand what
the mark of the beast is, and how they may escape the dread threatenings of God. Why are men
not interested to know what constitutes the mark
of the beast and his image? It is in direct contrast with the mark of God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:2.
2 - It is important that we know how to avoid
receiving the mark.
“The fearful judgments denounced against the
worship of the beast and his image, should lead
all to a diligent study of the prophecies to learn
what the mark of the beast is, and how they are to
avoid receiving it.”—Great Controversy, 594:2.
3 - God has sent an urgent warning to mankind to avoid receiving the mark, a warning
which tells them how to avoid receiving it.
“When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed
by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning power
to heed the message. The fearful judgments denounced against the worship of the beast and his
image, should lead all to a diligent study of the
prophecies to learn what the mark of the beast
is, and how they are to avoid receiving it.”—
Great Controversy, 594:2.
4 - The Sabbath truth will be the basic issue
in the final conflict.
“The Sabbath question will be the issue in
the great conflict in which all the world will act a
part [Revelation 13:4-8, 10, quoted]. This entire
chapter is a revelation of what will surely take place
[Rev. 13:11, 15-17, quoted].”—7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:3.
5 - The Sabbath is the seal of the law. It seals
it as God’s property and His identifying characteristics.
“When the Sabbath was changed by the papal
power, the seal was taken from the law.”—Great
Controversy, 452:1.
6 - The observance of the first day of the week
as sacred is the mark.

83
“John was called to behold a people distinct from
those who worship the beast and his image, by keeping the first day of the week. The observance of
this day is the mark of the beast.”—7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:4.
7 - The attempted change of the Sabbath to
Sunday is the mark.
“As the sign of the authority of the Catholic
Church, papist writers cite this very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday.”—Signs, March 22,
1910.
8 - The enactment of the National Sunday
Law will perfect this device of Satan.
“When the legislature frames laws which exalt
the first day of the week, and put it in place of the
seventh day, the device of Satan will be perfected.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:1.
9 - Knowing acceptance of enforced Sundaykeeping is the worship of the beast.
“The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part
of the Protestant churches is an enforcement of
the worship of the papacy—of the beast. Those
who, understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false instead of
the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that
power by which alone it is commanded.”—Great
Controversy, 448:3-449:0.
10 - The papal sabbath is the mark of the
beast; it is his identifying signet.
“The change of the Sabbath is the sign or
mark of the authority of the Romish church . . The
mark of the beast is the papal sabbath.”—Evangelism, 234:1.
11 - The false sabbath is the basis of Rome’s
authority over the people.
“Roman Catholics acknowledge that the change
in the Sabbath was made by their church, and they
cite this very change as evidence of the supreme
authority of the church.”—Signs, November 1,
1899.
12 - It was only by changing God’s law, that
the papacy could appear to exalt itself above
God.
“Only by changing God’s law could the papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would
be giving supreme honor to that power by
which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would be a mark of allegiance
to the pope in the place of God.”—Great Controversy, 446:1.
Note: The basis of Roman Catholic authority, as
supreme over Scripture, is the change of the Sabbath. This extremely important decision was made
on January 18, 1562, at the Council of Trent. Read

84
our book, Beyond Pitcairn, pp. 132-135, to learn
what actually happened on that day.
13 - The sign of Satan’s authority is in direct
contrast to the seal of God’s authority.
“The spurious Sabbath . . Satan has exalted
as the sign of his authority. But God has set His
seal upon His royal requirement. Each sabbath
institution bears the name of its author, an ineffaceable mark that shows the authority of each.
It is our work to lead the people to understand this.
We are to show that it is of vital consequence
whether they bear the mark of God’s kingdom
or the mark of rebellion, for they acknowledge
themselves subjects of the kingdom whose mark
they bear.”—6 Testimonies, 352:1.
14 - The beast’s mark is found in the spurious sabbath.
“What then is the mark of the beast if it is not
the spurious sabbath which the world has excepted
in place of the true?”—Signs, November 1, 1899.
“God has given men a Sabbath . . but they have
changed the rest day which God sanctified in Eden,
placing in its stead a spurious sabbath, which
bears the mark of the man of sin.”—15 Manuscript
Releases, 33:1.
Note: The very word contains its meaning: It is
the “sun day,” the day of the sun god, which, throughout history, has been a primary pagan deity by which
men have worshiped Satan. “The Sabbath” comes
from the Hebrew word for “rest” and is the rest day
given to mankind, by the Creator, in Genesis 2:1-3.
15 - The one day of worship is the sign of God’s
creatorship while the other day of counterfeit worship is the sign of papal control.
“The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the observance of the seventh day Sabbath, the Lord’s
memorial of creation . . The mark of the beast is
the opposite of this—the observance of the first
day of the week. This mark distinguishes those
who acknowledge the supremacy of the papal authority from those who acknowledge the authority
of God.”—8 Testimonies, 117:3-4.
16 - While the true worshipers of God exalt
His creatorship, the other worshipers will attempt
to eradicate the true Sabbath.
“The worshipers of God will be especially distinguished by their regard for the fourth commandment—since this is the sign of His creative
power and the witness to His claim upon man’s
reverence and homage. The wicked will be distinguished by their efforts to tear down the
Creator’s memorial, to exalt the institution of
Rome. In the issue of the contest all Christendom
will be divided into two great classes—those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith of

THE END OF TIME
Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his
image and receive his mark. Although the church
and state will unite their power to compel ‘all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ (Rev.
13:16), to receive the mark of the beast, yet the people
of God will not receive it.”—2 Selected Messages,
55:1 (similar but shorter: Great Controversy,
450:1).
17 - God’s people will willingly, gladly bear His
signature.
“The Israelites placed over their doors a signature of blood, to show that they were God’s property. So the children of God in this age will bear
the signature God has appointed. They will place
themselves in harmony with God’s holy law. A mark
is placed upon every one of God’s people just as
verily as a mark was placed over the doors of the
Hebrew dwellings, to preserve the people from the
general ruin. God declares, ‘I gave them My Sabbaths,
to be a sign between Me and them, that they might
know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.’ ”—7
Bible Commentary, 968/2:5-669/1:0.
-3MARK AND SEAL PLACED
AT SAME TIME
The Sabbath/Sunday test is such a simple one.
All will be required, by human law, to keep the Sunday. Yet God requires that we observe the seventhday Sabbath and work on the other six days. We
must rest and worship on the Bible Sabbath, and
we can do missionary work on Sunday. But we are
not to assemble in weekly worship gatherings
on that day. The day we hallow will determine what
we will receive: the seal or the mark.
When the National Sunday Law is enacted, to
knowingly, sacredly, observe one day is to reject the
other. In that crisis, we will individually receive either the seal of God or the mark of the beast.
1 - Each person will receive either the mark
or the seal.
“If we receive this mark in our foreheads or in
our hands, the judgments pronounced against the
disobedient must fall upon us. But the seal of the
living God is placed upon those who conscientiously
keep the Sabbath of the Lord.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:2.
2 - Each will receive the mark of deliverance
or the mark of the beast.
“The Lord is doing His work. All heaven is astir.
The Judge of all the earth is soon to arise and vindicate His insulted authority. The mark of deliverance will be set upon the men who keep God’s
commandments, who revere His law, and who
refuse the mark of the beast or of his image.”—5

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

Testimonies, 451:3-452:0.
3 - One class will receive the mark; the other
will receive the seal.
“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for
it is the point of truth especially controverted. When
the final test shall be brought to bear upon men,
then the line of distinction will be drawn between
those who serve God and those who serve Him not.
While the observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the law of the state, contrary to the fourth
commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a
power that is in opposition to God, the keeping of
the true Sabbath, in obedience to God’s law, is an
evidence of loyalty to the Creator. While one class,
by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other,
choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”—Great Controversy, 605:2.
4 - They are totally different identifying labels;
they are two separate marks of opposing authority.
“The sign, or seal, of God is revealed in the
observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, the
Lord’s memorial of creation. ‘The Lord spake unto
Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children
of Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep:
for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your
generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord
that doth sanctify you.” Exodus 31:12-13. Here the
Sabbath is clearly designated as a sign between God
and His people.
“The mark of the beast is the opposite of this—
the observance of the first day of the week. This
mark distinguishes those who acknowledge the supremacy of the papal authority from those who acknowledge the authority of God.”—8 Testimonies,
117:3-4.
5 - Everyone will place himself under one authority or the other.
“In every case, the great decision is to be
made whether we shall receive the mark of the beast
or his image, or the seal of the living God.”—6 Testimonies, 130:2.
6 - The line will be clearly drawn between
the false and the true.
“No one has yet received the mark of the beast
. . but when the decree shall go forth enforcing
the counterfeit sabbath . . the line will be clearly
drawn between the false and the true.”—Evangelism, 234:2 (Manuscript 51, 1899).
7 - It will be a time when each will decide
whether he will think Satan’s thoughts after him
or, instead, stand obedient to God.
“To receive this mark means to come to the

85
same decision as the beast has done, and to
advocate the same ideas, in direct opposition to the
Word of God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:5.
8 - Both classes are now preparing. Each of us
is either uniting with the world or drawing closer
to God and becoming more like Him.
“Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the
mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of
self, who are humbling themselves before God and
purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these
are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for
the seal of God.”—5 Testimonies, 216:1.
9 - Your decision regarding the one you will
obey will determine which mark you will receive.
And the test will be a simple one: the day on
which you worship.
“When you obey the decree that commands you
to cease from labor on Sunday and worship God,
while you know that there is not a word in the Bible
showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark of the
beast, and refuse the seal of God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:1 (Ev 235:2).
10 - Some will disobey the beast and obey God.
By doing so, they declare themselves to be His followers.
“All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to accept a spurious
sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord
God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of the living
God.”—15 Manuscript Releases, 15:3.
11 - Some will, by obeying the beast and keeping his pagan worship day, acknowledge his authority.
“This mark [of the beast] distinguishes those
who acknowledge the supremacy of the papal authority from those who acknowledge the authority
of God.”—8 Testimonies, 117:4.
12 - Ultimately, everyone will decide to be
on one side or the other.
“In the issue of the great contest two parties
are developed, those who ‘worship the beast and
his image,’ and receive his mark, and those who
receive ‘the seal of the living God,’ who have the
‘Father’s name written in their foreheads.’ This is
not a visible mark.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/
1:4.
13 - A genuine experience with Christ will
make all the difference in regard to which decision will be made.
“The sanctification of the Spirit signalizes
the difference between those who have the seal of
God and those who keep a spurious rest day.

86

THE END OF TIME

“When the test comes, it will be clearly shown
what the mark of the beast is. It is the keeping of
Sunday. Those who, after hearing the truth, continue to regard this day as holy bear the signature
of the man of sin, who thought to change times and
laws.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/2:2-3.
14 - Rejecting the Sabbath truth, a truth of
heavenly origin, brings one the mark.
“Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin, and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive
the mark of the beast.”—7 Bible Commentary, 916/
1:3.
-4WHICH DECREE BEGINS THE
MARKING AND SEALING?
As mentioned in the next quotation, a decree
begins the marking and sealing time. But what “decree” is this? Is it the National Sunday Law or is it
some other decree which begins the marking and
sealing? The following statements reveal that this
“decree” is the National Sunday Law:
1 - The decree begins the marking and sealing.
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work
of preparation? Those who are uniting with the
world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the
truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When
the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed,
their character will remain pure and spotless
for eternity.
“Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will
never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man
or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead
of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will
never be place upon the forehead of men or women
of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive
the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven.”—5 Testimonies, 216:2.
2 - The mark begins when the decree goes
forth.
“Those who would not receive the mark of
the beast and his image when the decree goes
forth, must have decision now to say, Nay, we will
not regard the institution of the beast.”—Early Writings, 67:2.
“The [Sunday law; see context] decree is not to
be urged upon the people blindly.”—Great Controversy, 605:1.
3 - It is the decree that men must obey the

false sabbath.
“The powers of earth, uniting to war against the
commandments of God, will decree that all . . shall
conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false sabbath.”—Great Controversy,
604:2.
4 - It is the decree enforcing the papal institution.
“By the decree enforcing the institution of
the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness.”—5 Testimonies, 451:1.
5 - It is the decree requiring the worship of
the beast.
“The principles necessary for our youth to cultivate must be kept before them . . that when the
decree shall go forth, requiring all to worship
the beast and his image, they may make the right
decisions.”—5 Testimonies, 525:2.
6 - It is the decree enforcing the papal sabbath.
“The assumption of power on the part of the
nation in the decree enforcing the papal sabbath
will be a warning to us.”—5 Testimonies, 464:3.
7 - It is the decree requiring the worship of
the beast.
“Those who will not receive the mark of the beast
and his image, when the decree goes forth, must have
decision now to say, Nay, we will not regard the institution of the beast.”—Early Writings, 67:2.
Note: Why is the National Sunday Law some
times called a decree? A legislative body, such as
the U.S. Congress, makes “laws”; a ruler, such as
the U.S. president, would normally be the one to
issue “decrees.” In addition to being called a “decree,” the Sunday law is also called an “edict.” See
PK 588, 5T 473, 9T 231. And, of course, it is frequently referred to as a “law” (GC 592; CW 97-98;
5T 451, 711-712, 464-465; 9T 230; PK 186; 7 BC
975, 977) and “legislation” (6T 18, 7 BC 910).
It is well to keep in mind that, in the Inspired
Writings, heavy emphasis is placed on the Old Testament type which is called a “decree.” This type was
Nebuchadnezzar’s decree of Daniel 3, ordering the
people to worship the image set up by order of the
king.
A second typical decree was that of Haman in
Esther 4:7-8, ordering the Jews to be slain on a certain day. The antitype of that would be the death
decree, issued at the general close of probation. This
type-antitype relationship is probably why the National Sunday Law is sometimes referred to as a
“decree.”
However, as we noted in our Genocide Treaty

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

studies (see the last chapter in our book, National
Sunday Law Crisis, for a nice summary of the Genocide Treaty), the order to enforce a treaty would issue from the president, not from the legislature. In
addition, as we noted in other studies, if the making
of commemorative days was transferred to the legislative branch (which was done in 1992), the announcement could be issued as a presidential proclamation rather than as a congressional law. Yet the
Spirit of Prophecy indicates that it will be the U.S.
legislature which will have abandoned principle in
enacting the Sunday law (TM 206), that laws framed
by the U.S. legislature will exalt Sunday (7 BC 976),
and that its actions will be supportive of the papacy
(TM 206). We are nowhere told that the U.S. president will lead out in this.
-5WHEN THE SUNDAY LAW DECREE
GOES FORTH, THE MARKING AND
THE SEALING BEGIN
Throughout the Spirit of Prophecy, we are told
of only one government announcement commanding men to worship on Sunday. This is the National
Sunday Law. This decree will be repeated over and
over as the other nations of earth enact their own
National Sunday Laws.
1 - The marking begins when men knowingly
obey. It begins being applied to an individual
when he understands the issues involved, yet
still keeps Sunday holy, in obedience to the national law.
“When you obey the decree that commands
you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship
God, while you know that there is not a word in
the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the
mark of the beast, and refuse the seal of God.”—
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:1 (Ev 235:2).
2 - In order to understand when a person receives the mark of the beast, we must understand
six principles. Here is an important, clarifying statement:
“[1] No one has yet received the mark of the
beast. [2] The testing time has not yet come.
There are true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion. [3] None
are condemned until they have had the light
and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. [4] But when the decree shall go
forth enforcing the counterfeit sabbath, and [in the
case of those who had not previously heard or understood our message] [5] the loud cry of the third
angel shall warn men against the worship of the
beast and his image, the line will be clearly drawn
between the false and the true. [6] Then those who

87
still continue in transgression will receive the
mark of the beast.”—Evangelism, 234:2-235:0.
3 - We are now, individually, preparing either
for the mark or the seal.
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great
work of preparation? Those who are uniting with
the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are
distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves
before God and purifying their souls by obeying the
truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and
preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads.
When the decree goes forth and the stamp is
impressed, their character will remain pure and
spotless for eternity.”—5 Testimonies, 216:1.
4 - We can now say No to the mark. Indeed, we
MUST now say No to the mark; we, who know so
much, dare not wait until later to keep God’s Sabbath holy.
“Those who would not receive the mark of the
beast and his image when the decree goes forth,
must have decision now to say, Nay, we will
not regard the institution of the beast.”—Early Writings, 67:2.
5 - The test of the mark is yet future.
“Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the
beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth
causing men to worship this idol sabbath. The time
will come when this day will be the test, but that
time has not come yet.”—7 Bible Commentary,
977/2:4.
-6THE FAITHFUL WILL BE TESTED
BY THE IMAGE
BEFORE BEING SEALED
Contrary to what some are teaching, the “probation of the church” has not already closed because
the probation of God’s people does not close until
the marking/sealing time.
Keep in mind that it is God’s professed people
who constitute the “church”—not buildings, committees, organizational charters, policy books, or
public gatherings.
The individual closing of probation does not
begin until the test of the National Sunday Law occurs by its enactment. At that time, the image is set
up (by the union of churches in the act of coercing
the U.S. Government into enacting a National Sunday Law), to be immediately followed by the sealing
and marking time which will begin with present and
former Sabbathkeepers, since they already know the
issues involved. At that point, probations begin closing.
In a later chapter in this book (“Individual Close

88
of Probation”), we will learn that, following enactment of the National Sunday Law in a given nation,
the probation of individuals will begin closing.
1 - The sequence, according to 7 Bible Commentary, 976, is this: (1) The image of/to the beast
is formed (with the enactment of the National Sunday Law). (2) Then God’s people are tested; and,
according to the decisions made, (3) they are individually sealed or marked. Then (4) their probations close.
“The Lord has shown me clearly that the image
of the beast will be formed before probation
closes; for it is to be the great test for the people
of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. This is the test that the people of God must
have before they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to
accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the seal of
the living God. Those who yield the truth of heavenly
origin and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive
the mark of the beast.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/
1:2-3 (Maranatha, 164:1; cf. 2 Selected Messages,
81:0).
2 - The closing work for the church occurs
during the sealing time.
“Especially in the closing work for the
church, in the sealing time of the one hundred
and forty-four thousand who are to stand without
fault before the throne of God, will they feel most
deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people.”—3
Testimonies, 266:2.
3 - Some are passed by while others enter.
“But I speak not my own words when I say that
God’s Spirit will pass by those who have had
their day of test and opportunity, but who have
not distinguished the Voice of God or appreciated
the movings of His Spirit. Then thousands in the
eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the
truth.”—2 Selected Messages, 16:1.
4 - Some will accept and be saved while the
door is closed to others who would not enter.
“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the
time of mercy for those who have had no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will
the Lord look upon them. His heart of mercy is
touched; His hand is still stretched out to save,
while the door is closed to those who would
not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in
these last days hear the truth for the first time.”—7
Bible Commentary, 979/1:3.
5 - Unless we are daily advancing now, we
will not be ready later.
“Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall

THE END OF TIME
not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit
in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all
around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1.
6 - No one has yet received the mark.
“No one has yet received the mark of the beast.”—
Evangelism, 234:2.
“Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the
beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth
causing men to worship this idol sabbath. The time
will come when this day will be the test, but that
time has not come yet.”—7 Bible Commentary,
977/2:4.
-7WHEN A PERSON
WILL RECEIVE THE MARK
The mark of the beast has not yet been given to
anyone. This will not occur until the three conditions, mentioned above, have occurred: (1) The Sunday law has been enacted; (2) the issues are individually heard and understood; (3) Sunday sacredness has individually been accepted or rejected.
1 - This is the sequence, according to Evangelism, 234-235: (1) The decree has been given, (2)
the issues are understood, (3) each person has chosen one way or the other, and therefore (4) one of
the two marks is placed on him.
“The change of the Sabbath is the sign or mark
of the authority of the Romish church. Those who,
understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false sabbath in the place of the true, are thereby paying
homage to that power by which alone it is commanded. The mark of the beast is the papal sabbath, which has been accepted by the world in the
place of the day of God’s appointment.
“No one has yet received the mark of the beast.
The testing time has not yet come. There are
true Christians in every church, not excepting the
Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned
until they have had the light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. But when the
decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit
sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel
shall warn men against the worship of the beast
and his image, the line will be clearly drawn between the false and the true. Then those who still
continue in transgression will receive the mark
of the beast.
“With rapid steps we are approaching this period. When Protestant churches shall unite with the
secular power to sustain a false religion, for opposing which their ancestors endured the fiercest
persecution, then will the papal sabbath be enforced

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

by the combined authority of church and state. There
will be a national apostasy, which will end only in
national ruin.”—Evangelism, 234:1-235:1.
2 - No mark is applied until the decree goes
forth.
“Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the
beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth
causing men to worship this idol sabbath. The time
will come when this day will be the test, but that
time has not come yet.”—7 Bible Commentary,
977/2:4.
3 - According to Evangelism, 235, the sequence is this: (1) The National Sunday Law decree is passed. (2) The issues underlying it are
individually understood. (3) Each person
chooses the day on which he will worship God.
(4) He is then individually marked or sealed.
“If the light of truth has been presented to
you, revealing the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and showing that there is no foundation in
the Word of God for Sunday observance, and yet
you still cling to the false sabbath, refusing to
keep holy the Sabbath which God calls ‘My holy
day,’ you receive the mark of the beast. When does
this take place? When you obey the decree that
commands you to cease from labor on Sunday and
worship God, while you know that there is not a
word in the Bible showing Sunday to be other than
a common working day, you consent to receive the
mark of the beast and refuse the seal of God.”—
Evangelism, 235:2.
4 - This is the sequence, according to Great
Controversy, 449: (1) decree, (2) understand, (3)
choose, and then (4) marked.
“Christians of past generations observed the
Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were
keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now
true Christians in every church, not excepting the
Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe
that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment.
God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their
integrity before Him.
“But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath,
then whoever shall transgress the command of God,
to obey a precept which has no higher authority
than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery
above God. He is paying homage to Rome, and
to the power which enforces the institution ordained
by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God
has declared to be the sign of His authority, and
honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as
the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome,—‘the mark

89
of the beast.’ And it is not until the issue is thus
plainly set before the people, and they are
brought to choose between the commandments of
God and the commandments of men, that those who
continue in transgression will receive the mark of
the beast.”—Great Controversy, 449:1.
5 - Here is another sequence: (1) decree, (2)
understand, (3) choose, and then (4) marked.
“Fearful is the issue to which the world is to
be brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war
against the commandments of God, will decree that
all, ‘both small and great, rich and poor, free and
bond,’ shall conform to the customs of the church
by the observance of the false sabbath. All who
refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of death. On the other hand, the law of God
enjoining the Creator’s rest-day demands obedience
and threatens wrath against all who transgress its
precepts.
“With the issue thus clearly brought before
him, whoever shall trample upon God’s law to
obey a human enactment, receives the mark
of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to
the power which he chooses to obey instead of God.
The warning from heaven is, ‘If any man worship
the beast and his image, and receive his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.’ Revelation 14:9-10.”—Great Controversy,
604:2-605:0.
6 - Sequence: (1) test, (2) choose, then (3)
marked.
“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty,
for it is the point of truth especially controverted.
When the final test shall be brought to bear upon
men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve
Him not.
“While the observance of the false sabbath in
compliance with the law of the state, contrary to
the fourth commandment, will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in opposition to God,
the keeping of the true Sabbath, in obedience to
God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the Creator.
While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the
beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to
divine authority, receive the seal of God.”—Great
Controversy, 605:2.
7 - Sequence: (1) test, (2) understand, (3)
choose, then (4) marked.
“God has given men the Sabbath as a sign
between Him and them as a test of their loyalty.
Those who, after the light regarding God’s law

90

THE END OF TIME

comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis
before us, will receive the mark of the beast.”—
Evangelism, 235:3.
8 - Sequence: (1) test, (2) understand, (3)
choose, and then (4) marked.
“When the test comes, it will be clearly
shown what the mark of the beast is. It is the keeping of Sunday. Those who, after having heard
the truth, continue to regard this day as holy
bear the signature of the man of sin, who thought
to change times and laws.”—7 Bible Commentary,
980/2:3.
Note: The above analysis is very important, because it is now being taught, in our denomination,
that the latter rain and sealing precede the National
Sunday Law crisis. It is frequently stated, in denominational papers and gatherings, that the latter rain is already falling somewhere else in the
world, as evidenced by lots of baptisms. (1) If the
Sunday law crisis precedes and leads into the other
events (including the sealing and latter rain) before
the general close of probation, then a terrible crisis is ahead of our denomination! This view is not
supported by the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy and
is incorrect. (2) If the latter rain and sealing come
first, then it is easier to conjecture that we can remain in our sins while we receive the latter rain and
are sealed, still continuing in those sins until the
Second Advent, with the denomination experiencing
no great crisis over strict obedience to the law of
God. This view is incorrect and is bringing a false
hope to many of our people.

truth.
(3) Those who are sealed will immediately begin
giving the loud cry of the third angel to still others.
As other individuals accept or reject this message,
they too will be sealed or marked, and on and on it
will go.
(4) America will lead out in enforcing the decree
and imposing the mark. Other nations, following her
lead, will enact National Sunday Laws. Every nation
on earth will do so; and it will be a universal law.
This will produce a fourth delay factor in the placing
of the mark/seal on every man and woman in the
world.
People throughout the nation and the world
are gradually warned, make their decisions, and
receive the mark or seal.
“While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receives the mark of
the beast the . . other receives the seal of God . . As
the controversy extends into new fields and the
minds of the people are called to God’s downtrodden law, Satan is astir . . When the third angel’s
message closes . . all who have proved themselves
loyal to the Divine precepts have received the seal of
the living God.”—Great Controversy, 605:2, 607:1,
613:2.
“Foreign nations will follow the example of the
United States. Though she leads out, yet the
same crisis will come upon our people in all parts
of the world.”—6 Testimonies, 395:1.

-8SEALING AND MARKING IS
A PROGRESSIVE WORK

The National Sunday Law decree will be the
great dividing test, which will separate all into two
classes. By their knowing acceptance or rejection
of the terms of the decree, all will be sealed by
Heaven or marked by the image and the beast.
Several fundamental issues underlie the Sabbath test:
(1) The moral law of God, including the fourth
commandment, is enduring and must be obeyed.
(2) It can be obeyed through the enabling grace of
Jesus. (3) Indeed, through Christ’s empowering
strength, we can put away all sin and live in perfect
harmony with God’s requirements. (4) We can only
be healthy, happy, and in favor with God as we do
so. (5) The seventh-day Sabbath is the only true
Bible Sabbath, and the only weekly rest day ever
hallowed and commanded by the Lord. Thus, it is
the only true “Lord’s Day.” (6) Sunday is only a common working day, which, in earlier centuries, Rome
adopted from paganism and made into a counterfeit
holy day. (7) It would be apostasy from God and
Bible truth to worship on that day. (8) To knowingly

The sealing occurs over a period of time (3T 266,
EW 58); and all do not receive the seal at the same
time (GC 605; 6T 130). Four different factors render it impossible for everyone on earth to instantaneously receive the seal or mark:
(1) Each person, in making his intelligent choice,
receives either the mark or the seal. So both (the
seal and the mark) begin to be placed at the same
time. Yet the mark is only placed when the decree is
made, the issues are understood, and personal decisions then made. This produces an inherent delay
factor, not only for the mark, but for the final impressing of its counterpart: the seal of God. (However, it is now that we must prepare for this future
sealing; we dare not wait until later!)
(2) Sabbathkeepers, including all in the denomination, will understand the issues before the world;
they will be sealed or marked before those who have
not yet grasped the implications of the Sabbath

-9ALL WILL BE MARKED OR SEALED

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

do so would be equivalent to the worship of the papacy, regardless of whatever human power may have
commanded that worship.
Before this crisis comes to an end, everyone will
have decided one way or the other. No person with
reasoning powers—anywhere in the world—will be
neutral.
1 - Two parties, and only two, will be developed by the crisis.
“In the issue of the great contest, two parties
are developed, those who ‘worship the beast and
his image’ and receive his mark, and those who
receive ‘the seal of the living God.’ ”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:4.
2 - All will take sides.
“In the great conflict between faith and unbelief
the whole Christian world will be involved. All will
take sides. Some apparently may not engage in
the conflict on either side. They may not appear to
take sides against the truth, but they will not come
out boldly for Christ through fear of losing property or suffering reproach. All such are numbered
with the enemies of Christ.”—Last Day Events,
215:2.
3 - A line of distinction is drawn between
the two classes.
“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty;
for it is the point of truth especially controverted.
When the final test shall be brought to bear
upon men, then the line of distinction will be
drawn between those who serve God and those
who serve Him not . . While one class, by accepting the sign of submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of the beast, the other choosing the
token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the
seal of God.”—Great Controversy, 605:2.
4 - All Christendom will be divided into two
classes.
“In the issue of the contest, all Christendom
will be divided into two great classes—those
who keep the commandments of God and the faith
of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his
image and receive his mark.”—Great Controversy,
450:1.
“There can be only two classes. Each party is
distinctly stamped, either with the seal of the living God, or with the mark of the beast and his
image.”—Last Day Events, 215:1.
5 - There will be separation even within families.
“Those who have been members of the same family are separated. A mark is placed upon the righteous. ‘They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,
in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will

91
spare them, as a man spareth his own son that
serveth him’ [Malachi 3:17]. Those who have been
obedient to God’s commandments will unite with
the company of the saints in light. They shall enter
in through the gates into the City, and have right to
the tree of life. ‘The one shall be taken.’ His name
shall stand in the book of life, while those with whom
he associated shall have the mark of eternal separation from God.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 234:2235:0.
6 - This same test and crisis that Americans
will face will be met by those living in foreign
nations.
“Foreign nations will follow the example of the
United States. Though she leads out, yet the same
crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the
world.”—6 Testimonies, 395:1.
7 - The powers of earth . . will decree it.
“Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be
brought. The powers of earth, uniting to war
against the commandments of God, will decree that
all, ‘both small and great, rich and poor, free and
bond,’ shall conform to the customs of the church
by the observance of the false sabbath.”—Great
Controversy, 604:2.
8 - It will go to all the world.
“The decree enforcing the worship of this day
is to go forth to all the world.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:3.
9 - All nations, tongues, and peoples will be
commanded to practice it.
“History will be repeated. False religion will be
exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be
set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations
and tongues and peoples will be commanded to
worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan’s plan,
to make of no account the day instituted by God and
given to the world as a memorial of Creation.”—
Maranatha, 214:2.
10 - Every country on the globe will follow
America’s example.
“As America, the land of religious liberty, shall
unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and
compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the
people of every country on the globe will be led
to follow her example.”—6 Testimonies, 18:2.
- 10 THE SEAL AND THE MARK
ARE PLACED PRIOR TO
THE GENERAL CLOSE
OF PROBATION
The seal is placed before the general close of pro-

92
bation. Everyone will be given the light and have his
opportunity to make his decision in regard to Sabbath/Sunday sacredness. When the last one has decided, probation will have closed for everyone. We
call that point in time the “general close of probation.”
1 - The seal will be placed before probationary
time ends.
“The living righteous will receive the seal of God
prior to the close of probation.”—1 Selected Messages, 66:2. (Also see EW 38:1-2.)
2 - The (Protestant-government) image (of/to
the papacy) will be the test; and it will be set up
before the close of probation.
“The Lord has shown me clearly that the image
of the beast will be formed before probation
closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of
God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided . . [Rev. 13:11-17, quoted] . . This is the test
that the people of God must have before they are
sealed.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:2-3.
3 - The sealing time (which is also the loud cry
time) is the closing work for the church.
“Especially in the closing work for the church,
in the sealing time of the one hundred and fortyfour thousand who are to stand without fault before
the throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs
of God’s professed people.”—3 Testimonies, 266:2.
4 - The sealing is finished when probation
ends.
“Jesus is soon to step out from between God
and man. The sealing will then be accomplished, finished up. O let us keep on the whole
armor of God that we may be ready for battle at
any moment.”—5 Manuscript Releases, 200.
5 - The final close of probation comes after
the latter rain, loud cry, and sealing are completed.
“I was pointed down to the time when the third
angel’s message was closing. The power of God
had rested upon His people; they had accomplished
their work and were prepared for the trying hour
before them. They had received the latter rain, or
refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the
living testimony had been revived. The last great
warning had sounded everywhere, and it had
stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth
who would not receive the message.
“I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An
angel with a writer’s inkhorn by his side returned
from the earth and reported to Jesus that his
work was done, and the saints were numbered
and sealed. Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throw down the censer [of intercession].

THE END OF TIME
He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, ‘It
is done.’ ”—Early Writings, 279:2.
6 - The close of probation (and with it, the
end of the investigative judgment) occurs after
the blotting out of sins has been finished.
“When Jesus leaves the Sanctuary, then they
who are holy and righteous will be holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted
out, and they will be sealed with the seal of the
living God.”—Early Writings, 48:1.
Note: The sins of the righteous are blotted out
of the book of sin, in the judgment to the living
phase of the investigative judgment. At that same
time, the names of wicked professors will be blotted out of the book of life: See Great Controversy,
chapter 29, especially pages 480-486. More on this
in Chapter 7: The Judgment Passes to the Living.
7 - The personal elimination of sins, through
the enabling grace of Christ, precedes the sealing and latter rain.
“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God
while our characters have one spot or stain upon
them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our
character, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as
the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of
Pentecost.”—5 Testimonies, 214:2.
8 - The sealing will take place before the great
time of trouble (which follows the close of probation) and its accompanying events begin.
“Just before we entered it [the great time of
trouble], we all received the seal of the living God.
Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four
winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword,
nation rose against nation, and the whole world was
in confusion.”—7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:2.
- 11 WE ARE NOW DECIDING
WHETHER WE WILL LATER RECEIVE
THE SEAL OR THE MARK
It is clear that the seal will be impressed upon
minds at the time when the mark is being imprinted
on others. Yet it is before that time—NOW—that we
are, by the enabling grace of Christ, to live in such
a way that we will, when the Sunday law crisis suddenly occurs, be prepared to receive that seal and
avoid that mark! This is a very important point!
The “sealing time” is when the seal is actually
applied during the Sunday law crisis. But, prior to
that time—right now—is the “sealing time” in
another sense. For it is now that we decide
whether we will later receive the final, permanent impress of that seal. It is in this sense that we
are now living in the sealing time, as indicated in

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

some of the following quotations.
1 - Satan is working now to keep us from being prepared.
“Oh, that all could get a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the
wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I saw that
Satan was at work in these ways to distract,
deceive, and draw away God’s people, just now
in this sealing time.”—Early Writings, 44:1.
2 - He is using every device to hinder us.
“Satan is now using every device in this
sealing time to keep the minds of God’s people
from the present truth, and to cause them to waver.”—Early Writings, 43:2.
3 - We can decide it now.
“Those who would not receive the mark of the
beast and his image when the decree goes forth,
must have decision now to say, Nay, we will not
regard the institution of the beast.”—Early Writings, 67:2.
4 - We can now be settled into the truth.
“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed
in their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that
can be seen, but a settling into the truth, both
intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be
moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed
and prepared for the shaking, it [the shaking] will
come.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1161/2:3.
5 - We should now put away our sins.
“Now, while our great High Priest is making the
atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ . . It is in this life that we are to
separate sin from us, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ.”—Great Controversy, 623:12.
6 - It is now, before probation closes, that,
through Christ’s grace, we must remove sin from
our lives.
“We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon
coming . . When He comes He is not to cleanse
us of our sins, to remove from us the defects
in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities
of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us
at all, this work will all be accomplished before
that time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy
will be holy still. Those who have preserved their
bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and
honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified,
and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then
be done for them to remove their defects and give
them holy characters. The Refiner does not then sit
to pursue His refining process and remove their sins
and their corruption. This is all to be done in these

93
hours of probation. It is now that this work is to
be accomplished for us . .
We are now in God’s workshop. “Many of us are
rough stones from the quarry. But as we lay hold
upon the truth of God, its influence affects us. It
elevates us and removes from us every imperfection
and sin, of whatever nature. Thus we are prepared
to see the King in His beauty and finally to unite
with the pure and heavenly angels in the kingdom of
glory. It is here that this work is to be accomplished for us, here that our bodies and spirits are
to be fitted for immortality.”—2 Testimonies, 355:1356:0.
7 - It is now that we must prepare for the sealing.
“Now is the time to prepare . . All who receive
the seal of God must be without spot before God—
candidates for heaven.”—5 Testimonies, 216:2.
8 - Now is the time to prepare.
“In these things [worldly cares and interests] I
saw great danger; for if the mind is filled with other
things, present truth is shut out, and there is no
place in our foreheads for the seal of the living God.
I saw that the time for Jesus to be in the most holy
place was nearly finished . .
“Live and act wholly in reference to the coming of the Son of man. The sealing time is very
short, and will soon be over. Now is the time, while
the four angels are holding the four winds, to make
our calling and election sure.”—Early Writings, 58:2.
9 - We dare not be passed by.
“ ‘And every man that hath this hope in him
purifieth himelf, even as He is pure.’ In a little while
every one who is a child of God will have His seal
placed upon him. O that it may be placed upon our
foreheads! Who can endure the thought of being passed by when the angel goes forth to seal
the servants of God in their foreheads?”—Review,
May 28, 1889.
10 - Are we getting ready?
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great
work of preparation? Those who are uniting with
the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before
God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—
these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing
for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their
character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.”—5 Testimonies, 216:1.
11 - The changes must be made now.
“It is a solemn thing to die, but a far more solemn thing to live. Every thought and word and deed

94

THE END OF TIME

of our lives will meet us again. What we make of
ourselves in probationary time, that we must
remain to all eternity. Death brings dissolution to
the body, but makes no change in the character. The
coming of Christ does not change our characters; it only fixes them forever beyond all
change.”—5 Testimonies, 466:2.
- 12 THOSE NOT RECEIVING THE SEAL
WILL HAVE NO PROTECTION
AFTER PROBATION CLOSES
Those who do not receive the seal of God before
the close of probation can have no protection from
the events which will follow the close of probation.
1 - After probation ends, the faithful will still
have trials; but they will be shut in by God’s sealing protection.
“And even after the saints are sealed with the
seal of the living God, His elect will have trials
individually. Personal afflictions will come; but the
furnace is closely watched by an eye that will not
suffer the gold to be consumed. The indelible mark
of God is upon them. God can plead that His own
name is written there. The Lord has shut them in.
Their destination is inscribed ‘GOD, NEW JERUSALEM.’ They are God’s property, His possession.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 446:1.
2 - After probation ends, all are either protected or not protected.
“I also saw that many do not realize what
they must be in order to live in the sight of the
Lord without a high priest in the Sanctuary
through the time of trouble. Those who receive
the seal of the living God and are protected in the
time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.
“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in
the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh,
how many I saw in the time of trouble without
a shelter! They had neglected the needful
preparation; therefore they could not receive the
refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the
sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by
the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying
the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that
their condition is far better than it really is, will come
up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then
see that they needed to be hewed and squared for
the building.
“But there will be no time then to do it and no
Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has
gone forth, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still:

and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he
that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he
that is holy, let him be holy still.’ I saw that none
could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain
the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong
word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly
seeking that preparation necessary to enable
us to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.”—
Early Writings, 71:1-2.
3 - How Satan is working to keep you from
becoming covered in this covering time.
“Satan is now using every device in this sealing
time to keep the minds of God’s people from the
present truth and to cause them to waver. I saw a
covering that God was drawing over His people
to protect them in the time of trouble; and every
soul that was decided on the truth and was pure in
heart was to be covered with the covering of
the Almighty.
“Satan knew this, and he was at work in mighty
power to keep the minds of as many people as he
possibly could wavering and unsettled on the
truth.”—Early Writings, 43:3.
Note: The “covering” is right living by faith in the
enabling merits of Christ death and mediation. That
covering is being drawn over God’s people during
their earthly life, as, by faith in Christ’s power to
help them do it, they habitually obey God in fact, in
reality. When, in the crisis, the seal is stamped upon
them, the habitual pattern of trusting and obeying
God becomes cemented in their experience (5T 216:12; 475:2).
4 - More on Satan’s methods.
“Some of these agents of Satan were affecting
the bodies of some of the saints—those whom they
could not deceive and draw away from the truth by
a satanic influence. Oh, that all could get a view of
it as God revealed it to me, that they might know
more of the wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I
saw that Satan was at work in these ways to
distract, deceive, and draw away God’s people,
just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were
not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees
were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they
were not firmly planted on the truth, and the
covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over
them while they were thus trembling.
“Satan was trying his every art to hold them
where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God’s people, and
they [were] left without a shelter from the burning
wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. God has
begun to draw this covering over His people, and it
will soon be drawn over all who are to have a shelter

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

in the day of slaughter. God will work in power for
His people; and Satan will be permitted to work
also.”—Early Writings, 44:1-2.
5 - The destroying angel will pass over those
with the seal.
“What is the seal of the living God, which is
placed in the foreheads of His people? It is a mark
which angels, but not human eyes, can read; for
the destroying angel must see this mark of
redemption.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1161/2:1.
6 - In mercy, Jesus waits.
“I asked my accompanying angel the meaning
of what I heard, and what the four angels were about
to do. He said to me that it was God that restrained
the powers, and that He gave His angels charge over
things on the earth; that the four angels had power
from God to hold the four winds, and that they were
about to let them go; but while their hands were
loosening, and the four winds were about to blow,
the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant
that were not sealed, and he raised His hands to
the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled
His blood for them. Then another angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels and bid
them hold, until the servants of God were
sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.”—Early Writings, 38:2 (similar: 5 Testimonies, 717. For more on the winds, see TM 444 and
GC 614).
7 - When probation closes, the plagues will fall.
“When Christ ceases His intercession in the
Sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened against
those who worship the beast and his image and
receive his mark, will be poured out. The plagues
upon Egypt, when God was about to deliver Israel,
were similar in character to those more terrible and
extensive judgments which are to fall upon the world
just before the final deliverance of God’s people.”—
Great Controversy, 627:3-628:0.
“The plagues . . shall come on all the ungodly
who shall worship the beast and his image and receive his mark.”—Early Writings, 65:0.
Two of the most thrilling thoughts in the world
are these: (1) The realization that, in Christ, you
can have salvation and (2) the resolve to stand true
to God. My brother, my sister, in Christ we can make
it through the crisis ahead! Let us be true to Him to
the end! God loves you as He loves His own Son.

95
- 13 THE MARK WILL BE A TEST TO
THE CHURCH
BEFORE IT BECOMES A TEST
TO THE WORLD
Because Sabbathkeepers already understand
the issues, they will be the first to be tested regarding whether they will obey God or man, when
the National Sunday Law is enacted. For this reason, (1) the mark will be a test to the professed
Sabbathkeepers and backsliders before it is a test
to the world; (2) the sealing will begin first among
the conscientious Sabbathkeepers among them who,
refusing the mark under terrible duress, will receive
the seal; (3) the sifting, or separation of the good
from the bad, will begin in the church; (4) the judgment will first pass to the living among professed
Sabbathkeepers; and (5) it will be the commandment keepers—by faith (Rev. 14:12)—who will be
first to receive the latter rain and go out and begin
giving the loud cry of the third angel to all the world.
As the faithful in spiritual “Jerusalem” will be
the first to receive the blessing (Eze. 9:4), so the
apostate Sabbathkeepers in the church, beginning
with leading apostates (5T 211:1-2), will be the first
to be placed under His curse, which will begin to
be poured out in the plagues after probation closes
(Eze. 9:6).
- 14 THE MARK IS A TEST TO THE CHURCH
BEFORE THE LOUD CRY BEGINS
The mark will be a test to professed Sabbathkeepers before it is a test to the world. As soon as
the Sunday law is enacted, Sabbathkeepers will
have to make their decision: either begin worshipping on Sunday, or else. Those who choose to stand
on God’s side, will be sealed and go out and begin
giving the loud cry.
So the mark will be a special test to Sabbathkeepers BEFORE the loud cry begins, because,
prior to the loud cry, few Sundaykeepers and worldlings understand the issues. The mark will not become a test to the world until AFTER the loud cry
begins. However, the loud cry will begin very quickly
after the law is passed, as the faithful witness to
others and before the courts of the land.
With the exception of some who are in unusually secluded locations, within a week or so after the
enforcement of the Sunday law begins, a majority of
Sabbathkeepers will be tested and marked or sealed.
The crisis will burst upon us rapidly! The sealed
ones will then go out and begin giving the loud cry;
so the rest of the world can learn the issues and
make their own intelligent decisions on the matter.

96
1 - Here is one example of this “first to the
church then to the world” theme, as given in lastday-event passages:
5 Testimonies, 81-82: The test (urging of the
mark) begins. / 81:1: The sifting occurs within the
church, as the gold and wheat are separated from
the dross and chaff. / 81:2: The faithful stand through
it unmoved. / 82:0: The faithful come off more than
conquerors. / 82:1: The faithful go out with the loud
cry message to the world; and many accept and unite
with them.
2 - The testing time has not yet come, but this
is when it will come:
“No one has yet received the mark of the beast.
The testing time has not yet come. There are
true Christians in every church, not excepting the
Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned
until they have had the light and have seen the obligation of the fourth commandment. But when the
decree shall go forth enforcing the counterfeit
sabbath, and the loud cry of the third angel
shall warn men against the worship of the
beast and his image, the line will be clearly
drawn between the false and the true. Then those
who still continue in transgression will receive the
mark of the beast. With rapid steps we are approaching this period.”—Evangelism, 234:2-235:1.
- 15 SEALING EVENTS IN
5 TESTIMONIES, PAGES 207-216
The following statements from a single chapter
(5 Testimonies, 207-216) clearly summarize the issues revolving around preparations for, and placement of, the seal of God:
1 - Only those who have been sighing and
crying will receive the seal. (Read the entire chapter.)
“The seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of those only who sigh and cry for the
abominations done in the land.”—5 Testimonies,
212:3.
2 - Right living, right now, is crucial in determining our future.
“Courage, fortitude, faith, and implicit trust in
God’s power to save do not come in a moment.
These heavenly graces are acquired by the experience of years. By a life of holy endeavor and
firm adherence to the right the children of God
were sealing their destiny.”—5 Testimonies,
213:1.
3 - Through Christ’s enabling strength, we
need to put away sin now.
“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of
God while our characters have one spot or stain

THE END OF TIME
upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects
in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every
defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as
the early rain fell upon the disciples on the day of
Pentecost.”—5 Testimonies, 214:2.
4 - Why some will later be sealed and others
will be marked.
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work
of preparation? Those who are uniting with the
world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who
are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by
obeying the truth—these are receiving the
heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of
God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth
and the stamp is impressed, their character will
remain pure and spotless for eternity.
“Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God
will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon
the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or
woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of
men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts.
All who receive the seal must be without spot before
God—candidates for heaven.”—5 Testimonies, 216:12.
5 - Zechariah’s vision provides us with important information on the sealing and how to prepare for it. You will want to read it carefully.
“Zechariah’s vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God’s
people in the closing up of the great day of atonement. The remnant church will be brought into great
trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire
of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the
world as his subjects, he has gained control of the
apostate churches; but here is a little company that
are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them
from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As
he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel,
so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God. All will
be required to render obedience to human
edicts in violation of the divine law. Those who
will be true to God and to duty will be menaced,
denounced, and proscribed. They will ‘be betrayed
both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and
friends.’
“Their only hope is in the mercy of God; their
only defense will be prayer. As Joshua was pleading
before the Angel, so the remnant church, with
brokeness of heart and earnest faith, will plead
for pardon and deliverance through Jesus their Advocate. They are fully conscious of the sinfulness of
their lives, they see their weakness and unworthi-

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

ness, and as they look upon themselves they are
ready to despair. The tempter stands by to accuse
them, as he stood by to resist Joshua. He points to
their filthy garments, their defective characters. He
presents their weakness and folly, their sins of ingratitude, their unlikeness to Christ, which has dishonored their Redeemer. He endeavors to affright the
soul with the thought that their case is hopeless,
that the stain of their defilement will never be washed
away. He hopes to so destroy their faith that they
will yield to his temptations, turn from their allegiance to God, and receive the mark of the beast.
“Satan urges before God his accusations against
them, declaring that they have by their sins forfeited
the divine protection, and claiming the right to destroy them as transgressors. He pronounces them
just as deserving as himself of exclusion from the
favor of God. ‘Are these,’ he says, ‘the people who
are to take my place in heaven and the place of the
angels who united with me? While they profess to
obey the law of God, have they kept its precepts?
Have they not been lovers of self more than of God?
Have they not placed their own interests above His
service? Have they not loved the things of the world?
Look at the sins which have marked their lives.
Behold their selfishness, their malice, their hatred
toward one another.’
“The people of God have been in many respects
very faulty. Satan has an accurate knowledge of the
sins which he has tempted them to commit, and he
presents these in the most exaggerated light, declaring: ‘Will God banish me and my angels from
His presence, and yet reward those who have been
guilty of the same sins? Thou canst not do this, O
Lord, in justice. Thy throne will not stand in righteousness and judgment. Justice demands that sentence be pronounced against them.’
“But while the followers of Christ have sinned,
they have not given themselves to the control of evil.
They have put away their sins, and have
sought the Lord in humility and contrition, and
the divine Advocate pleads in their behalf. He who
has been most abused by their ingratitude, who
knows their sin, and also their repentance, declares:
‘The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan. I gave My life for
these souls. They are graven upon the palms of My
hands.’
“The assaults of Satan are strong, his delusions are terrible; but the Lord’s eye is upon
His people. Their affliction is great, the flames of
the furnace seem about to consume them; but Jesus
will bring them forth as gold tried in the fire. Their
earthliness must be removed that the image of Christ
may be perfectly reflected; unbelief must be overcome;
faith, hope, and patience are to be developed.
“The people of God are sighing and crying
for the abominations done in the land. With

97
tears they warn the wicked of their danger in
trampling upon the divine law, and with unutterable
sorrow they humble themselves before the Lord on
account of their own transgressions. The wicked
mock their sorrow, ridicule their solemn appeals,
and sneer at what they term their weakness. But the
anguish and humiliation of God’s people is unmistakable evidence that they are regaining the
strength and nobility of character lost in consequence of sin. It is because they are drawing
nearer to Christ, and their eyes are fixed upon His
perfect purity, that they so clearly discern the exceeding sinfulness of sin. Their contrition and selfabasement are infinitely more acceptable in the sight
of God than is the self-sufficient, haughty spirit of
those who see no cause to lament, who scorn the
humility of Christ, and who claim perfection while
transgressing God’s holy law. Meekness and lowliness of heart are the conditions for strength and
victory. The crown of glory awaits those who bow
at the foot of the cross. Blessed are these mourners, for they shall be comforted.
“The faithful, praying ones are, as it were,
shut in with God. They themselves know not
how securely they are shielded. Urged on by
Satan, the rulers of this world are seeking to
destroy them; but could their eyes be opened, as
were the eyes of Elisha’s servant at Dothan, they
would see the angels of God encamped about them,
by their brightness and glory holding in check the
hosts of darkness.
“As the people of God afflict their souls before
Him, pleading for purity of heart, the command is
given, ‘Take away the filthy garments’ from them,
and the encouraging words are spoken, ‘Behold, I
have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I
will clothe thee with change of raiment.’ The spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness is placed upon
the tried, tempted, yet faithful children of God. The
despised remnant are clothed in glorious apparel,
nevermore to be defiled by the corruptions of
the world. Their names are retained in the
Lamb’s book of life, enrolled among the faithful of
all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver;
they have not been turned from their loyalty by the
dragon’s roar. Now they are eternally secure from
the tempter’s devices. Their sins are transferred
to the originator of sin. And the remnant are not
only pardoned and accepted, but honored. ‘A fair
miter’ is set upon their heads. They are to be as
kings and priests unto God. While Satan was urging
his accusations and seeking to destroy this company,
holy angels, unseen, were passing to and fro,
placing upon them the seal of the living God.
These are they that stand upon Mount Zion with the
Lamb, having the Father’s name written in their foreheads. They sing the new song before the throne,
that song which no man can learn save the hundred

98
and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed
from the earth. ‘These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the first fruits unto God and to
the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile:
for they are without fault before the throne of God.’
“Now is reached the complete fulfillment of those
words of the Angel: ‘Hear now, O Joshua the high
priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for
they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring
forth My servant the Branch.’ Christ is revealed as
the Redeemer and Deliverer of His people. Now indeed are the remnant ‘men wondered at,’ as the tears
and humiliation of their pilgrimage give place to joy
and honor in the presence of God and the Lamb. ‘In
that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful
and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in
Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be
called holy, even everyone that is written among the
living in Jerusalem.’ ”—5 Testimonies, 472:2-476:1.
Note the high points in the above passage:
(1) All will be required to render obedience to
the Sunday law. (2) The faithful have put away their
sins and sought the Lord in contrition. Their earthliness must be removed that the image of Christ
may be perfectly reflected. (3) They are sighing and
crying to God over the abominations about them.
(4) They are regaining strength and nobility of character. (5) Rulers are seeking to destroy them. (6) In
this terrible crisis, as they continue pleading with
God the command is given: “Take away the filthy
garments” from them, and (7) they are clothed with
a change of raiment, even the spotless robe of
Christ’s righteousness. (8) At this point in time (after enactment of the National Sunday Law and
placement of the seal upon them), nevermore will
they be defiled by the corruptions of the world. (9)
Their names have been retained in the book of life.
(10) Now they are eternally secure from the
tempter’s devices. (11) Their sins are transferred
to the originator of sin. (12) The seal of God has
been placed upon them.
From the above passage, we learn that, after
the National Sunday Law is enacted, the seal is
placed on the faithful. When that happens, each individual receiving the seal of God has had his name
sealed in the book of life. He will never again “be
defiled by the corruptions of the world”; and “he is
eternally secure from the tempter’s devices.”
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work
of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world
are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the
mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self,
who are humbling themselves before God and

THE END OF TIME
purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these
are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing
for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the
decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed,
their character will remain pure and spotless for
eternity.”—5 Testimonies, 216:1.
From information given elsewhere in the Spirit
of Prophecy, it is at that point that his individual
probation closes. Then, as others are warned
through the loud cry and make their decision for or
against the Bible truth about the Sabbath, their individual probation closes. When everyone has been
warned and made his personal decision, probation
for all will close and the post-close of probation
events will begin.
- 16 THE DECIDING POINT
(1) To summarize, in the final crisis the National
Sunday Law must be enacted, (2) the person must
understand the issues, he must know the truth
about Sabbath and Sunday, and (3) he must have
submitted to Sundaykeeping (and thereby, automatically, have rejected the Bible Sabbath). THEN (4) he
will receive the mark of the beast. This sequence
requires a duration of time between the enactment
of the law and the close of probation; so that, during
the loud cry, people can be given clear warning of the
issues involved.
Here are several summary passages:
1 - Understand, choose, marked.
“It is not until the issue is thus plainly set
before the people, and they are brought to
choose between the commandments of God and
the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive the mark of the
beast.”—Great Controversy, 449:1 (Ev 234).
2 - Understand, choose, and receive.
“If the light of truth has been presented to you
. . and yet you still cling to the false sabbath . .
you receive the mark of the beast.”—Review, July
13, 1897.
“Those who yield the truth of heavenly origin,
and accept the Sunday sabbath, will receive the
mark of the beast.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:3.
3 - Making the same decision that the beast
has made.
“To receive this mark means to come to the
same decision as the beast has done, and to
advocate the same ideas, in direct opposition to
the Word of God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:5.
4 - Everyone will decide.
“The great decision now to be made by everyone is, whether he will receive the mark of the

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

beast and his image or the seal of the living and
true God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 977/2:3.
5 - All will accept one or the other.
“When you obey the decree that commands
you to cease from labor on Sunday and worship
God, while you know that there is not a word in
the Bible showing Sunday to be other than a common working day, you consent to receive the mark
of the beast and refuse the seal of God.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 980/1:1 (Ev 235:2).
6 - The test is yet future.
“No one has yet received the mark of the
beast. The testing time has not yet come. There
are true Christians in every church, not excepting
Roman Catholic communion. None are condemned until they have had the light and have
seen the obligation of the fourth commandment.
But when the decree shall go forth enforcing
the counterfeit sabbath, and the loud cry of the
third angel shall warn men against the worship
of the beast and his image, the line will be clearly
drawn between the false and true. Then those who
still continue in transgression will receive the
mark of the beast.”—Evangelism, 234:2-235:0.
7 - It is the worship of the papacy.
“The enforcement of Sundaykeeping on the part
of Protestant churches is an enforcement of the
worship of the papacy—of the beast. Those who,
understanding the claims of the fourth commandment, choose to observe the false instead of
the true Sabbath are thereby paying homage to that
power by which alone it is commanded. But in the
very act of enforcing a religious duty by secular
power, the churches would themselves form an image to the beast; hence the enforcement of Sundaykeeping in the United States would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image.”—
Great Controversy, 448:3-449:0.
8 - Sundaykeeping was accepted in the past,
but not when the test comes.
“Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in so doing they were keeping
the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not excepting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is
the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts
their sincerity of purpose and their integrity
before Him. But when Sunday observance shall
be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command
of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome and
to the power which enforces the institution ordained

99
by Rome. He is worshiping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God
has declared to be the sign of His authority, and
honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as
the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept
the sign of allegiance to Rome—‘the mark of the beast.’
And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set
before the people, and they are brought to choose
between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in
transgression will receive the mark of the beast.”—
Great Controversy, 449:1.
9 - Here is the meaning of “right hand” and
“forehead”:
“ ‘He causeth all both small and great, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads’ (Rev. 13:16). Not only are men not to work
with their hands on Sunday, but with their
minds they are to acknowledge Sunday as the
sabbath.”—Last Day Events, 224:4.
- 17 IS A SEAL PLACED BEFORE
THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW?
In this chapter, we have observed abundant evidence that the sealing and marking occur at the
same time. It is also clear that the mark does not
begin being applied until the National Sunday Law
has been enacted and men have made their decision in the matter, and that the seal will be impressed at that time.
Regarding the latter rain seal, in Acts 3:19-20,
we are told that there is a putting away of sin, then
a blotting out of sin, then the outpouring of the
Spirit, and then the Second Advent of Christ. The
latter rain seal is especially discussed in Revelation 7, as something given to the 144,000. For more
on the experience of the 144,000, see Great Controversy, 648:3-649:0. (We will discuss it in a later
chapter.) That passage indicates that this group (the
144,000) is the one which chooses God’s side in the
crisis, obtains the victory over the beast and his
mark, and goes through the final conflict of Jacob’s
trouble after the close of probation.
But is there not some kind of earlier sealing?
In the New Testament, we are also told about
the sealing; and we note that there appears to be an
early rain seal (2 Cor. 1:22, Eph. 1:13) and a latter
rain seal.
A careful reading of the Spirit of Prophecy indicates that, during our lifetime, we are individually
deciding for the right or wrong side in the great controversy. As, by faith in Christ, we consistently choose
submission and obedience to God, a “covering” or
“sealing” is being drawn over us. Yet the evidence

100
indicates that this seal, although being firmed in by
the time of very advanced age, is not completed until
the death of the righteous.
God’s people, who through Christ’s strength,
maintain their faithful submission and obedience to
Him are living through their sealing process. You and
I are now in that sealing process. That process would
equate to a putting away of sin, through the enabling
grace of Christ, and a more complete surrender and
obedience to God. But this concept of a sealing occurring now does not mean that we are guaranteed
final redemption. We may later fall away and not receive the final seal and be redeemed from earth. We
may be in the sealing process, but that does not mean
we are now sealed for eternity.
In conclusion, we can say that, throughout the
humble, believing, obedient lifetime of a child of
God, the covering or sealing is gradually being
drawn over him. But he does not receive the final
aspect of that seal until he dies in Christ or goes
through the sealing experience after the National
Sunday Law is enacted. The reason that the concluding phase of the sealing is so crucial, is that it
seals his name into the book of life—so that, henceforth, he will never again fall under the domain of
Satan. But, in both instances (whether at his death
or after enactment of the National Sunday Law), he
has arrived at the close of his probation.
So we have here a self-consistent concept of the
sealing.
Let us briefly view some passages which clarify
the position we apparently should take in this matter:
1 - We are now in the sealing time.
“Satan is now using every device in this sealing time to keep the minds of God’s people from
the present truth and to cause them to waver.”—
Early Writing, 43:2.
2 - The sealing is a settling into the truth so
that one cannot be moved,
“Just as soon as the people of God are sealed in
their foreheads—it is not any seal or mark that can
be seen, but a settling into the truth, both intellectually and spiritually, so they cannot be
moved—just as soon as God’s people are sealed and
prepared for the shaking, it will come. Indeed, it has
begun already; the judgments of God are now upon
the land, to give us warning, that we may know what
is coming.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1161/2:3.
3 - When the sealing is ended, the plagues will
begin falling.
“Oh, that all could get a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the
wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I saw that Satan was at work in these days to distract, deceive,

THE END OF TIME
and draw away God’s people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly
for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and
their feet sliding, because they were not firmly
planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty
God could not be drawn over them while they were
thus trembling.
“Satan was trying his every art to hold them
where they were, until the sealing was past, until
the covering was drawn over God’s people, and
they were left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. God
has begun to draw this covering over His people,
and it will soon be drawn over all who are to have a
shelter in the day of slaughter. God will work in
power for His people; and Satan will be permitted
to work also.”—Early Writings, 44:2.
Note: In a special sense, from 1844 onward to
the general close of probation, we have been “in the
sealing time.” This is because, in 1844, the investigative judgment began on the cases of the dead (who,
during their lives, professed faith in Christ). Therefore, since 1844, as soon as a professor of Christ
died, his case immediately came up in the investigative judgment. When found to have been faithful,
the seal could be fully applied almost immediately
after death. That individual’s case did not have to
wait until centuries later to be examined by the investigative judgment.
4 - The sealing is being firmed in on the faithful of advanced age who are nearing death.
“There are living upon our earth men who have
passed the age of fourscore and ten. The natural
results of old age are seen in their feebleness. But
they believe God, and God loves them. The seal of
God is upon them, and they will be among the
number of whom the Lord has said, ‘Blessed are the
dead which die in the Lord.’ ”—7 Bible Commentary, 982/1:1.
5 - A servant of God who died faithful to her
Lord, in death, had the seal.
“I saw that she [Mrs. Hastings] was sealed and
would come up at the Voice of God and stand
upon the earth, and would be with the 144,000. I
saw we need not mourn for her; she would rest in
the time of trouble.”—2 Selected Messages, 263:3.
Note: Once again we have this intriguing phrase,
“with the 144,000.” You will recall that the angel told
Ellen White that, if faithful, “you with the 144,000”
would be saved. In the above passage we again have
this “with the” phrase. Neither Ellen White nor Mrs.
Hastings will go through the final crisis, precipitated
by the Sunday law; and, according to Great Controversy, 648:3-649:0, the 144,000 will be the faithful
ones who go through that final crisis.

6 -

THE SEAL AND MARK

6 - But the crucial sealing, occurring in the
National Sunday Law crisis, will be a time of sealing decisions for those of all ages while they are
still alive! That time is yet future.
“In a little while every one who is a child of God
will have His seal placed upon him. O, that it may
be placed upon our foreheads! Who can endure
the thought of being passed by when the angel goes
forth to seal the servants of God in their foreheads?”—7 Bible Commentary, 969/2:5-970/1:0.
7 - Any person, refusing the seal at that time,
will receive the mark.
“If the believers in the truth are not sustained
by their faith in these comparatively peaceful days,
what will uphold them when the grand test comes
and the decree goes forth against all those who
will not worship the image of the beast and receive
his mark in their foreheads or in their hands? This
solemn period is not far off. Instead of becoming
weak and irresolute, the people of God should be
gathering strength and courage for the time of
trouble.”—4 Testimonies, 251:1.
The placing of the seal of the living God is a momentous experience. It is not something to be treated
lightly. Those only will receive it who have been preparing for it in advance. It will seal in, for eternity, a
Christian beauty of character.
It is now that we must, by the grace of God, develop that character. It is now that we must plead
with our Jesus for divine aid. Submission to the
will of God and perfect obedience is the goal to be
reached. Through His enabling grace, it can be done;
for He has promised. Our God never makes a wrong
promise, and He never goes back on His promise.
As David Livingstone would say, as he repeated a
Bible promise which he needed to claim: “It is the
word of a gentleman.” Just as Livingstone did, we
can know that we will have the help we need—just
when we need it.
May our kind Father bless and keep you, as you
move forward, day by day, preparing for the seal of
the living God.
- 18 CAN THE FINAL SEAL OR MARK
BE RECEIVED SEVERAL TIMES?
Several years ago, a horrified friend told the
present compiler about a Sabbath School class he
was in the preceding Sabbath, in which the class
unanimously concluded that, after the Sunday law
was enacted, a person could be sealed, then fall away,
be sealed again, then fall away and worship on Sunday, and then repent and be sealed again! As long as
probation had not yet closed, they could just keep
shifting back and forth in their allegiance to God.

101
But it is clear from the statements you have just
read that the final sealing is an unchangeable act: a
sealing in of character, destiny, and possession. Once
the final seal is applied, that person is eternally
sealed, the property of God, “nevermore to be defiled
by the tempter’s devices,” and his destination is
heaven.
The same permanence applies to the mark of
the beast. Once received, there will be no after change.
As for the close of probation, the person’s individual probation closes as soon as he is marked or
sealed. The general close of probation occurs when
the last person on earth has made his decision one
way or the other.
For more on this, see the chapters on the Judgment and the Close of Probation.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
The Sealing Places Saints Beyond Satan’s
Power. Satan Will Come in Almost Human
Shape.—“I saw that Satan would work more powerfully now than ever he has before. He knows that
his time is short and that the sealing of the saints
will place them beyond his power, and [therefore]
he will now work in every way that he can, and will
try his every insinuation to get the saints off their
guard and get them asleep on present truth, or doubting it, so as to prevent their being sealed with the
seal of the living God; and [I saw] that Satan will
erelong come in almost human shape, and that his
angels were all around them seeking some way that
they might devour them.”—Manuscript 7, 1850, 2-4
(“A Vision the Lord Gave Me at the Home of Bro.
Harris,” August 24, 1850).
The Acceptance of Sunday, while the Sabbath
Is Trampled on, Puts the Man of Sin’s Stamp Upon
the World.—“The seventh-day is the Sabbath of the
Lord, and man has no moral right to dishonor it by
failing to do upon it the work which he should do.
God has set this day apart for His honor and glory
. . Men have insulted God by accepting, as holy, a
common working day. Nothing can put the stamp of
the man of sin so definitely upon the world as the
acceptance of the spurious sabbath, while the day
God has set apart is trampled underfoot.”—Letter
30, 1900 (to “Brother and Sister Hickox,” February 25, 1900).

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THE END OF TIME

“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is
the point of truth especially controverted. When the
final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the
line of distinction will be drawn between those who
serve God and those who serve Him not. While the
observance of the false sabbath in compliance with the
law of the state, contrary to the fourth commandment,
will be an avowal of allegiance to a power that is in
opposition to God, the keeping of the true Sabbath, in
obedience to God’s law, is an evidence of loyalty to the
Creator. While one class, by accepting the sign of
submission to earthly powers, receive the mark of
the beast, the other, choosing the token of allegiance to divine authority, receive the seal of God.”
—Great Controversy, 605:2

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER

103

— CHAPTER 7 —

PERFECTION
OF CHARACTER
INTRODUCTION:
WHY THIS CHAPTER IS HERE
Why is this chapter in here? Perfection of character is an important aspect in last-day events. This
major chapter should actually be placed at the beginning, prior to the church-state union and the National Sunday Law; for that is where it occurs. It is
now that we must prepare for the final crisis.
But, by locating it here, you will be better able to
compare it with five closely related chapter topics:
the seal of God, the passing of the judgment to the
living, the blotting out of sin, the marriage, and the
latter rain. All five topics are closely intertwined and
ought to be studied together.
The first of the five is perfection of character. It
is an ongoing process which is occurring now.
After the church-state union, comes the National
Sunday Law enactment which produces the formation of the image. The final crisis has begun. The
judgment in the Sanctuary above then passes to
the living as men and women make their intelligent
decisions to sacredly observe the Bible Sabbath or
bow to the child of the papacy.
According to the decisions that men make, the
road divides. To the righteous comes the seal of God,
the blotting out of sin, the marriage in the Most Holy
Place, and the latter rain. In contrast, at the same
time the wicked make their decision to receive the
mark of the beast, they receive it with an even greater
outpouring of satanic zeal and hatred than they had
earlier possessed.
While the righteous are pure in God’s sight (made
pure by the blood of Christ), the wicked are even
more wicked then ever before.
What is “perfection of character”? It is a muchmaligned concept, which simply means “obedience
to the laws of God through the enabling merits of
Jesus Christ.” Professed Christians who do not
want to obey God’s laws ridicule the idea as “perfectionism.” Wanting to cling to their cherished sins,
they stifle the convictions of the Spirit to forsake
them, declaring that perfect obedience is merely a
fanatical idea. For them, it is too great a sacrifice to
forsake sin for their Lord. They would rather live

with the self-deception that they can have both sin
and salvation throughout this earthly life.
But there are others who are quite content to
cling to Jesus and do all that He asks in His holy
Word. In happy submission to their Saviour, and
by faith in His enabling strength, they are putting
away their sins.
That which the wicked scorn as “perfectionism”
and “legalism,” the righteous view as simply clean,
godly living. What should be unusual about that?
God has repeatedly told them, in His Word, that He
wants them to live that way; He has provided an
abundance of grace, so they can do it. And so, by His
empowering merits, they do it. Simple as that. If
you, dear reader, have any question how this is done,
just read the directions in Steps to Christ, Mount of
Blessing, and Christ’s Object Lessons.
There are four errors in regard to the overcoming of sin which should be mentioned here:
(1) The error that we can resist or overcome
sin in our own strength. That, of course, cannot
be done. Those that try to do so, are hard to live
with.
(2) The error that we cannot resist or overcome sin in this life prior to the Second Advent
of Christ. There are those who reason that we can
happily continue in our sins and lusts until Jesus
returns in the skies and calls His people up into
the air to meet Him! They imagine that, at the moment of translation (by which the bodies of the faithful are glorified), and without any effort or self-denial on their part,—they will experience a magical
removal of their evil passions, vicious habits, adulteries, gluttony, and deceptive ways. But the concept that one can be saved in his sins is a terrible
deception.
Here is the reply to both errors:
Apart from the moment-by-moment help of
Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, we cannot resist
temptation, much less put away cherished sin. Of
ourselves we can do nothing. But, in and through
Christ, we can do all things that He asks of us in
His holy Word. Christ is our victory. Looking in faith
to Him, we can do all that He asks. At each step He

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strengthens us for the immediate duty, as we keep
our eyes of faith fixed upon Him.
Jesus died to save us from sin. He does this by
the impartation of His grace. But He does not give
grace today for tomorrow’s need. The grace comes
as we accept Him and abide in Him. We must receive Him and live in Him—right now—in order to
have His grace—right now. Such a way of life is seen
by some as a terrible sacrifice, one they do not wish
to make. But those who enter the experience find it
to be blessed, happy, and full of sweet peace. Oh,
yes, Satan will keep stirring up trouble, but the child
of God has the assurance of acceptance by His heavenly Father; and, relying on Jesus, He is strengthened to keep moving forward.
There are two sides to the grace of Christ, just
as there are two sides on a coin. Jesus gives us
forgiving grace and enabling grace. Forgiving grace
justifies. As we plead humbly, sincerely in prayer for
it, our past sin is forgiven, and we are, just now,
made right in the presence of God. Because we are
looking to God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ
His Son, and because we do it with the earnest,
sincere intention to forsake that sin and have nothing more to do with it we are forgiven—and we know
it.

resist or put away sin prior to the Second Advent, at
which time Christ will instantly and totally eradicate them. They even dare to claim that Jesus helps
no one put away sin prior to the Second Coming!
Even worse, it is said that, because God helps no
one resist sin, those who try to do so are only attempting it in their own strength—and therefore are
legalists, reprobate, and condemned of God for attempting to do so! Frankly, such a concept is blasphemous. It denies the reality of the sacrifice, intercession, and grace of Christ!
Because some professed Christians love sin, they
devise evil theories to explain away their own bondage in sin. Theirs is a futile attempt to make it appear that their indulgence in sin is a godly pursuit.
In an effort to excuse their own chains to the devil’s
car, they would try to bind everyone else to it also.
They declare that they have “righteousness by faith
alone,” they were “saved at the cross,” and their “behavior has no relation to salvation.” Since they are
“bound for heaven,” they can spend their Sabbath
morning worship services “celebrating” their salvation already received.
Yet the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy teach the
importance of putting away sin, now, and the means
through Christ by which it can be done.

Then we arise; and, holding close to Christ’s
hand, we live under empowering grace. Enabling
grace sanctifies; it empowers us to live right, obey
God’s Word, resist sin, and live kindly, helpful,
unselfish lives right now.
Will Christ’s enabling grace, given now, help us
in the future? No, His grace is like the manna; we
cannot save it for tomorrow’s needs. Tomorrow we
must obtain it fresh from Him as we give ourselves
anew to Him tomorrow and live in Him tomorrow.
Christianity is a NOW experience. That is why we
are told that none should ever be taught to feel or
think they are SAVED. We can be in Christ right
now, because that is a NOW experience. But final
salvation is a death or end-of-probation experience.
The future is not ours, only the present. Live the
present right, and you need not concern yourself
about the future! That is the message of Matthew
6:34. The act of salvation or redemption does not
come until the end if, in Christ, we have been faithful to the end. There is only one path to heaven,
and it is by way of the cross and the Sanctuary.
Daily we pick up our cross, trust, and obey, and
follow Christ into the Sanctuary in heaven, where
He ministers His grace anew to us.
It should be noted here that those who want to
remain in their sins use a fallacious argument in
condemning those who are seeking, in Christ, to
put theirs away. The false argument (found today in
certain denominational books) is that no one can

It is NOW that we are to put away our sins; they
will not be magically removed at some later time.
Some have erred in supposing that their sins will
mysteriously be removed when the latter rain falls.
This false hope is clearly rejected in the Early Writings, 71, statement. Carefully read the entire page.
Some say that our sins cannot be put away
until the judgment passes to the cases of living,
at which time, if we are continuing in repentance, ours sins will be removed. A group in the
early 1960s believed that their sins would be removed when the judgment passed to the living; and,
prior to then, they needed only “pray for repentance”
and await the forthcoming removal of their sins in
the twinkling of an eye. That concept is a serious
error.
Now it is true that the record of the sins of the
faithful will be canceled when the investigative judgment passes to their names. But that occurs only
because those individuals had, in the strength of
Christ, earlier put away their sins. It is now that
we are to put away sin, in preparation for that
time when our cases will come up in the judgment.
God’s Word is very clear as to when sin must
be removed from our lives. Spirit of Prophecy statements, as given in two of our earlier tracts, clearly
disprove the errors. The tract, You Can Overcome,
clearly reveals that our sins CAN be eliminated and
that it is NOW that we must put them away. The
tract, The Center of the Crisis, shows that they must

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
be put away prior to the sealing, latter rain, close of
probation, and Second Advent of Christ.
In contrast to such errors, in this present chapter, we will learn that, in the strength of Christ, our
sins must be put away now—before the Sunday law
crisis begins. This is a daily work; and, frankly, it
is a sweet work. Our happiest hours are when we
live in conscious approval by our kind heavenly Father. He is so good to us; and we are so happy to
please the One we love so much. The wicked can
denounce us as “legalists”; but we are quite content
to live close to Jesus and dwell in the cleft of such a
mighty Rock of protection and enabling.
But there is also another error: There are
those who loudly proclaim that they are perfect
and have not sinned for so many months or years.
Some in this group travel from place to place and
teach that all present and future sin can instantly
be put away, never to return. It is claimed that all
that is necessary to have temptation removed forever from your life is to believe the speaker standing before you—and it will happen immediately—
that night!
But BEWARE OF SUCH PEOPLE! The Spirit
of Prophecy statements are clear that the closer we
come to Christ, the more we will sense our inadequacies, frailness, and great need of His enabling
grace. We are told that those who live the closest to
God are the last to parade their virtues or tell men
they are sinless.
Even God’s faithful children can be deluded into
accepting this false teaching, that they are now perfect. Instantly, Satan will enter their minds. We know
of instances in which Christian wives have accepted
this teaching by preachers passing through town;
and, within a week, they leave their husbands and
have sexual relations with the itinerant “perfect man”
who took over their minds. They were deluded into
forsaking Scripture and trusting in Christ; instead
they placed their faith in the words of a “holy man”
they had never met before.
Trust Christ, cling to Him. But trust your salvation to no man! All you have is God and His Inspired
Writings.
Friend, apart from Christ you are nothing! Apart
from Him you are lost and a captive of Satan. In
Christ, you are His obedient child. Only through
His strength can you depart from a single sin; only
by His continual help can you resist a single temptation. Do not forsake Christ and humble, ongoing
obedience to His Word—just because someone
comes along and supposedly offers you a quicker,
easier way. In turning to follow him, you have forsaken the cross and the Sanctuary. You have laid
down the cross of ongoing resistance of sin, and you
have left the heavenly Sanctuary where your High

105
Priest strengthens you moment by moment for the
battle of clinging to Him in the midst of life’s trials.
What is genuine Christian experience like? It is
like the three-year-old child which clings close to
its mother’s side, holding tightly to her hand, as
together they cross a busy street in heavy traffic.
No one, NO ONE who is a genuine disciple of
Christ will ever speak of his sinlessness or tell others they can instantly put away their sins forever.
Would you know the true road to heaven? Then
spend time each day reading in the Bible and Spirit
of Prophecy, and you will not be misled.
When you find yourself in a group where error is being taught, get out of there as quickly
as you can! But utter a warning before you leave;
plead with your friends and loved ones to leave
also. LOR is one of the groups teaching the error of
instant removal of sin (see our tracts on LOR; it
stands for “Lord Our Righteousness Church”).
Those accepting that teaching have their minds captured by Satan that very night. Ellen White confronted such fanatical teachers early in her ministry. She found that they were deeply involved in secret adulteries with those they were not married
to. Recently a LOR group (which said they were not
from LOR) came to a small East Coast town. They
captured several faithful Advent believers; and,
shortly after, one of them (a man who had left his
own wife and child in Georgia several years before)
had sexual relations with one of the captured wives.
We know of other experiences elsewhere. When a
man tries to become his own god, he becomes a
hopeless captive of Satan.
The following material has been excerpted from
two tracts compiled by the present author in the
spring of 1980: You Can Overcome and Center of
the Crisis.
The central issue in the coming crisis is obedience to the Word of God. The special test is the
Bible Sabbath. You will find the following study to
be intensely interesting.
-1CHRIST IS WAITING FOR US
TO COOPERATE WITH HIM
IN DOING A SPECIAL WORK
IN PREPARATION FOR
HIS SECOND COMING
“ ‘When the fruit is brought forth, immediately He putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Christ is waiting with longing desire
for the manifestation of Himself in His church.
When the character of Christ shall be perfectly
reproduced in His people, then He will come to
claim them as His own.

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“It is the privilege of every Christian not only to
look for but to hasten the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all who profess
His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly
the whole world would be sown with the seed of the
gospel. Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to gather the precious grain.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 69:1-2.
It is clear that the truth is that Christ is waiting
for us to put away our sins. In strong contrast, the
error being taught by many today is that Christ is
waiting for us to accept the fact that sin cannot be
put away in this life. By doing so, we will become
“righteous in Christ” and prepared for the Second
Advent.
The truth is that the righteousness of Christ
does not cover known, unforesaken sins! Yes, only
Christ can take away our sins, but He will not do it
without our cooperation. We must strive against
temptation and put our will to the task. But, without a total dedication to Jesus, that striving and
willing is useless. It is the cooperative venture that
succeeds; Jesus will not do it for us without our
willingness and effort, and we can never, never do
it without His mighty power. The part that Jesus
does is infinitely great, and the part we do is infinitely small; yet without that—our small part—victory and purity will not be obtained.
-2AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE
IN GREAT CONTROVERSY,
PAGES 423-424
A most powerful passage, one of the most
important (!) in Great Controversy, is found
on pages 423-425 of that book. It explains our
special work and the reason for the delay. You
will want to read it carefully:
“The subject of the Sanctuary was the key
which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment
of 1844. It opened to view a complete system of
truth, connected and harmonious, showing that
God’s hand had directed the great advent movement and revealing present duty as it brought to
light the position and work of His people . . Light
from the Sanctuary illumined the past, the
present, and the future . .
“But the people were not yet ready—to meet
their Lord. There was still a work of preparation to be accomplished for them. Light was to be
given, directing their minds to the temple of God in
heaven; and as they should by faith follow their
High Priest in His ministration there, new duties
would be revealed. Another message of warning and
instruction was to be given to the church.
“Says the prophet: ‘Who may abide the day of

His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’
soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge
them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the
Lord an offering in righteousness.’ Malachi 3:2-3.
Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the Sanctuary
above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their
characters must be purified from sin by the blood
of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their
own diligent effort they must be conquerors in
the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of
penitent believers are being removed from the Sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people
upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in
the messages of Revelation 14.
“When this work shall have been accomplished,
the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing. ‘Then shall the offering of Judah and
Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days
of old, and as in former years.’ Malachi 3:4. Then
the church which our Lord at His coming is to receive to Himself will be a ‘glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.’
Ephesians 5:27. Then she will look ‘forth as the
morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and
terrible as an army with banners.’ Song of Solomon
6:10.”—Great Controversy, 423:1, 424:4-425:2.
Note: The above three pages contains the heart
of the message of the book, Great Controversy.
From the above passage, it is clear that the “special
duty” of the Advent people is to OBEY THE LAW
OF GOD. That is what “character perfection” is all
about. Yet that is understandable; for that is the
basic issue in the great controversy between Christ
and Satan. There is nothing complicated here, nothing confusing. It is simply a matter of obeying the
words of God, as given in His Inspired Writings. We
would do well to read the above passage over and
over again.
Someone will cry, “That is legalism!” Not a bit!
We are required to obey God, but it can be done
only through His enabling grace. God never asks of
us anything we cannot do. By ourselves, we cannot
obey His Inspired Writings. We know it, God knows
it. But as we cry to Him for help, He provides all
the help we need to fulfill His will for our lives.
-3PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
IS THE AIM SET BEFORE US
“None need fail of attaining, in his sphere,

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
to perfection of Christian character. By the sacrifice of Christ, provision has been made for the believer to receive all things that pertain to life and
godliness. God calls upon us to reach the standard of perfection and places before us the
example of Christ’s character. In His humanity,
perfected by a life of constant resistance of evil, the
Saviour showed that through co-operation with
Divinity, human beings may in this life attain
to perfection of character. This is God’s assurance to us that we, too, may obtain complete victory.”—Acts of the Apostles, 531:2.
“We are not yet perfect; but it is our privilege to
cut away from the entanglements of self and sin,
and advance to perfection. Great possibilities,
high and holy attainments, are placed within
the reach of all.”—Acts of Apostles, 565:1.
“Christ came that He might re-create the image
of God in man.”—Desire of Ages, 478:2.
“God will accept only those who are determined
to aim high. He places every human agent under
obligation to do his best. Moral perfection is required of all. Never should we lower the standard of righteousness in order to accommodate
inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong-doing.
We need to understand that imperfection of
character is sin. All righteous attributes of character dwell in God as a perfect, harmonious whole,
and every one who receives Christ as a personal
Saviour is privileged to possess these attributes.”—
Christ Object Lessons, 330:2.
-4ALL PREPARED
FOR THE SECOND ADVENT
WILL HAVE PERFECTION
OF CHARACTER
“As was Enoch’s must be their holiness of
character who shall be redeemed from among men
at the Lord’s Second Coming.”—8 Testimonies,
331:3.
“We can never see our Lord in peace, unless
our souls are spotless. We must bear the perfect
image of Christ . . We shall never attain to this condition without earnest effort. We must strive daily
against outward evil and inward sin, if we would
reach the perfection of Christian character.”—Review, May 30, 1882, para. 1.
“When Christ shall come, our vile bodies are
to be changed, and made like His glorious body;
but the vile character will not be made holy
then. The transformation of character must take
place before His coming. Our natures must be pure
and holy; we must have the mind of Christ, that He
may behold with pleasure His image reflected upon
our souls.”—Our High Calling, 278:3.

107
-5IT MUST BE OBTAINED NOW,
DURING THESE HOURS
OF PROBATION
“When He comes He is not to cleanse us of
our sins, to remove from us the defects in our characters, or to cure us of the infirmities of our tempers and dispositions. If wrought for us at all,
this work will all be accomplished before that
time. When the Lord comes, those who are holy
will be holy still. Those who have preserved their
bodies and spirits in holiness, in sanctification and
honor, will then receive the finishing touch of immortality. But those who are unjust, unsanctified,
and filthy will remain so forever. No work will then
be done for them to remove their defects and give
them holy characters. The Refiner does not then
sit to pursue His refining process and remove their
sins and their corruption. This is all to be done
in these hours of probation. It is now that this
work is to be accomplished for us.”—2 Testimonies
355:1.
-6IT MUST BE ATTAINED NOW,
THROUGH FAITH
IN HIS ATONING BLOOD,
WHILE THE ATONEMENT CONTINUES
“Now, while our great High Priest is making
the atonement for us, we should seek to become
perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could
our Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point
where he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is
cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their power. But Christ declared of Himself: ‘The
prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in
Me.’ John 14:30. Satan could find nothing in the
Son of God that would enable him to gain the victory. He had kept His Father’s commandments, and
there was no sin in Him that Satan could use to his
advantage. This is the condition in which those
must be found who shall stand in the time of
trouble.
“It is in this life that we are to separate sin
from us, through faith in the atoning blood of Christ
. . None can neglect or defer this work but at
the most fearful peril to their souls.”—Great Controversy, 623:1-2.
“Had not Jacob previously repented of his
sin in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God would
not have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved
his life. So, in the time of trouble, if the people of
God had unconfessed sins to appear before them
while tortured with fear and anguish, they would
be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith,

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and they could not have confidence to plead with God
for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of
their unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs
to reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to
judgment and have been blotted out, and they
cannot bring them to remembrance.”—Great Controversy, 620:1.
“Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life;
but the Lord shows in His dealings with Jacob that
He will in no wise sanction or tolerate evil. All who
endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and
permit them to remain upon the books of
heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be
overcome by Satan. The more exalted their profession and the more honourable the position which
they hold, the more grievous is their course in the
sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their
great adversary. Those who delay a preparation
for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time
of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case
of all such is hopeless.”—Great Controversy, 620:2.
“The seal of God will never be placed upon the
forehead of an impure man or woman . . All who
receive the seal must be without spot before
God.”—5 Testimonies, 216:2.
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great
work of preparation? Those who are uniting with
the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are
distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by
obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in
their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and
the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.
“Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God
will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon
the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or
woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead
of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts.
All who receive the seal must be without spot
before God—candidates for heaven.”—5 Testimonies, 216:1-2. [Carefully read the following passages for a clearer understanding of the experience of the people of God at this time: 5 Testimonies, 207-216, 467-476; Early Writings, 269-271.]
-7THE SEAL WILL BE PLACED
ON THE HEADS OF THOSE
WHO OBTAIN IT
“Are we striving with all our power to attain to
the stature of men and women in Christ? Are we

seeking for His fullness, ever pressing toward
the mark set before us—the perfection of His
character? When the Lord’s people reach this
mark, they will be sealed in their foreheads. Filled
with the Spirit, they will be complete in Christ, and
the recording angel will declare, It is finished.”—
Our High Calling, 150:6.
“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God
while our characters have one spot or stain upon
them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in
our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon
us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the
Day of Pentecost.”—5 Testimonies, 214:2.
“I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every
besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the
world, and over every wrong word and action.”—
Early Writings, 71:2.
“Those who come up to every point, and
stand every test and overcome, be the price what
it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and
thus be fitted for translation.”—1 Testimonies,
187:1.
-8IT MUST NOT BE
NEGLECTED UNTIL AFTER
THE LATTER RAIN AND SEALING
“I also saw that many do not realize what they
must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord
without a high priest in the Sanctuary through the
time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the
living God and are protected in the time of trouble
must reflect the image of Jesus fully.
“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of
‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand
in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh,
how many I saw in the time of trouble without
a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing
that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a
holy God.”—Early Writings, 71:1-2.
-9WE MUST PREPARE NOW
FOR WHAT IS AHEAD
“We believe without a doubt that Christ is soon
coming. This is not a fable to us; it is a reality.
We have no doubt, neither have we had a doubt for
years, that the doctrines we hold today are present
truth, and that we are nearing the judgment. We are
preparing to meet Him who, escorted by a retinue

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
of holy angels, is to appear in the clouds of heaven to
give the faithful and the just the finishing touch of
immortality.”—2 Testimonies, 355:1.
“It is a solemn thing to die, but a far more
solemn thing to live. Every thought and word and
deed of our lives will meet us again. What we make
of ourselves in probationary time, that we
must remain to all eternity. Death brings dissolution to the body, but makes no change in the character. The coming of Christ does not change our
characters; it only fixes them forever beyond all
change.”—5 Testimonies, 466:2.
“Make your home atmosphere fragrant with tender thoughtfulness. If you have become estranged
and have failed to be Bible Christians, be converted;
for the character you bear in probationary
time will be the character you will have at the
coming of Christ. If you would be a saint in heaven,
you must first be a saint on earth. The traits of
character you cherish in life will not be changed
by death or by the resurrection. You will come up
from the grave with the same disposition you manifested in your home and in society. Jesus does
not change the character at His coming. The
work of transformation must be done now. Our
daily lives are determining our destiny.”—Adventist
Home, 16:2.
“God’s ideal for His children is higher than the
highest human thought can reach. ‘Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect.’ This command is a promise. The plan of
redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always
separates the contrite soul from sin. He came
to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made
provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to
every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning . .
The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness.
As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His
followers are to be perfect in their life.”—Desire of
Ages, 311:2, 4.
“He who enters heaven must have a character
that is without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
Naught that defileth can ever enter there. In all
the redeemed host not one defect will be seen.”—
Messages to Young People, 144:2.
“God requires perfection of His children. His law
is a transcript of His own character, and it is
the standard of all character. This infinite standard is presented to all that there may be no mistake in regard to the kind of people whom God will
have to compose His kingdom.”—Christ Object Lessons, 315:1.
“The very image of God is to be reproduced in
humanity. The honor of God, the honor of Christ, is
involved in the perfection of the character of His

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people.”—Desire of Ages, 671:3.
“Everyone who by faith obeys God’s commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness
in which Adam lived before his transgression.”—
Maranatha, 224:5.
“Those only who through faith in Christ obey
all of God’s commandments will reach the condition of sinlessness in which Adam lived before his
transgression. They testify to their love of Christ by
obeying all His precepts.”—8 Manuscript Releases,
99:2.
“And while we cannot claim perfection of the flesh,
we may have Christian perfection of the soul.”—
2 Selected Messages, 32:3.
- 10 WHEN WE ENTER
THE JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING
“The law of God is the standard by which the
characters and the lives of men will be tested in
the judgment . . Every man’s work passes in review
before God, and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of
heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every
wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled
duty, and every secret sin . . Jesus will appear as
their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God . .
‘Wherefore He is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He
ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ ”—Great
Controversy, 482:2, 1, 4.
“As the books of record are opened in the
judgment, the lives of all who have believed on
Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with
those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate
presents the cases of each successive generation,
and closes with the living . . When any have sins
remaining upon the books of record, unrepented
of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out
of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds
will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance.
The Lord declared to Moses: ‘Whosoever hath
sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.’
Exodus 32:33.’ ”—Great Controversy, 483:1.
“All who have truly repented of sin, and by
faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their
names in the books of heaven; as they have become
partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and
their characters are found to be in harmony with
the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and
they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal
life. The Lord declares . . ‘I, even I, am He that blotteth
out thy transgressions . .’ Said Jesus, ‘He that
overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the

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book of life.’ ”—Great Controversy, 483:2.
“The divine Intercessor presents the plea that
all who have overcome through faith in His blood
be forgiven their transgressions, that they be restored
to their Eden home, and crowned as joint heirs
with Himself to ‘the first dominion.’ Micah 4:8.
Satan in his efforts to deceive and tempt our race
had thought to frustrate the divine plan in man’s
creation; but Christ now asks that this plan be
carried into effect as if man had never fallen.”—
Great Controversy, 484:0.
- 11 JESUS IS NOW PLEADING FOR US
“Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows
their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them
forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the
Father and the holy angels, saying: I know them by
name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands
. . Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment
of the new-covenant promise: ‘I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ ”—
Great Controversy, 484:2-485:1.
“The work of the investigative judgment and
the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the Second Advent of the Lord . . Sins that have
not been repented of and forsaken will not be
pardoned and blotted out of the books of record,
but will stand to witness against the sinner in the
day of God.”—Great Controversy, 485:2, 486:2.
- 12 WE MUST NOW PREPARE
FOR THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT
“The Sanctuary in heaven is the very center
of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the
plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very
close of time and revealing the triumphant issue of
the contest between righteousness and sin . . The
intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the
Sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death
He began that work which after His resurrection He
ascended to complete in heaven.
“We must by faith enter within the veil,
‘whither the forerunner is for us entered.’ Hebrews
6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is
reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into
the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man
is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the
sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of
the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way
to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation
the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith

THE END OF TIME
may be presented before God . .
“If those who hide and excuse their faults could
see how Satan exults over them, how he taunts Christ
and holy angels with their course, they would make
haste to confess their sins and to put them away.
Through defects in the character, Satan works
to gain control of the whole mind, and he will
succeed. Therefore he is constantly seeking to
deceive the followers of Christ with his fatal
sophistry that it is impossible for them to overcome . . Let none, then, regard their defects as incurable. God will give faith and grace to overcome
them.
“We are now living in the great day of atonement. In the typical service, while the high priest
was making the atonement for Israel, all were required to afflict their souls by repentance of sin
and humiliation before the Lord, lest they be cut
off from among the people. In like manner, all who
would have their names retained in the book
of life should now, in the few remaining days of
their probation, afflict their souls before God by
sorrow for sin and true repentance. There must be
deep, faithful searching of heart . . There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil
tendencies that strive for the mastery. The work of
preparation is an individual work. We are not
saved in groups. The purity and devotion of one
will not offset the want of these qualities in another.
Though all nations are to pass in judgment before
God, yet He will examine the case of each individual with as close and searching scrutiny as if
there were not another being upon the earth. Everyone must be tested and found without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing.”—Great Controversy,
488:3-490:0.
- 13 THE CONTROVERSY
BEGAN IN HEAVEN
OVER OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW
The controversy began in heaven over the issue
of whether obedience to the law was necessary or
even possible. Here are but a few of the many statements pertaining to this:
“In Revelation 14, men are called upon to worship the Creator; and the prophecy brings to view a
class that, as the result of the threefold message,
are keeping the commandments of God.”—Great
Controversy, 437:1.
“In contrast to those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus, the third
angel points to another class, against whose errors
a solemn and fearful warning is uttered: ‘If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his
mark . .’ ”—Great Controversy, 438:1.

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
“The special characteristic of the beast, and
therefore of his image, is the breaking of God’s commandments.”—Great Controversy, 446:1.
“In the issue of the contest all Christendom will
be divided into two great classes—those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith
of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and
his image and receive his mark. Although church
and state will unite their power to compel ‘all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ (Rev.
13:16), to receive ‘the mark of the beast,’ yet the
people of God will not receive it.”—Great Controversy, 450:1.
“The spirit of the papacy [is] the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for
human traditions above the commandments
of God—that is permeating the Protestant churches
and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before
them.”—Great Controversy, 573:1.
“Jesus, looking down to the last generation,
saw the world involved in a deception similar to
that which caused the destruction of Jerusalem.
The great sin of the Jews was their rejection of
Christ; the great sin of the Christian world
would be their rejection of the law of God, the
foundation of His government in heaven and
earth.”—Great Controversy, 22:2.
“The last great conflict between truth and
error is but the final struggle of the long-standing controversy concerning the law of God.
Upon this battle we are now entering—a battle between the laws of men and the precepts of Jehovah.”—Great Controversy, 582:2.
The crisis that began the great controversy
is the one that will end it. You and I will have a part
in that crisis! Will our decision be on God’s side?
Will we vindicate His perfect law? Or will we listen
to those who love sin so much, they give sermons
and write books excusing it? When the crisis is over
and the controversy is ended, then eternity will begin. It is an eternity that you and I want a part in.
“The cross of Calvary, while it declares the
law immutable, proclaims to the universe that the
wages of sin is death. In the Saviour’s expiring cry,
‘It is finished,’ the death knell of Satan was rung.
The great controversy which had been so long in
progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain . . When ‘the day
cometh, that shall burn as an oven . . all the proud,
yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and
the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the
Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root
nor branch.’ ” Malachi 4:1.
“The whole universe will have become witnesses
to the nature and results of sin. And its utter

111
extermination, which in the beginning would have
brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will
now vindicate His love and establish His honor
before the universe of beings who delight to do His
will, and in whose heart is His law. Never will evil
again be manifest. Says the Word of God: ‘Affliction
shall not rise up the second time.’ Nahum 1:9. The
law of God, which Satan has reproached as the
yoke of bondage, will be honored as the law of
liberty. A tested and proved creation will never
again be turned from allegiance to Him whose character has been fully manifested before them as fathomless love and infinite wisdom.”—Great Controversy, 503:3-504:1.
The future is bright, as long as we cling to Jesus.
He has a wonderful eternity awaiting us. He will
lead His flock down through countless ages of peace
and happiness. Life without end! Oh, my friend,
we must be there!
Just now it is our task to learn the ways of
heaven. Later, we will live there forever. Loyalty and
obedience to our God is what that eternity will all
be about. Those who do not want it will not be there.
Yet it is the only way to be genuinely happy!
I know you want it! May God help us each one
to be faithful to the end.
- 14 IN CHRIST YOU CAN OVERCOME
The following statements explain how we can
resist temptation and overcome sin in the strength
of Christ. These statements are self-explanatory and
need little introduction. Yes, the requirements are
very high, but the enabling is just as high! Sufficient
to the day’s needs will be the amount of grace given.
But it is only imparted to those who, each moment,
are pressing close to the side of Christ, and looking
to Him for help, wisdom, and strength. Through the
empowering grace of Christ we can obey all that God
asks of us in His Inspired Books.
“By His perfect obedience He has made it possible for every human being to obey God’s commandments. When we submit ourselves to
Christ, the heart is united with His heart, the will
is merged in His will, the mind becomes one with
His mind, the thoughts are brought into captivity to
Him; we live His life. This is what it means to be
clothed with the garment of His righteousness.”—
Christ’s Object Lessons, 312:0.
“And how this is accomplished, Christ has
shown us. By what means did He overcome in
the conflict with Satan? By the Word of God. Only
by the Word could He resist temptation. ‘It is written,’ He said. And unto us are given ‘exceeding
great and precious promises, that by these ye
might be partakers of the divine nature, having es-

112
caped the corruption that is in the world through
lust.’ 2 Peter 1:4. Every promise in God’s Word is
ours. ‘By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of God’ are we to live. When assailed by temptation,
look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self,
but to the power of the Word. All its strength is
yours. ‘Thy Word,’ says the psalmist, ‘have I hid in
mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’ ‘By
the words of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths
of the destroyer.’ ”—Desire of Ages, 123:4.
“Christ is our tower of strength, and Satan can
have no power over the soul that walks with God in
humility of mind. The promise, ‘Let him take hold
of My strength, that he may make peace with Me;
and he shall make peace with Me.’ In Christ there
is perfect and complete help for every tempted
soul. Dangers beset every path, but the whole universe of heaven is standing on guard, that none
may be tempted above that which he is able to
bear. Some have strong traits of character, that will
need to be constantly repressed. If kept under the
control of the Spirit of God, these traits will be a
blessing; but if not, they will prove a curse . . If we
will give ourselves unselfishly to the work, never
swerving in the least from principle, the Lord
will throw about us the everlasting arms, and will
prove a mighty helper. If we will look to Jesus as
the One in whom we may trust, He will never
fail us in any emergency.”—My Life Today,
316:4.
“It is not necessary that anyone should yield
to the temptations of Satan and thus violate his
conscience and grieve the Holy Spirit. Every provision has been made in the Word of God whereby
all may have divine help in their endeavors to overcome. If they keep Jesus before them they will
become changed into His image.”—5 Testimonies,
574:2.
“The enemy cannot overcome the humble
learner of Christ, the one who walks prayerfully before the Lord. Christ interposes Himself as a shelter, a retreat, from the assaults of the wicked one.
“Satan was permitted to tempt the too-confident Peter, as he had been permitted to tempt Job;
but when that work was done he had to retire.
Had Satan been suffered to have his way, there would
have been no hope for Peter. He would have made
complete shipwreck of faith. But the enemy dare not
go one hairbreadth beyond his appointed sphere.
There is no power in the whole satanic force
that can disable the soul that trusts, in simple
confidence, in the wisdom that comes from
God.”—My Life Today, 316:2-3.
“In our own strength it is impossible for us
to deny the clamors of our fallen nature. Through
this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us.

THE END OF TIME
Christ knew that the enemy would come to every
human being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare all
whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the
ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not His
will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in
the conflict with Satan.”—Desire of Ages, 123:0.
“Let him who is struggling against the power of
appetite, look to the Saviour in the wilderness of
temptation. See Him in His agony upon the cross,
as He exclaimed, ‘I thirst.’ He has endured all that
it is possible for us to bear. His victory is ours.
“There was in Him nothing that responded to
Satan’s sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not
even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So
it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united
with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make
us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we
are united to Him by faith, sin has no more
dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of
faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character.”—Desire of Ages, 123:1, 3.
“Jesus does not desire those who have been purchased at such a cost to become the sport of the
enemy’s temptations. He does not desire us to
be overcome and perish. He who curbed the lions in their den, and walked with His faithful witnesses amid the fiery flames, is just as ready to
work in our behalf to subdue every evil in our
nature. Today He is standing at the altar of mercy,
presenting before God the prayers of those who
desire His help. He turns no weeping, contrite one
away . .
“The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus
lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No
man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ
unites them to His own divine-human nature.”— Ministry of Healing, 90:1-2.
“The condition of eternal life is now just what
it always has been—just what it was in Paradise
before the fall of our first parents—perfect obedience to the law of God, perfect righteousness. If
eternal life were granted on any condition short of
this, then the happiness of the whole universe would
be imperiled.”—Steps to Christ, 62:1.
Notice that, in the above quotation (as in many
others), “righteousness” is defined as “obedience.”
Obedience by faith in the enabling merits of Christ
is “righteousness by faith.” Look up every statement
in the Spirit of Prophecy on “righteousness by faith,”
and you will find that nearly all of them are talking
about active obedience on our part. We printed a tract
set, in 1980 (Message of Minneapolis), which quoted

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
all that we could find.
“Since we are sinful, unholy, we cannot perfectly obey the holy law . . But Christ has made
a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He
lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He
offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept
Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may
have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your
character, and you are accepted before God just
as if you had not sinned.
“More than this, Christ changes the heart. He
abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain
this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long
as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do
according to His good pleasure. So you may say, ‘The
life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God . . ‘Then with Christ working in you,
you will manifest the same spirit and do the
same good works—works of righteousness, obedience.
“So we have nothing in ourselves of which to
boast. We have no ground for self-exaltation. Our
only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit
working in and through us.”—Steps to Christ, 62:263:1.
“Christ prepared the way for the ransom of
man by His own life of suffering, self-denial, and selfsacrifice, and by His humiliation and final death. He
brought help to man that he might, by following
Christ’s example, overcome on his own account,
as Christ has overcome for him.”—3 Testimonies,
372:1.
“It is His purpose to bring them into so close
connection with Himself that Satan shall have
no opportunity to pervert their judgment or to overpower their conscience. He will reveal to them their
defects of character, and bestow upon all who seek
His aid, strength to correct their errors. Whatever may be man’s besetting sin, whatever bitter or
baleful passions struggle for the mastery, he may
conquer, if he will watch and war against them
in the name and strength of Israel’s Helper.
“The children of God should cultivate a keen
sensitiveness to sin. Here, as well as elsewhere,
we should not despise the day of small things. It is
one of Satan’s most successful devices, to lead men
to the commission of little sins, to blind the mind
to the danger of little indulgences, little digressions from the plainly stated requirements of
God. Many who would shrink with horror from some
great transgression, are led to look upon sin in little

113
matters as of trifling consequence. But these little
sins eat out the life of godliness in the soul . .
“We must learn to distrust self and to rely
wholly upon God for guidance and support, for a
knowledge of His will, and for strength to perform
it.”—2 Bible Commentary, 1017/2:1.
“The child of God must search out the sin
which he has petted and indulged himself in, and
permit God to cut it out of his heart. He must over
come that one sin; for it is not a trifling matter in
the sight of God . .
“The Lord has not given us a list of graded
sins, so that we may reckon some as of little
consequence, and say that they will do but little
harm, while others are of greater magnitude and
will do much harm.
“A chain is no stronger than is its weakest link
. . The work of overcoming is to be the study of
every soul who enters the kingdom of God.”—Messages to Young People, 91:1-3.
“He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense
of guilt . . Men hate the sinner, while they love the
sin. Christ hates the sin, but loves the sinner.”—
Desire of Ages, 462:3-4.
“It should be made plain that the government
of God knows no compromise with evil . .
“We should beware of treating sin as a light
thing.”—Education, 290:4, 291:1.
“Let none now tamper with sin, the source of
every misery in our world. No longer remain in lethargy and stupid indifference. Let not the destiny of
your soul hang upon an uncertainty. Know that
you are fully on the Lord’s side . .
“If you neglect or treat with indifference the warnings that God has given, if you cherish or excuse sin,
you are sealing your soul’s destiny . . While mercy
lingers, while the Saviour is making intercession, let us make thorough work for eternity.”—6
Testimonies, 404:3, 405:2.
“Christ has power from His Father to give His
divine grace and strength to man, making it possible for him through His name to overcome.
“All are personally exposed to the temptations
that Christ overcame, but strength is provided
for them in the all-powerful name of the great Conqueror. And all must, for themselves, individually overcome.”—My Life Today, 317:3.
“Those who come up to every point, and
stand every test, and overcome, be the price
what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True
Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and
thus be fitted for translation.”—1 Testimonies,
187:1. [The entire page is worth reading.]
“God’s ideal for His children is higher than

114
the highest human thought can reach. ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven
is perfect.’ This command is a promise. The plan
of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always
separates the contrite soul from sin. He came
to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made
provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to
every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.
“The tempter’s agency is not to be accounted an
excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he
hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these
excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse
for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.
“The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life,
so His followers are to be perfect in their lives.
Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food
and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man;
yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God
in the flesh. His character is to be ours. The
Lord says of those who believe in Him, ‘I will dwell
in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be My people (2 Cor. 6:16).’
“Christ reaches us where we are. He took our
nature and overcame, that we through taking His
nature might overcome . . by His divinity He lays
hold upon the throne of heaven, while by His humanity He reaches us. He bids us by faith in
Him attain to the glory of the character of God.
Therefore are we to be perfect, even as our Father
which is in heaven is perfect.”—Desire of Ages, 311:2312:0.
“God’s Word is the spiritual food by which
the Christian must grow strong in spirit and in
intellect, that he may do battle for truth and righteousness. The Bible teaches that every besetting
sin must be put away, that the warfare against
evil must be waged until every wrong is overcome.
“The true followers of Christ will serve God not
only when it is in accordance with their inclinations,
but also when it involves self-denial and cross-bearing. Besetting sins must be battled with and overcome. Objectionable traits of character, whether hereditary or cultivated, must be compared with the
great rule of righteousness, and then conquered in
the strength of Christ.”—Counsels to Parents and
Teachers, 449:1.
“We become overcomers by helping others
to overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word
of our testimony (Letter 236, 1908).”—7 Bible Com-

THE END OF TIME
mentary, 974/1:4-2:0.
“Real piety begins when all compromise with
sin is at an end . .
“Yielding to temptation begins in permitting the
mind to waver, to be inconstant in your trust in
God.”—Mount of Blessing, 92:1.
“How my heart goes out in rejoicing for those
who walk in humility of mind, who love and
fear God. They possess a power far more valuable
than the learning or eloquence . . His love and
fear are like a thread of gold uniting the human agent to the divine. Thus all the movements
of life are simplified. When the children of God are
struggling with temptation, battling against the passions of the natural heart, faith connects the soul
with the only One who can give help, and they
are overcomers . .
“Behold the cross of Calvary. There is Jesus,
who gave His life, not that men might continue
in sin, not that they may have license to break the
law of God, but that through this infinite sacrifice
they may be saved from all sin.”—Testimonies
to Ministers, 161:2-162:0.
“We must overcome our besetting sins. We
should individually seek to obtain new victory
every day. We must learn to stand alone and depend wholly upon God. The sooner we learn this
the better. Let each one find out where he fails,
and then faithfully watch that his sins do not
overcome him, but that he gets the victory over
them.”—Early Writings, 105:2.
“Keep off from Satan’s enchanted ground and
not allow your minds to be swayed from allegiance
to God. Through Christ you may and should be
happy and should acquire habits of self-control.
Even your thoughts must be brought into subjection to the will of God and your feelings under the
control of reason and religion. Your imagination was
not given you to be allowed to run riot and have its
own way without any effort at restraint or discipline.
If the thoughts are wrong the feelings will be
wrong, and the thoughts and feelings combined
make up the moral character. When you decide
that as Christians you are not required to restrain
your thoughts and feelings you are brought under
the influence of evil angels and invite their presence
and their control.”—5 Testimonies, 310:1.
“Christ has made every provision for us to
be strong. He has given us His Holy Spirit, whose
office is to bring to our remembrance all the promises that Christ has made, that we may have peace
and a sweet sense of forgiveness. If we will but
keep our eyes fixed on the Saviour, and trust in
His power, we shall be filled with a sense of security; for the righteousness of Christ will become
our righteousness.”—Messages to Young People,

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
107:1.
“The power of God is the one element of efficiency
in the grand work of obtaining the victory over the
world, the flesh, and the devil. It is in accordance
with the divine plan that we follow every ray of light
given of God. Man can accomplish nothing without God, and God has arranged His plans so as
to accomplish nothing in the restoration of the
human race without the cooperation of the human with the divine. The part man is required to
sustain is immeasurably small, yet in the plan of
God it is just that part that is needed to make the
work a success.”—Amazing Grace, 319:3.
“We dishonor Him by talking of our inefficiency.
Instead of looking at ourselves, let us constantly behold Jesus, daily becoming more and
more like Him, more and more able to talk of Him,
better prepared to avail ourselves of His kindness
and helpfulness, and to receive the blessings offered us.”—Messages to Young People, 107:2.
“As we thus live in communion with Him,
we grow strong in His strength, a help and a
blessing to those around us. If we would only do as
the Lord desires us to, our hearts would become
as sacred harps, every chord of which would sound
forth praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent by
God to take away the sin of the world.”—Messages
to Young People, 107:3.
“When you rise in the morning, do you feel
your helplessness and your need of strength
from God? And do you humbly, heartily make known
your wants to your heavenly Father? If so, angels
mark your prayers, and when you are in danger of
unconsciously doing wrong and exerting an influence
which will lead others to do wrong, your guardian
angel will be by your side, prompting you to a
better course, choosing your words for you, and
influencing your actions.
“If you feel in no danger, and if you offer no prayer
for help and strength to resist temptations, you will
be sure to go astray.”—3 Testimonies, 364:1.
“The Lord is disappointed when His people place
a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to
the price He has placed upon them. God wanted
them, else He would not have sent His Son on such
an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use
for them, and He is well pleased when they make
the very highest demands upon Him, that they
may glorify His name. They may expect large things
if they have faith in His promises.
“But to pray in Christ’s name means much.
It means that we are to accept His character, manifest His spirit, and work His works. The Saviour’s
promise is given on condition. ‘If ye love Me,’ He says,
‘keep My commandments.’ He saves men, not in

115
sin, but from sin; and those who love Him will show
their love by obedience.
“All true obedience comes from the heart. It
was heart work with Christ. And if we consent,
He will so identify Himself with our thoughts
and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into
conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we
shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The
will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest
delight in doing His service. When we know God
as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a
life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion
with God, sin will be come hateful to us.”—Desire
of Ages, 668:1-3.
“The example of Christ shows us that our only
hope of victory is in continual resistance of
Satan’s attacks. He who triumphed over the adversary of souls in the conflict of temptations understands Satan’s power over the race, and has conquered him in our behalf. As an overcomer, He
has given us the advantage of His victory, that
in our efforts to resist the temptations of Satan we
may unite our weakness to His strength, our
worthlessness to His merits. And sustained by
His enduring might under the strength of temptation, we may resist in His all-powerful name,
and overcome as He overcame.”—Messages to
Young People, 50.
“You lose much by not studying with greater
earnestness and care the life of Christ . . There
you may see the victories which you have to gain that
you may win the precious white robe of a spotless
character, and stand at last without fault before the
throne of God.”—Sons and Daughters of God, 371:4.
“What an event was this when Christ placed Himself in the position of Adam, and endured the test
where Adam had failed, and by this act placed man
on a vantage ground, in favor with God, where he
might overcome on his own account through the
merits of Jesus. In His name, through His grace,
man may be an overcomer, even as Christ was
an overcomer. In Christ divinity and humanity were
united, and the only way in which man may be
an overcomer is through becoming a partaker of
the divine nature . . Divinity and humanity are
blended in him who has the spirit of Christ.”—Sons
and Daughters of God, 24:4.
“Those who are indeed purifying their souls
by obeying the truth will have a most humble
opinion of themselves. The more closely they view
the spotless character of Christ, the stronger will
be their desire to be conformed to His image,
and the less will they see of purity or holiness in
themselves.
“We should never be content with a sinful

116
life. It is a thought that should arouse Christians to
greater zeal and earnestness in overcoming evil, that
every defect in character, every point in which they
fail to meet the divine standard, is an open door by
which Satan can enter to tempt and destroy them . .
We are to exert every energy of the soul in the
work of overcoming, and to look to Jesus for strength
to do what we cannot do of ourselves . . By repentance and faith we are enabled to render obedience to all the commandments of God, and are
found without blame before Him.”—5 Testimonies,
471:1-472:1.
“Do not put off the work of forsaking your
sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus.
Here is where thousands upon thousands have
erred to their eternal loss . . There is a terrible
danger—a danger not sufficiently understood—in delaying to yield to the pleading Voice
of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin;
for such this delay really is. Sin, however small it
may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the
peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome,
will overcome us and work out our destruction.”—Steps to Christ, 32:2-33:0.
“God has made ample provision for His
people; and if they rely upon His strength, they
will never become the sport of circumstances. The
strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the
soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in
the power of earth or hell to compel any one to do
evil. Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we
need not be overcome. However severe or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us,
and in His strength we may conquer.”—Messages to
Young People, 62:2.
“It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel
anyone to sin. The will must consent, the heart
must yield, or passion cannot overbear reason, nor
iniquity triumph over righteousness.”—Maranatha
225:5.
“All who will can be overcomers. Let us strive
earnestly to reach the standard set before us.
Christ knows our weakness, and to Him we can
go daily for help. It is not necessary for us to gain
strength a month ahead. We are to conquer from
day to day.”—7 Bible Commentary, 974/1:3.
“Our greatest strength is realized when we
feel and acknowledge our weakness . .
“Patience, faith, and love for duty are the lessons we must learn. Subduing self and looking to
Jesus is an everyday work. The Lord will never forsake the soul that trusts in Him and seeks His aid.
The crown of life is placed only upon the brow
of the overcomer. There is, for everyone, earnest,
solemn work for God while life lasts . .

THE END OF TIME
“The word is: Go forward; discharge your individual duty, and leave all consequences in the
hands of God. If we move forward where Jesus leads
the way we shall see His triumph, we shall share
His joy. We must share the conflicts if we wear
the crown of victory. Like Jesus, we must be
made perfect through suffering . . We can walk
safely in the darkest path if we have the Light of the
world for our guide.”—5 Testimonies, 70:2-3, 71:2.
“All are personally exposed to the temptations
that Christ overcame, but strength is provided
for them in the all-powerful name of the great
Conqueror. And all must, for themselves, individually overcome.”—My Life Today, 317:3.
“Everyone who by faith obeys God’s commandments, will reach the condition of sinlessness
in which Adam lived before his transgression.”—
Maranatha, 224:5.
“Those who would overcome must put to the
tax every power of their being. They must agonize on their knees before God for divine power.
Christ came to be our example, and to make known
to us that we may be partakers of the divine nature . . Christ, by His own example, made it evident
that man may stand in integrity. Men may have a
power to resist evil—a power that neither earth,
nor death, nor hell can master; a power that will
place them where they may overcome as Christ overcame. Divinity and humanity may be combined in
them.”—5 Bible Commentary, 1082:/2:1.
“He who has not sufficient faith in Christ to
believe that He can keep him from sinning, has not
the faith that will give him an entrance into the
kingdom of God.”—3 Selected Messages, 360:4.
Note: Inspiration is sprinkled with quotations
such as these. They are like diamonds in a field. As
you study, you will find them all through the inspired
Writings. Here are some more to get you started: 2T
453:1-454:0, 1 SM 279:2-280:2, COL 312:0, 1 SM
82:3, OHC 19:6, 4T 568:1, MM 112:7-113:0.
And keep in mind the balancing counsel that,
though we are to seek perfect obedience, yet it is
only maintained moment by moment in the strength
of Christ, not in our own: AA 561:2, COL 158:2160:3, SC 41, 1SM 327-328, 6BC 1105.
2 - Here are a number of Bible comments on
this important topic:
“As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye
holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”—1 Peter 1:15-16.
“Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth
himself, even as He is pure.”—1 John 3:3.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.”—Hebrews
12:14.

7 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER
“Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 15:57.
“What the law could not do, in that it was weak
through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin
in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit.”—Romans 8:3-4.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin . . If the Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free
indeed.”—John 8:34, 36.
“Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have
life.”—John 5:40.
“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to
whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? . . But now being
made free from sin, and become servants to
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end
everlasting life.”—Romans 6:16, 22.
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of
good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace.”—2
Corinthians 13:11.
“Let patience have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”—
James 1:4.
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new crea-

117
ture: old things are passed away; behold, all things
are become new.”—2 Corinthians 5:17.
“Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world.”—1 John 5:4.
“Thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall
save His people from their sins.”—Matthew 1:21.
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit
sin.”—1 John 3:9.
“Shall we continue in sin? . . God forbid.”—
Romans 6:1-2.
“Thanks be unto God, which always causeth
us to triumph in Christ.”—2 Corinthians 2:14.
“If we be dead with Christ, we believe that we
shall also live with Him.”—Romans 6:8.
“This is the victory that overcometh the world,
even our faith.”—1 John 5:4.
“Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both
to will and to do of His good pleasure.”—Philippians
2:12-13.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped
the corruption that is in the world through lust.”—
2 Peter 1:4.
“Sin shall not have dominion over you.”—Romans 6:14.

“ ‘When the fruit is brought forth, immediately He putteth
in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Christ is waiting with
longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When
the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His
people, then He will come to claim them as His own. It is the privilege of every Christian not only to look for but to hasten the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:12, margin). Were all
who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the
whole world would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly the
last great harvest would be ripened, and Christ would come to
gather the precious grain.” —Christ’s Object Lessons, 69:1-2

118

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— CHAPTER 8 —

THE
JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING
The investigative judgment is the closing work
within the heavenly Sanctuary. It focuses on all those
who have ever lived on earth, who have professed
faith in Christ (GC 428, 422, 490), and concerns
both the dead and the living (GC 436). This judgment began in 1844 (GC 422, 424, 436) with the
cases the of dead (EW 280; GC 483, 490; 1 SM
125). Soon, none know how soon, it will pass to
the cases of the living (GC 490, 5T 692). It will end
at the general close of probation (GC 436). There
is no further probation after it ends (COL 123).
The sentencing judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work (GC 480), which will occur during the millennium (EW 52-53, 290-291;
GC 660-661). All of the wicked receive their sentences during that millennial examination, both
those who have never professed faith in Christ and
those who falsely did so and were examined during
the investigative judgment.
In the investigative judgment, men’s lives will be
tested by God’s law (GC 482). It is the standard of
the judgment. Through the enabling grace of Christ,
every man can obey the law of God, and is required
to do so. The only question asked in the investigative judgment is “Have they been obedient to My commandments?” (GW 315, DA 637). The first angel’s
message announced the beginning of the judgment
(GC 352, 355-356).
The investigative judgment began in 1844, with
the cases of the dead. When does it pass to the cases
of the living? We know that it will pass to the living
before the plagues begin (TM 446) and the Second
Advent occurs (GC 352, 485; COL 310). The following statements indicate that the investigative
judgment will pass to the cases of the living when
men begin making their decisions in regard to the
already enacted National Sunday Law.
The following eight chapters in this book are
closely interwoven. It is instructive to think through
the interrelationships:
Chapter 6 - The Seal and the Mark
Chapter 7 - Perfection of Character
Chapter 8 - The Judgment to the Living
Chapter 9 - The Blotting Out of Sin
Chapter 10 - The Marriage in the Most Holy

Chapter 11 - The Latter Rain
Chapters 12-13 - The Loud Cry
-1SUNDAY LAW DECREE
BRINGS JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING
1 - The judgment passes to the living at the
time when the mark and seal is given.
“The time devoted to that which does not tend
to assimilate the soul to the likeness of Christ is so
much time lost for eternity. This we cannot afford,
for every moment is freighted with eternal interests. Now, when the great work of judging the
living is about to begin, shall we allow unsanctified ambition to take possession of the heart and
lead us to neglect the education required to meet
the needs in this day of peril?
“In every case the great decision is to be made
whether we shall receive the mark of the beast
and his image or the seal of the living God.
“And now, when we are on the borders of the
eternal world, what can be of so much value to us as
to be found loyal and true to the God of heaven?”—6
Testimonies, 130:2 (5 Testimonies, 526:1 is almost
identical).
“The principles necessary for our youth to cultivate must be kept before them in their daily education, that when the decree shall go forth requiring all to worship the beast and his image, they
may make the right decisions, and have strength
to declare, without wavering, their confidence in the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, even
at the very time when the law of God is made void by
the religious world . .
“It is no time to be ashamed of our faith. We are
a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. The
whole universe is looking with inexpressible interest to see the closing work of the great controversy
between Christ and Satan. At such a time as this,
just as the great work of judging the living is
to begin, shall we allow unsanctified ambition to
take possession of the heart? What can be of any
worth to us now except to be found loyal and true to
the God of heaven? What is there of any real value in

8 - THE JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING

119

this world when we are on the very borders of the
eternal world? What education can we give to the
students in our schools that is so necessary as a
knowledge of ‘What saith the Scripture’?”—5 Testimonies, 526:1.
2 - In the judgment, one person is retained in
the book of life while another receives the mark
of separation.

(4) He makes his decision whether to honor his
Creator and keep His Sabbath holy, in spite of threatened imprisonment and death, or go along with the
majority and the law of the land, and honor the papal sabbath.
(5) The investigative judgment, in heaven, immediately passes to his name.
(6) He receives the seal or mark.
Several important points should be noted
here:
(1) Nowhere in the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy
is there any indication that a person can receive
the mark, then lose it, and perhaps regain it again.
Once a person is marked, it is for time and eternity!
The same applies to the sealing given to the righteous when, in the sealing/marking time, they make
their final decisions to resolutely stand for God and
His truth.
(2) The marking and sealing does not begin until the enactment of the National Sunday Law. Not
only must the law be enacted, but each person must
understand the issues involved. For many, this postSunday law education process takes some time.
Therefore, both the marking and sealing continue
on for a time.
(3) This educational and decision-making process will be much more rapid during the loud cry.
Decisions for eternity will be made quickly. The
faithful are filled (filled!) with the Spirit; and their
words have a powerful convicting impact. In contrast, the miracles and threatenings of the majority, who are devil-filled, are equally strong. The pivotal point here will be the basic character an individual has when he is confronted by this need to
decide. Throughout his earlier life, he will have
formed the character which will determine his
present choices. In the little tests of life, character
is developed. In the crises of life, the character
formed is strikingly revealed. Suddenly, all the tests
and trials of life will come to their focus, and decisions will quickly be made.
“It is in a crisis that character is revealed.”—
Christ’s Object Lessons, 412.
How does judgment relate to the close of probation? As people make their final decision in regard
to the enacted National Sunday Law, they enter the
judgment, are sealed or marked as their destiny is
fixed, and their individual probation closes. At a later
time, when the last person on earth has entered the
judgment, probation for the last human being has
ended and there is no probation for anyone on earth.
We call that moment the general close of probation.
(4) This also explains why a loud cry must occur after each nation enacts its own National Sunday Law, and why the cry must continue until the

“The time of the judgment is a most solemn
period, when the Lord gathers His own from among
the tares. Those who have been members of the same
family are separated. A mark is placed upon the righteous. ‘They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts,
in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will
spare them, as a man spareth his own son that
serveth him.’ Those who have been obedient to
God’s commandments will unite with the company
of the saints in light; they shall enter in through the
gates into the City, and have right to the tree of life.
The one shall be taken. His name shall stand in
the book of life, while those with whom he associated shall have the mark of eternal separation
from God.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 234:2-235:0.
3 - When does the investigative judgment occur in relation to the sealing? There is a sequential relationship between the judgment, the Sunday law, and the sealing, as shown in 5 Testimonies, 472-475. We will discuss this in the next chapter in this book, The Blotting Out of Sin.
Another relationship is between the judgment
and the sifting, which is clearly indicated in 5 Testimonies, 81-82. We discussed that earlier in the chapter, The Shaking and Sifting.
A person’s probation has to have ended before the judgment can pass to his name. This is
to be expected; otherwise the decision in his case
would either be unfair or have to continually be reexamined and re-determined.
So the judgment can pass to an individual’s case
only after his personal probation has closed.
In 1844, it could only begin with the cases of
the dead because their probation had closed. When
the threefold deciding factor later occurs (the National Sunday Law is enacted, men know the issues, and they make their choice between Sundaykeeping and Sabbath sacredness), then the judgment
and marking/sealing can individually occur for them.
So, in summary, this is the sequence:
(1) By his ongoing decisions whether or not to
accept Christ and, in His strength, obey His Word,
each soul is now deciding his character and ultimate
destiny.
(2) The National Sunday Law is enacted.
(3) The person learns and understands the basic issues or already knows them.

120

THE END OF TIME

general close of probation. People must be told the
issues, so they can make their final decision, enter
the judgment, and be marked or sealed for eternity.
(5) This is also part of the reason why the latter
rain must begin when the sealing begins. Those who
receive the seal have made their final decision for
eternity and henceforth “are eternally secure from
the tempter’s devices” (5T 475:2). They are not only
marked with the Seal as God’s special property, but
they are filled with His Spirit, which would be a natural accompaniment.
But there is a second pressing reason why that
rain must fall. Like the early rain before it, the latter rain is given to empower men and women to
proclaim God’s truth to the world. This they do in
a loud cry of the third angel’s message. This message has two parts: [1] a most solemn warning to
keep the Bible Sabbath in order to avoid receiving
the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-11), and [2] the
great truth of Righteousness by Faith (Rev. 14:12).
And what is that great truth? The fact and experience that, through the enabling strength of Christ,
both forgiveness and full obedience are freely available to all. (Read again Revelation 14:9-12.) That
is why righteousness by faith can be termed both
“the most fearful threatening ever addressed to mortals” (GC 449:2) and “the third angel’s message in
verity” (Ev 190:3). The first quotation refers to the
first part of the message (Rev. 14:9-11) and the second to the last part (Rev. 14:12).
-2THE TIMING OF THE
INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT
In view of the above information, should we not
be able to pinpoint the year when the investigative
judgment will begin for the living or be able to tell
how many months occur between it and some other
event? No, it is not possible to set a date for the
occurrence of this event or to determine time spans
leading to or away from it. None can know how soon
it will pass to the cases of the living (GC 490, 5T
692); and no man can know how near we are to the
close of it (GC 490-491). As with every other aspect
of closing events, man can deduce no accurate time
setting, no dates, no time spans.
-3JUDGMENT OF LIVING STILL FUTURE
The judgment has not yet passed to the living.
But this is understandable, since the event that would
initiate the setting up of the image, by the enactment
of the National Sunday Law, has not yet occurred.
It should be noted here that Senator Blair had

introduced his Blair Act to the U.S. Congress at the
time when the next two statements were penned
(around 1887-1888). We were told that, if that act
had become the law of the land, it would mean that
the judgment was about to pass to the living. (However, in God’s mercy, the Blair Act was never enacted
and Congress has not since tried to enact a National
Sunday Law.)
1 - The judgment will pass to the living at the
time of the National Sunday Law.
“It is no time to be ashamed of our faith. We are
a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. The
whole universe is looking with inexpressible interest to see the closing work of the great controversy
between Christ and Satan. At such a time as this,
just as the great work of judging the living is
to begin, shall we allow unsanctified ambition to
take possession of the heart? What can be of any
worth to us now except to be found loyal and true
to the God of heaven? What is there of any real value
in this world when we are on the very borders of
the eternal world?”—5 Testimonies, 526:1.
“Now, when the great work of judging the
living is about to begin . . In every case the great
decision is to be made whether we shall receive the
mark of the beast or his image, or the seal of the
living God.”—6 Testimonies, 130:1-2.
2 - Now is the time to prepare for the judgment.
“I cannot express to you the intense desire of
my soul that you should all seek the Lord most
earnestly while He may be found. We are in the day
of God’s preparation. Let nothing be regarded as of
sufficient worth to draw your minds from the work
of preparing for the great day of judgment.
Get ready. Let not cold unbelief hold your souls
away from God, but let His love burn on the altar
of your hearts.”—5 Testimonies, 590:2.
-4JUDGED BY THE LIGHT
WE HAVE RECEIVED
1 - In the investigative judgment, all will be
judged by how they acted in relation to what
they knew.
“All must wait for the appointed time, until the
warning shall have gone to all parts of the world,
until sufficient light and evidence have been given to
every soul. Some will have less light than others,
but each one will be judged according to the light
received.”—Last Day Events, 217:1.
“Many who have not had the privileges that we
have had will go into heaven before those who have
had great light and who have not walked in it. Many
have lived up to the best light they have had and

8 - THE JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING
will be judged accordingly.”—Last Day Events,
216:3.
“We have been given great light in regard to God’s
law. This law is the standard of character. To it man
is now required to conform, and by it he will be
judged in the last great day. In that day men will be
dealt with according to the light they have received.”—Last Day Events, 217:2.
“Those who have had great light and have disregarded it stand in a worse position than those who
have not been given so many advantages. They exalt
themselves but not the Lord. The punishment inflicted on human beings will in every case be proportionate to the dishonor they have brought on God.”—
8 Manuscript Releases, 168:3.
“Everyone is to have sufficient light to make
his decision intelligently.”—Great Controversy,
605:1.
2 - No one will be judged on the basis of
light they did not have opportunity to accept.
“None will be condemned for not heeding
light and knowledge that they never had, and
they could not obtain. But many refuse to obey
the truth that is presented to them by Christ’s ambassadors, because they wish to conform to the
world’s standard; and the truth that has reached
their understanding, the light that has shone in the
soul, will condemn them in the judgment.”—5 Bible
Commentary, 1145/1:3.
“Those who have an opportunity to hear the
truth and yet take no pains to hear or understand it, thinking that if they do not hear they will
not be accountable, will be judged guilty before God
the same as if they had heard and rejected. There
will be no excuse for those who choose to go in error
when they might understand what is truth. In His
sufferings and death Jesus has made atonement for
all sins of ignorance, but there is no provision made
for willful blindness.
“We shall not be held accountable for the light
that has not reached our perception, but for that
which we have resisted and refused. A man could
not apprehend the truth which had never been presented to him, and therefore could not be condemned
for light he had never had.”—5 Bible Commentary,
1145/1:1-2.

121
-5THE HINGE OF THE JUDGMENT
1 - A key decision in the investigative judgment will turn upon practical benevolence: Have
we really tried to minister to the needs of those
around us or did we just live selfish lives? In that
day, the question will focus on what we have done
to help others.
“The decisions of the last day turn upon our
practical benevolence. Christ acknowledges every act of beneficence as done to Himself.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 400:0.
“When the nations are gathered before Him,
there will be but two classes, and their eternal
destiny will be determined by what they have
done or have neglected to do for Him in the
person of the poor and the suffering.”—Desire
of Ages, 637:1.
“Among the heathen are those who worship God
ignorantly, those to whom the light is never brought
by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish.
Though ignorant of the written law of God, they
have heard His voice speaking to them in nature, and have done the things that the law
required. Their works are evidence that the Holy
Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of God.
“How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly
among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear
from the lips of the Saviour, ‘Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these My brethren,
ye have done it unto Me’! How glad will be the heart
of Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise and joy at His words of approval!”—Desire of
Ages, 638:2-3.
2 - Motives, as well as actions, will be considered in the judgment. God values sincere,
heartfelt efforts.
“In the day of judgment some will plead this
good deed and that as a reason why they should
receive consideration. They will say, ‘I set up young
men in business. I gave money to found hospitals.
I relieved the necessities of widows, and took the
poor into my home.’ Yes, but your motives were
so defiled by selfishness that the deed was not
acceptable in the sight of the Lord. In all that you
did, self was brought prominently to view.”—Last
Day Events, 219:2.
“It is the motive that gives character to our
acts, stamping them with ignominy or with high
moral worth.”—Desire of Ages, 615:3.

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— CHAPTER 9 —

THE
BLOTTING OUT OF SIN
An extremely important chapter in Great Controversy (Chapter 28: The Investigative Judgment)
clearly connects the Investigative Judgment with the
blotting out of sins. The result is the accomplishment of a phrase, whose meaning we do not always
fully grasp: “the cleansing of the Sanctuary” (Daniel
8:14). In order to properly understand this, one
needs to thoughtfully read Chapters 23, 24, 28 of
Great Controversy. We do not have space in this
book for the task; but we refer you to another one of
the present compiler’s books: The Sanctuary Tractbook. It contains The Sanctuary Message. This is
an in-depth, categorized compilation of Spirit of
Prophecy statements on the subject. Contact us for
the current price.
-1THE NATURE AND TIMING
OF THE BLOTTING OUT OF SIN
The blotting out of sin is one of the cluster of
events which begins just after the enactment of the
National Sunday Law and concludes at the general
close of probation. It is described in a number of
passages, but especially in two.
First, the work of the investigative judgment is
carefully explained in chapter 28 of Great Controversy, 479-491. As part of the procedure, the sins
of the righteous will be blotted out of the book of
sin (481:2, 483:1-2, 485:1-2). This removal is called
“the blotting out of sin.”
Second, we have 5 Testimonies, 472-475, the
description of the Zechariah 3 and the “Joshua and
the angel vision.” In that 5 Testimonies chapter, the
Zechariah 3 vision is applied to last-day events. In
that explanation, it is clear that the conclusion of
the antitypical atonement (which would include the
passing of the investigative judgment to the cases
of the living) occurs during the National Sunday
Law, the sealing, and the blotting out of sins or
names:
(1) We are told that this vision of Zechariah especially “applies to the closing up of the great day
of atonement” (5T 472:2).
(2) During that time, the Sunday laws are en-

acted: “All will be required to render obedience to
human edicts, in violation of the divine law. Those
who will be true to God and duty will be menaced,
denounced, and proscribed” (5T 472:2-473:0).
(3) At that time, the righteous stand before the
judgment of the living, Jesus is their only advocate,
and Satan is their adversary: “Their only hope is in
the mercy of God; their only defence will be prayer”
(5T 473:1-475:1).
(4) It is then that the sealing occurs and, with it,
the blotting out of sins: Note these points in the chapter: “Command is given; names retained in the book
of life; cleansing occurs; iniquity gone; sins remembered no more; nevermore to be defiled; eternally
secure; sealed; all who remain in Zion are holy, written among the living in Israel” (5T 475:2). Those
are all descriptions of the sealing event.
The investigative judgment chapter, in Great
Controversy (chapter 28), adds still more information about this blotting out:
Each of those investigated in this judgment will
either be declared righteous and have his sins blotted out of the book of sin and his name retained in
the book of life or he will be declared wicked and
have his sins retained in the book of sin and his
name written into the book of death, along with the
wicked who never professed faith in Christ. (Thoughtfully read GC 482-487; it is basic to an understanding of the blotting out of sins experience.)
-2WHAT HAPPENS
IN THE BLOTTING OUT OF SIN?
1 - The “blotting out” for the righteous means
that their sins are blotted out of the records in
heaven and their names are not blotted out of
those records.
“All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith
claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names
in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of
God, their sins will be blotted out, and they

9 - THE BLOTTING OUT OF SIN
themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal
life. The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah, ‘I,
even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember
thy sins.’ Said Jesus: ‘He that overcometh, the same
shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I
will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.’ ”—Great Controversy, 483:2.
2 - This blotting out will be the culmination of
a wonderful plan of God for His people.
“Satan, in his efforts to deceive and tempt our
race, had thought to frustrate the divine plan in
man’s creation; but Christ now asks that this plan
be carried into effect, as if man had never fallen.
He asks for His people not only pardon and
justification, full and complete, but a share in
His glory and a seat upon His throne.”—Great
Controversy, 484:0.
3 - Not only will the sins of the faithful be
blotted out of the records, they will also be blotted out of God’s memory! He will never again
choose to recall the past sins and errors of the
redeemed. And, of course, if He will not recall
those sins, it would be unlikely, and in the extreme, for anyone else to be able to recall them.
“Christ will clothe His faithful ones with His
own righteousness, that He may present them to
His Father ‘a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing.’ Ephesians 5:27. Their
names stand enrolled in the book of life, and
concerning them it is written: ‘They shall walk with
Me in white: for they are worthy.’ Revelation 3:4.
“Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment
of the new covenant promise: ‘I will forgive their
iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’
‘In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the
iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall
be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not
be found. Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20.”—Great Controversy, 484:2-485:1.
4 - Here is the blotting out experience in
more detail. Keep in mind that we are here viewing basic aspects of the sealing:
“Zechariah’s vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God’s
people in the closing up of the great day of
atonement . .
“As the people of God afflict their souls before
Him, pleading for purity of heart, the command is
given, ‘Take away the filthy garments’ from
them, and the encouraging words are spoken, ‘Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee,
and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.’ The
spotless robe of Christ’s righteousness is placed
upon the tried, tempted, yet faithful children of God.

123
The despised remnant are clothed in glorious apparel, nevermore to be defiled by the corruptions
of the world. Their names are retained in the
Lamb’s book of life, enrolled among the faithful
of all ages. They have resisted the wiles of the deceiver; they have not been turned from their loyalty
by the dragon’s roar. Now they are eternally secure from the tempter’s devices. Their sins are
transferred to the originator of sin. And the remnant are not only pardoned and accepted, but honored. ‘A fair miter’ is set upon their heads. They are
to be as kings and priests unto God. While Satan
was urging his accusations and seeking to destroy
this company, holy angels, unseen were passing to
and fro, placing upon them the seal of the living
God.”—5 Testimonies, 472:2; 475:2.
-3THE BLOTTING OUT OF SIN
WILL ACCOMPANY
THE LATTER RAIN
1 - The Acts 3 sequence is this: blotting out,
latter rain, Second Advent. In the context of the
blotting out event in the investigative judgment,
Acts 3:19-20 is quoted:
“The apostle Peter distinctly states that the sins
of believers will be blotted out ‘when the times
of refreshing shall come from the presence of
the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ.’ Acts
3:19-20.”—Great Controversy, 485:2.
2 - The 1888 edition of Great Controversy
included a very significant, bracketed comment.
It would even more closely connect the Acts 3
“blotting out” with the work of the investigative
judgment:
“ ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out [in the investigative judgment], when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He
shall send Jesus.’ Acts 3:19-20.”—1888 edition of
Great Controversy, 612:0.
3 - The latter rain and blotting out experience
are closely related:
“The work [during the proclamation of the third
angel’s message in a loud cry to all the world] will
be similar to that of the Day of Pentecost. As
the ‘former rain’ was given, in the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to
cause the upspringing of the precious seed, so the
‘latter rain’ will be given at its close for the ripening of the harvest. ‘Then shall we know, if we follow
on to know the Lord: His going forth is prepared
as the morning; and He shall come unto us as
the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the
earth.’ Hosea 6:3. ‘Be glad then, ye children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God: for He hath given

124

THE END OF TIME

you the former rain moderately, and He will cause to
come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the
latter rain.’ Joel 2:23. ‘In the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh.’ ‘And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the
name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Acts 2:17, 21.
“The great work of the gospel is not to close with
less manifestation of the power of God than marked
its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in
the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of
the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain
at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to
which the apostle Peter looked forward when he
said: ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord; and He shall send Jesus.’ Acts 3:19-20.”—
Great Controversy, 611:2-612:0.
-4SUMMARY
In summary, we may say this:
(1) There are actually two “blotting out” experiences. The wicked have their names blotted out of
the book of life and the righteous have their sins
blotted out of the book of sin. Our concern (and
that of the investigative judgment chapter in Great
Controversy) is specifically with the blotting out of
the sins of the righteous. That is the “blotting out”
event we are discussing in this present study.
(2) Both “blotting out” experiences occur in the
investigative judgment, which began in 1844. The
great majority of God’s faithful ones receive their
blotting out experience after they are deceased. Our
special attention in this chapter is directed to the
blotting out experience of the living righteous in the
final crisis of the Sunday law.
(3) The sins of the righteous are blotted out of
the record books in heaven. They are also blotted
out of the Creator’s memory; and therefore, one
would expect them to be blotted out from the memory
of the faithful who committed those sins (as well as
from the memory of the angels and the inhabitants
of other worlds who earlier beheld them).
(4) The blotting out experience dovetails with
several other events which are clustered together
between the National Sunday Law and the general
close of probation. Those events are closely related,
and occur almost simultaneously in the life of each
person who receives them during that crisis. One
person passes through those events as he makes
his decision about the Bible Sabbath. Then another
person makes his decision and passes through those
events also. Of course, in the quickness of God’s
analysis of the records, large numbers of cases can
be evaluated at one time.

This special cluster of events (for those who make
the right choices) is as follows: sifting, sealing, judgment of the living, blotting out of sin, the marriage,
and the latter rain.
Although the faithful will stand true, false professors will be sifted out, God’s true ones will be
sealed while others will be marked. This sealing
process involves five aspects, which immediately
lead into a sixth: [1] The person about to be sealed,
or marked, has, as a result of a lifetime of choices,
just made his knowing decision for or against God’s
side in the controversy. [2] At that moment, the judgment passes to his name. [3] That person’s decision results in his name being retained in the book
of life and his sins being blotted out of the book of
sin or his sins retained in the book of sin; then his
name will be blotted out of the book of life and his
name enrolled, along with other wicked, in the book
of death. [4] The faithful ones then enter the marriage (more on this in the next chapter) and [5] they
receive the latter rain. The latter rain provides outward evidence of the inward seal and prepares them
to give the final warning to mankind. [6] Fully sealed
with the seal of the living God, they then go out and
begin to give the loud cry to the undecided.
These factors dovetail because they are all part
of the same sealing event.
As soon as the National Sunday Law is enacted,
professed and former Sabbathkeepers will immediately be brought to the test probably within a week
or two at the most. If you want to see a sifting in the
church, you surely will see it then! (By “church,”
we mean professed Sabbathkeepers; we are nowhere told that the denomination will have any
apparent leaders or other earthly organizational features after the Sunday law is enacted by a nation.)
Immediately, as each individual makes his decision, he will receive the sealing or marking experience. Then still others will receive the sealing or
marking. Those sealed, having received the latter
rain, will go out and give the final warning of the
third angel with a loud cry and in the full power of
the Holy Spirit. Amid exhibitions of the full power
of the Holy Spirit, on one hand, and the wonderworking fakeries of Satan, on the other, more and
still more individuals will make their decisions; and
the sealing/marking will finally end when the last
person on earth has made his irrevocable decision.
Before concluding this study, it would be well
to consider two points. The first is especially important. Yes, it is clear that the sins of God’s faithful ones—the living—are blotted out of the sin records
in the Sanctuary above. But two questions remain:
(1) Are the sins also blotted out of our experience at that time? In other words, do we stop sinning in an instant at that point in time? This was

9 - THE BLOTTING OUT OF SIN
the teaching of Robert Brinsmead in the early 1960s.
(Because of his original sin theory, he did not believe
that sin could be eliminated until the judgment of
the living.) But that is an error. The Spirit of Prophecy is clear that sin must be put away NOW. We are
not to wait until the latter rain to have our sins eradicated (EW 71). In the strength of God, we must be
done with the hateful thing in these days of probation, before the crisis breaks upon us all.
Read again chapter 28 of Great Controversy, 479491. The sins of the faithful will be blotted out of
the books of record in heaven. We are also told that
they will also be blotted out of God’s mind. There is
no hint that the actual sinning of the faithful will
continue up to that point. There is no indication that
our commission of sins will not stop until then.
(2) Are the sins blotted out of the memory of
the sealed ones at that time? I know the sins I
have committed. If I am alive at that time, and am
accounted worthy of the sealing, will I immediately
forget my past sins?
According to the Great Controversy statement,
it would appear that, at that very time and as part
of the blotting out, God will no longer recall my
sins:
“Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment
of the new covenant promise: ‘I will forgive their
iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’
‘In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the
iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall
be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not
be found.’ Jeremiah 31:34; 50:20.”—Great Controversy, 485:1.
If God will not remember them, will the faithful
be able to remember them later? It would appear
that they will not.
Although, over the years, many have wondered
about this point, we should keep in mind that it is
not important enough to argue over. There are too
many aspects of coming events which are far more
crucial. Yet the blotting out experience is a point of
interest.
We have an interesting comment on this in
Great Controversy, 616-622. After the general close
of probation, during the Jacob’s trouble experience,
God’s people try to recall sins that they should confess, but are not able to do so. Jacob “confesses
his weakness and unworthiness” (617:0), but it is
of interest that he confesses no sins. He is repentant for his past life, but no specific confession of
sin is made. At that time, Satan endeavors to force
upon him a sense of guilt, but Jacob had already

125
sincerely repented of his sin. As he did with Joshua
(in Zechariah 3), Satan also urges his accusations
against Jacob. Thus the finale of the Joshua and
the angel experience (Zech. 3, 5T 472-475) is similar to the Jacob’s trouble experience (Gen. 32:2430, GC 616-622).
It would appear that, although God’s people later
feel their great unworthiness, they do not afterward
bring to memory their earlier sins. We may not, before it happens, understand every detail of the final
experience; but the following statement would indicate that the blotting out experience, in the sealing
time, does indeed result in a forgetting of specific
sins from the minds of God’s faithful ones:
“Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin in
obtaining the birthright by fraud, God would not have
heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his life.
So, in the time of trouble, if the people of God had
unconfessed sins to appear before them while tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they
could not have confidence to plead with God for
deliverance. But while they have a deep sense
of their unworthiness, they have no concealed
wrongs to reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out, and
they cannot bring them to remembrance.”—
Great Controversy, 620:1.
In this chapter, we have considered two topics:
the judgment passes to the living and the blotting
out of sin. They are two of several events which
begin occurring together:
The sealing
The judgment of the living
The blotting out of sin
The marriage in the most holy place
The latter rain
The loud cry
When it is all over and Christ has returned for
His own, His faithful ones will live forever with Him.
Oh, my friend, we must be there! Obedience to God,
obedience to His Inspired Word is better than anything else that anyone could offer even now and
here. But life with Christ in the eternity beyond
makes it even more crucial!
May our kind Father in heaven guide and care
for you in the days ahead. We are so rapidly nearing that crisis. We dare not forsake God and His
Word now.

126

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 10 —

THE MARRIAGE
IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE
Marriage is sometimes presented in Scripture
as a symbol of the union of Christ with His people, a
relationship that is in fullest harmony of thought
and purpose. We do not include this chapter as idle
speculation on our part, but because the Spirit of
Prophecy clearly includes it as a part of final events.
The antitypical marriage occurs as the judgment passes to someone’s name and he or she is
accepted and sealed. Then, at His coming, Jesus
takes His people to heaven and they partake in the
marriage supper of the Lamb. Forever after, they
will be with Him. At the sealing, they are not only
marked as His property and forever sealed off from
sin, they are also joined to Him in a close relationship which, in heaven, even the angels will not experience. “Christ in us the hope of glory” will, in
heaven, reach its greatest fulfillment. God’s faithful ones will share in the “en Christos” (Greek for
“in Christ”) experience throughout all eternity. This
symbol of “bone of His bone, and flesh of His flesh”
illustrates the tender affection and care that God
has for His people. (None of this, of course, refers
to a physical, sexual relationship! We are told that
there will be no physical marriage relationships in
heaven: MM 99-100, 1SM 172-173, 2SM 25-26).
The following study, on the marriage in the Most
Holy Place, will include a variety of introductory and
explanatory material which will take us, somewhat,
into the Sanctuary service. For a much fuller understanding of the Sanctuary message, you will want
to read the present writer’s compilation, The Sanctuary Message, which is now available in tractbook
form from us. It is part of The Sanctuary Tractbook.
The following material is adapted from section 29 of
The Sanctuary Message.
Please note that, in one sense, the faithful are
portrayed as guests of the marriage of Christ with
His church; in other presentations, they are themselves said to be married to Christ. Either way, the
essential points remain the same. You will find a
basic discussion of this in EW 55, 251, 280 and GC
426-428.
In 1844, Jesus, the bridegroom, went into the
Most Holy Place to prepare His people for the marriage.

-1THE SYMBOL OF THE MARRIAGE
1 - The marriage is completed by the time probation closes.
“[When probation closed for all] Every case had
been decided for life or death. While Jesus had been
ministering in the Sanctuary, the judgment had been
going on for the righteous dead, and then for the
righteous living. Christ had received His kingdom,
having made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The subjects of the kingdom were
made up. The marriage of the Lamb was consummated. And the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven,
was given to Jesus and the heirs of salvation,
and Jesus was to reign as King of kings and Lord
of lords.”—Early Writings, 280:1.
2 - In 1844, Christ, the bridegroom, went
into the Most Holy Place to prepare His people
for the marriage.
“Christ had come, not to the earth, as they expected, but as foreshadowed in the type, to the Most
Holy Place of the temple of God in heaven.”—Great
Controversy, 424:2.
“The proclamation, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom
cometh,’ in the summer of 1844, led thousands to
expect the immediate advent of the Lord. At the
appointed time the Bridegroom came, not to
earth, as the people expected, but to the Ancient of
Days in heaven, to the marriage, the reception
of His kingdom.”—Great Controversy, 427:1.
“The coming of Christ as our high priest to the
Most Holy Place, for the cleansing of the Sanctuary,
brought to view in Daniel 8:14; the coming of the
Son of Man to the Ancient of Days, as presented in
Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His
temple, foretold by Malachi, are descriptions of the
same event; and this is also represented by the
coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25.”—Great Controversy, 426:1.
3 - The marriage takes place in the Most Holy
Place.

10 - THE MARRIAGE IN THE MOST HOLY
“They that were ready went in with Him to
the marriage . . for it takes place in heaven while
they are upon the earth. The followers of Christ are
to ‘wait for their Lord, when He will return from
the wedding.’ Luke 12:36. But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by faith as He
goes in before God. It is in this sense that they
are said to go in to the marriage.”—Great Controversy, 427:1.
4 - The marriage concludes the investigative
judgment.
“In the parable of Matthew 22, the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking
place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes to see His guests, to see if all
are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless
robe of character washed and made white in the
blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11, Revelation 7:14.
He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who
upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God and accounted worthy
of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne.
This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that
of the investigative judgement, the closing work in
the Sanctuary above.”—Great Controversy, 428:1.
5 - The marriage takes place as probation is
closing for the people.
“When the work of investigation shall be ended,
when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the door of mercy will be shut.
Thus in one short sentence, ‘They that were ready
went in with Him to the marriage: and the door
was shut.’ We are carried down through the Saviour’s
final ministration to the time when the great work
for man’s salvation shall be completed.”—Great Controversy, 428:2.
“Jesus has risen up and shut the door of the
holy place of the heavenly Sanctuary and has opened
a door into the Most Holy Place and entered in to
cleanse the Sanctuary.”—Early Writings, 250:1.
6 - God’s people must also prepare for the marriage.
“The subject of the Sanctuary was the key
which unlocked the mystery of the disappointment
of 1844. It opened to view a complete system
of truth, connected and harmonious, showing
that God’s hand had directed the great advent movement and revealing present duty as it brought to
light the position and the work of His people.”—
Great Controversy, 423:1.
“Give to God the most precious offering that it is

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possible for you to make; give Him your heart. He
speaks to you saying, ‘My son, My daughter, give Me
thine heart. Though your sins be as scarlet, I will
make them white as snow; for I will cleanse you with
My own blood. I will make you members of My family—children of the heavenly King. Take My forgiveness, My peace which I freely give you. I will cloth
you with My own righteousness—the wedding
garment—and make you fit for the marriage
supper of the Lamb.
“When clothed in My righteousness, through
prayer, through watchfulness, through diligent study
of My Word, you will be able to reach a high standard. You will understand the truth, and your character will be molded by a divine influence.”—Youth’s
Instructor, June 30, 1892.
“God is the husband of His church. The church
is the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Every true believer
is a part of the body of Christ. Christ regards unfaithfulness shown to Him by His people as the
unfaithfulness of a wife to her husband. We are
to remember that we are members of Christ’s
body.”—7 Bible Commentary, 985/2:4-986/1:0.
“The church is the bride of Christ, and her
members are to yoke up with their Leader. God
warns us not to defile our garments.”—7 Bible Commentary 986/1:2.
7 - Summarizing the marriage experience:
It should be noted that the great majority of statements indicate that Christ is married to the church
rather than to individual believers. In a sense, it is a
corporate marriage. He is married to all His people,
not to individuals.
Why is this figure used at all? The primary purpose appears to be to show the closeness we will
have to Christ in heaven, an experience closer than
the angels can have with Him. (1) We were humans,
and He became human; that humanness is forever
to be retained. (2) We suffered and overcame in His
strength, as He overcame in His Father’s strength.
(3) He died to save us, but He did not die for the
unfallen angels or the sinless beings on other
worlds. (4) Just as the bride stays with her husband, so the redeemed will follow Him wherever
He goeth. Their love for Him is very, very deep. His
love for them is profound.
The love of the Father enters this experience
also. Nothing in the universe is as close as the Father and the Son; yet we are told that, because of
Calvary, the Father loves us as He loves His Son.
That is another astonishment.
It is wonderful to be wanted and appreciated.
This figure reveals how very much you are wanted
and appreciated by the Godhead.

128
-2THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS
1 - The parable of the ten virgins also has application to this experience of the marriage.
“I am often referred to the parable of the ten virgins, five of whom were wise and five foolish. This
parable has been and will be fulfilled to the very
letter, for it has a special application to this time,
and, like the third angel’s message, has been fulfilled and will continue to be present truth till the
close of time.
“In the parable, the ten virgins had lamps, but
only five of them had the saving oil with which
to keep their lamps burning. This represents the
condition of the church.”—Review, August 19,
1890.
“I saw that while Jesus was in the Most Holy
Place He would be married to the New Jerusalem; and after His work should be accomplished
in the holiest, He would descend to the earth in
kingly power, and take to Himself the precious
ones who had patiently waited His return.”—
Early Writings, 251:1.
“While Jesus had been ministering in the Sanctuary, the judgment had been going on for the righteous dead, and then for the righteous living. Christ
had received His kingdom, having made the atonement for His people, and blotted out their sin. The
subjects of the kingdom were made up. The marriage of the Lamb was consummated.”—Early
Writings, 280:1.
“The parable of the ten virgins of Matthew
25 also illustrates the experience of the
Adventist people . . Chapter 25 opens with the
words, ‘Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins.’ Here is brought to view
the church living in the last days, the same that
is pointed out in the close of Chapter 24. In this
parable their experience is illustrated by the
incidents of an Eastern marriage.”—Great Controversy, 393:2.
“We all need to study as never before the parable of the ten virgins.”—4 Bible Commentary,
1179/2:2.
2 - The call to prepare for the marriage began in 1844.
“In the summer of 1844, midway between the
time when it had been first thought that the 2300
days would end, and the autumn of the same year,
to which it was afterward found that they extended,
the message was proclaimed in the very words of
Scripture, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!’ ”—
Great Controversy, 398:3.
“My mind was carried forward to the future,
when the signal will be given, Behold the Bride-

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groom cometh; go ye to meet Him.”—Review, February 11, 1896.
3 - The virgins, lamps, and oil.
“They are called virgins because they profess a
pure faith.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 406:3.
“They that were foolish took their lamps, and
took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their
vessels with their lamps.”—Matthew 25:3-4.
“All had lamps, that is, an outward semblance
of religion; but only five of them had the inward
piety. Five of them were wanting in the oil of
grace.”—Sons and Daughters of God, 118:2.
“By the lamps is represented the Word of
God.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 406:3.
“All had lamps, and vessels for oil . . All have
a knowledge of the Scriptures. All have heard
the message of Christ’s near approach, and confidently expect His appearing.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 408:2.
“But if we do not practice the truth, we have
not received the holy oil.”—4 Bible Commentary,
1179/2:2.
“The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.”—
Christ’s Object Lessons, 407:0.
“All need to keep the oil of grace in their vessels with their lamps.”—Counsels on Health, 422:1.
4 - Some were wise and some were foolish.
“The latter class (wise virgins) had received the
grace of God, the regenerating, enlightening power
of the Holy Spirit, which renders His Word a lamp
to the feet and a light to the path.”—Great Controversy, 394:0.
“That oil is the righteousness of Christ. It
represents character, and character is not transferable. No man can secure it for another. Each must
obtain for himself a character purified from every
stain of sin.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 234:0.
“But some will have delayed to obtain the oil
for replenishing their lamps, and too late they will
find that character, which is represented by the
oil, is not transferable.”—Review, February 11,
1896.
“The class represented by the foolish virgins
are not hypocrites. They have a regard for the truth,
they have advocated the truth, they are attracted to
those who believe the truth; but they have not
yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit’s working.
They have not fallen upon the Rock, Christ
Jesus, and permitted their old nature to be broken
up. This class are represented also by the stonyground hearers. They receive the Word with readiness, but they fail of assimilating its principles. Its
influence is not abiding . . They do not know God.
They have not studied His character; they have

10 - THE MARRIAGE IN THE MOST HOLY
not held communion with Him; therefore they do
not know how to trust, how to look and live. Their
service to God degenerates into a form . . This is
the class that in time of peril are found crying, Peace
and safety. They lull their hearts into security, and
dream not of danger.”—Christ’s Object Lessons,
411:1-2.
“The people of God must cleave to God, else they
will loose their bearings. If they cherish hereditary
and cultivated traits of character that misrepresent Christ, while professedly His disciples, they
are represented by the man coming to the gospel feast
without having on the wedding garment, and by
the foolish virgins which had no oil in their vessels with their lamps.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1179/
2:3.
“In the parable of the virgins, five are represented
as wise and five as foolish. The name ‘foolish virgins’ represents the character of those who have
not the genuine heart-work wrought by the
spirit of God . .
“Those who have despised the divine grace
that is at their command, that would have qualified them to be the inhabitants of heaven, will be
the foolish virgins. They had all the light, all the
knowledge; but they failed to obtain the oil of
grace; they did not receive the truth in its sanctifying power.”—Review, August 19, 1890.
“There are persons who have received the precious light of the righteousness of Christ, but they
do not act upon it; they are foolish virgins. They
prefer the sophistry of the enemy rather than the
plain ‘Thus saith the Lord.’ When the blessing of
God rested upon them in order that they might become channels of light, they did not go forward from
light to a greater light; they permitted doubt and
unbelief to come in, so that the truth which they
had seen, became an uncertainty to them. Satan
uses those who claim to believe the truth, but whose
light has become darkness . . They are foolish virgins indeed, choosing darkness rather than light,
and dishonoring God. The character we cultivate, the attitude we assume today is fixing
our future destiny.”—Review, August 19, 1890.
5 - Then comes the marriage.
“The marriage represents the reception by
Christ of His kingdom.”—Great Controversy,
426:2.
“I saw that while Jesus was in the Most Holy
Place He would be married to the New Jerusalem; and after His work should be accomplished
in the holiest, He would descend to the earth in
kingly power and take to Himself the precious ones
who had patiently waited His return.”—Early Writings, 251:1.
“They (Christ’s followers) were not to be present

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in person at the marriage; for it takes place in
heaven, while they are upon the earth. The followers of Christ are to wait for their Lord, when He
will return from the wedding. But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by faith as
He goes in before God. It is in this sense that
they are said to go in to the marriage . . And all
who through the testimony of the Scriptures accept the same truths, following Christ by faith as
He enters in before God to perform the last work of
mediation, and at its close to receive His kingdom—
all these are represented as going in to the marriage.”—Great Controversy, 427:1-2, 428:0.
“While Jesus had been ministering in the Sanctuary, the judgment had been going on for the righteous dead, and then for the righteous living. Christ
had received His kingdom, having made the atonement for His people, and blotted out their sins. The
subjects of the kingdom were made up. The marriage of the Lamb was consummated.”—Early
Writings, 280:1
“When the work of investigation shall be ended,
when the cases of those who in all ages have professed to be followers of Christ have been examined and decided, then, and not till then, probation will close, and the doors of mercy will be shut.
This in one short sentence, ‘They that were ready
went in with Him to the marriage: and the door
was shut,’ we are carried down through the Saviour’s
final ministration, to the time when the great work
for man’s salvation shall be completed.”—Great
Controversy, 428:2.
-3THE CALL TO THE MARRIAGE
1 - Just now we are in the waiting time, but
too many are sleeping.
“The reason why the Bridegroom delays is
because He is longsuffering to usward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance. O the precious long-suffering of our
merciful Saviour!”—Sons and Daughters of God,
118:3.
“ ‘While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.’ By the tarrying of the bridegroom is represented the passing of the time
when the Lord was expected, the disappointment,
and the seeming delay. In this time of uncertainty,
the interest of the superficial and half-hearted soon
began to waver, and their efforts to relax; but those
whose faith was based on a personal knowledge of
the Bible, had a rock beneath their feet, which the
waves of disappointment could not wash away. ‘They
all slumbered and slept’; one class in unconcern
and abandonment of their faith, the other class patiently waiting till clearer light should be given. Yet

130
in the night of trial the latter seemed to lose, to
some extent, their zeal and devotion. The half-hearted
and superficial could no longer lean upon the faith
of their brethren. Each must stand or fall for himself.”—Great Controversy, 394:1-395:0.
“All who wait for the heavenly Bridegroom
are represented in the parable as slumbering because their Lord delayed His coming; but the wise
roused themselves at the message of His approach, and responded to the message, and their
spiritual discernment was not all gone, and they
sprang into line.”—5 Bible Commentary, 1099/2:4.
“We are in the waiting time; let your loins be
girded about, and your lights shining, that you
may wait for the Lord when He returns from
the wedding, that when He comes and knocks you
may open unto Him immediately.”—4 Testimonies,
123:3-124:0.
2 - The final call is given.
“Near the close of the second angel’s message, I saw a great light from heaven shining upon
the people of God. The rays of this light seemed
bright as the sun. And I heard the voices of angels
crying, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet Him!’ This was the midnight cry,
which was to give power to the second angel’s message. Angels were sent from heaven to arouse the
discouraged saints, and prepare them for the great
work before them. The most talented men were not
the first to receive this message. Angels were sent
to the humble, devoted ones, and constrained them
to raise the cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh;
go ye out to meet Him!’ Those entrusted with the
cry made haste, and in the power of the Holy Spirit
sounded the message and aroused their discouraged
brethren. This work did not stand in the wisdom
and learning of men, but in the power of God, and
His saints who heard the cry could not resist it. The
most spiritual received this message first, and those
who had formerly led in the work were the last to
receive and help swell the cry, ‘Behold, The Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him! . . The
Message was heart-searching, leading the believers
to seek a living experience for themselves. They knew
that they could not lean upon one another.”—Early
Writings, 238:1-3.
“I saw a number of angels conversing with the
one who had cried, ‘Babylon is fallen,’ and these
united with him in the cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.’ The musical voices of these angels seemed to reach everywhere. An exceedingly bright and glorious light
shone around those who had cherished the light
which had been imparted to them. Their faces shone
with excellent glory, and they united with the angels
in the cry, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh. As

THE END OF TIME
they harmoniously raised the cry among the different companies, those who rejected the light pushed
them and with angry looks scorned and derided them.
But angels of God wafted their wings over the persecuted ones, while Satan and his angels were seeking
to press their darkness around them, to lead them
to reject the light from heaven.”—Early Writings,
241:2-242:0.
“My mind was carried forward to the future,
when the signal will be given, ‘Behold the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.’ ”—Review,
February 11, 1896.
3 - But for some, it will be too late.
“It is in a crisis that character is revealed.
When the earnest voice proclaimed at midnight, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet
Him,’ and the sleeping virgins were roused from
their slumbers, it was seen who had made preparation for the event. Both parties were taken unawares, but one was prepared for the emergency, and the other was found without preparation. So now, a sudden and unlooked-for calamity, something that brings the soul face to face
with death, will show whether there is any real faith
in the promises of God. It will show whether the
soul is sustained by grace. The great final test
comes at the close of human probation, when
it will be too late for the soul’s need to be supplied.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 412:1.
“We cannot be ready to meet the Lord by waking when the cry is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom!’
and then gathering up our empty lamps to have
them replenished.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 413:2414:0.
“But some will have delayed to obtain the oil
for replenishing their lamps, and too late they will
find that character, which is represented by the oil,
is not transferable.”—Review, February 11, 1896.
“When the testing time shall come, those who
have made God’s Word their rule of life will be revealed . . So the false-hearted professor may not now
be distinguished from the real Christian, but the
time is just upon us when the difference will be
apparent.”—Great Controversy, 602:1.
“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty,
for it is the point of truth especially controverted.
When the final test shall be brought to bear upon
men, then the line of distinction will be drawn
between those who serve God and those who serve
Him not.”—Great Controversy, 605:2.
“There are many who, unless they humble their
hearts before the Lord, will be surprised and disappointed when the cry is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.’ They have the theory of the truth,
but they have no oil in their vessels with their lamps.

10 - THE MARRIAGE IN THE MOST HOLY
Our faith at this time must not stop with an assent
to, or belief in, the theory of the third angel’s message. We must have the oil of the grace of Christ
that will feed the lamp, and cause the light of life to
shine forth, showing the way to those who are in
darkness.”—9 Testimonies, 155:1.
“Those who, while having all the light of truth
flashing upon their souls, should have works corresponding to their avowed faith, but are allured by sin, setting up idols in their hearts, corrupting their souls before God, and polluting those
who unite with them in sin, will have their names
blotted out of the book of life, and be left in midnight darkness, having no oil in their vessels
with their lamps.”—Testimonies to Ministers,
445:1.
“The woes that will be pronounced upon those
that have had the light from heaven, and yet did
not heed it—they will feel, but will have no power
to act. This is represented in the parable of the wise
and foolish virgins. They cannot obtain a character from the wise virgins, and they have no
oil of grace to discern the clear light or to accept
it. They cannot light their lamps and join the
procession that goes in to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”—Series A, Special Testimonies
to Ministers, No. 7, 55.
“One who sees beneath the surface, who reads
the hearts of all men, says of those who have had
great light: ‘They are not afflicted and astonished because of their moral and spiritual condition.’ ‘Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and
their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also
will choose their delusions, and will bring their
fears upon them; because when I called none did
answer; when I spake, they did not hear; but they
did evil before Mine eyes, and chose that in which I
delighted not.’ ‘God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, ‘because they
received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved,’ ‘but had pleasure in unrighteousness.’ Isaiah 66:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:11, 10,
12.”—8 Testimonies, 249:2.
4 - While some are left out, others will enter.
“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the
time of mercy for those who have had no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord
look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His
hand is still stretched out to save, while the door
is closed to those who would not enter.”—9 Testimonies, 97:2.
“To souls that are earnestly seeking for light,
and that accept with gladness every ray of divine illumination from His holy Word, to such alone light
will be given. It is through these souls that God will
reveal that light and power which will lighten the

131

whole earth with His glory.”—5 Testimonies, 729:2.
“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to
sound from one end of the world to the other. This
is the glory of God which closes the work of the
third angel.”—Letter, December 21, 1892, quoted
in Review, Extra, January 1893.
“By implanting in their hearts the principles
of His Word, the Holy Spirit develops in men the
attributes of God. The light of His glory—His character—is to shine forth in His followers. Thus they
are to glorify God, to lighten the path to the
Bridegroom’s home, to the City of God, to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 414:2.
5 - Many will be refused admittance to the marriage.
“In the future, the earth is to be lightened with
the glory of God. A holy influence is to go forth to
the world from those who are sanctified through
the truth. The earth is to be encircled with an atmosphere of grace. The Holy Spirit is to work on human hearts, taking the things of God and showing
them to men.”—9 Testimonies, 40:2.
“We may be sure that when the Holy Spirit is
poured out those who did not receive and appreciate the early rain will not see or understand the value of the latter rain.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 399:1.
“There is to be in the churches a wonderful
manifestation of the power of God, but it will not
move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the Lord, and opened the door of
their heart by confession and repentance. In the
manifestation of that power which lightens the earth
with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears,
and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because
the Lord does not work according to their expectations and ideal, they will oppose the work. ‘Why,’
they say, ‘should we not know the Spirit of God,
when we have been in the work so many years?’
Because they did not respond to the warnings,
the entreaties, or the messages of God, but persistently said, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing.’ ”—Review, November
7, 1918.
“Some have turned from the message of the righteousness of Christ to criticize the men . . The third
angel’s message will not be comprehended, the
light which will lighten the earth with its glory
will be called a false light, by those who refuse to
walk in its advancing glory. The work that might have
been done, will be left undone by the rejectors of
truth, because of their unbelief. We entreat of you
who oppose the light of truth, to stand out of the

132

THE END OF TIME

way of God’s people. Let heaven-sent light shine
forth upon them in clear steady rays.”—Review, May
27, 1890.
“But those who have given God only halfhearted service, allowing their lives to be conformed to the ways and practices of the world,
will hear the sad words, ‘Depart from Me; I know
you not.’ ”—9 Testimonies, 252:1.
“Christ tells us how in the last great day ministers, elders, evangelists, physicians, teachers, will
confront Him with their claims. They will plead how
they have led the singers in their songs of praise,
how they have waved the palm branches, how they
have spoken of Him before thousands. ‘Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Thy name,’ they say, ‘and
in Thy name done many wonderful works.’
“But Christ says, ‘Then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that
work iniquity. O that you had known, even in the
day of your visitations, when like sweetest music
mercy’s Voice fell upon your ears, the things that
belonged unto your peace. But you were not ready. If
you had been faithful to the warnings of the
Word; if you had dismissed Satan instead of linking
your arm in his; if you had preserved untarnished
the principles of right; if you had obeyed My commandments, broken with ungodly advisers,
scorned their impious bribes, which tempted you
to worldly honor; if you had lifted the cross, and
followed Jesus in self-denial, I could have welcomed
you into My presence. But you have not cared for My
society, and now you have no power to go from the
snare.
“ ‘I offered you My saving grace, but you refused it and chose the side of the enemy, even
as the priests and rulers, and mocked at My humiliation. So will I refuse to acknowledge you. I weep
for your future, but you have not cared to weep
for yourselves. I was pledged to bear you and care
for you, even as a father beareth and loveth his own
son that serveth him. But you would not harmonize
with Me.’

“The precious invitation was often given, ‘Let him
take hold of My strength, that he may make peace
with Me, and he shall make peace with Me.’ But
you would have none of My counsel. You have
despised all My entreaties and scorned My invitations. You have caused many to follow your sinful ways, and now your punishment has come. You
will receive as your works have been. You must lose
everlasting life. You have chosen your own ways, and
with such ways, such sentiments, such characters,
you could not enter the gates of the holy City.’
“What a scene is this! I pass over the ground
again and again, bowed down in an agony that no
tongue can express, as I see the end of many,
many who have refused to receive their Saviour.”—A Solemn Warning, October 1, 1903.
6 - The conclusion of the matter: Get ready
now, before it is too late.
“ ‘Be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye
think not the Son of man cometh.’ Go to your rest
at night with every sin confessed. Thus we did
when in 1844 we expected to meet our Lord. And
now this great event is nearer than when we first
believed. Be always ready, in the evening, in
the morning, and at noon, that when the cry
is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go
ye out to meet Him,’ you may, even though
awakened out of sleep, go forth to meet Him
with your lamps trimmed and burning.”—9 Testimonies, 48:3.
“Purify your souls by obeying the truth.
Faith without works is dead. Put not off the day
of preparation. Slumber not in a state of unpreparedness, having no oil in your vessels with your
lamps. Let none leave their safety for eternity to
hang upon a peradventure. Let not the question
remain in perilous uncertainty. Ask yourselves
earnestly, Am I among the saved or the unsaved? Shall I stand or shall I not stand? He only
that hath clean hands and a pure heart shall
stand in that day.”—Testimonies to Ministers,
443:2.

“The coming of Christ as our high priest to the Most Holy Place,
for the cleansing of the Sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14;
the coming of the Son of Man to the Ancient of Days, as presented
in Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold
by Malachi, are descriptions of the same event; and this is also
represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins of
Matthew 25.”
—Great Controversy, 426:1

11 - THE LATTER RAIN

133

— CHAPTER 11 —

THE
LATTER RAIN
One of the best descriptions of the relationship
of the early to the latter rain is to be found in Testimonies to Ministers, 506-507. But the entire chapter is equally important (506-512). The latter rain
is also spoken of as the “refreshing”; for it does just
that. It energizes the people of God to do a special
work before the general close of probation.
The decisions of men, knowingly made at the
time of the terrible threat of the Sunday law crisis,
will determine whether they receive the mark or
the seal. The sealing, when it occurs, will seal in
the blotting out of sin experience. The latter rain is
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and it accompanies the sealing. As the Holy Spirit is withdrawn
from those who have made their final rejection and
receive the mark, it is poured upon the sealed ones.
The latter rain is a powerful witness to the fact that
God’s faithful ones have been sealed.
But the latter rain is given for a special purpose.
This outpouring strengthens the faithful to give the
loud cry warning to the world and to all who hear
them, it brings intense conviction that they are speaking the truth. In addition, signs, wonders, and
healings will occur; and, as in the days of the early
rain experience of Acts 2, men will hear the message, each in his own language. (But we are told we
must not rely on miracles in the giving of our message, either now or later. It is primarily truth for
truth’s sake, empowered by the Holy Spirit, which
must convict the hearers.)
It is the Spirit-filled power of the loud cry message which enables it to be given so quickly and fully
to every person living on earth.
Many approach this topic with one of several errors in mind:
(1) The error that the Spirit is something THEY
will have and control, something which will make
them GREAT in the eyes of others. In reality, the
Holy Spirit is only be bestowed upon those who
are emptied of self. Only the meek and humble will
receive of the Spirit in large measure and be used
by the Spirit in effectively giving the Scripture message to others.
(2) The error that the bestowal of the Spirit will

enable them to invent new doctrines or that, having
already invented new theories, they are thereby
Spirit-fulled. Only those humble enough to give
ONLY the solid, clearly written Bible/Spirit of Prophecy teachings will be worked by the Spirit.
(3) The error that the man-made machinery,
man-made bigness, man-made boasting and applause, or lots of baptisms is evidence of the outpouring of the Spirit.
(4) The error that the latter rain is already falling. It does not fall until after the National Sunday
Law is enacted.
(5) The error that obedience to man and man’s
policies will bring Spirit-filled success more than
obedience to God and His Word.
(6) The error that the latter rain will bring a
magical elimination of sin.
(7) The error that we cannot effectually work
for God until we have received the latter rain.
The latter rain is an important topic. We should
give it our most careful attention.
-1WHEN THE LATTER RAIN OCCURS
1 - The sealing occurs prior to the close of
probation.
“The living righteous will receive the seal of God
prior to the close of probation.”—1 Selected Messages, 66:2.
2 - The latter rain falls before the sealing is
finished and before the work (loud cry) is closed
up.
“Before the work is closed up and the sealing of God’s people is finished, we shall receive
the outpouring of the Spirit of God.”—1 Selected
Messages, 111:3.
3 - The latter rain falls before the final judgments (the “final judgments” would be the
plagues which begin just after the general close
of probation).
“Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the

134

THE END OF TIME

people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic
times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured
out upon His children.”—Great Controversy, 464:1.
4 - The latter rain falls at the time of the final
harvest (which would be the loud cry).
“Near the close of earth’s harvest, a special
bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare
the church for the coming of the Son of man.
This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain.”—Acts of the Apostles, 55:1.
“The work will be similar to that of the Day of
Pentecost. As the ‘former rain’ was given, in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the opening of the gospel, to cause the upspringing of the precious seed,
so the ‘latter rain’ will be given at its close for the
ripening of the harvest.”—Great Controversy,
611:2.
In summary, the latter rain will occur at the
time of the sealing and the loud cry, and before the
close of probation and the plagues which follow it.
-2THE TIMING OF THE LATTER RAIN
It is not possible to set a date for the occurrence of this event or to determine time spans leading to or away from it. No date can be predicted for
the latter rain (1SM 188); and we should not try to
time set the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ev 221).
No light has been given us regarding a definite time
for this event (7BC 984). See our tract study, It’s No
Time for Time Excitement [PG 21], for quotations
on this.
Although we cannot time set the latter rain, we
can determine the sequence as to when it will
occur in relation to other events. In this present
study we will examine a surprisingly large number
of such sequences, about two dozen of them.
-3THE LATTER RAIN FALLS ON
A SEALED PEOPLE
1 - Sequence: (1) needful preparation, (2) victory, (3) seal, latter rain (refreshing), (4) and no
high priestly ministration during the great time of
trouble (after general close of probation).
“I also saw that many do not realize what they
must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord
without a high priest in the Sanctuary through the
time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of
the living God and are protected in the time of
trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.
“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time

of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to
stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His
sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble
without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive
the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live
in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be
hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls
in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to
believe that their condition is far better than it really
is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues,
and then see that they needed to be hewed and
squared for the building. But there will be no time
then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause
before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, ‘He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him
be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be
righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still.’ I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every
besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world,
and over every wrong word and action. We should,
therefore, be drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord
and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary
to enable us to stand in the battle in the day of the
Lord.”—Early Writings, 71:1-2.
2 - Sequence: (1) It is now that we are to remedy our defects and cleanse the soul temple. (2) It
is later that the seal and latter rain occur.
“Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble,
teachable heart of a child if he would know what
the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the light given him of God, if he
refuses to be taught as a little child, he will go into
darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path.
“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of
God while our characters have one spot or
stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy
the defects in our characters, to cleanse the
soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell
upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.”—5 Testimonies, 214:1-2.
-4THOSE RECEIVING THE SEAL
WILL ALREADY HAVE
HEARTS CLEANSED OF SIN
See Early Writings, 71:1-2 and 5 Testimonies,
214:1-2, quoted just above.
Sequence: (1) humility and soul purification,
(2) National Sunday Law decree, (3) stamp (seal)

11 - THE LATTER RAIN
impressed.
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work
of preparation? Those who are uniting with the
world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying
the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold
and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the
stamp is impressed, their character will remain
pure and spotless for eternity.
“Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God
will never be placed upon the forehead of an
impure man or woman. It will never be placed
upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving
man or woman. It will never be placed upon the
forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be
without spot before God—candidates for heaven.
Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only
write briefly upon these points at this time, merely
calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you
may understand the fearful solemnity of the present
hour.”—5 Testimonies, 216:1-2.
-5THE SEAL WILL ONLY BE PLACED
ON THOSE WHO ARE PRAYING
ABOUT, AND REBUKING, SIN
In the last days, just before the National Sunday
Law crisis, the faithful will not only engage in earnest missionary work for those who have never heard
the message, but they will also be sighing and crying
for the sins done in the church.
1 - Sequence: (1) sigh and cry because of wickedness, (2) receive seal.
“The day of God’s vengeance is just upon us. The
seal of God will be placed upon the foreheads of
those only who sigh and cry for the abominations done in the land. Those who link in sympathy with the world are eating and drinking with the
drunken and will surely be destroyed with the workers of iniquity. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but
the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”—5
Testimonies, 212:3.
“Our own course of action will determine
whether we shall receive the seal of the living
God or be cut down by the destroying weapons.”—
5 Testimonies, 212:4.
Note: Have men taught you that it is wrong to
reprove sin in the church? Heed them not. We are
told that those only who sigh and cry over the sins
done in Israel will later receive the seal.

135
2 - Sequence: (1) danger and depression of
church the greatest, (2) little company is standing
in the light and sighing. They are crying because
of wickedness in the world, but especially because
of the sins in the church. (3) In the time of vengeance, God will protect them.
“The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its
power. At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest, the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing
and crying for the abominations that are done in
the land. But more especially will their prayers arise
in behalf of the church because its members are
doing after the manner of the world.
“The earnest prayers of this faithful few will not
be in vain. When the Lord comes forth as an avenger,
He will also come as a protector of all those who
have preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world.”—5 Testimonies,
209:3-210:1.
3 - Sequence: (1) sighing and crying (2) ignored by the majority.
“In the time when His wrath shall go forth in
judgments, these humble, devoted followers of
Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the
world by their soul anguish, which is expressed
in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and
warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over
the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness
everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for
God’s honor and a love for souls will not hold
their peace to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls are vexed day by day with the unholy
works and conversation of the unrighteous. They
are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of
iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and
alarm. They mourn before God to see religion
despised in the very homes of those who have had
great light. They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of
almost every kind are in the church. The Spirit of
God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled
underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph.
God is dishonored, the truth made of none effect.”—
5 Testimonies, 210:3-211:0.
4 - Sequence: (1) sigh, cry, reprove, counsel,
entreat, (2) receive God’s mark.
“The command is: ‘Go through the midst of
the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set
a mark upon the foreheads of the men that
sigh and that cry for all the abominations that
be done in the midst thereof.’ These sighing, crying ones had been holding forth the words of life;
they had reproved, counseled, and entreated.
“Some who had been dishonoring God repented
and humbled their hearts before Him. But the glory

136
of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many
still continued the forms of religion, His power and
presence were lacking.”—5 Testimonies, 210:2.
5 - Sequence: (1) grieving, mourning, (2) sealing.
“The class who do not feel grieved over their
own spiritual declension, nor mourn over the
sins of others, will be left without the seal of
God.”—5 Testimonies, 211:1.
6 - The sins in the church are more terrible
than any realize.
“The abominations for which the faithful
ones were sighing and crying were all that could
be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst
sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure
and holy God, were unrevealed. The great Searcher
of hearts knoweth every sin committed in secret by
the workers of iniquity. These persons come to feel
secure in their deceptions and, because of His longsuffering, say that the Lord seeth not, and then act
as though He had forsaken the earth. But He will
detect their hypocrisy and will open before others
those sins which they were so careful to hide.”—5
Testimonies, 211:3-212:0.
7 - Sequence: (1) clear view of sinfulness of
sin, (2) sigh and cry, (3) seal.
“[Speaking of those later sealed:] Their love for
purity and the honor and glory of God is such, and
they have so clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that they are represented as being
in an agony, even sighing and crying.”—Review,
June 8, 1886.
8 - Sequence: (1) sigh and cry over sins in
church, (2) receive mark of truth.
“Those who receive the pure mark of truth are
those ‘that sigh and cry for the abominations that
are done in the church.’ ”—Review, June 8, 1886.
9 - Sequence: (1) not excuse sin, not murmur
against those who are reproving it, and not sympathizing with wrongdoers, (2) seal.
“Who are standing in the counsel of God at this
time? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among
the professed people of God and who murmur in
their hearts, if not openly against those who would
reprove sin? Is it those who take their stand against
them and sympathize with those who commit
wrong? No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave
the work of Satan in oppressing those who have
the burden of the work and in holding up the hands
of sinners in Zion, they will never receive the
mark of God’s sealing approval.”—3 Testimonies, 267:1.
10 - Sequence: (1) View sin as sin. (2) Deal
faithfully and plainly with sin. (3) In the sealing
time, these will receive the pure mark of truth.

THE END OF TIME
“The true people of God, who have the spirit of
the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at
heart, will ever view sin in its real, sinful character. They will always be on the side of faithful
and plain dealing with sins which easily beset
the people of God. Especially in the closing work
for the church, in the sealing time of the one
hundred and forty-four thousand who are to
stand without fault before the throne of God, will
they feel most deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people. This is forcibly set forth by the
prophet’s illustration of the last work under the figure of the men each having a slaughter weapon in
his hand. One man among them was clothed with
linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side. ‘And the
Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the
city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a
mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh
and that cry for all the abominations that be done
in the midst thereof.’
“Who are standing in the counsel of God at this
time? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among
the professed people of God and who murmur in
their hearts, if not openly, against those who would
reprove sin? Is it those who take their stand against
them and sympathize with those who commit
wrong? No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave
the work of Satan in oppressing those who have
the burden of the work and in holding up the hands
of sinners in Zion, they will never receive the mark
of God’s sealing approval. They will fall in the
general destruction of the wicked, represented
by the work of the five men bearing slaughter weapons. Mark this point with care: Those who receive
the pure mark of truth, wrought in them by
the power of the Holy Ghost, represented by a
mark by the man in linen, are those ‘that sigh
and that cry for all the abominations that be
done’ in the church. Their love for purity and the
honor and glory of God is such, and they have so
clear a view of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, that
they are represented as being in agony, even sighing and crying. Read the ninth chapter of Ezekiel.
“But the general slaughter of all those who do
not thus see the wide contrast between sin and
righteousness, and do not feel as those do who
stand in the counsel of God and receive the mark,
is described in the order to the five men with slaughter weapons: ‘Go ye after him through the city, and
smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little
children, and women: but come not near any man
upon whom is the mark; and begin at My Sanctuary.’
“In the case of Achan’s sin God said to Joshua:
‘Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.’ How does this

11 - THE LATTER RAIN
instance compare with the course pursued by those
who will not raise their voice against sin and
wrong, but whose sympathies are ever found
with those who trouble the camp of Israel with
their sins? Said God to Joshua: ‘Thou canst not
stand before thine enemies, until ye take away
the accursed thing from among you.’ He pronounced the punishment which would follow the
transgression of His covenant.
“Joshua then began a diligent search to find out
the guilty one.”—3 Testimonies, 266:2-268:1.
-6THE LATTER RAIN WILL GIVE POWER
TO THE THIRD ANGEL’S MESSAGE,
SWELLING IT INTO A LOUD CRY
We have faithful men today who, in their preaching, books, and tracts, are giving the third angel’s
message. But it will be the latter rain which will
transform that proclamation into a loud cry which
will fill the entire world. Thus the outpouring of the
latter rain, which begins the loud cry, will result in
sizeable numbers of genuine converts uniting with
the people of God. This will come after a major
portion of the professed Sabbathkeepers have apostatized.
1 - Sequence: (1) latter rain (refreshing), (2)
loud cry.
“I heard those clothed with the armor speak
forth the truth with great power . . I asked what
made this great change. An angel answered, ‘It is
the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence
of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”—
Early Writings, 271:2.
2 - Sequence: (1) latter rain, (2) loud cry.
“The glory of God rested upon the patient waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning.”—Early Writings, 277:2-278:0.
3 - Sequence: (1) latter rain, (2) loud cry, (3)
plagues.
“At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing
from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give
power to the loud voice of the third angel, and
prepare the saints to stand in the period when the
seven last plagues shall be poured out.”—Early
Writings, 86:0.
4 - Sequence: (1) little time of trouble [which
begins with the setting up of the image and the
National Sunday Law decree], (2) latter rain, (3)
loud cry.
“I saw that God had children who do not see and
keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light
upon it. And at the commencement of the time of
trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we
went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more

137
fully.”—Early Writings, 33:2 (85:2).
-7THE LATTER RAIN WILL CONTINUE
AS THE POWER OF THE LOUD CRY
Throughout the time during which the latter rain
experience continues, it will be the Holy Spirit which
will render the proclamation of the third angel’s message so powerful.
1 - Sequence: (1) Grow up into Christ. (2) Partake largely of His Spirit, His glory, and receive
latter rain. (3) Faces shine. (4) Third angel’s message swells to loud cry, as great power and glory
attends its delivery. (5) The time of Jacob’s trouble,
their last conflict.
“As the members of the body of Christ approach
the period of their last conflict, ‘the time of
Jacob’s trouble,’ they will grow up into Christ,
and will partake largely of His spirit. As the third
message swells to a loud cry, and as great power
and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people
of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter
rain which revives and strengthens them to pass
through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine
with the glory of that light which attends the third
angel.”—1 Testimonies, 353:3.
2 - Sequence: (1) latter rain (refreshing), (2)
loud cry.
“It [the third angel’s message] is represented as
being given with a loud voice, that is with the power
of the Holy Spirit.”—7 Bible Commentary, 980/
1:3.
3 - Sequence: (1) latter rain (refreshing), (2)
loud cry.
“At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing
from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give
power to the loud voice of the third angel.”—Early
Writings, 86:0.
4 - Sequence: (1) weeping and praying, (2) severe conflict and agonizing struggle, (3) mightily
shaken. The careless and indifferent apostatize,
and (4) others fill their places. (5) they obtain the
victory; (6) then the latter rain refreshing. (7) Their
faces shine with light and expressions of deep gratitude to God. (8) Evil angels are around them, but
no longer have power over them. (9) The loud cry
of third angel; (10) many respond.
“Said the angel, ‘List ye!’ [‘Listen!’] Soon I heard
a voice like many musical instruments all sounding
in perfect strains, sweet and harmonious. It surpassed any music I had ever heard, seeming to be
full of mercy, compassion, and elevating, holy joy. It
thrilled through my whole being. Said the angel, ‘Look
ye!’ My attention was then turned to the company I
had seen, who were mightily shaken. I was shown

138
those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian
angels around them had been doubled, and they
were clothed with an armor from their head to
their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. Their countenances expressed the
severe conflict which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they had passed through. Yet their features, marked with severe internal anguish, now
shone with the light and glory of heaven. They
had obtained the victory, and it called forth from
them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred
joy.
“The numbers of this company had lessened.
Some had been shaken out and left by the way.
The careless and indifferent, who did not join
with those who prized victory and salvation enough
to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not
obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness,
and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the
ranks. Evil angels still pressed around them,
but could have no power over them.
“I heard those clothed with the armor speak
forth the truth with great power. It had effect.
Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents. The
honest who had been prevented from hearing the
truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their
relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted
to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for
truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I
asked what had made this great change. An angel
answered, ‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing
from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the
third angel.’ ”—Early Writings, 270:4-271:2.
5 - Latter rain and loud cry are inherently
linked.
“The third angel, flying in the midst of heaven
and heralding the commandments of God and the
testimony of Jesus, represents our work. The message loses none of its force in the angel’s onward
flight, for John sees it increasing in strength and
power until the whole earth is lightened with its
glory. The course of God’s commandment-keeping
people is onward, ever onward. The message of
truth that we bear must go to nations, tongues, and
peoples. Soon it will go with a loud voice, and
the earth will be lightened with its glory. Are
we preparing for this great outpouring of the
Spirit of God?
“Human agencies are to be employed in this
work. Zeal and energy must be intensified; talents
that are rusting from inaction must be pressed into
service. The voice that would say, ‘Wait; do not allow
yourself to have burdens imposed upon you,’ is the

THE END OF TIME
voice of the cowardly spies. We want Calebs now who
will press to the front—chieftains in Israel who with
courageous words will make a strong report in favor
of immediate action. When the selfish, ease-loving,
panic-stricken people, fearing tall giants and inaccessible walls, clamor for retreat, let the voice of the
Calebs be heard, even though the cowardly ones stand
with stones in their hands, ready to beat them down
for their faithful testimony.”—5 Testimonies, 383:23.
6 - Sequence: (1) unity in love (based on obedience by faith to God’s truth), (2) loud cry.
“Thus will be answered the prayer of Christ, uttered just before His humiliation and death: ‘That
they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and
I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the
world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.’ John
17:21. The love of Christ, the love of our brethren,
will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus
and learned of Him. Then will the message of
the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole
earth will be lightened with the glory of God.”—6
Testimonies, 401:1.
7 - Sequence: (1) latter rain, (2) Jacob’s
trouble.
“God’s people were strengthened by the excellent glory which rested upon them in rich abundance and prepared them to endure the hour of
temptation.”—Early Writings, 279:0.
8 - Sequence: (1) latter rain, (2) loud cry to all
the world, (3) final conflict (during loud cry and
Jacob’s trouble which follows it).
“Clad in the armor of Christ’s righteousness,
the church is to enter upon her final conflict.
‘Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as
an army with banners’ (Song of Solomon 6:10), she
is to go forth into all the world, conquering and
to conquer.”—Prophets and Kings, 725:1.
9 - The sealing/latter rain/loud cry experience.
“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for
Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
“And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness,
and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called
by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall
name.
“Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand
of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy
God.”—Isaiah 62:1-3.
“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and
it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean
shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the
wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”—
Isaiah 35:8.

11 - THE LATTER RAIN
“There shall be no more the Canaanite in the
house of the Lord of hosts.”—Zechariah 14:21.
-8PREPARATION FOR
THE LATTER RAIN
When the latter rain is ready to fall, it will fall
whether or not you and I are ready to receive it.
Therefore, we need to give earnest attention to our
manner of life and conduct NOW, so that we will be
prepared to receive the latter rain when our kind
Father pours it out upon His people.
Strictly speaking, this topic should be located
prior to the Sunday law crisis. However, for purposes of simplicity, it is placed at the close of this
latter rain study.
1 - The infilling of the Holy Spirit is our great
need.
“At no point in our experiences can we dispense
with the assistance of that which enables us
to make the first start. The blessings received
under the former rain are needful to us to the end
. . As we seek God for the Holy Spirit, it will work
in us meekness, humbleness of mind, a conscious dependence upon God for the perfecting
latter rain.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 507:2, 509:0.
“The Holy Spirit seeks to abide in each soul. If
it is welcomed as an honored guest, those who
receive it will be made complete in Christ. The
good work begun will be finished; the holy
thoughts, heavenly affections, and Christlike actions
will take the place of impure thoughts, perverse sentiments, and rebellious acts.”—Counsels on Health,
561:1.
“We may have had a measure of the Spirit of
God, but by prayer and faith we are continually to seek more of the Spirit. It will never do to
cease our efforts. If we do not progress, if we do
not place ourselves in an attitude to receive both
the former and the latter rain, we shall lose our
souls, and the responsibility will lie at our own
door.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 508:0.
“The measure of the Holy Spirit we receive will
be proportioned to the measure of our desire
and the faith exercised for it, and the use we
shall make of the light and knowledge that
shall be given to us.”—Last Day Events, 188:5.
“A revival and a reformation must take place,
under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival
and reformation are two different things. Revival
signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening
of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from
spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits
and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the

139
good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected
with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing
this work they must blend.”—Last Day Events,
189:3-190:0.
2 - God is waiting for us to get ready to receive
it.
“The long night of gloom is trying, but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master
should come, so many would be found unready.
God’s unwillingness to have His people perish, has
been the reason of so long delay.”—2 Testimonies,
194:0.
“Had the purpose of God been carried out by
His people in giving to the world the message of
mercy, Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth,
and the saints would have received their welcome
into the City of God.”—6 Testimonies, 450:0.
“I know that if God’s people had maintained
a living connection with Him, if they had obeyed
His Word, they would today have been in the heavenly Canaan.”—General Conference Bulletin,
March 30, 1903.
“I asked my accompanying angel the meaning
of what I heard, and what the four angels were about
to do. He said to me that it was God that restrained
the powers, and that He gave His angels charge over
things on the earth; that the four angels had power
from God to hold the four winds, and that they were
about to let them go; but while their hands were
loosening, and the four winds were about to blow,
the merciful eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and He raised his hands
to the Father, and pleaded with Him that He had
spilled His blood for them. Then another angel was
commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels, and
bid them hold, until the servants of God were
sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads.”—Early Writings, 38:2.
“All we have to do is to keep the vessel clean
and right side up and prepared for the reception
of the heavenly rain, and keep praying, ‘Let the
latter rain come into my vessel. Let the light of the
glorious angel which unites with the third angel
shine upon me; give me a part in the work; let me
sound the proclamation; let me be a colaborer with
Jesus Christ.’ Thus seeking God, let me tell you,
He is fitting you up all the time, giving you His
grace.”—Upward Look, 283:2.
3 - The latter rain will strengthen God’s people
for the important events so soon to occur.
“The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church
for the coming of the Son of man.”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 506:2.

140
“While the work of salvation is closing, trouble
will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be
angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the
work of the third angel. At that time the ‘later rain,’
or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come
to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period
when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.”—
Early Writings, 85:3-86:0.
“Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful
preparation, therefore they could not receive the
refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in
the sight of a holy God.”—Early Writings, 71:2.
“Servants of God with their faces lighted up
and shining with holy consecration will hasten from
place to place to proclaim the message from
heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth,
the warning will be given. Miracles will be
wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and
wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works
with lying wonders, even bringing fire down from
heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus
the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take
their stand.”—Great Controversy, 612:1.
“The glory of God rested upon the patient, waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning, proclaiming the fall of Babylon,
and calling upon God’s people to come out of
her that they might escape her fearful doom.
“The light that was shed upon the waiting ones
penetrated everywhere . . Mighty miracles were
wrought, the sick were healed, and signs and wonders followed the believers. God was in the work,
and every saint, fearless of consequences, followed
the convictions of his own conscience, and united
with those who were keeping all the commandments
of God; and with power they sounded abroad
the third message. I saw that this message will
close with power and strength far exceeding the midnight cry.”—Early Writings, 277:2-278:1.
“The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the
apostles was the beginning of the early, or former
rain, and glorious was the result. To the end of time
the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true
church.
“But near the close of earth’s harvest, a special
bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man.
This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling
of the latter rain; and it is for this added power
that Christians are to send their petitions to the
Lord of the harvest in the time of the latter rain.”—
Acts of the Apostles, 54:2-55:1.
4 - It is our work to earnestly plead for the
Holy Spirit and to live our prayers.

THE END OF TIME
“Those who make no decided effort, but simply wait for the Holy Spirit to compel them to action, will perish in darkness. You are not to sit still
and do nothing in the work of God.”—Christian Service, 228:3.
“We are not to trust to the ordinary working of
providence. We must pray that God will unseal
the fountains of the water of life. And we must ourselves receive of the living water. Let us, with contrite hearts, pray most earnestly that now, in
the time of the latter rain, showers of grace may
fall upon us.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 509:0.
“What can I say to my brethren in the name of
the Lord? What proportion of our efforts has been
made in accordance with the light the Lord has been
pleased to give? We cannot depend upon form
or external machinery. What we need is the quickening influence of the Holy Spirit of God . . Pray
without ceasing, and watch by working in accordance with your prayers. As you pray, believe,
trust in God. It is the time of the latter rain, when
the Lord will give largely of His Spirit.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 512:1.
“ ‘Ask ye of the Lord rain in the time of the latter rain.’ Do not rest satisfied that in the ordinary
course of the season, rain will fall. Ask for it . . We
must seek His favors with the whole heart, if
the showers of grace are to come to us. We should
improve every opportunity of placing ourselves
in the channel of blessing . . The convocations of
the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of
the home church, and all occasions where there is
personal labour for souls, are God’s appointed opportunities for giving the early and the latter rain . .
The circumstances may seem favorable for a rich
outpouring of the showers of grace. But God Himself must command the rain to fall. Therefore, we
should not be remiss in supplication.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 508:1, 509:0.
5 - By the enabling grace of Christ, we must
prepare our hearts and lives to receive it.
“The refreshing or the power of God comes
only on those who have prepared themselves
for it by doing the work which God bids them,
namely, cleansing themselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God.”—1 Testimonies, 619:1.
“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God
while our characters have one spot or stain upon
them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in
our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every
defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as
the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of
Pentecost.”—5 Testimonies, 214:2.
“I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment,

11 - THE LATTER RAIN
over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and
over every wrong word and action.”—Early Writings, 71:2.
“God will prove His people . . He brings them up
to different points calculated to manifest what is
in the heart . . Those who come up to every point,
and stand every test, and overcome, be the price
what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True
Witness, and they will receive the latter rain, and
thus be fitted for translation.”—1 Testimonies,
186:2, 187:1.
“Christ always separates the contrite soul
from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil,
and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit
shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep
him from sinning.”—Desire of Ages, 311:2.
“We have great victories to gain, and a Heaven
to lose if we do not gain them. The carnal heart
must be crucified . . Pray that the mighty energies
of the Holy Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperative, and transforming power, may fall like an
electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing
every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole
man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness.”—5 Testimonies, 267:2.
“I saw some, with strong faith and agonizing
cries, pleading with God. Their countenances were
pale, and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of
their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness was expressed in their countenances; large
drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now
and then their faces would light up with the marks
of God’s approbation, and again the same solemn,
earnest, anxious look would settle upon them . .
“Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of
agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and
careless. They were not resisting the darkness
around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud.
The angels of God left these, and went to the aid of
the earnest, praying ones . .
“I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit . . they were clothed
with an armor from their head to their feet. They
moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers.
Their countenances expressed the severe conflict
which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they
had passed through. Yet their features, marked with
severe internal anguish, now shone with the light
and glory of heaven. They had obtained the victory, and it called forth from them the deepest gratitude, and holy, sacred joy . .
“I heard those clothed with the armor speak
forth the truth with great power. It had effect . .
The honest who had been prevented from hearing
the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it . . I asked

141
what had made this great change. An angel answered:
‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.’ ”—
Early Writings, 269:1, 270:1, 271:0, 2.
“Often in the night season I am bidden to urge
our brethren in responsible positions to make earnest effort to follow on to know the Lord more perfectly . . When they consecrate heart and soul
to the service of God, they will find that an experience deeper than any they have yet obtained is
essential if they would triumph over all sin.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 514:1.
“Those who at Pentecost were endued with
power from on high, were not thereby freed from
further temptation and trial . . They were compelled to strive with all their God-given powers to reach the measure of the stature of men and
women in Christ Jesus. Daily they prayed for
fresh supplies of grace, that they might reach
higher and still higher toward perfection.”—Acts of
the Apostles, 49:3.
“For the daily baptism of the Spirit every
worker should offer his petition to God . . Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel
before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of
His Spirit, with its reviving, sanctifying power.”—
Acts of the Apostles, 50:2, 56:2.
“And as they continue to let their light shine,
as did those who were baptized with the Spirit on
the Day of Pentecost, they receive more and still
more of the Spirit’s power. Thus the earth will be
lightened with the glory of God.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 54:0.
“Just prior to His leaving His disciples for the
heavenly courts, Jesus encouraged them with the
promise of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs
as much to us as it did to them, and yet how rarely
it is presented before the people, and its reception
spoken of in the church. In consequence of this silence upon this most important theme, what promise do we know less about by its practical fulfillment than this rich promise of the gift of the
Holy Spirit, whereby efficiency is to be given to all
our spiritual labor? . . This subject has been set
aside, as if some time in the future would be given
to its consideration. Other blessings and privileges
have been presented before the people until a desire
has been awakened in the church for the attainment
of the blessing promised of God; but the impression
concerning the Holy Spirit has been that this gift is
not for the church now, but that at some time in the
future it would be necessary for the church to receive it.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 174:1.
“The dispensation in which we are now living is
to be to those that ask, the dispensation of the Holy

142
Spirit. Ask for His blessing. It is time we were
more intense in our devotion. To us is committed
the arduous, but happy, glorious work of revealing
Christ to those who are in darkness. We are called
to proclaim the special truths for this time. For
all this the outpouring of the Spirit is essential. We
should pray for it. The Lord expects us to ask Him.
We have not been wholehearted in this work.”—Testimonies to Ministers 511:3-512:0.
“We should pray as earnestly for the descent
of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the
day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we
need it more today . . Without the Spirit and power
of God, it will be in vain that we labor to present
the truth . .
“I fear for you, my brethren, I counsel you to tarry
at Jerusalem, as did the early disciples, until, like
them, you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”—
5 Testimonies, 158:1, 159:1.
“God’s faithful messengers are to seek to carry
forward the Lord’s work in His appointed way
. . They are to wrestle with God in earnest prayer
for a baptism of the Holy Spirit that they may meet
the needs of a world perishing in sin.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 459:2.
“The Lord has provided for the descent of the
Holy Spirit upon His workers, and everyone who
sincerely seeks God will find Him. We are to
come boldly to the throne of grace, and seek the
footstool of mercy. We are to believe that the Lord
hears and answers our prayers.”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 218:2.
“What we need is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Without this, we are no more fitted to go forth to
the world than were the disciples after the crucifixion of their Lord. Jesus knew their destitution, and
told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they should
be endowed with power from on high.”—1 Selected
Messages, 411:2.
“Oh, how we need the divine presence! For the
baptism of the Holy Spirit every worker should be
breathing out his prayer to God. Companies
should be gathered together to call upon God
for special help, for heavenly wisdom, that the
people of God may know how to plan and devise
and execute the work.
“Especially, should men pray that the Lord will
choose His agents, and baptize His missionaries with the Holy Spirit. For ten days the disciples
prayed before the Pentecostal blessing came. It required all that time to bring them to an understanding of what it meant to offer effectual prayer . . When
the blessing did come, it filled all the place where
they were assembled.”—Testimonies to Ministers,
170:0-1.

THE END OF TIME
“We should improve every opportunity of placing ourselves in the channel of blessing. Christ has
said, ‘Where two or three are gathered together in
My name, there I am in the midst.’ The convocations of the church, as in camp meetings, the assemblies of the home church, and all occasions
where there is personal labor for souls, are God’s
appointed opportunities for giving the early and the
latter rain.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 508:1.
“By prayer and confession of sin we must
clear the King’s highway. As we do this, the power
of the Spirit will come to us. We need the Pentecostal energy. This will come, for the Lord has promised to send His Spirit as the all-conquering
power.”—8 Testimonies 297:6-298:0.
“There must be earnest effort to obtain the
blessing of the Lord . . because we are unprepared
to receive it . . It is our work, by confession, humiliation, repentance, and earnest prayer, to
fulfill the conditions upon which God has promised to grant us His blessing . .
“The church must arouse to action. The Spirit
of God can never come in until she prepares the way.
There should be earnest searching of heart. There
should be united, persevering prayer, and
through faith a claiming of the promises of God.
There should be, not a clothing of the body with sackcloth, as in ancient times, but a deep humiliation
of soul. We have not the first reason for self-congratulation and self-exaltation. We should humble
ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He will
appear to comfort and bless the true seekers.”—Review, March 22, 1887.
6 - There are too many of us who are lukewarm and unconcerned about this very important matter.
“To those who are indifferent at this time
Christ’s warning is: ‘Because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold or hot, I will spew thee out of My
mouth.’ Revelation 3:16. The figure of spewing
out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up
your prayers or your expressions of love to God.
He cannot endorse your teaching of His Word or
your spiritual work in any wise. He cannot present
your religious exercises with the request that grace
be given you.
“Could the curtain be rolled back, could you
discern the purposes of God and the judgments that
are about to fall upon a doomed world, could you
see your own attitude, you would fear and tremble
for your own souls and for the souls of your fellowmen. Earnest prayers of heart-rending anguish
would go up to heaven. You would weep between
the porch and the altar, confessing your spiritual
blindness and backsliding.”—6 Testimonies, 408:23.

11 - THE LATTER RAIN
“How is it with the rising generation? Are they
converted to God? Are we awake to the work
that is going on in the heavenly Sanctuary, or
are we waiting for some compelling power to come
upon the church before we shall arouse? Are we
hoping to see the whole church revived? That time
will never come.
“There are persons in the church who are not
converted, and who will not unite in earnest, prevailing prayer. We must enter upon the work individually.”—Review, March 22, 1887.
“How can I talk, how can I write to my brethren, so that they will catch the beams of light flashing from heaven? What shall I say? The atmosphere
of the church is so frigid, its spirit is of such an
order, that men and women cannot sustain or
endure the example of primitive and heavenborn piety. The warmth of their first love is frozen
up, and unless they are watered over by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, their candlestick will be
removed out of its place.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 167:2-168:0.
“Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all
the benefits that God has thus provided for them.
They expect that the lack will be supplied by
the latter rain. When the richest abundance of
grace shall be bestowed, they intend to open their
hearts to receive it. They are making a terrible
mistake.”—Testimonies to Ministers 507:1.
“We may be sure that when the Holy Spirit is
poured out those who did not receive and appreciate the early rain will not see or understand the value of the latter rain.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 399:1.
“I was shown that if God’s people make no
efforts on their part, but wait for the refreshing
to come upon them and remove their wrongs and
correct their errors; if they depend upon that to
cleanse them from filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
and fit them to engage in the loud cry of the third
angel, they will be found wanting.”—1 Testimonies, 619:1.
7 - We must individually repent of, and forsake, the Laodicean condition.
“I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time,
and the reason it has not accomplished a greater
work is because of the hardness of their hearts.”—1
Testimonies, 186:1.
“The message to the church of the Laodiceans is
a startling denunciation, and is applicable to the
people of God at the present time . . The message of
the True Witness finds the people of God in a sad
deception. They know not that their condition is

143
deplorable in the sight of God.”—3 Testimonies,
252:1, 253:0.
“The Laodicean message applies to the people
of God who profess to believe present truth.
The greater part are lukewarm professors, having
a name but no zeal.”—4 Testimonies, 87:1.
“Since the time of the Minneapolis meeting
[the 1888 General Conference Session], I have seen
the state of the Laodicean church as never before . .
Like the Jews, many have closed their eyes, lest
they should see.”—Review, August 26, 1890.
This is an intriguing statement, but it is not
written by Ellen G. White: “What then is the reason that God, contemplating the condition of the
church of Laodicea, sees one thing, while
Laodicea, considering her own status, beholds
an entirely different condition?
“Laodicea tends to observe her achievements,
which are not inconsiderable. She thinks of her missionaries at the ends of the earth. She recalls the
hospitals which her wealth has erected. She surveys
her schools . . she counts her printing presses . .
her stately houses of worship, she counts her membership.
“Her mind goes back to her humble beginning,
and she traces with a subtle and unconscious pride
her years of growth and progress. To Laodicea it is
a splendid showing, and she is happy and complacent. She has a flawless doctrine, a competent organization, a triumphant message. Who can deny
these things?
“But God, the infinite Father of all, looks beyond all this. His awful gaze penetrates past
Laodicea’s schools, sanitariums, and publishing
houses, past her fine buildings and worthwhile
equipment, past the growing membership and constantly widening sphere of influence, and looks
down upon Laodicea’s heart.
“Here He witnesses pride, the sin by which
the angels fell; the desire for human praise, the
love of the world, with all that the world offers.
He sees the dangerous conformity to unchristian customs . . The gold of character is strangely lacking,
and its place taken by brilliant tinsel, which does
not deceive the heavenly Watcher.
“The raiment of Christ’s righteousness, at once
so simple and ample, is not worn; instead an ingenious arrangement of the filthy rags of Laodicea’s
own righteousness. Upon her eyes, festering with
the sores of worldly shortsightedness, is no healing salve to strengthen and sanctify.”—Signs, November 14, 1933.
8 - In the strength of Christ, we must forsake
the attitude of resistance to the working and
infilling of the Holy Spirit.

144
“God brings against ministers and people the
heavy charge of spiritual feebleness, saying, ‘I know
thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot’ . . God
calls for a spiritual revival and a spiritual reformation. Unless this takes place, those who are lukewarm will continue to grow more abhorrent to the
Lord, until He will refuse to acknowledge them as
His children.”—Review, February 25, 1902.
“If men would only give up their spirit of
resistance to the Holy Spirit—the spirit which
has so long been leavening their religious experience, God’s Spirit would address itself to their
hearts. It would convince of sin. What a work!
But the Holy Spirit has been insulted and light has
been rejected. Is it possible for those who for years
have been so blinded, to see? Is it possible that in
this late stage of their resistance their eyes will be
anointed? Will the voice of the Spirit of God be
distinguished from the deceiving voice of the enemy?”—Testimonies to Ministers, 393:1.
“There must be no neglect of the grace represented by the former rain. Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater
light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues,
we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy
Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts
all around us, but we shall not discern or receive
it.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1.
“Why should we not prostrate ourselves at
the throne of grace, as representatives of the
church, and from a broken heart and contrite spirit
make earnest supplication that the Holy Spirit
shall be poured out upon us from on high? Let us
pray that, when it shall be graciously bestowed, our
cold hearts may be revived, and we may have discernment to understand that it is from God, and
receive it with joy. Some have treated the Spirit as
an unwelcome guest, refusing to receive the rich
gift, refusing to acknowledge it, turning from it, and
condemning it as fanaticism.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 64:1.
“When the Holy Spirit works the human agent,
it does not ask us in what way it shall operate. Often it moves in unexpected ways . . The Jews
refused to receive Christ, because He did not come
in accordance with their expectations. The ideas of
finite men were held as infallible, because hoary with
age.
“This is the danger to which the church is now
exposed—that the inventions of finite men shall
mark out the precise way for the Holy Spirit to
come. Though they would not care to acknowledge
it, some have already done this.”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 64:2-3, 65:0.
“We cannot use the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is

THE END OF TIME
to use us. Through the Spirit God works in His
people ‘to will and to do of His good pleasure’ (Phil.
2:13). But many will not submit to this. They want
to manage themselves. This is why they do not receive the heavenly gift. Only to those who wait humbly upon God, who watch for His guidance and
grace, is the Spirit given.”—Desire of Ages, 672:1.
9 - We must plead with God for a closer walk
and a deeper unity with fellow believers in the
historic truths.
“What the Lord did for His people in that time
[the time of the apostles], it is just as essential, and
more so, that He do for His people today. All that
the apostles did, every church member today
is to do . . Should not the power of God be even
more mightily revealed today than in the time of
the apostles?”—7 Testimonies, 33:1-2.
“Let your heart break for the longing it has
for God, for the living God. The life of Christ has
shown what humanity can do by being partaker of
the divine nature. All that Christ received from God
we too may have. Then ask and receive. With the
persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding
persistence of Elijah, claim for yourself all that
God has promised.”—Christ Object Lessons, 149:2.
“If you will sincerely humble your hearts before Him, empty your souls of self-esteem, and
put away the natural defects of your character,
and overcome your love of supremacy, and
come to God as little children, He will bestow on
you His Holy Spirit. When two or three shall agree
as touching anything, and shall ask the Lord, in
the name of Jesus, it shall be done for them.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 323:2-324:0.
“All who profess the name of Christ should be
waiting, watching, and praying with one heart.
All differences should be put away, and unity
and tender love one for another pervade the
whole. Then our prayers may go up together to our
heavenly Father with strong, earnest faith. Then we
may wait with patience and hope the fulfillment of
the promise.
“The answer may come with sudden velocity
and overpowering might; or it may be delayed
for days and weeks, and our faith receive a trial. But
God knows how and when to answer our prayer. It
is our part of the work to put ourselves in connection with the divine channel. God is responsible for His part of the work. The great and important matter with us is to be of one heart and mind,
putting aside all envy and malice, and as humble
supplicants, to watch and wait. Jesus, our Representative and Head, is ready to do for us what He
did for the praying, watching ones on the day of Pentecost.”—General Conference Bulletin (1893), 165166; 3 Spirit of Prophecy, 272-273.

11 - THE LATTER RAIN

145
LATTER RAIN

LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.

The Latter Rain to Come with Ten Times the
Power of the Midnight Cry.—“I saw [that] the latter
rain was coming as suddenly as the Midnight Cry
and with ten times the power.”—Vision of August
24, 1850. (“Copied from O. Hewitt’s book” in the
Apocryphal file, but see Daily Bulletin of the General Conference, February 5, 1893, 152, where it
is quoted.)

“I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in
order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the
Sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive
the seal of the living God and are protected in the time
of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.
“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so
needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and
the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord
and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time
of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the
needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the
refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a
holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and
fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are
willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is,
will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then
see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to
plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully
solemn declaration has gone forth, ‘He that is unjust, let him
be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he
that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy,
let him be holy still.’ I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every
wrong word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing
nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that
preparation necessary to enable us to stand in the battle in the
day of the Lord.”
—Early Writings, 71:1-2

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THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 12 —

THE LOUD CRY
OF THE THIRD ANGEL
This is the first of two chapters on the loud cry.
The reason is that, in a sense, it has two distinct
phases: an initial phase and a massively strengthened phase.
The loud cry is the climax of the entire cluster of
events that begins with the successful urging of the
National Sunday Law and ends at the general close
of probation. Yet it leads to still another climax: the
fourth angel’s message.
Because of the nature of the entire situation, the
loud cry begins very shortly after the enactment of
the National Sunday Law.
As soon as that law is passed, professed and
former Sabbathkeepers are the first to knowingly
make their decisions for or against God’s holy day.
As one class receives the seal, the other receives
the mark.
The class receiving the seal have been sealed
into the truth, as the judgment in heaven accounts
them worthy of eternal life. Their sins are blotted
out of the book of sin, their names are retained
forever in the book of life, and the Holy Spirit is
poured upon them in order that they might be
strengthened for a special work: the giving of the
loud cry to all the world.
(Keep in mind that not all are sealed at once or
at the same time. The sealing-reception of the latter rain and the giving of the loud cry is a progressive work in the lives of men and women throughout the planet. As the law is passed in their nation,
they learn to understand the issues and make their
decision.)
For every heaven-sent message, there is a counterfeit. Satan’s opposition to the loud cry is a host
of wonder-working activities, which we discussed
in considerable detail in an earlier chapter (The
False Latter Rain). Apparent miracle working of
all kinds occurs and heathen deities return. Demons take human form and arouse and lead the
masses in demonstrations against the faithful.
In striking contrast, the faithful are presenting
the final message to a dying world—a message of
God’s love, as shown in a correct view of righteousness by faith (Rev. 14:12), which may be summa-

rized as obedience by enabling faith in Christ to the
law of God. That is the third angel’s message (Rev.
14:12), combined with a warning not to obey the
beast and keep its law, which is an act of rebellion
and disobedience to God (Rev. 14:9-11). What greater
message of love is there than this: that we can be
empowered by the God of love to obey Him and live
clean lives? That is our last-day message to the world!
It is a message we should now be giving. The “loud
cry” is not some disconnected activity; it is the loud
cry of the third angel. It is the climatic final giving of
that angel’s message (a message, which we are told,
includes the messages of the first and second angels.)
An entire world must rapidly and powerfully be
told the truth about the commandments of God and
the faith of Jesus. They must be told that the commandments must be kept, and that it is the faith of
Jesus alone which can enable mankind to keep them.
Everyone, everywhere in the world, will have an
opportunity to decide between the truth of God and
the deceptions of Satan. The third angel’s message
is being spread everywhere, and is encountering
greater and still greater opposition from Satan and
his agents.
But then, suddenly, a powerful new addition arrives: the fourth angel is sent from the throne of
God with a special assignment. It is his work to
strengthen the message to come out from Babylon
and give it fullest power. Only very rarely before in
human history has there been even a brief glimpse
of this dramatic display of divine power through
the lives and in the words of men.
At some point during the swelling intensity of
all this, Satan appears. One statement in an earlier
chapter (The False Latter Rain) indicated that, in
desperation, Satan finally, personally, appears to
mankind as the personated Christ:
“Satan sees that he is about to lose his case.
He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes
one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating
Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of
royalty which have been accurately described in the
vision of John. He has power to do this. He will ap-

12 - THE LOUD CRY OF THE THIRD ANGEL
pear to his deluded followers, the Christian world
who received not the love of the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of the law),
as Christ coming the second time.”—Last Day
Events, 164:1.
This appearance of Satan may be his attempted
counterfeit of the fourth angel’s work. Or it may be
his appearance, prior to the fourth angel’s appearance, that necessitates this dramatic increase of
spiritual power from heaven. Also notice in the above
quotation, that Satan is not merely concerned with
holding on to his captives, but entrapping the faithful ones as well.
At any rate, at some point during the loud cry,
Satan will appear at various places throughout the
world as a personated Christ.
First comes the urging and enactment of the
National Sunday Law. Then comes the sealing and
latter rain (or the marking and false latter rain).
Then starts the loud cry (as satanic manifestations
intensify). Then the fourth angel comes down to
strengthen the loud cry and swell it into a message
of astounding power.
In this study, we will discuss both the loud cry
of the third angel and the powerful swelling of that
message by the fourth angel. It is of interest that
there is a remarkably large number of quotations
on these two subjects. In the mind of the One who
inspired the Spirit of Prophecy, it was considered a
very important topic.
The sealing/latter rain/loud cry cluster should
be of crucial concern to us. It will be an accelerating display of divine power on a massive scale. It
continues on until the last soul has been warned
and made his decision. Then the general close of
probation occurs. After that, there is no more probationary message from heaven to the world. As
soon as the angels return to heaven to report to
Jesus that their work is finished, the general close
of probation occurs.
-1TIMING OF
THE LOUD CRY MESSAGE
It is not possible to set a date for the occurrence
of the loud cry or to determine time spans leading to
or away from it. In addition, we should not include
time setting in our presentation of that message. This
message does not need time setting in order to
strengthen it (EW 75). It must never be hung on time
(1SM 188). God has never revealed a definite time
for the close of the last message (7BC 989-990, 1SM
191); for, indeed, after 1844, there are no more messages of any kind to be given by man that are based
on time (6BC 1052, 7BC 971, 1SM 188) and no
man has a true message of definite time (2SM 113).

147

This is because no man is able to predict the time of
any future event (Ev 221). He cannot know definite
time (6BC 1052, Ev 221, 1SM 188, 6T 440). See
our tract study, It’s No Time for Time Excitement
[PG 21], for many more quotations.
-2GOD’S PEOPLE IN THE OTHER
CHURCHES WILL BE CALLED OUT
God’s people are in all the churches.
“The Lord has His representatives in all the
churches. These persons have not had the special
testing truths for these last days presented to them
under circumstances that brought conviction to heart
and mind; therefore they have not, by rejecting
light, severed their connection with God.”—6
Testimonies, 70:4-71:0.
“Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and
alienation from God that exist in the churches which
constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s
true followers are still to be found in their communion.”—Great Controversy, 390:1.
-3DURING THE CRISIS, WHAT SHOULD
GOD’S PEOPLE DO ON SUNDAYS?
The following passages indicate that, during the
Sunday-law crisis, (1) we should not, publicly, give
others the impression that we are resting on Sunday in honor of the Sunday sabbath. (2) We can
quietly work in our homes on that day. (3) We can
quietly rest during part of that day, when there is
no likelihood we may be doing so to compromise
our faith or exalt the Sunday sabbath. But Sunday
is a working day, not a sacred day of rest. (4) The
best plan is, in time of a local or national blue law
crisis, to use Sunday as an active missionary day
and occupy it with visiting and giving Bible studies.
These four points summarize what should be done
on Sunday during the coming crisis.
1 - We should not reverence the first day as
though it were the Sabbath.
“We must take a firm stand that we will not
reverence the first day of the week as the Sabbath, for it is not the day that was blessed and
sanctified by Jehovah, and in reverencing Sunday we should place ourselves on the side of the
great deceiver . .
“When the law of God has been made void, and
apostasy becomes a national sin, the Lord will work
in behalf of His people.”—3 Selected Messages,
388:3, 5.
2 - During the Sunday law crisis, God’s people
should refrain from open labor on the first day of
the week.

148
“In regard to the Southern field, the work there
must be done as wisely and carefully as possible,
and it must be done in the manner in which Christ
would work. The people will soon find out what
you believe about Sunday and the Sabbath, for they
will ask questions. Then you can tell them, but not
in such a manner as to attract attention to your
work. You need not cut short your work by yourself laboring on Sunday.
“Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast . . In places where
the opposition is so strong as to arouse persecution, if work is done on Sunday, let our brethren
make that day an occasion to do genuine missionary work.”—Last Day Events, 139:1.
3 - We can use it for evangelistic and medical missionary work.
“At one time those in charge of our school at
Avondale inquired of me, saying: ‘What shall we do?
The officers of the law have been commissioned to
arrest those working on Sunday.’ I replied: ‘It will
be very easy to avoid that difficulty. Give Sunday
to the Lord as a day for doing missionary
work. Take the students out to hold meetings
in different places, and to do medical missionary work. They will find the people at home and
will have a splendid opportunity to present the
truth. This way of spending Sunday is always
acceptable to the Lord.’ ”—9 Testimonies, 238:1.
4 - We can visit and hold meetings on that day.
“When the practices of the people do not come
in conflict with the law of God, you may conform to them. If the workers fail to do this, they
will not only hinder their own work, but they will
place stumbling blocks in the way of those for whom
they labor, and hinder them from accepting the truth.
On Sunday there is the very best opportunity for
those who are missionaries to hold Sunday schools,
and come to the people in the simplest manner possible, telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners, and educating them in the Scriptures . .
“The light that I have is that God’s servants
should go quietly to work, preaching the grand,
precious truths of the Bible—Christ and Him
crucified, His love and infinite sacrifice—showing
that the reason why Christ died is because the law
of God is immutable, unchangeable, eternal. The
Sabbath must be taught in a decided manner,
but be cautious how you deal with the idol Sunday. A word to the wise is sufficient . .
“Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast; and where this will
advance the interests of the work, it should be done.
We should not go out of our way to work on Sunday.”—Maranatha, 177:2-5.
So then, give evangelistic lectures, do medical

THE END OF TIME
missionary work, and give Bible studies on that
day, but DO NOT hold or attend WORSHIP services
on Sunday! We can assume this would especially
require us NOT to hold Sunday MORNING meetings. (Bear in mind that an Easter sunrise service
would be a Sunday morning worship service.)
5 - Obey God rather than men.
“The people of God will recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment
and will by precept and example teach obedience
to it as a sacred duty so long as its authority is
exercised within its legitimate sphere. But when
its claims conflict with the claims of God we
must choose to obey God rather than men. The
Word of God must be recognized and obeyed
as an authority above that of all human legislation. ‘Thus saith the Lord’ is not to be set
aside for a ‘Thus saith the church or the state.’
The crown of Christ is to be uplifted above all the
diadems of earthly potentates.”—Last Day Events,
142:1.
-4THE THIRD ANGEL’S MESSAGE
WARNS AGAINST THE MARK
The first part of the third angel’s message (Rev.
14:9-11) is the announcement of a fearful judgment
to come upon those who will worship the beast and
his image (GC 594). It is combined with the second
part (Rev. 14:12), which declares that mankind can,
by faith in Jesus Christ, obey God’s holy law.
The loud cry message is not about all the little
trivia and manufactured messages that some of our
people imagine that it comprises. It is the third
angel’s message of Rev. 14:9-12, which includes the
first and second angels’ messages of 14:6-8.
1 - It is given to prepare a people to stand
through the final conflict.
“To prepare a people to stand in the day of
God, a great work of reform was to be accomplished. God saw that many of His professed people
were not building for eternity, and in His mercy He
was about to send a message of warning to arouse
them from their stupor and lead them to make
ready for the coming of the Lord.
“This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14. Here is a threefold message represented
as proclaimed by heavenly beings and immediately
followed by the coming of the Son of man to reap ‘the
harvest of the earth.’ ”—Great Controversy, 311:23.
2 - The sins of Babylon will be laid open.
“Heretofore those who presented the truths of
the third angel’s message have often been regarded
as mere alarmists. Their predictions that reli-

12 - THE LOUD CRY OF THE THIRD ANGEL
gious intolerance would gain control in the
United States, that church and state would
unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced
groundless and absurd . . But as the question of
enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the
event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be
approaching, and the third message will produce
an effect which it could not have had before . .
“Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to
go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which
God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid
open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the
inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid
progress of the papal power all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will
be stirred.”—Great Controversy, 605:3-606:0, 2.
It is of interest that, during the loud cry, the
remnant of our people who remain faithful will give
the plain warning—which many of them refuse to
give now!
3 - The Third Angel’s Message is a life and
death question, and must not be toned down.
“We know that now everything is at stake. The
third angel’s message is to be at this time regarded as of the highest importance. It is a life
and death question. The eighteenth chapter of Revelation reveals the importance of presenting the
truth in no measured terms, but with boldness and
power. There must be no toning down of the
truth, no muffling of the message for this time.
Satan has devised a state of things whereby the
proclamation of the third angel’s message shall be
bound about. We must beware of his plans and
methods. The third angel’s message is to be
strengthened and confirmed.”—Letter 28, 1900 (to
“Brother and Sister [W.W.] Prescott,” February 17,
1900. See also Maranatha 191).
-5THE THIRD ANGEL’S MESSAGE
ALSO INCLUDES THE MESSAGE OF
OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER’S LAWS
BY FAITH IN
THE SON’S ENABLING GRACE
The first part of the third angel’s message is a
warning not to receive the mark (Rev. 14:9-11). The
second part is what to do in order not to receive
the mark (Rev. 14:12). This second part is a clear
statement of righteousness by faith, which is obedience by faith in Christ’s enabling merits.
The third angel’s message is a message of righteousness by faith in Christ (TM 91-93). It is, in
verity, a message of justification by faith (Ev 190, 1
SM 372, TM 92-93).

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1 - Keeping the commandments of God,
through enabling faith in Jesus Christ, His Son.
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they
that keep the commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus.”—Revelation 14:12.
In the Greek, Revelation 14:12 can just as properly be translated “keep the commandments of God
by the faith of Jesus,” or “by faith in Jesus.” The
genitive case in Greek is broader in its application
than the other cases.
2 - It is the revelation of the righteousness of
Christ, the sin-pardoning Saviour.
“The time of test is just before us, for the loud
cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sinpardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the
light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole
earth.”—1 Selected Messages, 363:0.
3 - It is a revelation of God’s character.
“The last message of mercy to be given to the
world is a revelation of His character of love.
The children of God are to manifest His glory. In
their own life and character they are to reveal what
the grace of God has done for them.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 415:5-416:0.
It is a message of how deep the love of God is
that it can lift man out of the pit of sin. It is a message of forgiveness and empowered obedience. It is
the message of how men and women can be restored to clean, pure sons and daughters of God.
“The message of Christ’s righteousness is
to sound from one end of the earth to the other to
prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of
God, which closes the work of the third angel.”—6
Testimonies, 19:1.
Note: A careful study of Spirit of Prophecy statements on the topic of “righteousness by faith” reveals that ninety-five percent of them, in context,
are speaking about obedience to the commandments of God through faith in Christ’s righteousness. The other five percent concern forgiveness,
without mentioning obedience. (If you question this,
read our compilation of every righteousness by faith
quotation we could find in the Spirit of Prophecy:
Message of Minneapolis, Part 1-4 [FF 22-25], also
included in our Inspirational Tractbook.)
-6THE THIRD ANGEL POINTS MANKIND
TO THE MOST HOLY PLACE
Chapter 60, of Early Writings, is entitled The
Third Angel’s Message. Three times in that chapter, on three different pages, we are told that the
third angel points those who accept that message—

150
to the Most Holy Place where Jesus is ministering
for them. This is important! It is crucial that, by
faith, we enter the Most Holy Place where our High
Priest is—there to fall at the feet of our Saviour, as
we plead for forgiveness. Arising, He shows us the
unchanging law to be obeyed, and we behold the
mercy seat and our pleading Saviour who alone can
strengthen us to obey.
In the next section of this chapter, we will learn
that the messages of all three angels are included
in the third. But the third angel points us to the
Sanctuary in heaven where Jesus ministers on our
behalf before His Father and the holy law, which is
the basis of His throne and His holy government.
We need to understand all three messages, and it
is in Jesus and in the Sanctuary message that we
learn them best. The answers to all mankind’s problems are centered in that hallowed place, for there
we find Jesus, the forgiving empowering Saviour;
and there we find the moral law which, in His
strength, we must obey.
1 - The third angel’s message, which was initially given in 1844 and onward, points those
who accept it to the heavenly Sanctuary where
Jesus is ministering on their behalf.
“As the ministration of Jesus closed in the holy
place, and He passed into the holiest, and stood
before the ark containing the law of God, He sent
another mighty angel with a third message to the
world. A parchment was placed in the angel’s hand,
and as he descended to the earth in power and majesty, he proclaimed a fearful warning, with the most
terrible threatening ever borne to man.
“This message was designed to put the children
of God upon their guard, by showing them the hour
of temptation and anguish that was before them.
Said the angel, ‘They will be brought into close combat with the beast and his image. Their only hope
of eternal life is to remain steadfast. Although their
lives are at stake, they must hold fast the truth.’
“The third angel closes his message thus:
‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they
that keep the commandments of God, and the faith
of Jesus.’ As he repeated these words, he pointed
to the heavenly Sanctuary. The minds of all who
embrace this message are directed to the Most
Holy Place, where Jesus stands before the ark, making His final intercession.”—Early Writings, 254:1.
There are two distinct parts to the third angel’s
message: The first is the warning to avoid receiving
the mark (Rev. 14:9-11); the second is the means
by which to obey God and avoid the mark (Rev.
14:12). In the above passage, it is clear that the
second part is the most important; for it is repeated.
In order to clarify its meaning, as he repeats Revelation 14:12 a second time, the third angel points the

THE END OF TIME
listeners to the Most Holy Place! In doing so, he is
fulfilling the prophecy of Revelation 11:19:
“And the temple of God was opened in heaven,
and there was seen in His temple the ark of His
testament: and there were lightnings, and voices,
and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great
hail.”—Revelation 11:19.
(For more on this important subject, see Early
Writings, 32, 42, 254-256; Great Controversy, 415,
433-435, 453-454; Patriarchs and Prophets, 356;
1 Testimonies, 76; and 2 Testimonies, 693. Of equal
importance and bearing directly on this is Great Controversy, 423-425, 432.)
2 - The third angel points the hearers to the
heavenly Sanctuary a second time.
“After Jesus opened the door of the Most Holy,
the light of the Sabbath was seen, and the people of
God were tested, as the children of Israel were tested
anciently, to see if they would keep God’s law. I saw
the third angel pointing upward, showing the
disappointed ones the way to the holiest of the
heavenly Sanctuary. As they by faith enter the Most
Holy, they find Jesus, and hope and joy spring up
anew . . The third angel has lighted up the past,
the present, and the future, and they know that
God has indeed led them by His mysterious providence.
“It was represented to me that the remnant
followed Jesus into the Most Holy Place and beheld the ark and the mercy seat, and were captivated with their glory. Jesus then raised the cover of
the ark, and lo! the tables of stone, with the ten
commandments written upon them. They trace down
the lively oracles, but start back with trembling when
they see the fourth commandment among the ten
holy precepts, with a brighter light shining upon it
than upon the other nine, and a halo of glory around
it.”—Early Writings, 254:2-255:1.
3 - Then the third angel points the faithful,
for a third time, to the Most Holy Place in heaven.
“Many who embraced the third message had not
had an experience in the two former messages. Satan understood this, and his evil eye was upon them
to overthrow them; but the third angel was pointing them to the Most Holy Place, and those who
had an experience in the past messages were
pointing them the way to the heavenly Sanctuary. Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels’ messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly Sanctuary. These messages were represented
to me as an anchor to the people of God. Those who
understand and receive them will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan.”—
Early Writings, 256:2.

12 - THE LOUD CRY OF THE THIRD ANGEL
Three times the third angel points us to the second apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary.
Our salvation is to be found there. The final message to mankind is centered there. Listen not to those
who would disparage or underate the importance of
the Sanctuary Message!
-7THE MESSAGES
OF ALL THREE ANGELS WILL
BE COMBINED IN THE LOUD CRY
1 - The third angel’s message includes the messages of the first and second angels.
The first angel’s message proclaims two special
truths which point to the Creator: (1) The weekly
climactic worship of the true God is to take place on
the seventh day of the week, the memorial of Creation. (2) All should acknowledge and worship the
true God as the Creator; therefore atheistic and evolutionary concepts are most blasphemous and terrible evils. In the opinion of the present compiler,
the first angel’s message includes an unmasking of
the error of evolution.
The second angel’s message is a powerful call to
come out of the apostate churches. The last part of
the third angel’s message identifies those apostate
churches as the ones which do not, by faith in Christ,
obey God’s commandments.
The third angel’s message has two distinct aspects: (1) A most terrible warning to shun the apostasy of the commandment breakers who observe a
false Sunday-sabbath. (2) An urgent call to repent
and obey the commandments of God by faith in
the enabling merits of Jesus Christ.
Pages 436-439 of Great Controversy will provide you with additional information regarding the
three messages.
2 - The three steps of the final messages to
the world need no imagined improvements.
“I saw a company who stood well guarded and
firm, giving no countenance to those who would unsettle the established faith of the body. God looked
upon them with approbation. I was shown three
steps—the first, second, and third angels’ messages. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Woe to him
who shall move a block or stir a pin of these
messages. The true understanding of these messages is of vital importance. The destiny of souls
hangs upon the manner in which they are received.’ I
was again brought down through these messages,
and saw how dearly the people of God had purchased their experience.”—Early Writings, 258:3259:0.
3 - When the threefold message is accepted, it
results in perfect obedience to God’s law through

151

Christ’s enabling strength.
“These truths, as presented in Revelation 14 in
connection with ‘the everlasting gospel,’ will distinguish the church of Christ at the time of His appearing. For as the result of the threefold message it is announced: ‘Here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ And
this message is the last to be given before the coming of the Lord.”—Great Controversy, 453:3-454:0.
4 - The messages are to be combined.
“The three angels’ messages are to be combined, giving their threefold light to the world.
In the Revelation, John says, ‘I saw another angel
come down from heaven, having great power; and
the earth was lightened with his glory’ (Rev. 18:2-5,
quoted). This represents the giving of the last and
threefold message of warning to the world.”—7
Bible Commentary, 985/2:2.
-8EVENTS BEFORE THE LOUD CRY
(1) The loud cry will begin after the mighty shaking in the church: The following passages should
be carefully read: EW 269-271, 5T 80-82, 2 SM 380,
6T 400-401.
(2) The loud cry will begin after the experience of
blotting out of sins in the investigative judgment:
Acts 3:19.
(3) The loud cry will begin before the sounding of the Revelation 18:2-4 angel: GC 389-390
(Rev. 17:12-13).
(4) The loud cry will occur after the sealing/
marking time begins.
1 - The marking command prompts the giving
of the loud cry of the third angel.
“The beast with lamb-like horns speaks with the
voice of a dragon and ‘exerciseth all the power of the
first beast before him.’ Prophecy declares that he
will say to them that dwell on the earth ‘that they
should make an image to the beast, and that ‘it will
cause all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond, to receive a mark in their right
hand or in their foreheads; and that no man might
buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of
the beast, or the number of his name.’ Thus Protestantism follows in the steps of the papacy.
“It is at this time that the third angel is seen
flying in the midst of heaven, proclaiming, ‘If any
man worship the beast or his image, and receive his
mark in his forehead or in his hand, the same shall
drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured
out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.’
‘Here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus.’ ”—Signs, November 1, 1899.

152

THE END OF TIME

2 - The marking order precedes the fourth
angel’s message.
“ ‘He causeth all both small and great, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.’ Not only are men not to work with their hands
on Sunday, but with the minds they are to acknowledge Sunday as the Sabbath. ‘And that no man might

buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the number of his name.’
“ ‘And after these things I saw another angel come
down from heaven, having great power; and the earth
was lightened with his glory.’ ”—Review, April 27,
1911.

“Fearful is the issue to which the world is to be brought.
The powers of earth, uniting to war against the commandments
of God, will decree that ‘all, both small and great, rich and poor,
free and bond’ (Revelation 13:16), shall conform to the customs of the church by the observance of the false sabbath.
All who refuse compliance will be visited with civil penalties, and it will finally be declared that they are deserving of
death. On the other hand, the law of God enjoining the
Creator’s rest day demands obedience and threatens wrath
against all who transgress its precepts.
“With the issue thus clearly brought before him, whoever shall
trample upon God’s law to obey a human enactment receives
the mark of the beast; he accepts the sign of allegiance to the
power which he chooses to obey instead of God. The warning
from heaven is: ‘If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which
is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation.’
Revelation 14:9-10.”
—Great Controversy, 604:2-605:0

13 - THE FOURTH ANGEL STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY

153

— CHAPTER 13 —

THE FOURTH ANGEL
STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY
The first angel’s message was initially given by
William Miller and his associates from 1840 to 1844
(7 BC 971; Ev 390; EW 232; GC 398, 611), and the
prophecy regarding it was fulfilled at that time (SR
356). It announced the hour of God’s investigative
judgment (GC 311, 379). This message continues
to be given today and, by its call to worship the Creator, points men to the true Sabbath (2SM 105).
From its wording, that call would also include a denunciation of evolutionary teachings which deny the
existence of the Creator. The first angel’s message is
linked to the messages of the second and third angels (6T 17) and requires obedience to the law of
God (GC 436). That message must go to all people
(GC 450) and be proclaimed in the time of the end
(TM 115).
The second angel’s message. Those rejecting
the first angel’s message cannot be benefited by the
second (EW 249, 260). The second angel’s message is a warning that Babylon had fallen (TM 59);
and it calls the people out of Babylon (EW 241-243)
and the nominal churches (EW 243).
In the Millerite movement, the popular churches
rejected this message (EW 237); and it was proclaimed far and wide in 1844 (LS 59). At that time,
it especially applied to the Protestant churches of
America which had rejected the Advent message
proclaimed by the Millerites (GC 389). This message brought a large company out of the fallen
churches (EW 238). Although first given in 1844
(GC 389), it did not reach its complete fulfillment
at that time (GC 389).
This message has a past and present application; and it is erroneous to think that it is entirely
future (Ev 613). It is a most solemn message (CDF
76) and a terrible denunciation (7T 140). It is given
in connection with the first and third angels’ messages (CDF 209).
The midnight cry, sounded in 1844, was given
near the close of the second angel’s message (EW
238), was closely associated with it (LS 59), and
gave power to it (EW 238-239, 277). Indeed, the
midnight cry actually united with the second angel’s
message (GC 402); but it was not able to benefit
those who rejected it.

This message must be proclaimed a second time
(GC 603, TM 59), and must go to every continent
and every island in the sea (Ev 19, GW 470). Not a
peg or pin of this message is to be removed (CW 26).
It did not have a complete fulfillment in 1844 (GC
389); and its perfect fulfillment is yet future (GC
390).
There cannot be a third angel’s message without
the second angel’s message (CW 27); for the third
angel’s message is closely linked to it (7 BC 980; CW
26, 29-30; Ev 196; 8T 197).
The message of the second angel will be repeated
during the loud cry, when the message of the third
angel is proclaimed (7 BC 985, EW 277). But it will
also be repeated and mightily strengthened in the
giving of the Revelation 18:1-5 message (GC 390;7
BC 985; EW 277; 2SM 116, 118; TM 59). The Revelation 18 angel will come to earth and unite his
voice with that of the second angel (7 BC 983, GC
390). The people will be given an urgent call to leave
the Sundaykeeping churches and unite with the remnant. The message will go to every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people (Ev 19, GW 470). It will be proclaimed to every nation on earth (PK 187).
The third and fourth angels. In the last chapter, we considered the nature and broad scope of the
loud cry of the third angel, prior to its strengthening
by the fourth angel. Here we will turn our attention
to what happens when the fourth angel comes down
and powerfully strengthens the second angel’s message. A power is added to the overall presentation
which has a terrific impact, an impact which continues on down to the general close of probation.
-1THE WORLD WILL FULLY AWAKEN
WHEN THE REVELATION 18 ANGEL
STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY
1 - Babylon has made all nations drink by forcing Sundaykeeping.
“Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and
alienation from God that exist in the churches which
constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true
followers are still to be found in their commun-

154

THE END OF TIME

ion.”—Great Controversy, 390:1.
“ ‘She made all nations drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication’ (Revelation 14:6-8). How
is this done? By forcing men to accept a spurious sabbath.”—8 Testimonies, 94:2.
2 - Not only the faithful, but also the forces of
evil, will intensify their efforts when the Revelation 18 (fourth) angel comes down.
“When the earth is lighted with the glory of the
angel of Revelation 18, the religious elements,
both good and evil, awake from their slumber,
and the armies of the living God will take the
field.”—7 Bible Commentary, 983/1:2.
-2THE REVELATION 18 ANGEL REPEATS
THE SECOND ANGEL’S MESSAGE
The second angel’s message is repeated and
added to by the fourth.
“[Rev. 18:1-2, 4, quoted] This scripture points
forward to a time when the announcement of the
fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of
Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with
the additional mention of the corruptions which have
been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in
the summer of 1844 . . These announcements,
uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.”—Great Controversy, 603:2,
604:1.
-3THE REVELATION 18 ANGEL’S
MESSAGE WILL INTENSIFY THE LOUD
CRY OF THIRD ANGEL
1 - The fourth angel brings power and an added
message to the final call.
“I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven, descending to the earth, and again ascending to
heaven, preparing for the fulfillment of some important event. Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his
voice with the third angel, and give power and
force to his message. Great power and glory were
imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the
earth was lightened with his glory. The light which
attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he
cried mightily, with a strong voice, Babylon the great
is fallen.” —Early Writings, 277:1.
2 - The fourth angel will lighten the whole
earth.
“The angel who unites in the proclamation of the
third angel’s message is to lighten the whole earth

with his glory.”—Great Controversy, 611:1.
-4THE LOUD CRY MESSAGE WILL
HAVE GREAT POWER
AND WORLDWIDE EXTENT
1 - The loud cry will be a great light shining
amid earth’s deepening darkness.
“Amidst the deepening shadows of earth’s last
great crisis, God’s light will shine brightest, and
the song of hope and trust will be heard in clearest
and loftiest strains.”—Education, 166:3.
2 - It will go to every city and town.
“During the loud cry, the church, aided by the
providential interpositions of her exalted Lord, will
diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly
that light will be communicated to every city
and town.”—Evangelism, 694:1.
“In every city in America the truth is to be proclaimed. In every country of the world the warning
message is to be given.”—Last Day Events, 208:3.
3 - Floods of power will be poured out.
“Floods of spiritual power are to be poured
forth upon those prepared to receive it.”—8 Testimonies, 46:1.
4 - It will fully accomplish its objective.
“This prophecy [Joel 2:28] received a partial fulfillment in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of
Pentecost; but it will reach its full accomplishment in the manifestation of divine grace which
will attend the closing work of the gospel.”—Great
Controversy, IX:3 (Introduction).
5 - The message will go to every part of the
world.
“In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in
the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners
of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of
chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the
darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate
world the transforming power of obedience to
His law.”—Prophets and Kings, 188:2-189:0.
6 - The whole earth is lightened.
“The angel who unites in the proclamation of the
third angel’s message is to lighten the whole earth
with his glory. A work of worldwide extent and
unwonted power is here foretold . . Servants of
God, with their faces lighted up and shining with
holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to
proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of
voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given.”—
Great Controversy, 611:1, 612:1.

13 - THE FOURTH ANGEL STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY

155

-5GOD’S PEOPLE WILL
SPEAK BEFORE MANY

-6THOUSANDS WILL BE
CONVERTED IN A DAY

1 - It will arrest the attention of all men.
“When the final warning shall be given, it will
arrest the attention of these leading men through
whom the Lord is now working, and some of them
will accept it, and will stand with the people of God
through the time of trouble.”—Great Controversy,
611:0.
2 - Influential men will accept it and unite with
the faithful.
“A few of God’s agents will have power to
bear down a great mass of evil. Thus the work
will go on until the third message has done its work,
and at the loud cry of the third angel, these agents
will have an opportunity to receive the truth,
and some of them will be converted, and endure with the saints through the time of trouble.”—
1 Testimonies, 203:1-204:0.
3 - It will be brought to the attention of kings
and governors.
“Kings, governors, and great men will hear
of you through the reports of those who are at enmity with you, and your faith and character will be
misrepresented before them. But those who are
falsely accused will have an opportunity to appear
in the presence of their accusers to answer for themselves.”—Our High Calling, 355:2 (see 5T 717).
4 - Study the Word of God in preparation for
the work to be done during the loud cry.
“It does not seem possible to us now that any
should have to stand alone, but if God has ever
spoken by me, the time will come when we shall
be brought before councils and before thousands for His name’s sake, and each one will
have to give the reason of his faith. Then will come
the severest criticism upon every position that has
been taken for the truth. We need, then, to study
the Word of God, that we may know why we believe the doctrines we advocate.”—Last Day
Events, 209:1.
“Many will have to stand in the legislative
courts; some will have to stand before kings
and before the learned of the earth to answer
for their faith. Those who have only a superficial
understanding of truth will not be able clearly to
expound the Scriptures and give definite reasons
for their faith. They will become confused and will
not be workmen that need not to be ashamed. Let
no one imagine that he has no need to study because he is not to preach in the sacred desk. You
know not what God may require of you.”—Fundamentals of Education, 217:1.

The loud cry is the most extensive, powerful, and
long-lasting aspect of the period of time between the
setting up of the image and the close of probation.
As the people of God are sealed, the latter rain falls
upon them, and they go out and proclaim the loud
cry till the close of probation. Many will accept the
God-given message during that time.
1 - Large numbers will accept the truth.
“The time is coming when there will be as many
converted in a day as there were on the Day of
Pentecost, after the disciples had received the Holy
Spirit.”—Evangelism, 692:2.
2 - Thousands will accept and spread the truth.
“Many have let the gospel invitation go unheeded;
they have been tested and tried; but mountainous
obstacles have seemed to loom up before their faces,
blocking their onward march. Through faith, perseverance, and courage, many will surmount these obstructions and walk out into the glorious light.
“Almost unconsciously barriers have been
erected in the strait and narrow way; stones of stumbling have been placed in the path; these will be
rolled away. The safeguards which false shepherds
have thrown around their flocks will become as
nought; thousands will step out into the light,
and work to spread the light. Heavenly intelligences will combine with the human agencies. Thus
encouraged, the church will indeed arise and shine,
throwing all her sanctified energies into the contest; thus the design of God is accomplished; the
lost pearls are recovered.
“Prophets have discerned this grand work
afar off, and have caught the inspiration of the
hour, and traced the wonderful description of things
yet to be.”—Evangelism, 692:3-693:1.
3 - Many backsliders will return.
“When the storm of persecution really breaks
upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to
save the lost, and many who have strayed from
the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and
present to the enemy a united front . .
“The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will
testify to the world that we have been with Jesus
and learned of Him. Then will the message of
the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole
earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.”—
6 Testimonies, 401:0-1.
4 - Thousands will come in, near the end of
the call.

156
“God’s Spirit will pass by those who have had
their day of test and opportunity, but who have not
distinguished the Voice of God or appreciated the
movings of His Spirit. Then thousands in the eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the truth.”—
2 Selected Messages, 16:1.
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that
the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be
exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow
unto it.”
“And many people shall go and say, Come
ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will
teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths:
for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word
of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
“Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch
forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not,
lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For
thou shall break forth on the right hand and on
the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and
make the desolate cities to be inhabited . . For thy
Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His
name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the
God of the whole earth shall He be called.”—Isaiah
54:2-3, 5.
5 - Thousands of voices will give the message,
and miracles and healings will be wrought.
“The great work of the gospel is not to close with
less manifestation of the power of God than marked
its opening. The prophecies which were fulfilled in
the outpouring of the former rain at the opening of
the gospel are again to be fulfilled in the latter rain
at its close. Here are ‘the times of refreshing’ to which
the apostle Peter looked forward when he said: ‘Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall
send Jesus.’ Acts 3:19-20.
“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and
shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place
to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By
thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the
sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will
follow the believers. Satan also works with lying
wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the
sight of men (Rev. 13:13). Thus the inhabitants of
the earth will be brought to take their stand.
“The message will be carried not so much by
argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of
God. The arguments have been presented. The
seed has been sown, and now it will spring up
and bear fruit. The publications distributed by
missionary workers have exerted their influ-

THE END OF TIME
ence, yet many whose minds were impressed have
been prevented from fully comprehending the truth
or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light
penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands
which have held them. Family connections, church
relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is
more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the
agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.”—Great
Controversy, 611:3-612:2.
-7THE LOUD CRY MESSAGE
WILL GO RAPIDLY
1 - It will go like the lightning for swiftness.
“The bright light going among the living creatures
with the swiftness of lightning represents the
speed with which this work will finally go forward to
completion.”—5 Testimonies, 754:2.
2 - It will spread like fire in the stubble.
“When divine power is combined with human
effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble.
God will employ agencies whose origin man will be
unable to discern; angels will do a work which
men might have had the blessing of accomplishing, had they not neglected to answer the claims of
God.”—1 Selected Messages, 118:3.
3 - Rapid, solid conversions will occur.
“ ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that
the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the
treader of grapes him that soweth seed’ (Amos
9:13).
“These conversions to truth will be made
with a rapidity that will surprise the church, and
God’s name alone will be glorified.”—2 Selected Messages, 16:2-3.
4 - The final movements will be rapid.
“The final movements will be rapid ones.”—
9 Testimonies, 11:2.
“For He will finish the work, and cut it short in
righteousness: because a short work will the
Lord make upon the earth.”—Romans 9:28.
5 - It will be ten times more powerful than
the midnight cry.
“I saw the latter rain was coming as the midnight cry, and with ten times the power.”—
Spalding-Magan Collection, 4:3.
-8LOUD CRY MESSAGE WILL GO
TO THE ENTIRE WORLD
1 - All Christendom will be involved.

13 - THE FOURTH ANGEL STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY
“In the issue of the contest all Christendom
will be divided into two great classes— those who
keep the commandments of God and the faith of
Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his
image and receive his mark. Although church and
state will unite their power to compel ‘all, both small
and great, rich and poor, free and bond’ (Rev. 13:16),
to receive ‘the mark of the beast,’ yet the people of
God will not receive it. The prophet of Patmos beholds ‘them that had gotten the victory over the beast,
and over his image, and over his mark, and over the
number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God’ and singing the song of Moses
and the Lamb. Revelation 15:2-3.”—Great Controversy, 450:1.
2 - It will go to the every part of the world.
“There is to be, at this period, a series of
events which will reveal that God is Master of
the situation. The truth will be proclaimed in clear,
unmistakable language. As a people, we must prepare the way of the Lord, under the overruling guidance of the Holy Spirit. The gospel is to be given in
its purity. The stream of living water is to deepen
and widen in its course. In all fields, nigh and
afar off, men will be called from the plow and
from the more common commercial business vocations that largely occupy the mind, and will be
educated in connection with men of experience. As
they learn to labor effectively, they will proclaim the
truth with power. Through most wonderful workings of divine providence, mountains of difficulties
will be removed, and cast into the sea. The message that means so much to the dwellers upon
the earth will be heard and understood. Men
will know what is truth. Onward, and still onward the work will advance, until the whole
earth shall have been warned. And then shall
the end come.”—Maranatha, 218:3.
3 - It will cause everyone in the world to be
united on one side or the other.
“Every individual in our world will be arrayed
under one of two banners.”—In Heavenly Places,
48:1.
-9MANY WILL ACCEPT THE MESSAGE
1 - When the message is given, many will be
ready to receive it.
“A good many do not see it now, to take their
position, but these things are influencing their lives,
and when the message goes with a loud voice, they
will be ready for it. They will not hesitate long;
they will come out and take their position.”—Evangelism, 300:3-301:0.
“Every truly honest soul will come to the light

157

of truth.”—Great Controversy, 522:0.
2 - Prompt decisions will be made by those
who hear it.
“Soon the last test is to come to all inhabitants
of the earth. At that time prompt decisions will
be made. Those who have been convicted under
the presentation of the Word will range themselves
under the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel.”—9 Testimonies, 149:2.
3 - Many will answer the call and will quickly
come out of the fallen churches.
“Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches,
as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction.”—Early Writings, 279:0.
4 - Many will come out of the world and the
churches.
“There are many souls to come out of the
ranks of the world, out of the churches—even
the Catholic Church—whose zeal will far exceed that
of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore.”—3 Selected Messages,
386:4-387:0.
5 - There will be an army of believers.
“There will be an army of steadfast believers who will stand as firm as a rock through the
last test.”—3 Selected Messages, 390:3.
“Multitudes will receive the faith and join the
armies of the Lord.”—Evangelism, 700:1.
6 - Backsliders will return to the fold.
“Many who have strayed from the fold will
come back to follow the great Shepherd.”—6 Testimonies, 401:0.
7 - They will come from all over the world.
“In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and of South America, in China, in India, in
the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners
of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of
chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst
the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate
world the transforming power of obedience to His
law. Even now they are appearing in every nation,
among every tongue and people; and in the hour
of deepest apostasy, when Satan’s supreme effort
is made to cause ‘all, both small and great, rich and
poor, free and bond,’ to receive, under penalty of
death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these
faithful ones, ‘blameless and harmless, the sons of
God, without rebuke,’ will ‘shine as lights in the
world.’ ”—Prophets and Kings, 188:2-189:0.
8 - A large number will take their stand.
“The message will be carried not so much by
argument as by deep conviction of the Spirit of God.

158
The arguments have been presented. The seed has
been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit.
The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose
minds were impressed have been prevented from
fully comprehending the truth or from yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the
honest children of God sever the bands which have
held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is
more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the
agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.”—
Great Controversy, 612:2.
9 - Thousands will be converted in a day.
“Thousands, in the eleventh hour, will see and
acknowledge the truth . . These conversions to truth
will be made with a rapidity that will surprise the
church, and God’s name alone will be glorified.”—2
Selected Messages, 16:1, 3.
“There will be many converted to the truth
in a day, who, at the eleventh hour, see and acknowledge the truth and the movements of the
Spirit of God.”—Last Day Events, 212:2.
- 10 IT WILL BE REJECTED BY MOST
1 - The vast majority will reject it.
“Some will listen to these warnings, but by the
vast majority they will be disregarded.”—In Heavenly Places, 343:5.
2 - The greater number of the hearers will
refuse it.
“Many who hear the message—by far the
greatest number—will not credit the solemn
warning. Many will be found disloyal to the commandments of God, which are a test of character.
The Lord’s servants will be called enthusiasts.
Ministers will warn the people not to listen to them.
Noah received the same treatment while the Spirit
of God was urging him to give the message, whether
men would hear or whether they would forbear.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 233:0.
3 - Ministers will denounce it.
“The popular ministry, like the Pharisees of
old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned,
will denounce the message as of Satan and stir
up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute
those who proclaim it.”—Great Controversy, 607:0.

THE END OF TIME
- 11 THE GIVING OF THE LOUD CRY
WILL LARGELY BE
A LAYMEN’S MOVEMENT,
UNSUPPORTED
BY ANY MAJOR ORGANIZATION
1 - It will be given by humble men of faith and
prayer.
“As the time comes for it to be given with
greatest power, the Lord will work through
humble instruments, leading the minds of those
who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His
Spirit than by the training of literary institutions.
Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go
forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God
gives them.”—Great Controversy, 606:2.
2 - Uneducated men and even children will
proclaim this final message.
“Many . . will be seen hurrying hither and thither,
constrained by the Spirit of God to bring the
light to others. The truth, the Word of God, is as a
fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many,
even among the uneducated, now proclaim the
words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the
Spirit to go forth and declare the message from
heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who will
yield to its promptings, and, casting off all man’s
machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of
the Spirit’s power. Multitudes will receive the faith
and join the armies of the Lord.”—Evangelism,
700:1.
3 - Few great men will have a part in giving
this final call.
“In the last solemn work, few great men will
be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent
of God, and He cannot use them.”—5 Testimonies,
80:1.
4 - It will not be churches or other organizations which will be in charge of this final work,
but only the God of heaven.
“Unless those who can help in___are aroused
to a sense of their duty, they will not recognize the
work of God when the loud cry of the third angel
shall be heard. When light goes forth to lighten the
earth, instead of coming up to the help of the Lord,
they will want to bind about His work to meet their
narrow ideas. Let me tell you that the Lord will
work in this last work in a manner very much
out of the common order of things, and in a way
that will be contrary to any human planning.
There will be those among us who will always want
to control the work of God, to dictate even what move-

13 - THE FOURTH ANGEL STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY
ments shall be made when the work goes forward
under the direction of the angel who joins the third
angel in the message to be given to the world. God
will use ways and means by which it will be
seen that He is taking the reins in His own
hands. The workers will be surprised by the
simple means that He will use to bring about and
perfect His work of righteousness.”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 300:0.
5 - Every earthly support will be cut off (including that of employing organizations).
“In the last great conflict of the controversy with
Satan those who are loyal to God will see every
earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to
break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they
will be forbidden to buy or sell.”—Desire of Ages,
121:3-122:0.
“Nations will be stirred to their very center. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim
God’s only standard of righteousness, the only sure
test of character. And all who will not bow to the
decree of the national councils and obey the national laws to exalt the sabbath instituted by the
man of sin, to the disregard of God’s holy day, will
feel, not the oppressive power of popery alone, but
of the Protestant world, the image of the beast.”—2
Selected Messages, 380:1.
6 - They will be free from every entanglement.
“They will turn from every idol that binds them
to earth, and will ‘worship Him that made heaven,
and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ They will free themselves from every entanglement and will stand before the world as
monuments of God’s mercy.”—Prophets and Kings,
300:0.
7 - Financial means will no longer be needed.
“I was shown that as the work is closing up,
and the truth is going forth in mighty power,
these rich men will bring their means and lay it
at the feet of the servants of God, begging them to
accept it. The answer from the servants of God will
be: ‘Go to now, ye rich men. Your means is not
needed. Ye withheld it when ye could do good with
it in advancing the cause of God. The needy have
suffered; they have not been blessed by your means.
God will not accept your riches now.”—1 Testimonies, 175:1.
- 12 GOD WILL USE UNUSUAL AGENCIES
1 - The work will be done out of the common
order.
“Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this
last work in a manner very much out of the com-

159

mon order of things, and in a way that will be
contrary to any human planning. There will be
those among us who will always want to control the
work of God, to dictate even what movements shall
be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the
message to be given to the world. God will use ways
and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will
be surprised by the simple means that He will
use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 300:0.
2 - There will be no predetermined plans.
“Do not imagine that it will be possible to
lay out plans for the future; let God be acknowledged as standing at the helm at all times and under every circumstance. He will work by means that
will be suitable, and will maintain, increase, and
build up His own people.”—Counsels to Writers and
Editors, 71:0.
3 - Unexpected times and ways will be used.
“The Comforter is to reveal Himself, not in any
specified, precise way that man may mark out,
but in the order of God—in unexpected times and
ways that will honor His own name.”—Last Day
Events, 204:1.
4 - Printed literature will be important.
“More than one thousand will soon be converted
in one day, most of whom will trace their first
convictions to the reading of our publications.”—Evangelism, 693:3.
“The results of the circulation of this book [The
Great Controversy] are not to be judged by what
now appears. By reading it some souls will be
aroused and will have courage to unite themselves
at once with those who keep the commandments
of God. But a much larger number who read it
will not take their position until they see the
very events taking place that are foretold in
it. The fulfillment of some of the predictions will
inspire faith that others also will come to pass, and
when the earth is lightened with the glory of
the Lord in the closing work, many souls will
take their position on the commandments of God
as the result of this agency.”—Colporteur Ministry,
128:4-129:0.
5 - The publishing, sale, and distribution of
truth-filled literature will continue on down to the
close of probation.
“Let us have faith in God. In His name let us
carry forward His work without flinching. The work
He has called us to do He will make a blessing to
us . .
“As long as probation continues, there will
be opportunity for the canvasser to work. When

160
the religious denominations unite with the papacy
to oppress God’s people, places where there is religious freedom will be opened by evangelistic canvassing . .
“Until in heaven is spoken the word, ‘It is
finished,’ there will always be places for labor, and
hearts to receive the message.”—6 Testimonies,
478:1-2.
“In a large degree through our publishing
houses is to be accomplished the work of that
other angel who comes down from heaven with
great power and who lightens the earth with his
glory [Rev. 18:1].”—7 Testimonies, 140:3.
6 - Few great men will give the message.
“In the last solemn work few great men will
be engaged . . God will work a work in our day
that but few anticipate. He will raise up and exalt among us those who are taught rather by the
unction of His Spirit than by the outward training of scientific institutions. These facilities are not
to be despised or condemned; they are ordained of
God, but they can furnish only the exterior qualifications. God will manifest that He is not dependent on learned, self-important mortals.”—5 Testimonies, 80:1, 82:4.
“The laborers will be qualified rather by the
unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be
constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the
words which God gives them.”—Great Controversy,
606:2.
7 - God will use the most useable: the common
people.
“He will raise up from among the common
people men and women to do His work, even as of
old He called fisherman to be His disciples. There
will soon be an awakening that will surprise
many. Those who do not realize the necessity of
what is to be done will be passed by, and the heavenly messengers will work with those who are
called the common people, fitting them to carry
the truth to many places.”—Last Day Events,
204:2.
8 - God will use those He can use best.
“To souls that are earnestly seeking for light
and that accept with gladness every ray of divine illumination from His holy Word, to such alone light
will be given. It is through these souls that God
will reveal that light and power which will lighten
the whole earth with His glory.”—5 Testimonies,
729:2.
“It is discipline of spirit, cleanness of heart
and thought that is needed. This is of more value
than brilliant talent, tact, or knowledge. An ordinary mind, trained to obey a ‘Thus saith the

THE END OF TIME
Lord,’ is better qualified for God’s work than are
those who have capabilities but do not employ them
rightly.”—Last Day Events, 205:2.
9 - Even the illiterate will be used.
“Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour
will stand the test and trial of these last days. Strengthened by unquestioning faith in Christ, even the illiterate disciple will be able to withstand the doubts
and questions that infidelity can produce, and put
to blush the sophistries of scorners.
“The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a
tongue and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not, by
reasoning, overcome satanic delusions will bear an
affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly
learned men. Words will come from the lips of
the unlearned with such convincing power and
wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth.
Thousands will be converted under their testimony.
“Why should the illiterate man have this power,
which the learned man has not? The illiterate one,
through faith in Christ, has come into the atmosphere of pure, clear truth, while the learned man
has turned away from the truth. The poor man is
Christ’s witness. He cannot appeal to histories or
to so-called high science, but he gathers from the
Word of God powerful evidence. The truth that
he speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit is so
pure and remarkable and carries with it a power
so indisputable that his testimony cannot be gainsaid.”—8 Manuscript Releases, 187:1-188:0.
10 - Children will preach.
“Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Children are impelled
by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message
from heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who
will yield to its promptings; and, casting off all
man’s machinery, his binding rules and cautious
methods, they will declare the truth with the might
of the Spirit’s power.”—Evangelism, 700:1.
“When the heavenly intelligences see that men
will no longer present the truth in simplicity as did
Jesus, the very children will be moved upon by
the Spirit of God and will go forth proclaiming the
truth for this time.”—Last Day Events, 206:3-207:0.
11 - Angels will speak to men.
“There are many men in our world who are like
Cornelius . . As God worked for Cornelius, so He
works for these true standard bearers . . They will
obtain a knowledge of God, as Cornelius did, through
the visitation of angels from heaven.”—Last Day
Events, 207:2.
“When divine power is combined with human
effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble.

13 - THE FOURTH ANGEL STRENGTHENS THE LOUD CRY
God will employ agencies whose origin man will be
unable to discern. Angels will do a work which
men might have had the blessing of accomplishing
had they not neglected to answer the claims of God.”—
1 Selected Messages, 118:3.
“The angels of heaven are moving upon human minds to arouse investigation in the themes
of the Bible. A far greater work will be done than
has yet been done and none of the glory of it will
flow to men; for angels that minister to those
who shall be heirs of salvation are working
night and day.”—Counsels to Writers and Editors,
140:2.
- 13 MANY WILL RESIST AND OPPOSE
GOD’S CHOSEN METHODS
God’s methods will be resisted as something
dangerous.
“There is to be in the [Seventh-day Adventist]
churches a wonderful manifestation of the power
of God, but it will not move upon those who have
not humbled themselves before the Lord, and
opened the door of the heart by confession and repentance. In the manifestation of that power which
lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will
see only something which in their blindness
they think dangerous, something which will
arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves
to resist it. Because the Lord does not work according to their ideas and expectations, they will
oppose the work. ‘Why,’ they say, ‘should we not
know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the
work so many years?’ ”—Last Day Events, 209:3210:0.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
LOUD CRY

In the Day When Every Case Is Decided, the
Tables of Stone Will Be Placed so All the World
Will See and Understand.—“With His own finger
God wrote His commandments on two tables of stone.
These tables were not left in the keeping of men, but
were placed in the ark; and in the great day, when
every case is decided, these tables, inscribed with
the commandments, will be placed so that all the
world will see and understand. The witness against

161

them will be unanswerable.”—Letter 30, 1900 (to
“Brother and Sister Hickox,” February 25, 1900.
See also 7 BC 167).
Laymen from Various Vocations Will Learn in
Connection with Men of Experience.—“In all fields
nigh and afar off, men will be called from the plow
and from the more common commercial business
vocations that largely occupy the mind, and will become educated in connection with men who have had
experience, men who understand the truth. Through
most wonderful workings of God, mountains of difficulty will be removed and cast into the sea . .
A Series of Events Will Reveal that God Is Master of the Situation.—“There is to be, at this period, a series of events which will reveal that God is
the master of the situation. The truth will be proclaimed in clear unmistakable language. Those who
preach the truth will strive to demonstrate the truth
by a well-ordered life and godly conversation. And,
as they do this, they will become powerful in advocating the truth, and in giving it the sure application that God has given it . .
The Workings of Providence Will Be Recognized in the Judgments and Blessings that
Come.—“Marked events of Providence will be seen
and recognized, in judgments and blessings. The
truth will vindicate the victory. We have a battle of
tribulation before us, but our commission is: ‘Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, Lo, I am
with you alway, even unto the end of the world.’
(Matt. 28:19-20).”—Letter 230, 1906 (“to the Elders of the Battle Creek Church, and to Ministers
and Physicians,” July 5, 1906.
The Triumph of Truth.—“That message that
means so much to the dwellers upon the earth, will
be seen and understood. Men will know what is
truth. Onward, and still onward, is the work to advance. The most marked events of Providence will
be seen and recognized, and it will be seen that the
truth bears away the victory.”—Manuscript 41, 1906
(“Universal Guilt during the Time of the End,” n.d.,
a portion published in the Review and Herald, October 11, 1906. See also 9T 95-96).
Imprisonment During the Loud Cry.— “Those
who desire to be refreshed in mind and instructed
in the truth should study the history of the early
church during and immediately following the day of
Pentecost. They need to study carefully the experience of Paul and the other apostles, for God’s people
in these last days must pass through similar experiences. As the world becomes more imbued with
the spirit of the enemy, there will be more vehement
opposition of the Word. Some will be imprisoned

162
because they refuse to desecrate the Sabbath of the
Lord. Those who would hold the beginning of their
confidence firm unto the end must bear a living testimony to the world. Their words are to have a con-

THE END OF TIME
vincing power upon minds, and many through them
will be turned to the Lord.”—Letter 190, 1907 (to
“Dear Brethren,” May 6, 190).

“ ‘I saw another angel come down from heaven, having
great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And
he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, “Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold
of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” ’
‘And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of
her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye
receive not of her plagues.” ’ Revelation 18:1-2, 4.
“This Scripture points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second
angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the
additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the
various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message
was first given, in the summer of 1844 . .
“Of Babylon, at the time brought to view in this prophecy, it is
declared: ‘Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’ Revelation 18:5. She has filled up the measure of her guilt, and destruction is about to fall upon her. But God
still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His
judgments these faithful ones must be called out, that they
partake not of her sins and ‘receive not of her plagues.’ Hence the
movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice,
announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the
call is heard: ‘Come out of her, My people.’ These announcements,
uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final
warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.”
—Great Controversy, 603:1-604:1
NOTE ADDED TO THIS SECOND EDITION
Could it be that there is a special event which, partway through the loud cry, will cause the fourth angel to
come down with greatly added empowerment for God’s
people? —Could it be the other world-shaking event
prior to the general close of probation?
It appears that the faithful will have suddenly encountered a great hurdle or obstacle of some kind, something so massive that the fourth angel is commissioned
to come to earth to give them an immense amount of
additional power to finish giving the loud cry.
But perhaps no special event has occurred, and the
fourth angel’s arrival is merely the gradually intensified
pressure of opposition which calls for the added power
of third angel. That is what we generally assume.

But if there is a special triggering event, I will
here suggest that it would be this: the dramatic appearance of Satan when, for the first time, he suddenly
begins rapidly appearing in various places throughout
the world, personating Christ, apparently healing the
sick, affirming that Sunday is His Father’s sacred day,
—and declaring that the small group opposing it should
be eliminated.
We know that Satan will suddenly begin visibly
appearing, at some point during the loud cry, to the
whole world. We would expect that God would prevent
him from appearing until partway through the loud cry,—
because if he began appearing at its inception, such an
almost overmastering deception would be too overwhelming, and hardly anyone in the world would let the
faithful even begin explaining their message.

14 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE

163

— CHAPTER 14 —

THE
LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE
The great time of trouble, culminating in Jacob’s
trouble comes after the general close of probation.
But the little time of trouble occurs prior to that
general close and simultaneously with the giving of
the loud cry; see EW 85-86, 33.
In summary, the little time of trouble will bring
trouble in several ways:
(1) The wicked will war against one another,
although to a lesser extent than they do before and
after the loud cry.
(2) As the protecting Spirit is poured out on
God’s people, it is withdrawn from the world. This
gives Satan greater freedom to bring intensified crises to his own followers.
(3) Satan will bring desolations and natural disasters which will occur in various places throughout the world.
(4) Satan, his demons, and his agents will blame
Sabbathkeepers for the disasters. This enrages the
wicked against Sabbathkeepers.
(5) Sunday law legislation will return power into
the hands of Rome; and it will use it to persecute
Sabbathkeepers.
(6) The righteous will be persecuted by both
Catholics and Protestants.
(7) Because of the no-buy-sell proviso, Sabbathkeepers will suffer hardship to one degree or another.
In spite of the many disasters, crises, and nobuy-sell restrictions, God will overrule so that His
people will be able to continue spreading the loud
cry message.
We are told that the faithful who live in the country will undergo less privation during that difficult
time than those who have chosen to be slow in moving out of the cities.
At the time that the Sunday law was enacted,
the world was told that enactment of the National
Sunday Law would bring a millennium of peace.
But, as God’s Spirit is poured out upon His faithful ones, it is withdrawn from the world. And strife
and natural disasters caused by Satan are the re-

sult. Conditions get worse, not better! Satan’s objective is not merely to require Sunday worship, but
also to destroy those who refuse that worship. The
ongoing strife and disasters enrage the wicked against
faithful Sabbathkeepers.
During the great time of trouble (after the general close of probation), these calamities greatly increase. In Chapter 17, we will discuss the great time
of trouble.
-1THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE BEGINS
WHEN LOUD CRY BEGINS
Sequence: (1) little time of trouble begins, (2)
latter rain, (3) loud cry begins.
“At the commencement of the time of trouble, we
were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and
proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.”—Early Writings, 33:2.
-2THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE
EXTENDS TO END OF LOUD CRY
Sequence: The little time of trouble comes before the end of loud cry and Christ’s mediation;
and it comes before the close of probation and
the plagues.
“ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’
here mentioned [on page 33 of EW], does not refer
to the time when the plagues shall begin to be
poured out, but to a short period just before they
are poured out, while Christ is in the Sanctuary. At
that time, while the work of salvation is closing,
trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations
will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent
the work of the third angel.”—Early Writings, 85:386:0.
-3PEACE AND SAFETY
HAS BEEN THE ASSURANCE
1 - It will be imagined that the National Sun-

164
day Law will bring worldwide conversion and the
beginning of a millennium of peace.
“Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike
accept the form of godliness without the power, and
they will see in this union a grand movement
for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.”—Great
Controversy, 588:3-589:0.
2 - Long ages of peace and prosperity are
predicted.
“ ‘The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with
a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.’ 2 Peter 3:10. When the
reasoning of philosophy has banished the fear of
God’s judgments; when religious teachers are
pointing forward to long ages of peace and
prosperity, and the world is absorbed in their
rounds of business and pleasure, planting and
building, feasting and merrymaking, rejecting God’s
warnings and mocking His messengers—then it is
that sudden destruction cometh upon them, and
they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 104:0.
3 - The people are dreaming of temporal prosperity.
“Like the dwellers in the vale of Siddim, the
people are dreaming of prosperity and peace.
‘Escape for thy life,’ is the warning from the angels
of God; but other voices are heard saying, ‘Be not
excited; there is no cause for alarm.’ The multitudes cry, ‘Peace and safety,’ while heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon
the transgressor. On the night prior to their destruction, the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure and
derided the fears and warnings of the messenger of
God; but those scoffers perished in the flames; that
very night the door of mercy was forever closed to
the wicked, careless inhabitants of Sodom. God will
not always be mocked; He will not long be trifled
with. ‘Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel
both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land
desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof
out of it.’ Isaiah 13:9. The great mass of the world
will reject God’s mercy, and will be overwhelmed
in swift and irretrievable ruin. But those who heed
the warning shall dwell ‘in the secret place of the
Most High,’ and ‘abide under the shadow of the Almighty.’ His truth shall be their shield and buckler.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 167:2.

THE END OF TIME
-4STRIFE AND WARFARE CONTINUES,
BUT RESTRAINED SOMEWHAT
DURING THE LOUD CRY
1 - Calamities are permitted to awaken men to
their need.
“Calamities will come—calamities most awful, most unexpected; and these destructions will
follow one after another. If there will be a heeding
of the warnings that God has given, and if churches
will repent, returning to their allegiance, then other
cities may be spared for a time. But if men who have
been deceived continue in the same way in which
they have been walking, disregarding the law of God
and presenting falsehoods before the people, God
allows them to suffer calamity, that their senses may
be awakened.”—Evangelism, 27:3.
2 - When the trouble begins, it will continue
till the Second Advent.
“Soon grievous troubles will arise among the
nations—trouble that will not cease until Jesus
comes. As never before we need to press together,
serving Him who has prepared His throne in the
heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has
not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not
forsaking Him.
“The judgments of God are in the land. The wars
and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and
flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which
is to increase until the end, is very near at hand.
We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with
the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of
Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.”—
Welfare Ministry, 136:4-5.
3 - Natural disasters will occur.
“In the last scenes of this earth’s history, war
will rage. There will be pestilence, plague, and
famine. The waters of the deep will overflow their
boundaries. Property and life will be destroyed by
fire and flood. We should be preparing for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for them that
love Him. There is a rest from earth’s conflict.”—
Maranatha, 174:6.
4 - There will be strife and warfare in and
among nations.
“Soon strife among the nations will break
out with an intensity that we do not now anticipate.
The present is a time of overwhelming interest to
all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy
positions of trust and authority, thinking men and
women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon
the events taking place around us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among
the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they

14 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE

165

realize that something great and decisive is about to
take place, that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.
“A moment of respite has been graciously given
us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is now to
be used in working for those perishing in ignorance.
There must be no delay. The truth must be proclaimed in the dark places of the earth . . A great
work is to be done, and to those who know the
truth for this time, this work has been entrusted.”—
Maranatha, 174:4-5.
5 - The little time of trouble will begin during the loud cry, but will intensify after the loud
cry is ended (during the great time of trouble).
“While the work of salvation is closing,
trouble will be coming on the earth, and the
nations will be angry, yet held in check so as
not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that
time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the
loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints
to stand in the period when the seven last plagues
shall be poured out.”—Early Writings, 85:3-86:0.
6 - A little time of peace will occur, and then
strife will resume to a far greater degree than
before.
“I was shown the inhabitants of the earth in
the utmost confusion. War, bloodshed, privation, want, famine, and pestilence were abroad
in the land. As these things surrounded God’s
people, they began to press together and to cast aside
their little difficulties. Self-dignity no longer controlled them; deep humility took its place. Suffering,
perplexity, and privation caused reason to resume
its throne, and the passionate and unreasonable man
became sane, and acted with discretion and wisdom.
“My attention was then called from the scene.
There seemed to be a little time of peace. Once
more the inhabitants of the earth were presented
before me; and again everything was in the utmost confusion. Strife, war, and bloodshed,
with famine and pestilence, raged everywhere.
Other nations were engaged in this war and confusion. War caused famine. Want and bloodshed
caused pestilence. And then men’s hearts failed
them for fear, ‘and for looking after those things
which are coming on the earth.’ ”—1 Testimonies,
268:1-2.
7 - When the third angel’s message ends and
probation closes, the check is removed from the
nations and the storm will burst upon them all
the more fiercely.
“Angels are now restraining the winds of strife,
until the world shall be warned of its coming doom;
but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon
the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose

the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no
pen can picture . .
“A moment of respite has been graciously given
us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be
used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for
those who are perishing in ignorance.”—Evangelism, 704:1-2.
8 - Civil, international, and natural crises
are increasing. And these will soon intensively climax.
“The signs of the times give evidence that the
judgments of heaven are being poured out, that
the day of the Lord is at hand. The daily papers are
full of indications of an intense conflict in the future. Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence.
Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed by demons
are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. All these things testify that the Lord’s coming
is near.
“The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes,
storms, tempests, disasters by sea and by
land, follow one another in quick succession. The
signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other
than the true cause . .
“The time is right upon us when there will
be sorrow in the world that no human balm
can heal. Even before the last great destruction
comes upon the world, the flattering monuments
of man’s greatness will be crumbled in the dust.
God’s retributive judgments will fall on those
who in the face of great light have continued
in sin. Costly buildings, supposed to be fireproof,
are erected. But as Sodom perished in the flames
of God’s vengeance, so will these proud structures
become ashes. I have seen vessels which cost immense sums of money wrestling with the mighty
ocean, seeking to breast the angry billows. But with
all their treasures of gold and silver, and with all
their human freight, they sank into a watery grave
. . But amid the tumult of excitement, with confusion in every place, there is a work to be done for
God in the world.”—Maranatha, 175:3-5.
-5SATAN WILL BRING
GREAT DISASTERS
Satan has remarkable power over the elements
of nature.
“Satan works through the elements also to
garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature, and he
uses all his power to control the elements as far
as God allows . . While appearing to the children of

166
men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster, until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even
now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by
sea and by land, in great conflagrations, in fierce
tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests,
floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes,
in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is
exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening
harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts
to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by
the pestilence. These visitations are to become more
and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will
be upon both man and beast.”—Great Controversy,
589:2-590:0.
-6THE FAITHFUL WILL BE BLAMED
FOR THE MANY CALAMITIES
1 - The judgments increase as the wickedness
of men increases.
“The judgments will be according to the wickedness of the people and the light of truth that
they have had. If they have had the truth, according
to that light will be the punishment.”—Maranatha,
176:4.
2 - Those keeping God’s commandments will
be blamed for the world’s problems.
“As men depart further and further from God,
Satan is permitted to have power over the children
of disobedience. He hurls destruction among men.
There is calamity by land and sea. Property and life
are destroyed by fire and flood. Satan resolves to
charge this upon those who refuse to bow to the
idol which he has set up. His agents point to Seventh-day Adventists as the cause of the trouble.
‘These people stand out in defiance of law,’ they say.
‘They desecrate Sunday. Were they compelled to obey
the law for Sunday observance, there would be a cessation of these terrible judgments.’ ”—Maranatha,
176:2.
3 - Sunday violators will be declared to be the
cause of all the troubles.
“Satan puts his interpretation upon events, and
they [leading men] think, as he would have
them, that the calamities which fill the land
are a result of Sunday breaking. Thinking to
appease the wrath of God, these influential men
make laws enforcing Sunday observance. They
think that by exalting this false rest day higher, and
still higher, compelling obedience to the Sunday law,
the spurious sabbath, they are doing God service.
Those who honor God by observing the true Sabbath are looked upon as disloyal to God, when it is
really those who thus regard them who are themselves disloyal, because they are trampling under-

THE END OF TIME
foot the Sabbath originated in Eden.”—Maranatha,
176:5.
-7THE WORLD WILL BE AGAINST
GOD’S PEOPLE
1 - The Christian denominations will do that
(the setting up of the image) which will focus
attention on commandment keepers.
“Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy of notice, but a change
will come. The Christian world is now making
movements which will necessarily bring commandment-keeping people into prominence.”—5 Testimonies, 546:2.
2 - Sabbathkeepers will be hated; for Satan is
purposing their destruction.
“The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because
they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian
power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them
to be blotted from the earth, in order that his
supremacy of the world may not be disputed.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 37:0.
3 - The attention of the world will be riveted
on the beliefs of the faithful.
“Every position of truth taken by our people
will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the
highest of the world’s great men will be brought in
contact with truth, and therefore every position we
take should be critically examined and tested by
the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed,
but this will not always be. Movements are at
work to bring us to the front, and if our theories
of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or
the world’s greatest men, it will be done.
“We must individually know for ourselves what
is truth, and be prepared to give a reason of the
hope that we have with meekness and fear, not in a
proud boasting, self-sufficiency, but with the spirit
of Christ. We are nearing the time when we shall
stand individually, alone, to answer for our belief.”—Evangelism, 69:1-2.
4 - Then as now, the strength of the faithful
will be in Christ and an obedient knowledge of
His Word.
“The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly
treasure, and who have not cared to understand
God’s dealings with His people, will be ready victims. No power but a knowledge of the truth as
it is in Jesus, will ever make us steadfast; but
with this, one may chase a thousand, and two put

14 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE
ten thousand to flight.”—Maranatha, 217:7.
-8THE FAITHFUL WILL STAND
BEFORE COURTS AND COUNCILS
1 - We must study and prepare for what is coming!
“You know not where you may be called upon to
give your witness of truth. Many will have to stand
in the legislative courts; some will have to stand
before kings and before the learned of the earth,
to answer for their faith. Those who have only a superficial understanding of truth will not be able
clearly to expound the Scriptures, and give definite
reasons for their faith. They will become confused,
and will not be workmen that need not to be ashamed.
Let no one imagine that he has no need to study,
because he is not to preach in the sacred desk. You
know not what God may require of you.”—Fundamentals of Christian Education, 217:1.
2 - The faithful will be brought before the rulers of the earth.
“The time is not far off when the people of
God will be called upon to give their testimony
before the rulers of the earth. Not one in twenty
has a realization of what rapid strides we are making toward the great crisis in our history . . There
is no time for vanity, for trifling, for engaging the
mind in unimportant matters.”—Maranatha,
253:2.
3 - They will appear before kings and great
men.
“Kings, governors, and great men will hear
of you through the reports of those who are at enmity with you, and your faith and character will be
misrepresented before them. But those who are
falsely accused will have an opportunity to appear
in the presence of their accusers to answer for themselves. They will have the privilege of bringing the
light before those who are called the great men of
the earth, and if you have studied the Bible, if you
are ready to give an answer to every man that asketh
you of the hope that is in you with meekness and
fear, your enemies will not be able to gainsay your
wisdom.
“You now have an opportunity to attain to the
greatest intellectual power through the study of the
Word of God. But if you are indolent, and fail to dig
deep in the mines of truth, you will not be ready for
the crisis that is soon to come upon us. O that you
would realize that each moment is golden. If you live
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God, you will not be found unprepared.”—Maranatha, 253:3-4.
4 - They will witness to their faith before coun-

167
cils and thousands.
“The time will come when we shall be brought
before councils and before thousands for His
name’s sake, and each one will have to give the reason of his faith.”—Maranatha, 252:3.
5 - They will stand before leading authorities.
“Every position of truth taken by our people
will bear the criticism of the greatest minds;
the highest of the world’s great men will be
brought in contact with truth, and therefore every
position we take should be critically examined and
tested by the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at
work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of
truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the
world’s greatest men, it will be done.”—Evangelism, 69:1.
6 - The presentation of pure truth is powerful.
“The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a
tongue and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not by
reasoning overcome satanic delusions, will bear an
affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly
learned men. Words will come from the lips of the
unlearned with such convincing power and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth.
Thousands will be converted under their testimony.
“Why should the illiterate man have this power,
which the learned man has not? The illiterate one,
through faith in Christ, has come into the atmosphere of pure, clear truth, while the learned
man has turned away from the truth. The poor man
is Christ’s witness. He cannot appeal to histories
or to so-called high science, but he gathers from
the Word of God powerful evidence. The truth
that he speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit,
is so pure and remarkable and carries with it
a power so indisputable, that his testimony can
not be gainsaid.”—Maranatha, 252:5-6.
7 - Perplexities will come to us, but God will
be our Helper.
“In the great closing work we shall meet with
perplexities that we know not how to deal with,
but let us not forget that the three great powers of
heaven are working, that a divine hand is on the
wheel, and that God will bring His purposes to
pass.”—Evangelism, 65:2.
-9GOD’S PEOPLE
WILL BE PERSECUTED
1 - Prior to the end of the loud cry (and the

168
close of probation), persecution of the faithful will
be limited.
“Persecution in its varied forms is the development of a principle which will exist as long as Satan exists and Christianity has vital power . .
“But so long as Jesus remains man’s intercessor in the Sanctuary above, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit is felt by rulers and people. It still controls to some extent the
laws of the land. Were it not for these laws, the condition of the world would be much worse than it
now is. While many of our rulers are active agents
of Satan, God also has His agents among the leading men of the nation. The enemy moves upon his
servants to propose measures that would greatly
impede the work of God; but statesmen who fear
the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose
such propositions with unanswerable arguments.
Thus a few men will hold in check a powerful current of evil. The opposition of the enemies of
truth will be restrained that the third angel’s
message may do its work. When the final warning shall be given, it will arrest the attention of these
leading men through whom the Lord is now working, and some of them will accept it, and will stand
with the people of God through the time of trouble.”—
Great Controversy, 610:2-611:0.
2 - The setting up of the image (in the enactment of the National Sunday Law) will bring civil
penalties.
“When the leading churches of the United States,
uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by
them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions,
then Protestant America will have formed an image
of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil
penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.”—Great Controversy, 445:1.
3 - Be prepared to be arrested and brought
before councils.
“As Christ was hated without cause, so will His
people be hated because they are obedient to the
commandments of God. If He who was pure, holy,
and undefiled, who did good and only good in our
world, was treated as a base criminal and condemned to death, His disciples must expect but
similar treatment, however faultless may be their
life and blameless their character.
“Human enactments, laws manufactured by
satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted, while God’s holy commandments are despised and trampled underfoot.
And all who prove their loyalty by obedience to
the law of Jehovah must be prepared to be arrested, to be brought before councils that have
not for their standard the high and holy law of

THE END OF TIME
God.”—7 Bible Commentary, 977/1:5-2:0.
4 - Courts and judges will be corrupt.
“Those who live during the last days of this
earth’s history will know what it means to be
persecuted for the truth’s sake. In the courts injustice will prevail. The judges will refuse to
listen to the reasons of those who are loyal to the
commandments of God, because they know that
arguments in favor of the fourth commandment are
unanswerable. They will say, ‘We have a law, and
by our law he ought to die.’ God’s law is nothing
to them. ‘Our law’ with them is supreme. Those
who respect this human law will be favored, but
those who will not bow to the idol sabbath will
have no favors shown them.”—Maranatha, 195:4.
5 - God will work on behalf of His people.
“The commandment-keeping people of God
erelong will be placed in a most trying position;
but all those who have walked in the light, and diffused the light, will realize that God interposes in
their behalf. When everything looks most forbidding, then the Lord will reveal His power
to His faithful ones. When the nation for which
God has worked in such a marvelous manner, and
over which He has spread the shield of Omnipotence, abandons Protestant principles, and through
its legislature gives countenance and support
to Romanism in limiting religious liberty, then
God will work in His own power for His people
that are true. The tyranny of Rome will be exercised,
but Christ is our refuge.”—Maranatha, 194:4.
6 - They will face personal dangers, distress,
and persecution.
“The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain
its lost supremacy, and that the fires of persecution will be rekindled through the time-serving
concessions of the so-called Protestant world. In
this time of peril we can stand only as we have the
truth and the power of God . .
“The prospect of being brought into personal
danger and distress, need not cause despondency,
but should quicken the vigor and hopes of God’s
people; for the time of their peril is the season for
God to grant them clearer manifestations of His
power.”—2 Selected Messages, 367:4-368:0, 370:2.
“Before the warfare shall be ended and the victory won, we as a people are to experience trials
similar to those of Paul. We shall encounter the same
hardness of heart, the same cruel determination, the
same unyielding hatred . . Persecution will again
be kindled against those who are true to God; their
motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, their names cast out as evil . . God would
have His people prepared for the soon-coming crisis. Prepared or unprepared, we must meet it.”—
Sketches from the Life of Paul, 251:0-252:1.

14 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE

169

“There will come a time when, because of our
advocacy of Bible truth, we shall be treated as traitors.”—6 Testimonies, 394:2.
“Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover
them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against
them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and
ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith.”—5
Testimonies, 450:2.
“Conscientious obedience to the Word of God
will be treated as rebellion. Blinded by Satan, the
parent will exercise harshness and severity toward
the believing child; the master or mistress will oppress the commandment-keeping servant. Affection
will be alienated; children will be disinherited and
driven from home.”—Great Controversy, 608:1.
7 - They will be brought before courts and imprisoned.
“And all who prove their loyalty by obedience to
the law of Jehovah must be prepared to be arrested, to be brought before councils that have
not for their standard the high and holy law of
God.”—7 Bible Commentary 977/2:0.
“The tender mercies of this power will be displayed in prison cells and dungeons. Already
preparations are advancing, and movements are in
progress, which will result in making an image to
the beast.”—Review, April 23, 1889.
“As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the
Sunday-sabbath, some of them will be thrust
into prison, some will be exiled, some will be
treated as slaves. To human wisdom, all this now
seems impossible; but as the restraining Spirit of
God shall be withdrawn from men, and they shall
be under the control of Satan, who hates the divine
precepts, there will be strange developments. The
heart can be very cruel when God’s fear and love
are removed.”—Great Controversy, 608:1.

Satan would deceive even the elect.”—5 Testimonies,
449:3-450:0.
2 - When Rome is reinstated in power, there
will be a return to persecution.
“The papal church will never relinquish her
claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her
persecution of those who reject her dogmas she
holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same
acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the
restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed and Rome be reinstated in
her former power, and there would speedily
be a revival of her tyranny and persecution.”—
Great Controversy, 564:2.
3 - The goal will be to regain control and reestablish persecution.
“The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans
and modes of operation. She is employing every
device to extend her influence and increase her
power in preparation for a fierce and determined
conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done.”—Great Controversy, 565:4-566:0.
4 - A cruel and despotic power.
“She [Rome] possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and
princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her
spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than
when she crushed out human liberty and slew
the saints of the Most High.”—Great Controversy,
571:1.
5 - The enmity of Rome toward Sabbathkeepers.
“These records of the past clearly reveal the
enmity of Rome toward the true Sabbath and
its defenders, and the means which she employs
to honor the institution of her creating. The Word
of God teaches that these scenes are to be repeated as Roman Catholics and Protestants shall
unite for the exaltation of the Sunday.”—Great Controversy, 578:2.
6 - Rome’s power will be restored.
“The influence of Rome in the countries that
once acknowledged her dominion is still far from
being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power.”—Great Controversy, 579:0.
7 - The triumph of Rome is assured.
“Let the principle once be established in the
United States that the church may employ or control the power of the state; that religious observances may be enforced by secular laws; in short,
that the authority of church and state is to dominate the conscience, and the triumph of Rome in
this country is assured.

- 10 ROME INTENDS TO RENEW
ITS PERSECUTIONS:
THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE PAST
WILL BE REPEATED
1 - The church, state, Protestants, Romanists, and devils are already at work.
“Church and state are now making preparations for the future conflict. Protestants are
working in disguise to bring Sunday to the
front, as did the Romanists. Throughout the land
the papacy is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former
persecutions are to be repeated. And the way is preparing for the manifestation, on a grand scale, of
those lying wonders by which, if it were possible,

170

THE END OF TIME

“God’s Word has given warning of the impending
danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant
world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the
snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls,
in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is
piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will
be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is
strengthening her forces to further her own ends when
the time shall come for her to strike. All that she
desires is vantage ground, and this is already being
given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what
the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever
shall believe and obey the Word of God will thereby
incur reproach and persecution.”—Great Controversy, 581:1-2.
- 11 PROTESTANTS WILL ALSO
PERSECUTE THE FAITHFUL
Catholicism will be concerned with (1) urging
apostate Protestantism to coerce the government
to enact a repressive Sunday law and legislation,
and (2) physically persecute the faithful.
Protestant leaders will focus on getting the Sunday law passed, heavily enforced by governmental
powers.
1 - Read the past if you would understand
the future.
“If the reader would understand the agencies
to be employed in the soon-coming contest, he has
but to trace the record of the means which Rome
employed for the same object in ages past. If he
would know how papists and Protestants
united will deal with those who reject their
dogmas, let him see the spirit which Rome
manifested toward the Sabbath and its defenders.”—Great Controversy, 573:2-574:0.
2 - Papists and Protestants will unite in these
coercive actions.
“The church appeals to the strong arm of civil
power, and, in this work, papists and Protestants unite.”—Great Controversy, 607:1.
3 - The spirit of Antichrist is also in the Protestant churches.
“There is no reason to consider the antichristian
spirit and practices to be confined to that which is
now called the Church of Rome. The Protestant
churches have much of antichrist in them, and
are far from being wholly reformed from . . corruptions and wickedness.”—Great Controversy, 384:2.
4 - Satan says: “We are now bringing the Protestant churches to Rome.”

“[In past ages] we [Satan and his hosts] led the
Romish Church to inflict imprisonment, torture,
and death upon those who refused to yield to her
decrees; and now that we are bringing the Protestant churches and the world into harmony
with this right arm of our strength, we will
finally have a law to exterminate all who will
not submit to our authority.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 473:1 [the complete statement by Satan is
also quoted in the 1884 edition of Great Controversy, 337-340].
5 - Former believers will do their part.
“Men of talent and pleasing address, who once
rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most
bitter enemies of their former brethren. When
Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to
answer for their faith, these apostates are the most
efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations
to stir up the rulers against them.”—Great Controversy, 608:2.
- 12 THE FAITHFUL
WILL BE THREATENED WITH DEATH
1 - As in earlier centuries, Satan is still seeking to destroy God’s people.
“The decree which is to go forth against the
people of God will be very similar to that issued by
Ahasuerus against the Jews in the time of Esther
. . Satan instigated the scheme in order to rid
the earth of those who preserved the knowledge
of the true God. But his plots were defeated by a
counterpower that reigns among the children of men
. . The Protestant world today see in the little company keeping the Sabbath a Mordecai in the gate.
His character and conduct, expressing reverence for
the law of God, are a constant rebuke to those who
have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling
upon His Sabbath; the unwelcome intruder must
by some means be put out of the way.
“The same masterful mind that plotted against
the faithful in ages past is still seeking to rid the
earth of those who fear God and obey His law.
Satan will excite indignation against the humble minority who conscientiously refuse to accept poplar
customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to
take counsel against the people of God. Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover them with
contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and
church members will conspire against them.
With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule,
they will seek to overthrow their faith. By false representations and angry appeals they will stir up

14 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE

171

the passions of the people. Not having a ‘Thus saith
the Scriptures’ to bring against the advocates of the
Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity
and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand
for a Sunday law. Those who fear God cannot accept
an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue.
On this battlefield comes the last great conflict
of the controversy between truth and error. And we
are not left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the
days of Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth
and His people.”—5 Testimonies, 450:1-451:0.
2 - The decree brings the threat of death.
“The time of trouble is about to come upon the
people of God. Then it is that the decree will go
forth forbidding those who keep the Sabbath of the
Lord to buy or sell, and threatening them with
punishment, and even death, if they do not observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath.”—
Maranatha, 198:2.
3 - It will bring threatened imprisonment and
death.
“The time is not far distant when the test will
come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be
urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded
to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the
powers that be, rather than subject themselves to
derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and
death. The contest is between the commandments
of God and the commandments of men.”—5 Testimonies, 81:1.

2 - Linking the fifth seal and Revelation 18.
“When the fifth seal was opened, John the Revelator in vision saw beneath the altar the company
that were slain for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. After this came the scenes
described in the eighteenth of Revelation, when
those who are faithful and true are called out from
Babylon.”—7 Bible Commentary, 968/1:4.
3 - There will be martyrs.
“The two armies will stand distinct and separate, and this distinction will be so marked that
many who shall be convinced of truth will come on
the side of God’s commandment-keeping people.
When this grand work is to take place in the battle,
prior to the last closing conflict, many will be
imprisoned, many will flee for their lives from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ’s
sake in standing in defense of the truth.”—Maranatha, 199:3.
“Christ will restore the life taken; for He is the
Life-giver: He will beautify the righteous with immortal life.”—Maranatha, 199:7.
“There is a prospect before us of a continued
struggle, at the risk of imprisonment, loss of property, and even of life itself, to defend the law of
God.”—5 Testimonies 712:3.
“As he [Satan] influenced the heathen nations
to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir
up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the
people of God. Men will be required to render obedience to human edicts in violation of the divine
law. Those who are true to God will be menaced,
denounced, proscribed. They will be ‘betrayed both
by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends,’
even unto death.”—Prophets and Kings, 587:2588:1.
Note: For the righteous, the “last closing conflict” is Jacob’s trouble, which comes after probation closes. We are told that there will be no martyrs after the close of probation (discussed later in
this book; as examples, see GC 634:1, 629:2, PK
513).
4 - God will give grace for every emergency.
“If we are called to suffer for Christ’s sake, we
shall be able to go to prison trusting in Him as a
little child trusts in its parents. Now is the time
to cultivate faith in God.”—Our High Calling, 357:4.
“We are not to have the courage and fortitude of martyrs of old until brought into the
position they were in . . Should there be a return
of persecution there would be grace given to arouse
every energy of the soul to show a true heroism.”—
Our High Calling, 125:4.
“The disciples were not endowed with the cour-

- 13 PRIOR TO THE
GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
THERE WILL BE MARTYRS
1 - The blood of martyrs cries to God.
“As the approach of the Roman armies was a
sign to the disciples of the impending destruction
of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us
that the limit of God’s forbearance is reached, that
the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full, and that
the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never
to return. The people of God will then be plunged
into those scenes of affliction and distress which
prophets have described as the time of Jacob’s
trouble. The cries of the faithful, persecuted ones
ascend to heaven. And as the blood of Abel cried
from the ground, there are voices also crying to
God from martyrs’ graves, from the sepulchers
of the sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults: ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost
Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that
dwell on the earth?’ ”—5 Testimonies, 451:2.

172

THE END OF TIME

age and fortitude of the martyrs until such grace
was needed.”—Desire of Ages, 354:3.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
GREAT TROUBLES WILL OCCUR

The Present Peace Is a Lull before the Storm:
Nations Will Be in Confusion.—“We have the light
of prophecy, the Old Testament, [which indicates]
that we are standing on the threshold of the fulfillment of great and solemn events. Prophecies are
coming down to [the] point. The dangers and perils of the last days are right upon us. At the present
time the angels are holding the four winds. There
seems to be a little moment of peace. It is a lull in
the conflicting elements just before the outburst of
the unprecedented storm that has been gathering
its forces for the last great crisis. Nations will be in
confusion. Kingdoms will be terribly shaken. Everything betokens [that] the end is near.”—Undated
Manuscript 153, 1-4 (Copenhagen, Denmark,
1886).
Persecution Will Come to Those Who Seek
Uprightness and Holiness.—“The tyrant is seeking to oppress man’s conscience, which Christ has
made free. Persecution will come more definitely
and decidedly upon the people of God, because the
godly are seeking for uprightness and holiness, and
the disobedient are in sin.”—Letter 2c, 1892 (to
“Dear Brethren and Sisters in Battle Creek,” December 21, 1892. See also EV 506).
False Charges Against the Truth and Its Representatives Will Create Holy Indignation in NonAdventists Who Reverence God.—“The inconsistencies, the unreasonable workings of the human
agents, stirred with a power from beneath, will create in those who reverence God, a holy indignation
to see the truth of God brought into contempt, and
its advocates misrepresented and clothed in garments
of darkness and false charges. Then is the very time
[that] the Holy Spirit is to take possession of the
human mind and it be made to appear that Christ
is formed within.”—Letter 60, 1893 (to I.D. Van
Horn, July 20, 1893).
Commit the Word to Memory for the Time Is
Coming When Many Will Be Deprived of It.—“The
time will come [in] which many will be deprived of
the Written Word. But, if this Word is printed in the
memory, no one can take it from us . . It is a talis-

man that will meet the worst forms of error and evil
..
The End Will Come Suddenly.—“Only for a very
short time longer will the Lord bear with the gross
wickedness that fills the world. Oh, how suddenly
will the end come, surprising the world in their increasing iniquity.”—Manuscript 20, 1906 (“Preach
The Word,” February 7, 1906. See also Ev 616617, PM 224-225).
God’s People Will be Scattered in Many Countries.—“The time is soon coming when God’s
people, because of persecution, will be scattered in
many countries. Those who have received an allrounded education will have a great advantage wherever they are.”—Letter 32, 1908 (“To Our Brethren
in Positions of Responsibility,” January 6, 1908).
Great Trouble Will Soon Arise.—“Great trouble
will soon arise among the nations which will not
cease until Jesus comes.”—Letter 5, 1883 (to “Brethren,” November 1883. See 3 SM 414-415).
God Will Not Intervene to Protect the Property of Transgressors of His Law.— “What means
the awful calamities by sea vessels hurled into eternity without a moment’s warning? What means the
accidents by land, fire consuming the riches men
have hoarded, much of which has been accumulating by oppression of the poor. The Lord will not
interfere to protect the property of those who transgress His law, break His covenant, and trample
upon His Sabbath, accepting in its place a spurious rest day.”—Manuscript 106, 1902, 14-15 (“An
aggressive Work,” July 21, 1902).
God Has a Purpose in Permitting Calamities.—“Frequently we hear of earthquakes, of tempests and tornadoes, accompanied by thunder and
lightning. Apparently these are capricious outbreaks
of seemingly disorganized, unregulated forces. But
God has a purpose in permitting these calamities
to occur. They are one of His means of calling men
and women to their senses. By unusual workings
through nature, God will express to doubting human agencies that which He clearly reveals in His
Word . .
Calamities Foreshadow What Will Happen
Worldwide When Angels Loose Winds.—“Local
disturbances in nature are permitted to take place
as symbols of that which may be expected all over
the world when the angels loose the four winds of
the earth. The forces of nature are under the direction of an eternal Agency.”—Manuscript 153, 1902,
1-6 (Calamities, November 5, 1902. See also Mar
205, Te 35].
Strife and Oppression of Foreign Nations Coming with Unanticipated Intensity.—“Very soon the
strife and oppression of foreign nations will break

14 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE
forth with an intensity that you do not now anticipate.”—Manuscript 21, 1909, 3-5 (“A Call to Service,” a sermon preached in Takoma Park, Maryland, May 17, 1909. See also GC 244).
MARTYRS

God May Permit Some to Become Martyrs in
the Issue over Obedience to God’s Commandments or the Commandments of Men.—“The worthies who refused to bow to the golden image were
cast into a burning fiery furnace, but Christ was with
them there, and the fire did not consume them . .
Now some of us may be brought to just as severe a
test: Will we obey the commandments of men or will
we obey the commandments of God? This is the
question that will be asked of many. The best thing

173
for us is to come in close connection with God, and,
if He would have us be martyrs for the truth’s sake,
it may be the means of bringing many more into the
truth.”—Manuscript 83, 1886, 3, 5 (sermon preached
at Grimsby, England, September 1886).
“When for the truth’s sake the believer stands at
the bar of the unrighteous tribunals, Christ stands
by his side . . When one is incarcerated in prison
walls, Christ ravishes the heart with His love. When
one suffers death for His sake, Christ says, ‘I am He
that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive
forevermore . . and have the keys of hell and of death.’
Revelation 1:18. The life that is sacrificed for Me is
preserved unto eternal glory.”—Desire of Ages,
669:3.

“ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here
mentioned [on page 33 of EW], does not refer to the
time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out,
but to a short period just before they are poured out,
while Christ is in the Sanctuary. At that time, while the
work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on
the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check
so as not to prevent the work of the third angel.”
—Early Writings, 85:3-86:0
“The commandment-keeping people of God erelong will
be placed in a most trying position; but all those who have
walked in the light, and diffused the light, will realize that
God interposes in their behalf. When everything looks
most forbidding, then the Lord will reveal His power
to His faithful ones. When the nation for which God has
worked in such a marvelous manner, and over which He
has spread the shield of Omnipotence, abandons Protestant principles, and through its legislature gives countenance and support to Romanism in limiting religious
liberty, then God will work in His own power for His
people that are true. The tyranny of Rome will be exercised,
but Christ is our refuge.”
—Maranatha, 194:4

174

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 15 —

THE INDIVIDUAL CLOSE
OF PROBATION
JUDGMENT AND PROBATION WILL
CLOSE FOR SOME BEFORE OTHERS
There is an individual close of probation and
there is a general close of probation.
In order to properly understand the individual
close of probation, it is important that we understand what occurs when the mark and seal are applied and the implications of those events.
A specific individual will not receive the mark
or seal until (1) the National Sunday Law has been
enacted, (2) he fully understands the Sabbath-Sunday issues, and (3) he makes his decision one way
or the other.
Because of this three-part requirement: (1)
Those who have previously known the Sabbath
truth and understood the issues involved will enter the judgment of the living first. (2) They will receive the seal/mark before those who are ignorant of
the issues; and (3) their probation will therefore close
first.
Those who have chosen to stand true to God
will reveal His seal during the latter rain. They will
then go out and begin giving the loud cry while former
Sabbathkeepers who have received the mark will become their bitterest enemies.
But something else also happens when a person
receives the seal or mark. He is sealed or marked for
eternity,
When a person receives the seal of God, he is
sealed for eternity, “nevermore to be defiled by . .
the tempter’s devices” (5T 475).
“When the [Sunday law] decree goes forth and
the [seal] stamp is impressed, their character will
remain pure and spotless for eternity” (5T 216).
In contrast, when a person receives the mark,
he will never again have an opportunity to come to
Christ, and he becomes totally hateful and evil. At
the marking/sealing time in each person’s life, his
name comes up in the judgment of the living and
his decision is etched forever in the books of heaven.
His probation has ended.
Thus it is clear that, when the seal or mark is
applied, a person’s probation has forever closed.

We call that event the “individual close of probation.”
Yet, at that point in time, there are still many other
people who have not made their final decision.
As the loud cry message is extended outward
throughout the world, more and more people make
their decision and receive the mark or seal. Then
the last person makes his decision; and the loud
cry angel returns to heaven and reports the fact to
Jesus. Immediately, Christ throws down the censer of intercession and declares, “It is done.” We
call that event the “general close of probation.”
In this chapter, we will view the individual close
of probation. In the next chapter, we will turn our
attention to the general close of probation.
1 - Some who have had their day of opportunity are passed by while others will make the
right decision.
“But I speak not my own words when I say that
God’s Spirit will pass by those who have had
their day of test and opportunity, but who have
not distinguished the voice of God or appreciated
the movings of His Spirit. Then thousands in the
eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the
truth.”—2 Selected Messages, 16:1.
2 - Some will accept and be saved while the
door will be closed to others who would not enter.
“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the
time of mercy for those who have no opportunity to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord
look upon them. His heart of mercy is touched;
His hand is still stretched out to save, while
the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these
last days hear the truth for the first time.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 979/1:3.
3 - Unless we are daily advancing now, we
will not be ready later.
“Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall
not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit
in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all
around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.”—
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1.

15 - THE INDIVIDUAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
4 - The light will be for those who had not
earlier rejected it.
“The light that was shed upon the waiting ones
penetrated everywhere, and those in the churches
who had any light, who had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed the call and
left the fallen churches.”—Early Writings, 278:1.
5 - Those who have made the wrong decision
become bitter enemies of their former brethren.
“As the storm approaches, a large class who
have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join
the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the
world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to
view matters in nearly the same light; and when
the test is brought, they are prepared to choose
the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls.
They become the most bitter enemies of their
former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought
before the courts to answer for their faith, these
apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan
to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false re-

175

ports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against
them.”—Great Controversy, 608:2.
“The Lord has shown me clearly that the image
of the beast will be formed before probation
closes; it is to be the great test for the people of
God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided. This is the test that the people of God must
have before they are sealed. All who prove their loyalty to God by observing His law, and refusing to
accept a spurious sabbath, will rank under the banner of the Lord God Jehovah, and will receive the
seal of the living God. Those who yield the truth of
heavenly origin and accept the Sunday sabbath will
receive the mark of the beast.”—7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:2-3 (Maranatha, 164; cf. 2 Selected Messages, 81:0).
6 - The sealing time will be the closing work
for the church.
“Especially in the closing work for the
church, in the sealing time of the one hundred
and forty-four thousand who are to stand without
fault before the throne of God, will they feel most
deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people.”—3
Testimonies, 266:2.

“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the
time of mercy for those who have no opportunity
to learn what is truth. Tenderly will the Lord look
upon them. His heart of mercy is touched; His
hand is still stretched out to save, while the door
is closed to those who would not enter. Large
numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear
the truth for the first time.”
—7 Bible Commentary, 979/1:3

176

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 16 —

THE GENERAL CLOSE
OF PROBATION
After the national Sunday law is enacted, people,
understanding the issues involved, will make their
decision to keep the Bible Sabbath or reject it; they
receive the seal of God or the mark of the beast.
At that point, their individual probation closes;
and, if they have ever professed faith in Christ, in
heaven the judgment of the living passes to their
names.
When the probation of the last person has
ended, the general end of human probation occurs.
Jesus throws down the censer and His mediatorial
work is forever ended. Christ takes off His priestly
garments and puts on His garments of vengeance,
preparatory to returning to earth for His faithful
ones.
Here are the four major events of the last days:
The national Sunday enactment, the general close
of probation, the deliverance by the Voice of God,
and the Second Advent of Christ. And to these, we
can add a fifth: the Third Advent of Christ. All other
events find their origin, close, or reference point in
one or more of those events.
Of those pillar events, the general close of probation is, in a sense, the most solemn and thoughtprovoking: The general close of probation marks
the end of probationary time for all humanity. Aside
from the beginning of the Flood, there has never
before in human history been a single event like it.
Are you and I living each day with Jesus and in
obedience to Him? Are we preparing for that great
event, when our probation will eternally close?

trouble will find them unready.”—Great Controversy, 594:1.
2 - Probation’s hour is fast closing; we must
take heed and watch.
“The crisis is stealing gradually upon us. The
sun shines in the heavens, passing over its usual
round, and the heavens still declare the glory of God.
Men are still eating and drinking, planting and building, marrying, and giving in marriage. Merchants are
still buying and selling. Men are jostling one against
another, contending for the highest place. Pleasure
lovers are still crowding to theaters, horse races,
gambling hells. The highest excitement prevails, yet
probation’s hour is fast closing, and every case
is about to be eternally decided. Satan sees that
his time is short. He has set all his agencies at work
that men may be deceived, deluded, occupied and
entranced, until the day of probation shall be
ended, and the door of mercy be forever shut.
“Solemnly there come to us down through the
centuries the warning words of our Lord from the
Mount of Olives: ‘Take heed to yourselves, lest
at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and
so that day come upon you unawares.’ ‘Watch ye
therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.’ ”—
Desire of Ages, 636:2-3.
- 2-

THIS SOLEMN EVENT
IS JUST BEFORE US

THE ENTIRE WORLD
HAS BEEN WARNED
AND ALL PROBATIONARY EVENTS
ARE ENDED

1 - Final events are clearly presented, but
few are concerned.
“The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time
of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes
have no more understanding of these important
truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan
watches to catch away every impression that would
make them wise unto salvation, and the time of

1 - Each person will have heard the call before the end comes.
“The solemn, sacred message of warning
must be proclaimed in the most difficult fields
and in the most sinful cities, in every place where
the light of the great threefold gospel message has
not yet dawned. Every one is to hear the last
call to the marriage supper of the Lamb. From town
to town, from city to city, from country to country,

-1-

16 - THE GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
the message of present truth is to be proclaimed,
not with outward display, but in the power of the
Spirit.”—Gospel Workers, 27:1.
2 - It will have gone to all the world.
“The message of the renewing power of God’s
grace will be carried to every country and clime,
until the truth shall belt the world. Of the number of them that shall be sealed will be those who
have come from every nation and kindred and
tongue and people. From every country will be
gathered men and women who will stand before
the throne of God and before the Lamb, crying, ‘Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne,
and unto the Lamb.’ Revelation 7:10.”—Counsels
to Parents and Teachers, 532:1.
3 - The whole world will be illuminated.
“The whole earth is to be illuminated with
the glory of God’s truth. The light is to shine to all
lands and all peoples. And it is from those who
have received the light that it is to shine forth. The
daystar has risen upon us, and we are to flash its
light upon the pathway of those in darkness.
“A crisis is right upon us. We must now by the
Holy Spirit’s power proclaim the great truths for
these last days. It will not be long before everyone
will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come.”—6 Testimonies,
24:1-2.
4 - The Saviour’s intercession will have ceased
and the investigative judgment will have ended.
“The messages of this chapter [Revelation 14]
constitute a threefold warning which is to prepare
the inhabitants of the earth for the Lord’s Second
Coming. The announcement, ‘The hour of His judgment is come,’ points to the closing work of Christ’s
ministration for the salvation of men. It heralds a
truth which must be proclaimed until the
Saviour’s intercession shall cease and He shall
return to the earth to take His people to Himself.
The work of judgment which began in 1844 must
continue until the cases of all are decided, both
of the living and the dead; hence it will extend to
the close of human probation.”—Great Controversy, 435:2-436:0.
-3HUMAN PROBATION
HAS CLOSED
As soon as a man knowledgeably made his decision regarding the National Sunday Law decree,
his destiny became fixed. At that moment, the judgment of the living passed to his case, and he received the mark or the seal. Immediately, his individual probation ended.

177

If he received the mark, he fully joined the ranks
of the enemy; if he received the seal, he was filled
with the Spirit as the latter rain was poured upon
him, and he went out and gave the third angel’s
message in the loud cry.
Still more individuals learned of the issues, made
their decisions, received the mark or seal, and had
their individual probations close. Finally, the message went to the uttermost parts of earth and the
last person was sealed or marked.
At that point, the general close of human probation occurred. All mankind had been tested, had
made their decisions, and the results had been written down in the records of heaven.
1 - The greatest crisis in human history will
come as mankind’s probation is nearly ended.
“It is in a crisis that character is revealed.
When the earnest voice proclaimed at midnight, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet
Him,’ and the sleeping virgins were roused from
their slumbers, it was seen who had made preparation for the event. Both parties were taken unawares; but one was prepared for the emergency,
and the other was found without preparation. So
now, a sudden and unlooked-for calamity, something that brings the soul face to face with death,
will show whether there is any real faith in the promises of God. It will show whether the soul is sustained by grace. The great final test comes at
the close of human probation, when it will be
too late for the soul’s need to be supplied.”—Christ’s
Object Lessons, 412:1.
2 - Many had for years slighted the truth until
they were shut out.
“Saddest of all words that ever fell on mortal
ear are those words of doom, ‘I know you not.’
The fellowship of the Spirit, which you have slighted,
could alone make you one with the joyous throng at
the marriage feast. In that scene you cannot participate. Its light would fall on blinded eyes, its melody
upon deaf ears. Its love and joy could awake no chord
of gladness in the world-benumbed heart. You are
shut out from heaven by your own unfitness
for its companionship.”—Christ’s Object Lessons,
413:1.
3 - Christ’s mediation ends when the last case
has been decided; but many will have waited too
long to prepare.
“When Jesus ceases to plead for man, the
cases of all are forever decided. This is the time
of reckoning with His servants. To those who have
neglected the preparation of purity and holiness,
which fits them to be waiting ones to welcome their
Lord, the sun sets in gloom and darkness, and rises
not again. Probation closes; Christ’s interces-

178

THE END OF TIME

sions cease in heaven. This time finally comes
suddenly upon all, and those who have neglected to
purify their souls by obeying the truth are found sleeping.
“They became weary of waiting and watching; they
became indifferent in regard to the coming of their
Master. They longed not for His appearing, and
thought there was no need of such continued, persevering watching. They had been disappointed in their
expectations and might be again. They concluded
that there was time enough yet to arouse. [By such a
course of action,] they would be sure not to lose the
opportunity of securing an earthly treasure. It would
be safe to get all of this world they could. And in
securing this object, they lost all anxiety and interest in the appearing of the Master. They became indifferent and careless, as though His coming were
yet in the distance. But while their interest was buried up in their worldly gains, the work closed in
the heavenly Sanctuary, and they were unprepared.
“If such had only known that the work of
Christ in the heavenly Sanctuary would close
so soon, how differently would they have conducted themselves, how earnestly would they have
watched! The Master, anticipating all this, gives
them timely warning in the command to watch. He
distinctly states the suddenness of His coming. He
does not measure the time, lest we shall neglect a
momentary preparation, and in our indolence look
ahead to the time when we think He will come, and
defer the preparation. ‘Watch ye therefore: for ye
know not.’ Yet this foretold uncertainty, and
suddenness at last, fails to rouse us from stupidity to earnest wakefulness, and to quicken our
watchfulness for our expected Master. Those not
found waiting and watching are finally surprised in their unfaithfulness. The Master
comes, and instead of their being ready to open
unto Him immediately, they are locked in worldly
slumber, and are lost at last.”—2 Testimonies,
191:1-192:0.
-4THE TIMING OF THE
CLOSE OF PROBATION
No one can date the close of probation or determine the time span of any event leading to or
away from it. God has not revealed definite time
for the close of probation (7 BC 989-990, 1 SM 191);
and we have been warned against time setting in regard to this event (7 BC 989-990, 2 SM 73).
1 - Let no man try to predict when probation
has closed or will close.
“I plainly stated at the Jackson camp meeting to
these fanatical parties that they were doing the work

of the adversary of souls; they were in darkness.
They claimed to have great light that probation
would close in October 1884.
“I there stated in public that the Lord had been
pleased to show me that there would be no definite time in the message given of God since
1844.”—2 Selected Messages, 73:2-3.
2 - Let us not seek to know that which God
does not want us to know. (Actually, it would
not be good for us, in advance, to know that
date.)
“God has not revealed to us the time when
this message will close or when probation will
have an end. Those things that are revealed we
shall accept for ourselves and for our children; but
let us not seek to know that which has been
kept secret in the councils of the Almighty. It is
our duty to watch and work and wait, to labor every moment for the souls of men that are ready to
perish. We are to keep walking continually in the
footsteps of Jesus, working in His lines, dispensing His gifts as good stewards of the manifold grace
of God. Satan will be ready to give to anyone who is
not learning every day of Jesus, a special message
of his own creating, in order to make of no effect
the wonderful truth for this time.
“Letters have come to me asking me if I have
any special light as to the time when probation will
close; and I answer that I have only this message to
bear, that it is now time to work while the day
lasts, for the night cometh in which no man can
work. Now, just now, it is time for us to be watching, working, and waiting.”—1 Selected Messages,
191:1-2; 7 Bible Commentary, 989/2:4-5.
Note: Satan wants men to imagine that probation has already closed for some people in the
church or for all the people in the church. This
teaching generally includes the idea that it is not
now time to try to warn the world and win souls.
Those who accept such errors tend to spiritually
stagnate. They are no longer warning the church to
repent of its sins; and they do not believe that, at
this time, they should share the Advent truths with
those out in the world. They neither try to win souls
in the world to God nor draw men in the church
back from compromise and backsliding.
Do not cooperate with the devil! Reject the suggestion of those who declare that probation has already closed for some groups. Assume it has not
closed and keep working as earnestly as you can
to warn men everywhere of the necessity of obedience to God’s requirements.

16 - THE GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
-5NO ONE CAN PREDICT WHEN
PROBATION WILL FINALLY CLOSE
1 - Each one will have heard the warning
and made his decision.
“When the work of the investigative judgment
closes, the destiny of all will have been decided
for life or death. Probation is ended a short time
before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of
heaven . . Perilous is the condition of those who,
growing weary of their watch, turn to the attractions of the world. While the man of business is
absorbed in the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure
lover is seeking indulgence, while the daughter of
fashion is arranging her adornments, it may be in
that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce
the sentence, ‘Thou are weighed in the balance, and
art found wanting.’ ”—Sons and Daughters of God,
355:4.
2 - The final withdrawal of the offer of salvation will finally occur.
“Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will
come the decisive hour which marks the fixing
of every man’s destiny, the final withdrawal
of mercy’s offer to guilty men. ‘Watch ye therefore
. . lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.”—
Sons and Daughters of God, 355:5.
3 - Silently and unnoticed will come the final hour.
“The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will
be planting and building, eating and drinking, all
unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision
has been pronounced in the Sanctuary above.
Before the flood, after Noah entered the ark, God
shut him in, and shut the ungodly out; but for seven
days the people, knowing not that their doom was
fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life,
and mocked the warnings of impending judgment.
‘So,’ says the Saviour, ‘shall also the coming of the
Son of man be.’ Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which
marks the fixing of every man’s destiny, the
final withdrawal of mercy’s offer to guilty
men.”—Great Controversy, 491:1.
4 - No one can predict when it will happen.
“When God’s presence was finally withdrawn
from the Jewish nation, priests and people knew
it not . . So when the irrevocable decision of the
Sanctuary has been pronounced and the destiny of
the world has been forever fixed, the inhabitants of
the earth will know it not. The forms of religion
will be continued by a people from whom the Spirit
of God has been finally withdrawn; and the satanic
zeal with which the prince of evil will inspire them

179

for the accomplishment of his malignant designs,
will bear the semblance of zeal for God.”—Great Controversy, 615:1.
5 - Even Satan will not know when probation
has closed.
“He [Satan] sees that holy angels are guarding
them [the righteous], and he infers that their sins
have been pardoned; but he does not know that
their cases have been decided in the Sanctuary
above.”—Great Controversy, 618:2.
6 - The close of probation did not awaken
them, but the wrath which follows surely will.
“The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of
the wrath of God.”—Maranatha, 264:3.
7 - The final close of probation will also find
many professed Sabbathkeepers unready.
“The eye of Jesus, looking down the ages,
was fixed upon our time when He said, ‘If thou
hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the
things which belong unto thy peace!’ It is still thy
day, O church of God, whom He has made the
depositary of His law. This day of trust and probation is drawing to a close. The sun is fast
westering. Can it be that it will set and thou wilt
not know ‘the things which belong unto thy peace!’?
Must the irrevocable sentence be passed, ‘But now
they are hid from thine eyes.’ ”—Maranatha, 264:5.
-6THE LOUD CRY IS FINISHED AND
THE FAITHFUL HAVE BEEN SEALED
From the time that the National Sunday Law
was enacted, the sealing, marking, latter rain, and
loud cry continued. But, finally, the last soul has
been sealed or marked, and the final warning (the
loud cry) has reached the last person on earth. Probation for the last soul has ended. Human probation is closed forever!
When the last saint has been sealed and the
number of the subjects in Christ’s kingdom has
been made up, probationary time is completely finished for the entire planet. All are forever fixed in
the character they had when their probation closed.
1 - Sequence: (1) Michael (Christ) stands up
and mercy no longer pleads. (2) The great time
of trouble begins, (3) and God’s people will be
delivered by the Voice of God.
“ ‘At that time shall Michael stand up, the great
Prince which standeth for the children of thy people:
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was
since there was a nation even to that same time: and
at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone
that shall be found written in the book.’ Daniel
12:1.”—Great Controversy, 213:1.

180

THE END OF TIME

2 - Sequence: (1) Pre- and post-latter rain work
of God’s people done. (2) An angel returns to
heaven and announces that his work is done,
the final test has been brought to the world, and
the sealing is completed.
“When the third angel’s message closes, mercy
no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the
earth. The people of God have accomplished their
work. They have received ‘the latter rain,’ ‘the
refreshing from the presence of the Lord,’ and they
are prepared for the trying hour before them.
Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel
returning from the earth announces that his work
is done; the final test has been brought upon
the world, and all who have proved themselves
loyal to the divine precepts have received ‘the seal
of the living God.’ ”—Great Controversy, 613:2.
3 - Sequence: (1) The saints had earlier been
numbered. They had received the latter rain, been
sealed, and had given the last warning (loud cry),
which had enraged the wicked. (2) They were prepared for the final trying hour; and, now, (3) an
angel reports to Jesus that the final probationary
events have ended.
“I was pointed down to the time when the third
angel’s message was closing. The power of God
had rested upon His people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the
trying hour before them. They had received the
latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the
Lord, and the living testimony had been revived.
The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the
inhabitants of the earth who would not receive
the message.
“I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An
angel with a writer’s inkhorn by his side returned
from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work
was done, and the saints were numbered and
sealed.”—Early Writings, 279:1-2.
-7JESUS THROWS DOWN
THE CENSER,
UTTERS THE “IT IS DONE,”
AND LEAVES
THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY
The investigative judgment ends when the
record of the last person on earth has been examined and he has received the mark or seal. By definite words and actions, Jesus reveals to the angels
and the unfallen worlds that human probation is
ended.
1 - Sequence: (1) The last case has been decided, and received the atonement and blotting

out of sins. (2) The number of Christ’s subjects is
now complete. (3) Those subjects will, with Him,
soon receive the kingdom and reign. (4) Jesus
ceases His intercession and says, “It is done.”
“Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the
Sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud
voice says, ‘It is done’; and all the angelic host lay
off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement: ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust
still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still:
and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still:
and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’ Revelation
22:11. Every case has been decided for life or
death. Christ has made the atonement for His
people and blotted out their sins. The number
of His subjects is made up; ‘the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under
the whole heaven,’ is about to be given to the heirs
of salvation, and Jesus is to reign as King of kings
and Lord of lords.”—Great Controversy, 613:2614:0.
2 - Sequence: (1) Jesus had been ministering in the Sanctuary for the righteous dead and,
then, the righteous living. (2) Now the atonement
and blotting out of sins is completed, the number of subjects in His kingdom is complete, the
marriage is past, and the kingdom has been given
to Christ and the heirs with Him. (3) At that
point, Jesus throws down the censer and says, “It
is done.”
“Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering
before the ark containing the ten commandments,
throw down the censer. He raised His hands, and
with a loud voice said, ‘It is done.’ And all the angelic host laid off their crowns as Jesus made the
solemn declaration, ‘He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy
still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’
“Every case had been decided for life or death.
While Jesus had been ministering in the Sanctuary,
the judgment had been going on for the righteous
dead, and then for the righteous living. Christ had
received His kingdom, having made the atonement
for His people and blotted out their sins. The subjects of the kingdom were made up. The marriage
of the Lamb was consummated. And the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the
whole heaven, was given to Jesus and the heirs of
salvation, and Jesus was to reign as King of kings
and Lord of lords.”—Early Writings, 279:2-280:1.
3 - Even though probation has closed, God will
continue to care for His own.
“But God’s people are not to fear. Satan cannot go beyond his limit. The Lord will be the defense of His people. He regards the injury done to

16 - THE GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
His servants for the truth’s sake as done to Himself.
When the last decision has been made, when all
have taken sides, either for Christ and the commandments or for the great apostate, God will arise in
His power, and the mouths of those who have blasphemed against Him will be forever stopped. Every
opposing power will receive its punishment.”—
Maranatha, 191:3.
-8WHEN CHRIST LEAVES
THE SANCTUARY,
THE WORLD IS WITHOUT
AN INTERCESSOR
There is no forgiveness of sin after the close of
probation. Early Writings, 71, quoted below, is one
of the most solemn warnings ever written to those
willing to read it. Yet few of those, to whom these
books have been entrusted, read anything in that
book. They are too busy compromising with the
world. But the warning has been given; and we had
better heed it. That warning is this: It is now, with
the enabling help of Christ, that we are to put away
our sins; later will be too late.
At this point in this set of studies on last day
events, we will switch to the present tense in our
paragraph introductions to quotations.
1 - There is no intercessor, the restraint is removed, and Satan controls the wicked.
“When He [Christ] leaves the Sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy
God without an intercessor. The restraint which
has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent.
God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled
upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn.”—
Great Controversy, 614:1.
“As Jesus moved out of the Most Holy Place, I
heard the tinkling of the bells upon His garment;
and as He left, a cloud of darkness covered the inhabitants of the earth. There was then no mediator between guilty man and an offended
God. While Jesus had been standing between God
and guilty man, a restraint was upon the people;
but when He stepped out from between man and
the Father, the restraint was removed and Satan had entire control of the finally impenitent.”—Early Writings, 280:2.
“When Christ shall cease His work as mediator
in man’s behalf, then this time of trouble will begin.
Then the case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to

181

cleanse from sin. When Jesus leaves His position as man’s intercessor before God the solemn announcement is made, ‘He that is unjust, let
him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him
be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be
righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still’ (Rev. 22:11). Then the restraining Spirit of God
is withdrawn from the earth.”—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 201:2.
2 - The wicked have no shelter, no mediator,
and no preparation for the final conflict.
“I also saw that many do not realize what they
must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord
without a high Priest in the Sanctuary through
the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of
the living God and are protected in the time of
trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.
“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in
the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh,
how many I saw in the time of trouble without
a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight
of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the
prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying
the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that
their condition is far better than it really is, will
come up to the time of the falling of the plagues,
and then see that they needed to be hewed and
squared for the building.
“But there will be no time then to do it and
no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, ‘He that is unjust, let him be
unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy
still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’ I saw
that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they
obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride,
selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong
word and action. We should, therefore, be drawing
nearer and nearer to the Lord and be earnestly seeking that preparation necessary to enable us to
stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. Let
all remember that God is holy and that none but
holy beings can ever dwell in His presence.”—Early
Writings, 71:1-2.
3 - It will then be too late to witness and win
souls.
“Oh, let us live wholly for the Lord and show by
a well-ordered life and godly conversation that we
have been with Jesus and are His meek and lowly
followers. We must work while the day lasts, for when
the dark night of trouble and anguish comes, it

182
will be too late to work for God. Jesus is in His
holy temple and will now accept our sacrifices, our
prayers, and our confessions of faults and sins and
will pardon all the transgressions of Israel, that they
may be blotted out before He leaves the Sanctuary.
When Jesus leaves the Sanctuary, then they who
are holy and righteous will be holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted out,
and they will be sealed with the seal of the living
God. But those that are unjust and filthy will be
unjust and filthy still; for then there will be no
Priest in the Sanctuary to offer their sacrifices,
their confessions, and their prayers before the
Father’s throne. Therefore what is done to rescue
souls from the coming storm of wrath must be done
before Jesus leaves the Most Holy Place of the heavenly Sanctuary.”—Early Writings, 48:1.
-9CHRIST PLACES THE SINS
ON THE SCAPEGOAT,
PREPARATORY TO SENDING HIM
TO A DESOLATE LAND
The scapegoat transaction is based on a point of
justice, and is solidly founded on a Biblical passage.
During the investigative judgment, the sins of those
shown to be genuinely faithful to the Lord were removed from the book of sin. At the general close of
probation, Jesus removes His mediatorial robes, preparatory to departing from the heavenly Sanctuary.
As He leaves the Most Holy Place, He pauses in the
first apartment and places the sins of the faithful to
Satan’s account. In the final destruction of sin and
sinners, Satan will bear the punishment for those
sins. But he does not do this in an atoning sense on
behalf of the righteous; note that His mediatorial
work is already completed. The scapegoat transaction concerns punishment of sin, not mediation for
mankind. Since Satan was the one who tempted the
declared righteous to commit sins, the full responsibility for those actions is now rolled back on him.
For more on this, see Leviticus 16; EW 178; 280281; 290; GC 422, 485-486, 658, 660, 673; PP 358;
and PK 591.
1 - The sins of the righteous are rolled back
onto Satan.
“Jesus tarried a moment in the outer apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary, and the sins
which had been confessed while He was in the
Most Holy Place were placed upon Satan, the
originator of sin, who must suffer their punishment.”—Early Writings, 280:2-281:0.
2 - In the final judgment, Satan must bear the
penalty.
“When the High Priest, by virtue of the blood of

THE END OF TIME
the sin offering, removed the sins from the Sanctuary, He placed them upon the scapegoat. When
Christ, by virtue of His own blood, removes the sins
of His people from the heavenly Sanctuary at the
close of His ministration, He will place them upon
Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must
bear the final penalty.”—Great Controversy, 422:2.
- 10 JESUS REMOVES
HIS PRIESTLY GARMENTS
AND PUTS ON HIS KINGLY ROBES
OF VENGEANCE
1 - Jesus changes garments and leaves heaven.
“Then I saw Jesus lay off His priestly attire
and clothe Himself with His most kingly robes.
Upon His head were many crowns, a crown within
a crown. Surrounded by the angelic host, He left
heaven.”—Early Writings, 281:1.
“When Jesus rises up in the Most Holy Place,
and lays off His mediatorial garments, and clothes
Himself with the garments of vengeance in place
of the priestly attire, the work for sinners will be
done. The period of time will then have come when
the mandate will go forth: ‘He that is unjust, let
him be unjust still . . and he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him
be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My
reward is with Me, to give every man according as
his work shall be.’ ”—2 Testimonies, 691:0.
2 - Human probation ends.
“God has given His Word for all to investigate,
that they may learn the way to life. None need err if
they will submit to the conditions of salvation laid
down in the Word of God. Probation is granted to
all, that all may form characters for eternal life. An
opportunity will be given to all to decide for life or
death. Men will be judged according to the measure of light given them. None will be accountable
for their darkness and their errors if the light has
not been brought to them. They have not sinned in
not accepting what has not been given them. All
will be tested before Jesus leaves His position
in the Most Holy Place. The probation of all
closes when the pleading for sinners is ended
and the garments of vengeance are put on.
“Many entertain the view that probation is
granted after Jesus leaves His work as mediator in
the Most Holy Apartment. This is the sophistry of
Satan. God tests and proves the world by the light
which He is pleased to give them previous to the coming of Christ. Characters are then formed for life or
death. But the probation of those who choose to live
a life of sin, and neglect the great salvation offered,
closes when Christ’s ministration ceases just previ-

16 - THE GENERAL CLOSE OF PROBATION
ous to His appearing in the clouds of heaven.”—2
Testimonies, 691:1-2.
3 - Jesus steps out from between God and man;
and the plagues begin to be poured out.
“I saw that Jesus would not leave the Most Holy
Place until every case was decided either for salvation or destruction, and that the wrath of God could
not come until Jesus had finished His work in the
Most Holy Place, laid off His priestly attire, and
clothed Himself with the garments of vengeance.
Then Jesus will step out from between the Father and man, and God will keep silence no
longer, but pour out His wrath on those who
have rejected His truth.”—Early Writings, 36:1.
Note: The seven last plagues begin to be poured
out as soon as the general close of probation occurs.
- 11 THERE IS NO SECOND PROBATION
This present life is all that we have in which to
prepare for eternity. There will be no second chance
at some later time. When probation ends, the opportunity for salvation for those who had so far
refused it also ends.
1 - This is our only and last opportunity.
“We are to make the best of our present opportunities. There will be no other probation given
to us in which to prepare for heaven. This is our
only and last opportunity to form characters
which will fit us for the future home which the Lord
has prepared for all who are obedient to His commandments.”—Last Day Events, 236:3-237:0.
2 - There will be no second probationary
time.
“All will be tested and tried according to the
light they have had. Those who turn from the truth
to fables can look for no second probation. There
will be no temporal millennium. If, after the Holy
Spirit has brought conviction to their hearts, they
resist the truth and use their influence to block the
way so that others will not receive it, they will never
be convinced. They did not seek for transformation of character in the probation given them, and
Christ will not give them opportunity to pass
over the ground again. The decision is a final
one.”—Last Day Events, 237:2.
3 - There will be no probation after Jesus returns.
“There will be no probation after the coming of the Lord. Those who say that there will be
are deceived and misled. Before Christ comes just
such a state of things will exist as existed before the
Flood. And after the Saviour appears in the clouds

183

of heaven no one will be given another chance to
gain salvation. All will have made their decisions.”—Last Day Events, 237:1.
- 12 WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE DOING
WHEN PROBATION CLOSES
1 - Gain, indulgence, and adornments.
“While the man of business is absorbed in
the pursuit of gain, while the pleasure lover is
seeking indulgence, while the daughter of fashion is arranging her adornments—it may be in
that hour the Judge of all the earth will pronounce
the sentence: ‘Thou art weighed in the balances,
and art found wanting’ (Dan. 5:27).”—Great Controversy, 491:2.
2 - Planting, building, eating, and drinking.
“The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will
be planting and building, eating, and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable
decision has been pronounced in the Sanctuary above.”—Great Controversy, 491:1.
3 - Forms of religion and apparent zeal for God.
“When the irrevocable decision of the Sanctuary
has been pronounced, and the destiny of the world
has been forever fixed, the inhabitants of the earth
will know it not. The forms of religion will be
continued by a people from whom the Spirit of God
has been finally withdrawn, and the satanic zeal with
which the prince of evil will inspire them for the accomplishment of his malignant designs, will bear
the semblance of zeal for God.”—Great Controversy, 615:1.
4 - The contrast will be obvious.
“The wheat and tares ‘grow together until the
harvest.’ In the discharge of life’s duties the righteous will to the last be brought in contact with
the ungodly. The children of light are scattered
among the children of darkness, that the contrast
may be seen by all.”—5 Testimonies, 100:2.
5 - Luxury, marriage bells, and the hope of
prosperity.
“When the professed people of God are uniting
with the world, living as they live, and joining with
them in forbidden pleasures; when the luxury of
the world becomes the luxury of the church; when
the marriage bells are chiming, and all are looking forward to many years of worldly prosperity—then, suddenly as the lightning flashes from the
heavens, will come the end of their bright visions
and delusive hopes.”—Great Controversy, 338:2339:0.
6 - Farmers, merchants, lawyers, and trades-

184

THE END OF TIME

men.
“When Lot warned the members of his family of
the destruction of Sodom, they would not heed his
words, but looked upon him as a fanatical enthusiast. The destruction that came found them unprepared. Thus it will be when Christ comes. Farmers, merchants, lawyers, tradesmen will be
wholly engrossed in business, and upon them
the day of the Lord will come as a snare.”—Last
Day Events, 232:4-233:0.
7 - Ease, amusements, buying and selling.
“When men are at ease, full of amusement,
absorbed in buying and selling, then the thief
approaches with stealthy tread. So it will be at the
coming of the Son of man.”—Last Day Events,
233:2.
8 - Philosophy, religion, business, pleasure,
planting, building, feasting, and merrymaking.
“When the reasoning of philosophy has banished the fear of God’s judgments; when religious
teachers are pointing forward to long ages of peace
and prosperity, and the world are absorbed in their
rounds of business and pleasure, planting and
building, feasting and merrymaking, rejecting
God’s warnings and mocking His messengers—
then it is that sudden destruction cometh upon
them, and they shall not escape.”—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 104:0.
9 - Pleasure, business, traffic, merrymaking,
religion, and apparent progress and enlightenment.
“Come when it may, the day of God will come
unawares to the ungodly. When life is going on in its
unvarying round; when men are absorbed in pleasure, in business, in traffic, in money-making;

when religious leaders are magnifying the
world’s progress and enlightenment, and the
people are lulled in a false security—then, as
the midnight thief steals within the unguarded
dwelling, so shall sudden destruction come upon
the careless and ungodly, ‘and they shall not escape.’ ”—Great Controversy, 38:1.
__________________
L AS
T D
AYS APPENDIX
AST
DA
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
CLOSE OF PROBATION

All Will Be Tested and Tried According to
the Light Received. There Will Be no Second Probation.—“All will be tested and tried, according to
the light they have had. Those who turn from the
truth to fables can look for no second probation.
There will be no temporal millennium. If, after the
Holy Spirit has brought conviction to their hearts,
they resist the truth and use their influence to block
the way so that others will not receive it, they will
never be convinced. They did not seek for transformation of character in the probation given them, and
Christ will not give them [an] opportunity to pass
over the ground again. The decision is a final one.”—
Letter 28, 1900 (to “Brother and Sister [W.W.]
Prescott,” February 17, 1900. See also Maranatha,
191).

“I was pointed down to the time when the third angel’s message was closing. The power of God had rested upon His
people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared
for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter
rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living
testimony had been revived. The last great warning had
sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the
inhabitants of the earth who would not receive the message.
“I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a
writer’s inkhorn by his side returned from the earth and reported to
Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered
and sealed.”
—Early Writings, 279:1-2

185

PART TWO
EVENTS AFTER
THE
CLOSE OF PROBATION

17 - The Great Time of Trouble 186
18 - Deliverance by the Voice of God 203
19 - The Second Coming of Christ 215
20 - The Millennium 226
21 - The Third Advent of Christ 236
22 - The Executive Judgment 240
23 - Eternity Beyond 249
Appendix: Additional End-Time Quotations 286

186

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 17 —

THE GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE,
THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES,
AND JACOB’S TROUBLE
INTRODUCTION
The little time of trouble began with the setting
up of the image and enactment of the National Sunday Law. The people of God experience much difficulty and suffering. Worldlings also experienced a
lot of problems.
Yet, prior to the close of probation, Satan was
restrained from causing all the misery he desired.
Souls needed to be warned and Satan’s power was
limited. But, when probation for all mankind ends,
this restraint is removed.
Immediately, two totally different—and very powerful—agencies begin work. (1) Satan has more freedom to wreak hovoc upon the wicked; this is (2) the
time for the outpouring of God’s wrath, as promised
in the third angel’s message. Satan works through
destructions, calamities, and warfare; God sends His
angels to pour out the seven vials of the plagues.
The “winds” of disaster, strife, and bloodshed
(which good angels have held back till the close of
probation) are caused and worked by Satan. He originated them by tempting mankind to sin. Wickedness always brings evil results; but the full impact
of those results is held back until probation ends.
Never before, in human history, has Satan been permitted to work such terrible desolation upon mankind. But never before had human probation totally
ended—forever. It is a last-day antitype of the destruction of Jerusalem, which Satan caused (GC 3536). Speaking specifically about those post-probation “winds,” we are told:
“The same destructive power exercised by
holy angels when God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when He permits. There are
forces now ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere.”—Great
Controversy, 614:2.
The plagues, in contrast, are different. After having extended pleading and mercy to them throughout most of their lives, the plagues are part of God’s
judgments upon sinners. These plagues are terrible;

and, we are told, they are caused directly by the good
angels, not by Satan. They are an end-time antitype
of the destruction of the world by the Flood, which
God caused.
“Satan himself, who was compelled to remain in
the midst of the warring elements, feared for his own
existence.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 99:3.
As Jesus throws down the censer, He leaves the
Sanctuary, instructs the angels with the vials of wrath
to begin pouring them upon the wicked, and instructs
the four angels who hold the four winds to release
them, permitting Satan to bring intense devastations
and strife to the wicked. Thus, both devastations
from Satan and the seven plagues from God are two
separate sets of events that simultaneously begin
occurring.
The seven last plagues begin at the end of the
general close of probation (EW 36, 52, 280-282; GC
629; 5T 212). But in order to avoid confusion, in
Great Controversy, discussion of the plagues is postponed until after the devastations and strife, caused
by Satan, have been explained. It is important that
you realize this. Although both begin simultaneously,
the description of the two are kept distinctly separate in that book.
Here is the arrangement of material, in the Great
Controversy chapter, which takes us from the general close of probation to just before the Voice of
God (“The Time of Trouble,” chapter 39):
The general close of probation (GC 613:1-614:0).
Satanic strife and desolations (GC 614:1-615:1). Persecution of the righteous, bringing on Jacob’s trouble
(GC 615:2-616:0). Flashback discussion of how we
now need to prepare for the satanic delusions,
miracles, and personation of Christ which will occur when the National Sunday Law is passed (GC
620:2-626:0). The effect of the death decree (GC
615:2-616:0) on the righteous is discussed (GC
626:1-627:1). The outpouring of the seven last
plagues is presented (GC 627:2-629:1). As He has
done in the past, God will care for His faithful ones
throughout that terrible time (GC 629:2-634:1).

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
In the book, Great Controversy, there are two
mentions of Satan’s personation of Christ. The first
is found on pages 588-589 and refers to a time before the close of probation. The second is found in
chapter 39 (pages 624-625); but it occurs within a
flashback section. That flashback occurs from page
620:2 to page 626:0 (more about this in the section
in this chapter on Satan Personates Christ).
The period from the setting up of the image by
the threefold union to the close of probation is the
little time of trouble; and the time span from the
close of probation to the Second Advent is the great
time of trouble.
These troublous times especially affect the
wicked. The righteous are more shielded. Yet, during the great time of trouble, the wicked heavily persecute and seek to slay the righteous. This brings
the faithful into that anguishing experience, known
as the time of Jacob’s trouble. It is also called their
“final conflict” with the beast and his image.
-1A TERRIBLE ORDEAL
1 - The terrible power of Satan is unleashed in
destructions and combat.
“Four mighty angels are still holding the four
winds of the earth. Terrible destruction is forbidden to come in full. The . . winds will be the stirring
up of the nations to one deadly combat, while the
angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible
power of Satan to be exercised in its fury until the
servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.”—
Maranatha, 175:2.
2 - Only the faithful will be protected at that
time.
“Those only who have clean hands and pure
hearts will stand in that trying time . . Now is
the time, while the four angels are holding the four
winds, to make our calling and election sure.”—Early
Writings, 58:0, 2.
3 - It is a terrible ordeal.
“The time of trouble such as never was is
soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess, and which many
are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that
trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us.
The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. And now, while the precious
Saviour is making an atonement for us, we should
seek to become perfect in Christ. God’s providence
is the school in which we are to learn the meekness
and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we would choose, which is easier
and pleasanter to us, but the true aims of life. None

187

can neglect or defer this work but at the most fearful
peril to their souls.”—4 Spirit of Prophecy, 440-441
(1884 Great Controversy).
-2GOD REMOVES HIS PROTECTION
FROM THE WICKED
1 - The angels do not prevent Satan’s working.
“I was shown that the judgments of God would
not come directly out from the Lord upon them,
but in this way: They place themselves beyond His
protection. He warns, corrects, reproves, and points
out the only path of safety; then, if those who have
been the objects of His special care will follow their
own course, independent of the Spirit of God, after
repeated warnings, if they choose their own way, then
He does not commission His angels to prevent
Satan’s decided attacks upon them.
“It is Satan’s power that is at work at sea
and on land, bringing calamity and distress and
sweeping off multitudes to make sure of his prey.”—
Last Day Events, 242:1-2.
2 - Because God’s Spirit is withdrawn.
“Already the Spirit of God, insulted, refused,
abused, is being withdrawn from the earth. Just as
fast as God’s Spirit is taken away, Satan’s cruel
work will be done upon land and sea.”—Last Day
Events, 242:4.
3 - The wicked are no longer sheltered by God.
“The wicked have passed the boundary of their
probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted,
has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine
grace, they have no protection from the wicked
one.”—Great Controversy, 614:1.
4 - God’s enemies become instruments of destruction.
“God will use His enemies as instruments to
punish those who have followed their own pernicious ways whereby the truth of God has been misrepresented, misjudged, and dishonored.”—Last
Day Events, 242:3.
5 - The destruction of Jerusalem anticipated.
“The Saviour’s prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible desolation
was but a faint shadow. In the fate of the chosen city
we may behold the doom of a world that has rejected God’s mercy and trampled upon His law.”—
Great Controversy, 36:2.
6 - Exercised by evil angels when He permits.
“The same destructive power exercised by
holy angels when God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when He permits. There are

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forces now ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere.”—Great
Controversy, 614:2.
-3THE FOUR WINDS ARE LOOSED
AS SATAN IS PERMITTED
TO CAUSE GREAT TROUBLES
1 - The armies of Satan are unleashed.
“Angels are belting the world, refusing Satan his
claims to supremacy, made because of the vast multitudes of his adherents. We hear not the voices, we
see not with the natural sight the work of these angels, but their hands are linked about the world,
and with sleepless vigilance they are keeping the
armies of Satan at bay till the sealing of God’s
people shall be accomplished.”—7 Bible Commentary, 967/2:2.
2 - The winds of disaster, strife, and warfare
are loosed.
“John sees the elements of nature—earthquake,
tempest, and political strife—represented as being
held by four angels. These winds are under control
until God gives the word to let them go. There is the
safety of God’s church. The angels of God do His
bidding, holding back the winds of the earth, that
the winds should not blow on the earth, nor on the
sea, nor on any tree, until the servants of God should
be sealed in their foreheads.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 444:3.
3 - The stupendous crisis, held back so long,
breaks in all its fury.
“The present is a time of overwhelming interest
to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy
positions of trust and authority, thinking men and
women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon
the events taking place about us. They are watching
the strained, restless relations that exist among the
nations. They observe the intensity that is taking
possession of every earthly element, and they realize that something great and decisive is about to
take place—that the world is on the verge of a
stupendous crisis.
“Angels are now restraining the winds of strife,
until the world shall be warned of its coming doom;
but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon
the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose
the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no
pen can picture . .
“A moment of respite has been graciously given
us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be
used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for
those who are perishing in ignorance. The warning
message is to be sounded in all parts of the world
. . A great work is to be done, and this work has

THE END OF TIME
been entrusted to those who know the truth for this
time.”—Maranatha, 266:4-6.
4 - Trouble beyond comparison.
“The season of distress and anguish before us
will require a faith that can endure weariness, delay,
and hunger—a faith that will not faint, though severely tried . .
“The ‘time of trouble, such as never was,’ is
soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess, and which many
are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that
trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but
this is not true of the crisis before us. The most
vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude
of the ordeal.”—Great Controversy, 621:2, 622:4.
5 - Terrible laws will be enacted.
“When Jesus leaves the Most Holy, His restraining Spirit is withdrawn from rulers and people. They
are left to the control of evil angels. Then such laws
will be made by the counsel and direction of
Satan that, unless time should be very short, no
flesh could be saved.”—1 Testimonies, 204:0.
The above statements indicate that if time was
not shortened after the close of probation,—the
wicked would destroy not only the righteous, but
also all the wicked.
-4SATAN PLUNGES THE WORLD
INTO CONFLICT AND DISASTERS
1 - The whole world becomes involved in terrible ruin.
“Unsheltered by divine grace, they [the
wicked] have no protection from the wicked one.
Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth
into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God
cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be
let loose. The whole world will be involved in
ruin more terrible than that which came upon
Jerusalem of old.
“A single angel destroyed all the firstborn of the
Egyptians and filled the land with mourning. When
David offended against God by numbering the people,
one angel caused that terrible destruction by which
his sin was punished. The same destructive power
exercised by holy angels when God commands,
will be exercised by evil angels when He permits. There are forces now ready, and only waiting
the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere.”—Great Controversy, 614:1-2.
2 - Deadly warfare by the nations will occur.
“Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this
earth till the servants of God are sealed in their fore-

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
heads. The nations of the world are eager for
conflict, but they are held in check by the angels.
When this restraining power is removed, there will
come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with
their living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep.
All who have not the spirit of truth will unite under
the leadership of satanic agencies, but they are to be
kept under control till the time shall come for the
great battle of Armageddon.”—7 Bible Commentary,
967/2:1.
3 - Terrible tragedies will occur.
“I have seen the most costly structures in
buildings erected and supposed to be fireproof. And
just as Sodom perished in the flames of God’s vengeance, so will these proud structures become
ashes. I have seen vessels which cost immense sums
of money wrestling with the mighty waters, seeking
to breast the angry billows. But with all their treasures of gold and silver, and with their human freight
they sink into a watery grave. Man’s pride will be
buried with the treasures he has accumulated by
fraud. God will avenge the widows and orphans who
in hunger and nakedness have cried to Him for help
from oppression and abuse.
“The time is right upon us when there will be
sorrow in the world that no human balm can
heal. The flattering monuments of men’s greatness
will be crumbled in the dust, even before the last
great destruction comes upon the world . .
“Only by being clothed with the robe of Christ’s
righteousness can we escape the judgments that are
coming upon the earth.”—3 Selected Messages,
418:3-419:1.
-5THE FAITHFUL ARE BLAMED
FOR THE CONVULSIONS AND STRIFE
The faithful are blamed for the time of trouble.
“Those who honor the law of God have been accused of bringing the judgments upon the world, and
they will be regarded as the cause of the fearful
convulsions of nature and the strife and bloodshed among men that are filling the earth with woe.
The power attending the last warning has enraged
the wicked; their anger is kindled against all who
have received the message, and Satan will excite to
still greater intensity the spirit of hatred and persecution.”—Great Controversy, 614:3-615:0.
-6THE WICKED STILL CONSIDER
THEMSELVES SERVANTS OF GOD
The counterfeit revival which began just before
the setting up of the image, by the enactment of the

189

National Sunday Law, will continue on beyond the
general close of probation.
The wicked are filled with satanic religious zeal.
“When God’s presence was finally withdrawn
from the Jewish nation, priests and people knew it
not. Though under the control of Satan, and
swayed by the most horrible and malignant passions, they still regarded themselves as the chosen of God. The ministration in the Temple continued; sacrifices were offered upon its polluted altars,
and daily the divine blessing was invoked upon a
people guilty of the blood of God’s dear Son and seeking to slay His ministers and apostles. So when the
irrevocable decision of the Sanctuary has been pronounced and the destiny of the world has been forever fixed, the inhabitants of the earth will know it
not. The forms of religion will be continued by a
people from whom the Spirit of God has been
finally withdrawn; and the satanic zeal with which
the prince of evil will inspire them for the accomplishment of his malignant designs, will bear the
semblance of zeal for God.”—Great Controversy,
615:1.
-7SATAN WILL WORK GREAT MIRACLES
Miracle-working demons and men display satanic power.
“Fearful sights of a supernatural character
will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the
power of miracle-working demons. The spirits
of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to
the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and
urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle
against the government of heaven. By these agencies,
rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons
will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s
Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles
of healing and will profess to have revelations
from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.”—Great Controversy, 624:1.
-8SATAN PERSONATES CHRIST
In the book, Great Controversy, there are two
mentions of Satan’s personation of Christ. The first
is found on pages 588-589, and refers to a time before the close of probation. The second is found in
chapter 39 (pages 624-625)—but it occurs within a
flashback section. That flashback occurs from page
620:2 through page 626:0.
Before and after that flashback, we are told about
Jacob’s trouble and the agonizing experience of God’s
people just before their deliverance by the Voice of

190
God.
Thus it would appear that the second mention
of Satan’s personation of Christ, in Great Controversy, actually refers to his appearance prior to the
close of probation. Of course, Satan may also appear after the close of probation. The crucial point
here is that Satan definitely will appear before the
close of probation while the faithful are giving the
loud cry—and that is when it clearly begins.
In order to understand this for yourself, carefully read GC 621:2-625:1. Here is the arrangement
of this flashback:
Jacob’s trouble (GC 615:2-620:1).
—Flashback begins—
The preparation we should now be making (GC
620:2-623:3). Satan will soon begin presenting fearful sights of a supernatural nature to us, and will
work miracles (GC 624:1). Satan will personate
Christ (GC 624:2-625:2). We must now prepare for
what is soon to come when Satan will appear as
Christ and tell the people they should keep Sunday
instead of the Sabbath (GC 625:3-626:0).
—Flashback ends—
More on the Jacob’s trouble crisis, brought on
by the death decree (GC 626:1-627:1). The plagues
are poured out (GC 627:2, etc.).
1 - Satan will personate Christ.
“As the second appearing of our Lord Jesus
Christ draws near, satanic agencies are moved from
beneath. Satan will not only appear as a human being, but he will personate Jesus Christ; and the
world that has rejected the truth will receive him as
the Lord of lords and King of kings.”—5 Bible Commentary, 1105/2:4-1106/1:0.
2 - This dazzling being will appear in different
parts of the world.
“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The
church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s
advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the
great deceiver will make it appear that Christ
has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan
will manifest himself among men as a majestic
being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15.”—Great Controversy,
624:2.
“The glory that surrounds him [Satan] is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air:
‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he
lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing
upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He
was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued,

THE END OF TIME
yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones
he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the
diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed
character of Christ, he claims to have changed the
Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow
the day which he has blessed. He declares that those
who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels
sent to them with light and truth. This is the
strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the
Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the
multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed
to these sorceries, saying: This is ‘the great power of
God.’ Acts 8:10.
“But the people of God will not be misled.
The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his
image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares
that God’s unmingled wrath shall be poured out.”—
Great Controversy, 624:2-625:1.
3 - He is not permitted to counterfeit Christ’s
coming in the skies with glory and thousands of
angels.
“And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to
counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The
Saviour has warned His people against deception
upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner
of His second coming. ‘There shall arise false christs,
and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect . . Wherefore if they shall
say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not
forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe
it not. For as the lightening cometh out of the east,
and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.’ Matthew 24:24-27,
31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known—witnessed
by the whole world.
“Only those who have been diligent students of
the Scriptures and who have received the love of the
truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion
that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony
these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all
the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the
people of God so firmly established upon His Word
that they would not yield to the evidence of their
senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the
Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible,
prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand
in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up
their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause
them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life
and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.”—
Great Controversy, 625:2-626:0.
-9THE DEATH DECREE
We earlier saw clearly that the National Sunday
Law initiates the loud cry of the third angel and the
placement of the seal and mark. But could the “decree,” of 5 Testimonies, 212, be the “death decree,”
instead of the “Sunday law decree”? Here is a brief
comparison of the two decrees:
The Sunday law decree is made by the image
beast (5T 451, Rev. 13:11-17). It is the test before
we are sealed (7 BC 976). Every nation on earth enacts a similar one (6T 395). It contains the threat of
death (5T 81). It causes a great sifting in the church
(5T 81). It will be the test before the Loud Cry (5T
81-82, 6T 401).
The universal death decree is made after the close
of probation (EW 282, 34, 37; GC 615). It is made
by a worldwide legislature (EW 282, PK 512). After
a certain period of time, the people are given liberty
to kill the saints (GC 615). It cannot be made before
the close of probation (GC 610-611). It marks the
commencement of the time of Jacob’s trouble (EW
36-37).
So we see that the Sunday law decree will not be
made after the close of probation; for it will be the
great final test before probation ends. In contrast,
the universal death decree cannot be made before
probation’s close; and it directly precedes that climatic post-probation event, Jacob’s trouble, which
ends at the sounding of the Voice of God.
Two intriguing passages, quoted below, reveal
the stipulations of the death decree (1T 353-354)
and who enacts it (5T 213):
1 - Evil laws are made, which would result in
destroying everyone.
“When Jesus leaves the Most Holy [Place], His
restraining Spirit is withdrawn from rulers and
people. They are left to the control of evil angels. Then
such laws will be made by the counsel and direction of Satan, that unless time should be very
short, no flesh could be saved.”—1 Testimonies,
204:0.
2 - A death decree is issued.
“As the Sabbath has become the special point of
controversy throughout Christendom, and religious
and secular authorities have combined to enforce the
observance of the Sunday, the persistent refusal of a
small minority to yield to the popular demand will
make them objects of universal execration.
“It will be urged that the few who stand in
opposition to an institution of the church and a

191

law of the state ought not to be tolerated; that it
is better for them to suffer than for whole nations to
be thrown into confusion and lawlessness. The same
argument eighteen hundred years ago was brought
against Christ by the ‘rulers of the people.’ ‘It is expedient for us,’ said the wily Caiaphas, ‘that one man
should die for the people, and that the whole nation
perish not.’ John 11:50. This argument will appear
conclusive; and a decree will finally be issued
against those who hallow the Sabbath of the
fourth commandment, denouncing them as deserving of the severest punishment and giving the
people liberty, after a certain time, to put them
to death. Romanism in the Old World and apostate
Protestantism in the New will pursue a similar course
toward those who honor all the divine precepts.”—
Great Controversy, 615:2-616:0.
“A decree went forth to slay the saints, which
caused them to cry day and night for deliverance.”—
Early Writings, 36:2-37:0.
3 - It will be a universal decree.
“Especially will the wrath of man be aroused
against those who hallow the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment; and at last a universal decree will
denounce these as deserving of death.”—Prophets and Kings, 512:1.
Note: According to the above statement, the death
decree will apparently be a joint, simultaneous decree made by all nations. That would be understandable; for, prior to the general close of probation, all
nations had enacted their own draconian Sunday
laws. When probation ends, the nations of earth are
totally in harmony on the issue of Sunday sacredness.
4 - It comes after the close of probation.
“When this time of trouble comes, every case
is decided; there is no longer probation, no
longer mercy for the impenitent. The seal of the
living God is upon His people. This small remnant,
unable to defend themselves in the deadly conflict
with the powers of earth that are marshaled by the
dragon host, make God their defense. The decree
has been passed by the highest earthly authority that
they shall worship the beast and receive his mark
under pain of persecution and death.”—5 Testimonies, 213:0.
5 - It is to take effect at a certain time.
“Then I saw the leading men of the earth consulting together, and Satan and his angels busy
around them. I saw a writing, copies of which
were scattered in different parts of the land, giving orders that unless the saints should yield their
peculiar faith, give up the Sabbath, and observe the
first day of the week, the people were at liberty
after a certain time to put them to death. But in
this hour of trial the saints were calm and composed,

192
trusting in God and leaning upon His promise that
a way of escape would be made for them. In some
places, before the time for the decree to be executed, the wicked rushed upon the saints to slay
them; but angels in the form of men of war fought
for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of
destroying the saints of the Most High; but Jesus
bade His angels watch over them. God would be honored by making a covenant with those who had kept
His law, in the sight of the heathen round about them;
and Jesus would be honored by translating, without their seeing death, the faithful, waiting ones who
had so long expected Him.”—Early Writings, 282:2283:0.
6 - This decree will be similar to that issued by
the Persian king, in the time of Queen Esther (see
PK 598-606).
“The decree that will finally go forth against the
remnant people of God will be very similar to that
issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews. Today the
enemies of the true church see in the little company
keeping the Sabbath commandment, a Mordecai at
the gate. The reverence of God’s people for His law is
a constant rebuke to those who have cast off the fear
of the Lord and are trampling on His Sabbath.”—
Prophets and Kings, 605:2.
“If the people of God will put their trust in Him
and by faith rely upon His power, the devices of
Satan will be defeated in our time as signally as
in the days of Mordecai.”—Last Day Events, 259:1.
7 - The decree requires that (1) the faithful
must violate God’s Sabbath and not rest on it, and
(2) they must worship on the sun-day, or else they
will die.
“The decree will go forth that they must disregard the Sabbath of the fourth commandment,
and honor the first day, or lose their lives; but
they will not yield, and trample under their feet the
Sabbath of the Lord, and honor an institution of the
papacy. Satan’s host and wicked men will surround
them, and exult over them, because there will seem
to be no way of escape for them.”—1 Testimonies,
353:4-354:0.
- 10 SATAN’S PRIMARY OBJECTIVE
IS TO DESTROY SABBATHKEEPERS
1 - He wants a law to exterminate.
“(Says the great deceiver) ‘Our principle concern is to silence this sect of Sabbathkeepers . .
We will finally have a law to exterminate all who
will not submit to our authority.’ ”—Testimonies to
Ministers, 473:1.
2 - He will try to blot them from the earth.
“It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to

THE END OF TIME
be blotted from the earth in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 37:0.
3 - He will stir up the wicked to destroy them.
“The remnant church will be brought into great
trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire
of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the
world as his subjects. He has gained control of the
apostate churches; but here is a little company that
are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them
from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As
he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel,
so in the near future he will stir up the wicked
powers of earth to destroy the people of God.”—
9 Testimonies, 231:1.
4 - The faithful will be blamed for the judgments.
“I saw that the four angels would hold the four
winds until Jesus’ work was done in the Sanctuary,
and then will come the seven last plagues. These
plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous;
they thought that we had brought the judgments
of God upon them, and that if they could rid the
earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed.”—
Early Writings, 36:2.
5 - Sabbathkeeping will be declared to be the
problem.
“When the angel of mercy folds her wings and
departs, Satan will do the evil deeds he has long
wished to do. Storm and tempest, war and bloodshed—in these things he delights, and thus he gathers in his harvest. And so completely will men be
deceived by him that they will declare that these
calamities are the result of the desecration of
the first day of the week. From the pulpits of the
popular churches will be heard the statement that
the world is being punished because Sunday is not
honored as it should be.”—Last Day Events, 256:3.
- 11 THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE
Both the righteous and the wicked suffered in
the small time of trouble, during the loud cry. The
close of probation initiates the great time of trouble,
when Satan will plunge the world into even greater
misery than before. But the enactment of the death
decree will mark the beginning of the greatest emotional crisis for the faithful: Jacob’s trouble.
This topic is so important that a rather lengthy
passage in Great Controversy is devoted to it. You
will want to carefully read it: GC 618:2-623:2 (PP
195-203 is similar). We will only quote part of the
passage here.
1 - The issuance of the death decree begins

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
Jacob’s trouble for God’s people.
“I saw that the four angels would hold the four
winds until Jesus’ work was done in the Sanctuary,
and then will come the seven last plagues. These
plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous;
they thought that we had brought the judgments of
God upon them, and that if they could rid the earth
of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A decree
went forth to slay the saints, which caused them
to cry day and night for deliverance. This was the
time of Jacob’s trouble.”—Early Writings, 36:237:0.
2 - The final crisis for God’s people.
“Friday [January 18, 1884] night several heard
my voice exclaiming, ‘Look, Look!’ Whether I was
dreaming or in vision I cannot tell. I slept alone.
“The time of trouble was upon us. I saw our
people in great distress, weeping and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were
all around us mocking us and threatening to destroy
us. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at
the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with
words calculated to cut deep. They charged us with
taking an independent position from all the rest of
the world. They had cut off our resources so that
we could not buy or sell, and they referred to
our abject poverty and stricken condition. They
could not see how we could live without the world.
We were dependent on the world, and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world,
or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world
whom the Lord favored, the appearances were awfully against us.
“They declared that they had the truth, that
miracles were among them; that angels from heaven
talked with them and walked with them, that great
power and signs and wonders were performed among
them, and that this was the temporal millennium
they had been expecting so long. The whole world
was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in
defiance of the laws of the land and the law of
God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the
earth.”—3 Selected Messages, 427:4-428:1.
3 - It is a time of affliction and distress.
“The people of God will then [when the death
decree is enacted] be plunged into those scenes of
affliction and distress described by the prophet as
the time of Jacob’s trouble. ‘Thus saith the Lord:
We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not
of peace . . All faces are turned into paleness. Alas!
for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even
the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved
out of it.’ Jeremiah 30:5-7.
“Jacob’s night of anguish, when he wrestled in
prayer for deliverance from the hand of Esau

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(Gen. 32:24-30), represents the experience of God’s
people in the time of trouble.”—Great Controversy,
616:1-2 (5T 451:2).
4 - It is a time of wrestling in prayer.
“As Satan influenced Esau to march against
Jacob, so he will stir up the wicked to destroy
God’s people in the time of trouble. And as he
accused Jacob, he will urge his accusations against
the people of God. He numbers the world as his subjects; but the little company who keep the commandments of God are resisting his supremacy.
If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph
would be complete.”—Great Controversy, 618:2.
5 - Only God can help them.
“ ‘And at that time shall Michael stand up, the
great Prince which standeth for the children of thy
people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation even to that same
time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered,
every one that shall be found written in the book’
[Dan. 12:1]. When this time of trouble comes, every
case is decided; there is no longer probation, no
longer mercy for the impenitent. The seal of the living God is upon His people.
“This small remnant, unable to defend themselves in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth
that are marshaled by the dragon host, make God
their defense. The decree has been passed by the
highest earthly authority that they shall worship the
beast and receive his mark under pain of persecution and death. May God help His people now, for
what can they then do in such a fearful conflict without His assistance!”—5 Testimonies, 212:5-213:0.
6 - Satan accuses God’s people.
“As Satan accuses the people of God on account of their sins, the Lord permits him to try them
to the uttermost. Their confidence in God, their faith
and firmness, will be severely tested. As they review
the past, their hopes sink; for in their whole lives
they can see little good. They are fully conscious of
their weakness and unworthiness. Satan endeavors to terrify them with the thought that their cases
are hopeless, that the stain of their defilement will
never be washed away. He hopes so to destroy their
faith that they will yield to his temptations and turn
from their allegiance to God.”—Great Controversy,
618:3-619:0.
7 - Their deepest concern is for God’s glory,
not for their own lives or salvation.
“Though God’s people will be surrounded by enemies who are bent upon their destruction, yet the
anguish which they suffer is not a dread of persecution for the truth’s sake; they fear that every sin
has not been repented of, and that through some
fault in themselves they will fail to realize the fulfillment of the Saviour’s promise: I ‘will keep thee from

194

THE END OF TIME

the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all
the world.’ Revelation 3:10. If they could have the
assurance of pardon they would not shrink from
torture or death; but should they prove unworthy, and lose their lives because of their own defects
of character, then God’s holy name would be reproached.”—Great Controversy, 619:1.
8 - Scattered in groups, God’s people will be
tried singly.
“The people of God are not at this time all in one
place. They are in different companies and in all
parts of the earth; and they will be tried singly,
not in groups. Every one must stand the test for
himself.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1143/2:2.
“The faith of individual members of the church
will be tested as though there were not another
person in the world.”—7 Bible Commentary, 983/
1:1.
- 12 A FINAL, SPECIAL TEST
The time of Jacob’s trouble will be a final, special test for a final, special degree of character perfection. In order to properly understand this, we need
to compare it with the test given Christ in Gethsemane. It was there that Christ took the cup and baptism of suffering. By it He was perfected (Heb. 5:89). Yet, before entering upon that final test, Christ
was already without sin. So the final test will be,
not a removal of sin, but a special experience in trusting the Father in the midst of very crucial trials.
1 - Trusting in God, crying to God, submitting
to His will, pleading for deliverance they drink the
cup and are baptized with the baptism.
“I saw measures taken against the company who
had the light and power of God. Darkness thickened
around them; yet they stood firm, approved of
God, and trusting in Him. I saw them perplexed;
next I heard them crying unto God earnestly. Day
and night their cry ceased not: ‘Thy will, O God, be
done! If it can glorify Thy name, make a way of escape for Thy people! Deliver us from the heathen
around about us. They have appointed us unto death;
but Thine arm can bring salvation.’ These are all the
words which I can bring to mind. All seemed to
have a deep sense of their unworthiness and
manifested entire submission to the will of God;
yet, like Jacob, every one, without an exception, was
earnestly pleading and wrestling for deliverance.
“Soon after they had commenced their earnest
cry, the angels, in sympathy, desired to go to their
deliverance. But a tall, commanding angel suffered
them not. He said, ‘The will of God is not yet fulfilled. They must drink of the cup. They must be
baptized with the baptism.’ ”—Early Writings,

272:1-2.
2 - The delay is the best answer to their prayers.
“Could men see with heavenly vision, they would
behold companies of angels that excel in strength
stationed about those who have kept the word of
Christ’s patience. With sympathizing tenderness,
angels have witnessed their distress and have heard
their prayers. They are waiting the word of their
Commander to snatch them from their peril. But
they must wait yet a little longer. The people of God
must drink of the cup and be baptized with the
baptism. The very delay, so painful to them, is the
best answer to their petitions.”—Great Controversy,
630:2-631:0.
3 - It is a crucible to refine their characters.
“The time of trouble is the crucible that is to
bring out Christlike characters. It is designed to
lead the people of God to renounce Satan and
his temptations.”—Maranatha, 273:5.
4 - All sins have previously been repented of
and forsaken. None are unconfessed.
“Had not Jacob previously repented of his sin
in obtaining the birthright by fraud, God would not
have heard his prayer and mercifully preserved his
life. So, in the time of trouble, if the people of God
had unconfessed sins to appear before them while
tortured with fear and anguish, they would be overwhelmed; despair would cut off their faith, and they
could not have confidence to plead with God for deliverance. But while they have a deep sense of their
unworthiness, they have no concealed wrongs to
reveal. Their sins have gone beforehand to judgment and have been blotted out, and they cannot
bring them to remembrance.”—Great Controversy,
620:1. [For more on the accusations of Satan against
God’s people at this time, read these important
passages: 5T 467-476, PK 582-592, GC 482-485.]
5 - They will be aware of short comings.
“God’s people . . will have a deep sense of
their shortcomings, and as they review their lives
their hopes will sink. But remembering the greatness of God’s mercy, and their own sincere repentance, they will plead His promises made through
Christ to helpless, repenting sinners. Their faith will
not fail because their prayers are not immediately
answered. They will lay hold of the strength of God,
as Jacob laid hold of the Angel, and the language of
their souls will be, ‘I will not let Thee go, except Thou
bless me.’ ”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 202:1.
6 - The objective: a perfect reflection of Christ.
“Jacob’s history is also an assurance that God
will not cast off those who have been deceived and
tempted and betrayed into sin, but who have returned
unto Him with true repentance. While Satan seeks
to destroy this class, God will send His angels to

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
comfort and protect them in the time of peril.
The assaults of Satan are fierce and determined, his
delusions are terrible; but the Lord’s eye is upon
His people, and His ear listens to their cries. Their
affliction is great, the flames of the furnace seem about
to consume them; but the Refiner will bring them
forth as gold tried in the fire. God’s love for His
children during the period of their severest trial is
as strong and tender as in the days of their sunniest
prosperity; but it is needful for them to be placed in
the furnace of fire; their earthliness must be consumed, that the image of Christ may be perfectly
reflected.”—Great Controversy, 621:1.
7 - We, today, may and should seek such a
deeper experience.
“The season of distress and anguish before us
will require a faith that can endure weariness,
delay, and hunger—a faith that will not faint though
severely tried. The period of probation is granted to
all to prepare for that time. Jacob prevailed because
he was persevering and determined. His victory
is an evidence of the power of importunate prayer.
All who will lay hold of God’s promises, as he did,
and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will
succeed as he succeeded. Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonize before God, to pray
long and earnestly for His blessing, will not obtain it. Wrestling with God—how few know what it
is! How few have ever had their souls drawn out after God with intensity of desire until every power is
on the stretch. When waves of despair which no language can express sweep over the suppliant, how
few cling with unyielding faith to the promises
of God.
“Those who exercise but little faith now, are in
the greatest danger of falling under the power of satanic delusions and the decree to compel the conscience. And even if they endure the test they will be
plunged into deeper distress and anguish in the time
of trouble, because they have never made it a habit
to trust in God. The lessons of faith which they
have neglected they will be forced to learn under a
terrible pressure of discouragement.
“We should now acquaint ourselves with God
by proving His promises. Angels record every
prayer that is earnest and sincere. We should rather
dispense with selfish gratifications than neglect communion with God. The deepest poverty, the greatest
self-denial, with His approval, is better than riches,
honors, ease, and friendship without it. We must
take time to pray. If we allow our minds to be absorbed by worldly interests, the Lord may give us
time by removing from us our idols of gold, of houses,
or of fertile lands.”—Great Controversy, 621:2622:2.
8 - It is now, not later, that we are to separate

195

sin from our lives and become perfect in Christ.
“Now, while our great High Priest is making
the atonement for us, we should seek to become
perfect in Christ. Not even by a thought could our
Saviour be brought to yield to the power of temptation. Satan finds in human hearts some point where
he can gain a foothold; some sinful desire is cherished, by means of which his temptations assert their
power. But Christ declared of Himself: ‘The prince
of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.’ John
14:30. Satan could find nothing in the Son of God
that would enable him to gain the victory. He had
kept His Father’s commandments, and there was
no sin in Him that Satan could use to his advantage. This is the condition in which those must
be found who shall stand in the time of trouble.
“It is in this life that we are to separate sin
from us, through faith in the atoning blood of
Christ. Our Precious Saviour invites us to join ourselves to Him, to unite our weakness to His strength,
our ignorance to His wisdom, our unworthiness to
His merits. God’s providence is the school in which
we are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus.
The Lord is ever setting before us, not the way we
would choose, which seems easier and pleasanter to
us, but the true aims of life. It rests with us to cooperate with the agencies which Heaven employs in
the work of conforming our characters to the divine
model. None can neglect or defer this work but
at the most fearful peril to their souls.”—Great
Controversy, 623:1-2.
- 13 THE RIGHTEOUS FLEE
TO SECLUDED LOCATIONS,
ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS
1 - God will lead His people to safe refuges, if
they will but obey His marching orders (and those
orders include getting out of the cities!).
“During the night a very impressive scene passed
before me. There seemed to be great confusion and
the conflict of armies. A messenger from the Lord
stood before me, and said, ‘Call your household. I
will lead you; follow me.’ He led me down a dark
passage, through a forest, then through the clefts
of mountains, and said, ‘Here you are safe.’
There were others who had been led to this retreat.
The heavenly messenger said, ‘The time of trouble
has come as a thief in the night, as the Lord warned
you it would come.’ ”—Maranatha, 270:4.
2 - In the great time of trouble, the last of the
faithful leave the cities and villages.
“In the time of trouble we all fled from the cities and villages, but were pursued by the wicked,
who entered the houses of the saints with a sword.

196
They raised the sword to kill us, but it broke, and
fell as powerless as a straw. Then we all cried day
and night for deliverance, and the cry came up before God.”—Early Writings, 34:1.
3 - They go to solitary places.
“I saw the saints leaving the cities and villages, and associating together in companies,
and living in the most solitary places. Angels
provided them food and water, while the wicked were
suffering from hunger and thirst.”—Early Writings,
282:2.
4 - While some left the cities earlier, others
(waiting too long) are imprisoned.
“As the decree issued by the various rulers of
Christendom against commandment keepers shall
withdraw the protection of government and abandon them to those who desire their destruction, the
people of God will flee from the cities and villages and associate together in companies,
dwelling in the most desolate and solitary places.
Many will find refuge in the strongholds of the
mountains. Like the Christians of the Piedmont
valleys, they will make the high places of the earth
their sanctuaries and will thank God for ‘the munitions of rocks’ (Isa. 33:16). But many of all nations
and of all classes, high and low, rich and poor, black
and white, will be cast into the most unjust and
cruel bondage. The beloved of God pass weary days,
bound in chains, shut in by prison bars, sentenced to be slain, some apparently left to die of
starvation in dark and loathsome dungeons. No
human ear is open to hear their moans; no human
hand is ready to lend them help.
“Will the Lord forget His people in this trying
hour? Did He forget faithful Noah . . Joseph . . Elijah
. . Jeremiah . . the three worthies . . Daniel?”—Great
Controversy, 626:1-2.
5 - Houses and lands will then be useless.
“Houses and lands will be of no use to the
saints in the time of trouble, for they will then have
to flee before infuriated mobs, and at that time their
possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the
cause of present truth . .
“I saw that if any held on to their property, and
did not inquire of the Lord as to their duty, He would
not make duty known, and they would be permitted
to keep their property, and in the time of trouble it
would come up before them like a mountain to crush
them, and they would try to dispose of it, but would
not be able . . But if they desired to be taught, He
would teach them, in a time of need, when to
sell and how much to sell.”—Early Writings, 56:3,
57:1.
6 - God will provide for His people’s needs in
the great time of trouble.

THE END OF TIME
“The Lord has shown me repeatedly that it is
contrary to the Bible to make any provision for
our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw
that if the saints had food laid up by them or in the
field in the time of trouble, when sword, famine, and
pestilence are in the land, it would be taken from
them by violent hands, and strangers would reap
their fields.
“Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in
God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our bread
and water will be sure at that time, and that we
shall not lack or suffer hunger, for God is able to
spread a table for us in the wilderness. If necessary
He would send ravens to feed us, as He did to feed
Elijah, or rain manna from heaven, as He did for the
Israelites.”—Early Writings, 56:2.
“The time of trouble is just before us, and then
stern necessity will require the people of God to deny
self and to eat merely enough to sustain life, but
God will prepare us for that time. In that fearful
hour our necessity will be God’s opportunity to
impart His strengthening power and to sustain His
people.”—1 Testimonies, 206:1.
“Bread and water is all that is promised to the
remnant in the time of trouble.”—Story of Redemption, 129:2.
7 - None will, at that time, need to work to
support themselves.
“I saw that a time of trouble was before us, when
stern necessity will compel the people of God to live
on bread and water . . In the time of trouble none
will labor with their hands. Their sufferings will
be mental, and God will provide food for them.”—
Last Day Events, 265:1.
8 - Angels will care for them.
“In the time of trouble, just before the coming of
Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the
ministration of heavenly angels.”—Patriarchs
and Prophets, 256:1.
“In the midst of the time of trouble that is coming—a time of trouble such as has not been since
there was a nation—God’s chosen people will
stand unmoved. Satan and his host cannot destroy
them, for angels that excel in strength will protect them.”—9 Testimonies, 17:1.
- 14 THE SEVEN LAST PLAGUES
We are listing this event in the sequence given in
chapter 39 of Great Controversy. But we are told
that these plagues actually begin as soon as Jesus
leaves the Sanctuary (GC 627:3) and the wicked
begin to oppress God’s people (GC 627:1). In that
important book, the plagues (627:3-629:0) are purposely not described immediately following Christ’s

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
departure from the Sanctuary. If they had been, the
description of the plagues would have been intermingled with the description of the desolations
caused by Satan, thus confusing the two. To avoid
this, chapter 39 was arranged so the two would be
clearly separated.
Jesus wears priestly garments in the heavenly
Sanctuary. When probation ends, as He leaves that
structure, at the entrance, He removes those robes;
and, in their place, He puts on the garments of vengeance (EW 281:1). The time has come for Him to
command His angels to begin pouring out the plagues
upon the wicked in retribution for what they have
done and continue to do to the righteous. He gives
the command for the plagues to be poured out.
It is quite clear that two different desolating series of events begin as soon as worldwide probation
ends: (1) The four winds are loosed and Satan is
permitted to bring disasters and plunge the world
into strife (GC 614:1). (2) Christ commands His
own angels to begin pouring out the seven last plagues
upon the wicked (GC 627:1-2, 628:0). In each case,
the wording is definite: Christ permits the “four wind”
desolations, which Satan produces, while Satan has
no part in bringing the plagues which God sends.
The plagues, discussed in some detail in Great
Controversy, 627:2-630:0, actually begin as soon
as probation closes and Jesus puts on His garments
of vengeance.
Although the crisis was reached when all nations
passed the Sunday law, yet mercy continued until
everyone had been clearly shown the issues involved.
Then probation closes and the wrath is poured out.
For a far more extensive comparative analysis of
this subject, see our ten-part tract set, The Terrible
Storm, now in section two of our Offshoots
Tractbook. It is the most extensive refutation of the
“God will not kill the incorrigibly wicked” theory and
gives many, many Spirit of Prophecy quotations on
when Satan has been permitted to cause calamities
and when God has directly produced judgments Himself.
- 15 THE JUDGMENTS SENT
DIRECTLY FROM GOD
God not only permits Satan to bring strife and
conflict (by letting His angels unloose the four winds),
but He also, at times, directly sends judgments (as
in the seven last plagues); but these are only given to
the incorrigibly wicked. Our kind heavenly Father
never directly sends judgments upon the undecided;
only the totally reprobate receive God’s outpoured
wrath.
1 - Justice is shown in punishing the sinner.

197

“It is the glory of God to be merciful, full of forbearance, kindness, goodness, and truth. But the
justice shown in punishing the sinner is as verily the glory of the Lord as is the manifestation of
His mercy.”—Last Day Events, 240:1.
“The Lord God of Israel is to execute judgment upon the gods of this world as upon the
gods of Egypt. With fire and flood, plagues and
earthquakes, He will spoil the whole land. Then His
redeemed people will exalt His name and make it
glorious in the earth. Shall not those who are living
in the last remnant of this earth’s history become
intelligent in regard to God’s lessons?”—10 Manuscript Releases, 240:2, 241:0 (1899).
“In all the Bible, God is presented not only as a
Being of mercy and benevolence, but as a God of
strict and impartial justice.”—Last Day Events,
240:4.
2 - When probation ends, justice takes its place.
“The One who has stood as our Intercessor; who
hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who
is represented with a rainbow, the symbol of grace
and love, encircling His head, is soon to cease His
work in the heavenly Sanctuary. Grace and mercy
will then descend from the throne, and justice will
take their place. He for whom His people have looked
will assume His right the office of Supreme Judge.”—
Last Day Events, 240:3.
3 - The One who made the law will punish for
its transgression.
“God’s love is represented in our day as being of
such a character as would forbid His destroying the
sinner. Men reason from their own low standard
of right and justice. ‘Thou thoughtest that I was
altogether such an one as thyself’ (Ps. 50:21). They
measure God by themselves. They reason as to how
they would act under the circumstances and decide
God would do as they imagine they would do . .
“In no kingdom or government is it left to the
lawbreakers to say what punishment is to be executed against those who have broken the law. All
we have, all the bounties of His grace which we possess, we owe to God. The aggravating character of
sin against such a God cannot be estimated any more
than the heavens can be measured with a span. God
is a moral governor as well as a Father. He is the
Lawgiver. He makes and executes His laws. Law
that has no penalty is of no force.
“The plea may be made that a loving Father would
not see His children suffering the punishment of God
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 that man has no right to do before his fellow
man. Noah would have displeased God to have

198
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 would do it in strict justice.”—Last Day Events, 240:5-241:2.
Note: The above statement is extremely significant. Neither you nor I have the moral right to execute judgment. But God has this moral right, because He will send exactly the correct amount of judgment on exactly those who should receive it. No one
in the universe can do this, except the Godhead. In
view of that fact, if God does not kill the incorrigibly
wicked after the third advent of Christ—they will
not receive the final, proper punishment for their
sins. Satan will surely not give them the right amount
of punishment; and no created being could do it.
People do not realize the implications of what
they are saying, when they blithely imagine that God,
the lawgiver, will never punish transgression of His
law.
Someone will reply that, after the wicked surround the holy City, they will all turn on one another
and kill each other. First, that may be mass murder,
but it would not be punishment due to many of them.
Second, no one surrounding the city would be able
to put Satan and his angels to death. So if God will
never kill the wicked, then Satan and his demons
will harass the godly through all space and time to
come!
4 - At times, angels of God exercise destructive power.
“God’s judgments were awakened against Jericho. It was a stronghold. But the Captain of the
Lord’s host Himself came from heaven to lead
the armies of heaven in an attack upon the city.
Angels of God laid hold of the massive walls and
brought them to the ground.”—3 Testimonies, 264:1.
“Under God the angels are all-powerful. On
one occasion, in obedience to the command of
Christ, they slew of the Assyrian army in one
night one hundred and eighty-five thousand men.”—
Desire of Ages, 700:5.
“The same angel who had come from the royal
courts to rescue Peter had been the messenger of
wrath and judgment to Herod. The angel smote
Peter to arouse him from slumber. It was with a different stroke that he smote the wicked king, laying
low his pride and bringing upon him the punishment of the Almighty. Herod died in great agony
of mind and body, under the retributive judgment of God.”—Acts of the Apostles, 152:1.
“The same destructive power exercised by
holy angels when God commands, will be exercised by evil angels when He permits. There are
forces now ready, and only waiting the divine permission, to spread desolation everywhere.”—Great

THE END OF TIME
Controversy, 614:2.
5 - Both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy are
clear that God will execute the final judgment; yet
the sinner is responsible for his own death. By his
life of sin and stubborn impenitence, he destroyed
himself.
“God destroys no one. The sinner destroys himself by his own impenitence.”—5 Testimonies, 120:1.
“God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself.”—Christ’s
Object Lessons, 84:4.
Those statements do not mean that the wicked
surrounding the holy City will all commit suicide.
Both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy are clear that
God sends fire down on them from heaven and kills
them. Carefully read the entire paragraph in Christ’s
Object Lessons, 84:4-85:0. Explaining how people
destroy themselves, it tells of Pharaoh who so hardened his heart that he destroyed himself. Yet we know
he did not commit suicide. God killed him in the
Red Sea.
- 16 THE POURING OF THE PLAGUES
1 - When wickedness reaches a certain amount.
“God keeps a reckoning with the nations.
Through every century of this world’s history evil
workers have been treasuring up wrath against
the day of wrath; and when the time fully comes
that iniquity shall have reached the stated boundary of God’s mercy, His forbearance will cease. When
the accumulated figures in heaven’s record
books shall mark the sum of transgression complete, wrath will come, unmixed with mercy, and
then it will be seen what a tremendous thing it is to
have worn out the divine patience. This crisis will be
reached when the nations shall unite in making void
God’s law.”—5 Testimonies, 524:0.
2 - Jesus steps out from between God and man,
and the plagues are poured out.
“As His [Christ’s] work there is finished, and
His intercession closes, there is nothing to stay
the wrath of God, and it breaks with fury upon
the shelterless head of the guilty sinner, who has
slighted salvation and hated reproof. In that fearful
time, after the close of Jesus’ mediation, the saints
were living in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor. Every case was decided, every jewel numbered.”—Early Writings, 280:2.
“Solemn events before us are yet to transpire.
Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded; vial after
vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth.”—3 Selected Messages, 426:1.
“The world is soon to be left by the angel of mercy,
and the seven last plagues are to be poured out

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
. . The bolts of God’s wrath are soon to fall, and
when He shall begin to punish the transgressors,
there will be no period of respite until the end.”—
Testimonies to Ministers 182:2.
3 - The plagues begin when probation closes.
“God’s judgments will be visited upon those who
are seeking to oppress and destroy His people. His
long forbearance with the wicked emboldens men in
transgressions, but their punishment is nonetheless certain and terrible because it is long delayed.
‘The Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, He
shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He
may do His work, His strange work; and bring to
pass His act, His strange act’ . .
“When Christ ceases His intercession in the
Sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened
against those who worship the beast and his image
and receive his mark (Rev. 14:9-10) will be poured
out. The plagues upon Egypt when God was about
to deliver Israel were similar in character to those
more terrible and extensive judgments which are to
fall upon the world just before the final deliverance of God’s people.”—Great Controversy, 627:2,
3-628:0 (TM 182:2-183:0).
Note: To deny that God will finally judge the
wicked and slay them is to deny the third angel’s
message (Rev. 14:9-10)!
4 - They are unmixed with mercy, but not
worldwide.
“These plagues are not universal, or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cut off. Yet
they will be the most awful scourges that have ever
been known to mortals. All the judgments upon men,
prior to the close of probation, have been mingled
with mercy. The pleading blood of Christ has shielded
the sinner from receiving the full measure of his guilt;
but in the final judgment, wrath is poured out
unmixed with mercy.”—Great Controversy, 628:2629:0.
Note: It is interesting to compare the ten plagues
on Egypt and the seven last plagues on the wicked.
- 17 THE DEATH DECREE
Sequence: (1) Jesus ends His mediation. (2)
He stands up and puts on the garments of vengeance. (3) The seven last plagues begin to be
poured out. (4) This enrages the wicked; and they
think that if they could eliminate the righteous,
the plagues would stop. (5) So they issue the death
decree.
“I saw that . . Michael had not stood up, and
that the time of trouble, such as never was, had not
yet commenced. The nations are now getting angry,
but when our High Priest has finished His work

199

in the Sanctuary, He will stand up, put on the
garments of vengeance, and then the seven last
plagues will be poured out.
“I saw that the four angels would hold the four
winds until Jesus’ work was done in the Sanctuary,
and then will come the seven last plagues. These
plagues enraged the wicked against the righteous; they thought that we had brought the judgments of God upon them, and that if they could rid
the earth of us, the plagues would then be stayed. A
decree went forth to slay the saints.”—Early Writings, 36:1-37:0.
- 18 SOME OF THE WICKED
PLEAD WITH THE RIGHTEOUS
FOR HELP
1 - Multitudes will desire mercy.
“In that day, multitudes will desire the shelter
of God’s mercy which they have so long despised.”—
Great Controversy, 629:1.
2 - Men will wish that mercy and salvation
were still extended.
“The Lord in judgment will at the close of time
walk through the earth, the fearful plagues will begin to fall. Then those who have despised God’s
Word, those who have lightly esteemed it, shall
wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to
the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the Word
of Lord and shall not find it . . The ministers of God
will have done their last work, offered their last
prayers, shed their last bitter tear for a rebellious
church and an ungodly people.”—Maranatha, 264:4.
3 - Sequence: (1) Probation closes. (2) Fear
and horror seize many of the wicked. (3) They
seek mercy and salvation, but cannot find it.
“The plagues were falling upon the inhabitants
of the earth. Some were denouncing God and cursing Him. Others rushed to the people of God and
begged to be taught how they might escape His
judgments. But the saints had nothing for them.
The last tear for sinners had been shed, the last
agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the
last warning given. The sweet voice of mercy was
no more to invite them. When the saints, and all
heaven, were interested for their salvation, they had
no interest for themselves. Life and death had been
set before them. Many desired life, but made no effort to obtain it. They did not choose life, and now
there was no atoning blood to cleanse the guilty, no
compassionate Saviour to plead for them, and cry,
‘Spare, spare the sinner a little longer.’ All heaven
had united with Jesus, as they heard the fearful
words, ‘It is done. It is finished.’ The plan of salvation had been accomplished, but few had chosen to

200
accept it. And as mercy’s sweet voice died away,
fear and horror seized the wicked. With terrible
distinctness they heard the words, ‘Too late! too late!’
“Those who had not prized God’s Word were hurrying to and fro, wandering from sea to sea, and from
the north to the east, to seek the Word of the Lord.
Said the angel, ‘They shall not find it. There is a
famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst
for water, but for hearing the words of the Lord. What
would they not give for one word of approval from
God! but no, they must hunger and thirst on. Day
after day have they slighted salvation, prizing earthly
riches and earthly pleasure higher than any heavenly treasure or inducement. They have rejected Jesus
and despised His saints. The filthy must remain filthy
forever.’ ”—Early Writings, 281:1-282:0.
- 19 JACOB’S TROUBLE
REACHES ITS CLIMAX
AND ANGELS PROTECT THEM
During Jacob’s trouble, the angels provide a wall
of protection around the faithful and even give them
food.
1 - Angels shield and nourish them.
“The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while
they endure privation and suffer for want of
food they will not be left to perish. That God who
cared for Elijah will not pass by one of His self-sacrificing children. He who numbers the hairs of their
head will care for them, and in time of famine they
shall be satisfied. While the wicked are dying from
hunger and pestilence, angels will shield the righteous and supply their wants.”—Great Controversy, 629:2.
2 - The pleadings of the faithful continue to
ascend to God while the wicked exult that soon
they can slay them.
“Yet to human sight it will appear that the people
of God must soon seal their testimony with their
blood as did the martyrs before them. They themselves begin to fear that the Lord has left them to fall
by the hand of their enemies. It is a time of fearful
agony. Day and night they cry unto God for deliverance. The wicked exult.”—Great Controversy,
630:1.
3 - Companies of angels are about them.
“Like Jacob, all are wrestling with God. Their
countenances express their internal struggle. Paleness sits upon every face. Yet they cease not their
earnest intercession.
“Could men see with heavenly vision, they would
behold companies of angels that excel in strength
stationed about those who have kept the word

THE END OF TIME
of Christ’s patience. With sympathizing tenderness,
angels have witnessed their distress and have heard
their prayers. They are waiting the word of their
Commander to snatch them from their peril. But
they must wait yet a little longer. The people of God
must drink of the cup and be baptized with the
baptism. The very delay, so painful to them, is the
best answer to their petitions.”—Great Controversy,
630:1-631:0.
4 - They are pursued by the wicked.
“As the saints left the cities and villages, they
were pursued by the wicked, who sought to slay
them. But the swords that were raised to kill God’s
people broke and fell as powerless as a straw. Angels of God shielded the saints. As they cried day
and night for deliverance, their cry came up before
the Lord.”—Early Writings, 284:2-285:0.
5 - Angels defend them.
“The heavenly sentinels, faithful to their trust,
continue their watch. Though a general decree
has fixed the time when commandment keepers
may be put to death, their enemies will in some
cases anticipate the decree, and before the time
specified, will endeavor to take their lives. But none
can pass the mighty guardians stationed about
every faithful soul. Some are assailed in their flight
from the cities and villages; but the swords raised
against them break and fall powerless as a straw.
Others are defended by angels in the form of men of
war.”—Great Controversy, 631:1 (EW 283:1).
6 - Satan wants them slain.
“In some places, before the time for the decree to
be executed, the wicked rushed upon the saints to
slay them; but angels in the form of men of war fought
for them. Satan wished to have the privilege of
destroying the saints of the Most High; but Jesus
bade His angels watch over them. God would be
honored by making a covenant with those who had
kept His law, in the sight of the heathen round about
them; and Jesus would be honored by translating,
without their seeing death, the faithful, waiting ones
who had so long expected Him.”—Early Writings,
283:0.
7 - Three circles about each company of saints.
“Soon I saw the saints suffering great mental
anguish. They seemed to be surrounded by the
wicked inhabitants of the earth. Every appearance
was against them. Some began to fear that God had
at last left them to perish by the hand of the wicked.
But if their eyes could have been opened, they would
have seen themselves surrounded by angels of God.
Next came the multitude of the angry wicked, and
next a mass of evil angels, hurrying on the wicked
to slay the saints. But before they could approach
God’s people, the wicked must first pass this company of mighty, holy angels. This was impossible.

17 - GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE, PLAGUES, JACOB’S TROUBLE
The angels of God were causing them to recede and
also causing the evil angels who were pressing around
them to fall back.”—Early Writings, 283:1.
- 20 THERE ARE NO MARTYRS
AFTER THE CLOSE OF PROBATION
1 - Martyrdom now would accomplish nothing of value.
“If the blood of Christ’s faithful witnesses were
shed at this time, it would not, like the blood of
the martyrs, be as seed sown to yield a harvest
for God. Their fidelity would not be a testimony to
convince others of the truth; for the obdurate heart
has beaten back the waves of mercy until they return no more. If the righteous were now left to fall a
prey to their enemies, it would be a triumph for the
prince of darkness . . Glorious will be the deliverance of those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose names are written in the book of life.”—
Great Controversy, 634:1.
2 - It would only bring triumph to Satan.
“God would not suffer the wicked to destroy
those who were expecting translation, and who
would not bow to the decree of the beast or receive
his mark. I saw that if the wicked were permitted to
slay the saints, Satan and all his evil host, and all
who hate God, would be gratified. And oh, what a
triumph it would be for his satanic majesty, to have
power, in the last closing struggle, over those who
had so long waited to behold Him whom they loved!
Those who have mocked at the idea of the saints’
going up will witness the care of God for His people
and behold their glorious deliverance.”—Early Writings, 284:1.
3 - They will not be left to perish.
“The people of God will not be free from suffering; but while persecuted and distressed, while they
endure privation and suffer for want of food they
will not be left to perish.”—Great Controversy,
629:2.
4 - Scattered in companies throughout the
world, the faithful are protected by Christ and His
angels.
“In the day of fierce trial He [Christ] will say,
‘Come, My people, enter thou into thy chambers,
and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it
were for a little moment, until the indignation be
overpast.’ What are the chambers in which they are
to hide? They are the protection of Christ and
holy angels. The people of God are not at this time
all in one place. They are in different companies,
and in all parts of the earth.”—Maranatha, 270:2.
5 - There will be no safety for commandment
breakers.

201

“In the time of trouble, just before the coming of
Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the
ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be
no security for the transgressor of God’s law.
Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.”—Patriarchs and
Prophets, 256:1.
6 - Satan cannot destroy them.
“In the closing period of earth’s history the Lord
will work mightily in behalf of those who stand steadfastly for the right . . In the midst of the time of
trouble—trouble such as has not been since there
was a nation—His chosen ones will stand unmoved.
Satan with all the hosts of evil cannot destroy
the weakest of God’s saints. Angels that excel in
strength will protect them, and in their behalf Jehovah will reveal Himself as a ‘God of gods,’ able to
save to the uttermost those have put their trust in
Him.”—Prophets and Kings, 513:1.
- 21 ON THE NIGHT APPOINTED
FOR SLAUGHTER,
DELIVERANCE COMES
AT MIDNIGHT
“It is at midnight that God manifests His power
for the deliverance of His people.”—Great Controversy, 636:2.
“It was at midnight that God chose to deliver
His people.”—Early Writings, 285:1.
1 - The plan is to slay all the faithful in one
night.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 635:1.
2 - In that hour God interposes.
“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 light-

202
ing 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.”—Great Controversy, 635:2.
3 - Deliverance begins by means of sudden
darkness and encircling rainbows.
“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 over powering brightness.”—Great Controversy, 635:3-636:0.

THE END OF TIME
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
SEVEN LAST PLAGUES

God Will Punish the World for Its Iniquity
When Sabbathkeeping Is Made a Crime.—“The
Lord declares, ‘When it is made a crime for My people
to keep holy the Sabbath, then I will arise out of My
place and punish the world for its iniquity. The earth
shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover
her slain.’ ”—Manuscript 33, 5-6, 8-10, 18 (“Unfaithful Shepherds,” June 25, 1900).

“The time of trouble such as never was is soon to open upon
us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess,
and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case
that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this
is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation
cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. And now, while the precious Saviour is making an atonement for us, we should seek to
become perfect in Christ. God’s providence is the school in which we
are to learn the meekness and lowliness of Jesus. The Lord is ever
setting before us, not the way we would choose, which is easier and
pleasanter to us, but the true aims of life. None can neglect or defer
this work but at the most fearful peril to their souls.”
—4 Spirit of Prophecy, 440:2 (1884 GC)

18 - DELIVERANCE BY THE VOICE OF GOD

203

— CHAPTER 18 —

DELIVERANCE
BY THE VOICE OF GOD
The sounding of the Voice of God in the heavens
is one of four major events before the millennium
begins. Each of those four major events (the National
Sunday Law, the general close of probation, the Voice
of God, and the Second Advent) marks a decided
transition. (The major transitional events after the
millennium are the Third Advent and the destruction of the wicked.)
When God frees His people from the domination
and threats of the wicked, a remarkable number of
different events rapidly occurs; and then, soon after,
Jesus returns the second time. Starting with the
lifting of the captivity, down to the appearance of
Jesus in the sky, the present compiler counts fortyfour events. What figure do you come up with?
We will begin this chapter with a presentation of
the battle of Armageddon, and then we will view the
final events from the Voice of God to the Second Advent.
THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
In the late nineteenth century, Uriah Smith told
a friend that, because of current political developments which indicated that the nation of Turkey
might again become a prominent power in the Near
East, there was a possibility that Turkey might be
the “king of the north” mentioned in Daniel 11. He
said that he was going to identify the king of the
north as the nation of Turkey, in his book;—but that,
if political events changed, he would revert back to
the regular Adventist view of the subject. In a few
years those events did reverse; but, to the day of his
death in 1903, Smith never removed his “new view”
from his book, Daniel and Revelation.
There is only one reference to Turkey in Great
Controversy (GC 334:4-335:0); and it obviously has
nothing to do with the battle of Armageddon. In addition, the Spirit of Prophecy places that battle in
the future, not in the past.
It is more likely that the “battle of Armageddon”
is the climax of the massive conflict, so soon to begin, with Satan and his followers on one side and
Christ and His faithful commandment-keeping people
on the other. This conflict bursts into the open when

the National Sunday Law is enacted; and, in a sense,
it will still be actively carried on a thousand years
later as Satan prepares for the final attack against
the holy City. The battle of Armageddon is actually the last phase of the entire great controversy
between Christ and Satan.
The following passages identify the Armageddon
battle with the outpouring of the seventh plague,
which we know especially applies to that time when
the Voice of God delivers His people from the physical power of the wicked, on down to the Second Advent of Christ. In the “Twelve Rapid Events” section, which follows, military and warfare terms are
frequently mentioned in the quotations (“battle, war,
armies of heaven, powers of earth, munitions, weapons,” etc.).
1 - Why men join in the rebellion.
“The enmity of Satan against good will be manifested more and more as he brings his forces into
activity in his last work of rebellion; and every soul
that is not fully surrendered to God and kept by
divine power will form an alliance with Satan
against heaven and join in battle against the
Ruler of the universe.”—Testimonies to Ministers,
465:0.
2 - Soon all will have taken sides.
“Soon all the inhabitants of the earth will
have taken sides, either for or against the government of heaven.”—7 Testimonies, 141:2.
3 - The armies of heaven are on one side of
the battle.
“The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought.
He on whose vesture is written the name, King of
kings, and Lord of lords, is soon to lead forth the
armies of heaven.
“It cannot now be said by the Lord’s servants,
as it was by the prophet Daniel: ‘The time appointed
was long.’ Daniel 10:1. It is now but a short time till
the witnesses for God will have done their work
in preparing the way of the Lord.”—6 Testimonies, 406:3-4.
4 - The nations of the world are on the other
side.

204
“Four mighty angels hold back the powers of this
earth till the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads. The nations of the world are eager for
conflict; but they are held in check by the angels.
When this restraining power is removed, there will
come a time of trouble and anguish. Deadly instruments of warfare will be invented. Vessels, with their
living cargo, will be entombed in the great deep. All
who have not the spirit of truth will unite under
the leadership of satanic agencies. But they are
to be kept under control till the time shall come for
the great battle of Armageddon.”—7 Bible Commentary, 967/2:1.
5 - Armageddon is definitely occurring at the
time of the seventh plague.
“We need to study the pouring out of the seventh vial. The powers of evil will not yield up the
conflict without a struggle. But Providence has a
part to act in the battle of Armageddon. When the
earth is lighted with the glory of the angel of Revelation eighteen, the religious elements, good and evil,
will awake from slumber, and the armies of the
living God will take the field.”—7 Bible Commentary, 983/1:2.
6 - Two great opposing powers: On one side is
God and the obedient; on the other, the devil and
the rebellious. It is a battle of evil angels and wicked
men vs. good angels and God’s people. The plagues
are poured out during this time.
“Two great opposing powers are revealed in
the last great battle. On one side stands the Creator of heaven and earth. All on His side bear His
signet. They are obedient to His commands. On the
other side stands the prince of darkness, with
those who have chosen apostasy and rebellion.”—
7 Bible Commentary, 982/2:5-983/1:0.
“Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men,
and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for
centuries, they will not yield the last great final
contest without a desperate struggle. All the world
will be on one side or the other of the question.
The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that
day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we
must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels
with our lamps . .
“The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us,
and the Captain of the Lord’s host will stand at the
head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle.
Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial
poured out one after another upon the inhabitants
of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right
upon us.”—7 Bible Commentary, 982/2:3-4.

THE END OF TIME
7 - It is earthly powers vs. God. The battle is
fought on earth.
“A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing
the battle of the great day of God Almighty. That
which has been held in control is to be let loose. The
angel of mercy is folding her wings, preparing to step
down from the throne and leave the world to the
control of Satan. The principalities and powers
of earth are in bitter revolt against the God of
heaven. They are filled with hatred against those who
serve Him, and soon, very soon, will be fought the
last great battle between good and evil. The earth
is to be the battlefield—the scene of the final contest and the final victory.”—My Life Today, 308:4.
8 - It is the forces of nature vs. God’s enemies.
The battle begins as soon as human probation
ends.
“At His own will God summons the forces of
nature to overthrow the might of His enemies . .
We are told of a greater battle to take place in the
closing scenes of earth’s history, when ‘Jehovah
hath opened His armory, and hath brought forth
the weapons of His indignation’ . . The revelator
describes the destruction that is to take place when
the ‘great voice out of the temple of heaven’ announces, ‘It is done.’ ”—Patriarchs and Prophets,
509:3-4.
Note: When probation ends, everyone in the world
will be on one side or the other. There are no more
souls to be saved. It is time for the battle between
the two sides.
9 - The battles are real.
“The battles waging between the two armies
are as real as those fought by the armies of this
world, and on the issue of the spiritual conflict eternal destinies depend.”—Prophets and Kings, 176:0.
10 - The last great battle.
“A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of God Almighty.
That which has been held in control is to be let loose.
The angel of mercy is folding her wings, preparing to
step down from the throne and leave the world to
the control of Satan. The principalities and powers
of earth are in bitter revolt against the God of heaven.
They are filled with hatred against those who serve
Him, and soon, very soon, will be fought the last
great battle between good and evil. The earth is
to be the battlefield—the scene of the final contest
and the final victory. Here, where for so long Satan has led men against God, rebellion is to be
forever suppressed.”—Last Day Events, 250:1.
11 - The Captain directs the battle.
“All the world will be on one side or the other
of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be
fought. And that day must find none of us sleeping.

18 - DELIVERANCE BY THE VOICE OF GOD
Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in
our vessels with our lamps. The power of the Holy
Ghost must be upon us and the Captain of the
Lord’s host will stand at the head of the angels
of heaven to direct the battle.”—3 Selected Messages, 425:5-426:1.
12 - The King of kings leads His armies. Thus,
as Revelation 19 indicates, the battle of Armageddon continues on down to the Second Advent.
“He on whose vesture is written the name, King
of kings and Lord of lords, leads forth the armies
of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen,
clean and white.”—7 Bible Commentary, 982/2:2.
“ ‘Faithful and True,’ ‘in righteousness He doth
judge and make war.’ And ‘the armies which were
in heaven’ (Rev. 19:11, 14) follow Him.”—Great Controversy, 641:0 [context: the Second Advent of
Christ].
-1TWELVE RAPID EVENTS
Two brief pen pictures of these events will be
found in EW 34:1 and 285:1-286:0. Only when they
provide additional information to that given below
will they be quoted. Here are twelve major events
and a number of lesser ones:
As an expression of reverence, the word, “voice,”
when applied to God, will be initial-capitalized below.
1 - It is now that God interposes.
“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.”—Great Controversy,
635:2.
2 - God always chooses extremities.
“He [God] has always chosen extremities,
when there seemed no possible chance for deliverance from Satan’s workings, for the manifestation
of His power.”—5 Testimonies, 714:0.
Note: That was a verse worth memorizing. You
will need it in the years to come.
(1)
SUDDEN DARKNESS
AND, THEN, RAINBOWS AROUND THEM

1 - Deliverance begins by means of sudden
darkness.
“With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil men are about to rush upon

205

their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness, deeper
than the darkness of the night, falls upon the
earth.”—Great Controversy, 635:3-636:0.
2 - The symbol of God’s covenant encircles
His people.
“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 over powering brightness.”—Great Controversy, 636:0.
3 - The entire world is dark! But light will be
in every dwelling of the faithful.
“While all the world is plunged in darkness,
there will be light in every dwelling of the saints.
They will catch the first light of His second appearing.”—Prophets and Kings, 720:2.
(2)
BEYOND THE BOW OF PROMISE,
A VISION OF CHRIST
AND THE SHOUT OF VICTORY

They see the bow and Christ. Their shout is
the shout of victory over the beast and his image.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 636:1.
(3)
THE SAINTS ARE GLORIFIED

1 - A glorious light shines about them.
“Soon I heard the Voice of God, which shook the
heavens and the earth. There was a mighty earthquake. Buildings were shaken down on every side. I
then heard a triumphant shout of victory, loud,
musical, and clear. I looked upon the company, who,
a short time before, were in such distress and bond-

206

THE END OF TIME

age. Their captivity was turned. A glorious light
shone upon them. How beautiful they then looked!
All marks of care and weariness were gone, and
health and beauty were seen in every countenance. Their enemies, the heathen around them,
fell like dead men; they could not endure the light
that shone upon the delivered, holy ones. This light
and glory remained upon them, until Jesus was
seen in the clouds of heaven, and the faithful, tried
company were changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, from glory to glory.”—Early Writings,
272:3-273:0 [at the Voice of God, a light rests upon
them; at the Second Advent they are translated].
2 - At the Voice of God they are glorified.
“At the Voice of God they were glorified; now
[at the Second Advent] they are made immortal and
with the risen saints are caught up to meet their
Lord in the air.”—Great Controversy, 645:1.
3 - Their faces are lit with the glory of God.
“The 144,000 triumphed. Their faces were
lighted up with the glory of God.”—Early Writings, 37:0.
(4)
THE VOICE OF GOD
SHAKES HEAVENS AND EARTH

1 - The Voice comes from one clear space of
glory.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 636:2-3.
“There was one clear place of settled glory, whence
came the Voice of God like many waters, shaking the
heavens and the earth. There was a mighty earthquake.”—Early Writings, 285:1.
2 - The Voice comes from the region of Orion.
“Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against
each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled
back; then we could look up through the open
space in Orion, whence came the Voice of God.
The holy City will come down through that open
space.”—Early Writings, 41:2.
3 - The sounding of the Voice brings despair
to the wicked.
“After the people have heard the Voice of God
they are in despair and trouble such as never was
since there was a nation.”—Maranatha, 279:6.
4 - It is the signal for some of the worst of the
“judgments upon Babylon” to fall.
“[Rev. 18:5-11, 3, 15-17, quoted] Such are the
judgments that fall upon Babylon in the day of

the visitation of God’s wrath. She has filled up the
measure of her iniquity; her time has come; she is
ripe for destruction.”—Great Controversy, 653:3.
Note: The Revelation 18 “judgments upon
Babylon,” mentioned in the above passage, could be
placed earlier in the outpouring of the plagues. But
an awakening of the wicked is implied in the context, which does not fully occur until the Voice of
God sounds. Also the next sentence (see below) locates it at the sounding of the Voice.
5 - The Voice produces a terrible awakening,
as the idols are destroyed.
“When the Voice of God turns the captivity of
His people, there is a terrible awakening of those
who have lost all in the great conflict of life. While
probation continued they were blinded by Satan’s
deceptions, and they justified their course of sin . .
Now they are stripped of all that made them great
and are left destitute and defenseless. They look
with terror upon the destruction of the idols
which they preferred before their Maker . . The gain
of a lifetime is swept away in a moment. The rich
bemoan the destruction of their grand houses,
the scattering of their gold and silver. But their
lamentations are silenced by the fear that they themselves are to perish with their idols.
“The wicked are filled with regret, not because of
their sinful neglect of God and their fellow men, but
because God has conquered. They lament that the
result is what it is; but they do not repent of
their wickedness. They would leave no means untried to conquer if they could.”—Great Controversy,
654:1-2.
(5)
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE,
FORTY-FOUR SIGNS
AND WONDERS OCCUR

It is generally considered that this earthquake
is part of the seventh plague (the Rev. 16:18 earthquake), which continues on until it concludes at the
Second Advent and the death of the wicked. (The
seventh seal earthquake may also apply to this time;
Rev. 8:5). Notice that forty-four signs are marked
below:
1 - The Voice of God produces the mighty earthquake.
“There was one clear place of settled glory, whence
came the Voice of God like many waters, shaking
the heavens and the earth. There was a mighty
earthquake.”—Early Writings, 285:1.
2 - Four signs rapidly occur.
“It is at midnight that God manifests His power
for the deliverance of His people. [1] The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders
follow in quick succession. The wicked look with

18 - DELIVERANCE BY THE VOICE OF GOD
terror and amazement upon the scene, while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. [2] Everything in nature seems turned
out of its course. [3] The streams cease to flow.
[4] Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against
each other.”—Great Controversy, 636:2.
3 - Twenty more signs accompany them.
“That Voice [5] shakes the heavens and the
earth. [6] There is a mighty earthquake, ‘such as
was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty
an earthquake, and so great’ (Rev. 16:17-18). [7] The
firmament appears to open and shut. [8] The
glory from the throne of God seems flashing
through. [9] The mountains shake like a reed in
the wind, and [10] ragged rocks are scattered on
every side. [11] There is a roar as of a coming
tempest. [12] The sea is lashed into fury. There
is heard [13] the shriek of a hurricane like the
voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. [14]
The whole earth heaves and swells like the waves
of the sea. [15] Its surface is breaking up. [16] Its
very foundations seem to be giving way. [17]
Mountain chains are sinking. [18] Inhabited islands disappear. [19] 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.’ [20] Great
hailstones, every one ‘about the weight of a talent,’
are doing their work of destruction. Revelation 16:19,
21. [21] The proudest cities of the earth are laid
low. [22] 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. [23] Prison walls are rent asunder, and [24]
God’s people, who have been held in bondage for
their faith, are set free.”—Great Controversy,
636:3-637:0.
4 - Seven more signs take place.
“[25] The sky opened and shut and was in commotion. [26] The mountains shook like a reed in
the wind and [27] cast out ragged rocks all around.
The sea boiled like a pot and [28] cast out stones
upon the land.”—Early Writings, 285:2.
“[29] The powers of heaven will be shaken at
the Voice of God. Then the sun, moon, and stars
will be moved out of their places. They will not
pass away, but be shaken by the Voice of God.”—
Early Writings, 41:1.
“Suddenly [in the middle of night] [30] the sun
appeared, shining in his strength, and [31] the moon
stood still. The wicked looked upon the scene with
amazement, while the saints beheld with solemn joy
the tokens of their deliverance.”—Early Writings,
285:1.
5 - Thirteen more signs occur.

207

“In the day of the Lord, just before the coming of
Christ, [32] God will send lightnings from heaven
in His wrath, [33] which will unite with fire in
the earth. [34] The mountains will burn like a
furnace, and [35] will pour forth terrible streams
of lava, destroying gardens and fields, villages and
cities; and as they pour their melted ore, [36] rocks
and heated mud into the rivers, will cause them to
boil like a pot, and [37] send forth massive rocks
and scatter their broken fragments upon the land
with indescribable violence. [38] Whole rivers will
be dried up. The earth will be convulsed, and there
will be dreadful eruptions and [39] earthquakes
everywhere. God will [40] plague the wicked inhabitants of the earth until they are destroyed from
off it.”—3 Spiritual Gifts, 82:3-83:0.
Note: The seventh plague of Revelation 16 is considered to include the period from the Voice of God
to, and including, the Second Coming. By the conclusion of the Second Advent, no wicked people will
be alive.
“The earth’s crust will be rent by the outbursts
of the elements concealed in the bowels of the earth.
These elements, once broken loose, [41] will sweep
away the treasures of those who for years have
been adding to their wealth by securing large possessions at starvation prices from those in their employ.”—Maranatha, 283:4.
“[42] The great general conflagration is but
just ahead, when all this wasted labor of life will be
swept away in a night and day.”—4 Testimonies, 49:2.
“There will be [43] great destruction of human life. But as in the days of the great deluge Noah
was preserved in the ark that God had prepared for
him, so in these days of destruction and calamity,
God will be the refuge of His believing ones.
Through the psalmist He declares, ‘Because thou has
made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most
High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.’ ‘For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in
His pavilion . .’ Then shall we not make the Lord our
surety and our defense?”—Maranatha, 283:6.
“Earthquakes in various places have been felt,
but these disturbances have been very limited . .
Terrible shocks will come upon the earth, and
[44] the lordly palaces erected at great expense
will certainly become heaps of ruins.”—3 Selected
Messages, 391:5.
(6)
THE SPECIAL RESURRECTION

1 - Two classes arise in this special resurrection.
“Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that
sleep in the dust of the earth . . awake, some to

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THE END OF TIME

everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting
contempt’ (Dan. 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’ (Rev. 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.”—Great
Controversy, 637:1.
2 - The earthquake opens the graves.
“There was a mighty earthquake. The graves
were opened, and those who had died in faith
under the third angel’s message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, glorified, to
hear the covenant of peace that God was to make
with those who had kept His law.”—Early Writings,
285:1.
(7)
THE DOOM OF THE WICKED
PREDICTED; THEIR TERRIBLE FEAR

Amid thunder and lightning, a Voice declares
the doom of the wicked.
“Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now
and then breaks through, appearing like the avenging eye of Jehovah. Fierce lightenings 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.”—Great Controversy, 637:2-638:1.
(8)
THE RIGHTEOUS KNOW
THEY ARE DELIVERED
AND SING PRAISES TO GOD

1 - A bright star is seen, and the faces of the
righteous are radiant as they sing praises; the
clouds sweep back and the sky is filled with stars.
“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.”—
Great Controversy, 638:2-639:1.
2 - “We are delivered. It is the Voice of God!”
“Satan’s host and wicked men will surround
them and exult over them because there will seem
to be no way of escape for them. But in the midst of
their revelry and triumph there is heard peal upon
peal of the loudest thunder. The heavens have
gathered blackness, and are only illuminated by
the blazing light and terrible glory from heaven, as
God utters His voice from His holy habitation.
“The foundations of the earth shake; buildings
totter and fall with a terrible crash. The sea boils
like a pot and the whole earth is in terrible commotion. The captivity of the righteous is turned,
and with sweet and solemn whisperings they say
to one another: ‘We are delivered. It is the Voice
of God.’ ”—1 Testimonies, 354:0-1.

18 - DELIVERANCE BY THE VOICE OF GOD
(9)
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
ARE OPENED TO THE VIEW OF ALL

1 - Against the sky, a Hand is seen holding the
ten commandments. The folded tablets are then
opened to the view of all.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 639:1.
2 - It is the original tables of stone which are
shown to the world.
“In the temple [in heaven] will be seen the ark of
the testament in which were placed the two tables of
stone, on which are written God’s law. These tables
of stone will be brought forth from their hiding
place, and on them will be seen the Ten Commandments engraved by the finger of God. These tables
of stone now lying in the ark of the testament
will be a convincing testimony to the truth and
binding claims of God’s law.”—7 Bible Commentary, 972/1:3-2:0.
“Sacrilegious minds and hearts have thought they
were mighty enough to change the times and laws of
Jehovah; but, safe in the archives of heaven, in the
ark of God, are the original commandments,
written upon the two tables of stone. No potentate of earth has power to draw forth those tables
from their sacred hiding place beneath the mercy
seat.”—7 Bible Commentary, 972/2:1.
(1
0)
10
THE HORROR OF THE WICKED
IS INDESCRIBABLE

1 - The sounding of the Voice has brought despair to the wicked.
“After the people have heard the Voice of God,
they are in despair and trouble such as never was
since there was a nation.”—Maranatha, 279:6.
2 - Their horror is the discovery of the fact
that the ten commandments were never abolished.
They find they have been fighting against God.
“It is impossible to describe the horror and
despair of those who have trampled upon God’s

209

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.”—Great Controversy, 639:2-640:1.
3 - Former Sabbathkeepers are also filled with
anguish.
“Then I was shown a company who were
howling in agony. On their garments was written
in large characters, ‘Thou art weighed in the balance, and found wanting.’ I asked who this company
were. The angel said, ‘These are they who have
once kept the Sabbath and have given it up.’ I
heard them cry with a loud voice, ‘We have believed
in Thy coming, and taught it with energy.’ And while
they were speaking, their eyes would fall upon their
garments and see the writing, and then they would
wail aloud. I saw that they had drunk of the deep
waters, and fouled the residue with their feet—
trodden the Sabbath underfoot—and that was why
they were weighed in the balance and found wanting.”—Early Writings, 37:0.
4 - A lengthy description of the insights the
wicked obtain at this time is given in GC 654:1656:1. The most important are quoted immediately
below:
5 - There is a terrible awakening.
“When the Voice of God turns the captivity of His
people, there is a terrible awakening of those who
have lost all in the great conflict of life. While proba-

210
tion continued they were blinded by Satan’s deceptions, and they justified their course of sin.”—Great
Controversy, 654:1.
6 - The wicked regret having lost in their rebellion against God.
“The wicked are filled with regret, not because
of their sinful neglect of God and their fellow men,
but because God has conquered. They lament that
the result is what it is; but they do not repent of
their wickedness. They would leave no means untried to conquer if they could.
“The world see the very class whom they have
mocked and derided, and desired to exterminate,
pass unharmed through pestilence, tempest, and
earthquake. He who is to the transgressors of His
law a devouring fire, is to His people a safe pavilion.”—Great Controversy, 654:2-3.
7 - The ministers awaken also.
“The minister who has sacrificed truth to
gain the favor of men now discerns the character and influence of his teachings. It is apparent that
the omniscient eye was following him as he stood in
the desk, as he walked the streets, as he mingled
with men in the various scenes of life. Every emotion
of the soul, every line written, every word uttered,
every act that led men to rest in a refuge of falsehood, has been scattering seed; and now, in the
wretched, lost souls around him, he beholds the
harvest.”—Great Controversy, 654:4-655:0.
8 - All recognize that they have rebelled
against the holy law of their Creator.
“Ministers and people see that they have not
sustained the right relation to God. They see that
they have rebelled against the Author of all just
and righteous law. The setting aside of the divine
precepts gave rise to thousands of springs of evil,
discord, hatred, iniquity, until the earth became one
vast field of strife, one sink of corruption.”—Great
Controversy, 655:3.
9 - The wicked fall at the feet of the righteous.
“Men whom the world has worshiped for
their talents and eloquence now see these things
in their true light. They realize what they have forfeited by transgression, and they fall at the feet of
those whose fidelity they have despised and derided,
and confess that God has loved them.”—Great Controversy, 655:3.
10 - The wicked are no longer able to overpower the faithful.
“At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on
us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch
forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they
would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was
that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved

THE END OF TIME
us who could wash one another’s feet and salute the
brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at
our feet.”—Early Writings, 15:1.
11 - The religious leaders suffer under the wrath
of God and the revilings of lost souls.
“Many of the wicked were greatly enraged as they
suffered the effects of the plagues. It was a scene of
fearful agony. Parents were bitterly reproaching
their children, and children their parents, brothers their sisters, and sisters their brothers. Loud,
wailing cries were heard in every direction, ‘It was
you who kept me from receiving the truth which
would have saved me from this awful hour.’ The
people turned upon their ministers with bitter
hate and reproached them, saying, ‘You have not
warned us. You told us that all the world was to be
converted, and cried, Peace, peace, to quiet every fear
that was aroused. You have not told us of this hour;
and those who warned us of it you declared to be
fanatics and evil men, who would ruin us.’ But I
saw that the ministers did not escape the wrath
of God. Their suffering was tenfold greater than that
of their people.”—Early Writings, 282:1.
12 - Lost church members are extremely angry with their pastors.
“Church members who have seen the light
and been convicted, but who have trusted the
salvation of their souls to the minister, will learn
in the day of God that no other soul can pay the
ransom for their transgression. A terrible cry will
be raised. ‘I am lost, eternally lost.’ Men will feel as
though they could rend in pieces the ministers
who have preached falsehoods and condemned the
truth.”—4 Bible Commentary, 1157/1:2.
13 - The wicked accuse one another, and especially their ministers. Some of the wicked are
slain by one another.
“The people see that they have been deluded.
They accuse one another of having led them to
destruction; but all unite in heaping their
bitterest condemnation upon the ministers. Unfaithful pastors have prophesied smooth things; they
have led their hearers to make void the law of God
and to persecute those who would keep it holy. Now,
in their despair, these teachers confess before the
world their work of deception. The multitudes are
filled with fury. ‘We are lost!’ they cry, ‘and you are
the cause of our ruin’; and they turn upon the false
shepherds. The very ones that once admired them
most will pronounce the most dreadful curses upon
them. The very hands that once crowned them with
laurels will be raised for their destruction. The
swords which were to slay God’s people are now
employed to destroy their enemies. Everywhere
there is strife and bloodshed.”—Great Controversy,
655:4-656:0.

18 - DELIVERANCE BY THE VOICE OF GOD
“God’s Word is made of none effect by false shepherds . . Their work will soon react upon themselves. Then will be witnessed the scenes described
in Revelation 18 when the judgments of God shall
fall upon mystical Babylon.”—Last Day Events,
248:2.

211

after I came out of vision. Scenes of such thrilling,
solemn interest passed before me as no language is
adequate to describe. It was all a living reality to me,
for close upon this scene appeared the great white
cloud, upon which was seated the Son of man.”—1
Selected Messages, 76:0.

(1
1)
11

(1
2)
12

THE DAY AND HOUR
OF CHRIST’S COMING
IS ANNOUNCED

THE FAITHFUL ARE GIVEN
THE SABBATH BLESSING

1 - The Voice of God gives the day and hour of
Christ’s Second Advent, and confirms the eternal
covenant with His people.
“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.”—Great
Controversy, 640:2.
2 - At the end of each sentence, the saints
shout.
“As God spoke the day and the hour of Jesus’
coming and delivered the everlasting covenant
to His people, He spoke one sentence, and then
paused, while the words were rolling through the
earth. The Israel of God stood with their eyes fixed
upward, listening to the words as they came from
the mouth of Jehovah, and rolled through the earth
like peals of loudest thunder. It was awfully solemn.
And at the end of every sentence the saints
shouted, ‘Glory! Alleluia!’ Their countenances were
lighted up with the glory of God; and they shone with
the glory, as did the face of Moses when he came
down from Sinai. The wicked could not look on them
for the glory.”—Early Writings, 34:1 (see pages
285:2-286:0).
3 - The living saints, at this time, are 144,000
in number.
“Soon we heard the Voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew
and understood the Voice, while the wicked thought
it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spoke
the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and
our faces began to light up and shine with the glory
of God, as Moses’ did when he came down from
Mount Sinai.”—Early Writings, 15:0.
4 - Heard, but not remembered after the vision.
“I have not the slightest knowledge as to the
time spoken by the Voice of God. I heard the hour
proclaimed, but had no remembrance of that hour

When the blessing is given, there is a shout of
victory.
“And when the blessing is pronounced on
those who have honored God by keeping His
Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory.”—
Great Controversy, 640:2.
“When the never-ending blessing was pronounced
on those who had honored God in keeping His Sabbath holy, there was a mighty shout of victory
over the beast and over his image.”—Early Writings, 34:1 (see page 286:0).
-2CHRIST’S JOURNEY TO EARTH
Backtracking a little: At the general close of the
investigative judgment (when each person in the world
had made his decision, received either the mark or
the seal, and probation for mankind had forever
ended), Jesus threw down the censer, declared “It is
done,” and went to the entrance of that gigantic structure (the heavenly Sanctuary; and it is a most marvelous building, see GC 414:2). There He put off His
priestly robes and commanded His angels to begin
pouring out the plagues on the wicked.
Then He began His journey to the earth.
1 - The trip to our world begins.
“And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus
stood. Then Jesus . . took His place on the cloud
which carried Him to the East, where it first appeared to the saints on earth—a small black cloud
which was the sign of the Son of man.”—Maranatha,
287:7 (“To the Little Remnant Scattered Abroad,”
April 6, 1846, broadside).
2 - All the angels in heaven accompany Him.
“All heaven will be emptied of the angels, while
the waiting saints will be looking for Him and gazing
into heaven, as were the men of Galilee when He ascended from the Mount of Olivet. Then only those
who are holy, those who have followed fully the meek
Pattern, will with rapturous joy exclaim as they behold Him, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for
Him, and He will save us.’ ”—Early Writings, 110:1.
3 - On the journey, Christ and His angels pass
through the region of Orion.

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THE END OF TIME

“Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against
each other. The atmosphere parted and rolled back;
then we could look up through the open space in
Orion, whence came the Voice of God. The holy
City will come down through that open space.”—
Early Writings, 41:2.
Note: The present writer restricts this location
to “the region of Orion,” since we are nowhere told,
in the Inspired Writings, that “the open space in
Orion” is the Great Nebula in Orion or a portion of
it. Therefore we cannot with certainty equate the “open
space” with the Orion Nebula. The “open space” may
be a large opening in the Nebula; but it could be the
space between the large rectangle of stars in the constellation or something else.
According to EW 41, the Voice of God sounds
from the area of this constellation; and, at the third
advent, the City of God will come down through that
part of the sky. But that is the third advent, not the
second. However, it is likely that at His Second Advent Christ will also return through that area; but
we are not specifically told that in this, or any other,
passage. Nor are we told what part of the Orion constellation is here referred to (Orion is one of the largest constellations in the sky).
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
ARMAGEDDON

Satan Is Now Marshaling His Armies for the
Last Great Struggle.—“We have a short time in which
to accomplish the work that is essential. Let us earnestly prepare for the conflict that is before us, for
Satan’s armies are marshaling for the last great
struggle . .
Satan Is Seeking to Bring in Heresies; the Rejecters of Warnings Will Be Ensnared.—“Satan is
rallying his forces and seeking to bring in heresies
to confuse the minds of those who have not been
trained to understand the leading of the Holy Spirit.
A delusive net is being prepared for them and those
who have been warned again and again, but have not
educated themselves to understand the warnings,
will surely be taken in Satan’s snares.”—Letter 364,
1908 (to S.N. Haskell, December 17, 1908).
Satan Is Drilling His Army.—“The end is near,
and every year Satan is drilling his army to develop
strong parties to be ready against the battle of the

last great conflict.”—Manuscript 134, 1908, 3 (“Arbitrary Control,” cir. 1908).
THE VOICE OF GOD

The Scattered Ones in Dens and Caverns Are
Made Glad at the Voice of God.—“Before the glory
of Him who is to reign, the mountains will tremble
and bow, the rocks will be moved out of their places,
for once more will the Lord shake, not alone the earth,
but the heavens also. The scattered ones, who have
fled for their lives to the rocks, the dens, the caverns
of the earth, because of the fury of the oppressor,
will be made glad at the Voice of God . .
As Christ Strengthened John, so Will He
Strengthen His Terror-stricken Saints at His Second Coming.—“The child of God will be terrorstricken at the first sight of the majesty of Jesus
Christ. He feels that he cannot live in His holy presence. But the word comes to him, as to John, ‘Fear
not.’ Jesus laid His right hand upon John. He raised
him up from his prostrate position. So will He do
unto His loyal, trusting ones, for there are greater
revelations of the glory of God to be given them . .
Effects of the Second Coming on the Lost.—
“There is also to be revelation to the transgressors
of the law of Jehovah—they who made void the law
of God, who have taken their stand on the side of
him who thought to change times and laws. From
the terror-stricken myriads come the cry, ‘The great
day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to
stand’ (Rev. 6:17).”—Manuscript 56, 1886, 5-7
(“Traveling in Switzerland,” May 21, 1886).
The Covenant Will Be Brought Forth.— “When
every case is decided in the courts of heaven, this
covenant [the ten commandments] will be brought
forth, plainly written with the finger of God. The
world will be arraigned before the bar of Infinite Justice to receive sentence—a life measuring with the
life of God for obedience, and death for transgression.”—Manuscript 82, 1899, 10 (“In the Master’s
Service,” May 21, 1899).
The Heaviest Judgments Will Fall on the False
Shepherds.—“And upon those who have taken upon
them the work of shepherds of the flock will be visited the heaviest judgments, because they have presented to the people fables instead of truth. Children will rise up and curse their parents. Church
members, who have seen the light and [have] been
convicted, but who have trusted the salvation of their
souls to the minister, will learn in the day of God
that no other soul can pay the ransom for their transgression. A terrible cry will be raised, ‘I am lost,
eternally lost.’
The Ire of the Lost against Their False Shepherds.—“Men will feel as though they could rend in

18 - DELIVERANCE BY THE VOICE OF GOD
pieces the ministers who have preached falsehoods
and condemned the truth. The pure truth for this
time requires a reformation in the life, but they separated themselves from the love of the truth, and of
them it can be said, ‘O Israel, thou hast destroyed
thyself’ (Hosea 13:9). The Lord sends a message to
the people, ‘Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall
come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law’ (Hosea 8:1).”—Letter 30,
1900 (to “Brother and Sister Hickox,” February 25,
1900).
Revelation 18:1-3 Will Be Fulfilled When God
Arises to Shake Terribly the Earth.—“What terrible
scenes will take place when the Lord shall arise to
shake terribly the earth. Then the words of Revelation 18:1-3 [the announcement that Babylon is fallen]
will be fulfilled. The whole of the eighteenth chapter
of Revelation is a warning of what is coming on the
earth. But I have no light in particular in regard to
what is coming on New York, only that I know that
one day the great buildings there will be thrown down
by the turning and overturning of God’s power. From
the light given me, I know that destruction is in the
world. One word from the Lord, one touch of His
mighty power, and those massive structures will fall.
Scenes will take place, the fearfulness of which we
cannot imagine.”—Letter 176, 1903 (to H.W.
Kellogg, August 9, 1903. See also PM 280-281).
God Will Protect His Believing Ones During
the Convulsions of Nature Preceding the Advent.—
“Before the Son of man appears in the clouds of
heaven, everything in nature will be convulsed. Lightning from heaven, uniting with fire in the earth, will
cause the mountains to burn like a furnace, and pour
out their floods of lava over villages and cities. Molten masses of rock [will] cause the water to boil, and
they will send forth rocks and earth. There will be
mighty earthquakes and great destruction of human
life. But as in the days of the great deluge Noah was
preserved in the ark that God had prepared for Him.
So in these last days of destruction and calamity,
God will be the refuge of His believing ones.”—Letter
248, 1907 (to J.E. White and wife, August 16, 1907).
Satan Wants to Revive Slavery.—“I am instructed to say to our people throughout the cities of
the South, let everything be done under the direction
of the Lord. The work is nearing its close. We are
nearer the end than when we first believed. Satan is
doing his best to block the progress of the message.
He is putting forth efforts to bring about the enactment of a Sunday law that will result in slavery in
the Southern field and will close the door to the observance of the true Sabbath, which God has given
to men to keep holy. The law, which He came down

213

from heaven to Mt. Sinai to proclaim, is to be observed by all who would identify themselves with the
people of God.”—Letter 6, 1909 (to J.E. White, January 1, 1909).
TEN COMMANDMENTS OPENED

In the Day of Judgment, the Tables of God’s
Law Will Condemn the Lost.—“Ministers have
taught the people that the law of God is not binding.
But God certainly does not say so, and in the day of
judgment that law, written with the finger of God on
tables of stone, will condemn all impenitent transgressors.”—Manuscript 33, 1900, 5-6, 8-10, 18 (“Unfaithful Shepherds,” June 25, 1900).
These Tables Are in Heaven.—“There is a Sanctuary, and in that Sanctuary is the ark, and in the
ark are the tables of stone, on which is written the
law spoken from Sinai amidst scenes of awful grandeur. These tables of stone are in the heavens, and
they will be brought forth in that day when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, and
men shall be judged according to the things written
in the books. They will be judged by the law written
by the finger of God, and given to Moses to be deposited in the ark. A record is kept of the deeds of all
men, and according to his works will every man receive sentence, whether they be good or whether they
be evil.”—Manuscript 20, 1906, 8-9 (“Preach the
Word,” February 7, 1906.
They Are to be Brought Forth When Sentence
Is Pronounced.—“In my books the truth is stated,
barricaded by a Thus saith the Lord. The Holy Spirit
traced these truths upon my heart and mind as indelibly as the law was traced by the finger of God
upon the tables of stone, which are now in the ark,
to be brought forth in that great day when sentence
is pronounced against every evil, seducing science
produced by the father of lies.”—Letter 90, 1906 (to
The Brethren Assembled in Council at Graysville,
Tennessee, March 6, 1906).
In the next chapter, we will view events at the
time of the Second Advent, as they relate primarily
to the redeemed but also to the wicked. These are
the pre-ascension events. They concur at the time of
Christ’s Second Coming, before Jesus and the redeemed begin their journey to heaven.
We will view (1) the post-ascension events on
earth, which is the death of the living wicked and the
binding of Satan to this planet for a thousand years;
and (2) the post-ascension events of the redeemed,
which includes their journey to heaven, their coronation and entrance into the holy City, and the sentencing judgment.

214

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 19 —

THE
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
-1THE JUBILEE BEGINS
The commencement of the jubilee.
“Then commenced the jubilee, when the land
should rest.”—Early Writings, 35:1.
In ancient Israel, every seventh year and fiftieth
year were rest years for the land. Because the seventh-day Sabbath has been violated for 6,000 years,
it is quite appropriate that the land will be able to
rest for the seventh thousandth year.
As Jerusalem was destroyed because the people
refused to keep the Sabbath (Jer. 17:21-27), so the
world will be destroyed because its inhabitants refused to keep the Sabbath. (This emphasis on Sabbathkeeping is due to the fact that the Sabbath cannot be properly observed without obeying God fully
in every other way.) At last the land and people will
have rest. But at what a cost! The world is shattered
and the wicked are dead.
Some try to date the Second Advent by the jubilee cycle, but this cannot be done. Why? Three good
reasons: (1) No one knows the exact date on which
the jubilee cycle should begin. (2) God’s Inspired
Word has told us, several times, that no man will
know the date of the Second Coming (2 SM 113; GC
456-457; DA 632-633; FE 335; 1T 409; TM 55, 61;
1 SM 75-76; EW 22; 1T 72-73) until it is declared
in the skies at the sounding of the Voice of God. (3)
There is even a question whether the Jubilee is a 49or 50-year cycle.
-2THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN
1 - Christ returns in a cloud.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 640:3-641:0.
“Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a
small black cloud had appeared, about half as large
as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of
the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on
the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white
cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow
was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it
sat the Son of man.”—Early Writings, 15:2-16:0.
“At first we did not see Jesus on the cloud, but
as it drew near the earth we could behold His lovely
person. This cloud, when it first appeared, was
the sign of the Son of man in heaven.”—Early
Writings, 35:1.
2 - The atmospheric clouds roll back, and the
faithful see the sign and hear the sound of music
as it nears.
“The clouds of heaven will clash, and there
will be darkness. Then that Voice comes from heaven
and the clouds begin to roll back like a scroll,
and there is the bright, clear sign of the Son of
man. The children of God know what that cloud
means.”—Maranatha, 279:6.
“The clouds begin to roll back like a scroll and
there is the bright, clear sign of the Son of man. The
children of God know what that cloud means.
The sound of music is heard, and as it nears, the
graves are opened and the dead are raised.”—9 Manuscript Releases, 251:3-252:1.
-3THE TIMING
OF THE SECOND ADVENT
It is impossible for us to know when Christ will
return, until He Himself tells us at the announcement of the Voice of God event, in regard to the Second Coming of Christ (2 SM 113); and to try to do
so pleases Satan (GC 457). We have been warned
against doing this (DA 632-633, FE 335, GC 456457, 1T 409, TM 55, 61); and we should beware of

19 - SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
doing it (1 SM 75-76). When men attempt it, they
only weaken the faith of God’s people (EW 22, 1T
72-73).
-4JESUS RETURNS FOR HIS PEOPLE
1 - Christ, veiled in humanity, departed from
this world.
“Christ had ascended to heaven in the form of
humanity. The disciples had beheld the cloud receive Him. The same Jesus who had walked and
talked and prayed with them; who had broken bread
with them; who had been with them in their boats
on the lake; and who had that very day toiled with
them up the ascent of Olivet—the same Jesus had
now gone to share His Father’s throne. And the angels had assured them that the very One whom they
had seen go up into heaven, would come again even
as He had ascended.”—Desire of Ages, 832:2.
2 - Christ, glorified in humanity, will return
again.
“The glory of Christ’s humanity did not appear
when He was upon the earth. He was regarded as a
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We hid
as it were our faces from Him. But He was pursuing
the path [which] the plan of God had devised. That
same humanity now appears as He descends from
heaven, robed in glory, triumphant, exalted.”—In
Heavenly Places, 358:4.
3 - The appearance of Christ as He returns.
“Upon it sat the Son of man. His hair was
white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon
His head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle;
in His left, a silver trumpet.”—Early Writings, 16:0.
4 - He will return amid great glory.
“Christ will come in His own glory, in the
glory of His Father, and in the glory of the holy
angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, the beautiful, triumphant sons of God, possessing surpassing loveliness
and glory, will escort Him on His way. In the place of
a crown of thorns, He will wear a crown of glory—
a crown within a crown. In the place of that old purple
robe, He will be clothed in a garment of whitest
white, ‘so as no fuller on earth can white’ (Mark
9:3) it. And on His vesture and on His thigh a name
will be written, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’ ”—
Our High Calling, 367:3.
5 - Millions of angels accompany Him, and the
glory fills the sky.
“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,

215
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’ (Rev. 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.’ ”—Great Controversy,
641:0.
-5EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM RETURN
Every person in the world sees Him return.
“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.’ ”—Great
Controversy, 641:0.
-6THE DISPLAY
OF OVERMASTERING POWER BRINGS
FEAR AND APPREHENSION
The wicked are terrified and the saints are apprehensive. But Jesus reassures His own.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 641:1.
-7THE HEAVENS AND EARTH
ARE SHAKEN
His arrival in the skies shakes the earth to its
foundations.
“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,

216
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 around about Him. He shall
call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that
He may judge His people.’ ”—Great Controversy,
641:2-642:0.
Note: There is a shaking of the earth at the
sounding of the massive Voice of God (before the Second Advent) and a second one at the terrible appearing of the Son of man in the skies at His Advent.
(Compare Great Controversy, 637:0, 642:0.)
-8CRYING FOR THE ROCKS TO FALL,
THE WICKED FLEE INTO CAVES
1 - The flight into the caves as they cry to the
rocks to fall on them.
“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 free man,
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?”—Great Controversy,
642:1.
2 - They call to their gods.
“When the earth is reeling to and fro like a drunkard, when the heavens are shaking and the great day
of the Lord has come, who shall be able to stand?
One object they behold in trembling agony from
which they will try in vain to escape. ‘Behold, He
cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him’ (Rev.
1:7). The unsaved utter wild imprecations to
dumb nature, their god: ‘Mountains and rocks,
fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne’ (Rev. 6:16).”—That I May Know
Him, 356:2.
3 - Some of the wicked flee into caves recently
vacated by the faithful.
“The hidden ones have been scattered because
of man’s enmity against the law of Jehovah. They
have been oppressed by all the powers of the earth.
They have been scattered in the dens and caves of
the earth through the violence of their adversaries,
because they are true and obedient to Jehovah’s laws.
But deliverance comes to the people of God. To their
enemies God will show Himself a God of just retribution.
“From the dens and the caves of the earth, that
have been the secret hiding places of God’s people,
they are called forth as His witnesses, true and faithful.

THE END OF TIME
“The people who have braved out their rebellion will fulfill the description given in Revelation
6:15-17. In these very caves and dens they find
the very statement of truth in the letters and in the
publications as witness against them. The shepherds
who lead the sheep in false paths will hear the charge
made against them, ‘It was you who made light of
truth. It was you who told us that God’s law was
abrogated, that it was a yoke of bondage. It was
you who voiced the false doctrines when I was
convicted that these Seventh-day Adventists had the
truth. The blood of our souls is upon your priestly
garments . . Now will you pay the ransom for my
soul? . . What shall we do who listened to your
garbling of the Scriptures and your turning into
a lie the truth which if obeyed would have saved
us?’
“When Christ comes to take vengeance on those
who have educated and trained the people to trample
on God’s Sabbath, to tear down His memorial, and
tread down with their feet the feed of His pastures,
lamentations will be in vain. Those who trusted in
the false shepherds had the Word of God to search
for themselves, and they find that God will judge
every man who has had the truth and turned from
the light because it involved self-denial and the cross.
Rocks and mountains cannot screen them from
the indignation of Him that sitteth on the throne
and from the wrath of the Lamb.”—Maranatha,
290:2-5.
-9THE INSOLENCE OF THE WICKED
IS ENDED
AS THEY AWAKEN TO
THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION
1 - The jests and lies are replaced by praying
and weeping.
“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’ (Isa. 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.”—Great Controversy, 642:2.
2 - That Voice they know so well; for they have
heard it for years.
“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,

19 - SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
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
. . That Voice awakens memories which they would
fain blot out—warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted.”—Great Controversy,
642:3.
- 10 THOSE ALSO WHO PIERCED HIM
SHALL SEE HIM RETURN
1 - What a day that will be.
“What a day that will be, when those who rejected Christ will look upon Him whom their sins
have pierced.”—Maranatha, 292:3.
2 - Those who mocked Him will see Him return.
“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 [at His third advent].”—Great Controversy,
643:1.
3 - Those who robed, crowned, smote, spate,
nailed, and pierced Him will also see His return in
glory.
“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 . . 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!’ ”—Great
Controversy, 643:2-644:0.
4 - They will look upon Him and wail.
“Those who have acted the most prominent
part in the rejection and crucifixion of Christ
come forth to see Him as He is, and those who have
rejected Christ come up and see the saints glorified,
and it is at that time that the saints are changed

217
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and are
caught up to meet their Lord in the air. The very
ones who placed upon Him the purple robe and put
the crown of thorns upon His brow, and those who
put the nails through His hands and feet, look upon
Him and bewail.”—9 Manuscript Releases, 252:1
(1886).
5 - They will call for the rocks to fall on them.
“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 saved others, Himself He cannot save.’ All the insult 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.
Every tone of gracious solicitation will vibrate
as distinctly in their ears as when the Saviour
spoke in the synagogues 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.”—Last Day Events, 275:2-3.
Note: The truth that a special resurrection (of
some of the wicked of earlier ages) occurs prior to
the Second Advent is shown by the fact that those
who pierced Christ will see Him return in the clouds
of heaven.
6 - The Jewish rulers will see His Second Advent.
“As they [the Jewish rulers] gaze upon His
glory [at His Second Coming], there flashes before
their minds the memory of the Son of man clad in
the garb of humanity. They remember how they treated
Him, how they refused Him, and pressed close to
the side of the great apostate. The scenes of Christ’s
life appear before them in all their clearness. All He
did, all He said, the humiliation to which He descended to save them from the taint of sin, rises
before them in condemnation.
“They behold Him riding into Jerusalem and see
Him break into an agony of tears over the impenitent city that would not receive His message. His
Voice, which was heard in invitation, in entreaty, in
tones of tender solicitude, seems again to fall upon
their ears. The scene in the Garden of Gethsemane
rises before them, and they hear Christ’s amazing
prayer, ‘Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from Me.’
“Again they hear the voice of Pilate, saying, ‘I find

218
in Him no fault at all.’ They see the shameful scene
in the judgment hall, when Barabbas stood by the
side of Christ, and they had the privilege of choosing
the guiltless One. They hear again the words of Pilate,
‘Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or
Jesus which is called Christ?’ They hear the response, ‘Away with this man and release unto us
Barabbas.’ To the question of Pilate, ‘What shall I
do then with Jesus?’ the answer comes, ‘Let Him be
crucified.’
“Again they see their Sacrifice bearing the reproach of the cross. They hear the loud, triumphant
tones tauntingly exclaim, ‘If thou be the Son of God,
come down from the cross.’ ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save.’
“Now they behold Him not in the Garden of
Gethsemane, not in the judgment hall, not on the
cross of Calvary. The signs of His humiliation have
passed away, and they look upon the face of
God—the face they spat upon, the face which
priests and rulers struck with the palms of their
hands. Now the truth in all its vividness is revealed to them.”—Maranatha, 293:2-6.
7 - Christ promised Caiaphas that this day would
come.
“[At His trial], Caiaphas, raising his right arm
toward heaven, addressed Jesus in the form of a
solemn oath: ‘I adjure thee by the living God, that
thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of
God . .
“Every ear was bent to listen, and every eye was
fixed on His face as He answered, ‘Thou hast said.’
A heavenly light seemed to illuminate His pale countenance as He added, ‘Nevertheless I say unto you,
Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on
the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds
of heaven.’
“For a moment the divinity of Christ flashed
through His guise of humanity. The high priest
quailed before the penetrating eyes of the Saviour . .
For a moment he felt as if standing before the eternal Judge, whose eye, which sees all things, was reading his soul, bringing to light mysteries supposed to
be hidden with the dead.
“The scene passed from the priest’s vision . .
Rending his robe . . he demanded that . . the prisoner be condemned for blasphemy. ‘What further
need have we of witnesses?’ he said; ‘behold, now ye
have heard His blasphemy. What think ye?’ And they
all condemned Him.”—Desire of Ages, 706:3, 707:1708:2.
8 - The Jewish leaders made their choice; and,
at His coming, they will remember it.
“Thus the Jewish leaders made their choice.
Their decision was registered in the book which John

THE END OF TIME
saw in the hand of Him that sat upon the throne,
the book which no man could open. In all its vindictiveness this decision will appear before them in the
day when this book is unsealed by the Lion of the
tribe of Judah.”—Christ’s Object Lessons, 294:1.
“When Christ comes the second time, not as a
prisoner surrounded by a rabble will they see Him.
They will see Him as heaven’s King . . Then the
priests and rulers will remember distinctly the
scene in the judgment hall. Every circumstance will
appear before them as if written in letters of fire.”—
Maranatha, 282:8.
- 11 THE SAINTS CRY OUT,
“THIS IS OUR GOD;
HE WILL SAVE US!”
The faithful cry, “He will save us!”
“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’ (Prov. 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.’ ”—Great Controversy, 644:1.
- 12 THE RESURRECTION
OF THE RIGHTEOUS DEAD
1 - Sequence: (1) Those that died in Christ
had partaken of the divine nature. (2) After death,
they were guarded by angels. (3) The Second Advent of Christ occurs. (4) Jesus views their graves,
and sounds His silver trumpet. (5) He cries,
“Awake, awake . . !” (6) There is a mighty earthquake and the graves are opened. (7) The first resurrection occurs as all the remaining righteous
dead come to life, by virtue of the character they
had received from Christ’s righteousness. (8) As
they rise from their prison house, by the power of
the Saviour in them while living, they are clothed
with immortal glory and cry, “O death, where is
thy sting?” (9) The living righteous unite with
them in a long, glad shout of victory. (10) The
wrinkles and other marks of earth are gone, but
they recognize one another.
“Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightening, and the roar of thunder, the Voice of the Son
of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks

19 - SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
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.”—Great Controversy,
644:2.
“Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He
descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire.
He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then
raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried,
‘Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust,
and arise.’ Then there was a mighty earthquake.
The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed
with immortality.”—Early Writings, 16:1.
“The Lifegiver will call up His purchased possession in the first resurrection, and until that
triumphant hour, when the last trump shall sound
and the vast army shall come forth to eternal victory, every sleeping saint will be kept in safety and
will be guarded as a precious jewel, who is known to
God by name. By the power of the Saviour that dwelt
in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they are brought forth from
the dead.
“ ‘The hour is coming,’ Christ said, ‘in the which
all that are in the graves shall hear His Voice, and
shall come forth.’ That Voice is to resound through
all the habitations of the dead; and every saint who
sleeps in Jesus will awake and leave his prison
house. Then the virtue of character we have received
from Christ’s righteousness will ally us to true greatness of the highest order.
“The victory of the sleeping saints will be glorious on the morning of the resurrection . . The Life
giver will crown with immortality all who come forth
from the grave.”—Sons and Daughters of God, 359:24.
“Those who sleep in Jesus will be called from
their prison house . . to a glorious immortality
. . He has risen, dear friends, and in your despondency you may know . . that Jesus is by your side to
give you peace.
“I know what I am talking about. I have seen the
time when I thought the waves were going over my
head; in that time I felt my Saviour precious to me.
When my eldest son was taken from me I felt my
grief was very great, but Jesus came to my side and
I felt His peace in my soul . . When our friends go

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into the grave they are beautiful to us. It may be our
father or mother that we lay away: when they come
forth those wrinkles are all gone but the figure is
there, and we know them.
“We want to be prepared to meet these dear
friends as they come forth in the resurrection morning . . Shall we lay hold upon the hope set before us
in the gospel that we shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is?”—In Heavenly Places, 353:2-5.
2 - That Voice, calling forth His own, resounds
through all the nations of the dead.
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in
the which all that are in the graves shall hear His
Voice, and shall come forth’ [John 5:28-29]. This
Voice is soon to resound through all the nations
of the dead, and every saint who sleeps in Jesus
shall awake and leave his prison house.”—Last Day
Events, 276:2.
“The precious dead, from Adam down to the
last saint who dies, will hear the Voice of the Son of
God and will come forth from the grave to immortal
life.”—Desire of Ages, 606:1.
3 - Hated on earth, the beloved of Heaven come
forth from their graves.
“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 ’ (Ps.
50:6).”—Great Controversy, 650:1.
4 - From mountains and mines.
“When Christ comes to gather to Himself those
who have been faithful, the last trump will sound,
and the whole earth, from the summits of the loftiest mountains to the lowest recesses of the deepest mines, will hear. The righteous dead will hear
the sound of the last trump, and will come forth
from their graves, to be clothed with immortality and
to meet their Lord.”—7 Bible Commentary, 909/1:2.
5 - From caverns, dungeons, caves, and oceans.
“I dwell with pleasure upon the resurrection of
the just, who shall come forth from all parts of the
earth, from rock caverns, from dungeons, from
caves of the earth, from the waters of the deep.
Not one is overlooked. Every one shall hear His
Voice. They will come forth with triumph and victory.”—Last Day Events, 278:1.
6 - From caverns, dungeons, and wells.
“What a scene will these mountains and hills [in
Switzerland] present when Christ, the Lifegiver, shall

220
call forth the dead! They will come from caverns,
from dungeons, from deep wells, where their bodies
have been buried.”—Last Day Events, 278:2.
7 - From mountains, caves, dens, and dungeons.
“In the fastnesses of the mountains, in the
caves and dens of the earth, the Saviour reveals
His presence and His glory.
“Yet a little while, and He that is to come will
come and will not tarry. His eyes as a flame of fire
penetrate into the fast-closed dungeons and hunt
out the hidden ones, for their names are written in
the Lamb’s book of life. The eyes of the Saviour are
above us, around us, noting every difficulty, discerning every danger; and there is no place where His
eyes cannot penetrate, no sorrows and sufferings of
His people where the sympathy of Christ does not
reach.
“The child of God will be terror-stricken at
the first sight of the majesty of Jesus Christ. He
feels that he cannot live in His holy presence. But
the word comes to him as to John, ‘Fear not.’ Jesus
laid His right hand upon John; He raised him up
from his prostrate position. So will He do unto
His loyal, trusting ones.”—That I May Know Him,
360:3-4.
8 - Christ’s resurrection is a sample of what
the resurrection of each of His faithful ones will
be like.
“The resurrection of Jesus was a sample of the
final resurrection of all who sleep in Him.”—
Maranatha, 302:2.
9 - It is only because of our earlier union with
Christ here on earth, that we will come forth from
the grave.
“Christ became one flesh with us, in order that
we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from
the grave—not merely as a manifestation of the
power of Christ, but because, through faith, His life
has become ours. Those who see Christ in His true
character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ
dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the
heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.”—
Maranatha, 302:7.
10 - Eternal life is only possible in and through
Christ.
“Man has no control over his life. But the life of
Christ was unborrowed. No one can take this life
from Him. ‘I lay it down of Myself,’ He said. In Him
was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life
is not inherent in man. He can possess it only
through Christ.”—Maranatha, 302:4.

THE END OF TIME
- 13 THE APPEARANCE OF THE SAINTS
1 - They will come forth the same in size, but
with youthful, eternal vigor.
“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 . .
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’ (Mal. 4:2) to
the full stature of the race in its primeval glory.”—
Great Controversy, 644:3-645:0.
2 - Their personal identity will be preserved.
“Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or
material substance as went into the grave.”—6 Bible
Commentary, 1093/1:2. (The entire passage is
worth reading.)
3 - They will be given a higher nature.
“When Christ comes, He takes those who have
purified their souls by obeying the truth . . This
mortal shall put on immortality, and these corruptible bodies, subject to disease, will be changed from
mortal to immortal. We shall then be gifted with
a higher nature. The bodies of all who purify their
souls by obeying the truth shall be glorified. They
will have fully received and believed in Jesus Christ.”—
3 Selected Messages, 427:3.
- 14 LIVING SAINTS MADE IMMORTAL
AND CAUGHT UP
WITH THE RISEN SAINTS
1 - They are made immortal and caught up to
Jesus.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 645:1.
2 - Changed in a moment, they meet their Lord
in the air.
“The Voice of the Son of God called forth the sleeping saints, clothed with glorious immortality. The
living saints were changed in a moment and
were caught up with them into the cloudy
chariot.”—Early Writings, 35:1.
3 - They ascend amid shouts of glory and victory.

19 - SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
“And the graves were opened, and the saints came
forth, clothed with immortality, crying, ‘Victory over
death and the grave’; and together with the living
saints they were caught up to meet their Lord
in the air, while rich, musical shouts of glory and
victory were upon every immortal tongue.”—Early
Writings, 273:0.
4 - The meeting in the sky.
“There stands the risen host. The last thought
was of death and its pangs. The last thoughts they
had were of the grave and the tomb, but now they
proclaim, ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory?’ . . Here they stand and the finishing
touch of immortality is put upon them and they go
up to meet their Lord in the air . .
“There are the columns of angels on either
side . . then the angelic choir strike the note of
victory and the angels in the two columns take up
the song and the redeemed host join as though they
had been singing the song on the earth, and they
have been. Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious note. Every voice proclaims, ‘Worthy is
the Lamb that was slain.’ He sees the travail of His
soul, and is satisfied.”—Sons and Daughters of God,
359:5.
5 - When we receive holy flesh.
“When human beings receive holy flesh, they
will not remain on the earth, but will be taken to
heaven. While sin is forgiven in this life, its results
are not now wholly removed. It is at His coming
that Christ is to ‘change our vile body, that it
may be fashioned like unto His glorious body.’ ”—2
Selected Messages, 33:3.
- 15 FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES
ARE REUNITED
1 - Angels bring loved ones together.
“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.”—Great Controversy,
645:1.
2 - Infants wing their way to their mothers.
“As the little infants come forth immortal from
their dusty beds, they immediately wing their way
to their mothers’ arms.”—2 Selected Messages,
260:1. (For more on children in heaven, read Early
Writings, 258-259.)
3 - Friends are recognized.
“The 144,000 shouted, ‘Alleluia!’ as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them
by death, and in the same moment we were

221
changed and caught up together with them to meet
the Lord in the air.”—Early Writings, 16:1.
“We shall know our friends, even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed,
diseased, or disfigured, in this mortal life, and they
rise in perfect health and symmetry; yet in the glorified body their identity will be perfectly preserved. Then shall we know even as also we are
known (1 Cor. 13:12). In the face radiant with the
light shining from the face of Jesus, we shall recognize the lineaments of those we love.”—Desire of Ages,
804:1.
“He will come to honor those who have loved Him,
and kept His commandments, and to take them to
Himself. He has not forgotten them nor His promise. There will be a relinking of the family
chain.”—Desire of Ages, 632:3.
4 - They meet those who brought them to
Christ.
“The redeemed will meet and recognize those
whose attention they have directed to the uplifted
Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these
souls! ‘I was a sinner,’ it will be said, ‘without God
and without hope in the world, and you came to
me and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope . . Others will say, ‘I was a
heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends
and comfortable home and came to teach me how
to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only true
God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God, and
now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved,
ever to behold Him whom I love’ . .
“Others will express their gratitude to those who
fed the hungry and clothed the naked. ‘When despair
bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to
me,’ they say, ‘to speak words of hope and comfort.
You brought me food for my physical necessities, and
you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me
to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother.
You sympathized with me in my sorrows, and
restored my bruised and wounded soul, so that I
could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached out
to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a Father in heaven who cared for
me. You read to me the precious promises of God’s
Word. You inspired in me the faith that He would
save me. My heart was softened, subdued, broken,
as I contemplated the sacrifice which Christ had
made for me . . I am here, saved, eternally saved,
ever to live in His presence and to praise Him who
gave His life for me.’
“What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed
ones meet and greet those who have had a burden in
their behalf! And those who have lived, not to please
themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate
who have so few blessings—how their hearts will

222
thrill with satisfaction!”—My Life Today, 353:35.
5 - They will meet those who gave them papers which brought them to Jesus.
“I was shown men and women studying with
intense interest papers and a few pages of tracts
upon present truth. They would read the evidences
so wonderful and new to them, and would open their
Bibles with a deep and new interest, as subjects of
truth that had been dark to them were made plain,
especially the light in regard to the Sabbath of the
Fourth Commandment. As they searched the Scriptures to see if these things were so, a new light shone
upon their understanding, for angels were hovering
over them, and impressing their minds with the
truths contained in the publications they had been
reading.
“I saw them holding papers and tracts in one
hand, and the Bible in the other, while their cheeks
were wet with tears; and bowing before God in
earnest, humble prayer, to be guided into all
truth,—the very thing He was doing for them before
they called upon Him. And when the truth was received in their hearts, and they saw the harmonious
chain of truth, the Bible was to them a new book;
they hugged it to their hearts with grateful joy, while
their countenances were all aglow with happiness
and holy joy.”—Life Sketches, 214:3-215:1.
6 - Oh, we must be there!
“Only those who are holy, those who have followed fully the meek Pattern, will with rapturous joy
exclaim as they behold Him, ‘Lo, this is our God; we
have waited for Him, and He will save us.’ And they
will be changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trump—that trump which wakes the
sleeping saints, and calls them forth from their dusty
beds, clothed with glorious immortality, and shouting, ‘Victory! Victory over death and the grave!’ The
changed saints are then caught up together with
the angels to meet the Lord in the air, never more
to be separated from the object of their love.
“With such a prospect as this before us, such a
glorious hope, such a redemption that Christ has
purchased for us by His own blood, shall we hold
our peace? Shall we not praise God even with a loud
voice, as did the disciples when Jesus rode into
Jerusalem? Is not our prospect far more glorious
than was theirs? Who dare then forbid us glorifying
God, even with a loud voice, when we have such a
hope, big with immortality, and full of glory? We have
tasted of the powers of the world to come, and
long for more. My whole being cries out after the
living God, and I shall not be satisfied until I am
filled with all His fullness.”—Early Writings, 110:12.
7 - A summary of the final triumph of the re-

THE END OF TIME
deemed.
“The Lifegiver is coming to break the fetters
of the tomb. He is to bring forth the captives and
proclaim, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ There
stands the risen host. The last thought was of death
and its pangs. The last thoughts they had were of
the grave and the tomb, but now they proclaim, ‘O,
death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory’ (1 Cor. 15:55). The pangs of death were the
last things they felt.
“When they awake the pain is all gone. ‘O grave,
where is thy victory?’ Here they stand and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them
and they go up to meet their Lord in the air. The
gates of the City of God swing back upon their
hinges, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in.
“There are the columns of angels on either
side, and the ransomed of God walk in through the
cherubim and seraphim. Christ bids them welcome and puts upon them His benediction: ‘Well
done, thou good and faithful servant . . enter thou
into the joy of thy lord’ (Matt. 25:21). What is that
joy? He sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied. That is what we labor for.
“Here is one, who in the night season we pleaded
with God on his behalf. There is one that we talked
with on his dying bed, and he hung his helpless soul
upon Jesus. Here is one who was a poor drunkard.
We tried to get his eyes fixed upon Him who is mighty
to save and we told him that Christ could give him
the victory. There are the crowns of immortal
glory upon their heads, and then the redeemed cast
their glittering crowns at the feet of Jesus; and then
the angelic choir strikes the note of victory and the
angels in the two columns take up the song and
the redeemed host join as though they had been singing the song on the earth, and they have been.
“Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious
note. Every voice proclaims, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain’ (Rev. 5:12). He sees of the travail of His
soul and is satisfied. Do you think anyone there
will take time to tell of his trials and terrible difficulties? ‘The former shall not be remembered, nor
come into mind’ (Isa. 65:17). ‘God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes’ (Rev. 21:4).”—3 Selected
Messages, 430:5-431:4.
8 - A second summary statement.
“But while anguish was upon the loyal and true
who would not worship the beast or his image and
accept and revere an idol sabbath, One said, ‘Look
up! Look up!’ Every eye was lifted, and the heavens seemed to part as a scroll when it is rolled
together, and as Stephen looked into heaven, [so] we
looked. The mockers were taunting and reviling us,
and boasting of what they intended to do to us if we

19 - SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
continued obstinate in holding fast our faith. But
now we were as those who heard them not; we
were gazing upon a scene that shut out everything
else.
“There stood revealed the throne of God. Around
it were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon thousands, and close about the throne
were the martyrs. Among this number I saw the very
ones who were so recently in such abject misery, whom
the world knew not, whom the world hated and despised.
“A voice said, ‘Jesus, who is seated upon the
throne, has so loved man that He gave His life a
sacrifice to redeem him from the power of Satan,
and to exalt him to His throne. He who is above all
powers, He who has the greatest influence in heaven
and in earth, He to whom every soul is indebted for
every favor he has received, was meek and lowly in
disposition, holy, harmless, and undefiled in life.
“He was obedient to all His Father’s commandments. Wickedness has filled the earth; it is
defiled under the inhabitants thereof. The high places
of the powers of earth have been polluted with corruption and base idolatries, but the time has come
when righteousness shall receive the palm of victory and triumph. Those who were accounted by
the world as weak and unworthy, those who were
defenseless against the cruelty of men, shall be
crowned conquerors and more than conquerors’
[Rev. 7:9-17, quoted].
“They are before the throne enjoying the
sunless splendors of eternal day, not as a scattered, feeble company, to suffer by the satanic passions of a rebellious world, expressing the sentiments, the doctrines, and the counsels of demons.
“Strong and terrible have become the masters of
iniquity in the world under the control of Satan, but
strong is the Lord God who judgeth Babylon.
The just have no longer anything to fear from force
or fraud as long as they are loyal and true. A mightier
than the strong man armed is set for their defense.
All power and greatness and excellence of character will be given to those who have believed

223
and stood in defense of the truth, standing up
and firmly defending the laws of God.
“Another heavenly being exclaimed with firm and
musical voice, ‘They have come out of great tribulation. They have walked in the fiery furnace in the
world, heated intensely by the passions and caprices
of men who would enforce upon them the worship of
the beast and his image, who would compel them to
be disloyal to the God of heaven.
“They have come from the mountains, from the
rocks, from the dens and caves of the earth, from
dungeons, from prisons, from secret councils, from
the torture chamber, from hovels, from garrets. They
have passed through sore affliction, deep self-denial,
and deep disappointment. They are no longer to
be the sport and ridicule of wicked men. They
are to be no longer mean and sorrowful in the eyes of
those who despise them.
“Remove the filthy garments from them, with
which wicked men have delighted to clothe them. Give
them a change of raiment, even the white robes of
righteousness, and set a fair mitre upon their heads.’
“They were clothed in richer robes than
earthly beings had ever worn. They were crowned
with diadems of glory such as human beings had
never seen. The days of suffering, of reproach, of
want, of hunger, are no more; weeping is past. Then
they break forth in songs, loud, clear, and musical. They wave the palm branches of victory, and
exclaim, ‘Salvation to our God which sitteth upon
the throne, and unto the Lamb’ (Rev. 7:10).
“Oh, may God endue us with His Spirit and
make us strong in His strength! In that great day
of supreme and final triumph it will be seen that the
righteous were strong, and that wickedness in all
its forms and with all its pride was a weak and miserable failure and defeat. We will cling close to
Jesus, we will trust Him, we will seek His grace
and His great salvation. We must hide in Jesus,
for He is a covert from the storm, a present help in
time of trouble.”—3 Selected Messages, 428:2430:4.

“Great pains should be taken to keep this subject before the
people. The solemn fact is to be kept not only before the people of
the world, but before our own churches also, that the day of the Lord
will come suddenly, unexpectedly. The fearful warning of the prophecy is addressed to every soul. Let no one feel that he is secure from
the danger of being surprised. Let no one’s interpretation of the
prophecy rob you of the conviction of the knowledge of events which
show that this great event is near at hand.”
—Fundamentals of Christian Education, 336:0

224

THE END OF TIME

“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.”
—Great Controversy, 640:3-641:0

20 - MILLENNIUM

225

— CHAPTER 20 —

THE
MILLENNIUM
————————————

-2-

— PART ONE —

THE SLAUGHTERING
BEGINS

POST-ASCENSION EVENTS
ON EARTH

————————————
In the previous chapter, we viewed events at the
time of the Second Advent, as they relate primarily
to the redeemed, but also to the wicked. Those are
the pre-ascension events which occur at the time of
Christ’s Second Coming, before Jesus and the redeemed begin their journey to heaven.
In the present chapter, we will view (1) the postascension events on earth, which is the death of the
living wicked and the binding of Satan to this planet
for a thousand years; and (2) the post-ascension
events of the redeemed—which includes their journey to heaven, their coronation and entrance into
the holy City, and the sentencing judgment.
-1ALL THE WICKED HAVE MADE THEIR
DECISIONS
IN THE GREAT CONTROVERSY
Now the controversy is with man, as well as
with angels.
“ ‘A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth;
for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations. He will plead with all flesh; He will give them
that are wicked to the sword.’ Jeremiah 25:31. For
six thousand years the great controversy has
been in progress; the Son of God and His heavenly
messengers have been in conflict with the power of
the evil one, to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decisions;
the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God. The time has come for God to vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. Now
the controversy is not alone with Satan, but with
men. ‘The Lord hath a controversy with the nations;
He will give them that are wicked to the sword.’ ”—
Great Controversy, 656:1.

The work of destruction begins with the spiritual guardians.
“The mark of deliverance has been set upon those
‘that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that
be done.’ Now the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel’s vision by the men with the
slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is
given: ‘Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and
little children, and women: but come not near any
man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My Sanctuary.’ Says the prophet: ‘They began at the ancient
men which were before the house.’ Ezekiel 9:1-6. The
work of destruction begins among those who
have professed to be the spiritual guardians of
the people. The false watchmen are the first to fall.
There are none to pity or to spare. Men, women,
maidens, and little children perish together.”—Great
Controversy, 656:2.
Note: Contrary to errors being taught (by the
Davidians and some others), the fulfillment of the
Ezekiel 9 slaughter occurs not at the sealing but here
at the Second Coming of Christ. It is not God’s people
who do this slaughtering.
-3STRIFE BY MEN
AND WRATH FROM GOD
WILL SLAY THE WICKED
Note: At the Second Advent, the wicked die by
the brightness of Christ’s coming and also by fighting among themselves. But at the final destruction
of the wicked, none of them die at the hands of men
or devils. They all die by the fire sent from God.
There is a special reason for this: The final punishment in the fire lasts only as long as fits the wickedness previously done by each individual. Therefore,
no haphazard destruction could occur. God metes
out exactly the right amount, no more and no less.
1 - All the wicked are slain.
“ ‘The Lord cometh out of His place to punish
the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the

226
earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more
cover her slain.’ Isaiah 26:21. ‘And this shall be the
plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people
that have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall
consume away while they stand upon their feet, and
their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and
their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And
it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult
from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall
lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and
his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.’ Zechariah 14:12-13. In the mad strife of their
own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall the wicked
inhabitants of the earth—priests, rulers, and
people, rich and poor, high and low. ‘And the slain of
the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the
earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall
not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried.’
Jeremiah 25:33.
“At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face of the whole earth—consumed
with the spirit of His mouth and destroyed by
the brightness of His glory.”—Great Controversy,
656:3-657:0.
2 - Identified with sin, the wicked die with it.
“To sin, wherever found, ‘our God is a consuming fire’ (Heb. 12:29). In all who submit to His power
the Spirit of God will consume sin. But if men cling
to sin, they become identified with it. Then the
glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy
them.”—Desire of Ages, 107:4.
3 - Slain by His glory.
“The glory of His countenance, which to the
righteous is life, will be to the wicked a consuming fire.”—Desire of Ages, 600:2.
4 - Their death is an act of mercy.
“Could those whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with
the heavenly throng and join their songs of
praise? Could they endure the glory of God and the
Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them,
that they might form characters for heaven; but they
have never trained the mind to love purity; they have
never learned the language of heaven, and now it is
too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace
would be torture to them; the glory of God would be
a consuming fire. They would long to flee from
that holy place. They would welcome destruction,
that they might be hidden from the face of Him who
died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is
fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from
heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and
merciful on the part of God.”—Great Controversy,
542:2-543:0.

THE END OF TIME
5 - They are responsible for their own deaths.
“God destroys no one. The sinner destroys himself by his own impenitence.”—5 Testimonies, 120:1.
(See Great Controversy, 25-37).
-4AN INCREDIBLY
IMMENSE DESTRUCTION OCCURS
Several years ago, the present writer compiled a
large number of quotations dealing with the terrible
storm of wrath predicted by the third angel’s message (Rev. 14:9-11). As wickedness increased, this
wrath would gradually increase. It would greatly intensify when human probation closed and fall on
men again at the Second Advent. And, again, it would
fall in the final judgment after the third advent. At
the Second Advent, for example, fire will fall from
heaven and erupt from the earth, destroying the
wicked.
For more information on this, see our in-depth
study, The Terrible Storm, now in section 2 of our
Offshoots Tractbook. The objective of the lengthy
study was to establish, from the Bible and Spirit of
Prophecy, that God will slay the incorrigibly wicked,
and has at times done so in the past.
-5THE EARTH IS LEFT
UNINHABITED AND DESOLATE
The earth is a desolate wilderness.
“Christ takes His people to the City of God, and
the earth is emptied of its inhabitants . . The
whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness.
The ruins of cities and villages destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted trees, ragged rocks thrown out by
the sea or torn out of the earth itself, are scattered
over its surface, while vast caverns mark the spot
where the mountains have been rent from their foundations.”—Great Controversy, 657:1-2.
“The earth looked like a desolate wilderness. Cities and villages, shaken down by the earthquake,
lay in heaps. Mountains had been moved out of
their places, leaving large caverns. Ragged rocks,
thrown out by the sea, or torn out of the earth itself,
were scattered all over its surface. Large trees had
been uprooted and were strewn over the land. Here
is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels
for a thousand years.”—Early Writings, 290:1.
-6SINS ARE ROLLED BACK ON SATAN
1 - The scapegoat transaction occurs.
“Now the event takes place foreshadowed in
the last solemn service of the Day of Atonement.

20 - MILLENNIUM
When the ministration in the Holy of Holies had been
completed, and the sins of Israel had been removed
from the Sanctuary by virtue of the blood of the sin
offering, then the scapegoat was presented alive before the Lord; and in the presence of the congregation the high priest confessed over him ‘all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the
head of the goat’ (Lev. 16:21). In like manner, when
the work of atonement in the heavenly Sanctuary has
been completed, then in the presence of God and
heavenly angels and the host of the redeemed the
sins of God’s people will be placed upon Satan;
he will be declared guilty of all the evil which he
has caused them to commit. And as the scapegoat
was sent away into a land not inhabited, so Satan
will be banished to the desolate earth, an uninhabited and dreary wilderness.”—Great Controversy, 658:1.
2 - Satan bears the final penalty.
“When Christ, by virtue of His own blood, removes the sins of His people from the heavenly Sanctuary at the close of His ministration, He will place
them upon Satan, who, in the execution of the judgment, must bear the final penalty.”—Great Controversy, 422:2.
3 - Bearing the guilt of the sin.
“Satan, bearing the guilt of all the sins which
he has caused God’s people to commit, will be for a
thousand years confined to the earth, which will then
be desolate, without inhabitant, and he will at last
suffer the full penalty of sin in the fires that shall
destroy all the wicked.”—Great Controversy, 485:3486:0.
-7SATAN IS RESTRICTED
TO PLANET EARTH
FOR 1,000 YEARS
1 - For the first time since sin began, Satan is
limited to this planet.
“The revelator foretells the banishment of Satan and the condition of chaos and desolation
to which the earth is to be reduced, and he declares that this condition will exist for a thousand
years. After presenting the scenes of the Lord’s Second Coming and the destruction of the wicked, the
prophecy continues: ‘I saw an angel come down from
heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a
great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the
dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and
Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast
him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and
set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be ful-

227
filled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.’ ”—Great Controversy, 658:2.
2 - Angels and saints rejoice at his confinement.
“I heard shouts of triumph from the angels
and from the redeemed saints, which sounded like
ten thousand musical instruments, because they
were to be no more annoyed and tempted by Satan
and because the inhabitants of other worlds were
delivered from his presence and his temptations.”—
Early Writings, 290:2.
3 - Satan will not be able to travel to other
worlds.
“Here he [Satan] will be confined, to wander up
and down over the broken surface of the earth and
see the effects of his rebellion against God’s law. For
a thousand years he can enjoy the fruit of the curse
which he has caused. Limited alone to the earth,
he will not have the privilege of ranging to other
planets, to tempt and annoy those who have not
fallen.”—Early Writings, 290:1.
Note: Several passages clarify that, although Satan was cast out of the highest heaven at the time of
that first war (GC 500:1, PP 42:2), and out of the
last sympathies of the angels at the death of Christ
(DA 758:1-761:3), he was able to visit other planets
until the beginning of the millennium (above quotations). So, in a very special sense, he is finally
“bound” to the earth.
-8UNABLE TO TEMPT,
SATAN WILL ONLY HAVE TIME
TO THINK
1 - He is limited to the earth.
“Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil
angels for a thousand years. Limited to the earth,
he will not have access to other worlds to tempt and
annoy those who have never fallen. It is in this sense
that he is bound: There are none remaining, upon
whom he can exercise his power. He is wholly cut off
from the work of deception and ruin which for so
many centuries has been his sole delight.”—Great
Controversy, 659:1.
2 - Even the wicked are beyond his reach.
“Even the wicked are now placed beyond the
power of Satan, and alone with his evil angels he
remains to realize the effect of the curse which sin
has brought.”—Great Controversy, 660:1.
3 - He fears the future.
“During this time, Satan suffers extremely. Since
his fall his evil traits have been in constant exercise.
But he is then to be deprived of his power, and left to
reflect upon the part which he has acted since his

228

THE END OF TIME

fall, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future, when he must suffer
for all the evil that he has done and be punished for
all the sins that he has caused to be committed.”—
Early Writings, 290:1.
4 - His sufferings are intense.
“For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and
fro in the desolate earth to behold the results of his
rebellion against the law of God. During this time
his sufferings are intense. Since his fall his life of
unceasing activity has banished reflection; but he is
now deprived of his power and left to contemplate
the part which he has acted since first he rebelled
against the government of heaven, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful
future when he must suffer for all the evil that he
has done and be punished for the sins that he has
caused to be committed.”—Great Controversy,
660:2.

————————————
— PART TWO —
POST-ASCENSION EVENTS
IN HEAVEN

————————————
-1THE JOURNEY
TO THE CITY OF GOD
1 - The meeting in the sky.
“There stands the risen host. The last thought
was of death and its pangs. The last thoughts they
had were of the grave and the tomb, but now they
proclaim, ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory?’ . . Here they stand and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them and
they go up to meet their Lord in the air . . There
are the columns of angels on either side . . then the
angelic choir strikes the note of victory and the angels in the two columns take up the song and the
redeemed host join as though they had been singing
the song on the earth, and they have been. Oh, what
music! There is not an inharmonious note. Every
voice proclaims, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.’
He sees the travail of His soul, and is satisfied.”—
Sons and Daughters of God, 359:5.
2 - They ascend to the holy City.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 645:1-2.
3 - “Homeward Bound!”
“Oh, how glorious it will be to see Him and be
welcomed as His redeemed ones! Long have we
waited, but our hope is not to grow dim. If we can
but see the King in His beauty we shall be forever
blessed. I feel as if I must cry aloud, ‘Homeward
bound!’ ”—8 Testimonies, 253:1.
4 - The journey takes seven days.
“We all entered the cloud together, and were seven
days ascending to the sea of glass.”—Early Writings, 16:2.
Brother G.B. Starr (1854-1944) labored for many
years as an evangelist and church administrator. He
worked for a time in Australia, and later reported
statements which, he said, Ellen White made to him.
But some of his statements do not ring right, when
compared with her writings. For that reason, we cannot accept the most startling of them as factual. Perhaps the story about the stop-over planet is true (it
would be nice if it were), but we cannot know this
with certainty.
However, it is of interest that, later in this present
chapter, we will quote a passage which says angels
are now preparing crowns for the saints (5T 96). If
they are now preparing crowns, they could also be
preparing a stop-over planet for the seven-day trip
to heaven.
The following quotation by the E.G. White Estate discusses this particular statement by G.B.
Starr:
“The report, based on the memory of one individual [Starr], that Ellen G. White stated in a dinner-table conversation that the inhabitants of other
worlds are gathering fruit for the Sabbath-day entertainment of the translated saints en route to
heaven, is without support, and fanciful. The assertion that the words were stenographically reported
is without foundation. Ellen G. White makes only
the simple statement, in Early Writings, 16—that
‘We were seven days ascending to the sea of glass.’
No mention is made by Ellen G. White of the Sabbath spent en route.”—“Apocryphal quotations” of
E.G. White, statement by E.G. White Estate, E.G.
White Index, Vol. 3, 3189.
-2THE SAINTS’ CORONATION
ON THE SEA OF GLASS,
OUTSIDE THE CITY
1 - Sequence: (1) Clothed in glorious white
robes, all the saints are standing on the sea of

20 - MILLENNIUM
glass outside the City. (2) They are standing in a
hollow square, with Jesus in the center. (3) The
angels bring crowns from the City, and Jesus personally places a crown on the head of each saint.
(4) Each one is satisfied with his crown. (5) The
angels bring harps from the City, and Jesus personally hands one to each of His redeemed ones.
(6) Then the commanding angel and other leading angels with him strike the first note; and all
sweep the strings and sing praises to Christ.
“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’ (Rev. 2:17),
and the inscription, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ In every
hand is 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 forever and ever.’ Revelation 1:5-6.”—Great
Controversy, 645:3-646:0.
“Jesus brought the crowns, and with His own
right hand placed them on our heads. He gave us
harps of gold and palms of victory. Here on the sea
of glass the 144,000 stood in a perfect square. Some
of them had very bright crowns, others not so bright.
Some crowns appeared heavy with stars, while others had but few. All were perfectly satisfied with their
crowns. And they were all clothed with a glorious
white mantle from their shoulders to their feet.”—
Early Writings, 16:2-17:0.
“Then I saw a very great number of angels bring,
from the City, glorious crowns—a crown for every
saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called
for the crowns, angels presented them to Him, and
with His own right hand, the lovely Jesus placed the
crowns on the heads of the saints. In the same manner the angels brought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The commanding
angel first struck the note, and then every voice
was raised in grateful, happy praise, and every hand

229
skillfully swept over the strings of the harp, sending
forth melodious music in rich and perfect strains.”—
Early Writings, 288:1.
Note: According to the above statements, all the
redeemed, including the 144,000, are in the hollow
square. This agrees with GC 665:2, in which several different groups surround Jesus. Thus the
144,000 can be said to be in the square; and also all
the saints can be said to be in that square.
2 - The angels welcome them with singing.
“In that day the redeemed will shine forth in the
glory of the Father and the Son. The angels, touching their golden harps, will welcome the King
and His trophies of victory—those who have been
washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. A
song of triumph will peal forth, filling all heaven.
Christ has conquered. He enters the heavenly courts,
accompanied by His redeemed ones, the witnessess
that His mission of suffering and sacrifice has not
been in vain.”—9 Testimonies, 285:2-286:0.
3 - Angels are now making those crowns.
“When the Lord makes up His jewels, the true,
the frank, the honest, will be looked upon with pleasure. Angels are employed in making crowns for
such ones, and upon these star-gemmed crowns will
be reflected, with splendor, the light which radiates
from the throne of God.”—5 Testimonies, 96:2.
4 - A crown of glory is waiting for us, individually, in heaven.
“A crown of glory . . is laid up for us who
wait, and love, and long for, the appearing of the Saviour.
“It is the waiting ones who are to be crowned
with glory, honor, and immortality. You need not talk
. . of the honors of the world, or the praise of its
great ones. They are all vanity. Let but the finger of
God touch them, and they would soon go back to
dust again. I want honor that is lasting, honor that
is immortal, honor that will never perish; a crown
that is richer than any crown that ever decked
the brow of a monarch.”—Maranatha, 309:4-5.
5 - Soon we will receive those crowns.
“Talk of heavenly things. Talk of Jesus, His loveliness and glory, and of His undying love for you, and
let your heart flow out in love and gratitude to Him,
who died to save you. Oh, get ready to meet your
Lord in peace. Those who are ready will soon receive an unfading crown of life, and will dwell
forever in the kingdom of God, with Christ, with angels, and with those who have been redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ.”—Sons and Daughters of
God, 362:3.
6 - Receiving their crowns, many will thank
their mothers.

230
“The day of God will reveal how much the world
owes to godly mothers . . When the judgment shall
sit, and the books shall be opened; when the ‘well
done’ of the great Judge is pronounced, and the crown
of immortal glory is placed upon the brow of the
victor, many will raise their crowns in sight of
the assembled universe, and pointing to their
mother say: ‘She made me all I am through the
grace of God. Her instruction, her prayers, have been
blessed to my eternal salvation.”—Maranatha,
308:3-4.
7 - Parents will see their children crowned.
“With joy unutterable, parents see the crown,
the robe, the harp, given to their children. The
days of hope and fear are ended. The seed sown with
tears and prayers may have seemed to be sown in
vain, but their harvest is reaped with joy at last.
Their children have been redeemed.”—Maranatha,
308:5.
8 - Christ will rejoice as He beholds the redeemed.
“In the results of His work, Christ will behold its recompense. In that great multitude which
no man could number, presented ‘faultless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,’ He
whose blood has redeemed and whose life has taught
us ‘shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall
be satisfied.’ ”—Education, 309:3.
-3JESUS OPENS THE GATES
AND LEADS HIS FAITHFUL ONES
INTO THE CITY
Sequence: (1) The entire company marches
across the sea of glass to the City. (2) Jesus opens
the gates and tells them, “You have washed your
robes in My blood, stood stiffly for My truth; enter in.” (3) Jesus leads them into the City, and
they feel they have a perfect right to be there. (4)
Within the City, they behold Adam’s original home,
the Garden of Eden. (5) Then Jesus says, “Your
conflict is ended; come, ye blessed of My Father.”
“Angels were all about us as we marched over
the sea of glass to the gate of the City. Jesus raised
His mighty, glorious arm, laid hold of the pearly gate,
swung it back on its glittering hinges, and said to
us, ‘You have washed your robes in My blood, stood
stiffly for My truth, enter in.’ We all marched in and
felt that we had a perfect right in the City.”—Early
Writings, 17:0.
“Jesus threw open the gates of the golden City
and led us in. Here we were made welcome, for
we had kept ‘the commandments of God, and had a
‘right to the tree of life.’ ”—Early Writings, 35:1.
“Before the ransomed throng is the holy City.

THE END OF TIME
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.’ ”—Great Controversy, 646:1.
“A voice, richer than any music that ever fell
on mortal ear, will be heard saying, ‘Come, ye
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ ”—
Counsels on Stewardship, 350:2.
Note: As quoted above, in GC 646 it is called
“gates,” but “gate” in the other (later) passages. This
was either an initial memory lapse (in recounting
her first vision) or a typographical error. But it is
also an evidence of how exactingly her writings were
later printed and reprinted.
-4A VIEW OF THE CITY
Jesus triumphantly enters the City with His
followers. Everything within the City is beautiful
and lovely; and, in thankfulness, the redeemed
cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus and sing
praises to Him.
“Within the City there was everything to feast
the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere. Then
Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed
His loving eyes upon them, He said, with His rich,
musical voice, ‘I behold the travail of My soul, and
am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more
death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there
be any more pain.’ I saw the redeemed host bow
and cast their glittering crowns at the feet of
Jesus, and then, as His lovely hand raised them up,
they touched their golden harps and filled all heaven
with their rich music and songs to the Lamb.”—
Early Writings, 288:1-289:0.
Here is another view of the City; this one 2,000
years earlier, when Christ previously entered it triumphantly just after His ascension:
“Then the portals of the City of God are opened
wide, and the angelic throng sweep through the
gates amid a burst of rapturous music.
“There is the throne, and around it the rainbow of promise. There are cherubim and seraphim.
The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of
God, the representatives of the unfallen worlds,
are assembled. The heavenly council before which
Lucifer had accused God and His Son, the representatives of those sinless realms over which Satan had

20 - MILLENNIUM
thought to establish his dominion—all are there to
welcome the Redeemer. They are eager to celebrate
His triumph and to glorify their King.”—Desire of
Ages, 834:1.
-5THE TWO ADAMS MEET
Adam falls at the feet of Christ.
“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.”—Great Controversy, 647:2.
-6ADAM VIEWS THE GARDEN OF EDEN
In Eden, Adam and his family worship and
praise Christ.
“Transported with joy, he [Adam] 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.”—Great Controversy,
648:1.
-7THE REDEEMED SEE
THE TREE AND THE THRONE
1 - A view of the tree of life.
“Here we saw the tree of life and the throne

231
of God. Out of the throne came a pure river of water,
and on either side of the river was the tree of life. On
one side of the river was a trunk of a tree, and a
trunk on the other side of the river, both of pure,
transparent gold. At first I thought I saw two trees.
I looked again, and saw that they were united at the
top in one tree. So it was the tree of life on either
side of the river of life. Its branches bowed to the
place where we stood, and the fruit was glorious; it
looked like gold mixed with silver.”—Early Writings,
17:1.
2 - Partaking of the tree and viewing the
throne.
“I then saw Jesus leading His people to the
tree of life, and again we heard His lovely voice, richer
than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, saying,
‘The leaves of this tree are for the healing of the
nations. Eat ye all of it.’ Upon the tree of life was
most beautiful fruit, of which the saints could
partake freely. In the City was a most glorious
throne, from which proceeded a pure river of water
of life, clear as crystal. On each side of this river was
the tree of life, and on the banks of the river were
other beautiful trees bearing fruit which was good
for food.
“Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a
description of heaven. As the scene rises before me,
I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the
pen, and exclaim, ‘Oh, what love! what wondrous
love!’ The most exalted language fails to describe the
glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour’s
love.”—Early Writings, 289:1-2.
-8THE 144,000 SING A NEW SONG
ON THE CRYSTAL SEA
BEFORE THE THRONE
The 144,000 are frequently mentioned in
Early Writings, and less often in Great Controversy. But, in one paragraph, we are given several
identifying features of this group: (1) They had
gotten the victory over the beast, his image, and
his mark. (2) They were translated from among
the living at the Second Advent, and therefore
are first fruits. (3) They came out of great tribulation; for they passed through the time of trouble.
(4) They went through Jacob’s trouble. (5) They
stood without an intercessor after the close of
probation. (6) They were without fault before God.
Based on that information, we can know that
the 144,000 consist of the faithful who live through
the final crisis, from the National Sunday Law down
to the Second Advent.
“Upon the crystal sea before the throne, that sea
of glass as it were mingled with fire—so resplendent

232

THE END OF TIME

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.”—Great Controversy, 648:3-649:0.
-9THE REDEEMED MEET
THEIR GUARDIAN ANGELS
Each person’s guardian angel will meet him in
the resurrection, and will later tell him about God’s
guidance and care in his life.
“Not until the providences of God are seen in the
light of eternity shall we understand what we owe to
the care and interposition of His angels. Celestial
beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men.
They have appeared in garments that shone as the
lightning; they have come as men, in the garb of wayfarers. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes; they have acted as guides to benighted
travelers. They have thwarted the spoiler’s purpose,
and turned aside the stroke of the destroyer . .
“Every redeemed one will understand the ministry of angels in his own life. The angel who was his
guardian from his earliest moment; the angel who
watched his steps, and covered his head in the day
of peril; the angel who was with him in the valley of
the shadow of death, who marked his resting place,
who was the first to greet him in the resurrection morning—what will it be to hold converse

with him, and to learn the history of divine interposition in the individual life, of heavenly cooperation
in every work for humanity!”—Education 304:4,
305:0, 2.
- 10 THE DAYS OF PAIN AND WEEPING
ARE FOREVER ENDED
Every cause of grief has been removed.
“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 forever and ever.’ Revelation 7:10,
12.”—Great Controversy, 650:1-651:0.
- 11 THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF
THE PLAN OF SALVATION
WILL ENLARGE FOREVER
Throughout eternal ages, the redeemed will
ever be learning more about what it cost to save
them.
“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

20 - MILLENNIUM
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. 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.”—Great Controversy, 651:1-652:2.
- 12 THE SENTENCING JUDGMENT
DURING THE MILLENNIUM
The antitypical day of atonement was the investigative judgment; it examined the records to see
who, among those professedly accepting Christ as
their Saviour, should be redeemed. The millennium
judgment is the sentencing judgment; it determines
how much punishment should be allotted to each
person who has been lost. The post-millennial judgment will be the executive judgment; at that time
the decisions of the earlier judgments against the
wicked will be put into effect.

233

1 - The sentencing judgment takes place.
“Then I saw thrones, and Jesus and the redeemed
saints sat upon them; and the saints reigned as kings
and priests unto God. Christ, in union with His
people, judged the wicked dead, comparing their
acts with the statute book, the Word of God, and
deciding every case according to the deeds done in
the body. Then they meted out to the wicked the portion which they must suffer, according to their works;
and it was written against their names in the book
of death. Satan also and his angels were judged
by Jesus and the saints. Satan’s punishment was
to be far greater than that of those whom he had
deceived.”—Early Writings, 290:3-291:0.
2 - The judgment of the wicked.
“During the thousand years between the first
and the second resurrections, the judgment of the
wicked takes place . . It is at this time that, as
foretold by Paul, ‘the saints shall judge the world.’ 1
Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the
wicked, comparing their acts with the statute
book, the Bible, and deciding every case according
to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which
the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to
their works; and it is recorded against their names
in the book of death. Satan also and evil angels
are judged by Christ and His people.”—Great Controversy, 660:4-661:1.
3 - Raised for the executive judgment.
“At the close of the thousand years the second
resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will
be raised from the dead and appear before God for
the execution of ‘the judgment written.’ Thus the
revelator, after describing the resurrection of the righteous, says: ‘The rest of the dead lived not again until
the thousand years were finished.’ Revelation 20:5.
And Isaiah declares, concerning the wicked: ‘They
shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison,
and after many days shall they be visited.’ Isaiah
24:22.”—Great Controversy, 661:2.
“The Lord is soon to come, and we must be prepared to meet Him in peace. Let us be determined to
do all in our power to impart light to those around
us. We are not to be sad, but cheerful, and we are to
keep the Lord Jesus ever before us. He is soon coming . . We must be ready and waiting for His appearing. Oh, how glorious it will be to see Him and be
welcomed as His redeemed ones! Long have we waited,
but our faith is not to become weak. If we can but
see the King in His beauty we shall be forever blessed.
I feel as if I must cry aloud, ‘Homeward bound!’ We
are nearing the time when Christ will come in power
and great glory to take His ransomed ones to their

234

THE END OF TIME

eternal home.”—Maranatha, 106:5.

meet their Lord.”—7 Bible Commentary, 909/1:2.

__________________

RESURRECTION

LAST DAYS APPENDIX

The Work Does Not Cease in This Life.— “Your
work, my work, will not cease with this life. For a
little while we may rest in the grave, but when the
call comes, we shall take up our work in the kingdom of God to advance the glory of Christ. But this
holy work must be begun upon earth.”—Manuscript
48, 1899, 7 (“Work in Christ’s Lines,” March 29,
1899. See COL 361).

The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
SECOND COMING

The Special Resurrection.—“The sound of music is heard, and as it nears, the graves are opened
and the dead are raised and there are thousands of
thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand of
angels that compose that glory and encircle the Son
of man. Those who have acted the most prominent
part in the rejection and crucifixion of Christ come
forth to see Him as He is, and those who have rejected Christ come up to see the saints glorified; and
it is at that time that the saints are changed in a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and are caught
up to meet their Lord in the air. The very ones who
placed upon Him the purple robe and put the crown
of thorns upon His brow, and those who put the
nails through His hands and feet, look upon Him
and bewail.”—9 Manuscript Releases, 252:1.
“When Christ comes to gather to Himself those
who have been faithful, the last trump will sound,
and the whole earth, from the summits of the loftiest mountains to the lowest recesses of the deepest
mines will hear. The righteous dead will hear the
sound of the last trump, and will come forth from
their graves to be clothed with immortality and to

TRANSLATION

Then Gifted with a Higher Nature.—“When
Christ comes, He takes those who have purified their
souls by obeying the truth . . This mortal shall put
on immortality, and these corruptible bodies, subject to disease, will be changed from mortal to immortal. We shall then be gifted with a higher nature.
The bodies of all who purify their souls by obeying
the truth shall be glorified. They have fully received
and believed in Jesus Christ.”—Manuscript 36,
March 24, 1906, 3.
ON THE SEA OF GLASS

Precious Souls Will Respond.—“When the redeemed stand before the throne of God to answer to
their names, there will be precious souls there who
will respond because of the faithful, patient efforts
made in their behalf, the entreaties and urgent persuasions to flee to the stronghold. Thus those who
are laborers together with God will receive their reward.”—Letter 74, 1900 (to J.H. Kellogg, May 20,
1900).

“Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a thousand years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to other
worlds to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen . . His prison
house has received God’s people, and he would have held them
captive forevever; but Christ has broken his bonds and set the prisoners free . . For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in
the desolate earth to behold the results of his rebellion against the
law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. Since his fall his
life of unceasing activity has banished his reflection; but he is now
deprived of his power and left to contemplate the part which he has
acted since first he rebelled against the government of heaven and to
look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future
when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done and be
punished for the sins that he has caused to be committed.”
—Great Controversy, 659:1, 3-660:2

21 - THIRD ADVENT

235

— CHAPTER 21 —

THE
THIRD ADVENT OF CHRIST
-1CHRIST AND THE REDEEMED
RETURN TO THE EARTH
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.
-2CHRIST DESCENDS
UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
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.
-3THE 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 look up 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 actually
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.
-4CHRIST 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

236
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 wail 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

THE END OF TIME
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, 293:1.
-5SATAN 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

21 - THIRD ADVENT
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.
-6THE IMMENSE ARMY MARCHES
TO THE CITY AND SURROUNDS IT
1 - After extensive preparations, the army
marches to the City.

237
“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: 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.
-7CHRIST 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,

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reflecting the image of Jesus, and then behold the
unsurpassed glory and majesty of the King of kings
and Lord of lords, their courage fails.”—Early Writings, 294:0.

-9FEARLESS OF
THE ONLOOKING WICKED,
THEY SING PRAISES TO THEIR GOD

-8THREE GROUPS OF REDEEMED
SURROUND
THEIR LORD AND SAVIOUR

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.

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.

- 10 THE FINAL CORONATION
OF CHRIST OCCURS
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.

“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. As He descends in
terrific majesty 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! . . 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

22 - EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT

239

— CHAPTER 22 —

THE
EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
-1CHRIST WILL BE THE JUDGE
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, 341:4-6.
-2ALL THE WORLDS WILL VIEW THE
PROCEEDINGS OF THIS JUDGMENT
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, 341:2-3.
-3THE 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 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,
340:3.
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

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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, 340:2.
-4THE WICKED
KNOW THEIR OWN 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, 340:5.
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, 340:7.
-5THE 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, 340:4.
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, 340:6.
-6THE WICKED ARE SHOWN
A PANORAMIC VIEW OF
CHRIST’S LIFE AND DEATH
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,

22 - EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
while the redeemed cast their crowns at the
Saviour’s feet, exclaiming: ‘He died for me!’ ”—Great
Controversy, 666:3-667:2.
-7SOME 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 extremist 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 25:40.”—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.
-8THE SENTENCE OF ETERNAL DEATH
IS PRONOUNCED AGAINST
THE WICKED
The sentence of eternal death is spoken.
“The whole wicked world stand arraigned

241
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.
-9ALL THE WICKED KNOW AND ADMIT
THAT GOD AND HIS LAW ARE RIGHT
At last, the wicked fully recognize the truth of
the situation.
“1 - 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 fails. 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’ (Rev. 15:3); and, falling prostrate,
they worship the Prince of life.”—Great Contro-

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versy, 668:4-669:0.
- 10 SATAN ALONE HOLDS BACK;
BUT NOW MEMORIES AND FACTS
FILL HIS MIND
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 power 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, 669:1-670:0.

- 11 EVERYONE ELSE RECOGNIZES THAT
SATAN IS WRONG; AND, NOW,
HE FINALLY ADMITS IT
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.
- 12 THE GREAT CONTROVERSY IS ENDED.
THERE IS NO MORE REASON
FOR SINNERS TO LIVE
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, O 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, O
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

22 - EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT

243

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.

- 15 WICKED PEOPLE AND ANGELS
TURN ON SATAN AND
HIS LEADING AGENTS

- 13 CHRIST DECLARES HIS LOVE
FOR HIS FAITHFUL ONES

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.

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 whiterobed 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.
- 14 SATAN’S LAST DESPERATE
REVOLT IS USELESS
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.

- 16 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.
- 17 ALL ARE PUNISHED FAIRLY
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR DEEDS
Note: At the Second Advent, the wicked die by
the brightness of Christ’s coming and also by fighting among themselves. But at the final destruction
of the wicked, none of them die at the hands of men
or devils. They all die by the fire sent from God. There
is a special reason for this: The final punishment in
the fire lasts only as long as fits the wickedness previously done by each individual. Therefore, no haphazard destruction could occur. God metes out exactly the right amount, no more and no less.
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

244
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, 294:1295:0.
2 - Some cease to exist instantly; others live
longer. In every case, a just sentence will be carried out. (The reason it is a just sentence is because
it is executed by God—not by men, devils, or random chance.)
“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.
- 18 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

THE END OF TIME
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, O
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.
- 19 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 a 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.”

22 - EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
- 20 ONLY ONE REMINDER OF SIN
WILL REMAIN:
THE MARKS ON CHRIST
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.
- 21 THE FINAL DESTRUCTION
OF SINNERS
WILL VINDICATE GOD AND HIS LAW
The basic issue in the controversy, which Lucifer started so long before in heaven at the time
of his fall, had 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.
“In the final execution of the judgment it will
be seen that no cause for sin exist. When the
Judge of all the earth shall demand of Satan, ‘Why
hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed Me of the
subjects of My kingdom?’ the originator of evil can
render no excuse. Every mouth will be stopped,
and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless.
“The cross of Calvary, while it declares the law
immutable, proclaims to the universe that the wages
of sin is death. In the Saviour’s expiring cry, ‘It
is finished,’ the death knell of Satan was rung.
The great controversy which had been so long
in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain. The Son of God
passed through the portals of the tomb, that ‘through

245
death He might destroy him that had the power of
death, that is the devil.’ Hebrews 2:14. Lucifer’s desire for self-exaltation had led him to say: ‘I will exalt my throne above the stars of God . . ‘I will be like
the Most High.’ God declares: ‘I will bring thee to
ashes upon the earth . . and never shalt thou be any
more.’ Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:18-19. When ‘the
day cometh, that shall burn as an oven . . all the
proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:
and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith
the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither
root nor branch’ (Malachi 4:1).
“The whole universe will have become witnesses to the nature and results of sin. And its
utter extermination, which in the beginning
would have brought fear to angels and dishonor
to God, will now vindicate His love and establish His honor before the universe of beings who
delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His law.
Never will evil again be manifest. Says the Word
of God: ‘Affliction shall not rise up the second time.’
Nahum 1:9. The law of God, which Satan has reproached as the yoke of bondage, will be honored as
the law of liberty. A tested and proved creation
will never again be turned from allegiance to
Him whose character has been fully manifested
before them as fathomless love and infinite wisdom.”—Great Controversy, 503:2-504:1.
“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,
678:3.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
THE 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,

246
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-inlaw, 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, 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 selfcondemned, with not an excuse to offer before
God.”—Letter 6, 1877 (to “Dear Niece Mary
[Clough],” November 3, 1877).
Everyone Should Live in Reference to the Day
of Judgment.—“[In Rev. 20:11-15] is presented before us the great and solemn day when the judgment
is to sit and the books are 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 in 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, 1-3, 7-12 (“Prepare for the Judgment,” a sermon preached in Oreboro, Sweden, June 27, 1886.
See also 7 BC 941, 3 SM 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 Chron. 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

THE END OF TIME
all in their power to compel men to transgress the
law which God has commanded all to obey.”—Manuscript 42, 1899, 1-3 (“Kept in Trial,” March 28,
1899).
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 (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, 1-4 (“The Revelations
of the Judgment,” July 3, 1900).
God’s Government Will Be Vindicated on the
Largest Possible Scale at 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.

22 - EXECUTIVE JUDGMENT
All the Righteous and All the Wicked Will Be
Present.—“When God honors His commandmentkeeping 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’ (Matt. 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 Rev. 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

247
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 every thing 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 law 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 131, 1900 (to A.G. Daniells, October
14, 1900. See also Ev 220).
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 (“To the Brethren Assembled in Council at Graysville, Tennessee,” March
6, 1906. See also 3 SM 122).
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 (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 dealing, and all
their transgression of the law of God.”—Letter 136,
1906 (to G.I. Butler, A.G. Daniells, and G.A. Irwin;
April 27, 1906. See also 3 SM 54).

“Our condemnation in the judgment will not result from the fact that
we have been in error, but from the fact that we have neglected
heaven-sent opportunities for learning what is truth . .The omnipotent
power of the Holy Spirit is the defense of every contrite soul. Not one
that in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit
to pass under the enemy’s power. The Saviour is by the side of His
tempted and tried ones.”
—Desire of Ages, 490:0, 5

248

THE END OF TIME

— CHAPTER 23 —

ETERNITY
BEYOND
This chapter is filled with “heaven quotes” from
the Spirit of Prophecy. It is a project the present
compiler has wanted to do for many years. A child of
God receives a lot of courage in reading about what
his heavenly home will be like!
The first part of this chapter consists of some of
the statements about heaven from the books, Great
Controversy and Early Writings. It is given immediately below.
The second part is filled with quotations on this
same topic (heaven and the new earth, plus the importance of striving to be there) from those and other
published Spirit of Prophecy books. We will introduce the contents of that part when we come to it.
Throughout this entire chapter, we will add no emphasis to the Spirit of Prophecy statements.

————————————
— PART ONE —
QUOTATIONS FROM
EARLY WRITINGS AND
GREAT CONTROVERSY

————————————
-1THE EARTH BECOMES
THE HOME OF THE REDEEMED

“The time has come to which holy men have
looked with longing since the flaming sword barred
the first pair from Eden, the time for ‘the redemption of the purchased possession’ (Eph. 1:14). The
earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long
held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the
great plan of redemption. All that was lost by sin
has been restored. ‘Thus saith the Lord . . that formed
the earth and made it; He hath established it, He
created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.’
Isaiah 45:18. God’s original purpose in the creation
of the earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode
of the redeemed. ‘The righteous shall inherit the land,
and dwell therein forever.’ Psalm 37:29.”—Great Controversy, 674:3.

“God’s entire universe was clean, and the great
controversy was forever ended. Wherever we looked,
everything upon which the eye rested was beautiful
and holy. And all the redeemed host, old and young,
great and small, cast their glittering crowns at the
feet of their Redeemer, and prostrated themselves in
adoration before Him, and worshiped Him that liveth
forever and ever. The beautiful new earth, with all
its glory, was the eternal inheritance of the saints.
The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of
the kingdom under the whole heaven, was then given
to the saints of the Most High, who were to possess
it forever, even forever and ever.”—Early Writings,
295:1.
-2IT WILL BE
INDESCRIBABLY GLORIOUS

“ ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man, the things which God
hath prepared for them that love Him.’ 1 Corinthians
2:9. Human language is inadequate to describe the
reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those
who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the
glory of the Paradise of God.”—Great Controversy,
675:0.
-3IT WILL BE A PEACEFUL HOME

“In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called
‘a country.’ Hebrews 11:14-16. There the heavenly
Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and
the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of
the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into
hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their
lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those
living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and
wanderers, shall find a home.
“ ‘My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
places.’ ”—Great Controversy, 675:1-2.
-4THERE WILL BE NO MORE
PAIN, SORROW, OR DEATH

“Pain cannot exist in the atmosphere of heaven.
There will be no more tears, no funeral trains, no
badges of mourning. ‘There shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying . . for the former things
are passed away.’ ‘The inhabitant shall not say, I am
sick.’ ”—Great Controversy, 676:1.
-5A VIEW OF THE NEW JERUSALEM

“With Jesus at our head we all descended from
the City down to this earth, on a great and mighty
mountain, which could not bear Jesus up, and it
parted asunder, and there was a mighty plain. Then
we looked up and saw the great City, with twelve
foundations and twelve gates, three on each side,
and an angel at each gate. We all cried out, ‘The City,
the great City, it’s coming, it’s coming down from
God out of heaven!’ And it came and settled on the
place where we stood. Then we began to look at the
glorious things outside of the City. There I saw most
glorious houses, that had the appearance of silver,
supported by four pillars set with pearls most glorious to behold. These were to be inhabited by the
saints. In each was a golden shelf. I saw many of the
saints go into the houses, take off their glittering
crowns and lay them on the shelf, then go out into
the field by the houses to do something with the earth;
not as we have to do with the earth here; no, no. A
glorious light shone all about their heads, and they
were continually shouting and offering praises to God.
“I saw another field full of all kinds of flowers,
and as I plucked them, I cried out, ‘They will never
fade!’ Next I saw a field of tall grass, most glorious
to behold; it was living green and had a reflection of
silver and gold as it waved proudly to the glory of
King Jesus. Then we entered a field full of all kinds
of beasts—the lion, the lamb, the leopard, and the
wolf, all together in perfect union. We passed through
the midst of them, and they followed on peaceably
after.
“Then we entered a wood, not like the dark woods
we have here; no, no; but light, and all over glorious;
the branches of the trees moved to and fro, and we
all cried out, ‘We will dwell safely in the wilderness
and sleep in the woods.’ ”—Early Writings, 17:318:1.
“There is the New Jerusalem, the metropolis of
the glorified new earth, ‘a crown of glory in the hand
of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy
God.’ ‘Her light was like unto a stone most precious,
even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.’ ‘The na-

249
tions of them which are saved shall walk in the light
of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory
and honor into it.’ Saith the Lord: ‘I will rejoice in
Jerusalem, and joy in My people.’ ‘The tabernacle of
God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and
they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be
with them, and be their God.’ Isaiah 62:3; Revelation 21:11, 24; Isaiah 65:19; Revelation 21:3.
“In the City of God ‘there shall be no night.’ None
will need or desire repose. There will be no weariness in doing the will of God and offering praise to
His name. We shall ever feel the freshness of the morning and shall ever be far from its close. ‘And they
need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord
God giveth them light.’ Revelation 22:5. The light of
the sun will be superseded by a radiance which is
not painfully dazzling, yet which immeasurably surpasses the brightness of our noontide. The glory of
God and the Lamb floods the holy City with unfading
light. The redeemed walk in the sunless glory of perpetual day.”—Great Controversy, 676:2-3.
-6THE REDEEMED WILL COME
INTO HIS PRESENCE

“The people of God are privileged to hold open
communion with the Father and the Son. ‘Now we
see through a glass, darkly.’ 1 Corinthians 13:12.
We behold the image of God reflected, as in a mirror,
in the works of nature and in His dealings with men;
but then we shall see Him face to face, without a
dimming veil between. We shall stand in His presence and behold the glory of His countenance.”—
Great Controversy, 676:4-677:0.

-7RESTORED TO THE TREE OF LIFE
THE REDEEMED WILL GROW UP

“Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden,
the redeemed will ‘grow up’ (Malachi 4:2) to the full
stature of a 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.”—Great Controversy, 645:0.
-8THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
AND HIS WORKS WILL
FOREVER INCREASE

“There the redeemed shall know, even as also
they are known. The loves and sympathies which

250

THE END OF TIME

God Himself has planted in the soul shall there find
truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion
with holy beings, the harmonious social life with the
blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages
who have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind
together ‘the whole family in heaven and earth’ (Eph.
3:15)—these help to constitute the happiness of the
redeemed.
“There, immortal minds will contemplate with
never-failing delight the wonders of creative power,
the mysteries of redeeming love. There will be no
cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forgetfulness of God.
Every faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of knowledge will not
weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the
grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the
loftiest aspirations reached, the highest ambitions
realized; and still there will arise new heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of
mind and soul and body.”—Great Controversy,
677:1-2.
-9THE REDEEMED WILL TRAVEL
THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSE

“All the treasures of the universe will be open to
the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar—
worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of
human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the
tidings of a ransomed soul. With unutterable delight
the children of earth enter into the joy and the wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of
knowledge and understanding gained through ages
upon ages in contemplation of God’s handiwork.”—
Great Controversy, 677:3.
- 10 THEIR PRIMARY STUDY WILL BE
THE CHARACTER, LOVE, AND
SACRIFICE OF GOD

“With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory
of creation—suns and stars and systems, all in their
appointed order circling the throne of Deity. Upon
all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator’s
name is written, and in all are the riches of His power
displayed.”—Great Controversy, 677:3-678:0.
- 11 THE LONGER THEY LIVE
THE MORE THEY WILL KNOW, LOVE,
AND PRAISE HIM

“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring
richer and still more glorious revelations of God and

of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love,
reverence, and happiness increase. The more men
learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of
His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches
of redemption and the amazing achievements in the
great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with
more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold;
and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands
of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise.”—Great Controversy, 678:1.
- 12 EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING,
EVERYWHERE, WILL FOREVER
DECLARE THAT GOD IS LOVE

“ ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on
the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in
the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying,
Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto
Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
for ever and ever’ (Rev. 5:13).
“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, 678:2-3.

————————————
— PART TWO —
QUOTATIONS FROM OTHER
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY BOOKS

————————————
This is the second portion of “heaven quotes”
from the Spirit of Prophecy. The first part, which
you have just read, consisted of statements about
heaven from the books, Great Controversy and Early
Writings. The second part, below, is filled with quotations on this same topic (heaven, the new earth,
plus the importance of striving to be there) from the
other published Spirit of Prophecy books.
Here are the sources and arrangement of this
second part:
Omitting Early Writings and Great Controversy,
the back pages of sixteen Spirit of Prophecy books
contain originally written or compiled collections of
statements on heaven. Those sixteen collections are
probably brought together here for the first time. As
you might expect, there were many duplicate statements in those books. Most of them have been re-

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
moved. The result is a treasure chest of nearly every
Spirit of Prophecy statement about heaven and the
new earth. Also included below is every Bible quotation about heaven, in those sixteen book sections.
Once again, duplicate Bible quotations were discarded.
After careful consideration, it was decided to leave
the quoted sections from the sixteen books intact.
This makes for a more colorful and varied presentation of material. Some of the statements speak about
preparing for heaven; and others describe what it
will be like to be there. The paragraph headings and
subheads, which were in the books the quotations
were taken from, have also been included. However,
in each of the sixteen collections of compiled material, we have included the original source reference
for each separate quotation. In this way, you can always know when a quotation begins and ends. (An
example of this would be the quotations on heaven
taken from 7 Bible Commentary. An introductory
subhead explains that they were all taken from certain pages in that book. But original references are
then given at the end of each quotation, so you can
identify them as separate quotations.)
Throughout the quotations in this chapter, about
your eternal home, none of the quoted material from
the Spirit of Prophecy is placed in italics.
But some of the paragraphs, consisting totally
of Bible quotations, are in italics. This was done to
highlight the fact that those are Bible quotations
added by E.G. White Estate compilers at the top of
Morning Watch book pages. (In some instances, the
only thing included from a given Morning Watch page
was the Bible quotation; everything else on that page
had been omitted since it duplicated what had been
quoted elsewhere in this chapter.)
Divided into two major headings (non-compiled
books and compiled books), here are these sixteen
sections:
Non-compiled books:
1 - Education, 303:3-309:3
2 - Acts of the Apostles, 601:1-602:3
3 - Steps to Christ, 125:1-126:2
4 - Christ’s Object Lessons, 421:1-2
Compiled books:
5 - Child Guidance, 560:1-569:2
6 - Adventist Home, 533:1-550:1
7 - Christian Service, 266:1-275:1
8 - Counsels on Stewardship, 348:1-350:1-2
9 - Publishing Ministry, 402:7-404:1
10 - Gospel Workers, 512:1-518:1
11 - 7 Bible Commentary, 988/1:1-990/1:2-2:0
12 - My Life Today, 347:1, 3-365:7

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13 - Faith I Live By, 359:1-370:4
14 - Reflecting Christ, 378:1-8
15 - Amazing Grace, 360:1-367:1
16 - Maranatha, 316:5-672:5
Soon the events of time will have been swallowed
up by the peace and bliss of eternity. It is comforting
to read about what eternity can bring to each one of
us. It is a home God wants to give you.
How important it is that each one of us remains
close to our Father to the end! Because of the wonderful grace of Jesus Christ, as God’s faithful, obedient child, it is your privilege to read about your
future. Here it is:
1 - EDUCATION
303:3-309:3
“ ‘They shall see His face; and His name shall be
in their foreheads’ (Rev. 22:4).
“There, when the veil that darkens our vision
shall be removed, and our eyes shall behold that
world of beauty of which we now catch glimpses
through the microscope; when we look on the glories
of the heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope; when, the blight of sin removed, the whole
earth shall appear in the beauty of the Lord our God,
what a field will be open to our study! There the
student of science may read the records of creation,
and discern no reminders of the law of evil. He may
listen to the music of nature’s voices, and detect no
note of wailing or undertone of sorrow. In all created
things he may trace one handwriting—in the vast
universe behold ‘God’s name writ large,’ and not in
earth or sea or sky one sign of ill remaining.”—Education, 303:3-4.
“ ‘They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy
mountain, saith the Lord’ (Isa. 65:25).
“There man will be restored to his lost kingship,
and the lower order of beings will again recognize
his sway; the fierce will become gentle, and the timid
trustful.
“There will be open, to the student, history of
infinite scope and of wealth inexpressible. Here, from
the vantage ground of God’s Word, the student is
afforded a view of the vast field of history and may
gain some knowledge of the principles that govern
the course of human events. But his vision is still
clouded, and his knowledge incomplete. Not until he
stands in the light of eternity will he see all things
clearly . .
“The veil that interposes between the visible and
the invisible world will be drawn aside, and wonderful things will be revealed.
“Not until the providences of God are seen in the

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light of eternity shall we understand what we owe to
the care and interposition of His angels. Celestial
beings have taken an active part in the affairs of men.
They have appeared in garments that shone as the
lightning; they have come as men, in the garb of wayfarers. They have accepted the hospitalities of human homes; they have acted as guides to benighted
travelers . .
“Though the rulers of this world know it not, yet
often in their councils angels have been spokesmen.
Human eyes have looked upon them. Human ears
have listened to their appeals. In the council hall
and the court of justice, heavenly messengers have
pleaded the cause of the persecuted and oppressed.
They have defeated purposes and arrested evils that
would have brought wrong and suffering to God’s
children. To the students in the heavenly school, all
this will be unfolded.
“Every redeemed one will understand the ministry of angels in his own life. The angel who was his
guardian from his earliest moment; the angel who
watched his steps, and covered his head in the day
of peril; the angel who was with him in the valley of
the shadow of death, who marked his resting place,
who was the first to greet him in the resurrection
morning—what will it be to hold converse with him,
and to learn the history of divine interposition in the
individual life, of heavenly co-operation in every work
for humanity!
“All the perplexities of life’s experience will then
be made plain. Where to us have appeared only confusion and disappointment, broken purposes and
thwarted plans, will be seen a grand, overruling, victorious purpose, a divine harmony.
“There all who have wrought with unselfish spirit
will behold the fruit of their labors. The outworking
of every right principle and noble deed will be seen.
Something of this we see here. But how little of the
result of the world’s noblest work is in this life manifest to the doer! How many toil unselfishly and
unweariedly for those who pass beyond their reach
and knowledge! Parents and teachers lie down in their
last sleep, their lifework seeming to have been
wrought in vain; they know not that their faithfulness has unsealed springs of blessing that can never
cease to flow; only by faith they see the children they
have trained become a benediction and an inspiration to their fellow men, and the influence repeat
itself a thousandfold. Many a worker sends out into
the world messages of strength and hope and courage, words that carry blessing to hearts in every land;
but of the results he, toiling in loneliness and obscurity, knows little. So gifts are bestowed, burdens
are borne, labor is done. Men sow the seed from
which, above their graves, others reap blessed harvests. They plant trees, that others may eat the fruit.

THE END OF TIME
They are content here to know that they have set in
motion agencies for good. In the hereafter, the action
and reaction of all these will be seen.
“Of every gift that God has bestowed, leading men
to unselfish effort, a record is kept in heaven. To
trace this in its wide-spreading lines, to look upon
those who by our efforts have been uplifted and ennobled, to behold in their history the outworking of
true principles—this will be one of the studies and
rewards of the heavenly school . .
“There will be music there, and song, such music and song as, save in the visions of God, no mortal ear has heard or mind conceived.
“ ‘As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there’ (Ps. 87:7).
“ ‘They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing
for the majesty of the Lord’ (Isa. 24:14).
“ ‘For the Lord shall comfort Zion: He will comfort all her waste places; and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of
the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody’ (Isa. 51:3).
“ ‘The Son of man came not to be ministered
unto, but to minister’ (Matt. 20:28).
“Christ’s work below is His work above, and our
reward for working with Him in this world will be
the greater power and wider privilege of working with
Him in the world to come.
“ ‘Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am
God’ (Isa. 43:12).
“This also we shall be in eternity.
“For what was the great controversy permitted
to continue throughout the ages? Why was it that
Satan’s existence was not cut short at the outset of
his rebellion?—It was that the universe might be convinced of God’s justice in His dealing with evil; that
sin might receive eternal condemnation. In the plan
of redemption there are heights and depths that eternity itself can never exhaust, marvels into which the
angels desire to look. The redeemed only, of all created beings, have in their own experience known the
actual conflict with sin; they have wrought with
Christ, and, as even the angels could not do, have
entered into the fellowship of His sufferings. Will
they have no testimony as to the science of redemption—nothing that will be of worth to unfallen beings? . .
“In His temple doth everyone speak of His glory’
(Ps. 29:9), and the song which the ransomed ones
will sing—the song of their experience—will declare
the glory of God: ‘Great and marvelous are Thy works,
O Lord God, the Almighty; just and true are thy ways,
thou King of the ages. Who shall not fear Thee, O
Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy’
(Rev. 15:3-4).

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
“Then, in the results of His work, Christ will
behold its recompense. In that great multitude which
no man could number, presented ‘faultless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy’ [Jude
24], He whose blood has redeemed and whose life
has taught us, ‘shall see of the travail of His soul,
and shall be satisfied’ (Isa 53:11).”—Education,
304:1-309:3.
2 - ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
601:1-602: 3
“If the church will put on the robe of Christ’s
righteousness, withdrawing from all allegiance with
the world, there is before her the dawn of a bright
and glorious day. God’s promise to her will stand
fast forever. He will make her an eternal excellency, a
joy of many generations. Truth, passing by those who
despise and reject it, will triumph. Although at times
apparently retarded, its progress has never been
checked. When the message of God meets with opposition, He gives it additional force, that it may exert greater influence. Endowed with divine energy, it
will cut its way through the strongest barriers and
triumph over every obstacle.
“What sustained the Son of God during His life
of toil and sacrifice? He saw the results of the travail
of His soul and was satisfied. Looking into eternity,
He beheld the happiness of those who through His
humiliation had received pardon and everlasting life.
His ear caught the shout of the redeemed. He heard
the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and
the Lamb.
“We may have a vision of the future, the blessedness of heaven. In the Bible are revealed visions of
the future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God,
and these are dear to His church. By faith we may
stand on the threshold of the eternal City, and hear
the gracious welcome given to those who in this life
co-operate with Christ, regarding it as an honor to
suffer for His sake. As the words are spoken, ‘Come,
ye blessed of My Father,’ they cast their crowns at
the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming, ‘Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches,
and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory,
and blessing . . Honor, and glory, and power, be unto
Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
forever and ever.’ Matthew 25:34; Revelation 5:1213 . .
“ ‘These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them
white in the blood of the Lamb. 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 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

253
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.’ ‘And there shall
be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away.’ Revelation 7:14-17; 21:4.”—
Acts of the Apostles, 601:1-602:3.
3 - STEPS TO CHRIST
125:1-126:2
“But even here Christians may have the joy of
communion with Christ; they may have the light of
His love, the perpetual comfort of His presence. Every step in life may bring us closer to Jesus, may
give us a deeper experience of His love, and may bring
us one step nearer to the blessed home of peace.
Then let us not cast away our confidence, but have
firm assurance, firmer than ever before. ‘Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us,’ and He will help us to the
end. 1 Samuel 7:12. Let us look to the monumental
pillars, reminders of what the Lord has done to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer.
Let us keep fresh in our memory all the tender mercies that God has shown us, the tears He has wiped
away, the pains He has soothed, the anxieties removed, the fears dispelled, the wants supplied, the
blessings bestowed, thus strengthening ourselves for
all that is before us through the remainder of our
pilgrimage.
“We cannot but look forward to new perplexities
in the coming conflict, but we may look on what is
past as well as on what is to come, and say, ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.’ ‘As thy days, so shall
thy strength be.’ Deuteronomy 33:25. The trial will
not exceed the strength that shall be given us to bear
it. Then let us take up our work just where we find
it, believing that whatever may come, strength proportionate to the trial will be given . .
“In view of the glorious inheritance that may be
his, ‘what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?’
Matthew 16:26. He may be poor, yet he possesses in
himself a wealth and dignity that the world could
never bestow. The soul redeemed and cleansed from
sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth; and there is joy
in heaven in the presence of God and the holy angels
over one soul redeemed, a joy that is expressed in
songs of holy triumph.”—Steps to Christ, 125:1126:2.
4 - CHRIST’S OBJECT LESSONS
421:1-2
“With uplifted heads, with the bright beams of
the Sun of Righteousness shining upon them, with
rejoicing that their redemption draweth nigh, they

254

THE END OF TIME

go forth to meet the Bridegroom, saying, ‘Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save
us’ (Isaiah 25:9).
“ ‘And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the
voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and
rejoice, and give honour to Him; for the marriage of
the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself
ready’ (Rev. 19:6-7).”—Christ’s Object Lessons,
421:1-2.
5 - CHILD GUIDANCE
560:1-569:2
A Graphic Scene of the Judgment Day.— “I
had a dream once in which I saw a large company
gathered together; and suddenly the heavens gathered blackness, the thunder rolled, the lightning
flashed, and a voice louder than the heaviest peals of
thunder sounded through the heavens and the earth,
saying, ‘It is done.’ Part of the company, with pallid
faces, sprang forward with a wail of agony, crying
out, ‘Oh, I am not ready.’ The question was asked,
‘Why are you not ready? Why have you not improved
the opportunities I graciously gave you?’ I awoke with
the crying ringing in my ears. ‘I am not ready; I am
unsaved—lost! lost! eternally lost!’
“In view of the solemn responsibilities that rest
upon us, let us contemplate the future, that we may
understand what we must do in order to meet it. In
that day shall we be confronted with neglect and contempt of God and His mercy, with rejection of His
truth and love? In the solemn assembly of the last
day, in the hearing of the universe, will be read the
reason of the condemnation of the sinner. For the
first time parents will learn what has been the secret life of their children. Children will see how many
wrongs they have committed against their parents.
There will be a general revealing of the secrets and
motives of the heart, for that which is hid will be
made manifest. Those who have made sport of solemn things connected with the judgment will be sobered as they face its terrible reality.
“Those who have despised the Word of God will
then face the Author of the inspired oracles. We cannot afford to live with no reference to the day of judgment; for though long delayed, it is now near, even at
the door, and hasteth greatly. The trumpet of the
Archangel will soon startle the living and wake the
dead. At that day the wicked will be separated from
the just, as the shepherd divides the goats from the
sheep.”—Child Guidance, 560:1-561:0 (Youth’s Instructor, July 21, 1892).
When God Asks, “Where Are the Children?”—
“Parents who have neglected their God-given respon-

sibilities must meet that neglect in the judgment.
The Lord will then inquire, ‘Where are the children
that I gave you to train for Me? Why are they not at
My right hand?’ Many parents will then see that unwise love blinded their eyes to their children’s faults
and left those children to develop deformed characters unfit for heaven. Others will see that they did
not give their children time and attention, love and
tenderness; their own neglect of duty made the children what they are.”—Child Guidance, 561:1 (4T
424:1).
“Parents, if you lose your opportunity, God pity
you; for in the day of judgment God will say, ‘What
have you done with My flock, My beautiful flock?’
“Suppose you should get to heaven and none of
your children be there. How could you say to God,
‘Here am I, Lord, and the children which Thou hast
given me’? Heaven marks the neglect of parents. It is
recorded in the books of heaven.”—Child Guidance
561:2-3 (Manuscript 62, 1901).
Families Will Pass in Review before God.—
“When parents and children meet at the final reckoning, what a scene will be presented! Thousands of
children who have been slaves to appetite and debasing vice, whose lives are moral wrecks, will stand
face to face with the parents who made them what
they are. Who but the parents must bear this fearful
responsibility? Did the Lord make these youth corrupt? Oh, no! He made them in His image, a little
lower than the angels. Who, then, has done the fearful work of forming the life character? Who changed
their characters so that they do not bear the impress of God and must be forever separated from
His presence as too impure to have any place with
the pure angels in a holy heaven? Were the sins of
the parents transmitted to the children in perverted
appetites and passions? And was the work completed
by the pleasure-loving mother in neglecting to properly train them according to the pattern given her?
All these mothers will pass in review before God just
as surely as they exist.”—Child Guidance, 561:4562:0 (3T 568:2-569:0).
In Heaven Is a Pictorial Record.—“Let parents
and children remember that day by day they are each
forming a character, and that the features of this
character are imprinted upon the books of heaven.
God is taking pictures of His people, just as surely
as an artist takes pictures of men and women, transferring the features of the face to the polished plate.
What kind of picture do you wish to produce? Parents, answer the question! What kind of picture will
the great Master Artist make of you in the records of
heaven? . . We must decide this now. Here after, when
death shall come, there will be no time to straighten
the crooked places in the character.
“To us individually this should be a most im-

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
portant matter. Every day our likeness is being taken
for time and for eternity. Let each one say, ‘I am having my likeness taken today.’ Ask yourself daily,
hourly, ‘How will my words sound to the heavenly
angels? Are they as apples of gold in pictures of silver, or are they like a blasting hail, wounding and
bruising?’ . .
“Not only our words and actions, but our thoughts,
make up the picture of what we are. Then let every
soul be good and do good. Let the picture made of
you be one of which you will not be ashamed. Every
feeling we cherish makes its impress upon the countenance. God help us to make our record in our families what we would wish it to be in the heavenly
record.”—Child Guidance, 562:1-563:1 (Letter 78,
1901).
“If mothers neglect to properly educate their children, their neglect is reflected back upon them again,
making their burdens and perplexities harder than
they would have been if they had devoted time and
patient care in training their children to obedience
and submission. It will pay in the end for mothers
to make the formation of the characters of their children their first and highest consideration, that the
thorns may not take root and yield an abundant
harvest.”—Child Guidance, 563:3 (Signs, August 5,
1875).
Children Will Condemn Unfaithful Parents.—
“The curse of God will surely rest upon unfaithful
parents. Not only are they planting thorns which will
wound them here, but they must meet their own unfaithfulness when the judgment shall sit. Many children will rise up in judgment and condemn their
parents for not restraining them and charge upon
them their destruction. The false sympathy and blind
love of parents cause them to excuse the faults of
their children and pass them by without correction,
and their children are lost in consequence, and the
blood of their souls will rest upon the unfaithful
parents.”—Child Guidance, 563:4-564:0 (1T 219:1).
Children Will Pay Tribute to Faithful Parents.—
“When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall
be opened; when the ‘well done’ of the great Judge is
pronounced, and the crown of immortal glory is
placed upon the brow of the victor, many will raise
their crowns in sight of the assembled universe and,
pointing to their mother, say, She made me all I am
through the grace of God. Her instruction, her
prayers, have been blessed to my eternal salvation.”—
Child Guidance, 564:1 (MYP 330:1).
Parents May Bring Children with Them to the
Promised Land.—“God has permitted light from His
throne to shine all along the path of life. A pillar of
cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night, is moving before us as before ancient Israel. It is the privilege of
Christian parents today, as it was the privilege of

255
God’s people of old, to bring their children with them
to the Promised Land.”—Child Guidance, 565:1
(Signs, November 24, 1881).
“You want a household for God; you want your
family for God. You want to take them up to the gates
of the City and say, ‘Here am I, Lord, and the children that Thou hast given me.’ They may be men
and women that have grown to manhood and womanhood, but they are your children all the same; and
your educating, and your watchfulness over them
have been blessed of God, till they stand as overcomers. Now you can say, ‘Here am I, Lord, and the
children.’ ”—Child Guidance, 565:2 (Manuscript
49, 1894).
Broken Family Chains Will Be Relinked.—
“Jesus is coming, coming with clouds and great glory.
A multitude of shining angels will attend Him. He
will come to honor those who have loved Him and
kept His commandments, and to take them to Himself. He has not forgotten them or His promise. There
will be a relinking of the family chain.”—Child Guidance, 565:3 (Review, November 22, 1906).
Comfort for a Bereaved Mother.—“You inquire
in regard to your little one being saved. Christ’s
words are your answer: ‘Suffer little children to come
unto Me, and forbid them not; for of such is the
kingdom of God.’ Remember the prophecy, ‘Thus
saith the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her
children refused to be comforted . . Thus saith the
Lord: Refrain thy voice from weeping and thine eyes
from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith
the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of
the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the
Lord, that thy children shall come again to thine own
border.’
“This promise is yours. You may be comforted
and trust in the Lord. The Lord has often instructed
me that many little ones are to be laid away before
the time of trouble. We shall see our children again.
We shall meet them and know them in the heavenly
courts. Put your trust in the Lord, and be not
afraid.”—Child Guidance, 565:4-566:0 (Letter 196,
1899).
The Day Long Hoped For.—“From the day when
the first pair turned their sorrowing steps from Eden,
the children of faith have waited the coming of the
Promised One to break the destroyer’s power and
bring them again to the lost Paradise.”—Child Guidance, 566:4-567:0 (GC 299:1).
“Heaven will be cheap enough if we obtain it
through suffering . . As I saw what we must be in
order to inherit glory, and then saw how much Jesus
had suffered to obtain for us so rich an inheritance,
I prayed that we might be baptized into Christ’s sufferings, that we might not shrink at trials, but bear

256
them with patience and joy, knowing what Jesus had
suffered that we through His poverty and sufferings
might be made rich.”—Child Guidance, 567:1 (EW,
67:1-2).
Heaven Is Worth Everything!—“Heaven is
worth everything to us. We must not run any risk in
this matter. We must take no venture here. We must
know that our steps are ordered by the Lord. May
God help us in the great work of overcoming. He has
crowns for those that overcome. He has white robes
for the righteous. He has an eternal world of glory
for those who seek for glory, honor, and immortality.
Everyone who enters the City of God will enter it as a
conqueror. He will not enter it as a condemned criminal, but as a son of God. And the welcome given to
everyone who enters there will be, ‘Come, ye blessed
of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.’ Matthew 25:34.”—
Child Guidance, 567:2 (Christian Temperance and
Bible Hygiene, 149:1).
Partakers of Christ’s Joy.—“We see a retinue of
angels on either side of the gate; and as we pass in,
Jesus speaks, ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom that is prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.’ Here He tells you to be a
partaker of His joy, and what is that? It is the joy of
seeing of the travail of your soul, fathers. It is the joy
of seeing that your efforts, mothers, are rewarded.
Here are your children; the crown of life is upon their
heads, and the angels of God immortalize the names
of the mothers whose efforts have won their children to Jesus Christ.”—Child Guidance, 567:3568:0 (Manuscript 12, 1895).
“These visions of future glory, scenes pictured
by the hand of God, should be dear to His children
..
“We need to keep ever before us this vision of
things unseen. It is thus that we shall be able to set
a right value on the things of eternity and the things
of time. It is this that will give us power to influence
others for the higher life.”—Child Guidance, 568:23 (Ministry of Healing, 506:1, 508:1).
Will God Say, “Well Done”?—“When you stand
before the great white throne, then your work will
appear as it is. The books are opened, the record of
every life made known. Many in that vast company
are unprepared for the revelations made. Upon the
ears of some the words will fall with startling distinctness, ‘Weighed in the balance, and found wanting.’ To many parents the Judge will say in that day,
‘You had My Word, plainly setting forth your duty.
Why have you not obeyed its teachings? Knew ye not
that it was the Voice of God? Did I not bid you search
the Scriptures, that you might not go astray? You
have not only ruined your own souls, but by your
pretensions to godliness you have misled many oth-

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ers. You have no part with Me. Depart; depart.’
“Another class stand pale and trembling, trusting in Christ, and yet oppressed with a sense of their
own unworthiness. They hear with tears of joy and
gratitude the Master’s commendation. The days of
incessant toil, of burden bearing, and of fear and
anguish are forgotten as that Voice, sweeter than the
music of angel harps, pronounces the words, ‘Well
done, good and faithful servant, enter ye into the joy
of your Lord.’ There stand the host of the redeemed,
the palm branch of victory in their hand, the crown
upon their head. These are the ones who by faithful,
earnest labor have obtained a fitness for heaven. The
lifework performed on earth is acknowledged in the
heavenly courts as a work well done.
“With joy unutterable, parents see the crown,
the robe, the harp, given to their children. The days
of hope and fear are ended. The seed sown with tears
and prayers may have seemed to be sown in vain,
but their harvest is reaped with joy at last. Their
children have been redeemed. Fathers, mothers, shall
the voices of your children swell the song of gladness
in that day?”—Child Guidance, 568:4-569:2 (Signs,
July 1, 1886).
6 - ADVENTIST HOME
533:1-550:1
A Rich Reward Awaits Faithful Parents.—“If
parents give their children the proper education, they
themselves will be made happy by seeing the fruit of
their careful training in the Christlike character of
their children. They are doing God the highest service by presenting to the world well-ordered, welldisciplined, families, who not only fear the Lord, but
honor and glorify Him by their influence upon other
families; and they will receive their reward.”—
Adventist Home, 533:1 (Review, November 17,
1896).
“Believing parents, you have a responsible work
before you to guide the footsteps of your children,
even in their religious experience. When they truly
love God, they will bless and reverence you for the
care which you have manifested for them, and for
your faithfulness in restraining their desires and
subduing their wills.”—Adventist Home, 533:2 (1T
403:0).
“There is a reward when the seed of truth is early
sown in the heart and carefully tended.”—Adventist
Home, 533:3 (CT 144:0).
“Parents should labor with reference to the future harvest. While they sow in tears, amid many
discouragements, it should be with earnest prayer.
They may see the promise of but a late and scanty
harvest, yet that should not prevent the sowing. They
should sow beside all waters, embracing every op-

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portunity both to improve themselves and to benefit
their children. Such seed sowing will not be in vain.
At the harvest time many faithful parents will return with joy, bringing their sheaves with them.”—
Adventist Home, 533:4 (Review, August 30, 1881).
“Give your children intellectual culture and moral
training. Fortify their young minds with firm, pure
principles. While you have opportunity, lay the foundation for a noble manhood and womanhood. Your
labor will be rewarded a thousandfold.”—Adventist
Home, 534:1 (CT 131:1).
Parents Will Be Revered by Children Fitted for
Heaven.—“In the Word of God we find a beautiful
description of a happy home and the woman who
presides over it: ‘Her children arise up, and call her
blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.’ What
greater commendation can be desired by the mistress of a home than that which is here expressed?”—
Adventist Home, 534:2 (Health Reformer, December 1877).
“If she [the true wife and mother] looks to God
for her strength and comfort, and in His wisdom
and fear seeks to do her daily duty, she will bind her
husband to her heart and see her children coming to
maturity honorable men and women, having moral
stamina to follow the example of their mother.”—
Adventist Home, 534:3 (Signs, November 29, 1877).
“The great stimulus to the toiling, burdened
mother should be that every child who is trained
aright, and who has the inward adorning, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, will have a fitness
for heaven and will shine in the courts of the Lord.”—
Adventist Home, 534:4 (3T 566:2).
The Joys of Heaven to Begin in the Home.—
“Heaven and earth are no wider apart today than
when shepherds listened to the angels’ song. Humanity is still as much the object of heaven’s solicitude as when common men of common occupations
met angels at noonday and talked with the heavenly
messengers in the vineyards and the fields. To us in
the common walks of life heaven may be very near.
Angels from the courts above will attend the steps of
those who come and go at God’s command.”—
Adventist Home, 534:5 (DA 48:4).
“The service rendered in sincerity of heart has
great recompense. ‘Thy Father which seeth in secret
Himself shall reward thee openly.’ By the life we live
through the grace of Christ, the character is formed.
The original loveliness begins to be restored to the
soul. The attributes of the character of Christ are
imparted, and the image of the Divine begins to shine
forth. The faces of men and women who walk and
work with God express the peace of heaven. They
are surrounded with the atmosphere of heaven. For
these souls the kingdom of God has begun. They
have Christ’s joy, the joy of being a blessing to hu-

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manity. They have the honor of being accepted for
the Master’s use; they are trusted to do His work in
His name.”—Adventist Home, 535:2 (DA 312:2).
All to Be Fitted for the Society of Heaven.—
“God desires that heaven’s plan shall be carried out,
and heaven’s divine order and harmony prevail, in
every family, in every church, in every institution. Did
this love leaven society, we should see the outworking of noble principles in Christian refinement and
courtesy and in Christian charity toward the purchase of the blood of Christ. Spiritual transformation would be seen in all our families, in our institutions, in our churches. When this transformation
takes place, these agencies will become instrumentalities by which God will impart heaven’s light to
the world and thus, through divine discipline and
training, fit men and women for the society of
heaven.”—Adventist Home, 535:3 (8T 140:0).
Reward at the Last Great Day.—“In your work
for your children take hold of the mighty power of
God. Commit your children to the Lord in prayer.
Work earnestly and untiringly for them. God will hear
your prayers and will draw them to Himself. Then,
at the last great day, you can bring them to God,
saying, ‘Here am I, and the children whom Thou hast
given me.’ ”—Adventist Home, 536:1 (Manuscript
114, 1903).
“When Samuel shall receive the crown of glory,
he will wave it in honor before the throne and gladly
acknowledge that the faithful lessons of his mother,
through the merits of Christ, have crowned him with
immortal glory.”—Adventist Home, 536:2 (Good
Health, March 1880).
“The work of wise parents will never be appreciated by the world, but when the judgment shall sit
and the books shall be opened, their work will appear as God views it and will be rewarded before
men and angels. It will be seen that one child who
has been brought up in a faithful way has been a
light in the world. It cost tears and anxiety and sleepless nights to oversee the character building of this
child, but the work was done wisely, and the parents hear the ‘Well done’ of the Master.”—Adventist
Home, 536:3 (Signs, July 13, 1888).
Title to Admission to the King’s Palace.—“Let
the youth and the little children be taught to choose
for themselves that royal robe woven in heaven’s loom,
the ‘fine linen, clean and white’ which all the holy
ones of earth will wear. This robe, Christ’s own spotless character, is freely offered to every human being. But all who receive it will receive and wear it
here.”—Adventist Home, 536:4 (Ed 249:2).
“Let the children be taught that as they open their
minds to pure, loving thoughts and do loving and
helpful deeds, they are clothing themselves with His
beautiful garment of character. This apparel will

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make them beautiful and beloved here and will hereafter be their title of admission to the palace of the
King. His promise is: ‘They shall walk with Me in
white: for they are worthy.’ ”—Adventist Home,
536:4-537:1 (Ed 249:3-4).
Eden to Be Restored.—“The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become
an outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race
were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching
angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the
divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and
his sons to worship God. Here they renewed their
vows of obedience to that law the transgression of
which had banished them from Eden. When the tide
of iniquity overspread the world, and the wickedness of men determined their destruction by a flood
of waters, the hand that had planted Eden withdrew
it from the earth. But in the final restitution, when
there shall be ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ it is to
be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.
“Then they that have kept God’s commandments
shall breathe in immortal vigor beneath the tree of
life; and through unending ages the inhabitants of
sinless worlds shall behold, in that garden of delight, a sample of the perfect work of God’s creation,
untouched by the curse of sin—a sample of what the
whole earth would have become had man but fulfilled the Creator’s glorious plan.”—Adventist Home,
539:1-2 (PP 62:2-3).
“The great plan of redemption results in fully
bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that
was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the
earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the
obedient. For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God’s
original purpose in its creation is accomplished. The
saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”—
Adventist Home, 539:3-540:0 (PP 342:1).
The Redemption of the Purchased Possession.—“God’s original purpose in the creation of the
earth is fulfilled as it is made the eternal abode of
the redeemed. ‘The righteous shall inherit the land,
and dwell therein forever.’ The time has come to which
holy men have looked with longing since the flaming
sword barred the first pair from Eden—the time for
‘the redemption of the purchased possession.’ The
earth originally given to man as his kingdom, betrayed by him into the hands of Satan, and so long
held by the mighty foe, has been brought back by the
great plan of redemption.”—Adventist Home, 540:1
(Signs, December 29, 1909).
“All that was lost by the first Adam will be restored by the second. The prophet says, ‘O Tower of

THE END OF TIME
the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
unto Thee shall it come, even the first dominion.’
And Paul points forward to the ‘redemption of the
purchased possession.’
“God created the earth to be the abode of holy,
happy beings. That purpose will be fulfilled when,
renewed by the power of God and freed from sin and
sorrow, it shall become the eternal home of the redeemed.”—Adventist Home, 540:2-3 (Review, October 22, 1908).
Adam Restored to His Eden Home.—“There are
homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for
the righteous, with crowns of glory and palms of victory. All that has perplexed us in the providences of
God will in the world to come be made plain. The
things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us.
Where our finite minds discovered only confusion
and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect
and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite
love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes
all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory . .
“We are homeward bound. He who loved us so
much as to die for us hath builded for us a City. The
New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no
sadness in the City of God. No wail of sorrow, no
dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections, will
evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness
will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we
shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose
lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on
this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will
shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the kingdom of God.”—Adventist Home, 542:2-543:0 (9 Testimonies, 286:2, 287:1).
Privileges of the Redeemed.—“Heaven is a good
place. I long to be there and behold my lovely Jesus,
who gave His life for me, and be changed into His
glorious image. Oh, for language to express the glory
of the bright world to come! I thirst for the living
streams that make glad the City of our God.”—
Adventist Home, 543:1 (Early Writings, 39:2).
“From that scene of heavenly joy [the ascension
of Christ] there comes back to us on earth the echo
of Christ’s own wonderful words, ‘I ascend unto My
Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your
God.’ The family of heaven and the family of earth
are one. For us our Lord ascended, and for us He
lives. ‘Wherefore He is able also to save them to the
uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He
ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ ”—
Adventist Home, 544:3 (Desire of Ages, 835:2).
Though Delayed, the Promise Is Sure.—“Long
have we waited for our Saviour’s return. But none

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
the less sure is the promise. Soon we shall be in our
promised home. There Jesus will lead us beside the
living stream flowing from the throne of God and
will explain to us the dark providences through
which on this earth He brought us in order to perfect our characters. There we shall behold with undimmed vision the beauties of Eden restored. Casting at the feet of the Redeemer the crowns that He
has placed on our heads and touching our golden
harps, we shall fill all heaven with praise to Him
that sitteth on the throne.”—Adventist Home, 544:4545:0 (8 Testimonies, 254:3).
“Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and the living fountains, the shining City
and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home—
that world of beauty which no artist can picture, no
mortal tongue describe. ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared for them that
love Him.’ ”—Adventist Home, 545:1 (Review, July
11, 1882).
Graduate Work in the Hereafter.—“Do you think
we shall not learn anything there? We have not the
slightest idea of what will then be opened before us.
With Christ we shall walk beside the living waters.
He will unfold to us the beauty and glory of nature.
He will reveal what He is to us and what we are to
Him. Truth we cannot know now because of finite
limitations, we shall know hereafter.”—Adventist
Home, 547:2 (Counsels to Parents and Teachers,
162:2).
“The Christian family is to be a training school
from which children are to graduate to a higher school
in the mansions of God.”—Adventist Home, 547:3
(Review, March 30, 1897).
“Heaven is a school; its field of study, the universe; its teacher, the Infinite One. A branch of this
school was established in Eden; and, the plan of
redemption accomplished, education will again be
taken up in the Eden school . .
“Between the school established in Eden at the
beginning and the school of the hereafter there lies
the whole compass of this world’s history—the history of human transgression and suffering, of divine
sacrifice, and of victory over death and sin . . Restored to His presence, man will again, as at the
beginning, be taught of God: ‘My people shall know
My name . . they shall know in that day that I am He
that doth speak: behold, it is I.’
“There, when the veil that darkens our vision
shall be removed and our eyes shall behold that world
of beauty of which we now catch glimpses through
the microscope; when we look on the glories of the
heavens, now scanned afar through the telescope;
when, the blight of sin removed, the whole earth shall

259
appear ‘in the beauty of the Lord our God,’ what a
field will be open to our study!”—Adventist Home,
547:4-548:0 (Ed 301:1, 6; 302:0, 3; 303:4).
On the Verge of Fulfillment.—“We are living in
a most solemn period of this earth’s history. There
is never time to sin; it is always perilous to continue
in transgression, but in a special sense is this true
at the present time. We are now upon the very borders of the eternal world and stand in a more solemn relation to time and to eternity than ever before. Now let every person search his own heart and
plead for the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness to expel all spiritual darkness and cleanse from
defilement.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 147:1.
“To us who are standing on the very verge of their
fulfillment, of what deep moment, what living interest, are these delineations of the things to come—
events for which, since our first parents turned their
steps from Eden, God’s children have watched and
waited, longed and prayed!
“Fellow pilgrim, we are still amid the shadows
and turmoil of earthly activities, but soon our Saviour is to appear to bring deliverance and rest. Let
us by faith behold the blessed hereafter, as pictured
by the hand of God.”—Adventist Home, 549:3-550:1
(Patriarchs and Prophets, 731:3).
7 - CHRISTIAN SERVICE
266:1-275:1
“It is not a vain thing to serve God. There is a
priceless reward for those who devote their life to
His service.”—Christian Service, 266:1(4 Testimonies, 107:3).
“Every sacrifice that is made in His ministry will
be recompensed according to ‘the exceeding riches of
His grace.’ ”—Christian Service, 266:2 (Desire of
Ages, 249:1).
“Our reward for working with Christ in this world
is the greater power and wider privilege of working
with Him in the world to come.”—Christian Service,
266:3 (Christ’s Object Lessons, 361:4).
“The value of service to God is measured by the
spirit in which it is rendered, rather than by the
length of time spent in labor.”—Christian Service,
266:4 (9 Testimonies, 74:2).
“Their success in advancement in the divine life
depends upon the improvement of the talents lent
them. Their future reward will be proportioned to
the integrity and earnestness with which they serve
the Master.”—Christian Service, 266:5 (Review,
March 1, 1887).
“The Lord has a great work to be done, and He
will bequeath the most in the future life to those
who do the most faithful, willing service in the present
life.”—Christian Service, 266:6 (Christ’s Object Les-

260
sons, 330:1).
“Those who came into the vineyard at the eleventh hour were thankful for an opportunity to work.
Their hearts were full of gratitude to the one who
had accepted them; and when at the close of the day
the householder paid them for a full day’s work, they
were greatly surprised. They knew they had not
earned such wages. And the kindness expressed in
the countenance of their employer filled them with
joy. They never forgot the goodness of the householder
or the generous compensation they had received.
“Thus it is with the sinner, who, knowing his
unworthiness, has entered the Master’s vineyard at
the eleventh hour. His time of service seems so short,
he feels that he is undeserving of reward; but he is
filled with joy that God has accepted him at all. He
works with a humble, trusting spirit, thankful for
the privilege of being a coworker with Christ. This
spirit God delights to honor.”—Christian Service,
266:7-267:1 (Christ’s Object Lessons, 397:3-398:0).
Sure Reward.—“He who has appointed ‘to every
man his work,’ according to his ability, will never let
the faithful performance of duty go unrewarded. Every act of loyalty and faith will be crowned with special tokens of God’s favor and approbation. To every
worker is given the promise, He that goeth forth and
weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come
again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”—
Christian Service, 267:2 (5 Testimonies, 395:4).
“However short our service or humble our work,
if in simple faith we follow Christ, we shall not be
disappointed of the reward. That which even the
greatest and wisest cannot earn, the weakest and
most humble may receive. Heaven’s golden gate opens
not to the self-exalted. It is not lifted up to the proud
in spirit. But the everlasting portals will open wide
to the trembling touch of a little child. Blessed will
be the recompense of grace to those who have
wrought for God in the simplicity of faith and love.”—
Christian Service, 267:3 (Christ’s Object Lessons,
404:2).
“The brows of those who do this work will wear
the crown of sacrifice. But they will receive their reward.”—Christian Service, 267:4 (6 Testimonies,
348:3).
“Every act, every deed of justice and mercy and
benevolence, makes music in heaven. The Father from
His throne beholds and numbers the performers of
them with His most precious treasures. ‘And they
shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, when I make
up My jewels.’ Every merciful act to the needy or the
suffering is as though done to Jesus. Whoever succors the poor, or sympathizes with the afflicted and
oppressed, and befriends the orphan, brings himself into a more close relationship to Jesus.”—Christian Service, 268:1 (Review, August 16, 1881).

THE END OF TIME
“Christ regards all acts of mercy, benevolence,
and thoughtful consideration for the unfortunate, the
blind, the lame, the sick, the widow, and the orphan,
as done to Himself; and these works are preserved
in the heavenly records, and will be rewarded.”—
Christian Service, 268:2 (3 Testimonies, 512:1513:0).
A Just Reward.—“The Lord is good. He is merciful and tender-hearted. He is acquainted with every one of His children. He knows just what each
one of us is doing. He knows just how much credit
to give to each one. Will you not lay down your credit
list and your condemnation list, and leave God to do
His own work? You will be given the crown of glory if
you will attend to the work that God has given you.”—
Christian Service, 268:3 (Southern Watchman, May
14, 1903).
“The Lord desires us to rest in Him without a
question as to our measure of reward. When Christ
abides in the soul, the thought of reward is not uppermost. This is not the motive that actuates our
service.”—Christian Service, 268:4 (Christ’s Object
Lessons, 398:1).
“From garrets, from hovels, from dungeons, from
scaffolds, from mountains and deserts, from the
caves of the earth and the caverns of the sea, Christ
will gather His children to Himself. On earth they
have been destitute, afflicted, and tormented. Millions have gone down to the grave loaded with infamy because they refused to yield to the deceptive
claims of Satan. By human tribunals the children of
God have been adjudged the vilest criminals. But
the day is near when ‘God is judge Himself.’ Then
the decisions of earth shall be reversed. ‘The rebuke
of His people shall He take away.’ White robes will
be given to every one of them. And ‘they shall call
them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord.’ ”—
Christian Service, 268:5-269:0 (Christ’s Object Lessons, 179:3-180:0).
Eternal Life.—“By earnest, thoughtful efforts to
help where help is needed, the true Christian shows
his love for God and for his fellow beings. He may
lose his life in service; but when Christ comes to
gather His jewels to Himself, he will find it again.”—
Christian Service, 271:5 (9 Testimonies, 56:3).
A Gracious Welcome Home.—“If the record
shows that this has been their life, that their characters have been marked with tenderness, self-denial, and benevolence, they will receive the blessed
assurance and benediction from Christ, Well done.
Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”—
Christian Service, 272:1 (3 Testimonies, 525:1).
Joy.—“It is the reward of Christ’s workers to
enter into His joy. That joy, to which Christ Himself
looks forward with eager desire, is presented in His

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
request to His Father, ‘I will that they also, whom
Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.’ ”—
Christian Service, 272:3 (6 Testimonies, 309:2).
“In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted, though
it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are
in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by
the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service
that our greatest joy and our highest education will
be found—witnessing, and ever as we witness learning anew ‘the riches of the glory of this mystery,’ ‘which
is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ ”—Christian Service, 272:4-273:0 (Ed 309:1).
“They share in the sufferings of Christ, and they
will share also in the glory that shall be revealed.
One with Him in His work, drinking with Him the
cup of sorrow, they are partakers also of His joy.”—
Christian Service, 273:1 (MB 13:0).
Fruitage of Seed Sowing.—“Every impulse of
the Holy Spirit leading men to goodness and to God,
is noted in the books of heaven, and in the day of
God every one who has given himself as an instrument for the Holy Spirit’s working will be permitted
to behold what his life has wrought.”—Christian
Service, 273:2 (6 Testimonies, 310:1).
“When the redeemed stand before God, precious
souls will respond to their names who are there because of the faithful, patient efforts put forth in their
behalf, the entreaties and earnest persuasions to flee
to the Stronghold. Thus those who in this world
have been laborers together with God will receive their
reward.”—Christian Service, 273:3 (8 Testimonies,
196:3-197:0).
“What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed
ones meet and greet those who have had a burden in
their behalf! And those who have lived, not to please
themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate
who have so few blessings,—how their hearts will
thrill with satisfaction! They will realize the promise, ‘Thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the
resurrection of the just.’ ”—Christian Service, 273:4
(GW 519:1).
“In heaven we shall see the youth whom we helped,
those whom we invited to our homes, whom we led
from temptation. We shall see their faces reflecting
the radiance of the glory of God.”—Christian Service, 273:5 (6 Testimonies, 348:3).
“To be a coworker with Christ and the heavenly
angels in the great plan of salvation! What work can
bear any comparison with this! From every soul
saved, there comes to God a revenue of glory, to be
reflected upon the one saved, and also upon the one
instrumental in his salvation.”—Christian Service,
273:6 (2 Testimonies, 232:1).
“The redeemed will meet and recognize those

261
whose attention they have directed to the uplifted
Saviour. What blessed converse they will have with
these souls! ‘I was a sinner,’ it will be said, ‘without
God and without hope in the world; and you came to
me, and drew my attention to the precious Saviour
as my only hope. And I believed in Him. I repented of
my sins, and was made to sit together with His saints
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’ Others will say:
‘I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your friends
and comfortable home, and came to teach me how to
find Jesus, and believe in Him as the only true God.
I demolished my idols, and worshiped God, and now
I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved,
ever to behold Him whom I love. I then saw Him only
with the eye of faith, but now I see Him as He is. I
can now express my gratitude for His redeeming
mercy to Him who loved me, and washed me from
my sins in His own blood.”—Christian Service,
274:1 (GW 518:2).
“Others will express their gratitude to those who
fed the hungry and clothed the naked. ‘When despair
bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me,’
they say, ‘to speak words of hope and comfort. You
brought me food for my physical necessities, and
you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me to
my spiritual needs. You treated me as a brother. You
sympathized with me in my sorrows, and restored
my bruised and wounded soul, so that I could grasp
the hand of Christ that was reached out to save me.
In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a
Father in heaven who cared for me. You read to me
the precious promises of God’s Word. You inspired
in me faith that He would save me. My heart was
softened, subdued, broken, as I contemplated the
sacrifice which Christ had made for me. I became
hungry for the bread of life, and the truth was precious to my soul. I am here, saved, eternally saved,
ever to live in His presence, and to praise Him who
gave His life for me.’ ”—Christian Service, 274:2 (GW
518:3-519:0).
Patiently Wait for the Reward.—“If the time
seems long to wait for our Deliverer to come; if, bowed
by affliction and worn with toil, we feel impatient for
our commission to close, and to receive an honorable release from the warfare, let us remember—
and let the remembrance check every murmur—that
God leaves us on earth to encounter storms and conflicts, to perfect Christian character, to become better acquainted with God our Father and Christ our
elder Brother, and to do work for the Master in winning many souls to Christ, that with glad heart we
may hear the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’ ”—Christian Service, 274:3-275:0 (Review, October 25,
1881).
“Be patient, Christian soldier. Yet a little while,
and He that shall come, will come. The night of weary

262
waiting, and watching, and mourning is nearly over.
The reward will soon be given; the eternal day will
dawn. There is no time to sleep now,—no time to
indulge in useless regrets. He who ventures to slumber now will miss precious opportunities of doing
good. We are granted the blessed privilege of gathering sheaves in the great harvest; and every soul saved
will be an additional star in the crown of Jesus, our
adorable Redeemer. Who is eager to lay off the armor, when by pushing the battle a little longer, he
will achieve new victories and gather new trophies
for eternity?”—Christian Service, 275:1 (Review, October 25, 1881).
8 - COUNSELS ON STEWARDSHIP
348:1-350:1-2
“There is reward for the wholehearted, unselfish workers who enter this field, and also for those
who contribute willingly for their support. Those engaged in active service in the field, and those who
give of their means to sustain these workers, will
share the reward of the faithful.
“Every wise steward of the means entrusted to
him, will enter into the joy of his Lord. What is this
joy? ‘Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that
repenteth.’ There will be a blessed commendation, a
holy benediction, on the faithful winners of souls.
They will join the rejoicing ones in heaven, who shout
the harvest home.
“How great will be the joy when the redeemed of
the Lord shall all meet, gathered into the mansions
prepared for them! O, what rejoicing for all who have
been impartial, unselfish laborers together with God
in carrying forward His work in the earth! What satisfaction will every reaper have, when the clear, musical voice of Jesus shall be heard, saying, ‘Come, ye
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world.’ ‘Enter thou
into the joy of thy Lord.’
Sharing the Joys of the Redeemed.—“The Redeemer is glorified because He has not died in vain.
With glad, rejoicing hearts, those who have been
colaborers with God see of the travail of their soul
for perishing, dying sinners, and are satisfied. The
anxious hours they have spent, the perplexing circumstances they have had to meet, the sorrow of
heart because some refused to see and receive the
things which make for their peace, are forgotten. The
self-denial they have practiced in order to support
the work, is remembered no more. As they look upon
the souls they sought to win to Jesus, and see them
saved, eternally saved—monuments of God’s mercy
and of a Redeemer’s love—there ring through the
arches of heaven shouts of praise and thanksgiving.”—Counsels on Stewardship, 348:4-349:0 (Re-

THE END OF TIME
view, October 10, 1907).
Realization Greater than Expectation.—“Christ
accepted humanity, and lived on this earth a pure,
sanctified life. For this reason He has received the
appointment of judge. He who occupies the position
of judge is God manifest in the flesh. What a joy it
will be to recognize in Him our Teacher and Redeemer,
bearing still the marks of the crucifixion, from which
shine beams of glory, giving additional value to the
crowns which the redeemed receive from His hands,
the very hands outstretched in blessing over His disciples as He ascended. The very Voice which said,
‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world,’ bids His ransomed ones welcome to His presence.
“The very One who gave His precious life for them,
who by His grace moved their hearts to repentance,
who awakened them to their need of repentance, receives them now into His joy. Oh, how they love Him!
The realization of their hope is infinitely greater than
their expectation. Their joy is complete, and they take
their glittering crowns and cast them at their
Redeemer’s feet.”—Counsels on Stewardship, 349:12 (Review, June 18, 1901).
Only a Little While Now.—“It will only be a little
while before Jesus will come to save His children
and to give them the finishing touch of immortality.
‘This corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal shall have put on immortality.’ The graves
will be opened, and the dead will come forth victorious, crying, ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory?’ Our loved ones who sleep in
Jesus will come forth clothed with immortality.
“And as the redeemed shall ascend to heaven,
the gates of the City of God will swing back, and
those who have kept the truth will enter in. A Voice,
richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear,
will be heard saying, ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ Then the righteous will receive
their reward. Their lives will run parallel with the
life of Jehovah. They will cast their crowns at the
Redeemer’s feet, touch the golden harps, and fill all
heaven with rich music.”—Counsels on Stewardship,
350:1-2 (Signs, April 15, 1889).
9 - PUBLISHING MINISTRY
402:7-404:1
Gratitude of the Redeemed.—“All praise, honor,
and glory will be given to God and to the Lamb for
our redemption; but it will not detract from the glory
of God to express gratitude to the instrumentality
He has employed in the salvation of souls ready to
perish.”—Publishing Ministry, 402:7 (6 Testimonies,
311:0).
“ ‘Thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord; and I

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy
father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’
Isaiah 58:14.”—Publishing Ministry, 404:1 (6 Testimonies, 312:2).
10 - GOSPEL WORKERS
512:1-518:1
“ ‘When thou makest a dinner or a supper,’ said
Christ, ‘call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they
also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.
But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the
maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be
blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou
shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just’
[Luke 14:12-14].
The Reward of Service.—“In these words Christ
draws a contrast between the self-seeking practices
of the world and the unselfish ministry of which He
has given an example in His own life. For such ministry He offers no reward of worldly gain or recognition. ‘Thou shalt be recompensed,’ He says, ‘at the
resurrection of the just.’ Then the results of every
life will be made manifest, and every one will reap
that which he has sown.”—Gospel Workers, 512:12.
“All who consecrate body, soul, and spirit to
God’s service will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical, mental, and spiritual power.
The inexhaustible supplies of heaven are at their command. Christ gives them the breath of His own spirit,
the life of His own life. The Holy Spirit puts forth
His highest energies to work in heart and mind.
“ ‘Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily’ . .
Thou shalt ‘call, and the Lord shall answer; thou
shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am’ . . ‘Thy light’
shall ‘rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the
noonday: and the Lord shall guide thee continually,
and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy
bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and
like a spring of water, whose waters fail not’ [Isa.
58:8-11].
“Many are God’s promises to those who minister to His afflicted ones. He says: ‘Blessed is he that
considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in
time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep
him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth:
and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his
enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed
of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his
sickness.’ ‘Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt
thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed’
[Ps. 41:1-3; 37:3]. ‘Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

263
so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy
presses shall burst out with new wine.’ ‘There is
that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that
withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to
poverty.’ ‘He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth
unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He
pay him again.’ ‘The liberal soul shall be made fat:
and he that watereth shall be watered also himself’
[Prov. 3:9-10; 11:24; 19:17; 11:25].
“While much of the fruit of their labor is not apparent in this life, God’s workers have His sure promise of ultimate success. As the world’s Redeemer,
Christ was constantly confronted with apparent failure. He seemed to do little of the work which He
longed to do in uplifting and saving. Satanic agencies were constantly working to obstruct His way.
But He would not be discouraged. Ever before Him
He saw the result of His mission. He knew that truth
would finally triumph in the contest with evil, and
to His disciples He said: ‘These things I have spoken
unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world
ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world’ [John 16:33]. The life of Christ’s
disciples is to be like His, a series of uninterrupted
victories not seen to be such here, but recognized as
such in the great hereafter.
“Those who labor for the good of others are working in union with the heavenly angels. They have their
constant companionship, their unceasing ministry.
Angels of light and power are ever near to protect, to
comfort, to heal, to instruct, to inspire. The highest
education, the truest culture, the most exalted service possible to human beings in this world, are theirs.
“Often our merciful Father encourages His children and strengthens their faith by permitting them
here to see evidence of the power of His grace upon
the hearts and lives of those for whom they labor.
‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher
than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from
heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it
may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth:
it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the
hills shall break forth before you into singing, and
all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:
and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off’ [Isa. 55:8-13].

264
“In the transformation of character, the casting
out of evil passions, the development of the sweet
graces of God’s Holy Spirit, we see the fulfillment of
the promise, ‘Instead of the thorn shall come up the
fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the
myrtle tree.’ We behold life’s desert ‘rejoice, and blossom as the rose’ [Isa. 35:1].
“Christ delights to take apparently hopeless material, those whom Satan has debased and through
whom he has worked, and make them the subjects
of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from suffering, and from the wrath that is to fall upon the disobedient. He makes His children His agents in the
accomplishment of this work, and in its success,
even in this life, they find a precious reward.”—Gospel Workers, 513:2-516:2.
“The angels were waiting to welcome Jesus, as
He ascended after His resurrection. The heavenly host
longed to greet again their loved Commander, returned to them from the prison house of death. Eagerly they pressed about Him as He entered the gates
of heaven. But He waved them back. His heart was
with the lonely, sorrowing band of disciples whom
He had left upon Olivet. It is still with His struggling
children on earth, who have the battle with the destroyer yet to wage. ‘Father,’ He says, ‘I will that they
also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I
am.’
“Christ’s redeemed ones are His jewels, His precious and peculiar treasure. ‘They shall be as the
stones of a crown,’—‘the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints’ [Zech. 9:16; Eph. 1:18]. In
them ‘He shall see of the travail of His soul, and
shall be satisfied’ [Isa. 53:11].
“And will not His workers rejoice when they, too,
behold the fruit of their labors? The apostle Paul,
writing to the Thessalonian converts, says: ‘What is
our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even
ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His
coming? for ye are our glory and joy’ [1 Thess. 2:1920]. And he exhorts the Philippian brethren to be
‘blameless and harmless,’ to ‘shine as lights in the
world; holding forth the Word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,
neither labored in vain’ [Phil. 2:15-16].”—Gospel
Workers, 517:1-3.
“Wonderful will be the revealing as the lines of
holy influence, with their precious results, are
brought to view. What will be the gratitude of souls
that will meet us in the heavenly courts, as they understand the sympathetic, loving interest which has
been taken in their salvation! All praise, honor, and
glory will be given to God and to the Lamb for our
redemption; but it will not detract from the glory of
God to express gratitude to the instrumentality He
has employed in the salvation of souls ready to per-

THE END OF TIME
ish.”—Gospel Workers, 518:1
11 - 7 BIBLE COMMENTARY
988/1:1-990/1:2-2:0
No Engulfing Ocean.—“The sea divides friends.
It is a barrier between us and those whom we love.
Our associations are broken up by the broad, fathomless ocean. In the new earth there will be no more
sea, and there shall pass there ‘no galley with oars.’
In the past many who have loved and served God
have been bound by chains to their seats in galleys,
compelled to serve the purpose of cruel, hardhearted
men. The Lord has looked upon their suffering in
sympathy and compassion. Thank God, in the earth
made new there will be no fierce torrents, no engulfing ocean, no restless, murmuring waves.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 988/1:1 (Manuscript 33, 1911).
God’s Family United at Last.—“Now the church
is militant, now we are confronted with a world in
midnight darkness, almost wholly given over to idolatry. But the day is coming in which the battle will
have been fought, the victory won. The will of God is
to be done on earth, as it is done in heaven. Then the
nations will own no other law than the law of heaven.
All will be a happy, united family, clothed with the
garments of praise and thanksgiving—the robe of
Christ’s righteousness.
“All nature in its surpassing loveliness will offer
to God a constant tribute of praise and adoration.
The world will be bathed in the light of heaven. The
years will move on in gladness. The light of the moon
will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the
sun will be sevenfold greater than it is now. Over the
scene the morning stars will sing together, and the
sons of God will shout for joy, while Christ and God
will unite in proclaiming, ‘There shall be no more
sin, neither shall there be any more death.’ ”—7 Bible
Commentary, 988/1:2-3 (Review, December 17,
1908).
The Christian’s Summer.—“This earth is the
place of preparation for heaven. The time spent here
is the Christian’s winter. Here the chilly winds of
affliction blow upon us, and the waves of trouble
roll against us. But in the near future, when Christ
comes, sorrow and sighing will be forever ended. Then
will be the Christian’s summer. All trials will be over,
and there will be no more sickness or death . .
Higher Education in the Future Life.—“Christ,
the heavenly Teacher, will lead His people to the tree
of life that grows on either side of the river of life,
and He will explain to them the truths they could
not in this life understand. In that future life His
people will gain the higher education in its completeness. Those who enter the City of God will have the
golden crowns placed upon their heads. That will be
a joyful scene that none of us can afford to miss. We

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
shall cast our crowns at the feet of Jesus, and again
and again we will give Him the glory and praise His
holy name. Angels will unite in the songs of triumph.
Touching their golden harps, they will fill all heaven
with rich music and songs to the Lamb.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 988/1:4-2:1 (Manuscript 31, 1909).
Life-giving Power in Tree of Life.—“The tree of
life is a representation of the preserving care of
Christ for His children. As Adam and Eve ate of this
tree, they acknowledged their dependence upon God.
The tree of life possessed the power to perpetuate
life, and as long as they ate of it, they could not die.
The lives of the antediluvians were protracted because of the life-giving power of this tree, which was
transmitted to them from Adam and Eve.”—7 Bible
Commentary, 988/2:2 (Review, January 26, 1897).
Life-giving Fruit Ours through Christ.—“The
fruit of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden possessed supernatural virtue. To eat of it was to live
for ever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. Its leaves
were for the sustaining of life and immortality. But
through man’s disobedience, death entered the world.
Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, the fruit of which he had been forbidden to touch.
His transgression opened the floodgates of woe upon
our race . .
“Of Christ it is written, ‘In him was life; and the
life was the light of men.’ He is the fountain of life.
Obedience to Him is the life-giving power that gladdens the soul.
“Christ declares: ‘I am the bread of life; he that
cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that
believeth on Me shall never thirst’ [John 6:57, 63;
Rev. 2:7, last part, quoted].”—7 Bible Commentary,
988/2:3-989/1:2-3 (Signs, March 31, 1909).
Tree of Life Planted for Us.—“The sons of men
have had a practical knowledge of evil, but Christ
came to the world to show them that He had planted
for them the tree of life, the leaves of which were for
the healing of the nations.”—7 Bible Commentary,
989/1:4 (Manuscript 67, 1898).
“The leaves of the tree of life are proffered you.
They are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.
Take them, eat them, digest them, and your faintheartedness will pass away.”—7 Bible Commentary,
989/1:5 (Manuscript 71, 1898).
“Christ . . was the tree of life to all who would
pluck and eat.”—7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:6
(Manuscript 95, 1898).
The Bible, the Tree of Life to Us.—“Let all bear
in mind that the tree of life bears twelve manner of
fruits. This represents the spiritual work of our
earthly missions. The Word of God is to us the tree
of life. Every portion of the Scripture has its use. In
every part of the Word is some lesson to be learned.

265
Then learn how to study your Bibles. This book is
not a heap of odds and ends. It is an educator. Your
own thoughts must be called into exercise before you
can be really benefited by Bible study. Spiritual sinew
and muscle must be brought to bear upon the Word.
The Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance the words
of Christ. He will enlighten the mind and guide the
research.”—7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:7 (Letter
3, 1898).
Christ, the Tree of Life.—“Christ is the source
of our life, the source of immortality. He is the tree of
life, and to all who come to Him He gives spiritual
life.”—7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:8 (Review, January 26, 1897).
A Definition of Heaven.—“Christ is the truth
of all that we find in the Father. The definition of
heaven is the presence of Christ.”—7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:9-2:0.
Christ’s Intercession Soon to Cease.—“The One
who has stood as our intercessor; who hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who is represented
with a rainbow, the symbol of grace and love, encircling His head, is soon to cease His work in the heavenly Sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then descend
from the throne, and justice will take their place. He
for whom His people have looked will assume His
right, the office of Supreme Judge.”—7 Bible Commentary, 989/2:1 (Review, January 1, 1889).
Probation Ends When Least Expected.—“When
probation ends, it will come suddenly, unexpectantly—at a time when we least expect it. But we can
have a clean record in heaven today and know that
God excepts us; and finally, if faithful, we shall be
gathered into the kingdom of Heaven.”—7 Bible Commentary, 983/2:2 (Manuscript 95, 1906).
No Second Probation.—“There is not a second
probation for anyone. Now is probationary time,
before the angel shall fold her golden wings, the angel of mercy, and shall step down from the throne,
and mercy, mercy is gone forever.”—7 Bible Commentary, 983/2:3 (Manuscript 49, 1894).
Probation’s Close Not Revealed.—“God has not
revealed to us the time when this message will close
or when probation will have an end. Those things
that are revealed we shall accept for ourselves and
our children; but let us not seek to know that which
has been kept secret in the counsels of the Almighty
. . Letters have come to me asking me if I have any
special light as to the time when probation will close;
and I answer that I have only this message to bear,
that it is now time to work while the day lasts, for
the night cometh when no man can work. Now, just
now, it is time for us to be watching, working, and
waiting.
“The Word of the Lord reveals the fact that the
end of all things is at hand, and its testimony is

266

THE END OF TIME

most decided that it is necessary for every soul to
have the truth planted in the heart so that it will
control the life and sanctify the character. The Spirit
of the Lord is working to take the truth of the Inspired Word and stamp it upon the soul so that the
professed followers of Christ will have a holy, sacred
joy that they will be able to impart to others. The
opportune time for us to work is now, just now, while
the day lasts. But there is no command for anyone
to search the Scriptures in order to ascertain, if possible, when probation will close. God has no such
message for any mortal lips. He would have no mortal tongue declare that which He has hidden in His
secret counsels.”—7 Bible Commentary, 989/2:4990:0 (Review, October 9, 1894).
City of God for Commandment Keepers.—
“None who have had the light of truth will enter the
City of God as commandment breakers. His law lies
at the foundation of His government in earth and in
heaven. If they have knowingly trampled upon and
despised His law on the earth, they will not be taken
to heaven to do the same work there; there is no
change of character when Christ comes. The character building is to go on during the hours of probation. Day by day their actions are registered in the
books of heaven, and they will, in the great day of
God, be rewarded as their works have been. It will
then be seen who receives the blessing. ‘Blessed are
they that do His commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the
gates into the City.’ ”—7 Bible Commentary, 990/
1:2-2:0 (Review, August 25, 1885).
12 - MY LIFE TODY
347:1, 3-365:7
Christ Presents Me with a Crown and Harp.—
“ ‘Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but
unto all them also that love His appearing’ (2 Tim.
4:8) . .
“Oh, what joy unspeakable, to see Him whom
we loved, to see Him in His glory who so loved us
that He gave Himself for us, to behold those hands
once pierced for our redemption stretched out to us
in blessing and welcome!”—My Life Today, 347:1,
3 (Signs, November 2, 1882).
Given a White Robe of Righteousness.—“The
conflict is over. All tribulation and strife are at an
end. Songs of victory fill all heaven as the redeemed
stand around the throne of God. All take up the joyful strain, ‘Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
and lives again, a triumphant conqueror.”—My Life
Today, 348:4 (Review, November 26, 1903).
Victory Over Death.—“We have a living, risen
Saviour. He burst the fetters of the tomb after He

had lain there three days, and in triumph He proclaimed over the rent sepulcher of Joseph, ‘I am the
resurrection, and the life.’ And He is coming. Are we
getting ready for Him? Are we ready so that if we
shall fall asleep, we can do so with hope in Jesus
Christ?
“The Lifegiver is soon to come . . to break the
fetters of the tomb. He is to bring forth the captives
. . The last thoughts they had were of the grave and
the tomb, but now they proclaim, ‘O death, where is
thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ The pangs
of death were the last things they felt . . When they
awake the pain is all gone. ‘O grave, where is thy
victory?’ Here they stand, and the finishing touch of
immortality is put upon them, and they go up to
meet their Lord in the air. The gates of the City of
God swing back upon their hinges . . and the ransomed of God walk in through the cherubims and
seraphims. Christ bids them welcome and puts
upon them His benediction.”—My Life Today, 349:23 (Manuscript 18, 1894).
“There, there is no burial train, no mourning, no
death, no parting, no broken hearts; and Jesus is
there, peace is there . . In His presence is fullness of
joy, at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore!”—My Life Today, 349:4 (Signs, February 8,
1892).
No More Sin.—“ ‘And there shall be no more
curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall
be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they
shall see His face; and His name shall be in their
foreheads’ (Rev. 22:3-4) . .
“Then we shall enjoy with Him all the glories of
the world to come throughout the ceaseless ages of
eternity . . There is nothing in the kingdom of God to
disturb or annoy. This is the life that is promised to
the overcomer—a life of happiness and peace, a life
of love and beauty . .
“There is no sin, no distracting care, nothing to
mar the peace of the inhabitant.”—My Life Today,
350:1, 4 (Signs, November 10, 1887).
As Heirs, We Inherit the Kingdom.—“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.
“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,’ 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

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
discord banished, its blight removed, the human
once more in harmony with the divine!”—My Life
Today, 351:2-3 (GC 646:1-2).
Families Will Be Reunited.—“ ‘Refrain thy voice
from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy
work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they
shall come again from the land of the enemy. And
there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy
children shall come again to their own border’ (Jer.
31:16-17).
“Christ is coming with clouds and with great
glory . . He will come to raise the dead, and to change
the living saints from glory to glory . . There will be a
relinking of the family chain.”—My Life Today,
352:1-2 (DA 632:3).
“Oh, wonderful redemption! long talked of, long
hoped for, contemplated with eager anticipation . .
“With joy unutterable parents see the crown, the
robe, the harp, given to their children. The days of
hope and fear are ended . . Their children have been
redeemed.”—My Life Today, 352:3, 5 (Signs, July
1, 1886).
“There we shall see on every hand the beautiful
trees of Paradise, in the midst of them the tree of
life. There we shall behold with undimmed vision
the beauties of Eden restored. There we shall cast at
the feet of our Redeemer the crowns that He has placed
on our heads, and touching our golden harps, we
shall offer praise and thanksgiving to Him that sitteth
on the throne . . May you all be among those who
shall enter through the gates of pearl into the City of
our God. May you, as unbroken families, dwell forever in that haven of rest. To this end may God help
you now to strive for the crown of life.”—My Life
Today, 352:6 (Review, September 3, 1903).
We Shall Recognize Each Other.—“ ‘Now I know
in part; but then I shall know even as also I am
known’ (1 Cor. 13:12).
“In the mansions above we shall meet to part no
more. We shall know each other in our heavenly
home.”—My Life Today, 353:1-2 (Signs, June 20,
1911).
A Beautiful Country.—“ ‘And truly if they had
been mindful of that country from whence they
came out, they might have had opportunity to have
returned. But now they desire a better country,
that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed
to be called their God: for He hath prepared for
them a City’ (Heb. 11:15-16) . .
“The grass will be a living green, and will never
wither. There will be roses and lilies and all kinds of
flowers there. They will never blight or fade or lose
their beauty and fragrance.
“The lion, we should much dread and fear here,
will then lie down with the lamb, and everything in

267
the New Earth will be peace and harmony. The trees
of the New Earth will be straight and lofty, without
deformity.”—My Life Today, 354:1, 4-5 (Youth’s Instructor, October 1852).
“In the New Earth there are no chilling winds,
no disagreeable changes. The atmosphere is ever
right and healthful.”—My Life Today, 354:6 (Diary,
March 24, 1859).
Eat of the Tree of Life.—“ ‘In the midst of the
street of it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits,
and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves
of the tree were for the healing of the nations’ (Rev.
22:2).
“Out of the throne came a pure river of water,
and on either side of the river was the tree of life . .
The fruit was glorious; it looked like gold mixed with
silver.”—My Life Today, 355:1-2 (EW 17:1).
“The redeemed saints, who have loved God and
kept His commandments here, will enter in through
the gates of the City, and have right to the tree of life.
They will eat freely of it as our first parents did before their fall. The leaves of that immortal widespread
tree will be for the healing of the nations. All their
woes will then be gone. Sickness, sorrow, and death
they will never again feel, for the leaves of the tree of
life have healed them. Jesus will then see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied, when the redeemed,
who have been subject to sorrow, toil, and afflictions,
who have groaned beneath the curse, are gathered
up around that tree of life to eat of its immortal fruit
that our first parents forfeited all right to by breaking God’s commands. There will be no danger of their
ever losing right to the tree of life again, for he that
tempted our first parents to sin will be destroyed by
the second death.”—My Life Today, 355:4 (Youth’s
Instructor, October 1852).
“Upon the tree of life was most beautiful fruit, of
which the saints could partake freely . . The most
exalted language fails to describe the glory of heaven
or the matchless depths of a Saviour’s love.”—My
Life Today, 355:5 (EW 289:1).
At the Marriage Supper.—“In both the Old and
New Testaments the marriage relation is employed
to represent the tender and sacred union that exists
between Christ and His people. To the mind of Jesus
the gladness of the wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when He shall bring
home His bride to the Father’s house, and the redeemed with the Redeemer shall sit down to the
marriage supper of the Lamb. He says, ‘As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.’ ‘Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken . . but thou shalt be called My Delight [margin] . . for the Lord delighteth in thee.’ ‘He will rejoice
over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy

268
over thee with singing.’ When the vision of heavenly
things was granted to John the apostle, he wrote: ‘I
heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and
as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty
thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and
give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and His wife hath made herself ready’ . .
“Jesus saw in every soul one to whom must be
given the call to His kingdom.”—My Life Today,
356:2-3 (DA 151:1-2).
“Having received the kingdom, He will come in
His glory, as King of kings and Lord of lords, for the
redemption of His people, who are to ‘sit down with
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob’ at His table in His
kingdom, to partake of the marriage supper of the
Lamb.”—My Life Today, 356:4 (GC 427:0).
The Glories of Our Heavenly Home.—“ ‘And
the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the
City was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the
foundations of the wall of the City were garnished
with all manner of precious stones’ (Rev. 21:18-19)
..
“The glorious City of God has twelve gates, set
with pearls most glorious. It also has twelve foundations of various colors. The streets of the City are of
pure gold. In this City is the throne of God, and a
pure, beautiful river proceeding out of it, as clear as
crystal. Its sparkling purity and beauty make glad
the City of God. The saints will drink freely of the
healing waters of the river of life . .
“All faces will reflect the image of their Redeemer.
There will then be no anxious, troubled countenances,
but all will be bright, and smiling in spotless purity.
The angels will be there, also the resurrected saints
with the martyrs, and the best of all, and what will
cause us the most joy, our lovely Saviour, who suffered and died that we might enjoy that happiness
and freedom, will be there. His glorious face will
shine brighter than the sun, and light up the beautiful City and reflect glory all around.
“Children will be there. They will never be engaged in strife or discord. Their love will be fervent
and holy. They will also have a crown of gold upon
their heads and a harp in their hands. And their
little countenances, that we here see so often troubled
and perplexed, will beam with holy joy, expressive of
their perfect freedom and happiness . .
“The saints will have crowns of glory upon their
heads and harps of gold in their hands. They will
play upon the golden harp and sing redeeming love,
and make melody unto God. Their former trials and
suffering in this world will be forgotten and lost amid
the glories of the New Earth. And they will ever have
the approving smiles of Jesus upon them, and their
happiness will be complete . . The future abode of

THE END OF TIME
the saints will be all glorious.”—My Life Today,
357:1, 5 (Youth’s Instructor, October 1852).
Labor for Pleasure and Enjoyment.—“There
certainly is and ever will be employment in heaven.
The whole family of the redeemed will not live in a
state of dreamy idleness. There remaineth a rest to
the people of God. In heaven, activity will not be wearing and burdensome; it will be rest. The whole family of the redeemed will find their delight in serving
Him whose they are by creation and by redemption.”—
My Life Today, 358:6 (Letter 11, 1899).
“To the weary and heavy laden, to those who have
fought the good fight of faith, it will be a glorious
rest; for the youth and vigor of immortality will be
theirs, and against sin and Satan they will no longer
have to contend.”—My Life Today, 358:7 (Christian
Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 99).
Harmonious Social Life.—“ ‘The lines are
fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a
goodly heritage’ (Ps. 16:6) . .
“Heaven is full of joy. It resounds with the praise
of Him who made so wonderful a sacrifice for the
redemption of the human race. Should not the church
on earth be full of praise? Should not Christians
publish throughout the world the joy of serving
Christ? Those who in heaven join with the angelic
choir in their anthem of praise must learn on earth
the song of heaven, the keynote of which is thanksgiving.”—My Life Today, 359:1, 4 (7 Testimonies,
244:2).
“Everything in heaven is noble and elevated. All
seek the interest and happiness of others. No one
devotes himself to looking out and caring for self. It
is the chief joy of all holy beings to witness the joy
and happiness of those around them.”—My Life Today, 359:5 (2 Testimonies, 239:0).
“If you have trials here, and feel lonesome, look
away from this dark world to the bright glories of
heaven. Set your affections upon heavenly joys, and
then you will not feel so deeply the trials and disappointments of this life, for you will feel that you have
a home in glory, a crown, a harp, and a lovely Saviour there. Strive for that blest inheritance which
God has promised to those that love Him and keep
His commandments.”—My Life Today, 359:6
(Youth’s Instructor, October 1852).
Study God’s Wisdom throughout Eternity.—
“ ‘The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him: the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened’ (Eph. 1:17-18).
“The science of redemption is the science of all
sciences, the science that is the study of the angels
and of all the intelligences of the unfallen worlds,
the science that engages the attention of our Lord

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
and Saviour, the science that enters into the purpose brooded in the mind of the Infinite ‘kept in silence through times eternal,’ the science that will be
the study of God’s redeemed through out the endless ages. This is the highest study in which it is
possible for man to engage. As no other study can, it
will quicken the mind and uplift the soul . .
The subject is inexhaustible.—“The study of the
Incarnation of Christ, His atoning sacrifice, and mediatorial work will employ the mind of the diligent
student as long as time shall last; and looking to
heaven with its unnumbered years, he will exclaim,
Great is the mystery of godliness.
“In eternity we shall learn that which, had we
received the enlightenment that it was possible to
obtain here, would have opened our understanding.
The themes of redemption will employ the hearts
and minds and tongues of the redeemed through the
everlasting ages. They will understand the truths
which Christ longed to open to His disciples, but
which they did not have faith to grasp. Forever and
forever new views of the perfection and glory of Christ
will appear. Through endless ages the faithful Householder will bring forth from His treasures things new
and old.”—My Life Today, 360:1-2, 4-5 (Signs, April
18, 1906).
“Since God is infinite, and in Him are all the treasures of wisdom, we may through all eternity be ever
searching, ever learning, yet never exhaust the riches
of His wisdom, His goodness, or His power.”—My Life
Today, 360:6 (Signs, April 25, 1906).
“Those who . . place themselves in God’s hands
. . will see the King in His beauty. They will behold
His matchless charms, and touching their golden
harps, they will fill all heaven with rich music and
with songs to the Lamb.”—My Life Today, 347:4
(Review, June 15, 1905).
Christ Will Teach the Redeemed.—“ ‘And they
shall be all taught of God’ (John 6:45).
“In the school of Christ, students never graduate. Among the pupils are both the old and the young.
Those who give heed to the instructions of the Divine Teacher constantly advance in wisdom, refinement, and nobility of soul, and thus they are prepared to enter that higher school, where advancement will continue throughout eternity . . to dwell
forever in this home of the blest, to bear in soul,
body, and spirit, not the dark traces of sin and the
curse, but the perfect likeness of our Creator, and
through ceaseless ages to advance in wisdom, in
knowledge and holiness, ever exploring new fields of
thought, ever finding new wonders and new glories,
ever increasing in capacity to know and to enjoy and
to love, and knowing that there is still beyond us joy
and love and wisdom infinite—such is the object to
which the Christian hope is pointing.”—My Life To-

269
day, 361:1-3 (Good Health, August 1882).
“In the world to come Christ will lead the redeemed beside the river of life and will teach them
wonderful lessons of truth. He will unfold to them
the mysteries of nature. They will see that a master
hand holds the world in position. They will behold
the skill displayed by the great Artist in coloring the
flowers of the field, and will learn of the purposes of
the merciful Father, who dispenses every ray of light,
and with the holy angels the redeemed will acknowledge, in songs of grateful praise, God’s supreme love
to an unthankful world. Then it will be understood
that God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.”—My Life Today, 361:4 (Review, January 3, 1907).
“He [Christ] will impart rich stores of knowledge. He will unravel mysteries in the providences of
God which in this life we are unable to understand.”—My Life Today, 361:5 (Letter 242, 1908).
“We must get an education here that will enable
us to live with God through the eternal ages. The
education we begin here will be perfected in heaven.
We will only just enter a higher grade.”—My Life Today, 361:6 (Manuscript 16, 1895).
Travel to Worlds Afar.—“ ‘These are they which
follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These
were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb’ (Rev. 14:4).”—My
Life Today, 362:1.
“Then was the melody of heaven heard by mortal
ears, and the heavenly choir swept back to heaven
as they closed their ever memorable anthem. The light
faded away . . but there remained in the hearts of the
shepherds the brightest picture mortal man had ever
looked upon, and the blessed promise and assurance of the advent to our world of the Saviour of
men, which filled their hearts with joy and gladness,
mingled with faith and wondrous love to God.”—My
Life Today, 363:4 (Review, December 9, 1884).
“O that today the human family could recognize
that song! The declaration then made, the note then
struck, will swell to the close of time and resound to
the ends of the earth . . When the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, with healing in His wings, that song
will be re-echoed by the voice of a great multitude, as
the voice of many waters, saying, ‘Alleluia, for the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth.’ ”—My Life Today,
363:5 (DA 48:2).
Worship Together.—“ ‘For as the new heavens
and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed
and your name remain. And it shall come to pass,
that from one new moon to another, and from one
Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship
before Me, saith the Lord’ (Isa. 66:22-23).

270
“In the beginning the Father and the Son had
rested upon the Sabbath after their work of creation.
When ‘the heavens and the earth were finished, and
all the host of them,’ the Creator and all heavenly
beings rejoiced in contemplation of the glorious scene.
‘The morning stars sang together, and all the sons
of God shouted for joy’ . .
“When there shall be a ‘restitution of all things,
which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy
prophets since the world began,’ the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph’s
tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven
and earth will unite in praise, as ‘from one Sabbath
to another’ the nations of the saved shall bow in
joyful worship to God and the Lamb.”—My Life Today, 364:1-3 (DA 769:2-770:0).
“So long as the heavens and the earth endure,
the Sabbath will continue as a sign of the Creator’s
power. And when Eden shall bloom on earth again,
God’s holy rest day will be honored by all beneath
the sun.”—My Life Today, 364:6 (DA 283:2).
Privilege of Open Communion with God.—“ ‘I
saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty
and the Lamb are the temple of it’ (Rev. 21:22).
“We may address Him by the endearing name,
‘Our Father,’ which is a sign of our affection for Him
and a pledge of His tender regard and relationship
to us. And the Son of God, beholding the heirs of
grace, ‘is not ashamed to call them brethren.’ They
have even a more sacred relationship to God than
have the angels who have never fallen.
“All the paternal love which has come down from
generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have
opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to
the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God.”—My Life Today,
365:1-3 (Review, October 22, 1908).
“Heaven is a ceaseless approaching to God
through Christ. The longer we are in the heaven of
bliss, the more and still more of glory will be opened
to us; and the more we know of God, the more intense will be our happiness.”—My Life Today, 365:5
(DA 331:3).
“And what is the happiness of heaven but to see
God? What greater joy could come to the sinner saved
by the grace of Christ than to look upon the face of
God and know Him as Father?”—My Life Today,
365:6 (8T 268:0).
“How much comfort it gives to behold Him here
by the eye of faith, that we may by beholding be made
like Him, but what will it be to behold Him as He is,
without one dimming veil between?”—My Life Today, 365:7 (Bible Echo, January 15, 1892).

THE END OF TIME
13 - FAITH I LIVE BY
359:1 - 370:4
“ ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.’ 2 Cor. 4:17.
The Eternal Weight of Glory.—“I was pointed
to the glory of heaven, to the treasure laid up for the
faithful. Everything was lovely and glorious. The angels would sing a lovely song, then they would cease
singing and take their crowns from their heads and
cast them glittering at the feet of the lovely Jesus,
and with melodious voices cry, ‘Glory, Alleluia!’ I joined
with them in their songs of praise and honor to the
Lamb, and every time I opened my mouth to praise
Him, I felt an unutterable sense of the glory that surrounded me. It was a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. Said the angel, ‘The little remnant
who love God and keep His commandments and are
faithful to the end will enjoy this glory and ever

be in the presence of Jesus and sing with the
holy angels.”—Faith I Live By, 359:1-2 (EW 66:1).
“The work of salvation is not child’s play, to be
taken hold of at will and let alone at pleasure. It is
the steady purpose, the untiring effort, that will gain
the victory at last. It is he who endureth to the end
that shall be saved. It is they who patiently continue
in well-doing that shall have eternal life and the immortal reward.”—Faith I Live By, 359:1-2 (2T 101:1102:0).
Living the Life of Eden.—“ ‘I saw a new heaven
and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth were passed away; and there was no more
sea.’ Rev. 21:1-2 . .
“The prophet of Patmos thus describes the location of the school of the hereafter:
“The giving of the tree of life in Eden was conditional, and it was finally withdrawn. But the gifts of
the future life are absolute and eternal.”—Faith I Live
By, 360:1, 3, 5 (Ed 302:1).
Bright Beams of Glory.—“ ‘And His brightness
was as the light; He had bright beams out of His
side: and there was the hiding of His power.’ Hab.
3:4, margin.
“Satan, by means of his success in turning man
aside from the path of obedience, became ‘the god of
this world.’ 2 Corinthians 4:4. The dominion that
once was Adam’s, passed to the usurper. But the
Son of God proposed to come to this earth to pay
the penalty of sin, and thus not only redeem man,
but recover the dominion forfeited . . The apostle
Paul has referred to it [the restoration of the lost
dominion] as ‘the redemption of the purchased possession.’ Ephesians 1:14.”—Faith I Live By, 361:12 (PK 682:1).

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
“Not only man but the earth had by sin come
under the power of the wicked one, and was to be
restored by the plan of redemption.”—Faith I Live
By, 361:3 (PP 67:1).
No More Death Ever!—“In the home of the redeemed there will be no tears, no funeral trains, no
badges of mourning. The inhabitant shall not say, I
am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. Isaiah 33:24. One rich tide of happiness will flow and deepen as eternity rolls on.”—
Faith I Live By, 362:2 (9T 286:3).
“It will not be long till we shall see Him in whom
our hopes of eternal life are centered. And in His
presence, all the trials and sufferings of this life will
be as nothingness . . Look up, look up, and let your
faith continually increase. Let this faith guide you along
the narrow path that leads through the gates of the
City of God into the great beyond, the wide, unbounded future of glory that is for the redeemed.”—
Faith I Live By, 362:5 (9T 287:2-288:0).
The Metropolis of the World.—“ ‘And the City
had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and
the Lamb is the light thereof.’ Rev. 21:23 . .
“The streets of the City are paved with pure gold,
and . . the gates of the City are of gold set with pearls.
The riches obtained here may be consumed . . There
no thief shall approach; no moth or rust shall corrupt . .
“You will have an imperishable treasure which
you can be in no danger of losing.”—Faith I Live By,
363:1, 3 (Signs, January 31, 1878).
“Let us determine that if it costs everything we
will have heaven and become partakers of the divine
nature.”—Faith I Live By, 363:1, 3, 6 (Signs, January 27, 1888).
Two Worlds Compared.—“The glory of the eternal world has been opened before me. I want to tell
you that heaven is worth winning. It should be the
aim of your life to fit yourself for association with
the redeemed, with holy angels, and with Jesus, the
world’s Redeemer. If we could have but one view of
the celestial City, we would never wish to dwell on
earth again. There are beautiful landscapes on earth,
and I enjoy all these prospects of loveliness in nature. I associate them with the Creator. But I know
that if I love God, and keep His commandments, there
is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory
reserved in heaven for me.”—Faith I Live By, 364:2
(Signs, April 8, 1889).
“Let your imagination picture the home of the
saved, and remember that it will be more glorious
than your brightest imagination can portray. In the
varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest
gleaming of His glory.”—Faith I Live By, 364:4 (SC

271
86:2-87:0).
The Blessedness of Heaven.—“ ‘He that
overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be
his God, and he shall be My son.’ Rev. 21:7.
“No man stumbles into heaven. No man goes
there blindfolded. If he will take time to consider,
every man may know whether he is in the strait and
narrow path, or in the broad road that leads to death
and hell.
“If we do not receive the religion of Christ by feeding upon the Word of God, we shall not be entitled to
an entrance into the City of God. Having lived on
earthly food, having educated our tastes to love
worldly things, we would not be fitted for the heavenly courts; we could not appreciate the pure, heavenly current that circulates in heaven. The voices of
the angels and the music of their harps would not
satisfy us. The science of heaven would be as an
enigma to our minds. We need to hunger and thirst
for the righteousness of Christ; we need to be molded
and fashioned by the transforming influence of His
grace, that we may be fitted for the society of heavenly angels.”—Faith I Live By, 365:1-3 (Review,
May 4, 1897).
“Then the nations will own no other law than
the law of heaven. All will be a happy, united family,
clothed with the garments of praise and thanksgiving . . Over the scene the morning stars will sing
together, and the sons of God will shout for joy, while
God and Christ will unite in proclaiming, There shall
be no more sin, neither shall there be any more
death.”—Faith I Live By, 365:5 (8 Testimonies,
42:1).
“We want to get in the habit of talking of heaven,
beautiful heaven. Talk of that life which will continue
as long as God shall live, and then you will forget
your little trials and difficulties. Let the mind be attracted to God.”—Faith I Live By, 365:6 (Historical
Sketches of SDA Missions, 146).
Speculations about the Future Life.—“ ‘For
when they shall rise from the dead, they neither
marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the
angels which are in heaven.’ Mark 12:25.
“There are men today who express their belief
that there will be marriages and births in the new
earth, but those who believe the Scriptures cannot
accept such doctrines. The doctrine that children
will be born in the new earth is not a part of the sure
word of prophecy. The words of Christ are too plain
to be misunderstood. They should forever settle the
question of marriages and births in the new earth.
Neither those who shall be raised from the dead,
nor those who shall be translated without seeing
death, will marry or be given in marriage. They will
be as the angels of God, members of the royal family.

272
“I would say to those who hold views contrary to
this plain declaration of Christ: Upon such matters
silence is eloquence. It is presumption to indulge in
suppositions and theories regarding matters that
God has not made known to us in His Word. We
need not enter into speculation regarding our future
state.
“ ‘Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of
season’ (2 Tim. 4:2).
“ ‘Do not bring to the foundation wood, and hay,
and stubble of your own surmisings and speculations, which can benefit no one.
“Christ withheld no truths essential to our salvation. Those things that are revealed are for us and
our children, but we are not to allow our imagination to frame doctrines concerning things not revealed.”—Faith I Live By, 366:1-5 (MM 99:4-100:3).
Heaven Begins on Earth.—“ ‘Come unto Me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest.’ Matt. 11:28.
“ ‘Heaven is to begin on this earth.’ ”—Faith I
Live By, 367:1-2 (7T 131:4).
“When the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to
their taste. They will make a heaven below in which
to prepare for heaven above.”—Faith I Live By,
367:5 (7T 131:4).
“As we walk with Jesus in this life, we may be
filled with His love, satisfied with His presence. All
that human nature can bear, we may receive here.
But what is this compared with the hereafter? There
‘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 . . For the Lamb
which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters.’
Revelation 7:15-17.”—Faith I Live By, 367:6 (DA
331:3-332:0).
The Race for Eternal Life—“ ‘Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let
us run with patience the race that is set before us.’
Heb. 12:1 . .
“ ‘If thy hand offend thee’ the Saviour said, ‘cut it
off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed,
than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the
unquenchable fire. And if thy foot cause thee to
stumble, cut it off. It is good for thee to enter halt
into life, than having thy two feet to be cast into hell’
(Mark 9:43-45, R.V).
“If to save the body from death, the foot or the
hand should be cut off, or even the eye plucked out,
how much more earnest should the Christian be to

THE END OF TIME
put away sin, which brings death to the soul!
“The competitors in the ancient games, after they
had submitted to self-denial and rigid discipline, were
not even then sure of the victory . .
“Such is not the case in the Christian warfare.
Not one who complies with the conditions will be
disappointed at the end of the race. Not one who is
earnest and persevering will fail of success. The race
is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. The
weakest saint, as well as the strongest, may wear
the crown of immortal glory. All may win who,
through the power of divine grace, bring their lives
into conformity to the will of Christ.”—Faith I Live
By, 369:1-5 (AA 313:2).
Reward for Soul Winners.—“ ‘And they that
be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as
the stars for ever and ever.’ Dan. 12:3 . .
“Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the
faithful workers gather about the throne of God and
of the Lamb . . They have been partakers with Christ
in His sufferings, they have been workers together
with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are
partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved
in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through
all eternity.”—Faith I Live By, 370:1, 3 (9T 285:1).
“A Christian once said that when he reached
heaven he expected to meet with three causes of wonder. He would wonder to find some that he did not
expect to see there. He would wonder not to see some
that he expected to meet, and, lastly, he would wonder most to find so unworthy a sinner as himself in
the Paradise of God. Many who have stood in high
places as Christians upon earth will not be found
with the happy throng that shall surround the throne.
Those who have had knowledge and talent, and yet
have delighted in controversy and unholy strife, will
not have a place with the redeemed . . They desired
to do some great work, that they might be admired
and flattered by men, but their names were not written in the Lamb’s book of life. ‘I know you not,’ are
the sad words that Christ addresses to such. But
those whose lives were made beautiful by little acts
of kindness, by tender words of affection and sympathy, whose hearts recoiled from strife and contention, who never did any great work in order to be
lauded of men, these are found recorded in the
Lamb’s book of life. Though the world counted them
as insignificant, they are approved of God before the
assembled universe.”—Faith I Live By, 370:4 (Signs,
February 24, 1890).
14 - REFLECTING CHRIST
378:1-8
“ ‘He who loves purity of heart, and whose

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.’
—Prov. 22:11, R.S.V.
“Into the City of God there will enter nothing that
defiles. All who are to be dwellers there will here
have become pure in heart. In one who is learning of
Jesus, there will be manifest a growing distaste for
careless manners, unseemly language, and coarse
thought. When Christ abides in the heart, there will
be purity and refinement of thought and manner.
“But the words of Jesus, Blessed are the pure in
heart, have a deeper meaning—not merely pure in
the sense in which the world understands purity,
free from that which is sensual, pure from lust, but
true in the hidden purposes and motives of the soul,
free from pride and self-seeking, humble, unselfish,
childlike . .
“To hearts that have become purified through
the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, all is changed. These
can know God. Moses was hid in the cleft of the rock
when the glory of the Lord was revealed to him; and
it is when we are hid in Christ that we behold the
love of God.
“He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace
of his lips the king shall be his friend’ (Prov. 22:11).
By faith we behold Him here and now. In our daily
experience we discern His goodness and compassion
in the manifestation of His providence . . The pure
in heart see God in a new and endearing relation, as
their Redeemer; and while they discern the purity
and loveliness of His character, they long to reflect
His image. They see Him as a Father longing to embrace a repenting son, and their hearts are filled with
joy unspeakable and full of glory.
“The pure in heart discern the Creator in the
works of His mighty hand, in the things of beauty
that comprise the universe. In His Written Word they
read in clearer lines the revelation of His mercy, His
goodness, and His grace . .
“The beauty and preciousness of truth, which
are undiscerned by the worldly-wise, are constantly
unfolding to those who have a trusting, childlike desire to know and to do the will of God. We discern
the truth by becoming, ourselves, partakers of the
divine nature.
“The pure in heart live as in the visible presence
of God during the time He apportions them in this
world. And they will also see Him face to face in the
future, immortal state, as did Adam when he walked
and talked with God in Eden. ‘Now we see through a
glass, darkly; but then face to face’ (1 Cor. 13:12). ”—
Reflecting Christ, 378:1-8 (MB 24-27).
15 - AMAZING GRACE
360:1-367:1-2
“ ‘To him that overcometh will I give to eat of

273
the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God.’ Rev. 2:7 . .
“There will be employment in heaven. The redeemed state is not one of idle repose.”—Amazing
Grace, 360:1, 362:2.
“ ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy
presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there
are pleasures for evermore.’ Ps. 16:11.
“The Bible presents to our view the unsearchable
riches and immortal treasures of heaven. Man’s
strongest impulse urges him to seek his own happiness, and the Bible recognizes this desire and shows
us that all heaven will unite with man in his efforts
to gain true happiness. It reveals the condition upon
which the peace of Christ is given to men. It describes
a home of everlasting happiness and sunshine, where
no tears nor want shall ever be known.”—Amazing
Grace, 363:1, 4 (My Life Today, 160:2).
“ ‘Take heed that ye despise not one of these
little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their
angels do always behold the face of My Father
which is in heaven.’ Matt. 18:10.
“With the Word of God in his hands, every human being . . may have such companionship as he
shall choose . . He may dwell in this world in the
atmosphere of heaven . . drawing nearer and nearer
the threshold of the eternal world, until the portals
shall open, and he shall enter there. He will find
himself no stranger. The voices that will greet him
are the voices of the holy ones, who, unseen, were on
earth his companions—voices that here he learned
to distinguish and to love. He who through the Word
of God has lived in fellowship with heaven, will find
himself at home in heaven’s companionship.”—
Amazing Grace, 364:1, 5 (Ed 127:1).
“ ‘And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord;
and great shall be the peace of thy children.’ Isa.
54:13 . .
“Between the school established in Eden at the
beginning and the school of the hereafter there lies
the whole compass of this world’s history—the history of human transgression and suffering, of divine
sacrifice, and of victory over death and sin. Not all
the conditions of the first school of Eden will be
found in the school of the future life. No tree of knowledge of good and evil will afford opportunity for temptation. No tempter is there, no possibility of wrong.
Every character has withstood the testing of evil, and
none are longer susceptible to its power.”—Amazing Grace, 365:3 (Ed 301:6-302:0).
“Those who have made the most of their privileges to reach the highest attainments here, will take
these valuable acquisitions with them into the future life. They have sought and obtained that which
is imperishable. The capability to appreciate the glories that ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,’ will be

274

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proportionate to the attainments reached in the cultivation of the faculties in this life.”—Amazing Grace,
365:5 (FE 49:1).
“ ‘My people shall know My name . . they shall
know in that day that I am he that doth speak:
behold, it is I.’ Isa. 52:6.
“Every right principle, every truth learned in an
earthly school, will advance us just that much in the
heavenly school.”—Amazing Grace, 366:1, 7 (CT
208:3-209:0).
“ ‘For our knowledge is imperfect . . but when
the perfect is come, the imperfect will pass away.’
1 Cor. 13:9-10, R.S.V.
“By faith we should look to the hereafter and
grasp the pledge of God of a growth of intellect, the
human faculties uniting with the divine, and every
power of the soul being brought into direct contact
with the Source of light. We may rejoice that all that
has perplexed us in the providences of God will then
be made plain; things hard to be understood will
find an explanation.”—Amazing Grace, 367:1 (5T
706:1).
16 - MARANATHA
316:5-672:5
“ ‘Jesus . . . for the joy that is set before Him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated
at the right hand of the throne of God.’ Heb. 12:2,
R.S.V.
“ ‘These things have I spoken unto you,’ said
Christ, ‘that My joy might remain in you, and that
your joy might be full’ (John 15:11).
“Ever before Him, Christ saw the result of His
mission. His earthly life, so full of toil and self-sacrifice, was cheered by the thought that He would not
have all this travail for nought. By giving His life for
the life of men, He would restore in humanity the
image of God. He would lift us up from the dust,
reshape the character after the pattern of His own
character, and make it beautiful with His own glory.
“Christ saw of the travail of His soul and was
satisfied. He viewed the expanse of eternity and saw
the happiness of those who through His humiliation
should receive pardon and everlasting life. He was
wounded for their transgressions, bruised for their
iniquities. The chastisement of their peace was upon
Him, and with His stripes they were healed. He heard
the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed
ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. Although the baptism of blood must first be received,
although the sins of the world were to weigh upon
His innocent soul, although the shadow of an unspeakable woe was upon Him; yet for the joy that
was set before Him He chose to endure the cross
and despised the shame.

“This joy all His followers are to share. However
great and glorious hereafter, our reward is not all to
be reserved for the time of final deliverance. Even
here we are by faith to enter into the Saviour’s joy.”—
Maranatha, 316:1-5 (MH 504:1-3).
“ ‘The King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it
unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have
done it unto Me’ (Matt. 25:40) . .
“There is a heaven before us, and among its inhabitants there will be no strife . .
“We shall greet the holy family of the redeemed,
and hear the words of Christ, Come, ye blessed of
My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world. We shall touch our golden
harps, and heaven will ring with rich music. We shall
cast our glittering crowns at His feet, and give glory
to Him who has overcome in our behalf.”—Maranatha, 317:1, 5-6 (Review, August 19, 1897).
“The love of God is without measure, without
comparison! It is infinite . . When we contemplate
the dignity and glory of Christ we see how great was
that love that prompted the sacrifice made upon the
cross of Calvary for the redemption of a lost world.
This theme will fill the saints with wonder and
amazement through eternal ages, and why should
we not meditate upon it here in this world?
“O the mystery of godliness—God manifest in
the flesh! This mystery increases as we try to comprehend it. It is incomprehensible, and yet human
beings will allow worldly, earthly things to intercept
the faint view it is possible for mortals to have of
Jesus and His matchless love . . How can we be enthusiastic over earthly, common things and not be
stirred with this picture—the cross of Calvary, the
love that is revealed in the death of God’s dear Son?
..
“All this humiliation and anguish were endured
to bring back the wanderers, guilty and thankless,
to the Father’s house. O the home of the blest—I
cannot afford to lose it! I shall, if saved in the kingdom of God, be constantly discerning new depths in
the plan of salvation. All the redeemed saints will
see and appreciate as never before the love of the Father and the Son, and songs of praise will burst
forth from immortal tongues. He loved us, He gave
His life for us. With glorified bodies, with enlarged
capacities, with hearts made pure, with lips undefiled, we shall sing the riches of redeeming love. There
will be no suffering ones in heaven, no skeptics whom
we must labor to convince of the reality of eternal
things, no prejudices to uproot, but all will be susceptible to that love which passeth knowledge. Rest,
thank God, there is a rest for the people of God,
where Jesus will lead the redeemed into green pastures, by the streams of living waters which make

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
glad the City of our God. Then the prayer of Jesus to
His Father will be answered: I will that they also,
whom thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.”—
Maranatha, 318:2-4 (That I May Know Him, 371:24).
“Then the redeemed will be welcomed to the home
that Jesus is preparing for them. There their companions will not be the vile of earth, liars, idolaters,
the impure, and unbelieving; but they will associate
with those who have overcome Satan and through
divine grace have formed perfect characters. Every
sinful tendency, every imperfection, that afflicts them
here has been removed by the blood of Christ, and
the excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding the brightness of the sun, is imparted to
them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His
character, shines through them, in worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are without fault
before the great white throne, sharing the dignity and
the privileges of the angels.
“In view of the glorious inheritance that may be
his, what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26. He may be poor, yet he possesses in
himself a wealth and dignity that the world could
never bestow. The soul redeemed and cleansed from
sin, with all its noble powers dedicated to the service of God, is of surpassing worth; and there is joy
in heaven in the presence of God and the holy angels
over one soul redeemed, a joy that is expressed in
songs of holy triumph.”—Steps to Christ, 126:1-2
(part in Maranatha, 319:4).
“ ‘The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart.’ 1 Sam. 16:7.
“Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very
ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself . . Many
will be in heaven who their neighbors supposed
would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart.”—Maranatha, 320:12 (COL 71:3-72:0).
“Some among the redeemed will have laid hold
of Christ in the last hours of life, and in heaven instruction will be given to these, who, when they died,
did not understand perfectly the plan of salvation.”—
Maranatha, 320:3 (5 BC 1124/2:10).
“To Jesus in His agony on the cross there came
one gleam of comfort. It was the prayer of the penitent thief . . In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging
upon the cross, he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh
away the sin of the world. Hope is mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts
himself upon a dying Saviour. Lord, remember me,
he cries, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.
Quickly the answer came . . Verily I say unto thee
today, thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”—
Maranatha, 320:4 (DA 749:3, 750:1-2).

275
“Such faith may be represented by the eleventh
hour laborers who receive as much reward as do
those who have labored for many hours. The thief
asked in faith, in penitence, in contrition. He asked
in earnestness, as if he fully realized that Jesus could
save him if He would.”—Maranatha, 320:5 (5 BC
1125:1).
“Those whom Christ commends in the judgment
may have known little of theology, but they have cherished His principles . . Among the heathen are those
who worship God ignorantly, those to whom the light
is never brought by human instrumentality, yet they
will not perish. Though ignorant of the written law
of God, they have heard His voice speaking to them
in nature, and have done the things that the law required. Their works are evidence that the Holy Spirit
has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as
the children of God.
“ ‘How surprised and gladdened will be the lowly
among the nations, and among the heathen, to hear
from the lips of the Saviour, ‘Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye
have done it unto Me’! How glad will be the heart of
Infinite Love as His followers look up with surprise
and joy at His words of approval!’ ”—Maranatha,
320:1-7 (DA 638:2-3).
“ ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts.’ Isa. 55:9.
“Our plans are not always God’s plans . . In His
loving care and interest for us, often He who understands us better than we understand ourselves refuses to permit us selfishly to seek the gratification
of our own ambition . . Often our plans fail that
God’s plans for us may succeed.”—Maranatha,
321:1-3 (MH 473:2-3).
“In the future life the mysteries that here have
annoyed and disappointed us will be made plain.
We shall see that our seemingly unanswered prayers
and disappointed hopes have been among our greatest blessings.”—Maranatha, 321:4 (MH 474:1).
“We are not now sufficiently advanced in spiritual attainments to comprehend the mysteries of
God. But when we shall compose the family of heaven,
these mysteries will be unfolded before us.”—
Maranatha, 321:5 (That I May Know Him, 365:4).
“Then much will be revealed in explanation of
matters upon which God now keeps silence because
we have not gathered up and appreciated that which
has been made known of the eternal mysteries. The
ways of Providence will be made clear; the mysteries
of grace through Christ will be unfolded. That which
the mind cannot now grasp, which is hard to be
understood, will be explained. We shall see order in
that which has seemed unexplainable; wisdom in
everything withheld; goodness and gracious mercy

276
in everything imparted. Truth will be unfolded to
the mind, free from obscurity, in a single line, and
its brightness will be endurable. The heart will be
made to sing for joy. Controversies will be forever
ended, and all difficulties will be solved.”—Maranatha, 321:6 (That I May Know Him, 365:5).
“ ‘Set your affection on things above, not on
things on the earth.’ Col. 3:2.
“When God’s people take their eyes off the things
of this world and place them on heaven and heavenly
things they will be a peculiar people, because they
will see the mercy and goodness and compassion
that God has shown to the children of men. His love
will call forth a response from them, and their lives
will show to those around them that the Spirit of
God is controlling them, that they are setting their
affections on things above, not on the things of the
earth.”
“In thinking of heaven, we may put our imagination to the utmost stretch and think the loftiest
thoughts that we are capable of thinking, and our
minds will grow weary in the effort to comprehend
the breadth and depth and height of the subject. It
is impossible for our minds to take in the great
themes of eternity. It is impossible for us even to
make an effort to understand these things without
the effort affecting our whole character for good and
having an uplifting influence on our minds. As we
think of how Christ came to our world to die for
fallen man, we understand something of the price
that was paid for our redemption, and we realize
that there is no true goodness or greatness apart
from God.
“Only by the light shining from the cross of Calvary can we know to what depths of sin and degradation the human race has fallen through sin. Only
by the length of the chain let down from heaven to
draw us up can we know the depths to which we
had sunk. And it is only by keeping the unseen realities in view that we can understand anything of the
wonderful theme of redemption.”—Maranatha,
322:1-4 (In Heavenly Places, 368:2-4).
“We are almost home; we shall soon hear the
voice of the Saviour richer than any music, saying,
Your warfare is accomplished. Enter into the joy of
thy Lord. Blessed, blessed benediction; I want to hear
it from His immortal lips. I want to praise Him; I
want to honor Him that sitteth on the throne. I want
my voice to echo and re-echo through the courts of
heaven. Will you be there? . . God help us, and fill us
with all fullness and power, and then we can taste of
the joys of the world to come.”—Maranatha, 322:5
(In Heavenly Places, 368:5).
“ ‘If any man’s work abide . . he shall receive a
reward.’ 1 Cor. 3:14 . .
“Those who truly love God will desire so to im-

THE END OF TIME
prove the talents that He has given them, that they
may be a blessing to others. And by and by the gates
of heaven will be thrown wide open to admit them,
and from the lips of the King of Glory the benediction will fall upon their ear like richest music, ‘Come,
ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ (Matt.
25:34). Thus the redeemed will be welcomed to the
mansions that Jesus is preparing for them. There
their companions will not be the vile of earth, but
those who through divine aid have formed perfect
characters. Every sinful tendency, every imperfection,
has been removed by the blood of Christ; and the
excellence and brightness of His glory, far exceeding
the brightness of the sun in its meridian splendor,
is imparted to them. And the moral beauty, the perfection of His character, shines through them in
worth far exceeding this outward splendor. They are
without fault before the great white throne, sharing
the dignity and privileges of the angels.”—Maranatha,
323:1, 324:2.
“Obedience to all the commandments of God was
the condition of eating of the tree of life. Adam fell by
disobedience . .
“Obedience through Jesus Christ gives to man
perfection of character and a right to that tree of life.
The conditions of again partaking of the fruit of the
tree are plainly stated in the testimony of Jesus Christ
to John: Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life,
and may enter in through the gates into the City.”—
Maranatha, 325:5-6 (1 Bible Commentary, 1086/
1:3-4).
“In the rainbow above the throne is an everlasting testimony that ‘God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’
. . As the bow in the cloud is formed by the union of
the sunlight and the shower, so the rainbow encircling the throne represents the combined power of
mercy and justice. It is not justice alone that is to be
maintained; for this would eclipse the glory of the
rainbow of promise above the throne; men could see
only the penalty of the law. Were there no justice, no
penalty, there would be no stability to the government of God. It is the mingling of judgment and mercy
that makes salvation complete . .
“Mercy invites us to enter through the gates into
the City of God, and justice is satisfied to accord to
every obedient soul full privileges as a member of
the royal family, a child of the heavenly King. If we
were defective in character, we could not pass the
gates that mercy has opened to the obedient; for justice stands at the entrance, and demands holiness
in all who would see God.
“Were justice extinct, and were it possible for

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
divine mercy to open the gates to the whole race,
irrespective of character, there would be a worse condition of disaffection and rebellion in heaven than
before Satan was expelled. The peace, happiness,
and harmony of heaven would be broken. The change
from earth to heaven will not change men’s character; the happiness of the redeemed in heaven results
from the character formed in this life after the image
of Christ. The saints in heaven will first have been
saints on earth.
“The salvation that Christ made such a sacrifice
to gain for man is that which is alone of value; for it
is that which saves from sin . . Thus the law of God
is not weakened by the gospel, but the power of sin
is broken, and the scepter of mercy is extended to
the penitent sinner . . God will never forget His people
in their struggle against evil. Let Jesus be our
theme.”—Maranatha, 326:2-6 (Review, December
13, 1892).
“ ‘Thine eyes shall see the king in His beauty:
they shall behold the land that is very far off.’ Isa.
33:17.
“If we desire to see the King in His beauty we
must here behave worthily. We must outgrow our
childishness. When provocation comes let us be silent. There are times when silence is eloquence. We
are to reveal the patience and kindness and forbearance that will make us worthy of being called sons
and daughters of God. We are to trust Him, and believe on Him, and rely upon Him. We are to follow in
Christ’s steps. ‘If any man will come after Me,’ He
says, ‘let him deny himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow Me’ (Luke 9:23). It may be a heavy
cross to keep silent when you ought to. It may be a
painful discipline, but let me assure you that silence
does much more to overcome evil than a storm of
angry words.
“Here in this world we are to learn what we must
be in order to have a place in the heavenly courts. We
are to learn the lessons that Christ desires to teach
us, that we may be prepared to be taken to the higher
school in the courts above, where the Saviour will
lead us beside the river of life, explaining to us many
things that here we could not comprehend . . There
we shall see the glory of God as we have never seen it
here. We get but a glimpse of the glory now, because
we do not follow on to know the Lord.”—Maranatha,
327:1-3 (In Heavenly Places, 365:1-3).
“Long have we waited, but our hope is not to
grow dim. If we can but see the King in His beauty
we shall be forever blessed.”—Maranatha, 327:5
(8T 253:1).
“ ‘I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount
Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their
foreheads.’ Rev. 14:1 . .

277
“That triumphant throng, with songs of victory
and with crowns and harps, have trodden in the fiery furnace of earthly affliction when it was heated
and intensely hot. From destitution, from hunger and
torture, they come, from deep self-denial and bitter
disappointments. Look upon them now as conquerors, no longer poor, no longer in sorrow, in affliction
and hated of all men for Christ’s sake. Behold their
heavenly garments, white and shining, richer than
any kingly robe. Look by faith upon their jeweled
crowns; never did such a diadem deck the brow of
any earthly monarch.
“Listen to their voices as they sing loud hosannas and as they wave the palm branches of victory.
Rich music fills heaven as their voices sing forth these
words: ‘Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain
and rose again forevermore. Salvation unto our God
which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.’
And the angelic host, angels and archangels, covering cherub and glorious seraph, echo back the refrain of that joyous, triumphant song saying, ‘Amen:
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving,
and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God
for ever and ever’ (Rev. 7:12).
“Oh, in that day it will be discovered that the
righteous were the wise ones, while the sinful and
disobedient were fools . . Shame and everlasting contempt is their portion. Those who have been
colaborers for Christ will then be near the throne of
God, girt with purity and the garments of eternal
righteousness.”—Maranatha, 328:1, 329:3-5 (In
Heavenly Places, 371:3-5).
“When I think of those words of Daniel, I find
myself waking up in the night and repeating them
over and over: ‘And they that be wise shall shine as
the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn
many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.’
Look at the sun and the stars marshaled in the heavens, and known by their names. The Lord says, They
that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the
stars forever and ever.”—Maranatha, 330:2 (In Heavenly Places, 364:2).
“In order to determine how important are the
interests involved in the conversion of the soul from
error to truth, we must appreciate the value of immortality; we must realize how terrible are the pains
of the second death; we must comprehend the honor
and glory awaiting the ransomed, and understand
what it is to live in the presence of Him who died
that He might elevate and ennoble man, and give to
the overcomer a royal diadem.
“The worth of a soul cannot be fully estimated
by finite minds. How gratefully will the ransomed
and glorified ones remember those who were instrumental in their salvation! No one will then regret his
self-denying efforts and persevering labors, his pa-

278
tience, forbearance, and earnest heart yearnings for
souls that might have been lost had he neglected his
duty or become weary in well-doing.
“Now these white-robed ones are gathered into
the fold of the Great Shepherd. The faithful worker
and the soul saved through his labor are greeted by
the Lamb in the midst of the throne, and are led to
the tree of life and to the fountain of living waters.
With what joy does the servant of Christ behold these
redeemed ones, who are made to share the glory of
the Redeemer! How much more precious is heaven
to those who have been faithful in the work of saving
souls!”—Maranatha, 330:3-5 (5T 620:2-621:1).
“What is done through the cooperation of men
with God is a work that shall never perish, but endure through the eternal ages.”—Maranatha, 330:6
(FE 199:2).
“John, while in vision, saw a company clothed in
white robes . . They were seen in the temple of God.
This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the
merits of Christ and wash their robes in His blood.
Every provision has been made so that we can sit
with Christ upon His throne, but the condition is
that we be in harmony with the law of God.
“We cannot afford to lose heaven. We ought to
have our conversation on heavenly things. There, there
is no death nor pain. Why are we so reluctant to talk
of these things? Why do we dwell upon earthly things?
The apostle exhorts us to have our conversation in
heaven. ‘For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ’ (Phil. 3:20). Christ will soon return to gather
those who are prepared, and take them to this glorious place. ‘So Christ was once offered to bear the
sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall
He appear the second time without sin unto salvation’ (Heb. 9:28).
“Do we love to think of this event or do we want
to put it off? . . The more we talk of Jesus, the more
we shall reflect His divine image. By beholding we
become transformed. We need to bring Christ into
our religious experience. When you assemble together,
let the conversation be on Christ and His salvation
. . The more we talk of Jesus the more of His matchless charms we shall behold.
“Those who take no pleasure in thinking and
talking of God in this life, will not enjoy the life that
is to come, where God is ever present, dwelling among
His people. But those who love to think of God will
be in their element, breathing in the atmosphere of
heaven. Those who on earth love the thought of heaven
will be happy in its holy associations and pleasures.”—Maranatha, 331:2-5 (In Heavenly Places,
370:2-5).
“ ‘Since the beginning of the world men have
not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath

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the eye seen, O God, beside Thee, what He hath
prepared for him that waiteth for Him.’ Isa. 64:4.
“Many have longed to penetrate into the glories
of the future world and to have the secrets of eternal
mysteries disclosed to them, but they knock in vain.
That which is revealed is for us and for our children
. . The Great Revealer hath opened to our intelligence many things that are essential in order that
we may understand the heavenly attractions and
have respect to the recompense of the reward.
“The unfoldings of Jesus in reference to heavenly things are of a character that only the spiritual
mind can appreciate. The imagination may summon
its utmost powers in order to picture the glories of
heaven, but ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love Him.’ 1
Cor. 2:9. The heavenly intelligences are all around
us . . Angels of light create a heavenly atmosphere
about the soul, lifting us toward the unseen and eternal. We cannot behold their forms with our natural
sight; only by the spiritual vision can we discern
heavenly things. Our human powers would be extinguished by the inexpressible glory of the angels of
light. The spiritual ear alone can distinguish the
harmony of heavenly voices. It is not Christ’s plan to
excite the emotions by brilliant descriptions . . He
has with sufficient distinctness presented Himself,
the way, the truth, and the life, as the only means
whereby salvation is to be obtained. No more than
this is really required.
“He might bring the human soul to the threshold of heaven, and through the open door show us
its inner glory flooding the heavenly Sanctuary and
shining out through its portals; but we must behold
it by faith, not with the natural eyes. He does not
forget that we are His human agents, to work the
works of God in a world all seared and marred with
the curse. It is in this world, that is clothed with
moral darkness like the pall of death, where darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people,
that we are to walk in the light of heaven.”—Maranatha, 332:1-4 (In Heavenly Places, 366:2-4).
“ ‘We look not at the things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen: for the things
which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal.’ 2 Cor. 4:18 . .
“ ‘Blessed are they that wash their robes, that
they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the City’ (Rev. 22:14,
R.V.) . .
“Do we expect to get to heaven at last and join
the heavenly choir? Just as we go into the grave we
will come up, as far as the character is concerned
. . Now is the time for washing and ironing . .
“John saw the throne of God and around that

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throne a company, and he inquired, Who are these?
The answer came, ‘These are they which . . have
washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb’ (Rev. 7:14). Christ leads them to
the fountains of living waters, and there is the tree
of life and there is the precious Saviour. Here is presented to us a life that measures with the life of God.
There is no pain, sorrow, sickness, or death there.
All is peace and harmony and love . .
“Now is the time to receive grace and strength
and power to combine with our human efforts that
we can form characters for everlasting life. When we
do this we will find that the angels of God will minister unto us, and we shall be heirs of God and joint
heirs with Jesus Christ. And when the last trump
shall sound, and the dead shall be called from their
prison house and changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the crowns of immortal glory shall be
placed upon the heads of the overcomers. The pearly
gates will swing back for the nations that have kept
the truth and they will enter in. The conflict is ended.
“ ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world’ (Matt. 25:34). Do we want this benediction?
I do, and I believe you do. May God help you that you
may fight the battles of this life and gain a victory
day by day and at last be among the number that
shall cast their crowns at Jesus’ feet and touch the
golden harps and fill all heaven with sweetest music. I want you to love my Jesus . . Do not reject my
Saviour, for He has paid an infinite price for you. I
see in Jesus matchless charms, and I want you to
see these charms.”—Maranatha, 333:1, 334:1-5 (In
Heavenly Places, 369:1-5).
“Can any earthly promotion confer honor equal
to this—to be sons of God, children of the heavenly
King, members of the royal family? . . The nobility of
earth are but men; they die, and return to dust; and
there is no lasting satisfaction in their praise and
honor. But the honor that comes from God is lasting. To be heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
is to be entitled to unsearchable riches—treasures
of such value that in comparison with them the gold
and silver, the gems and precious stones of earth,
sink into insignificance.”—Maranatha, 349:2 (Review, June 10, 1884).
“To have fellowship with the Father and His Son
Jesus Christ is to be ennobled and elevated, and
made a partaker of joys unspeakable and full of glory.
Food, clothing, station, and wealth may have their
value; but to have a connection with God and to be a
partaker of His divine nature is of priceless value.
Our lives should be hid with Christ in God; and although it ‘doth not yet appear what we shall be,’
‘when Christ, who is our life, shall appear,’ ‘we shall
be like Him.’ ”—Maranatha, 349:3 (4T 357:1).
“To the dwellers in Eden was committed the care

279
of the garden, ‘to dress it and to keep it.’ Their occupation was not wearisome, but pleasant and invigorating. God appointed labor as a blessing to man, to
occupy his mind, to strengthen his body, and to develop his faculties. In mental and physical activity
Adam found one of the highest pleasures of his holy
existence.
“Those who regard work as a curse, attended
though it be with weariness and pain, are cherishing an error. The rich often look down with contempt
upon the working classes, but this is wholly at variance with God’s purpose in creating man. What are
the possessions of even the most wealthy in comparison with the heritage given to the lordly Adam?
Yet Adam was not to be idle. Our Creator, who understands what is for man’s happiness, appointed
Adam his work. The true joy of life is found only by
the working men and women.”—Maranatha, 350:34 (PP 50:1).
“God designs that all shall be workers. The toiling beast of burden answers the purpose of its creation better than does the indolent man. God is a
constant worker. The angels are workers; they are
ministers of God to the children of men. Those who
look forward to a heaven of inactivity will be disappointed, for the economy of heaven provides no place
for the gratification of indolence. But to the weary
and heavy-laden rest is promised. It is the faithful
servant who will be welcomed from his labors to the
joy of his Lord.”—Maranatha, 350:6 (CT 280:1).
“The saints will have crowns of glory upon their
heads, and harps of gold in their hands. They will
play upon the golden harp, and sing redeeming love,
and make melody unto God. Their former trials and
suffering in this world will be forgotten and lost amid
the glories of the New Earth.”—Maranatha, 355:5
(Youth’s Instructor, October 1852).
“Human language is inadequate to describe the
reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those
who behold it.”—Maranatha, 355:7 (Story of Redemption, 430:2-431:0).
“ ‘Giving thanks unto the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in
light.’ Col. 1:12, R.S.V.
“The ransom has been paid, and it is possible
for all to come to God, and through a life of obedience to attain unto everlasting life. Then how sad it
is that men turn from the immortal inheritance, and
live for the gratification of pride, for selfishness and
display, and . . lose the blessing which they might
have both in this life and in the life to come. They
might enter into the palaces of heaven, and associate on terms of freedom and equality with Christ
and heavenly angels, and with the princes of God;
and yet, incredible as it may seem, they turn from
heavenly attractions.

280
“The Creator of all worlds proposes to love those
who believe in His only-begotten Son as their personal Saviour, even as He loves His Son. Even here
and now His gracious favor is bestowed upon us to
this marvelous extent. He has given to men the gift
of the Light and Majesty of heaven, and with Him He
has bestowed all the treasures of heaven. Much as
He has promised us for the life to come, He also
bestows princely gifts upon us in this life, and as
subjects of His grace, He would have us enjoy everything that will ennoble, expand, and elevate our characters. It is His design to fit us for the heavenly courts
above.
“But Satan is contending for the souls of men . .
He would not have them catch a glimpse of the future honor, the eternal glories, laid up for those who
shall be inhabitants of heaven, or have a taste of the
experience that gives a foretaste of the happiness of
heaven . .
“Those who accept Christ as their Saviour have
the promise of the life that now is, and that which is
to come . . The lowliest disciple of Christ may become an inhabitant of heaven, an heir of God to an
inheritance incorruptible, and that fadeth not away.
O that every one might make choice of the heavenly
gift, become an heir of God to that inheritance whose
title is secure from any destroyer, world without end!
O, choose not the world, but choose the better inheritance! Press, urge your way toward the mark for the
prize of your high calling in Christ Jesus.”—Maranatha, 357:1-5 (FE 234:1-235:0).
“ ‘I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with
fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the
beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and
over the number of his name, stand on the sea of
glass, having the harps of God.’ Rev. 15:2 . .
“ ‘Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the
same shall he receive of the Lord.’ Eph. 6:8 . .
“The poor widow who cast her two mites into
the Lord’s treasury little knew what she was doing.
Her example of self-sacrifice has acted and reacted
upon thousands of hearts in every land and in every
age. It has brought to the treasury of God gifts from
the high and the low, the rich and the poor. It has
helped to sustain missions, to establish hospitals,
to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick,
and preach the gospel to the poor. Multitudes have
been blessed through her unselfish deed. And the
outworking of all these lines of influence she, in the
day of God, will be permitted to see. So with Mary’s
precious gift to the Saviour. How many have been
inspired to loving service by the memory of that broken alabaster box! And how she will rejoice as she
beholds all this!”—Maranatha, 358:1, 359:1, 3 (6T
310:2).
“ ‘Verily I say unto you,’ Christ declared, ‘Where-

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soever this gospel shall be preached throughout the
whole world, this also that she hath done shall be
spoken of for a memorial of her.’ Looking into the
future, the Saviour spoke with certainty concerning
His gospel. It was to be preached throughout the
world. And as far as the gospel extended, Mary’s gift
would shed its fragrance, and hearts would be
blessed through her unstudied act. Kingdoms would
rise and fall; the names of monarchs and conquerors would be forgotten; but this woman’s deed would
be immortalized upon the pages of sacred history.
Until time should be no more, that broken alabaster box would tell the story of the abundant love of
God for a fallen race.”—Maranatha, 359:4 (DA
563:1).
“We cannot suppose that when the final triumph
shall come, and we have the mansions prepared for
us, idleness will be our portion—that we shall rest
in a blissful, do-nothing state.”—Maranatha, 360:2,
(Review, May 17, 1898).
“I have been shown the order, the perfect order,
of heaven, and have been enraptured as I listened to
the perfect music there. After coming out of vision,
the singing here has sounded very harsh and discordant. I have seen companies of angels, who stood in
a hollow square, everyone having a harp of gold. At
the end of the harp was an instrument to turn to set
the harp or change the tunes. Their fingers did not
sweep over the strings carelessly, but they touched
different strings to produce different sounds. There
is one angel who always leads, who first touches the
harp and strikes the note, then all join in the rich,
perfect music of heaven. It cannot be described. It is
melody, heavenly, divine, while from every countenance beams the image of Jesus, shining with glory
unspeakable.”—Maranatha, 361:4 (1T 146:2).
“What a song that will be when the ransomed of
the Lord meet . . ! All heaven is filled with rich music, and with songs of praise to the Lamb. Saved,
everlastingly saved, in the kingdom of glory! To have
a life that measures with the life of God—that is the
reward.”—Maranatha, 361:5 (7 BC 982:/1-2).
“Our lifework here is a preparation for the life
eternal. The education begun here will not be completed in this life; it will be going forward through all
eternity ever progressing, never completed.”—Maranatha, 363:3 (MH 466:2).
“ ‘That in the ages to come He might shew the
exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.’ Eph. 2:7 . .
“ ‘Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of
the grace that should come unto you: searching
what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify, when it testified
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
that should follow . . Which things the angels desire to look into.’ 1 Peter 1:10-12.
“Through all eternity the ransomed host will be
His chief glory.”—Maranatha, 365:1, 366:1, 5 (3
Spirit of Prophecy, 261).
“ ‘O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of
Thy riches’ (Ps. 104:24).
“The knowledge of God’s works and ways we can
only begin to obtain in this world; the study will be
continued throughout eternity. God has provided for
man subjects of thought which will bring into activity every faculty of the mind. We may read the character of the Creator in the heavens above and the
earth beneath, filling the heart with gratitude and
thanksgiving. Every nerve and sense will respond to
the expressions of God’s love in His marvelous
works.”—Maranatha, 367:1-2 (4T 581:2).
“ ‘Thus saith the Lord . . I, even My hands, have
stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I
commanded.’ Isaiah 45: 11-12.
“God has worlds upon worlds that are obedient
to His law. These worlds are conducted with reference to the glory of the Creator. As the inhabitants of
these worlds see the great price that has been paid
to ransom man, they are filled with amazement.”
“Then I was taken to a world which had seven
moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been
translated . . I asked him if this was the place he
was taken to from the earth. He said, ‘It is not; the
City is my home, and I have come to visit this place.’
He moved about the place as if perfectly at home.
“I begged of my attending angel to let me remain in
that place. I could not bear the thought of coming back to
this dark world again. Then the angel said, ‘You must go
back, and if you are faithful, you, with the 144,000, shall
have the privilege of visiting all the worlds and viewing the
handiwork of God.’ ”—Maranatha, 368:1, 3, 6-7 (EW
40:0).
“The Lord has made every provision for our happiness in the future life. But He has made no revelations regarding these plans, and we are not to speculate concerning them. Neither are we to measure the
conditions of the future life by the conditions of this
life.”—Maranatha, 369:7 (MM 100:4).
“ ‘The kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall
be given to the people of the saints of the most
High.’ Dan 7:27.
“The government of the kingdom of Christ is like
no earthly government. It is a representation of the
characters of those who compose the kingdom . .
His court is one where holy love presides and whose
offices and appointments are graced by the exercise
of charity. He charges His servants to bring pity and
loving-kindness, His own attributes, into all their

281
office work.
“The power of Christ alone can work the transformation in heart and mind that all must experience who would partake with Him of the new life in
the kingdom of God . . In order to serve Him aright,
we must be born of the divine Spirit. This will purify the heart and renew the mind and give us a new
capacity for knowing and loving God. It will give us
willing obedience to all His requirements. This is
true worship.”—Maranatha, 370:1-3 (In Heavenly
Places, 372:1-3).
“Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not
one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But
there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of
broad rivers and streams . . For the Lord is our
judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king;
He will save us . . And the inhabitant shall not say, I
am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity (Isa. 33:20-24).”—Maranatha,
370:4 (In Heavenly Places, 372:2-4).
“ ‘The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all
flesh shall see it together.’ ‘The Lord God will cause
righteousness and praise to spring forth before all
the nations.’ ‘In that day shall the Lord of hosts be
for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto
the residue of His people.’ ”—Maranatha, 371:4 (PK
733:1).
“Through Christ’s redeeming work the government of God stands justified. The Omnipotent One
is made known as the God of love. Satan’s charges
are refuted, and his character unveiled. Rebellion can
never again arise. Sin can never again enter the universe. Through eternal ages all are secure from apostasy. By love’s self-sacrifice, the inhabitants of earth
and heaven are bound to their Creator in bonds of
indissoluble union.
“In the place where sin abounded, God’s grace
much more abounds. The earth itself, the very field
that Satan claims as his, is to be not only ransomed
but exalted. Our little world under the curse of sin,
the one dark blot in His glorious creation, will be
honored above all other worlds in the universe of
God. Here, where the Son of God tabernacled in humanity; where the King of glory lived and suffered
and died—here, when He shall make all things new,
the tabernacle of God shall be with men, ‘and He
will dwell with them, and they shall be His people,
and God Himself shall be with them, and be their
God.’ And through endless ages as the redeemed walk
in the light of the Lord, they will praise Him for His
unspeakable Gift—Immanuel, ‘God with us.’ ”—
Maranatha, 372:4-5 (DA 26:2-3).
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAVEN
“What a source of joy to the disciples to know
that they had such a Friend in heaven to plead in

282
their behalf! Through the visible ascension of Christ
all their views and contemplation of heaven are
changed. Their minds had formerly dwelt upon it as
a region of unlimited space, tenanted by spirits without substance. Now heaven was connected with the
thought of Jesus, whom they had loved and reverenced above all others, with whom they had conversed
and journeyed, whom they had handled, even in His
resurrected body . .
“Heaven could no longer appear to them as an
indefinite, incomprehensible space, filled with intangible spirits. They now looked upon it as their future home, where mansions were being prepared for
them by their loving Redeemer.”—6 Bible Commentary, 1054/1:3-4.
“A fear of making the future inheritance seem
too material has led many to spiritualize away the
very truths which lead us to look upon it as our
home.”—Great Controversy, 674:4-675:0.
“Jesus comes to present the advantages and
beautiful imagery of the heavenly, that the attractions
of heaven shall become familiar to the thoughts, and
memory’s hall be hung with pictures of celestial and
eternal loveliness.”—Our High Calling, 286:2.
“The great Teacher gives man a view of the future
world. He brings it, with its attractive possessions,
within the range of his vision . . If He can fasten the
mind upon the future life and its blessedness, in
comparison with the temporal concerns of this world,
the striking contrast is deeply impressed upon the
mind, absorbing the heart and soul and the whole
being.”—Our High Calling, 286:4 (see also pages 250
and 319).
“Motives stronger, and agencies more powerful,
could never be brought into operation; the exceeding
rewards for right-doing and the enjoyment of heaven,
the society of the angels, the communion and love of
God and His Son, the elevation and extension of all
our powers throughout eternal ages,—are these not
mighty incentives and encouragements to urge us to
give the heart’s loving service to our Creator and Redeemer?”—Steps to Christ, 21:3.
“Language is altogether too feeble to attempt a
description of heaven. As the scene rises before me,
I am lost in amazement. Carried away with the surpassing splendor and excellent glory, I lay down the
pen, and exclaim, ‘Oh, what love! What wondrous
love!’ The most exalted language fails to describe the
glory of heaven or the matchless depths of a Saviour’s
love.”—Early Writings, 289:2.
“If we could have but one view of the celestial
City, we would never wish to dwell on earth again.
There are beautiful landscapes on earth, and I enjoy
all these prospects of loveliness in nature. I associate them with the Creator. But I know that if I love
God, and keep His commandments, there is a far
more exceeding and eternal weight of glory reserved

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in Heaven for me. Beautiful as are the scenes of earth,
they can bear no comparison to the glories of the
eternal world.”—Signs of the Times, April 8, 1889.
“Human language is inadequate to describe the
reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those
who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the
glory of the Paradise of God.”—Great Controversy,
675:0.
“ ‘For we shall see Him as He is.’ The princely
dignity of the Christian character will shine forth as
the sun, and the beams of light from the face of Christ
will be reflected upon those who have purified themselves even as He is pure. The privilege of becoming
sons of God is cheaply purchased, even at the sacrifice of everything we possess, be it life itself.”—4
Testimonies, 357:2.
__________________
LAST DAYS APPENDIX
The following material was gleaned from our
currently out-of-print book of unpublished manuscripts, entitled The Last Days, and is some of the
best material from that volume on topics given in
this chapter.
HEAVEN

Description of Heavenly Things—“I saw the exceeding loveliness and glory of Jesus. His countenance was brighter than the sun at noonday. His
robe was whiter than the whitest white. How can I
. . describe to you the glories of heaven and the lovely
angels singing and playing upon their harps of ten
strings?”—Letter 3, 1851 (“to Sister Harret,” August 11, 1851).
God Requires Perfect Obedience to His Law—
“As Christ denied self and sacrificed at every step,
so must we, if we would sit with Him upon His
throne. And then what do we get?—everlasting life,
an eternal weight of glory. The streets are all pure
gold, like transparent glass; and there is the tree of
life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.
Everything is lovely. There is no sickness, no sorrow, no pain, no death there; but our life there will
measure with the life of God.”—Manuscript 11,
1886, pp. 3, 9-11 (“Christ’s Controversy with the
Devil,” July 25, 1886).
No Color Line in Heaven—“In heaven there
will be no color line, for all will be as white as Christ
Himself.”—Manuscript 27, 1901, p. 8. A talk given
in the Vicksburg, Mississippi Church, on March 16,
1901. Published in Gospel Herald, March 1901. See
also Gospel Herald, 40-42).
Caution against Hiring Musicians—“How can

God be glorified when you depend for your singing on a worldly choir that sings for money? . .
When the singing is such that angels can unite

23 - ETERNITY BEYOND
with the singers, an impression is made on
minds that singing from unsanctified lips cannot make.”—Letter 190, 1902 (Ev 509:1).
“Do not hire worldly musicians if this can possibly be avoided.”—Letter 51, 1902 (Ev 509:2).
“Money should not be used to hire singers.
Often the singing of simple hymns by the congregation has a charm that is not possessed by
the singing of a choir, however skilled it may
be.”—Letter 49, 1902 (Ev 509:3).
Display in Music—“Display is not religion
nor sanctification. There is nothing more offensive in God’s sight than a display of instrumental music when those taking part are not consecrated, are not making melody in their hearts to
the Lord. The offering most sweet and acceptable in God’s sight is a heart made humble by
self-denial, by lifting the cross and following
Jesus.
“We have no time now to spend in seeking
those things that only please the senses. Close
heart searching is needed. With tears and heartbroken confession we need to draw nigh to God
that He may draw nigh to us.”—Review and Herald, November 14, 1899 (Ev 510:2).
“God is glorified by songs of praise from a pure
heart filled with love and devotion to Him.”—1 Testimonies, 509:2 (1867).
Caution against Speculating Concerning Conditions in Heaven—“Be very careful not to entertain
speculative ideas or to teach that which does not
properly represent the truth for this time. We are
not to speculate regarding what will be in heaven. To
pry into these mysteries and present fanciful theories regarding them is to do great harm. The people
of God need not be aroused on this point. Suppositions regarding these mysteries are not to be received
as truth. No one should dare pry into subjects that
God has not revealed.”
Warning against the Theory of Births in the
New Earth and “Spiritual Wifery”—“I am instructed
to bear a message of warning against the theory that
in the new earth children will be born. There is a
strain of spiritualism coming in among our people,
and it will undermine the faith of those who give
place to it, leading them to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. We have the plain assurance of Christ that in the world to come the redeemed
‘neither marry, nor are given in marriage’ (Matt.
22:30).”—Letter 59, 1904 (to “Dear Brethren and
Sisters in the South,” January 22, 1904. See also
1 SM 172-174).
All His Providences Will then be Explained—“In the new earth Christ will lead us by
the side of the living waters, and explain the dark
passages of Scripture that we have never been able

283
to understand. All His providence will then be made
plain.”—Manuscript 102, 1904, p. 10 (Untitled Manuscript, a sermon preached in Nashville, Tennessee, July 2, 1904).
Meaning of “Mansions”—“ ‘Let not your heart
be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me. (I
am the brightness of the Father’s glory, the manifestation of His love, the channel by which His mercy
comes to you, and by which your prayers rise to Him.)
In My Father’s house are many mansions’ (John
14:1-2).
“The word here translated ‘mansions’ means
‘permanent abodes’—habitations that are not removed like tents, but which permanently endure for
the family of the redeemed. The Father is there to
gather His children to His parental arms and bestow upon them His everlasting love.”—Letter 84,
1907 (to D.H. Kress, March 5, 1907).
The gratitude of saved Souls for Efforts Made
on their Behalf When They Enter Heaven and Receive their Crowns—“What a reward awaits the winner of souls! When the gates of that beautiful City on
high are swung back on their glittering hinges, and
the nations that have kept the truth shall enter in,
crowns of glory will be placed on their heads, and
they will ascribe honor and glory and majesty to God.
And at that time some will come to you, and will say,
‘If it had not been for the words you spoke to me in
kindness, if it had not been for your tears and supplications and earnest efforts, I should never have
seen the King in His beauty.’ What a reward is this!
How insignificant is the praise of humans beings in
this earthly, transient life, in comparison with the
infinite rewards that await the faithful in the future,
immortal life!
The Joy of the Redeemed When They Meet
the Souls for Whom They Labored—“When you
enter within the gates into the City, and the crown of
life is placed upon your brow and on the brow of the
very ones you have worked to save, they will cast
themselves upon your neck, and say, ‘It was you that
saved my soul. I should have perished, if you had
not saved me from myself. You had to take a good
while, but you were patient with me and won me to a
knowledge of the truth.’ And then, as they lay their
crowns at the feet of Jesus, and touch the golden
harps that have been placed in their hands, and unite
in praising and glorifying their Redeemer, and they
realize that theirs is the great blessing of everlasting
life, there will be rejoicing indeed. And oh, the thought
that we may be instrumental, under God, in helping
to show men and women the way of salvation, while
living on this earth!”—Manuscript 15, 1909, pp. 5,
11-12, 14-15 (“Words of Encouragement to Self-supporting Workers,” April 26, 1909. See also Ev 4546; WM 72-73, 77-78).

“There the redeemed shall know, even as also they are known. The loves
and sympathies which God Himself has planted in the soul shall
there find truest and sweetest exercise. The pure communion with holy
beings, the harmonious social life with the blessed angels and with the faithful ones of all ages who have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb, the sacred ties that bind together ‘the whole family in
heaven and earth’ (Ephesians 3:15)—these help to constitute the happiness
of the redeemed.
“There, immortal minds will contemplate with never-failing delight
the wonders of creative power, the mysteries of redeeming love.
There will be no cruel, deceiving foe to tempt to forgetfulness of God. Every
faculty will be developed, every capacity increased. The acquirement of
knowledge will not weary the mind or exhaust the energies. There the
grandest enterprises may be carried forward, the loftiest aspirations
reached, the highest ambitions realized; and still there will arise new
heights to surmount, new wonders to admire, new truths to comprehend, fresh objects to call forth the powers of mind and soul and body.
“All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of
God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless
flight to worlds afar—worlds that thrilled with sorrow at the spectacle of
human woe and rang with songs of gladness at the tidings of a ransomed
soul. With unutterable delight the children of earth enter into the joy and the
wisdom of unfallen beings. They share the treasures of knowledge and
understanding gained through ages upon ages in contemplation of
God’s handiwork. With undimmed vision they gaze upon the glory of creation—suns and stars and systems, all in their appointed order circling the
throne of Deity. Upon all things, from the least to the greatest, the Creator’s
name is written, and in all are the riches of His power displayed.
“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still
more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men
learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As
Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing
achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they
sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise . .
“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, 677:1-678:1, 3

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS

285

— APPENDIX —

ADDITIONAL
END-TIME QUOTATIONS
Here are additional Spirit of Prophecy quotations. None of these were in the first edition of
this compilation, which was printed in 18 booklets.
Included here are a number of very choice
statements which you will value.
-1THE REASON FOR THE DELAY

“The long night of gloom is trying; but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should
come, so many would be found unready. God’s unwillingness to have His people perish, has been
the reason of so long delay.”—2 Testimonies, 194:0
(1868).
“Had the purpose of God been carried out by His
people in giving to the world the message of mercy,
Christ would, ere this, have come to the earth,
and the saints would have received their welcome
into the City of God.”—6 Testimonies, 450:0 (1900).
“I know that if the people of God had preserved a
living connection with Him, if they had obeyed His
Word, they would today be in the heavenly
Canaan.”—General Conference Bulletin, March 30,
1903.
“If every watchman on the walls of Zion had given
the trumpet a certain sound, the world might ere
this have heard the message of warning. But the
work is years behind. While men have slept, Satan
has stolen a march upon us.”—9 Testimonies, 29:2
(1909).
“The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been
presented to me. It is true that time has continued
longer than we expected in the early days of this
message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we
hoped. But has the Word of the Lord failed? Never! It
should be remembered that the promises and the
threatenings of God are alike conditional.
“God had committed to His people a work to be
accomplished on earth. The third angel’s message
was to be given, the minds of believers were to be

directed to the heavenly Sanctuary, where Christ had
entered to make atonement for His people. The Sabbath reform was to be carried forward. The breach
in the law of God must be made up. The message
must be proclaimed with a loud voice, that all the
inhabitants of earth might receive the warning. The
people of God must purify their souls through obedience to the truth and be prepared to stand without fault before Him at His coming.
“Had Adventists, after the great disappointment
in 1844, held fast their faith and followed on unitedly in the opening providence of God, receiving the
message of the third angel and in the power of the
Holy Spirit proclaiming it to the world, they would
have seen the salvation of God, the Lord would have
wrought mightily with their efforts, the work would
have been completed, and Christ would have come
ere this to receive His people to their reward. But
in the period of doubt and uncertainty that followed
the disappointment, many of the Advent believers
yielded their faith . . Thus the work was hindered,
and the world was left in darkness. Had the whole
Adventist body united upon the commandments of
God and the faith of Jesus, how widely different
would have been our history!
“It was not the will of God that the coming of
Christ should be thus delayed. God did not design
that His people, Israel, should wander forty years in
the wilderness. He promised to lead them directly to
the land of Canaan, and establish them there a holy,
healthy, happy people. But those to whom it was
first preached, went not in ‘because of unbelief’ (Heb.
3:9). Their hearts were filled with murmuring, rebellion, and hatred, and He could not fulfill His covenant with them.
“For forty years did unbelief, murmuring, and
rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of
Canaan. The same sins have delayed the entrance of
modern Israel into the heavenly Canaan. In neither
case were the promises of God at fault. It is the unbelief, the worldliness, unconsecration, and strife
among the Lord’s professed people that have kept
us in this world of sin and sorrow so many

286
years.”—1 Selected Messages, 67:8-69:1.
“We may have to remain here in this world
because of insubordination many more years, as
did the children of Israel; but for Christ’s sake, His
people should not add sin to sin by charging God
with the consequence of their own wrong course of
action.”—Evangelism 196:3 (Letter 184, 1901).
“By giving the gospel to the world it is in our
power to hasten our Lord’s return.”—Desire of
Ages, 633:3 (1898).
“It is the privilege of every Christian, not only
to look for, but to hasten the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Were all who profess His name bearing fruit to His glory, how quickly the whole world
would be sown with the seed of the gospel. Quickly
the last harvest would be ripened, and Christ would
come to gather the precious grain.”—8 Testimonies,
22:4 (1904).
“It [the coming of the Lord] will not tarry past
the time that the message is borne to all nations,
tongues, and peoples. Shall we who claim to be students of prophecy forget that God’s forbearance to
the wicked is a part of the vast and merciful plan by
which He is seeking to compass the salvation of
souls?”—Evangelism, 697:1.
–2 PREPARING FOR WHAT IS AHEAD
“Test everything before it shall be presented to
the flock of God . . In messages that profess to be
from Heaven, expressions will be made that are misleading, and if the influence of these things be accepted, it will lead to exaggerated movements, plans,
and devising that will bring in the very things that
Satan would have current—a strange spirit, an unclean spirit, under the garments of sanctity; a strong
spirit to overbear everything. Fanaticism will come
in, and will so mingle and interweave itself with
the workings of the Spirit of God, that many will
accept it all as from God, and will be deceived and
misled thereby.
“There are strong statements often made by our
brethren who bear the message of mercy and warning to our world, that would better be repressed . .
Let not one word be expressed to stir up the spirit
of retaliation in opposers of the truth. Let nothing
be done to arouse the dragon-like spirit, for it will
reveal itself soon enough, and in all its dragon character, against those who keep the commandments of
God and have the faith of Jesus . .
“The time will come when we shall be called to
stand before kings and rulers, magistrates and
powers, in vindication of the truth. Then it will be
a surprise to those witnesses to learn that their positions, their words, the very expressions made in a
careless manner or thoughtless way, when attacking
error or advancing truth—expressions that they had

THE END OF TIME
not thought would be remembered—will be reproduced, and they will be confronted with them, and
their enemies will have the advantage, putting their
own construction on these words that were spoken
unadvisedly . .
“Many things intended to deceive us will
come, bearing some of the marks of truth. Just
as soon as these shall be set forth as the great power
of God, Satan is all ready to weave in that which he
has prepared to lead souls from the truth for this
time.
“Some will accept and promulgate the error, and
when the reproof comes that will place matters in
the true light, those who have had little experience
and who are ignorant of the oft-repeated workings of
Satan, will cast away with the rubbish of error that
which has been before them as truth. Thus the light
and warnings which God gives for this time will be
made of no effect . .
“Every conceivable message is coming to counterfeit the work of God, and always bearing the inscription of truth upon its banner. And those who
are prepared for anything new and sensational,
will handle these things in such a manner that our
enemies will charge all that is inconsistent and overdone upon Mrs. E.G. White, the prophetess . . There
will be counterfeit messages coming from persons
in all directions. One after another will rise up, appearing to be inspired, when they have not the inspiration of heaven, but are under the deception of the
enemy. All who receive their messages will be led
astray. Then let us walk carefully, and not open wide
the door for the enemy to enter through impressions,
dreams, and visions. God help us to look in faith to
Jesus, and be guided by the words He has spoken.”—
3 Selected Messages, 403:1-405:0 (Letter 66, 1894).
“With pity and compassion, with tender yearning, the Lord is looking upon His tempted and tried
people. For a time the oppressors will be permitted
to triumph over those who know God’s holy commandments. All are given the same opportunity
that was granted to the first great rebel to demonstrate the spirit that moves them to action. It is
God’s purpose that everyone shall be tested and
proved, to see whether he will be loyal or disloyal to
the laws which govern the kingdom of heaven. To the
last God permits Satan to reveal his character as a
liar, an accuser, and a murderer. Thus the final triumph of His people is made more marked, more
glorious, more full and complete . .
“The people of God should be wide awake, not
trusting in their own wisdom, but wholly in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for
fasting and prayer . .
“We are nearing the most important crisis that
has ever come upon the world. If we are not wide

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
awake and watching, it will steal upon us as a thief.
Satan is preparing to work through his human agencies in secrecy . .
“We must know the reasons of our faith. The
importance and solemnity of the scenes opening before us demand this, and on no account must the
spirit of complaining be encouraged . .
“We may have to plead most earnestly before
legislative councils for the right to exercise independent judgment, to worship God according to the
dictates of our conscience. Thus in His providence
God has designed that the claims of His holy law
shall be brought before men in the highest authority. But as we do all we can as men and women
who are not ignorant of Satan’s devices, we are to
manifest no bitterness of feeling. Constantly we
are to offer prayer for divine aid. It is God alone who
can hold the four winds until the angels shall seal
the servants of God in their foreheads.
“The Lord will do a great work in the earth. Satan makes a determined effort to divide and scatter
His people. He brings up side issues to divert minds
from the important subjects which should engage
our attention . .
“Many are holding the truth only with the tips of
their fingers. They have had great light and many
privileges. Like Capernaum they have been exalted
to heaven in this respect. In the time of test and
trial that is approaching, they will become apostates unless they put away their pride and self-confidence, unless they have an entire transformation of
character.”—3 Selected Messages, 414:2-415:4 (Letter 5, 1883).
-3IMPORTANCE OF
MISSIONARY WORK NOW
“Many present the doctrines and theories of our
faith; but their presentation is as salt without savor; for the Holy Spirit is not working through their
faithless ministry. They have not opened the heart
to receive the grace of Christ; they know not the operation of the Spirit; they are as meal without leaven;
for there is no working principle in all their labor,
and they fail to win souls to Christ. They do not
appropriate the righteousness of Christ; it is a robe
unworn by them, a fullness unknown, a fountain
untouched.”—Review, November 29, 1892.
“We need greater earnestness in the cause of
Christ. The solemn message of truth should be
given with an intensity that would impress unbelievers that God is working with our efforts, that
the Most High is our living source of strength.”—
Signs, December 9, 1886.
“When we bring our hearts into unity with
Christ, and our lives into harmony with His work,

287

the Spirit that fell on the disciples on the day of
Pentecost will fall on us.”—Review, June 30, 1903.
“Zeal for the glory of God moved the disciples to
bear witness to the truth with mighty power. Should
not this zeal fire our hearts with a longing to tell the
story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified? Should not the power of God be even more
mightily revealed today then in the time of the
apostles?”—Signs, February 17, 1914.
“After Christ’s ascension, the disciples were gathered together in one place to make humble supplication to God. And after ten days of heart searching
and self-examination, the way was prepared for
the Holy Spirit to enter the cleansed, consecrated
soul temples. Every heart was filled with the Spirit,
as though God desired to show His people that it
was His prerogative to bless them with the choicest
of heaven’s blessings . . The sword of the Spirit
flashed right and left. Newly edged with power, it
pierced even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow. The idolatry
that had been mingled with the worship of the people
was overthrown. New territory was added to the kingdom of God. Places that had been barren and desolate sounded forth His praises.”—Review, June 10,
1902.
“When we have entire, wholehearted consecration to the service of Christ, God will recognize the fact by an outpouring of His Spirit without measure; but this will not be while the largest
portion of the church are not laborers together with
God.”—Review, July 21, 1896.
“I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, and from the high places and the low places
of the earth. God’s Word was obeyed, and as a result there were memorials for Him in every city and
village. His truth was proclaimed throughout the
world.”—9 Testimonies, 28:4-29:0.
“Hundreds and thousands were seen visiting
families, and opening before them the Word of God.
Hearts were convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and a spirit of genuine conversion was manifest. On
every side doors were thrown open to the proclamation of the truth. The world seemed to be lightened with the heavenly influence.”—9 Testimonies,
126:1.
“As the time comes for it [the message of the
third angel] to be given with greatest power, the
Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to
His service. The laborers will be qualified rather
by the unction of His Spirit than by the training
of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will
be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring
the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon
will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing
the observances of the church by civil authority, the

288
inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid
progress of the papal power—all will be unmasked.
By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred.
Thousands upon thousands will listen who have
never heard words like these.”—Great Controversy, 606:2.
“Many . . will be seen hurrying hither and
thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to bring
the light to others. The truth, the Word of God, is
as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning
desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many,
even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words
of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to
go forth and declare the message from heaven. The
Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its
promptings; and, casting off all man’s machinery,
his binding rules and cautious methods, they will
declare the truth with the might of the Spirit’s power.
Multitudes will receive the faith and join the armies
of the Lord.”—Review, July 23, 1895.
“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and
shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place
to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By
thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning
will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will
be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the
believers. Satan also works with lying wonders,
even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of
men. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be
brought to take their stand.
“The message will be carried not so much by
argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit
of God. The arguments have been presented. The
seed has been sown, and now it will spring up and
bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many
whose minds were impressed have been prevented
from fully comprehending the truth or from yielding
obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the
honest children of God sever the bands which have
held them. Family connections, church relations, are
powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious
than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their
stand upon the Lord’s side.”—Great Controversy,
612:1-2.
“The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church
is looked forward to as in the future; but it is the
privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it,
pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven
is waiting to bestow it.
“Let Christians . . ask in faith for the promised blessing, and it will come. The outpouring of
the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the former
rain, and glorious was the result. But the latter rain
will be more abundant.”—Evangelism, 701:2-3.

THE END OF TIME
“Instead of living in expectation of some special
season of excitement, we are wisely to improve
present opportunities, doing that which must be
done in order that souls may be saved. Instead of
exhausting the powers of our mind in speculations
in regard to the times and seasons which the Lord
has placed in His own power, and withheld from
men, we are to yield ourselves to the control of the
Holy Spirit, to do present duties, to give the bread of
life, unadulterated with human opinions, to souls
who are perishing for the truth.
“The third angel’s message is swelling into a loud
cry, and you must not feel at liberty to neglect the
present duty, and still entertain the idea that at some
future time you will be the recipients of great blessing, when without any effort on your part a wonderful revival will take place . . Today you are to have
your vessel purified, that it may be ready for the heavenly dew, ready for the showers of the latter rain; for
the latter rain will come, and the blessing of God
will fill every soul that is purified from every defilement. It is our work today to yield our souls to
Christ, that we may be fitted for the time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord—fitted for
the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”—Review and Herald, March 22, 1892.
“In these days of travel, the opportunities for
coming in contact with men and women of all
classes and of many nationalities, are much greater
than in the days of Israel. The thoroughfares of
travel have multiplied a thousandfold. God has
wonderfully prepared the way. The agency of the
printing press, with its manifold facilities, is at our
command. Bibles and publications in many languages, setting forth the truth for this time, are at
our hand and can be swiftly carried to every part of
the world.
“We are to give the last warning of God to men,
and what should be our earnestness in studying the
Bible and our zeal in spreading the light!”—Review,
January 25, 1906.
“A crisis is right upon us. We must now by the
Holy Spirit’s power proclaim the great truths for
these last days. It will not be long before everyone
will have heard the warning and made his decision. Then shall the end come . . God is the great
Master Worker, and by His providence He prepares
the way for His work to be accomplished. He provides opportunities, opens up lines of influence and
channels of working. If His people are watching the
indications of His providence, and stand ready to
co-operate with Him, they will see a great work accomplished.”—6 Testimonies, 24:2-3.
“Today men and nations are being tested by
the plummet in the hand of Him who makes no mistake . . Today the signs of the times declare that
we are standing on the threshold of great and sol-

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
emn events. Everything in our world is in agitation. Before our eyes is fulfilling the Saviour’s prophecy of the events to precede His coming: ‘Ye shall
hear of wars and rumors of wars . . Nation shall
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places.’ Matthew 24:6, 7.
“The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who
occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men
and women of all classes, have their attention fixed
upon the events taking place about us. They are
watching the relations that exist among the nations.
They observe the intensity that is taking possession
of every earthly element, and they recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that
the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.”—
Prophets and Kings, 536:2, 4-537:1.
“Angels are now restraining the winds of strife,
until the world shall be warned of its coming doom;
but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the
earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose
the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as
no pen can picture . .
“A moment of respite has been graciously given
us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be
used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for
those who are perishing in ignorance . .
“God’s people should make mighty intercession
to Him for help now. And they must put their whole
energies into the effort to proclaim the truth during the respite that has been granted . .
“Every day we have been associating with men
and women who are judgment bound. Each day may
have been the dividing line for some soul. Each day
someone may have made the decision which will determine his future destiny.”—Review, November 23,
1905.
“We do not understand as we should the great
conflict going on between invisible agencies, the
controversy between loyal and disloyal angels. Over
every man, good and evil angels strive. This is no
make-believe conflict. It is not mimic battles in which
we are engaged. We have to meet most powerful
adversaries, and it rests with us to determine which
shall win. We are to find our strength where the early
disciples found theirs.”—7 Testimonies, 213:2.
“As we near the close of time, there will be
greater and still greater external parade of heathen power; heathen deities will manifest their
signal power, and will exhibit themselves before
the cities of the world; and this delineation has
already begun to be fulfilled. By a variety of images
the Lord Jesus represented to John the wicked character and seductive influence of those who have been
distinguished for their persecution of God’s people.
All need wisdom carefully to search out the mys-

289

tery of iniquity that figures so largely in the winding
up of this earth’s history . .
“In the very time in which we live, the Lord
has called His people and has given them a message to bear. He has called them to expose the wickedness of the man of sin who has made the Sunday
law a distinctive power, who has thought to change
times and laws, and to oppress the people of God
who stand firmly to honor Him by keeping the only
true Sabbath, the Sabbath of creation, as holy unto
the Lord.”—Testimonies to Ministers, 117:5-118:0.
“At the present time, when the end of all things
earthly is rapidly approaching, Satan is putting
forth desperate efforts to ensnare the world. He is
devising many plans to occupy minds and to divert
attention from the truths essential to salvation . .
“Wickedness is reaching a height never before
attained, and yet many ministers of the gospel are
crying, ‘Peace and safety.’ But God’s faithful messengers are to go steadily forward with their work.
Clothed with the panoply of heaven, they are to
advance fearlessly and victoriously, never ceasing
their warfare until every soul within their reach shall
have received the message of truth for this time.”—
Acts of the Apostles, 219:2-220:1 (Ev 705:3-706:0).
-4IMPORTANCE OF
LITERATURE DISTRIBUTION
“In a large degree through our publishing
houses is to be accomplished the work of that
other angel who comes down from heaven with
great power and who lightens the earth with his
glory.”—7 Testimonies, 140:3.
“The great and wonderful work of the last gospel message is to be carried on now as it has never
been before. The world is to receive the light of
truth through an evangelizing ministry of the Word
in our books and periodicals. Our publications are
to show that the end of all things is at hand. I am
bidden to say to our publishing houses: ‘Lift up the
standard; lift it up higher. Proclaim the third angel’s
message, that it may be heard by all the world. Let it
be seen that ‘here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.’ Revelation
14:12. Let our literature give the message as a witness to all the world.
“Our workers should now be encouraged to
give their first attention to books that deal with
the evidences of our faith—books that teach the
doctrines of the Bible, and that will prepare a
people to stand in the trying times before us.”—9
Testimonies, 61:1-2.
“Our publishing work was established by the
direction of God and under His special supervision. It was designed to accomplish a specific pur-

290
pose. Seventh-day Adventists have been chosen by
God as a peculiar people, separate from the world.
By the great cleaver of truth He has cut them out
from the quarry of the world and brought them into
connection with Himself. He has made them His representatives and has called them to be ambassadors
for Him in the last work of salvation. The greatest
wealth of truth ever entrusted to mortals, the most
solemn and fearful warnings ever sent by God to
man, have been committed to them to be given to
the world; and in the accomplishment of this work
our publishing houses are among the most effective agencies . .
“The publications sent forth from our printing
houses are to prepare a people to meet God. Throughout the world they are to do the same work that
was done by John the Baptist for the Jewish nation. By startling messages of warning God’s prophet
awakened men from worldly dreaming. Through him
God called backsliding Israel to repentance. By his
presentation of truth he exposed popular delusions.
In contrast with the false theories of his time, truth
in his teaching stood forth as an eternal certainty.
‘Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’
was John’s message. Matthew 3:2. This same message, through the publications from our printing
houses, is to be given to the world today . .
“ ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths
straight.’ Matthew 3:3. As John prepared the way
for the first, so we are to prepare the way for the
second, advent of the Saviour.
“Our publishing institutions are to exalt the
claims of God’s downtrodden law. Standing before
the world as reformers, they are to show that the
law of God is the foundation of all enduring reform.
In clear, distinct lines they are to present the necessity of obedience to all His commandments.
Constrained by the love of Christ, they are to cooperate with Him in building up the old waste places,
raising up the foundations of many generations. They
are to stand as repairers of the breach, restorers of
paths to dwell in. Through their testimony the
Sabbath of the fourth commandment is to stand
as a witness, a constant reminder of God, to attract
notice and arouse investigation that shall direct the
minds of men to their Creator.
“Let it never be forgotten that these institutions
are to cooperate with the ministry of the delegates of
heaven. They are among the agencies represented
by the angel flying ‘in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that
dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice,
Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His
judgment is come.’ Revelation 14:6, 7.
“From them is to go forth the terrible denunciation, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,

THE END OF TIME
because she made all nations drink of the wine of
the wrath of her fornication.’ Revelation 14:8.
“They are represented by the third angel that
followed, ‘saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark
in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God.’ Revelation 14:910.”—7 Testimonies, 138:2, 139:1-140:2.
“The book work should be the means of quickly
giving the sacred light of present truth to the
world. The publications that come forth from our
presses today are to be of such a character as to
strengthen every pin and pillar of the faith that
was established by the Word of God and by the revelations of His Spirit.”—9 Testimonies, 69:4.
“God will soon do great things for us, if we lie
humble and believing at His feet . . More than one
thousand will soon be converted in one day, most
of whom will trace their first convictions to the
reading of our publications.”—Counsels to Writers
and Editors, 181:2.
“We have no time to lose. Important work is before us, and if we are slothful servants we shall certainly lose the heavenly reward. But few have broad
and extensive views of what can be done in reaching the people by personal, interested efforts in a
wise distribution of our publications. Many who
will not be induced to listen to the truth presented
by the living preacher will take up a tract or a paper and peruse it; many things they read meet their
ideas exactly, and they become interested to read all
it contains. Impressions are thus made upon their
minds which they cannot readily forget. The seed of
truth has in some cases been buried for years beneath the rubbish of the world, and the pleasing
fables that deceived ones have enjoyed. After a time
some earthly sorrow or affliction softens their hearts,
and the seed springs up and bears fruit to the glory
of God.
“Again, many read these papers and tracts and
their combativeness is aroused, and they throw
the silent messengers from them in a passion. But
ideas all new to them have, although unwelcome,
made their impression, and as the silent messenger bears the abuse without retaliation there is nothing to feed the anger which has been excited. Again
the hand takes up the neglected paper or tract, and
the eye is tracing the truthful lines, and again in passion it is thrown from them as their path is crossed.
But the mind is not at rest; the abused paper is at
last perused, and thus point after point of truth
commences its convicting work; step by step the
reformation is wrought, self dies, and the warfare
and antagonism to the truth is ended. The despised
paper or tract is henceforth honored as the means
of converting the stubborn heart and subduing the

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
perverse will, bringing it in subjection to Christ. Had
the living preacher spoken as pointedly, these persons would have turned from him, and would not
have entertained the new and strange ideas brought
before them. The papers and tracts can go where
the living preacher cannot go, and where if he could
go he would have no access to the people, because of
their prejudice against the truth.
“I have been shown that but few have any correct
idea of what the distribution of papers and tracts is
doing. The missionary work, in circulating the
publications upon present truth, is opening doors
everywhere and preparing minds to receive the
truth, when the living preacher shall come among
them. The success which attends the efforts of ministers in the field is not due alone to their efforts,
but in a great degree to the influence of the reading
matter which has enlightened the minds of the people
and removed prejudice. Thus many are made susceptible to the influence of the truth when it is presented before them.”—Publishing Ministry, 397:2398:1 (Review, December 19, 1878).
“All praise, honor, and glory will be given to God
and to the Lamb for our redemption; but it will not
detract from the glory of God to express gratitude to
the instrumentality He has employed in the salvation of souls ready to perish.
“The redeemed will meet and recognize those
whose attention they have directed to the uplifted
Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these
souls! ‘I was a sinner,’ it will be said, ‘without God
and without hope in the world, and you came to
me, and drew my attention to the precious Saviour
as my only hope. And I believed in Him. I repented of
my sins, and was made to sit together with His saints
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.’ Others will say:
‘I was a heathen in heathen lands. You left your
friends and comfortable home, and came to teach
me how to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only
true God. I demolished my idols and worshiped God,
and now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally
saved, ever to behold Him whom I love. I then saw
Him only with the eye of faith, but now I see Him as
He is. I can now express my gratitude for His redeeming mercy, to Him who loved me and washed
me from my sins in His own blood.’
“Others will express their gratitude to those
who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. ‘When
despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent
you to me,’ they say, ‘to speak words of hope and
comfort. You brought me food for my physical necessities, and you opened to me the Word of God, awakening me to my spiritual needs. You treated me as a
brother. You sympathized with me in my sorrows
and restored my bruised and wounded soul so that
I could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached

291

out to save me. In my ignorance you taught me patiently that I had a Father in heaven who cared for
me. You read to me the precious promises of God’s
Word. You inspired in me faith that He would save
me. My heart was softened, subdued, broken, as I
contemplated the sacrifice which Christ had made
for me. I became hungry for the bread of life, and the
truth was precious to my soul. I am here, saved,
eternally saved, ever to live in His presence, and to
praise Him who gave His life for me.’
“What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed
ones meet and greet those who have had a burden in their behalf! And those who have lived, not
to please themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate who have so few blessings—how their
hearts will thrill with satisfaction! They will realize
the promise: ‘Thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot
recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at
the resurrection of the just.’
“ ‘Thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord; and I
will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy
father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’
Isaiah 58:14.”—6 Testimonies, 311:0-312:2.
“By the co-operation of the divine Spirit, the
apostles did a work that shook the world. To every
nation was the gospel carried in a single generation.
Glorious were the results that attended the ministry of the chosen apostles of Christ . .
“Not in their own power did the apostles accomplish their mission, but in the power of the living
God. Their work was not easy. The opening labors
of the Christian church were attended by hardship
and bitter grief. In their work the disciples constantly encountered privation, calumny, and persecution; but they counted not their lives dear to
unto themselves and rejoiced that they were called
to suffer for Christ. Irresolution, indecision, weakness of purpose, found no place in their efforts. They
were willing to spend and be spent. The consciousness of the responsibility resting on them purified
and enriched their experience; and the grace of heaven
was revealed in the conquests they achieved for
Christ. With the might of omnipotence God worked
through them to make the gospel triumphant.”—Acts
of the Apostles, 593:2, 595:1.
“Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the
knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth
when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness
the people. In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands
of Europe and of South America, in China, in India,
in the islands of the sea, and in all the dark corners
of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of
chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the

292
darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world
the transforming power of obedience to His law.
Even now they are appearing in every nation, among
every tongue and people; and in the hour of deepest
apostasy, when Satan’s supreme effort is made to
cause ‘all, both small and great, rich and poor, free
and bond,’ to receive, under penalty of death, the
sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful
ones, ‘blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke,’ will ‘shine as lights in the world.’
The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they
shine.”—Prophets and Kings, 188:2-189:0.
“The work is soon to close. The members of
the church militant who have proved faithful will
become the church triumphant.”—Evangelism,
707:1 (Letter 32, 1892).
“And still our General, who never makes a mistake, says to us, ‘Advance; enter new territory;
lift the standard in every land. Arise, shine; for
thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen
upon thee.’
“The time has come when through God’s messengers the scroll is being unrolled to the world.
The truth contained in the first, second, and third
angels’ messages must go to every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people; it must lighten the darkness
of every continent, and extend to the islands of the
sea. There must be no delay in this work.
“Our watchword is to be, Onward, ever onward!
Angels of heaven will go before us to prepare the
way. Our burden for the regions beyond can never
be laid down till the whole earth is lightened with
the glory of the Lord.”—Gospel Workers, 470:1-3.
-5ENTERING THE COMING CRISIS
“We are to fix the eye of faith steadfastly upon
Jesus. When the days come, as they surely will,
in which the law of God is made void, the zeal of
the true and loyal should rise with the emergency,
and should be the more warm and decided, and
their testimony should be the more positive and
unflinching. But we are to do nothing in a defiant
spirit, and we shall not, if our hearts are fully surrendered to God . .
“The third angel is represented as flying in the
midst of heaven, symbolizing the work of those who
proclaim the first, second, and third angel’s messages; all are linked together. The evidences of the
abiding, ever-living truth of these grand messages
that mean so much to us, that have awakened such
intense opposition from the religious world, are not
extinct. Satan is constantly seeking to cast his hellish shadow about these messages, so that the remnant people of God shall not clearly discern their
import—their time and place—but they live, and are
to exert their power upon our religious experience

THE END OF TIME
while time shall last . .
“The Revelator says, ‘I saw another angel come
down from heaven, having great power; and the earth
was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily
with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen,
is fallen’ (Rev. 18:1, 2). This is the same message
that was given by the second angel—Babylon is fallen,
‘because she made all nations drink of the wine of
the wrath of her fornication’ (chap. 14:8). What is
that wine? Her false doctrines. She has given to
the world a false sabbath instead of the Sabbath
of the fourth commandment, and has repeated
the lie Satan first told to Eve in Eden—the natural immortality of the soul. Many kindred errors
she has spread far and wide, ‘teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’
“When Jesus began His public ministry, He
cleansed the Temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Almost the last act of His ministry was to
cleanse the Temple again. So in the last work for
the warning of the world, two distinct calls are
made to the churches; the second angel’s message, and the voice heard in heaven, ‘Come out of
her, My people . . For her sins have reached unto
heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities’
(Rev. 18:4, 5).
“As God called the children of Israel out of Egypt,
that they might keep His Sabbath, so He calls His
people out of Babylon that they may not worship
the beast nor his image. The man of sin, who thought
to change times and laws, has exalted himself above
God by presenting this spurious sabbath to the
world; the Christian world has accepted this child
of the Papacy, and cradled and nourished it, thus
defying God by removing His memorial and setting up a rival sabbath.
“After the truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, at a time when every conceivable
power of evil is set in operation, when minds are
confused by the many voices crying, ‘Lo, here is
Christ.’ ‘Lo, He is there,’ ‘This is truth,’ ‘I have a
message from God,’ ‘He has sent me with great light,’
and there is a removing of the landmarks, and an
attempt to tear down the pillars of our faith—then
a more decided effort is made to exalt the false
sabbath, and to cast contempt upon God Himself by
supplanting the day He has blessed and sanctified.
“This false sabbath is to be enforced by an oppressive law. Satan and his angels are wide awake
and intensely active, working with energy and perseverance through human instrumentalities to
bring about his purpose of obliterating the knowledge of God. While Satan is working with his lying
wonders, the time has come [that was] foretold in
the Revelation, when the mighty angel that shall
lighten the earth with his glory will proclaim the fall
of Babylon and call upon God’s people to forsake

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
her . .
“As the end approaches, the testimonies of
God’s servants will become more decided and more
powerful, flashing the light of truth upon the systems of error and oppression that have so long held
the supremacy. The Lord has sent us messages for
this time to establish Christianity upon an eternal
basis, and all who believe present truth must stand,
not in their own wisdom, but in God; and raise up
the foundation of many generations. These will be
registered in the books of heaven as repairers of the
breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in. We are to
maintain the truth because it is truth, in the face
of the bitterest opposition . .
“Temptations will come upon us. Iniquity
abounds where you least expect it. Dark chapters
will open that are most terrible, to weigh down the
soul; but we need not fail nor be discouraged while
we know that the bow of promise is above the throne
of God.
“We shall be subject to heavy trials, opposition, bereavement, affliction; but we know that
Jesus passed through all these. These experiences
are valuable to us. The advantages are not by any
means confined to this short life. They reach into
eternal ages . .
“As we near the close of this earth’s history,
we advance more and more rapidly in Christian
growth or we retrograde just as decidedly.”—3 Selected Messages, 405:1-407:4 (Letter 1f, 1890).
“Satan is Christ’s personal enemy . . Long has
he deceived mankind, and great is his power over
the human family; and his rage against the people
of God increases as he finds that the knowledge
of God’s requirements is extending to all parts of
the world, and that the light of present truth is shining to those who have long sat in darkness . .
“The Word of God . . is to be our defense when
Satan works with such lying wonders that, if it
were possible, he would deceive the very elect. It is
then that those who have not stood firmly for the
truth will unite with the unbelieving, who love and
make a lie. When these wonders are performed,
when the sick are healed and other marvels are
wrought, they will be deceived. Are we prepared
for the perilous times that are right upon us? Or
are we standing where we will fall an easy prey to the
wiles of the devil?”—Educational Messenger, September 11, 1908 (Manuscript 81, 1908).
“What is soon coming upon us? Seducing spirits are coming in. If God has ever spoken by me,
you will before long hear of a wonderful science—
a science of the devil. Its aim will be to make of no
account God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
Some will exalt this false science, and through
them Satan will seek to make void the law of God.

293

Great miracles will be performed in the sight of
men in behalf of this wonderful science.”—3 Selected Messages, 408:1 (Letter 48, 1907).
“The end of all things is near at hand. The signs
are rapidly fulfilling, yet it would seem that but few
realize that the day of the Lord is coming, swiftly,
silently, as a thief in the night. Many are saying, ‘Peace
and safety.’ Unless they are watching and waiting for
their Lord, they will be taken as in a snare.
“Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (1
Tim. 4:1). The time of this apostasy is here. Every
conceivable effort will be made to throw doubt
upon the positions that we have occupied for over
half a century.
“Those who look for miracles as a sign of divine guidance are in grave danger of deception. It
is stated in the Word that the enemy will work
through his agents who have departed from the
faith, and they will seemingly work miracles, even
to the bringing down of fire out of heaven in the sight
of men. By means of ‘lying wonders’ Satan would
deceive, if possible, the very elect.”—3 Selected Messages, 408:2-409:0 (Letter 410, 1907).
“Angels are holding the four winds, represented
as an angry horse seeking to break loose and rush
over the face of the whole earth, bearing destruction
and death in its path . .
“I tell you in the name of the Lord God of Israel
that all injurious, discouraging influences are held
in control by unseen angel hands, until everyone
that works in the fear and love of God is sealed in
his forehead.”—3 Selected Messages 409:1-2 (Letter 138, 1897).
“Satan and his angels will appear on this earth
as men, and will mingle with those, of whom God’s
Word says, ‘Some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils’
(1 Tim. 4:1).”—3 Selected Messages, 409:3 (8
Manuscript Releases, 345:3; Letter 147, 1903).
“God is raising up a class to give the loud cry of
the third angel’s message . . It is Satan’s object now
to get up new theories to divert the mind from the
true work and genuine message for this time. He
stirs up minds to give false interpretation of Scripture, a spurious loud cry, that the real message
may not have its effect when it does come. This is
one of the greatest evidences that the loud cry will
soon be heard and the earth will be lightened with
the glory of God.”—3 Selected Messages, 410:1 (9
Manuscript Releases, 27:3; Letter 20, 1884).
“I have been shown that evil angels in the form
of believers will work in our ranks to bring in a
strong spirit of unbelief. Let not even this discourage you, but bring a true heart to the help of the
Lord against the powers of satanic agencies.

294
“These powers of evil will assemble in our meetings, not to receive a blessing, but to counterwork the
influences of the Spirit of God. Take up no remark
that they may make, but repeat the rich promises of
God, which are yea and amen in Christ Jesus.
“We are never to catch up the words that human lips may speak to confirm the evil angels in
their work, but we should repeat the words of Christ.
Christ was the Instructor in the assemblies of these
angels before they fell from their high estate.”—3
Selected Messages, 410:4 (19 Manuscript Releases,
63:4-64:0; Letter 46, 1909).
“We have great and solemn truths to give to
the world, and they are to be proclaimed in no
hesitating, limping style. The trumpet is to give a
certain sound. Some will come to hear the strange
message out of curiosity; others with a longing to
receive true knowledge, asking the question, ‘What
shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ (Mark
10:17).
“Thus men came to Christ. And mingling with
His hearers were [evil] angels in the form of men,
making their suggestions, criticizing, misapplying,
and misinterpreting the Saviour’s words . .
“In this time evil angels in the form of men
will talk with those who know the truth. They will
misinterpret and misconstrue the statements of the
messengers of God . .
“Have Seventh-day Adventists forgotten the warning given in the sixth chapter of Ephesians? We are
engaged in a warfare against the hosts of darkness. Unless we follow our Leader closely, Satan
will obtain the victory over us.”—3 Selected Messages, 410:5-411:2 (Review and Herald, August 11,
1903; Letter 140, 1903).
“We shall in the future, as we have in the past,
see all kinds of character developed. We shall witness the apostasy of men in whom we have had
confidence, in whom we trusted, who, we supposed, were as true as steel to principle.
“Something comes to test them, and they are
overthrown. If such men fall, some say, ‘Whom can
we trust?’ This is the temptation Satan brings to
destroy the confidence of those who are striving to
walk in the narrow way. Those who fall have evidently corrupted their way before the Lord, and they
are beacons of warning, teaching those who profess
to believe the truth that the Word of God alone can
keep men steadfast in the way of holiness or reclaim them from guilt . .
“Let every soul, whatever may be his sphere of
action, make sure that the truth is implanted in the
heart by the power of the Spirit of God. Unless this
is made certain, those who preach the Word will betray holy trust.
“Physicians will be tempted and make shipwreck
of faith. Lawyers, judges, senators, will become cor-

THE END OF TIME
rupted and, yielding to bribery, will allow themselves
to be bought and sold.”—3 Selected Messages,
311:3-6 (Manuscript 154, 1898).
“The time has come when even in the church
and in our institutions, some will depart from the
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines
of devils. But God will keep that which is committed to Him. Let us draw near to Him, that He may
draw near to us. Let us bear a plain, clear testimony
right to the point, that hypnotism is being used by
those who have departed from the faith, and that
we are not to link up with them. Through those
who depart from the faith, the power of the enemy will be exercised to lead others astray.”—3
Selected Messages, 411:7-412:0 (7 Manuscript Releases, 188:1; Letter 237, 1904).
“The last great conflict is before us, but help is
to come to all who love God and obey His law, and
the earth, the whole earth, is to be lighted with the
glory of God. ‘Another angel’ is to come down from
heaven. This angel represents the giving of the loud
cry, which is to come from those who are preparing
to cry mightily, with a strong voice, ‘Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of
devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of
every unclean and hateful bird’ (Rev. 18:1-2).
“We have a testing message to give, and I am instructed to say to our people, ‘Unify, unify.’ But we
are not to unify with those who are departing from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. With our hearts sweet and kind
and true, we are to go forth to proclaim the message,
giving no heed to those who lead away from the
truth.”—3 Selected Messages, 412:1-2 (Review,
April 12, 1906; Manuscript 31, 1906).
“I was moved by the Spirit of the Lord to write
that book [Great Controversy] . . I knew that time
was short, that the scenes which are soon to crowd
upon us would at the last come very suddenly and
swiftly, as represented in the words of Scripture,
‘The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night’
(1 Thess. 5:2).
“The Lord has set before me matters which
are of urgent importance for the present time, and
which reach into the future . . I was assured that
there was no time to lose. The appeals and warnings must be given. Our churches must be aroused,
must be instructed, that they may give the warning to all whom they can possibly reach, declaring
that the sword is coming, that the Lord’s anger upon
a profligate world will not long be deferred. I was
shown that many would listen to the warning. Their
minds would be prepared to discern the very things
that it pointed out to them.
“I was shown . . that the warning must go
where the living messenger could not go, and that

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
it would call the attention of many to the important events to occur in the closing scenes of this
world’s history.
“As the condition of the church and the world
was open before me, and I beheld the fearful scenes
that lie just before us, I was alarmed at the outlook;
and night after night, while all in the house were
sleeping, I wrote out the things given me of God. I
was shown the heresies which are to arise, the
delusions that will prevail, the miracle-working
power of Satan—the false christs that will appear—
that will deceive the greater part, even of the religious world, and that would, if it were possible,
draw away even the elect . .
“The warning and instruction of this book are
needed by all who profess to believe the present
truth, and the book is adapted to go also to the
world, calling their attention to the solemn scenes
just before us.”—3 Selected Messages, 113:1-114:1
(Letter 1, 1890).
“The Lord will judge according to their works
those who are seeking to establish a law of the
nations that will cause men to violate the law of
God. In proportion to their guilt will be their punishment.”—3 Selected Messages, 415:5 (Letter 90,
1908).
“The scenes of the betrayal, rejection, and crucifixion of Christ have been reenacted, and will
again be reenacted on an immense scale. People
will be filled with the attributes of Satan. The delusions of the archenemy of God and man will have
great power. Those who have given their affections
to any leader but Christ will find themselves under
the control, body, soul, and spirit of an infatuation
that is so entrancing that under its power souls turn
away from hearing the truth to believe a lie. They are
ensnared and taken, and by their every action, they
cry, ‘Release unto us Barabbas, but crucify Christ’
..
“In the churches which have departed from truth
and righteousness, it is being revealed what human
nature will be and do when the love of God is not an
abiding principle in the soul. We need not be surprised at anything that may take place now. We
need not marvel at any developments of horror.
Those who trample under their unholy feet the law
of God have the same spirit as had the men who
insulted and betrayed Jesus. Without any compunctions of conscience they will do the deeds of their
father the devil . .
“Those who choose Satan as their ruler will reveal the spirit of their chosen master, who caused
the fall of our first parents. By rejecting the divine
Son of God, the personification of the only true God,
who possessed goodness, mercy, and untiring love,
whose heart was ever touched with human woe, and
accepting a murderer in His place, the people showed

295

what human nature can and will do, when the restraining Spirit of God is removed, and men are under
the great apostate. Just to that degree that light is
refused and rejected will there be misconception
and misunderstanding. Those who reject Christ
and choose Barabbas will work under a ruinous
deception. Misrepresentation, the bearing of false
witness, will grow under open rebellion . .
“Christ shows that without the controlling power
of the Spirit of God humanity is a terrible power for
evil. Unbelief, hatred of reproof, will stir up satanic
influences. Principalities and powers, the rulers of
the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places, will unite in a desperate companionship. They will be leagued against God in
the person of His saints. By misrepresentation and
falsehood they will demoralize both men and
women who to all appearances believe the truth.
False witnesses will not be wanting in this terrible
work . .
“After speaking of the end of the world, Jesus
comes back to Jerusalem, the city then sitting in
pride and arrogance, and saying, ‘I sit a queen, and
shall see no sorrow’ (see Rev. 18:7). As His prophetic
eye rests upon Jerusalem, He sees that as she was
given up to destruction, the world will be given up to
its doom. The scenes that transpired at the destruction of Jerusalem will be repeated at the great
and terrible day of the Lord, but in a more fearful
manner . .
“As men throw off all restraint, and make void
His law themselves, as they establish their own perverted law, and try to force the consciences of those
who honor God and keep His commandments to
trample the law under their feet, they will find that
the tenderness which they have mocked will be exhausted . .
“A world is represented in the destruction of
Jerusalem, and the warning given then by Christ
comes sounding down the line to our time: ‘And there
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in
the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations,
with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring’
(Luke 21:25). Yes, they shall pass their borders,
and destruction will be in their track. They will
engulf the ships that sail upon their broad waters,
and with the burden of their living freight, they will
be hurried into eternity, without time to repent.
“There will be calamities by land and by sea,
‘men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking
after those things which are coming on the earth: for
the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall
they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory’ (verses 26-27). In just the same
manner as He ascended will He come the second time
to our world. ‘And when these things begin to come
to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for

296
your redemption draweth nigh’ (verse 28).”—3 Selected Messages, 415:6-418:0 (Manuscript 40,
1897).
“Those in the world, having lost their connection with God, are making desperate, insane efforts to make centers of themselves. This causes
distrust of one another, which is followed by crime.
The kingdoms of the world will be divided against
themselves. Fewer and fewer will become the sympathetic cords which bind man in brotherhood to
his fellow man. The natural egotism of the human
heart will be worked upon by Satan. He will use the
uncontrolled wills and violent passions which were
never brought under the control of God’s will . .
“Every man’s hand will be against his fellow
man. Brother will rise against brother, sister against
sister, parents against children, and children against
parents. All will be in confusion. Relatives will betray one another. There will be secret plotting to
destroy life. Destruction, misery, and death will
be seen on every hand. Men will follow the unrestrained bent of their hereditary and cultivated tendency to evil . .
“God has a storehouse of retributive judgments,
which He permits to fall upon those who have continued in sin in the face of great light. I have seen
the most costly structures in buildings erected and
supposed to be fireproof. And just as Sodom perished in the flames of God’s vengeance, so will these
proud structures become ashes. I have seen vessels
which cost immense sums of money wrestling with
the mighty waters, seeking to breast the angry billows. But with all their treasures of gold and silver,
and with their human freight they sink into a watery
grave. Man’s pride will be buried with the treasures
he has accumulated by fraud. God will avenge the
widows and orphans who in hunger and nakedness
have cried to Him for help from oppression and
abuse.
“The time is right upon us when there will be
sorrow in the world that no human balm can heal.
The flattering monuments of men’s greatness will
be crumbled in the dust, even before the last great
destruction comes upon the world . . Only by being
clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness can
we escape the judgments that are coming upon the
earth.”—3 Selected Messages, 418:1-419:1 (14 Manuscript Releases, 146:3-147:1, 148:2, 149:3; Letter 20, 1901).
“Ere long we are to be brought into strait and
trying places, and the many children brought into
the world will in mercy be taken away before the
time of trouble comes.”—3 Selected Messages,
419:2 (Manuscript 152, 1899. See CG 566:1; CH
375:2).
“We are standing on the threshold of great and
solemn events. Prophecies are fulfilling. The last

THE END OF TIME
great conflict will be short, but terrible. Old controversies will be revived. New controversies will
arise. We have a great work to do. Our ministerial
work must not cease. The last warnings must be
given to the world. There is a special power in the
presentation of the truth at the present time. How
long will it last? Only a little while . .
“The inquiry of everyone should be, ‘Whose am
I? To whom do I owe allegiance? Is my heart renewed?
Is my soul reformed? Are my sins forgiven? Will they
be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall
come?’ ”—3 Selected Messages, 419:3-4 (Letter 132,
1898).
“In some places where the opposition is very
pronounced, the lives of God’s messengers may
be endangered. It is then their privilege to follow
the example of their Master and go to another
place.”—3 Selected Messages, 420:1 (14 Manuscript
Releases, 143:2; Letter 20, 1901).
“The worthies who refused to bow to the golden
image were cast into a burning fiery furnace, but
Christ was with them there, and the fire did not
consume them . .
“Now some of us may be brought to just as
severe a test—will we obey the commandments of
men or will we obey the commandments of God?
This is the question that will be asked of many. The
best thing for us is to come into close connection
with God, and, if He would have us be martyrs for
the truth’s sake, it may be the means of bringing
many more into the truth.”—3 Selected Messages,
420:2-3 (Manuscript 83, 1886).
“Never is the tempest-tried soul more dearly
loved by his Saviour than when he is suffering reproach for the truth’s sake. When for the truth’s
sake the believer stands at the bar of unrighteous
tribunals, Christ stands by his side. All the reproaches that fall upon the human believer fall upon
Christ in the person of His saints. ‘I will love him,’
said Christ, ‘and will manifest Myself to him’ (John
14:21). Christ is condemned over again in the person of His believing disciples.
“When for the truth’s sake the believer is incarcerated in prison walls, Christ manifests Himself to him, and ravishes his heart with His love.
When he suffers death for the sake of Christ, Christ
says to him, ‘They may kill the body, but they cannot
hurt the soul.’ ‘Be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.’ ‘They crucified Me, and if they put you to
death, they crucify Me afresh in the person of My
saints.’
“Persecution cannot do more than cause
death, but the life is preserved to eternal life and
glory. The persecuting power may take its stand,
and command the disciples of Christ to deny the
faith, to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines
of devils, by making void the law of God. But the

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
disciples may ask, ‘Why should I do this? I love Jesus,
and I will never deny His name.’ When the power
says, ‘I will call you a disturber of the peace,’ they
may answer, ‘Thus they called Jesus, who was truth,
and grace and peace.’ ”—3 Selected Messages, 420:4421:1 (Letter 116, 1896).
“Some who are numbered among merchants
and princes will take their position to obey the
truth. God’s eye has been upon such as they have
acted according to the light they have had, maintaining their integrity. Cornelius, a man of high position,
maintained his religious experience, strictly walking
in accordance with the light he had received. God
had His eye upon him, and He sent His angel with a
message to him. The heavenly messenger passed by
the self-righteous ones, came to Cornelius, and called
him by name . .
“This record is made for the special benefit of
those who are living in these last days. Many who
have had great light have not appreciated and improved it as it was their privilege to do. They have
not practiced the truth. And because of this the Lord
will bring in those who have lived up to all the
light they have had. And those who have been
privileged with opportunities to understand the
truth and who have not obeyed its principles will
be swayed by Satan’s temptations for self-advancement. They will deny the principles of truth in practice and bring reproach upon the cause of God.
“Christ declares that He will spue these out of
His mouth, and leave them to follow their own course
of actions to distinguish themselves. This course of
action does indeed make them prominent as men
that are unfaithful householders . .
“We are now living in the last days, when the
truth must be spoken, when in reproof and warning it must be given to the world, irrespective of
consequences. If there are some who will become
offended and turn from the truth, we must bear in
mind that there were those who did the same in
Christ’s day . .
“But there are men who will receive the truth,
and these will take the places made vacant by those
who become offended and leave the truth . . The
Lord will work so that the disaffected ones will be
separated from the true and loyal ones . . The ranks
will not be diminished. Those who are firm and true
will close up the vacancies that are made by those
who become offended and apostatize . .
“Many will prize the wisdom of God above any
earthly advantage, and will obey the Word of God
as the supreme standard. These will be led to great
light. These will come to the knowledge of the truth,
and will seek to get this light of truth before those of
their acquaintance who like themselves are anxious
for the truth.”—3 Selected Messages, 421:2-422:4
(Manuscript 97, 1898).

297

“We are nearing the close of this earth’s history, when two parties alone can exist, and every
man, woman, and child will be in one of these
armies. Jesus will be the General of one army; of the
opposing army, Satan will be the leader. All who are
breaking, and teaching others to break, the law of
God, the foundation of His government in heaven
and in earth, are marshaled under one superior
chief, who directs them in opposition to the government of God. And ‘the angels which kept not their
first estate, but left their own habitation’ (Jude 6)
are rebels against the law of God, and enemies to all
who love and obey His commandments. These subjects, with Satan their leader, will gather others into
their ranks through every possible means, to
strengthen his forces and urge his claims.
“Through his deception and delusion, Satan
would, if possible, deceive the very elect. His is no
minor deception. He will seek to annoy, to harass, to
falsify, to accuse, and misrepresent all whom he cannot compel to give him honor and help him in his
work. His great success lies in keeping men’s minds
confused and ignorant of his devices, for then he
can lead the unwary as it were, blindfolded . .
“The Sabbath is the great test question. It is
the line of demarkation between the loyal and true
and the disloyal and transgressor. This Sabbath
God has enjoined, and those who claim to be commandment keepers, who believe that they are now
under the proclamation of the third angel’s message,
will see the important part the Sabbath of the fourth
commandment holds in that message. It is the seal
of the living God. They will not lessen the claims of
the Sabbath to suit their business of convenience.”—
3 Selected Messages, 422:5-423:2 (Manuscript 34,
1897).
“John in the Revelation writes of the unity of those
living on the earth to make void the law of God. ‘These
have one mind, and shall give their power and
strength unto the beast. These shall make war with
the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for
he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that
are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful’
(Rev. 17:13-4). ‘And I saw three unclean spirits like
frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out
of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of
the false prophet’ (Rev. 16:13).
“All who will exalt and worship the idol sabbath, a day that God has not blessed, help the devil
and his angels with all the power of their Godgiven ability, which they have perverted to a wrong
use. Inspired by another spirit, which blinds their
discernment, they cannot see that the exaltation
of Sunday is entirely the institution of the Catholic Church . .
“The Lord of heaven permits the world to choose
whom they will have as ruler. Let all read carefully

298
the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, for it concerns
every human agent, great and small. Every human
being must take sides, either for the true and living
God, who has given to the world the memorial of
Creation in the seventh-day Sabbath, or for a false
sabbath, instituted by men who have exalted themselves above all that is called God or that is worshiped, who have taken upon themselves the attributes of Satan, in oppressing the loyal and true
who keep the commandments of God. This persecuting power will compel the worship of the beast
by insisting on the observance of the sabbath he
has instituted. Thus he blasphemes God, sitting
‘in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is
God’ (2 Thess. 2:4).
“One of the marked features in the representation of the 144,000 is that in their mouth there
was found no guile. The Lord has said, ‘Blessed is
the man . . in whose spirit there is no guile.’ They
profess to be children of God, and are represented
as following the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. They
are prefigured before us as standing on Mount Zion,
girt for holy service, clothed in white linen, which is
the righteousness of the saints. But all who follow
the Lamb in heaven will first have followed Him on
earth, in trustful, loving, willing obedience, followed
Him not fretfully and capriciously, but confidently,
truthfully, as the flock follows the shepherd . .
“The world is in copartnership with the professed Christian churches in making void the law
of Jehovah. God’s law is set aside, it is trampled
underfoot; and from all the loyal people of God, the
prayer will ascend to heaven, ‘It is time, for thee,
Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law’ (Ps.
119:126). Satan is making his last and most powerful effort for the mastery, his last conflict against
the principles of God’s law. A defiant infidelity
abounds.
“After John’s description in Revelation 16 of that
miracle-working power which was to gather the world
to the last great conflict, the symbols are dropped,
and the trumpet voice once more gives a certain
sound. ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that
watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk
naked, and they see his shame.’ Revelation 16:15.”—
Manuscript 7a, 1896.
“The agency of the Holy Spirit is to combine
with human effort, and all heaven is engaged in
the work of preparing a people to stand in these
last days. The end is near and we want to keep the
future world in view . . the Captain of the Lord’s
host [Joshua 5:15] is leading on the armies of heaven
and mingling in the ranks and fighting our battles
for us. We shall have apostasies, we expect them.
‘They will go out from us because they were not of
us’ (see 1 John 2:19). ‘Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up’

THE END OF TIME
(Matt. 15:13).
“The angel, the mighty angel from heaven, is to
lighten the earth with His glory (Rev. 18:1) while he
cries mightily with a loud voice, ‘Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen’ (verse 2) . . We would lose faith and
courage in the conflict, if we were not sustained by
the power of God.
“Every form of evil is to spring into intense
activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil
men, and as they have been in constant conflict
and attained an experience in the best modes of
deception and battle and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great
final contest without a desperate struggle and all
the world will be on one side or the other of the
question.
“The battle of Armageddon will be fought. And
that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake
we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels
with our lamps. The power of the Holy Ghost must
be upon us and the Captain of the Lord’s host will
stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct
the battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded; vial
after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us and these things will be sure
indications of the presence of Him who has directed in every aggressive movement, who has
accompanied the march of His cause through all
the ages, and who has graciously pledged Himself to
be with His people in all their conflicts to the end of
the world. He will vindicate His truth. He will cause
it to triumph. He is ready to supply His faithful
ones with motives and power of purpose, inspiring them with hope and courage and valor in increased activity as the time is at hand.
“Deceptions, delusions, impostures will increase. The cries will come in from every quarter,
‘Lo, here is Christ! Lo, there is Christ!’ ‘But,’ said
Christ, ‘Go ye not . . after them’ (Luke 21:8). There
will be one fierce struggle before the man of sin
shall be disclosed to this world—who he is and what
has been his work.
“While the Protestant world is becoming very
tender and affectionate toward the man of sin (2
Thess. 2:3), shall [not] God’s people take their place
as bold and valiant soldiers of Jesus Christ to meet
the issue which must come, their lives hid with
Christ in God? Mystic Babylon has not been sparing
in the blood of the saints and shall we [not] be wide
awake to catch the beams of light which have been
shining from the light of the angel who is to brighten
the earth with His glory.”—3 Selected Messages,
423:3-426:3 (Letter 112, 1890).
“Before giving us the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
our heavenly Father will try us, to see if we can

APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL END-TIME QUOTATIONS
live without dishonoring Him.”—3 Selected Messages, 426:4-427:0 (Letter 22, 1902).
“When our earthly labors are ended, and Christ
shall come for His faithful children, we shall then
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of our Father.
But before that time shall come, everything that
is imperfect in us will have been seen and put away.
All envy and jealousy and evil surmising and every
selfish plan will have been banished from the life.”—
3 Selected Messages, 427:1 (Letter 416, 1907).
“Are we striving with all our God-given powers
to reach the measure of the stature of men and
women in Christ? Are we seeking for His fullness,
ever reaching higher and higher, trying to attain to
the perfection of His character? When God’s servants reach this point, they will be sealed in their
foreheads. The recording angel will declare, ‘It is
done.’ They will be complete in Him whose they are
by creation and by redemption.”—1 Manuscript Releases, 370:2-3 (Manuscript 148, 1899).
“When Christ comes, He takes those who have
purified their souls by obeying the truth . . This mortal shall put on immortality, and these corruptible
bodies, subject to disease, will be changed from
mortal to immortal. We shall then be gifted with a
higher nature. The bodies of all who purify their
souls by obeying the truth shall be glorified. They
will have fully received and believed in Jesus
Christ.”—3 Selected Messages, 427:3 (UL 97:3;
Manuscript 36, 1906).
“Friday [Jan. 18, 1884] night several heard my
voice exclaiming, ‘Look, Look!’ Whether I was dreaming or in vision I cannot tell. I slept alone.
“The time of trouble was upon us. I saw our
people in great distress, weeping and praying,
pleading the sure promises of God, while the
wicked were all around us mocking us and threatening to destroy us. They ridiculed our feebleness,
they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and
taunted us with words calculated to cut deep. They
charged us with taking an independent position
from all the rest of the world. They had cut off
our resources so that we could not buy or sell, and
they referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without
the world. We were dependent on the world, and we
must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of
the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people
in the world whom the Lord favored, the appearances were awfully against us.
“They declared that they had the truth, that
miracles were among them; that angels from
heaven talked with them and walked with them,
that great power and signs and wonders were performed among them, and that this was the temporal millennium they had been expecting so long. The
whole world was converted and in harmony with

299

the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood
out in defiance of the laws of the land and the law of
God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the
earth . .
“But while anguish was upon the loyal and true
who would not worship the beast or his image and
accept and revere an idol sabbath, One said, ‘Look
up! Look up!’ Every eye was lifted, and the heavens
seemed to part as a scroll when it is rolled together,
and as Stephen looked into heaven, [so] we looked.
The mockers were taunting and reviling us, and
boasting of what they intended to do to us if we
continued obstinate in holding fast our faith. But
now we were as those who heard them not; we
were gazing upon a scene that shut out everything
else.
“There stood revealed the throne of God.
Around it were ten thousand times ten thousand
and thousands upon thousands, and close about
the throne were the martyrs. Among this number I
saw the very ones who were so recently in such abject misery, whom the world knew not, whom the
world hated and despised.
“A voice said, ‘Jesus, who is seated upon the
throne, has so loved man that He gave His life a sacrifice to redeem him from the power of Satan, and to
exalt him to His throne. He who is above all powers,
He who has the greatest influence in heaven and in
earth, He to whom every soul is indebted for every
favor he has received, was meek and lowly in disposition, holy, harmless, and undefiled in life.
“He was obedient to all His Father’s commandments. Wickedness has filled the earth; it is defiled
under the inhabitants thereof. The high places of
the powers of earth have been polluted with corruption and base idolatries, but the time has come
when righteousness shall receive the palm of victory and triumph. Those who were accounted by
the world as weak and unworthy, those who were
defenseless against the cruelty of men, shall be
crowned conquerors and more than conquerors.
[Rev. 7:9-17, quoted].
“They are before the throne enjoying the sunless
splendors of eternal day, not as a scattered, feeble
company, to suffer by the satanic passions of a
rebellious world, expressing the sentiments, the
doctrines, and the counsels of demons.
“Strong and terrible have become the masters of
iniquity in the world under the control of Satan, but
strong is the Lord God who judgeth Babylon. The
just have no longer anything to fear from force or
fraud as long as they are loyal and true. A mightier
than the strong man armed is set for their defense.
All power and greatness and excellence of character will be given to those who have believed and
stood in defense of the truth, standing up and
firmly defending the laws of God.

300
“Another heavenly being exclaimed with firm and
musical voice, ‘They have come out of great tribulation. They have walked in the fiery furnace in the
world, heated intensely by the passions and caprices of men who would enforce upon them the
worship of the beast and his image, who would
compel them to be disloyal to the God of heaven.
“ ‘They have come from the mountains, from
the rocks, from the dens and caves of the earth,
from dungeons, from prisons, from secret councils, from the torture chamber, from hovels, from
garrets. They have passed through sore affliction,
deep self-denial, and deep disappointment. They
are no longer to be the sport and ridicule of wicked
men. They are to be no longer mean and sorrowful
in the eyes of those who despise them.
“ ‘Remove the filthy garments from them, with
which wicked men have delighted to clothe them. Give
them a change of raiment, even the white robes of
righteousness, and set a fair mitre upon their heads.’
“They were clothed in richer robes than earthly
beings had ever worn. They were crowned with diadems of glory such as human beings had never seen.
The days of suffering, of reproach, of want, of hunger, are no more; weeping is past. Then they break
forth in songs, loud, clear, and musical. They wave
the palm branches of victory, and exclaim, ‘Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and
unto the Lamb’ (Rev. 7:10).
“Oh, may God endue us with His Spirit and
make us strong in His strength! In that great day of
supreme and final triumph it will be seen that the
righteous were strong, and that wickedness in all
its forms and with all its pride was a weak and miserable failure and defeat. We will cling close to Jesus,
we will trust Him, we will seek His grace and His
great salvation. We must hide in Jesus, for He is a
covert from the storm, a present help in time of
trouble.”—3 Selected Messages, 427:4-430:4 (Letter 6, 1884).
“The Lifegiver is coming to break the fetters of
the tomb. He is to bring forth the captives and proclaim, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.’ There

THE END OF TIME
stands the risen host. The last thought was of death
and its pangs. The last thoughts they had were of
the grave and the tomb, but now they proclaim, ‘O
death, where is thy string? O grave, where is thy
victory’ (1 Cor. 15:55). The pangs of death were the
last things they felt . .
“When they awake the pain is all gone. ‘O grave,
where is thy victory?’ Here they stand and the finishing touch of immortality is put upon them and
they go up to meet their Lord in the air. The gates
of the City of God swing back upon their hinges,
and the nations that have kept the truth enter in.
“There are the columns of angels on either
side, and the ransomed of God walk in through
the cherubim and seraphim. Christ bids them welcome and puts upon them His benediction: ‘Well
done, thou good and faithful servant . . enter thou
into the joy of thy lord’ (Matt. 25:21). What is that
joy? He sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. That is what we labor for.
“Here is one, who in the night season we
pleaded with God on his behalf. There is one that
we talked with on his dying bed, and he hung his
helpless soul upon Jesus. Here is one who was a
poor drunkard. We tried to get his eyes fixed upon
Him who is mighty to save and we told him that
Christ could give him the victory. There are the
crowns of immortal glory upon their heads, and then
the redeemed cast their glittering crowns at the feet
of Jesus; and then the angelic choir strikes the
note of victory and the angels in the two columns
take up the song and the redeemed host join as
though they had been singing the song on the
earth, and they have been.
“Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious
note. Every voice proclaims, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that
was slain’ (Rev. 5:12). He sees of the travail of His
soul and is satisfied. Do you think anyone there will
take time to tell of his trials and terrible difficulties? ‘The former shall not be remembered, nor come
into mind’ (Isa. 65:17). ‘God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes’ (Rev 21:4).”—3 Selected Messages,
430:5-431:4 (Manuscript 18, 1894).

“You cannot obtain heaven without earnest, persevering effort . .
You now have opportunity to redeem the time and to wash your robe
of character in the blood of the Lamb. God will help you if you feel your
need of His help . . And if you can be among those who shall be saved
with an everlasting salvation, heaven will be cheap enough.”
—3 Testimonies, 338:1

301

“Those in the world, having lost their connection with God,
are making desperate, insane efforts to make centers of
themselves. This causes distrust of one another, which is followed
by crime. The kingdoms of the world will be divided against
themselves. Fewer and fewer will become the sympathetic
cords which bind man in brotherhood to his fellow man. The
natural egotism of the human heart will be worked upon by Satan.
He will use the uncontrolled wills and violent passions which were
never brought under the control of God’s will . .
“Every man’s hand will be against his fellow man. Brother
will rise against brother, sister against sister, parents against children,
and children against parents. All will be in confusion. Relatives will
betray one another. There will be secret plotting to destroy life.
Destruction, misery, and death will be seen on every hand.
Men will follow the unrestrained bent of their hereditary and cultivated tendency to evil . .
“God has a storehouse of retributive judgments, which He
permits to fall upon those who have continued in sin in the
face of great light. I have seen the most costly structures in
buildings erected and supposed to be fireproof. And just as
Sodom perished in the flames of God’s vengeance, so will these
proud structures become ashes. I have seen vessels which cost
immense sums of money wrestling with the mighty waters, seeking
to breast the angry billows. But with all their treasures of gold and
silver, and with their human freight they sink into a watery grave.
Man’s pride will be buried with the treasures he has accumulated by fraud. God will avenge the widows and orphans who in
hunger and nakedness have cried to Him for help from oppression
and abuse.
“The time is right upon us when there will be sorrow in the
world that no human balm can heal. The flattering monuments of men’s greatness will be crumbled in the dust, even
before the last great destruction comes upon the world . . Only
by being clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness can we escape the judgments that are coming upon the earth.”
—3 Selected Messages, 418:1-419:1 (Letter 20, 1901)

302

THE END OF TIME

LOCATOR INDEX
TO LAST-DAY SPIRIT OF PROPHECY PASSAGES
This is an invaluable index which can be
used for several purposes:

tion, you will find other parallel passages on
the same subject.

1 - You can use it to locate where a certain
Spirit of Prophecy quotation is found in this
large book on last-day events.

3 - You can use this index to find major
sections in the Spirit of Prophecy where final
event passages are especially to be found, so
you can turn to them in order to learn even
more about final event predictions.

2 - By turning in this book to that quota-

—A—
Acts of the Apostles, 49:3 141
Acts of the Apostles, 54:0 141
Acts of the Apostles, 54:2-55:1 140
Acts of the Apostles, 55:1 134
Acts of the Apostles, 109:1 21
Acts of the Apostles, 152:1 198
Acts of the Apostles, 219:2 20
Acts of the Apostles, 219:2-220:1 21
Acts of the Apostles, 220:1 20
Acts of the Apostles, 531:2 107
Acts of the Apostles, 593:2, 595:1 291
Acts of the Apostles, 601:1-602:3 253
Adventist Home, 16:2 109
Adventist Home, 533:1 256
Adventist Home, 533:3 256
Adventist Home, 534:1 257
Adventist Home, 534:2 257
Adventist Home, 534:3 257
Adventist Home, 534:4 257
Adventist Home, 534:5 257
Adventist Home, 535:2 257
Adventist Home, 535:3 257
Adventist Home, 536:1 257
Adventist Home, 536:2 257
Adventist Home, 536:3 257
Adventist Home, 536:4 257
Adventist Home, 536:4-537:1 258
Adventist Home, 539:1-2 258
Adventist Home, 539:3-540:0 258
Adventist Home, 540:1 258
Adventist Home, 540:2-3 258
Adventist Home, 542:2-543:0 258
Adventist Home, 543:1 258
Adventist Home, 544:3 258
Adventist Home, 544:4-545:0 259
Adventist Home, 545:1 259
Adventist Home, 547:2 259

Adventist Home, 547:3 259
Adventist Home, 547:4-548:0 259
Adventist Home, 549:3-550:1 259
Amazing Grace, 319:3 115
Amazing Grace, 363:1, 4 273
Amazing Grace, 366:1, 7 274
—B—
1 Bible Commentary, 1086/1:3-4 276
2 Bible Commentary, 1017/2:1 113
4 Bible Commentary, 1143/2:2 194
4 Bible Commentary, 1143/2:3 40
4 Bible Commentary, 1157/1:2 210
4 Bible Commentary, 1161/2:1 95
4 Bible Commentary, 1161/2:3 100
4 Bible Commentary 1161/2:3 81
4 Bible Commentary, 1161/2:3 93
4 Bible Commentary, 1179/2:2 128
4 Bible Commentary, 1179/2:3 129
5 Bible Commentary, 1082:/2:1 116
5 Bible Commentary, 1099/2:4 130
5 Bible Commentary, 1105/2:4-1106/1:0 190
5 Bible Commentary, 1105/2:4-1106/1:0 60
5 Bible Commentary, 1124/2:10 275
5 Bible Commentary, 1125/1:1 275
5 Bible Commentary, 1145/1:1-2 121
5 Bible Commentary, 1145/1:3 121
6 Bible Commentary, 1054/1:3-4 282
6 Bible Commentary, 1055/1:4 77
6 Bible Commentary, 1065:1/1 78
6 Bible Commentary, 1093/1:2 220
6 Bible Commentary, 1105/2:5-1106/1:0 61
6 Bible Commentary, 1106/2:1 62
7 Bible Commentary, 909/1:2 219
7 Bible Commentary, 909/1:2 234
7 Bible Commentary, 910/1:3-2:0 26

LOCATOR INDEX
7 Bible Commentary, 910/2:0-1 24
7 Bible Commentary, 910/2:1 40
7 Bible Commentary, 911/1:3 61
7 Bible Commentary, 911/2:2 73
7 Bible Commentary, 916/1:3 86
7 Bible Commentary, 967/2:1 189
7 Bible Commentary, 967/2:1 204
7 Bible Commentary, 967/2:2 188
7 Bible Commentary, 968/1:4 171
7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:1 81
7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:2 92
7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:3 81
7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:4 81
7 Bible Commentary, 968/2:5-669/1:0 84
7 Bible Commentary, 969/1:0 82
7 Bible Commentary, 969/1:1 82
7 Bible Commentary, 969/2:5-970/1:0 101
7 Bible Commentary, 970/1:1 81
7 Bible Commentary, 970/1:2 82
7 Bible Commentary, 970/1:3 81
7 Bible Commentary, 970/2:2 82
7 Bible Commentary, 972/1:3-2:0 209
7 Bible Commentary, 972/2:1 209
7 Bible Commentary, 974/1:3 116
7 Bible Commentary, 974/1:4-2:0 114
7 Bible Commentary, 975/1:4 49
7 Bible Commentary, 975/2:0 28
7 Bible Commentary, 975/2:2 24
7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:3 98
7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:2-3 175
7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:2-3 88
7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:2-3 92
7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:4 45
7 Bible Commentary, 976/1:4 50
7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:1 26
7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:1 83
7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:3 38
7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:3 39
7 Bible Commentary, 976/2:3 91
7 Bible Commentary, 977/1:1 26
7 Bible Commentary, 977/1:2 48
7 Bible Commentary, 977/1:5-2:0 168
7 Bible Commentary, 977/2:0 169
7 Bible Commentary, 977/2:3 99
7 Bible Commentary, 977/2:4 87
7 Bible Commentary, 977/2:4 88
7 Bible Commentary, 977/2:4 89
7 Bible Commentary, 979/1:3 174
7 Bible Commentary, 979/1:3 175
7 Bible Commentary, 979/1:3 88
7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:2 83
7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:3 83
7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:4 83
7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:5 85
7 Bible Commentary, 979/2:5 98
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:1 85
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:1 87

303
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:1 99
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:2 82
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:2 84
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:3 137
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:4 85
7 Bible Commentary, 980/1:4 91
7 Bible Commentary, 980/2:2-3 86
7 Bible Commentary, 980/2:4 39
7 Bible Commentary, 980/2:4 40
7 Bible Commentary, 982/1:1 100
7 Bible Commentary, 982/2:2 205
7 Bible Commentary, 982/2:3-4 204
7 Bible Commentary, 982/2:5-983/1:0 204
7 Bible Commentary, 983/1:1 194
7 Bible Commentary, 983/1:2 154
7 Bible Commentary, 983/1:2 204
7 Bible Commentary, 983/2:1 25
7 Bible Commentary, 983/2:2 265
7 Bible Commentary, 983/2:3 265
7 Bible Commentary, 985/1:1 30
7 Bible Commentary, 985/1:1-2 27
7 Bible Commentary, 985/2:2 151
7 Bible Commentary, 985/2:4-986/1:0 127
7 Bible Commentary 986/1:2 127
7 Bible Commentary, 988/1:1 264
7 Bible Commentary, 988/1:2-3 264
7 Bible Commentary, 988/1:4-2:1 265
7 Bible Commentary, 988/2:2 265
7 Bible Commentary, 988/2:3-989/1:2-3 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:4 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:5 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:6 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:7 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:8 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/1:9-2:0 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/2:1 265
7 Bible Commentary, 989/2:4-5 178
7 Bible Commentary, 989/2:4-990:0 266
7 Bible Commentary, 990/1:2-2:0 266
Bible Echo, January 15, 1892 270
—C—
Child Guidance, 560:1-561:0 254
Child Guidance, 561:1 254
Child Guidance 561:2-3 254
Child Guidance, 561:4-562:0 254
Child Guidance, 562:1-563:1 255
Child Guidance, 563:3 255
Child Guidance, 563:4-564:0 255
Child Guidance, 564:1 255
Child Guidance, 565:1 255
Child Guidance, 565:2 255
Child Guidance, 565:3 255
Child Guidance, 565:4-566:0 255
Child Guidance, 566:4-567:0 255
Child Guidance, 567:1 256
Child Guidance, 567:2 256

304
Child Guidance, 567:3-568:0 256
Child Guidance, 568:2-3 256
Child Guidance, 568:4-569:2 256
Christian Service, 41:1 69
Christian Service, 41:1 78
Christian Service, 228:3 140
Christian Service, 266:1 259
Christian Service, 266:2 259
Christian Service, 266:3 259
Christian Service, 266:4 259
Christian Service, 266:5 259
Christian Service, 266:6 259
Christian Service, 266:7-267:1 260
Christian Service, 267:2 260
Christian Service, 267:4 260
Christian Service, 268:1 260
Christian Service, 268:2 260
Christian Service, 268:3 260
Christian Service, 268:4 260
Christian Service, 268:5-269:0 260
Christian Service, 271:5 260
Christian Service, 272:1 260
Christian Service, 272:3 261
Christian Service, 272:4-273:0 261
Christian Service, 273:1 261
Christian Service, 273:2 261
Christian Service, 273:3 261
Christian Service, 273:4 261
Christian Service, 273:5 261
Christian Service, 273:6 261
Christian Service, 274:1 261
Christian Service, 274:2 261
Christian Service, 274:3-275:0 261
Christian Service, 275:1 262
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 99 268
Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 149:1
256
Christ’s Object Lessons, 69:1-2 106
Christ’s Object Lessons, 69:1-2 117
Christ’s Object Lessons, 71:3-72:0 275
Christ’s Object Lessons, 84:4 198
Christ’s Object Lessons, 149:2 144
Christ’s Object Lessons, 178:3 18
Christ’s Object Lessons, 179:3-180:0 260
Christ’s Object Lessons, 294:1 218
Christ’s Object Lessons, 312:0 111
Christ’s Object Lessons, 315:1 109
Christ’s Object Lessons, 330:1 260
Christ’s Object Lessons, 361:4 259
Christ’s Object Lessons, 39:1 20
Christ’s Object Lessons, 397:3-398:0 260
Christ’s Object Lessons, 398:1 260
Christ’s Object Lessons, 406:3 128
Christ’s Object Lessons, 408:2 128
Christ’s Object Lessons, 411:1-2 129
Christ’s Object Lessons, 412 119

THE END OF TIME
Christ’s Object Lessons, 412:1 130
Christ’s Object Lessons, 412:1 177
Christ’s Object Lessons, 413:1 177
Christ’s Object Lessons, 413:2-414:0 130
Christ’s Object Lessons, 414:2 131
Christ’s Object Lessons, 421:1-2 254
Colporteur Ministry, 128:4-129:0 159
Counsels on Health, 422:1 128
Counsels on Health, 561:1 139
Counsels on Stewardship, 40:1 34
Counsels on Stewardship, 348:4-349:0 262
Counsels on Stewardship, 349:1-2 262
Counsels on Stewardship, 350:1-2 262
Counsels on Stewardship, 350:2 230
Counsels to Parents and Teachers, 131:1
Counsels to Parents and Teachers, 144:0
Counsels to Parents and Teachers, 162:2
Counsels to Parents and Teachers, 449:1
Counsels to Parents and Teachers, 532:1

257
256
259
114
177

Counsels to Writers and Editors, 71:0 159
Counsels to Writers, 97:1, 98:1 50
Counsels to Writers and Editors, 181:2 290
Country Living, 32 36
Country Living, 6:6-7:0 36
—D—
Desire of Ages, 48:2 269
Desire of Ages, 48:4 257
Desire of Ages, 107:4 226
Desire of Ages, 121:2-122:0 35
Desire of Ages, 121:3-122:0 159
Desire of Ages, 123:0 112
Desire of Ages, 123:1, 3 112
Desire of Ages, 123:4 112
Desire of Ages, 151:1-2 268
Desire of Ages, 249:1 259
Desire of Ages, 26:2-3 281
Desire of Ages, 311:2 141
Desire of Ages, 311:2, 4 109
Desire of Ages, 311:2-312:0 114
Desire of Ages, 312:2 257
Desire of Ages, 331:3 270
Desire of Ages, 331:3-332:0 272
Desire of Ages, 354:3 172
Desire of Ages, 462:3-4 113
Desire of Ages, 563:1 280
Desire of Ages, 606:1 219
Desire of Ages, 615:3 121
Desire of Ages, 632:3 221
Desire of Ages, 632:3 267
Desire of Ages, 633:3 286
Desire of Ages, 636:2-3 176
Desire of Ages, 637:1 121
Desire of Ages, 638:2-3 121

LOCATOR INDEX
Desire of Ages, 638:2-3 275
Desire of Ages, 668:1-3 115
Desire of Ages, 669:3 173
Desire of Ages, 671:3 109
Desire of Ages, 672:1 144
Desire of Ages, 700:5 198
Desire of Ages, 706:3, 707:1-708:2 218
Desire of Ages, 749:3, 750:1-2 275
Desire of Ages, 763:4 244
Desire of Ages, 769:2-770:0 270
Desire of Ages, 804:1 221
Desire of Ages, 832:2 215
Desire of Ages, 834:1 231
Desire of Ages, 835:2 258
Diary, March 24, 1859 267
—E—
Early Writing, 43:2 100
Early Writings, 15:0 211
Early Writings, 15:1 210
Early Writings, 15:1 82
Early Writings, 15:2-16:0 214
Early Writings, 16:0 215
Early Writings, 16:1 219
Early Writings, 16:1 221
Early Writings, 16:2 228
Early Writings, 16:2-17:0 229
Early Writings, 17:0 230
Early Writings, 17:1 231
Early Writings, 17:1 267
Early Writings, 17:3-18:1 249
Early Writings, 33:2 137
Early Writings, 33:2 163
Early Writings, 34:1 196
Early Writings, 34:1 211
Early Writings, 35:1 214
Early Writings, 35:1 220
Early Writings, 35:1 230
Early Writings, 36:1 183
Early Writings, 36:1-37:0 199
Early Writings, 36:2 192
Early Writings, 36:2-37:0 191
Early Writings, 36:2-37:0 193
Early Writings, 37:0 206
Early Writings, 37:0 209
Early Writings, 38:1-2 92
Early Writings, 38:2 139
Early Writings, 38:2 95
Early Writings, 39:2 258
Early Writings, 40:0 281
Early Writings, 41:1 207
Early Writings, 41:2 206
Early Writings, 41:2 212
Early Writings, 41:2 235
Early Writings, 43:3 94
Early Writings, 44:1 93
Early Writings, 44:1-2 95

305
Early Writings, 44:2 100
Early Writings, 48:1 182
Early Writings, 48:1 92
Early Writings, 56:2 196
Early Writings, 56:3, 57:1 196
Early Writings, 58:0, 2 187
Early Writings, 58:2 81
Early Writings, 58:2 93
Early Writings, 65:0 95
Early Writings, 66:1 270
Early Writings, 67:1-2 256
Early Writings, 67:2 33
Early Writings, 67:2 86
Early Writings, 67:2 87
Early Writings, 67:2 93
Early Writings, 71:1 82
Early Writings, 71:1-2 108
Early Writings, 71:1-2 134
Early Writings, 71:1-2 145
Early Writings, 71:1-2 181
Early Writings, 71:1-2 82
Early Writings, 71:1-2 94
Early Writings, 71:2 108
Early Writings, 71:2 140
Early Writings, 71:2 141
Early Writings, 85:2 137
Early Writings, 85:3-86:0 140
Early Writings, 85:3-86:0 163
Early Writings, 85:3-86:0 165
Early Writings, 85:3-86:0 173
Early Writings, 86:0 137
Early Writings, 87:2 54
Early Writings, 105:2 114
Early Writings, 110:1 211
Early Writings, 110:1-2 222
Early Writings, 238:1-3 130
Early Writings, 241:2-242:0 130
Early Writings, 250:1 127
Early Writings, 251:1 128
Early Writings, 251:1 129
Early Writings, 254:1 150
Early Writings, 254:1 46
Early Writings, 254:2-255:1 150
Early Writings, 256:2 150
Early Writings, 261:1 23
Early Writings, 261:1 52
Early Writings, 269-271 77
Early Writings, 269:1, 270:1, 271:0, 2 141
Early Writings, 270:2 70
Early Writings, 270:4-271:2 138
Early Writings, 271:1 76
Early Writings, 271:1 79
Early Writings, 271:2 137
Early Writings, 272:1-2 194
Early Writings, 272:3-273:0 206
Early Writings, 273:0 221
Early Writings, 277:1 154

306
Early Writings, 277:2-278:0 137
Early Writings, 277:2-278:1 140
Early Writings, 278:1 175
Early Writings, 279:0 138
Early Writings, 279:0 157
Early Writings, 279:1-2 180
Early Writings, 279:1-2 184
Early Writings, 279:2 92
Early Writings, 279:2-280:1 180
Early Writings, 280:1 126
Early Writings, 280:1 129
Early Writings, 280:2 181
Early Writings, 280:2 198
Early Writings, 280:2-281:0 182
Early Writings, 281:1 182
Early Writings, 281:1-282:0 200
Early Writings, 282:1 210
Early Writings, 282:2 196
Early Writings, 282:2-283:0 192
Early Writings, 283:0 200
Early Writings, 283:1 201
Early Writings, 284:1 201
Early Writings, 284:2-285:0 200
Early Writings, 285:1 201
Early Writings, 285:1 206
Early Writings, 285:1 207
Early Writings, 285:1 208
Early Writings, 285:2 207
Early Writings, 285:2-286:0 211
Early Writings, 286:0 49
Early Writings, 288:1 229
Early Writings, 288:1-289:0 230
Early Writings, 289:1-2 231
Early Writings, 289:1 267
Early Writings, 289:2 282
Early Writings, 290:1 226
Early Writings, 290:1 227
Early Writings, 290:1 228
Early Writings, 290:2 227
Early Writings, 290:3-291:0 233
Early Writings, 291:1 235
Early Writings, 292:1 236
Early Writings, 292:1-2 236
Early Writings, 293:1 236
Early Writings, 293:1 241
Early Writings, 293:1-2 236
Early Writings, 293:2 237
Early Writings, 294:0 238
Early Writings, 294:0 241
Early Writings, 294:1 243
Early Writings, 294:1-295:0 244
Early Writings, 295:1 244
Early Writings, 295:1 248
Education, 166:3 154
Education, 166:3 79
Education, 249:2 257
Education, 249:3-4 258

THE END OF TIME
Education, 290:4, 291:1 113
Education, 302:1 270
Education, 303:3-4 251
Education, 303:4 259
Education, 304:1-309:3 253
Education, 304:4, 305:0, 2 232
Education, 309:1 261
Education, 309:3 230
Educational Messenger, September 11, 1908 293
Evangelism, 27:3 164
Evangelism, 65:2 167
Evangelism, 69:1 167
Evangelism, 69:1-2 166
Evangelism 196:3 286
Evangelism, 224:3 70
Evangelism, 226:5-227:0 25
Evangelism, 234:1 83
Evangelism, 234:1-235:1 89
Evangelism, 234:2 85
Evangelism, 234:2 88
Evangelism, 234:2-235:0 87
Evangelism, 234:2-235:0 99
Evangelism, 234:2-235:1 96
Evangelism, 235:1 26
Evangelism, 235:2 87
Evangelism, 235:2 89
Evangelism, 235:2 99
Evangelism, 235:3 90
Evangelism, 236:3 31
Evangelism, 360:4 71
Evangelism, 360:4 75
Evangelism, 509:1 283
Evangelism, 509:3 283
Evangelism, 510:2 283
Evangelism, 593:1 71
Evangelism, 604:3 57
Evangelism, 692:2 155
Evangelism, 692:3-693:1 155
Evangelism, 697:1 286
Evangelism, 700:1 157
Evangelism, 700:1 158
Evangelism, 700:1 160
Evangelism, 701:2-3 288
Evangelism, 704:1-2 165
Evangelism, 705:3-706:0 289
Evangelism, 707:1 292
—F—
Faith I Live By, 289:2-4 73
Faith I Live By, 359:1-2 270
Faith I Live By, 360:1, 3, 5 270
Faith I Live By, 361:3 271
Faith I Live By, 361:1-2 270
Faith I Live By, 362:2 271
Faith I Live By, 362:5 271
Faith I Live By, 363:1, 3 271

LOCATOR INDEX
Faith I Live By, 363:1, 3, 6 271
Faith I Live By, 364:2 271
Faith I Live By, 364:4 271
Faith I Live By, 365:1-3 271
Faith I Live By, 365:5 271
Faith I Live By, 365:6 271
Faith I Live By, 366:1-5 272
Faith I Live By, 367:1-2 272
Faith I Live By, 367:5 272
Faith I Live By, 367:6 272
Faith I Live By, 369:1-5 272
Faith I Live By, 370:1, 3 272
Faith I Live By, 370:4 272
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 217:1 155
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 234:1235:0 280
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 217:1 167
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 471:3472:0 60-61
—G—
General Conference Bulletin (1893), 165-166 144
General Conference Bulletin, March 30, 1903 139
General Conference Bulletin, March 30, 1903 285
General Conference Bulletin, May 27, 1913 73
Good Health, August 1882 269
Good Health, March 1880 257
Gospel Workers, 27:1 177
Gospel Workers, 470:1-3 292
Gospel Workers, 512:1-2 263
Gospel Workers, 513:2-516:2 264
Gospel Workers, 517:1-3 264
Gospel Workers, 518:1 264
Gospel Workers, 518:2 261
Gospel Workers, 518:3-519:0 261
Gospel Workers, 519:1 261
Great Controversy, ix:3 154
Great Controversy, 22:2 111
Great Controversy, 36:2 187
Great Controversy, 38:1 184
Great Controversy, 48:3 28
Great Controversy, 213:1 180
Great Controversy, 299:1 255
Great Controversy, 311:2-3 148
Great Controversy, 338:2-339:0 183
Great Controversy, 384:2 170
Great Controversy, 390:1 147
Great Controversy, 390:1 154
Great Controversy, 393:2 128
Great Controversy, 394:0 128
Great Controversy, 394:1-395:0 130
Great Controversy, 398:3 128
Great Controversy, 422:2 182
Great Controversy, 422:2 227
Great Controversy, 423:1 106

307
Great Controversy, 423:1 127
Great Controversy, 424:2 126
Great Controversy, 424:4-425:2 106
Great Controversy, 426:1 126
Great Controversy, 426:1 132
Great Controversy, 426:2 129
Great Controversy, 427:0 268
Great Controversy, 427:1 126
Great Controversy, 427:1 127
Great Controversy, 427:1-2, 428:0 129
Great Controversy, 428:1 127
Great Controversy, 428:2 127
Great Controversy, 428:2 129
Great Controversy, 435:2-436:0 177
Great Controversy, 437:1 110
Great Controversy, 438:1 110
Great Controversy, 439:1 32
Great Controversy, 443:1 45
Great Controversy, 443:2 45
Great Controversy, 445:1 168
Great Controversy, 445:1 25
Great Controversy, 445:1 47
Great Controversy, 445:2 45
Great Controversy, 445:3-446:0 46
Great Controversy, 446:0 32
Great Controversy, 446:1 111
Great Controversy, 446:1 32
Great Controversy, 446:1 83
Great Controversy, 448:3-449:0 47
Great Controversy, 448:3-449:0 83
Great Controversy, 448:3-449:0 99
Great Controversy, 449:0 46
Great Controversy, 449:1 89
Great Controversy, 449:1 98
Great Controversy, 449:1 99
Great Controversy, 450:1 111
Great Controversy, 450:1 157
Great Controversy, 450:1 38
Great Controversy, 450:1 84
Great Controversy, 450:1 91
Great Controversy, 452:1 83
Great Controversy, 453:3-454:0 151
Great Controversy, 464:1 134
Great Controversy, 464:1 24
Great Controversy, 464:1 53
Great Controversy, 464:2-465:0 54
Great Controversy, 482:2, 1, 4 109
Great Controversy, 483:1 109
Great Controversy, 483:2 110
Great Controversy, 483:2 123
Great Controversy, 484:0 110
Great Controversy, 484:0 123
Great Controversy, 484:2-485:1 110
Great Controversy, 484:2-485:1 123
Great Controversy, 485:2, 486:2 110
Great Controversy, 485:3-486:0 227
Great Controversy, 488:3-490:0 110

308
Great Controversy, 491:1 179
Great Controversy, 491:1 183
Great Controversy, 491:2 183
Great Controversy, 503:2-504:1 245
Great Controversy, 503:3-504:1 111
Great Controversy, 522:0 157
Great Controversy, 553:2 62
Great Controversy, 557:1 54
Great Controversy, 560:1 57
Great Controversy, 561:2-562:0 60
Great Controversy, 564:2 169
Great Controversy, 565:4-566:0 169
Great Controversy, 571:1 169
Great Controversy, 573:1 111
Great Controversy, 573:1 25
Great Controversy, 573:2-574:0 170
Great Controversy, 578 24
Great Controversy, 578:2 169
Great Controversy, 578:3 32
Great Controversy, 578:3-579:0 31
Great Controversy, 578:3-579:0 44
Great Controversy, 579:0 169
Great Controversy, 581:1-2 170
Great Controversy, 582:2 111
Great Controversy, 588:1 25
Great Controversy, 588:1 26
Great Controversy, 588:1 54
Great Controversy, 588:2 53
Great Controversy, 588:2 56
Great Controversy, 588:3-589:0 164
Great Controversy 588:3-589:0 58
Great Controversy, 589:1-2 58
Great Controversy, 589:2-590:0 166
Great Controversy, 589:3 58
Great Controversy, 590:1 58
Great Controversy, 591:0 54
Great Controversy, 591:1 54
Great Controversy, 592:1 54
Great Controversy, 593:1 55
Great Controversy, 594:1 176
Great Controversy, 594:2 30
Great Controversy, 594:2 49
Great Controversy, 594:2 83
Great Controversy, 602:1 130
Great Controversy, 602:1 77
Great Controversy, 602:1 79
Great Controversy, 603:1-604:1 162
Great Controversy, 603:2, 604:1 154
Great Controversy, 603:2-604:0 57
Great Controversy, 604:2 39
Great Controversy, 604:2 86
Great Controversy, 604:2 91
Great Controversy, 604:2-605:0 89
Great Controversy, 604:2-605:0 152
Great Controversy, 604:3-605:0 32
Great Controversy, 605:1 86
Great Controversy, 605:2 102

THE END OF TIME
Great Controversy, 605:2 130
Great Controversy, 605:2 33
Great Controversy, 605:2 85
Great Controversy, 605:2 89
Great Controversy, 605:2 91
Great Controversy, 605:3-606:0, 2 149
Great Controversy, 606:2 158
Great Controversy, 606:2 160
Great Controversy, 606:2 288
Great Controversy, 607:0 158
Great Controversy, 607:0 28
Great Controversy, 607:1 170
Great Controversy, 607:1 24
Great Controversy, 607:1 90
Great Controversy, 608:1 169
Great Controversy, 608:2 170
Great Controversy, 608:2 76
Great Controversy, 610:2-611:0 168
Great Controversy, 611:0 155
Great Controversy, 611:1 154
Great Controversy, 611:1, 612:1 154
Great Controversy, 611:2-612:0 124
Great Controversy, 611:3-612:2 156
Great Controversy, 612:0 (1888) 123
Great Controversy, 612:1 140
Great Controversy, 612:1-2 288
Great Controversy, 612:2 158
Great Controversy, 612:2 79
Great Controversy, 613:2 180
Great Controversy, 613:2 90
Great Controversy, 613:2-614:0 180
Great Controversy, 614:1 181
Great Controversy, 614:1 187
Great Controversy, 614:1-2 188
Great Controversy, 614:2 188
Great Controversy, 614:2 198
Great Controversy, 614:3-615:0 189
Great Controversy, 615:1 179
Great Controversy, 615:1 189
Great Controversy, 615:1 64
Great Controversy, 615:2 39
Great Controversy, 615:2-616:0 191
Great Controversy, 616:0 38
Great Controversy, 616:1-2 193
Great Controversy, 618:2 179
Great Controversy, 618:2 193
Great Controversy, 618:3-619:0 193
Great Controversy, 619:1 194
Great Controversy, 620:1 108
Great Controversy, 620:1 125
Great Controversy, 620:1 194
Great Controversy, 620:2 108
Great Controversy, 621:1 195
Great Controversy, 621:2, 622:4 188
Great Controversy, 621:2-622:2 195
Great Controversy, 623:1-2 195
Great Controversy, 623:1-2 93

LOCATOR INDEX
Great Controversy, 624:1 189
Great Controversy, 624:1 56
Great Controversy, 624:1, 625:1 55
Great Controversy, 624:2 190
Great Controversy, 624:2-625:1 190
Great Controversy, 624:2-626:0 64
Great Controversy, 625:2 61
Great Controversy, 625:2-626:0 191
Great Controversy, 626:1-2 196
Great Controversy, 627:2, 3-628:0 199
Great Controversy, 627:3-628:0 95
Great Controversy, 628:2-629:0 199
Great Controversy, 629:1 199
Great Controversy, 629:2 200
Great Controversy, 629:2 201
Great Controversy, 630:1 200
Great Controversy, 630:1-631:0 200
Great Controversy, 630:2-631:0 194
Great Controversy, 634:1 201
Great Controversy, 635:1 201
Great Controversy, 635:2 202
Great Controversy, 635:2 205
Great Controversy, 635:3-636:0 202
Great Controversy, 635:3-636:0 205
Great Controversy, 636:0 205
Great Controversy, 636:1 205
Great Controversy, 636:2 201
Great Controversy, 636:2 207
Great Controversy, 636:2-3 206
Great Controversy, 636:3-637:0 207
Great Controversy, 637:1 208
Great Controversy, 637:2-638:1 208
Great Controversy, 638:2-639:1 208
Great Controversy, 639:1 209
Great Controversy, 639:2-640:1 209
Great Controversy, 640:2 211
Great Controversy, 640:3-641:0 214
Great Controversy, 640:3-641:0 224
Great Controversy, 641:0 205
Great Controversy, 641:0 215
Great Controversy, 641:1 215
Great Controversy, 641:2-642:0 216
Great Controversy, 642:1 216
Great Controversy, 642:2 216
Great Controversy, 643:1 217
Great Controversy, 643:2-644:0 217
Great Controversy, 644:1 218
Great Controversy, 644:2 219
Great Controversy, 644:3-645:0 220
Great Controversy, 645:0 249
Great Controversy, 645:1 206
Great Controversy, 645:1 220
Great Controversy, 645:1 221
Great Controversy, 645:1-2 228
Great Controversy, 645:3-646:0 229
Great Controversy, 646:1 230
Great Controversy, 646:1-2 267

309
Great Controversy, 647:2 231
Great Controversy, 648:1 231
Great Controversy, 648:3-649:0 232
Great Controversy, 650:1 219
Great Controversy, 650:1-651:0 232
Great Controversy, 651:1-652:2 233
Great Controversy, 653:3 206
Great Controversy, 654:1 210
Great Controversy, 654:1-2 206
Great Controversy, 654:2-3 210
Great Controversy, 654:4-655:0 210
Great Controversy, 655:3 210
Great Controversy, 655:4-656:0 210
Great Controversy, 656:1 225
Great Controversy, 656:2 225
Great Controversy, 656:3-657:0 226
Great Controversy, 657:1-2 226
Great Controversy, 658:1 227
Great Controversy, 658:2 227
Great Controversy, 659:1 227
Great Controversy, 659:1, 3-660:2 234
Great Controversy, 660:1 227
Great Controversy, 660:4-661:1 233
Great Controversy, 661:2 233
Great Controversy, 662:1 235
Great Controversy, 662:1-2 236
Great Controversy, 663:0 235
Great Controversy, 663:1-664:2 237
Great Controversy, 664:3 237
Great Controversy, 665:1 237
Great Controversy, 665:2 237
Great Controversy, 665:3 237
Great Controversy, 666:1 237
Great Controversy, 666:1 239
Great Controversy, 666:2 240
Great Controversy, 666:3-667:2 241
Great Controversy, 667:3-668:1 241
Great Controversy, 668:2 241
Great Controversy, 668:3 241
Great Controversy, 668:4-669:0 242
Great Controversy, 669:1-670:0 242
Great Controversy, 670:2 242
Great Controversy, 670:3-671:1 243
Great Controversy, 671:1 243
Great Controversy, 671:2-672:0 243
Great Controversy, 672:0 243
Great Controversy, 672:2-673:0 243
Great Controversy, 673:1 244
Great Controversy, 673:2 244
Great Controversy, 673:3-674:1 244
Great Controversy, 674:2 245
Great Controversy, 674:3 248
Great Controversy, 674:4-675:0 282
Great Controversy, 675:0 248
Great Controversy, 675:0 282
Great Controversy, 675:1-2 249
Great Controversy, 676:2-3 249

310

THE END OF TIME

Great Controversy, 676:4-677:0 249
Great Controversy, 677:1-678:3 284
Great Controversy, 677:1-2 250
Great Controversy, 677:3 250
Great Controversy, 677:3-678:0 250
Great Controversy, 678:1 250
Great Controversy, 678:2-3 250
Great Controversy, 678:3 245
—H—
Health Reformer, December 1877 257
—I—
In Heavenly Places, 48:1 157
In Heavenly Places, 343:5 158
In Heavenly Places, 353:2-5 219
In Heavenly Places, 358:4 215
In Heavenly Places, 365:1-3 277
In Heavenly Places, 366:2-4 278
In Heavenly Places, 368:2-4 276
In Heavenly Places, 368:5 276
In Heavenly Places, 370:2-5 278
In Heavenly Places, 372:1-3 281
In Heavenly Places, 372:2-4 281
—L—
Last Day Events, 126:3 49
Last Day Events, 126:4-127:0
Last Day Events, 127:3-4 49
Last Day Events, 128:4 30
Last Day Events, 128:4 49
Last Day Events, 136:3 40
Last Day Events, 137:1 38
Last Day Events, 139:1 148
Last Day Events, 142:1 148
Last Day Events, 144:2 31
Last Day Events, 144:3 31
Last Day Events, 148:2 34
Last Day Events, 161:3 57
Last Day Events, 164:1 147
Last Day Events, 164:1-165:1
Last Day Events, 173:1 71
Last Day Events, 173:2 71
Last Day Events, 175:1 74
Last Day Events, 179:1 76
Last Day Events, 182:2 76
Last Day Events, 188:5 139
Last Day Events, 189:3-190:0
Last Day Events, 198:5 32
Last Day Events, 204:1 159
Last Day Events, 204:2 160
Last Day Events, 205:2 160
Last Day Events, 206:3-207:0
Last Day Events, 207:2 160
Last Day Events, 208:3 154
Last Day Events, 209:1 155
Last Day Events, 209:3-210:0

49

59

139

160

161

Last Day Events, 212:2 158
Last Day Events, 215:1 91
Last Day Events, 215:2 39
Last Day Events, 215:2 91
Last Day Events, 216:3 121
Last Day Events, 217:1 120
Last Day Events, 217:2 121
Last Day Events, 219:2 121
Last Day Events, 220:5 82
Last Day Events, 224:4 99
Last Day Events, 232:4-233:0 184
Last Day Events, 233:2 184
Last Day Events, 236:3-237:0 183
Last Day Events, 237:1 183
Last Day Events, 237:2 183
Last Day Events, 240:1 197
Last Day Events, 240:3 197
Last Day Events, 240:4 197
Last Day Events, 242:1-2 187
Last Day Events, 242:3 187
Last Day Events, 242:4 187
Last Day Events, 248:2 211
Last Day Events, 250:1 204
Last Day Events, 256:3 192
Last Day Events, 265:1 196
Last Day Events, 275:2-3 217
Last Day Events, 276:2 219
Last Day Events, 278:1 219
Last Day Events, 278:2 220
Letter 3, 1851 282
Letter 1, 1875 65
Letter 6, 1877 246
Letter 5, 1883 287
Letter 55, 1886 74
Letter 46, 1887 79
Letter 1f, 1890 293
Letter 2c, 1892 172
Letter 12, 1892 43
Letter 32, 1892 292
Letter 60, 1893 172
Letter 23c, 1894, 2-3 29
Letter 66, 1894 286
Letter 138, 1897 293
Letter 3, 1898 265
Letter 11, 1899 268
Letter 196, 1899 255
Letter 28, 1900 149
Letter 28, 1900 184
Letter 28, 1900 246
Letter 30, 1900 101
Letter 30, 1900 161
Letter 30, 1900 213
Letter 74, 1900 234
Letter 78, 1900, 3-4 29
Letter 131, 1900 247
Letter 20, 1901 296
Letter 184, 1901 286

LOCATOR INDEX
Letter 49, 1902 283
Letter 190, 1902 283
Letter 5, 1903, 7 41
Letter 140, 1903 294
Letter 147, 1903 293
Letter 176, 1903 213
Letter 195, 1903 66
Letter 250, 1903 41
Letter 259, 1903 66
Letter 259, 1903 67
Letter 57, 1904 66
Letter 59, 1904 283
Letter 99, 1904 37
Letter 237, 1904 294
Letter 211, 1905 66
Letter 311, 1905 68
Letter 90, 1906 213
Letter 90, 1906 247
Letter 136, 1906 247
Letter 136, 1906 65
Letter 154, 1906 43
Letter 158, 1906 42
Letter 230, 1906 161
Letter 48, 1907 293
Letter 84, 1907 283
Letter 190, 1907 162
Letter 230, 1907 43
Letter 244, 1907 247
Letter 248, 1907 213
Letter 248, 1907 66
Letter 410, 1907 293
Letter 364, 1908 212
Letter 6, 1909 213
Letter 168, 1909, 2, 5 29
Letter, December 21, 1892 131
Life of Paul, 251:0-252:1 28
Life Sketches, 214:3-215:1 222
Lift Him Up, 347:3 35
—M—
Manuscript 7, 1850, 2-4 101
Manuscript 5, 1876 246
Manuscript 11, 1886 282
Manuscript 56, 1886, 5-7 212
Manuscript 83, 1886 173
Manuscript 18, 1888 41
Manuscript 18, 1894 266
Manuscript 49, 1894 255
Manuscript 49, 1894 265
Manuscript 12, 1895 256
Manuscript 40, 1897 296
Manuscript 67, 1898 265
Manuscript 71, 1898 265
Manuscript 95, 1898 265
Manuscript 154, 1898 294

311
Manuscript 16, 1899 29
Manuscript 16, 1899 50
Manuscript 42, 1899 246
Manuscript 48, 1899 233
Manuscript 48, 1899 234
Manuscript 51, 1899, 6-12 29
Manuscript 77, 1899, 12-15 29
Manuscript 82, 1899, 10 212
Manuscript 152, 1899 296
Manuscript 33, June 25, 1900 202
Manuscript 37, 1900 246
Manuscript 27, 1901 282
Manuscript 62, 1901 254
Manuscript, 125, 1901 53
Manuscript 125, 1901 65
Manuscript 41, 1902 41
Manuscript 106, 1902 172
Manuscript 135, 1902 43
Manuscript 153, 1902 172
Manuscript 71, 1903 43
Manuscript 114, 1903 257
Manuscript 139, 1903 41
Manuscript 139, 1903, 5-6 65
Manuscript 139, 1903, 5-6 66
Manuscript 46, 1904 67
Manuscript 102, 1904, p. 10 283
Manuscript 76, 1905 42
Manuscript 78, 1905 66
Manuscript 122, 1905 66
Manuscript 122, 1905 67
Manuscript 145, 1905 68
Manuscript 20, 1906 172
Manuscript 20, 1906 213
Manuscript 31, 1906 294
Manuscript 33, 1906 42
Manuscript 35, 1906 42
Manuscript 36, March 24, 1906 234
Manuscript 39, 1906, 1-2 41
Manuscript 41, 1906 161
Manuscript 61a, 1906 43
Manuscript 95, 1906 265
Manuscript 35, 1908 66
Manuscript 81, 1908 293
Manuscript 85, 1908 43
Manuscript 134, 1908 212
Manuscript 15, 1909 283
Manuscript 21, 1909 173
Manuscript 31, 1909 265
Manuscript 33, 1911 264
1 Manuscript Releases, 370:2-3 299
4 Manuscript Releases, 23:3 37
4 Manuscript Releases, 279:0 31
5 Manuscript Releases, 200 92
7 Manuscript Releases, 188:1 294
7 Manuscript Releases, 192 26
7 Manuscript Releases, 192 48
7 Manuscript Releases, 192:4 76

312
8 Manuscript Releases, 99:2 109
8 Manuscript Releases, 168:3 121
8 Manuscript Releases, 187:1-188:0 160
8 Manuscript Releases, 345:3 293
8 Manuscript Releases, 346:1 60
8 Manuscript Releases, 346:1 (1901) 53
8 Manuscript Releases, 399 (1903) 56
8 Manuscript Releases, 399:1 60
9 Manuscript Releases, 252:1 217
9 Manuscript Releases, 251:3-252:1 214
9 Manuscript Releases, 252:1 234
10 Manuscript Releases, 240:2 197
12 Manuscript Releases, 324:3 73
14 Manuscript Releases, 146:3-147:1 296
14 Manuscript Releases, 148:2, 149:3 296
15 Manuscript Releases, 15:3 85
15 Manuscript Releases, 33:1 84
19 Manuscript Releases, 176 70
19 Manuscript Releases, 63:4-64:0 294
Maranatha, 32:5 73
Maranatha, 106:5 233-234
Maranatha, 164:1 88
Maranatha, 167:5 64
Maranatha, 174:4-5 165
Maranatha, 174:6 164
Maranatha, 175:2 187
Maranatha, 175:3-5 165
Maranatha, 176:2 166
Maranatha, 176:4 166
Maranatha, 176:5 166
Maranatha, 177:2-5 148
Maranatha, 179:2 31
Maranatha, 187:4 26
Maranatha, 187:5 27
Maranatha, 188:1 38
Maranatha, 188:4 38
Maranatha, 191:1 27
Maranatha, 191:3 181
Maranatha, 191:3 28
Maranatha, 194:4 168
Maranatha, 194:4 173
Maranatha, 195:4 168
Maranatha, 198:2 171
Maranatha, 199:3 171
Maranatha, 199:7 171
Maranatha, 200:5-6 76
Maranatha, 203:2 73
Maranatha, 204:2-4 73
Maranatha, 205:4 61
Maranatha, 206:6 61
Maranatha, 208:6 62
Maranatha, 211:7 82
Maranatha, 214:2 91
Maranatha, 214:2-3 39
Maranatha, 217:7 167
Maranatha, 218:3 157
Maranatha, 224:5 109

THE END OF TIME
Maranatha, 224:5 116
Maranatha 225:5 116
Maranatha, 252:3 167
Maranatha, 252:5-6 167
Maranatha, 253:2 167
Maranatha, 253:3-4 167
Maranatha, 264:3 179
Maranatha, 264:4 199
Maranatha, 264:5 179
Maranatha, 266:4-6 188
Maranatha, 270:2 201
Maranatha, 270:4 195
Maranatha, 273:5 194
Maranatha, 279:6 206
Maranatha, 279:6 209
Maranatha, 279:6 214
Maranatha, 282:8 218
Maranatha, 283:4 207
Maranatha, 283:6 207
Maranatha, 287:7 211
Maranatha, 290:2-5 216
Maranatha, 292:3 217
Maranatha, 293:2-6 218
Maranatha, 302:2 220
Maranatha, 302:4 220
Maranatha, 302:7 220
Maranatha, 308:3-4 230
Maranatha, 309:4-5 229
Maranatha, 317:1, 5-6 274
Maranatha, 318:2-4 275
Maranatha, 319:4 275
Maranatha, 320:1-2 275
Maranatha, 320:1-7 275
Maranatha, 320:3 275
Maranatha, 320:4 275
Maranatha, 320:5 275
Maranatha, 321:1-3 275
Maranatha, 321:4 275
Maranatha, 321:5 275
Maranatha, 321:6 276
Maranatha, 322:1-4 276
Maranatha, 322:5 276
Maranatha, 323:1 276
Maranatha, 324:2 276
Maranatha, 325:5-6 276
Maranatha, 326:2-6 277
Maranatha, 327:1-3 277
Maranatha, 327:5 277
Maranatha, 330:3-5 278
Maranatha, 331:2-5 278
Maranatha, 332:1-4 278
Maranatha, 333:1, 334:1-5 279
Maranatha, 340:2 240
Maranatha, 340:3 239
Maranatha, 340:4 240
Maranatha, 340:6 240
Maranatha, 340:7 240

LOCATOR INDEX
Maranatha, 341:2-3 239
Maranatha, 341:4-6 239
Maranatha, 349:2 279
Maranatha, 349:3 279
Maranatha, 355:5 279
Maranatha, 355:7 279
Maranatha, 357:1-5 280
Maranatha, 358:1 280
Maranatha, 359:1, 3 280
Maranatha, 359:4 280
Maranatha, 360:2 280
Maranatha, 361:4 280
Maranatha, 361:5 280
Maranatha, 363:3 280
Maranatha, 365:1, 366:1, 5 281
Maranatha, 367:1-2 281
Maranatha, 368:1, 3, 6-7 281
Maranatha, 369:7 281
Maranatha, 370:1-3 281
Maranatha, 370:4 281
Maranatha, 372:4-5 281
Medical Ministry, 87:5-88:0 61
Medical Ministry, 99:4-100:3 272
Medical Ministry, 100:4 281
Messages to Young People, 50 115
Messages to Young People, 62:2 116
Messages to Young People, 91:1-3 113
Messages to Young People, 107:1 115
Messages to Young People, 107:2 114-115
Messages to Young People, 107:3 115
Messages to Young People, 144:2 109
Messages to Young People, 330:1 255
1 Mind, Character, and Personality, 28:3 37
2 Mind, Character, and Personality, 504:3-505:0
56
Ministry of Healing, 90:1-2 112
Ministry of Healing, 142:4-143:0 19
Ministry of Healing, 466:2 280
Ministry of Healing, 473:2-3 275
Ministry of Healing, 474:1 275
Ministry of Healing, 506:1, 508:1 256
Mount of Blessing, 13:0 261
Mount of Blessing, 24-27 273
Mount of Blessing, 92:1 114
My Life Today, 160:2 273
My Life Today, 308:4 204
My Life Today, 316:2-3 112
My Life Today, 316:4 112
My Life Today, 317:3 113
My Life Today, 347:1, 3 266
My Life Today, 347:4 269
My Life Today, 348:4 266
My Life Today, 349:2-3 266
My Life Today, 349:4 266

313
My Life Today, 350:1, 4 266
My Life Today, 351:2-3 267
My Life Today, 352:1-2 267
My Life Today, 352:3, 5 267
My Life Today, 352:6 267
My Life Today, 353:1-2 267
My Life Today, 353:3-5 222
My Life Today, 354:1, 4-5 267
My Life Today, 354:6 267
My Life Today, 355:1-2 267
My Life Today, 355:4 267
My Life Today, 356:4 268
My Life Today, 356:2-3 268
My Life Today, 357:1, 5 268
My Life Today, 358:6 268
My Life Today, 358:7 268
My Life Today, 359:1, 4 268
My Life Today, 359:5 268
My Life Today, 359:6 268
My Life Today, 360:1-2,4-5 269
My Life Today, 361:1-3 269
My Life Today, 361:4 269
My Life Today, 363:4 269
My Life Today, 363:5 269
My Life Today, 364:1-3 270
My Life Today, 365:1-3 270
My Life Today, 365:5 270
My Life Today, 365:6 270
My Life Today, 365:7 270
—O—
Our High Calling, 125:4
Our High Calling, 150:6
Our High Calling, 278:3
Our High Calling, 286:2
Our High Calling, 286:4
Our High Calling, 355:2
Our High Calling, 357:4
Our High Calling, 367:3

171
108
107
282
282
155
171
215

—P—
Patriarchs and Prophets, 62:2-3 258
Patriarchs and Prophets, 67:1 271
Patriarchs and Prophets, 102:0-1 19
Patriarchs and Prophets, 104:0 164
Patriarchs and Prophets, 104:0 184
Patriarchs and Prophets, 166:1 20
Patriarchs and Prophets, 167:2 164
Patriarchs and Prophets, 201:2 181
Patriarchs and Prophets, 202:1 194
Patriarchs and Prophets, 256:1 196
Patriarchs and Prophets, 256:1 201
Patriarchs and Prophets, 342:1 258
Patriarchs and Prophets, 509:3-4 204
Patriarchs and Prophets, 686:1 52
Patriarchs and Prophets, 731:3 259

314

THE END OF TIME

Prophets and Kings, 176:0 204
Prophets and Kings, 184:2 35
Prophets and Kings, 188:1 75
Prophets and Kings, 188:1 79
Prophets and Kings, 188:2-189:0 154
Prophets and Kings, 188:2-189:0 157
Prophets and Kings, 188:2-189:0 292
Prophets and Kings, 277:1 19
Prophets and Kings, 278:1 18
Prophets and Kings, 300:0 159
Prophets and Kings, 512:1 191
Prophets and Kings, 512:2-513:0 39
Prophets and Kings, 513:1 201
Prophets and Kings, 536:2, 4-537:1 289
Prophets and Kings, 587:2-588:1 171
Prophets and Kings, 605:2 192
Prophets and Kings, 682:1 270
Prophets and Kings, 720:2 205
Prophets and Kings, 725:1 138
Prophets and Kings, 733:1 281
Publishing Ministry, 397:2-398:1 291
Publishing Ministry, 402:7 262
Publishing Ministry, 404:1 263
—R—
Reflecting Christ, 226:6 73
Reflecting Christ, 378:1-8 273
Review, December 19, 1878 291
Review, August 16, 1881 260
Review, October 25, 1881 261
Review, October 25, 1881 262
Review, May 30, 1882 107
Review, July 11, 1882 259
Review, June 10, 1884 279
Review, December 9, 1884 269
Review, July 23, 1895 288
Review, August 25, 1885 266
Review, June 1, 1886 24
Review, June 1, 1886 25
Review, June 8, 1886 136
Review, March 1, 1887 259
Review, March 22, 1887 142
Review, March 22, 1887 143
Review, December 18, 1888 30
Review, January 1, 1889 28
Review, January 1, 1889 265
Review, April 23, 1889 169
Review, May 28, 1889 93
Review, May 27, 1890 132
Review, August 19, 1890 128
Review, August 19, 1890 129
Review, August 26, 1890 143
Review, March 22, 1892 288
Review, December 13, 1892 277
Review, May 2, 1893 48
Review, October 9, 1894 266

Review, March 19, 1895 70
Review, February 11, 1896 128
Review, February 11, 1896 130
Review, November 17, 1896 256
Review, July 21, 1896 287
Review, January 26, 1897 265
Review, March 30, 1897 259
Review, May 4, 1897 271
Review, June 15, 1897 26
Review, June 15, 1897 48
Review, July 13, 1897 98
Review, August 19, 1897 274
Review, May 17, 1898 280
Review, November 14, 1899 283
Review, June 18, 1901 262
Review, February 25, 1902 144
Review, June 30, 1903 287
Review, August 11, 1903 294
Review, September 3, 1903 267
Review, November 26, 1903 266
Review, June 15, 1905 269
Review, November 23, 1905 289
Review, April 12, 1906 294
Review, November 22, 1906 255
Review, January 25, 1906 288
Review, January 3, 1907 269
Review, October 10, 1907 262
Review, October 22, 1908 258
Review, October 22, 1908 270
Review, December 17, 1908 264
Review, April 27, 1911 152
Review, November 7, 1918 131
Review Extra, December 11, 1888
Review Extra, December 11, 1888
Review Extra, December 24, 1889
Review Extra, December 24, 1889
Review, Extra, January 1893 131

26
32
31
48

—S—
1 Selected Messages, 48:3 71
1 Selected Messages, 66:2 133
1 Selected Messages, 66:2 92
1 Selected Messages, 67:8-69:1 286
1 Selected Messages, 76:0 211
1 Selected Messages, 111:3 133
1 Selected Messages, 118:3 156
1 Selected Messages, 191:1-2 178
1 Selected Messages, 363:0 149
1 Selected Messages, 411:2 142
2 Selected Messages, 13:1 70
2 Selected Messages, 16:1 156
2 Selected Messages, 16:1 174
2 Selected Messages, 16:1 88
2 Selected Messages, 16:1, 3 158
2 Selected Messages, 16:2-3 156
2 Selected Messages, 32:3 109

LOCATOR INDEX

315

2 Selected Messages, 33:3 221
2 Selected Messages, 36:2-3, 38:1 54
2 Selected Messages, 36:3, 38:1 24
2 Selected Messages, 42:4 55
2 Selected Messages, 48:2 55
2 Selected Messages, 49:3 62
2 Selected Messages, 50:4-51:0 55
2 Selected Messages, 51:2 62
2 Selected Messages, 52:4 55
2 Selected Messages, 53:2 56
2 Selected Messages, 53:3 56
2 Selected Messages, 54:0 62
2 Selected Messages, 54:2 55
2 Selected Messages, 55:1 84
2 Selected Messages, 73:2-3 178
2 Selected Messages, 81:0 175
2 Selected Messages, 81:0 47
2 Selected Messages, 81:0 88
2 Selected Messages, 96:1 60
2 Selected Messages, 114:0 71
2 Selected Messages, 114:0 78
2 Selected Messages, 141:1 37
2 Selected Messages, 142:1 36
2 Selected Messages, 142:1 37
2 Selected Messages, 142:2 37
2 Selected Messages, 142:3 36
2 Selected Messages, 142:3-4 35
2 Selected Messages, 143:3 36
2 Selected Messages, 144:1 37
2 Selected Messages, 260:1 221
2 Selected Messages, 263:3 100
2 Selected Messages, 359:5 36
2 Selected Messages, 367:4-368:0 168
2 Selected Messages, 368:1 72
2 Selected Messages, 368:1 79
2 Selected Messages, 370:2 168
2 Selected Messages, 373:0 26
2 Selected Messages, 373:0 48
2 Selected Messages, 375:1 28
2 Selected Messages, 380:1 159
2 Selected Messages, 380:1 28
2 Selected Messages, 380:1 38
2 Selected Messages, 380:2 70
2 Selected Messages, 380:2 73
2 Selected Messages, 384 33
2 Selected Messages, 384-385 34
2 Selected Messages, 394:4 61

3 Selected Messages, 388:3, 5 49
3 Selected Messages, 389:3 56
3 Selected Messages, 389:4 54
3 Selected Messages, 390:3 157
3 Selected Messages, 391:5 207
3 Selected Messages, 392:1, 4 39
3 Selected Messages, 392:5-393:0 40
3 Selected Messages, 403:1-405:0 286
3 Selected Messages, 405:1-407:4 293
3 Selected Messages, 408:1 293
3 Selected Messages, 408:2-409:0 293
3 Selected Messages, 408:4-409:0 62
3 Selected Messages, 409:1-2 293
3 Selected Messages, 409:3 293
3 Selected Messages, 409:3 293
3 Selected Messages, 410:1 293
3 Selected Messages, 410:4 294
3 Selected Messages, 410:5-411:2 294
3 Selected Messages, 411:7-412:0 294
3 Selected Messages, 411:1-2 56
3 Selected Messages, 412:1-2 294
3 Selected Messages, 414:2-415:4 287
3 Selected Messages, 415:5 295
3 Selected Messages, 415:6-418:0 296
3 Selected Messages, 418:1-419:1 296
3 Selected Messages, 418:1-419:1 301
3 Selected Messages, 418:3-419:1 189
3 Selected Messages, 419:2 296
3 Selected Messages, 419:1 496
3 Selected Messages, 420:2-3 296
3 Selected Messages, 420:4-421:1 297
3 Selected Messages, 421:2-422:4 297
3 Selected Messages, 422:5-423:2 297
3 Selected Messages, 423:3-426:3 298
3 Selected Messages, 425:5-426:1 205
3 Selected Messages, 426:1 198
3 Selected Messages, 426:4-427:0 299
3 Selected Messages, 427:1 299
3 Selected Messages, 427:2 83
3 Selected Messages, 427:3 299
3 Selected Messages, 427:3 220
3 Selected Messages, 427:4-428:1 193
3 Selected Messages, 427:4-430:4 300
3 Selected Messages, 427:5, 428:1 40
3 Selected Messages, 428:2-430:4 223
3 Selected Messages, 430:5-431:4 300
3 Selected Messages, 430:5-431:4 222

3 Selected Messages, 83:3-4 71
3 Selected Messages, 84:3 71
3 Selected Messages, 113:1-114:1 295
3 Selected Messages, 311:3-6 294
3 Selected Messages, 360:4 116
3 Selected Messages, 384:3-385:0 69
3 Selected Messages, 385:3 72
3 Selected Messages, 385:3 76
3 Selected Messages, 386:4-387:0 157
3 Selected Messages, 388:3, 5 147

Signs, November 29, 1877 257
Signs, August 5, 1875 255
Signs, January 31, 1878 271
Signs, November 24, 1881 255
Signs, November 2, 1882 266
Signs, July 1, 1886 256
Signs, July 1, 1886 267
Signs, November 10, 1887 266
Signs, January 27, 1888 271
Signs, July 13, 1888 257

316
Signs, April 8, 1889 271
Signs, April 8, 1889 282
Signs, April 15, 1889 262
Signs, November 1, 1899 83
Signs, November 1, 1899 84
Signs, November 1, 1899 151
Signs, February 24, 1890 272
Signs, February 8, 1892 266
Signs, April 18, 1906 269
Signs, March 31, 1909 265
Signs, December 29, 1909 258
Signs, March 22, 1910 83
Signs, June 20, 1911 267
Signs, February 17, 1914 287
Signs, November 14, 1933 143
Solemn Warning, October 1, 1903 132
Sons and Daughters of God, 51:3 82
Sons and Daughters of God, 118:2 128
Sons and Daughters of God, 118:3 129
Sons and Daughters of God, 355:4 179
Sons and Daughters of God, 355:5 179
Sons and Daughters of God, 359:2-4 219
Sons and Daughters of God, 359:5 221
Sons and Daughters of God, 359:5 228
Sons and Daughters of God, 362:3 229
Sons and Daughters of God, 371:4 115
Southern Watchman, May 14, 1903 260
Southern Watchman, Oct. 3, 1905 18
Spalding-Magan Collection, 4:3 156
Special Testimonies to Ministers, Series A, No. 7,
55 131
3 Spirit of Prophecy, 261 281
3 Spirit of Prophecy, 272-273 144
4 Spirit of Prophecy, 278:0 47
4 Spirit of Prophecy, 410 30
4 Spirit of Prophecy, 410 48
4 Spirit of Prophecy, 440:2 202
4 Spirit of Prophecy, 440-441 187
4 Spirit of Prophecy, 444:2-445:0 38
3 Spiritual Gifts, 82:3-83:0 207
Steps to Christ, 21:3 282
Steps to Christ, 32:2-33:0 116
Steps to Christ, 62:1 112
Steps to Christ, 62:2-63:1 113
Steps to Christ, 86:2-87:0 271
Steps to Christ, 125:1-126:2 253
Steps to Christ, 126:1-2 275
Story of Redemption, 129:2 196
Story of Redemption, 381:2-382:0 46
Story of Redemption, 381:2-382:0 47
Story of Redemption, 398:1 57
Story of Redemption, 430:2-431:0 279

THE END OF TIME
—T—
1 Testimonies, 146:2 280
1 Testimonies, 158:1 78
1 Testimonies, 175:1 159
1 Testimonies, 186:1 143
1 Testimonies, 186:2-187:1 141
1 Testimonies, 187:1 108
1 Testimonies, 187:1 113
1 Testimonies, 187:1 141
1 Testimonies, 203:1-204:0 155
1 Testimonies, 204:0 188
1 Testimonies, 206:1 196
1 Testimonies, 219:1 255
1 Testimonies, 223-224 33
1 Testimonies, 260:2 20
1 Testimonies, 261:1 21
1 Testimonies, 268:1-2 165
1 Testimonies, 268:1-2 20
1 Testimonies, 269:0 21
1 Testimonies, 302:2 56
1 Testimonies, 344:1 57
1 Testimonies, 353:3 137
1 Testimonies, 353:4-354:0 192
1 Testimonies, 354:0-1 208
1 Testimonies, 412:1 55
1 Testimonies, 504:2 78
1 Testimonies, 608:3 78
1 Testimonies, 619:1 140
2 Testimonies, 101:1-102:0 270
2 Testimonies, 191:1-192:0 178
2 Testimonies, 194:0 139
2 Testimonies, 232:1 261
2 Testimonies, 239:0 268
2 Testimonies, 355:1 107
2 Testimonies, 355:1 109
2 Testimonies, 355:1-356:0 93
2 Testimonies, 445:2 78
2 Testimonies, 691:0 182
2 Testimonies, 691:1-2 183
3 Testimonies, 115:1 73
3 Testimonies, 252:1, 253:0 143
3 Testimonies, 264:1 198
3 Testimonies, 266:2 175
3 Testimonies, 266:2 88
3 Testimonies, 266:2 92
3 Testimonies, 266:2-268:1 137
3 Testimonies, 267:1 136
3 Testimonies, 272:2 70
3 Testimonies, 364:1 115
3 Testimonies, 372:1 113
3 Testimonies, 512:1-513:0 260
3 Testimonies, 525:1 260
3 Testimonies, 566:2 257
3 Testimonies, 568:2-569:0 254
4 Testimonies, 87:1 143

LOCATOR INDEX
4 Testimonies, 89:2 71
4 Testimonies, 89:2 74
4 Testimonies, 89:2 78
4 Testimonies, 89:2 79
4 Testimonies, 107:3 259
4 Testimonies, 123:2-3, 124:4 300
4 Testimonies, 123:3-124:0 130
4 Testimonies, 211:1 71
4 Testimonies, 251:1 101
4 Testimonies, 251:1 33
4 Testimonies, 251:1 49
4 Testimonies, 307:0 21
4 Testimonies, 357:2 282
4 Testimonies,357:1 279
4 Testimonies,424:1 254
4 Testimonies,581:2 281
5 Testimonies, 70:2-3, 71:2 116
5 Testimonies, 80:0 69
5 Testimonies, 80:0 80
5 Testimonies, 80:1 158
5 Testimonies, 80:1 79
5 Testimonies, 80:1, 82:4 160
5 Testimonies, 80:1-81:0 76
5 Testimonies, 80:1-81:0 79
5 Testimonies, 80:1-81:1 21
5 Testimonies, 81-82 96
5 Testimonies, 81:1 171
5 Testimonies, 81:1 75
5 Testimonies, 81:1 79
5 Testimonies, 81:1, 82:1 77
5 Testimonies, 81:1-82:0 72
5 Testimonies, 100:2 183
5 Testimonies, 120:1 198
5 Testimonies, 120:1 226
5 Testimonies, 136:1 79
5 Testimonies, 136:2 79
5 Testimonies, 152:2 35
5 Testimonies, 158:1, 159:1 142
5 Testimonies, 208:2 40
5 Testimonies, 209:3-210:1 135
5 Testimonies, 210:2 136
5 Testimonies, 210:3-211:0 135
5 Testimonies, 211:1 136
5 Testimonies, 211:3-212:0 136
5 Testimonies, 212:3 134
5 Testimonies, 212:3 96
5 Testimonies, 212:4 135
5 Testimonies, 212:5-213:0 193
5 Testimonies, 213:0 191
5 Testimonies, 213:0 32
5 Testimonies, 213:1 96
5 Testimonies, 214:1-2 134
5 Testimonies, 214:2 108
5 Testimonies, 214:2 140
5 Testimonies, 214:2 92
5 Testimonies, 214:2 96
5 Testimonies, 216:1 85

317
5 Testimonies, 216:1 87
5 Testimonies, 216:1 93
5 Testimonies, 216:1 98
5 Testimonies, 216:1-2 108
5 Testimonies, 216:1-2 135
5 Testimonies, 216:1-2 96
5 Testimonies, 216:2 82
5 Testimonies, 216:2 86
5 Testimonies, 216:2 93
5 Testimonies, 267:2 141
5 Testimonies, 310:1 114
5 Testimonies, 383:2-3 138
5 Testimonies, 395:4 260
5 Testimonies, 449:3-450:0 169
5 Testimonies, 450:1 28
5 Testimonies, 450:1-451:0 171
5 Testimonies, 450:2 169
5 Testimonies, 450:2 28
5 Testimonies, 450:2-451:0 27
5 Testimonies, 451:1 30
5 Testimonies, 451:1 48
5 Testimonies, 451:1 53
5 Testimonies, 451:1 59
5 Testimonies, 451:1 68
5 Testimonies, 451:1 86
5 Testimonies, 451:3-452:0 84-85
5 Testimonies, 463:2 70
5 Testimonies, 463:2 75
5 Testimonies, 464:3-465:0 36
5 Testimonies, 466:2 109
5 Testimonies, 466:2 94
5 Testimonies, 471:1-472:1 116
5 Testimonies, 472:2-476:1 98
5 Testimonies, 472:2; 475:2 123
5 Testimonies, 524:0 198
5 Testimonies, 524:0 40
5 Testimonies, 525:1 26
5 Testimonies, 525:1-2 46
5 Testimonies, 525:2 32
5 Testimonies, 525:2 86
5 Testimonies, 526:1 119
5 Testimonies, 526:1 120
5 Testimonies, 546:2 166
5 Testimonies, 574:2 112
5 Testimonies, 590:2 120
5 Testimonies, 620:2-621:1 278
5 Testimonies, 698:1 61
5 Testimonies, 698:1 62
5 Testimonies, 711:4 25
5 Testimonies, 712:0 25
5 Testimonies, 712:1 28
5 Testimonies 712:3 171
5 Testimonies, 714:0 205
5 Testimonies, 714:0 49
5 Testimonies, 717 95
5 Testimonies, 729:2 131
5 Testimonies, 752:3-753:0 46

318
5 Testimonies, 754:2 156
6 Testimonies, 10:2 19
6 Testimonies, 130:2 85
6 Testimonies, 14:1 19
6 Testimonies, 18:2 39
6 Testimonies, 18:2 91
6 Testimonies, 19:1 149
6 Testimonies, 24:1-2 177
6 Testimonies, 24:2-3 288
6 Testimonies, 70:4-71:0 147
6 Testimonies, 309:2 261
6 Testimonies, 310:1 261
6 Testimonies, 310:2 280
6 Testimonies, 311:0-312:2 291
6 Testimonies, 311:0 262
6 Testimonies, 312:2 263
6 Testimonies, 332:0 71
6 Testimonies, 348:3 260
6 Testimonies, 348:3 261
6 Testimonies, 350:3 82
6 Testimonies, 352:1 38
6 Testimonies, 352:1 84
6 Testimonies, 394:2 169
6 Testimonies, 394:2 28
6 Testimonies, 395:1 39
6 Testimonies, 395:1 90
6 Testimonies, 395:1 91
6 Testimonies, 400:3-401:0 71
6 Testimonies, 401:0 157
6 Testimonies, 401:0 70
6 Testimonies, 401:0-1 155
6 Testimonies, 401:1 138
6 Testimonies, 404:3, 405:2 113
6 Testimonies, 406:3-4 203
6 Testimonies, 408:1 19
6 Testimonies, 408:2-3 142
6 Testimonies, 450:0 139
6 Testimonies, 450:0 285
6 Testimonies, 478:1-2 160
7 Testimonies, 33:1-2 144
7 Testimonies, 84:2 36
7 Testimonies, 84:3 37
7 Testimonies, 131:4 272
7 Testimonies, 138:2, 139:1-140:2 290
7 Testimonies, 140:3 160
7 Testimonies, 140:3 289
7 Testimonies, 141:1 18
7 Testimonies, 141:1 39
7 Testimonies, 141:1 40
7 Testimonies, 141:2 203
7 Testimonies, 182:2 28
7 Testimonies, 213:2 289
7 Testimonies, 244:2 268
8 Testimonies, 22:4 286
8 Testimonies, 27:4-28:0 18
8 Testimonies, 28:0 62

THE END OF TIME
8 Testimonies, 28:1 18
8 Testimonies, 41:1 76
8 Testimonies, 41:1 79
8 Testimonies, 42:1 271
8 Testimonies, 42:2 36
8 Testimonies, 46:1 154
8 Testimonies, 94:2 154
8 Testimonies, 117:3-4 85
8 Testimonies, 117:4 85
8 Testimonies, 140:0 257
8 Testimonies, 196:3-197:0 261
8 Testimonies, 249:2 131
8 Testimonies, 253:1 228
8 Testimonies, 254:3 259
8 Testimonies, 268:0 270
8 Testimonies, 297:5-6 71
8 Testimonies, 297:6-298:0 142
8 Testimonies, 331:3 107
9 Testimonies, 11:1-2 19
9 Testimonies, 11:2 156
9 Testimonies, 14:1-2 20
9 Testimonies, 15:5-16:0 21
9 Testimonies, 16:1 20
9 Testimonies, 16:1 55
9 Testimonies, 16:1 60
9 Testimonies, 17:1 196
9 Testimonies, 28:4-29:0 287
9 Testimonies, 29:2 285
9 Testimonies, 40:2 131
9 Testimonies, 48:3 132
9 Testimonies, 56:3 260
9 Testimonies, 61:1-2 289
9 Testimonies, 65:2 20
9 Testimonies, 69:4 290
9 Testimonies, 74:2 259
9 Testimonies, 97:2 131
9 Testimonies, 97:2 21
9 Testimonies, 126:1 287
9 Testimonies, 149:2 157
9 Testimonies, 155:1 131
9 Testimonies, 228:1-2 73
9 Testimonies, 229:3 28
9 Testimonies, 231:1 192
9 Testimonies, 238:1 148
9 Testimonies, 252:1 132
9 Testimonies, 285:2-286:0 229
9 Testimonies, 286:2, 287:1 258
9 Testimonies, 286:3 271
9 Testimonies, 287:2-288:0 271
9 Testimonies, 285:1 272
Testimonies to Ministers, 17:1-18:0 77
Testimonies to Ministers, 20:0 73
Testimonies to Ministers, 37:0 166
Testimonies to Ministers, 37:0 192
Testimonies to Ministers, 37:0 40
Testimonies to Ministers, 62:1 59

LOCATOR INDEX
Testimonies to Ministers, 62:1 60
Testimonies to Ministers, 64:1 144
Testimonies to Ministers, 64:2-3, 65:0 144
Testimonies to Ministers, 112:1 70
Testimonies to Ministers, 117:5-118:0 289
Testimonies to Ministers, 117:5-118:0 57
Testimonies to Ministers, 133:1 32
Testimonies to Ministers, 147:1 259
Testimonies to Ministers, 161:2-162:0 114
Testimonies to Ministers, 167:2-168:0 143
Testimonies to Ministers, 170:0-1 142
Testimonies to Ministers, 174:1 141
Testimonies to Ministers, 182:2 199
Testimonies to Ministers, 182:2-183:0 199
Testimonies to Ministers, 218:2 142
Testimonies to Ministers, 233:0 158
Testimonies to Ministers, 234:0 128
Testimonies to Ministers, 234:2-235:0 119
Testimonies to Ministers, 234:2-235:0 72
Testimonies to Ministers, 234:2-235:0 91
Testimonies to Ministers, 300:0 159
Testimonies to Ministers, 323:2-324:0 144
Testimonies to Ministers, 393:1 144
Testimonies to Ministers, 399:1 131
Testimonies to Ministers, 399:1 143
Testimonies to Ministers, 400:0 121
Testimonies to Ministers, 411:1 76
Testimonies to Ministers, 411:2 62
Testimonies to Ministers, 411:2 75
Testimonies to Ministers, 443:2 132
Testimonies to Ministers, 444:3 188
Testimonies to Ministers, 445:1 131
Testimonies to Ministers, 445:1 82
Testimonies to Ministers, 446:1 94
Testimonies to Ministers, 459:2 142
Testimonies to Ministers, 465:0 203
Testimonies to Ministers, 473:1 192
Testimonies to Ministers, 506:2 139
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1 143
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1 144

319
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1 174
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:1 88
Testimonies to Ministers, 507:2, 509:0 139
Testimonies to Ministers, 508:0 139
Testimonies to Ministers, 508:1 140
Testimonies to Ministers, 508:1 142
Testimonies to Ministers, 509:0 140
Testimonies to Ministers, 511:3-512:0 142
Testimonies to Ministers, 514:1 141
That I May Know Him, 356:2 216
That I May Know Him, 360:3-4 220
That I May Know Him, 365:4 275
That I May Know Him, 365:5 276
That I May Know Him, 371:2-4 275
—U—
Undated Manuscript 153 172
Undated Manuscript 153, 1-4 29
Undated Manuscript, 66 65
Undated Manuscript 66 67
Upward Look, 283:2 139
Upward Look, 317:6 57
Upward Look, 356:5 73
—V—
Vision of August 24, 1850 145
—W—
Welfare Ministry, 136:4-5 164
—Y—
Youth’s Instructor, July 21, 1892 254
Youth’s Instructor, June 30, 1892 127
Youth’s Instructor, October 1852 267
Youth’s Instructor, October 1852 268
Youth’s Instructor, October 1852 279

320

THE END OF TIME

END TIME VIDEOS
The most important Spirit of Prophecy quotations in this book are available in a
dynamic 18-video presentation. The quotations are accurately and powerfully read,
and are excellent for those who wish to present the heart of these truths in their own
homes. These videos enable individuals or groups to grasp the heart of the quotations, prior to reading them. Each video is about an hour in length. VHS video cassette format: Each one: $9.00 + $2.50 p&h / Complete set: $162.00 + $6.00 p&h / CD
format: set of 19 CDs: $39.90 + $3.80 p&h / MP3 format: 1 MP3 disc $5.00 + $2.50 p&h.
1 - THE COUNTERFEIT REVIVAL AND THREEFOLD UNION
1993. Satanic excitement prepares churches. ProtestantCatholic confederation forms. Coercion of Government.
Effect on God’s people.
2 - THE NATIONAL SUNDAY LAW 1993. Part One: The
National Sunday Law. Importance of event. What it will do.
Timing. Lamb-like beast and what it is. No-buy-sell decree.
Sign to leave cities. Trades and Professional associations
involved. Universal Sunday law. Which countries are first.
Ultimately everywhere. Part Two: The Image of the Beast:
What it is. How formed. Implications. When. Results. How to
avoid. Now try to defeat.
3 - THE FALSE LATTER RAIN 1994. When. The various
activities of Satan and devils during. A special passage.
Also after probation.
4 - THE SHAKING AND THE SIFTING 1994 Climax in future.
Causes. Events during. Several effects on church. When
finished. Will the organization go through?
5 - THE SEAL AND THE MARK 1994. Nature of seal and
mark. When placed in relation to each other. Timing.
Progressive. Results. Close of probation. Test to the church
before world. Relation to Loud Cry. A special passage.
Relation to seal.
6 - PERFECTION OF CHARACTER 1994. The center of the
coming crisis. We must now prepare for the judgment. The
controversy in heaven began over obedience. In Christ you
can overcome.
7 - THE JUDGMENT OF THE LIVING AND BLOTTING OUT
OF SIN 1994. Part One: The Judgment of the Living.
Relation to Sunday law and the Investigative Judgment. Still
future. The Zechariah vision. What judged by. The hinge of
the judgment. Part Two: The Blotting Out of Sin: Nature
and timing. What happens during. Relation to latter rain.
8 - THE MARRIAGE IN THE MOST HOLY PLACE 1994. The
depth of the experience. The symbol. The parable. The call.
Preparation for the latter rain.
9 - THE LATTER RAIN 1994. The event. Timing. Who it falls
on. Their prior experience. Relation to the third angel’s
message and loud cry.
10 - THE LOUD CRY OF THE THIRD ANGEL 1994. Part One:
The Third Angel’s Message: Timing. Relation to God’s people
in other churches. What to do on Sundays during. The
missing manuscript release. What the angel warns against.
What it calls to do. Where it points them toward. Events
preceding. Relation to timing of sealing and marking. Part
Two: The Fourth Angel Strengthens the Message: Its special
effects on the world. Relation to second angel’s message
and that of the third. Why given. Its pentecostal effects.
Power and extent. What God’s people will do during.
Largely a laymen’s movement, unsupported by any major

organization. Unusual agencies. Many will resist.
11 - THE LITTLE TIME OF TROUBLE 1994. Relation and
timing to loud cry. When it ends. Events in world during.
Reaction of world to God’s people. Activity of Rome and
Protestantism. Threatened with death. There are martyrs.
12 - THE CLOSE OF PROBATION 1994. Part One: The
Individual Close of Probation. It will close for some before
others. Sequential passages which discuss the Sunday
Law Crisis. Part Two: The General Close of Probation: It is
just before us. What has ended. Timing. Predictability.
Relation to loud cry and sealing. Jesus’ departure from the
Sanctuary. No Intercessor. The scapegoat transaction. No
second probation. What the people are doing when it
ends.
13 - THE GREAT TIME OF TROUBLE 1994. Great time of
trouble begins. Protection from the wicked removed. The
four winds. What Satan does. Who is blamed. Wicked still
deluded. Satan’s miracles. Death Decree. Satan’s primary
objective. Time of Jacob’s trouble. A final special test. Flight
to secluded locations. Seven last plagues. Who sends
them? Climax of Jacob’s trouble. No martyrs. The night
appointed for slaughter.
14 - THE VOICE OF GOD 1994. The battle of Armageddon.
Twelve special events and forty-four signs and wonders.
Christ’s journey to earth.
15 - THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST 1994. The jubilee.
The sign of the Son of Man. Timing. Jesus returns. Every
eye will see Him return. The display. The shaking. Flight of
the wicked. The great awakening. The cry of the saints.
The resurrection. Appearance of saints. Immortalized and
caught up. The reuniting.
16 - THE MILLENNIUM 1994. The journey. The coronation.
Opening the gates. The view. The two Adams. The tree and
the throne. The new song. Meeting guardian angels. The
sentencing judgment.
17 - THE THIRD ADVENT OF CHRIST 1994. Christ and
redeemed return. The two descents. Resurrection, the
plans, and march. Christ appears with His faithful ones.
Final coronation. The Judge. Viewed by all the worlds.
Opening the books. The wicked and everyone else
understands. The panoramic view. The sentence. The
confession. Satan’s admission. End of the great controversy! Christ’s declaration to His faithful ones. The final
rebellion. The fire falls. A fair punishment. Sin and sinners
gone. God and His law vindicated. City protected. Only
one reminder of sin.
18 - THE ETERNITY BEYOND 1994. A beautiful collection of
quotations, from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, about
your heavenly home!

The new, 320-page book, entitled The End of Time, is only $10.00 + $3.00 per
single copy. Arranged in 23 chapters, it contains far more quotations (over 2,000) and
has a locator index. Available for study groups or resale, at a low price in small
boxfuls.

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