As the suffering, struggling children of God flee from the rage of the wicked and wrestle in their hearts to be assured of God’s favor, suddenly, an unusual cloud approaches the earth, small at first, but increasing in size until it fills the whole sky.
The followers of Jesus recognize this as their Savior returning to earth to rescue them, accompanied by all His holy angels.
As the world presses in upon them to extinguish their lives, Jesus and His angels surround the planet and the Saints are delivered.
The saved of all ages are resurrected from the dead. Everyone from Adam and Eve, down to the last martyr for Jesus, stands alive on the earth.
Simultaneously, all the wicked are slain by the brightness of Christ’s coming. The living saints and the resurrected saints ascend together with Christ to heaven.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1- 3
“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 is found written in the book.
And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:1-3
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18
“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the [mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2: 1-8
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. John 5: 28, 29
“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.
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 foundation seems to be giving way. Mountain chains are sinking. Inhabited islands disappear.
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.
All who have died in the faith of the third angels message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law.
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.
Through the 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 despisers of truth they have evinced their fidelity to Him who died for them.
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 are moved out of its place.
Amid the reeling of the earth, the flashing 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, ye that sleep in the dust and arise.”
All come forth from the 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 a little below the Son of God.
All arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth. Before entering the city of God, the Savior bestows upon His followers the emblems of victory and invest them with the Insignia of their royal state.
With unutterable joy, 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 all the redeemed will be sharers in His joy as they behold, among the blessed, those who have been won for Christ, through their prayers, their laborers, 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.
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 Savior lifts him up and bids him look once more upon the Eden home from which he has so long been exiled.” GC 635- 652
Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
