- Welcome to the final presentation in the approaching storm series on last day events. I'm Ken Norton, speaker/director for the Voice of Prophecy. In this series, we have looked at the details surrounding the Sunday Law, The Shaking, the Latter Rain and the Loud Cry. We have seen how important it is for us to anchor ourselves into Jesus now so that we do not drift away when the storm of the last days comes upon us. In the first six presentations we have focused on events that take place during The Little Time of Trouble before the close of probation, and this last presentation entitled Earth's Final Moments and the Dawn of Eternity, we turn our attention to the events that will transpire from the close of probation until the second coming of Jesus. Let's pray to begin. Lord God, open our eyes that we may see wondrous things from your law. Teach us Jesus so that we may be ready for your soon coming. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. At that time, Michael shall stand up the great prince who stands, watch over the sons of your people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation and even to that time and at that time, your people shall be delivered. Everyone who is found written in the book. Ellen White, the author of The Great Controversy, and in the chapter titled The Time of Trouble, she opens with this verse from Daniel 12. She then gives this explanation and it's a long quote, but it's important for us to see the entire context. 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. 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 hosts 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 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. When he leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time, the righteousness 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, unsheltered by divine grace. They 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 and check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. In both the old and New Testament, there is a title given to this Great Time of Trouble. It's called The Day of the Lord. From the Old Testament book of Zephaniah, we read, be Silent in the presence of the Lord God. For the day of the Lord is at hand. For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has invited his guests and it shall be in the day of the Lord's sacrifice that I will punish the princes and the king's children and all such as our clothed with foreign apparel. The great day of the Lord is near. It is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter. There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds in thick darkness, A day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. I will bring distress upon men and they shall walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood shall be poured out like dust and their flesh like refuse from the New Testament. In 2 Peter, chapter 3, we read this, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat, both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. It will indeed be a time of trouble such as never was. Ellen White says The time of trouble such as never was, is soon to open upon us. 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. This final presentation is not designed to cause fear, worry, or anxiety about what lies ahead in the future, but to do just the opposite, this presentation is meant to be an expansion on the hope-filled ending of the verse that we just looked at in Daniel 12 verse one. After stating that there will be a time of trouble, Daniel says, at that time, Michael shall stand up the great prince who stands, watch over the sons of your people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that time and at that time your people shall be delivered. Everyone who was found written in the book, God will deliver his people. But before that deliverance God's people will be living during a time such as never was or ever will be again. It is a period that has become known as The Great Time of Trouble. During this time, the seven last plagues will fall and a death decree will be issued against God's faithful people as they themselves experience what the Bible calls the time of Jacob's trouble. During the great time of trouble, both the righteous and the wicked will suffer, but their suffering will not be the same in nature. Let's first take a look at the experience of the wicked at that time. This from the book The Great Controversy When Christ ceases his intercession in the sanctuary, the unmingled wrath threatened against those who worship the beast in 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 judgements which are to fall upon the world just before the final deliverance of God's people. Ellen White doesn't explain it here as she does in other places, but God's wrath poured out after the close of probation is called unmingled wrath. Why? Because it's unmingled with mercy. But don't miss something here. What God will do to the wicked inhabitants of the earth during the plagues is very much out of character for him as a merciful God. The prophet Isaiah, when describing the future punishment of the wicked at the end of time makes an interesting statement. He says, for the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of Gibeon that he may do his work, his awesome work and bring to pass his act, his unusual or strange act. And what is this unusual strange act? Isaiah tells us in the very next verse Now therefore do not be mockers, lest your bonds be made strong. For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a destruction determined even upon the whole earth to our merciful God. The act of destruction is a foreign, unfamiliar strange act. He takes absolutely no delight in punishing or destroying people. He has made it clear that this is not something that he enjoys say to them as I live says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn, turn from your evil ways for why should you die? Oh, house of Israel. I like the way Ellen White puts all this in context as she describes the time of the plagues, the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the Lord's reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which he bears long and which he will not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God's account will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy. He is reluctant but he is also just and there seems to be indication in the description of the plagues that some of the plagues are direct punishments in response to the persecution that the wicked have been heaping upon the righteous at that time. We will see that in a moment. The plagues are described in Revelation 16:1–21. Let's take time to read each one. Then. I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth. So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth and a foul and loathsome soar came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image A foul and loathsome soar may best be described as extremely painful boils. Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea and it became blood as of a dead man and every living creature in the sea died from all indications. The seas will turn into the consistency, odor and color of a dead man's blood. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water and they became blood and I heard the angel of the water saying You are righteous. Oh Lord, the one who is and who was and who is to be because you have judged these things for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets and you have given them blood to drink for it is their just due. And I heard another angel from the altar saying, even so Lord God, almighty, true and righteous are your judgments. Not only the sea water turns to blood but all potable water turns to blood as well and becomes undrinkable. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun and power was given to him to scorch men with fire and men were scorched with great heat and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues and they did not repent and give him glory how much hotter the sun gets than it is now. We don't know, but the heat will literally be scorching and unbearable. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast and his kingdom became full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and did not repent of their deeds. The earth will become a place of extremes in the fourth plague right before this one, brightness and heat at one extreme only to swing in the opposite direction to a darkness that is not only felt but extremely painful. Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God. Almighty behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame and they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew Armageddon. Unfortunately, time does not permit us to decode the symbolism in this plague. In summary, all support for end time Babylon will be dried up and demonic spirits will have free reign on this earth to gather all the inhabitants of the world into one final rebellious army against God. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying it is done and there were noises and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. Then every island fled away and the mountains were not found and great hail from heaven fell upon men each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail since that plague was exceedingly great. In the seventh plague there is a planet shaking earthquake, the wicked turn against each other. Islands and mountains disappear and 75 to a hundred pound hailstones decimate the earth. How is it possible that anyone could survive after plagues like these? Ellen White gives us some insight. These plagues are not universal or the inhabitants of the earth would be wholly cutoff, 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. During several of the plagues we saw that the wicked vented their fury against God, but soon their vented fury turns from heaven to a group of people on the earth who did not experience the plagues. Ellen White explains what happens next. 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. Ellen White expounds more about this in The Great Controversy she says that the anger of the wicked turns into a death decree 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 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. 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. The death decree is described as part of the sequence of last day events in the book of Revelation. It is here in Revelation 13:15, he the second beast was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. This will be the time for God's people to literally run for the hills if they have not done so already since there will be no towns or cities that will be safe for any of God's followers at that time. Ellen White expands on this in The Great Controversy as the decree issued by the various rulers of Christ dom 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. And then comes one of my favorite quotes concerning last day events. 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. What these skirmishes with angelic men of war might look like is fodder for the imagination, but unfortunately not everyone makes it out of the cities and villages into the mountains to hide 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 passed 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 though enemies may thrust them into prison, yet dungeon walls cannot cut off the communication between their souls and Christ. One who sees their every weakness, who is acquainted with every trial is above all earthly powers and angels will come to them in lonely cells bringing light and peace from heaven. The prison will be as a palace for the rich in faith dwell there and the gloomy walls will be lighted up with heavenly light as when Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises at midnight in the Philippian dungeon, some of God's people will be hiding in solitary and desolate places deep in the mountain forest or jungles. Others will be chained to dark dungeon walls behind prison bars. God's people will suffer during this time, but their suffering will not be primarily physical. God will miraculously take care of all of their physical needs. 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. To him that walketh righteously is the promise bread shall be given him his water shall be sure When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them. I the God of Israel will not forsake them. Yes, there may be some physical suffering by God's people at this time, but that will not be the greatest cause of their suffering. Their suffering will be of a different nature and will be allowed for a very specific purpose. Ellen White describes what happens after the death decree has gone out while people are still hiding or in prison. She says The people of God will then be plunged into those scenes of affliction and distress described by the prophet Jeremiah as the time of Jacob's trouble, thus sayeth 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. What is this time of Jacob's trouble 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. He sees that holy angels are guarding them and he infers that their sins have been pardoned, but he does not know that their cases have been decided. In the sanctuary above, he has an accurate knowledge of the sins which he has tempted them to commit and he presents these before God in the most exaggerated light. He claims them as his prey and demands that they be given unto his hands to destroy. 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. They the righteous afflict their souls before God pointing to their past repentance of their many sins and pleading the Savior's promise. Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me. Their faith does not fail because their prayers are not immediately answered though suffering. The keenest anxiety, terror, and distress, they do not cease their intercessions. They lay hold of the strength of God as Jacob laid hold of the angel and the language of their souls is I will not let thee go except thou bless me. This is an intense time of suffering for God's people. Isaiah compared it to the time when Jacob physically wrestled the angel who we know was God in the form of a man. During that physical struggle, Jacob experienced great mental anguish as Satan pressed upon his mind the sense of his guilt so as to discourage Jacob and break his hold on God. But Jacob would not let God go until he was sure he was forgiven and that he had the blessing of the most high. And what did God do? He blessed him and made sure Jacob knew he was completely forgiven. God will do the same to his people during this time of intense struggle just before their deliverance. Jacob's history is also in 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 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 eyes 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. The most difficult part for God's faithful people during that time is that it will seem from all outward appearances that God has abandoned them and that death for them is just around the corner 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 exalt and the jeering cry is heard. Where now is your faith? Why does not God deliver you out of our hands? If you are indeed his people 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 of Christ's patience with sympathizing tenderness. Angels have witnessed their distress and have heard their prayers. They're 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 as they endeavor to wait trustingly for the Lord to work. They are led to exercise, faith, hope and patience which have been too little exercised during their religious experience. Just when all hope seems lost and the darkness would seem to shut out every ray of light, the veil between the seen and the unseen world begins to be lifted. This from The Great Controversy as the wrestling ones urge their petitions before God, the veil separating them from the unseen seems almost withdrawn. The heavens glow with the dawning of eternal day and like the melody of angels songs, the words fall upon the ear, stand fast to your allegiance, help is coming. Christ the almighty victor holds out to his weary soldiers a crown of immortal glory and his voice comes from the gates ajar: ‘Lo, I am with you. Be not afraid. I am acquainted with all your sorrows. I have borne your griefs. You are not warring against untried enemies. I have fought the battle in your behalf and in my name you are more than conquerors. The precious Savior will send help just when we need it. The way to heaven is consecrated by his footprints. Every thorn that wounds our feet has wounded his every cross that we are called to bear. He has born before us. The Lord permits conflicts to prepare the soul for peace. The time of trouble is a fearful ordeal for God's people, but it is the time for every true believer to look up and by faith he may see the bow of promise encircling him. It is during this time right before God delivers his people. The righteous are given another short but beautiful revelation of God's glory that encourages them to hold on just a little longer by the people of God. A voice clear and melodious as 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 has given me be with me where I am 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 and then the sign so long waited for appears in the heavens. 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 savior 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 near the earth becoming lighter and more glorious. Until it is a great white cloud, it's base a glory like consuming fire. And above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conquer with anthems of celestial melody. The holy angels, a vast outnumbered throng attend him on his way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms 10,000 times, 10,000 and thousands of thousands. No human pen can portray the scene. No mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor as the living cloud comes still near every eye. Beholds the prince of life, no crown of thorns now Mars, that sacred head, but a diadem of glory rests upon his holy brow. His countenance outshine 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. Before his presence, all faces are turned into paleness. Upon the rejectors 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. The righteous cry with trembling who shall be able to stand. The angel's song is hushed and there is a period of awful silence. Then the voice of Jesus has heard saying, my grace is sufficient for you. The faces of the righteous are lighted up and joy fills every heart and the angel strike a note higher and sing again as they draw still near to the earth, the king of kings descends upon the cloud wrapped in flaming fire. The heavens are rolled together as a scroll. The earth trembles before him and every mountain and island is moved out of its place and the kings of the earth and the great men and the 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? And then the moment that so many of us have been looking forward to since the day we lost loved ones who died in Christ 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 breath 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, oh, death. Where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long glad shout of victory and those of us who are alive, experienced just as powerful a miracle as being raised from the dead. 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 born by holy angels to their mother's arms. Friends long separated by death are united never more to part and with songs of gladness ascend together to the city of God. I wish there was time to go through the details of what happens after God's people reached the heavenly city. Ellen White saw in vision things she said can't even be described by pen, but there is one of her descriptions that stands out among the others. It highlights the incredible joy and satisfaction the saved will have in heaven because of something they did here on earth. When the saved reach heaven, they will see among the redeemed, those who were one to Christ through their prayers and through their earnest efforts put forth here on earth with unutterable love. Jesus welcomes his faithful ones to the joy of their Lord. The savior'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 one 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. What a glorious day that will be. This isn't, of course the end of the story. Revelation fills in the final details in the last few pages of the Bible, the thousand years that follow. The second coming of Jesus finds Satan confined to this desolate planet alone with his angels, the saved or in heaven during this time, going over the record books for God has given them authority to judge, lost people and lost angels. After the thousand years have completed the new Jerusalem descends to this planet and the wicked are raised to receive their sentencing. The wicked led by Satan try to attack the holy city. As they do so, fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them. Then the Book of Revelation ends. In a way we should expect it to end with the same appeal that is found on nearly every page from Genesis to Revelation. The holy scriptures close with an appeal from Jesus himself, inviting all who are thirsty to come and drink deeply of the salvation that God offers freely to all who will just come. And this appeal is a fitting way to close this series. And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city and the spirit and the bride say, come and let him who hearsay come and let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires let him take the water of life freely. He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.