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The Controversy Ended - The Great Controversy, Chapter 42

Welcome to The Controversy Ended chapter of The Great Controversy eBook

In Short:

Christ's third coming to the earth and resurrection of the wicked
God's wisdom, justice and goodness vindicated
The entire universe is clean, declaring that God is love.

Christ returns to the earth at the close of the thousand years. He is with His redeemed and angels. He descends in terrific majesty and resurrects the wicked.

They come forth numberless as the sands of the sea. Moreover, they bear the traces of disease and death, the condition before the grave.

Furthermore, they came forth with the same enmity to Christ and same spirit of rebellion.

He descends upon the Mount of Olives - the same place He ascended after His resurrection.

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; Zechariah 14:5, 4.

Christ with His people and the angels enters the Holy City - New Jerusalem descended from Heaven. Now Satan prepares for a last struggle for supremacy.

He claims to be the prince and owner of this world and works wonders to support them.

Preparing for battle

Satan plan to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem.

He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves.

As the presence of Christ Spirit having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims.

He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and energy.

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.

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.

Coronation of the Son

The glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The brightness of his presence fills the City of God.

Nearest the throne are those who:

perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and infidelity
honored the law of God when the Christian world declared it void
of all ages were martyred by millions for their faith.

The palm branch in their hands is a symbol of their triumph and the white robe an emblem of the spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs.

Now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentences upon the rebels against His government.

Moreover,executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people.

I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away...

and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:11, 12.

Above the throne is revealed the Cross.

Moreover, it appears like a panoramic view the scenes of Adam's temptation and fall and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption.

Opening the Books of Record

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.

Furthermore, all behold the enormity of their guilt.

It is now evident to them that the wages of sin is not noble independence and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death.

All see that their exclusion from Heaven is just. By their lives they have declared: We will not have this Jesus to reign over us.

They see in His hands the tables of the Divine Law - the statutes which they have despised and transgressed.

Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers whence he has fallen.

From the council where once he was honored, he is forever excluded.

Recalling memories

Memory recalls:

The home of his innocence, purity, peace and content that were his until he indulged in murmuring against God, and envy of Christ
His accusations, rebellion, deceptions to gain the sympathy and support of the angels.

He reviews his work among people and its results - the enmity of man toward his fellow-man and God.

Moreover, his constant efforts to oppose the work of Christ and to sink humans lower and lower.

He has led the multitudes to believe that the City of God would be an easy prey; but he knows that this is false.

Justifying himself

The aim of the great rebel has always been to justify himself. Moreover, 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.

Nevertheless, the time has now come when the rebellion is to be finally defeated, and the history and character of Satan disclosed.

He has trained his powers to war against God.

Therefore, 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.

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. Revelation 15:4.

God's wisdom, justice and goodness 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 on humans behalf.

The hour has come when Christ occupies His rightful position, and is glorified above principalities and powers and every name that is named.

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.

The hopeless case

Satan rushes into the midst of his subjects 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.

Nevertheless, they see that their case is hopeless, that they cannot prevail against Jehovah.

Their rage is kindled against Satan and those who have been his agents in deception.

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.

In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch - Satan the root, his followers the branches.

While God is to the wicked a consuming fire, He is to His people both a sun and a shield.

Furthermore, no eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.

One reminder alone remains

Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon his wounded head, side, hands and feet are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought.

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.

The earth originally given to humans as their kingdom, betrayed by them into the hands of Satan, has been brought back by the great plan of redemption.

All that was lost by sin has been restored.

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.

But as it is written - 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.