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The 7 last plagues
The Voices of Armageddon
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Download copy of The Voices of Armageddon Study Chart
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A study of The Great Controversy - Chapter 40 - God's People Delivered. Laid out in modules,
The voices are not in chronological order just numbred for reference. The chart is laid out in order. For the encouragement of the saints.
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 16:18
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Revelation 16:10-21
This study will deal with the final 3 plagues, there seems to be some mystery
surrounding them. Within plague 6 Armageddon seems to be the focal point as well
as the Euphrates river. Plagues 5-7 are acompanied by voices, thunder and lightning
It is my belief that these voices, and thunderings are the voice of God that
free His people at the end of time. They are surrounded by their enemies and
look like total destruction will be their lot. This time period has a name it
is called Armageddon and is placed between the 3rd and 5th voice. As our study
progresses it will become apparent that the terms voice and thunder are
interchangeable. Let's reference some similar Bible stories and try to
discern what is meant by the voices and thunders, and begin our study...
1 Samuel 2:10 - A really great verse that states the overview of Gods thundering.
This is Hannahs prayer to God. Indeed Hannahs story is an allegory type of Gods
people at the 5th plague. We see a wicked woman tormenting her with many children
(in Revelation it is a wicked woman with many daughters), We see an apostate priest
accuse her of being drunk but instead blesses her Revelation 3:9, Hannah is exalted
in the end. Finaly the priest and his family are judged. There are many links to Gods
people during the 6th plague. This verse also states that those who fight against the
LORD will be shattered. It talks about a world wide judgment that links us to the end
of time. He Gives Power to Christ and exalts Him, we find this in John 12:28 - Where Christ
is Glorified by God. The horn of his anointed can have a dual meaning primarily refering
to Christ but also can refer to Gods people who stand for His truth. Psalm 75:10, Psalm 89:17,
Psalm 92:10, Psalm 23:5 this detail will be important later in the study.
One very important detail about this time period is that God waits till the 6th and 7th plague
to completely unleash His destructive power on those who really deserve it (those who have promoted
and taken the mark of the beast and persecuted Gods faithful people). The reason is that He is truly longsuffering and merciful and doesnt
want to destroy or hurt people so He saves the final destruction to the last.
We should remember that destroying others is a principle of Satans kingdom not Gods. God comes to
a place where retributive justice is necessary and He does it to Glorify His name and vindicate His people.
1 Samuel 7:3-13 This story is one that provides plenty of insight. Gods people come
to Him in humble repentance based on the Prophets leading, Satan sends his army the
Philistines to crush the solemn assembly and the Lord thundered with a loud thunder
upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before
Israel. The interesting thing about this story is that it says the Lord threw them
into confusion meaning they begin to destroy one another. Here are a few, more
famous battles where the same thing happens. Judges 7:22, 2 Chronicles
20:22-23, Isaiah 19:2
Ezekiel 38:18-23 - This is an allegory story about Armageddon and these
verses are talking about the 6th and 7th plague and is what we are going
to be discussing in this study. We will be using the classic book Great
Controversy (download copy here) as a microscope to drill down on
specifics. There are many references to how God deals with His enemies
in the whole 38th chapter of Ezekiel. Verse 21 says "And
I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Lord GOD,
and every man's sword will be against his brother". This chapter also has some
reference to what happens to the wicked after the thousand years are up and
seems to point to two different time periods much like Matthew 24.
The next story we can read about, Gods thundering voice is found in John 12:20-30
- The backstory here is before Jesus left the temple for the last time he
tries to reach his people, read Matthew 23 and especially verse 38. He
preaches His classic sermon Luke 13:24-30 about those who come from east
and west entering in before His own people. Tragically most of them
believed on Jesus but refused to cherish the light and follow Him, and they
ended up losing the grace He had to offer them, "For they loved the praise
of men more than the praise of God" John 12:43. This is a major component
of what makes up those who end up in Armageddon fighting against God in the
last days. We will deal granularly with this as we progress this study,
basically it is a decision to go against your conscience to escape the
cross of following Christ. Before He left the temple for the last time He
said to them Luke 13:34-35 "your house is left unto you desolate". About
this time, as He is in the temple Philip tells Andrew about "certain Greeks
among those who came up to worship at the feast" Saying "Sir, we wish to
see Jesus." They tell Jesus and He leaves the temple for the last time. The
book Desire of the Ages describes it this way (taken from Chapter 68 - In
the outer court) (download copy here)
At this time Christ's work bore the appearance of cruel defeat. He had been
victor in the controversy with the priests and Pharisees, but it was
evident that He would never be received by them as the Messiah. The final
separation had come. To His disciples the case seemed hopeless. But Christ
was approaching the consummation of His work. The great event which
concerned not only the Jewish nation, but the whole world, was about to
take place. When Christ heard the eager request, "We would see Jesus,"
echoing the hungering cry of the world, His countenance lighted up, and He
said, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified." In the
request of the Greeks He saw an earnest of the results of His great
sacrifice. {DA 621.2}
The message of the Greeks, foreshadowing as it did the gathering in of the
Gentiles, brought to the mind of Jesus His entire mission. The work of
redemption passed before Him, from the time when in heaven the plan was
laid, to the death that was now so near at hand
. A mysterious cloud seemed to enshroud the Son of God. Its gloom was
felt by those near Him. He sat rapt in thought. At last the silence was
broken by His mournful voice, "Now is My soul troubled; and what shall
I say? Father, save Me from this hour?"
In anticipation Christ was already drinking the cup of bitterness. His
humanity shrank from the hour of abandonment, when to all appearance He would be deserted even by God, when all
would see Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. He shrank from
public exposure, from being treated as the worst of criminals, from a
shameful and dishonored death. A foreboding of His conflict with the powers
of darkness, a sense of the awful burden of human transgression, and the
Father's wrath because of sin caused the spirit of Jesus to faint, and the
pallor of death to overspread His countenance. {DA 624.3}
The righteous pass through a similar experience in
the highlighted text above and as we read on, like Christ surrender their
wills to the Father and as they submit and pass through their
ordeal they receive the same mind that was in Christ "For this cause," He
said, "came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name." and what was that
hour John 12:27-28, Luke 22:53? The hour of the power of darkness, we have
the same "hour" at the end of the world Revelation 17:12. The same theme
occurs here in the text, the horror of a great darkness (Genesis 15:12) and
God being vindicated and glorified and the destruction of His enemies.
Continuing...
Then came divine submission to His Father's will. "For this cause," He
said, "came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name." Only through the
death of Christ could Satan's kingdom be overthrown. Only thus could man be
redeemed, and God be glorified. Jesus consented to the agony, He accepted
the sacrifice. The Majesty of heaven consented to suffer as the Sin Bearer.
"Father, glorify Thy name," He said. As Christ spoke these words, a
response came from the cloud which hovered above His head: "I have both
glorified it, and will glorify it again." Christ's whole life, from the
manger to the time when these words were spoken, had glorified God; and in
the coming trial His divine-human sufferings would indeed glorify His
Father's name. {DA 624.4}
As we see slightly before the voice is granted we see the phrase "Only
through the death of Christ could Satan's kingdom be overthrown."
This is the submission, the willingness to walk the blood stained path that
gives Him the victory and Gods people at the end of time are willing to
walk the same blood stained path at the loss of all things. Most notably we
see a major battle where the kingdom of darkness is made subject to Christ
and is totally defeated on our behalf and its destruction is made forever
certain and is made a total spectacle before all. The cross of Calvary is the key
to unlock all mysteries.
As the voice was heard, a light darted from the cloud, and
encircled Christ, as if the arms of Infinite Power were thrown about
Him like a wall of fire.
The people beheld this scene with terror and amazement. No one dared
to speak. With silent lips and bated breath all stood with eyes
fixed upon Jesus. The testimony of the Father having been given, the
cloud lifted, and scattered in the heavens. For the time the visible
communion between the Father and the Son was ended. {DA 625.1}
We will see the exact thing take place at what I call the "1st
voice" where God rejoices over his people with singing, reading on...
"The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered:
others said, An angel spake to Him." But the inquiring Greeks saw the
cloud, heard the voice, comprehended its meaning, and discerned Christ
indeed; to them He was revealed as the Sent of God. {DA 625.2}
We will see the same details just different actors as we progress in our
study. We see so far a people who bearing the semblance of religion are
bankrupt spiritually and "desolate", seeking to destroy Gods true followers
they are gathered to Armageddon. Not all the people who heard Gods voice of
thunder understood its meaning. The people who behold the scene are
silenced with terror and amazement. Just more components to add to our
investigation of these voices. We will see all these components.
There are Many Bible texts that talk about Gods voice and thunder most are
associated with the destruction of His enemies and the blessing of His
people. I list a few here, Job 37:1-5, Psalms 18:13-15, Psalms 46:6, Psalms
77:18, Matthew 27:46, Psalms 81:7, Psalms 104:7, Isaiah 29:6, Ezekiel
3:12-13
The are 7 voices, from the 1st voice of God (plague#5), to the new Jerusalem
the 7th voice of God. Each voice of God has specific outcomes.
There appears to be some overlap between voice 2 & 3.
I use Bible and spirit of prophecy to discern each voice there are 7
distinct voices with clear outcomes. I decode the final 3 plagues as well
(5 through 7).
She begins Chapter 40-God's People Delivered
With an Introduction and overview paragraph. The wicked gather in companies
with weapons of war to kill Gods people (instead they fall into the net
they created for Gods people by destroying themselves, this is known as
Armageddon). It looks like this chapter (40) is NOT in strict sequential order
it follows the timeline loosely, so be careful about viewing it that way. It is
written in a modular way inserting different themes, ideas and times in the place
they should go rather than writing it in a strictlly sequential way.
Just like the book of Revelation.
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. {GC 635.1} The people of God-some in prison cells, some hidden in
solitary retreats in the forests and the mountains-still plead for divine
protection, while in every quarter companies of armed men, urged on by
hosts of evil angels, are preparing for the work of death. It is now, in
the hour of utmost extremity, that the God of Israel will interpose for the
deliverance of His chosen. Saith the Lord; "Ye shall have a song, as in the
night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one
goeth ... to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of
Israel. And the Lord shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and
shall show the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger,
and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and
hailstones." Isaiah 30:29, 30. {GC 635.2}
With shouts of triumph, jeering, and imprecation, throngs of evil [636] men
are about to rush upon their prey, when, lo, a dense blackness (*Plague 5), deeper than the darkness of the night, falls upon the
earth. Then a rainbow, shining with the glory from the throne of God, spans
the heavens and seems to encircle each praying company. The angry multitudes are suddenly arrested. Their mocking cries die
away. The objects of their murderous rage are forgotten. With fearful
forebodings they gaze upon the symbol of God's covenant and long to be shielded from its overpowering brightness. {GC 635.3}
-
The 1st voice
herd & seen only by the righteous frees them, 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 Revelation 3:10. They possess the character of Jesus Hebrews 7:26.
This is the 1st of 3 shouts of victory by the righteous.
Zephaniah 3:8-17 The day the nations are gathered is a reference to Armageddon.
8 "Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day when I rise
up to seize the prey. For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble
kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy all the earth shall be consumed... 17 The
LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take
great delight in you; With his love, he will calm all your fears. He
will rejoice over you with singing."
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 victory1
{GC 636.1}
-
The 2nd Voice (#3 on chart)
. The 7th plague begins with the voice of God and an earthquake so
terrible that the surface of the earth is broken up. The righteous
are glorified but not made immortal till the dead are raised(GC 645.1).
Prison walls are rent asunder. The dead are raised in the special resurrection.
Those that died in the third angles message and the worst persecutors
of Gods people (two separate and distinct groups). It ends with hail
mingled with fire destroying Babylon completely see Exodus 9:23-24
, Ezekiel 38:22, See also Revelation 17:16-17; 18:8-9,18. The way that chapter
(40) in the Great Controversey is written it appears that there is
some overlap between the 5th, 6th and 7th plagues.
It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of
His people
. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in
quick succession. The wicked look with terror and amazement upon the scene,
while the righteous behold with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance.
Everything in nature seems turned out of its course. The streams cease to
flow. Dark, heavy clouds come up and clash against each other. In the midst
of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence
comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying:
"It is done." Revelation 16:17. {GC 636.2}
That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon
the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." Verses 17, 18. The
firmament appears to open and shut. The glory from the throne of God seems
flashing through. The mountains shake like a reed in the wind, and ragged
rocks are scattered on every side. There is a roar as of a coming tempest.
The sea is lashed into fury. There is heard the shriek of a hurricane like
the voice of demons upon a mission of destruction. The whole earth heaves
and swells like the waves of the sea. Its surface is breaking up.
Its very foundations seem to be giving way.
Mountain chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear. The seaports
that have become like Sodom for wickedness are swallowed up by the
angry waters.
Babylon the great has come in remembrance before God, "to give unto her the
cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath."
Great hailstones, every one "about the weight of a talent," are doing
their work of destruction. Verses 19, 21. The proudest cities of the
earth are laid low. The lordly palaces, upon which the world's great
men have lavished their wealth in order to glorify themselves, are
crumbling to ruin before their eyes. Prison walls are rent asunder, and
God's people, who have been held in bondage for their faith, are set
free
. {GC 636.3}
Graves are opened, and "many of them that sleep in the dust of the
earth ... awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt." Daniel 12:2
. All who have died in the faith of the third angel's message come forth
from the tomb glorified, to hear God's covenant of peace with those who
have kept His law. "They also which pierced Him" (Revelation 1:7), those
that mocked and derided Christ's dying agonies, and the most violent
opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory
and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient. {GC 637.1}
-
The 3rd Voice (#2 on chart)
. Voices declare the doom of the wicked. The words spoken are
not comprehended by all; but they are distinctly understood by the
false teachers. The Lord will display His Law in the heavens
(see Revelation 11:18-19 The Lord will "destroy those who destroy the
earth") and all will wake up to the fearful reality that they are lost.
Here they turn on the unrighteous ministers and armageddon begins. He will
give them that are wicked to the sword." Jeremiah 25:31. Now the angel of
death goes forth Ezekiel 9:1-6. The false watchmen are the first to fall.
The weapons that were formed for Gods people now are used by the wicked to
destroy themselves. This is the drying up of the river Euphrates. This symbol
of the "drying up" means "their defense is departed from them" Numbers 14:9
, Revelation 17:15.
The nations have been brought to armageddon and it begins here (*Plague
6).
*
Revelation 16:12-16 Is talking about Armageddon, the verse Revelation 16:15
seems out of place why ensconce the verse here after probation is closed
and this is talking about the 6th plague and Armageddon? This is
Jesus talking and many Bible versions have this verse in red letters so it
must be important. Let's take a look at some of the terms used in the verse
"Behold, I am coming as a thief" has a specific time period in mind talking
about "the day of the Lord" and is most clearly stated in 2 Peter 3:10 and
1 Thessalonians 5:2 and would be placed in the time period of the final
church at the end of time. The next symbols we will address are "Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and
they see his shame.". Revelation 3:17-18 uses similar terms to express the
condition of Laodicea "wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" and
offers of eyesalve, gold, and garments go unheeded. It appears that there
are many links to the last church. In short this verse is another warning
to the church of Laodicea and is a special warning to Gods people at the end
of time to watch and pray such as Jesus warned his disciples in gethsemane.
A warning to those that take the mark of the beast and who become the worst
persecutors of their former brethren, as the Jews of old did when they
persecuted the followers of Christ in their day. See Jeremiah 42-43 for a
similar story, against the will of the Lord trying to run away to avoid
trouble and take what appears to be the easy way out only to get destroyed
instead. Cross bearing is never popular with the masses, bearing the name of
Christ even in reproach and persecution is the way He offers us that character
of Gold. Notice this statement elsewhere in the Great Controversey
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. {GC 608.2}
Let's continue where we left off...
Thick clouds still cover the sky; yet the sun now and then breaks through,
appearing like the avenging eye of Jehovah. Fierce lightnings leap from the
heavens, enveloping the earth in a sheet of flame.
Above the terrific roar of thunder, voices, mysterious and awful,
declare the doom of the wicked. The words spoken are not
comprehended by all; but they are distinctly understood by the
false teachers.
Those who a little before were so reckless, so boastful and defiant, so
exultant in their cruelty to God's commandment-keeping people, are now
overwhelmed with consternation and shuddering in fear. Their wails are
heard above the sound of the elements. Demons acknowledge the deity of
Christ and tremble before His power, while men are supplicating for mercy
and groveling in abject terror. {GC 637.2}
Said the prophets of old, as they beheld in holy vision the day of God:
"Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a
destruction from the Almighty." Isaiah 13:6. "Enter into the rock, and hide
thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall
be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day
of the Lord of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and
upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low." "In that day
a man shall cast the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which
they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to
go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for
fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to
shake terribly the earth." Isaiah 2:10-12, 20, 21, margin. {GC 638.1}
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. {GC
638.2}
While these words of holy trust ascend to God, the clouds sweep back, and
the starry heavens are seen, unspeakably glorious in contrast with the
black and angry firmament on either side. The glory of the celestial city
streams from the gates ajar.
Then there appears against the sky a hand holding two tables of stone
folded together. Says the prophet: "The heavens shall declare His
righteousness: for God is judge Himself." Psalm 50:6. That holy law,
God's righteousness, that amid thunder and flame was proclaimed from
Sinai as the guide of life, is now revealed to men as the rule of
judgment. The hand opens the tables, and there are seen the precepts of
the Decalogue, traced as with a pen of fire. The words are so plain that all can read them.
Memory is aroused, the darkness of superstition and heresy is swept from
every mind, and God's ten words, brief, comprehensive, and authoritative,
are presented to the view of all the inhabitants of the earth. {GC 639.1}
It is impossible to describe the horror and despair of those who have
trampled upon God's holy requirements.
The Lord gave them His law; they might have compared their characters with
it and learned their defects while there was yet opportunity for repentance
and reform; but in order to secure the favor of the world, they set aside
its precepts and taught others to transgress. They have endeavored to
compel God's people to profane His Sabbath. Now they are condemned by that
law which they have despised. With awful distinctness they see that they
are without excuse. They chose whom they would serve and worship. "Then
shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between
him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not." Malachi 3:18. {GC
639.2}
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.
{GC 640.1}
_______________________________
Chapter 41 Desolation of the earth has a paragraph with this to say
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. {GC 655.4} "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. {GC
656.1}
________________________________
Continuing back in chapter 40...
-
The 4th Voice
. The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of
Jesus' coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people.
Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel
of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are
lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came
down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. See Exodus 34:29-30 notice that
the saints faces shine after the law is displayed and the 4th
voice delivers the everlasting covenant. Then the King comes from the "east".
The saints 2nd shout of victory, this time mighty.
The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus'
coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals
of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God
stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are
lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came
down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when the blessing is
pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there
is a mighty shout of victory2. {GC 640.2}
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 [641] 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. {GC 640.3}
-
The 5th Voice
. Before His presence "all faces are turned into paleness;" upon the
rejecters of God's mercy falls the terror of eternal despair. The
righteous cry with trembling: "Who shall be able to stand?" there is a
period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus is heard, saying: "My
grace is sufficient for you." The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips
are hushed into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, "with
confused noise, and garments rolled in blood" (Isaiah 9:5), is stilled.
*note armageddon ends here plague 6. The wicked cry for the rocks to fall on them.
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. {GC 641.1}
The King of kings descends upon the cloud, wrapped in flaming fire.
The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles
before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its
place. [642] "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a
fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous
round about Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to
the earth, that He may judge His people." Psalm 50:3, 4.
{GC 641.2}
"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman,
hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to
the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of
His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" Revelation 6:15-17. {GC
642.1}
The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are hushed into silence.
The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, "with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood" (Isaiah 9:5), is stilled.
Nought now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of weeping and lamentation.
The cry bursts forth from lips so lately scoffing: "The great day of His wrath
is come; and who shall be able to stand?" The wicked pray to be buried
beneath the rocks of the mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom
they have despised and rejected. {GC 642.2}
-
The 6th Voice
. Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of
thunder,the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He
looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven,
He cries: "Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!",
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
they are caught up in the cloud, the righteous who are alive and so latelly glorified
are made immortal and are caught up in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air and are
reunited with their departed loved ones. The wicked mourn to see the fulfillment of Jesus
prophecy of His coming in power: "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. This statement by Christ is a reference
to two distinct time periods, the second coming of Christ as King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. And the Judgement of the wicked after the thousand years. The wicked
are finally destroyed by the brightness of His coming Zechariah 14:12,
2 Thessalonians 2:8, Job 4:9, Isaiah 11:4, Isaiah 30:28, Revelation 19:20.
This is the saints 3rd Shout of victory.
That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, they know. How
often have its plaintive, tender tones called them to repentance.
How often has it been heard in the touching entreaties of a friend,
a brother, a Redeemer. To the rejecters of His grace no other could
be so full of condemnation, so burdened with denunciation, as that
voice which has so long pleaded: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil
ways; for why will ye die?" Ezekiel 33:11. Oh, that it were to them
the voice of a stranger! Says Jesus: "I have called, and ye
refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye
have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof."
Proverbs 1:24, 25. That voice awakens memories which they would
fain blot out-warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges
slighted.
{GC 642.3}
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. {GC 643.1}
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. {GC 643.2}
With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary.
With shuddering horror they remember how, wagging their heads in satanic
exultation, they exclaimed: "He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He
be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will
believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have
Him." Matthew 27:42, 43. {GC 643.3}
Vividly they recall the Saviour's parable of the husbandmen who refused to
render to their lord the fruit of the vineyard, who abused his servants and
slew his son. They remember, too, the sentence which they themselves
pronounced: The lord of the vineyard "will miserably destroy those wicked
men." In the sin and punishment of those unfaithful men the priests and
elders see their own course and their own just doom. And now there rises a
cry of mortal agony. Louder than the shout, "Crucify Him, crucify Him,"
which rang through the streets of Jerusalem, swells the awful, despairing
wail, "He is the Son of God! He is the true Messiah!" They seek to
flee from the presence of the King of kings. In the deep caverns of the
earth, rent asunder by the warring of the elements, they vainly attempt to
hide. {GC 643.4}
In the lives of all who reject truth there are moments when conscience
awakens, when memory presents the torturing recollection of a life of
hypocrisy and the soul is harassed with vain regrets. But what are these
compared with the remorse of that day when "fear cometh as desolation,"
when "destruction cometh as a whirlwind"! Proverbs 1:27. Those who would
have destroyed Christ and His faithful people now witness the glory which
rests upon them. In the midst of their terror they hear the voices of the
saints in joyful strains exclaiming: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited
for Him, and He will save us." Isaiah 25:9. {GC 644.1}
Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of
thunder,the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He
looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven,
He cries: "Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!"
Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that
voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with
the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and
people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal
glory, crying: "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy
victory?" 1 Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen
saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory 3. {GC 644.2}
All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered
the tomb. Adam, who stands among the risen throng, is of lofty height and
majestic form, in stature but little below the Son of God. He presents a
marked contrast to the people of later generations; in this one respect is
shown the great degeneracy of the race. But all arise with the freshness
and vigor of eternal youth. In [645] the beginning, man was created in the
likeness of God, not only in character, but in form and feature. Sin
defaced and almost obliterated the divine image; but Christ came to restore
that which had been lost. He will change our vile bodies and fashion them
like unto His glorious body. The mortal, corruptible form, devoid of
comeliness, once polluted with sin, becomes perfect, beautiful, and
immortal. All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. Restored to
the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will "grow up"
(Malachi 4:2) to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory. The
last lingering traces of the curse of sin will be removed, and Christ's
faithful ones will appear in "the beauty of the Lord our God," in mind and
soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord. Oh, wonderful
redemption! long talked of, long hoped for, contemplated with eager
anticipation, but never fully understood. {GC 644.3}
The living righteous are changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye."
At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and
with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Angels
"gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to
the other." Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers'
arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part, and
with songs of gladness ascend together to the City of God. {GC 645.1}
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. {GC 645.2}
-
The 7th Voice
. 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.Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City.
Jesus opens wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in.
There they behold the Paradise of God, the home of Adam in his innocency. Then that
voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: "Your
conflict is ended." "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.
Before entering the City of God, the Saviour bestows upon His followers the
emblems of victory and invests them with the insignia of their royal state.
The glittering ranks are drawn up in the form of a hollow square about
their King, whose form rises in majesty high above saint and angel, whose
countenance beams upon them full of benignant love. Throughout the
unnumbered host of the redeemed every glance is fixed upon Him, every eye
beholds His glory whose "visage was so marred more than any man, and His
form more than the sons of men." Upon the heads of the overcomers, Jesus
with His own right hand places the crown of glory. For each there is a
crown, bearing his own "new name" (Revelation 2:17), and the inscription,
"Holiness to the Lord." In every hand are placed the victor's palm and the
shining harp. Then, as the commanding angels strike the note, every hand
sweeps the harp strings with skillful touch, awaking sweet music in rich,
melodious strains. Rapture unutterable thrills every heart, and each voice
is raised in grateful praise: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from
our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and
His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Revelation
1:5, 6 {GC 645.3}
Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly
gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There they behold
the Paradise of God, the home of Adam in his innocency. Then that voice,
richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: "Your
conflict is ended." "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world." {GC 646.1}
Now is fulfilled the Saviour's prayer for His disciples: "I will that they
also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am." "Faultless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24), Christ presents to
the Father the purchase of His blood, declaring: "Here am I, and the
children whom Thou hast given Me." "Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept."
Oh, the wonders of redeeming love! the rapture of that hour when the
infinite Father, looking upon the ransomed, shall behold His image, sin's
discord banished, its blight removed, and the human once more in harmony
with the divine! {GC 646.2}
With unutterable love, Jesus welcomes His faithful ones to
the joy of their Lord. The Saviour's joy is in seeing, in the kingdom
of glory, the souls that have been saved by His agony and humiliation. And
the redeemed will be sharers in His joy, as they behold, among the blessed,
those who have been won to Christ through their prayers, their labors, and
their loving sacrifice. As they gather about the great white throne,
gladness unspeakable will fill their hearts, when they behold those whom
they have won for Christ, and see that one has gained others, and these
still others, all brought into the haven of rest, there to lay their crowns
at Jesus' feet and praise Him through the endless cycles of eternity. {GC 647.1}
And there it is 7 voices of God that free His people beginning at the
5th plague through the 7th plague, the final reward of
the righteous and the destruction of Gods enemies.
3elijahs.com
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