The Second Coming of Christ

In this article, we will discover how the glorious appearance of Christ in His Second Coming will affect both the righteous and the wicked before the redeemed begin their long awaited journey to heaven.

When Christ comes the second time, He will come to earth in a cloud, for He is to return in “like manner” as He left the earth. (See Acts 1:9–11.) Sister White describes the great scene with these words: “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of Man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant.” The Great Controversy, 640, 641.

How assuring is the promise, given by the angels to the disciples at Jesus’ ascension, that “this same Jesus” would return to take us home with Him. “The disciples had beheld the cloud receive Him. The same Jesus who had walked and talked and prayed with them; who had broken bread with them; who had been with them in their boats on the lake; and who had that very day toiled with them up the ascent of Olivet,— the same Jesus had now gone to share His Father’s throne. And the angels had assured them that the very One whom they had seen go up into heaven, would come again even as He had ascended.” The Desire of Ages, 832.

A Glorified, Triumphant King

There is also an additional factor to recognize. The Savior will be a glorified Christ when He returns. “The glory of Christ’s humanity did not appear when He was upon the earth. He was regarded as a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. We hid as it were our faces from Him. But He was pursuing the path the plan of God had devised. That same humanity now appears as He descends from heaven, robed in glory, triumphant, exalted.” In Heavenly Places, 358.

The glory revealed in the Second Coming will surpass anything that has ever been beheld by mortal eyes. “Christ will come in His own glory, in the glory of His Father, and in the glory of the holy angels. Ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, the beautiful, triumphant sons of God, possessing surpassing loveliness and glory, will escort Him on His way. In the place of a crown of thorns, He will wear a crown of glory—a crown within a crown. In the place of that old purple robe, He will be clothed in a garment of whitest white, ‘so as no fuller on earth can white’ (Mark 9:3). And on His vesture and on His thigh a name will be written, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.'” Our High Calling, 367. What a majestic description!

Can you imagine seeing countless angels accompany Christ as His glory fills the entire sky? He is no longer to be a man despised. He is now a conquering King! “Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a ‘Man of sorrows,’ to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe . . . ‘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, thousand and thousands of thousands.’ No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. ‘His glory covers the heavens’ . . . 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.'” The Great Controversy, 641.

Who Shall be Able to Stand?

This display of overmastering power will affect both the wicked and the righteous. At first the saints will be apprehensive, while the wicked become terrified. “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, the knees smite together . . . and the faces of them all gather blackness.’ Jeremiah 30:6, Nahum 2:10.” Ibid., 641. 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.

“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. ‘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.” Ibid., 641, 642.

The difference between the saints and the sinners becomes a reality. While the righteous are filled with joy, the wicked are trying to hide and flee to the mountains, crying for the rocks to fall on them. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand.” (See Revelation 6:15–17.)

The Wicked Cry to Their God

Today the disobedient seem unaware that Satan is preparing them for this final moment. Billions, in these closing hours, are choosing the pagan worship of “mother earth” rather than the worship of the Creator, as their living God. The following quotation reveals how such people will try in vain to escape, calling on their “nature god” to hide them from their Creator. “When the earth is reeling to and fro like a drunkard, when the heavens are shaking, and the great day of the Lord has come . . . the unsaved utter wild imprecations to dumb nature—their god: ‘Mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne. (Revelation 6:16).'” That I May Know Him, 356.

The wicked will flee to the same caves, in the mountains, which have recently been vacated by the faithful. “The people, who have braved out their rebellion, will fulfill the description given in Revelation 6:15–17. In these very caves and dens they find the very statement of truth in the letters and in the publications as witness against them. The shepherds who led the sheep in false paths will hear the charge made against them, ‘It was you who made light of the truth. It was you who told us that God’s law was abrogated, that it was a yoke of bondage. It was you who voiced the false doctrines when I was convicted that these Seventh-day Adventists had the truth. The blood of our souls is upon your priestly garments. . . . Now, will you pay the ransom for my soul? . . . What shall we do who listened to your garbling of the Scriptures and your turning into a lie the truth which if obeyed would have saved us?’

“When Christ comes to take vengeance on those who have educated and trained the people to trample on God’s Sabbath, to tear down His memorial, and tread down with their feet the feed of His pastures, lamentations will be in vain. . . . Rocks and mountains cannot screen them from the indignation of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Maranatha, 290.

At last, the wicked, beholding the glorified Christ in the clouds of heaven, have awakened to their fate, and their attitudes change. “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 Great Controversy, 642. And such is the end of the wicked who are alive when Christ comes, for they are destroyed by the brightness of His coming.

“And They Also Who Pierced Him”

However, we must not overlook another most amazing prophecy. For there are some, among the wicked dead, who must live again to see the living, glorified Christ. Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him.” Did you notice those words, “And they also which pierced Him”? These words refer to those wicked dead who played a part in the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord. These individuals, though dead for two thousand years, are to be raised in a special resurrection to behold the return of Jesus in His glory.

The servant of the Lord describes how these individuals will recall the words of Christ. “With thrilling power come to their minds the Sufferers’ words (speaking of Christ), 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.’ Mathew 26:64. Now they behold Him in His glory. . .

“Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speechless now. There is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal title and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. . . . The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of Life now turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse. . . .

“And now there rises a cry of mortal agony. Louder than the shout, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him,’ which rang through the streets of Jerusalem, swells the awful, despairing wail, ‘He is the Son of God! He is the true Messiah!'” The Great Controversy, 643, 644.

These resurrected murderers, who mistreated the Lord, will join with the living wicked in calling for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Jesus, because “they remember how His love was slighted and His compassion abused. . . . All the insult and despite offered to Christ, all the suffering caused to His disciples, will be as fresh in their recollection as when the Satanic deeds were done.

“The voice which they heard so often in entreaty and persuasion will again sound in their ears. Every tone of gracious selection will vibrate as distinctly in their ears as when the Saviour spoke in the synagogues and on the street. Then those who pierced Him will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.” The Last Day Events, 275.

The Second Coming and the Righteous

We have looked at how the Second Coming will affect the wicked. Now let us consider how the appearance of Christ, in all His glory, will affect the righteous living and the righteous who have died through past ages. First we will consider the righteous who are raised when the trumpet of God sounds.

Inspiration describes the scene like this: “Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightening, 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 hand to heaven, He cries, ‘Awake, awake, awake, Ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’ Throughout the length and the 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 an 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 voice in a long, glad shout of victory.” The Great Controversy, 644.

What takes place in the truly born-again individual that makes the resurrection possible? Consider these words carefully with me, for they contain the secret to eternal life. “By the power of the Savior that dwelt in them while living and because they were partakers of the divine nature, they were brought forth from the dead.” Sons and Daughters of God, 359.

What a divine truth to contemplate. Should some of us be laid to rest before He comes, let us so live that we are daily partakers of this divine nature which is so freely offered to all of God’s obedient children. For we read, “The victory of the sleeping saints will be glorious on the morning of the resurrection. . . . The Lifegiver will crown with immortality all who come forth from the grave.” Ibid.

“When our friends go into the grave, they are beautiful to us. It may be our father or our mother that we laid away: when they come forth those wrinkles are all gone but the figure is there, and we know them. . .

“We want to be prepared to meet these dear friends as they come forth in the resurrection morning. Shall we lay hold upon the hope set before us in the gospel that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is?” In Heavenly Places, 353.

Such assurance is given to all who have been faithful. “The precious dead, from Adam down to the last saint who dies, will hear the voice of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life.” The Desire of Ages, 606.

My heart throbs as I read these precious promises. “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Hebrews 10:37. Don’t you feel like saying, “Praise God”? “The child of God will be terror-stricken at the first sight of the majesty of Jesus Christ. He feels that he cannot live in His holy presence. But the word comes to him as to John, ‘Fear not.’ Jesus laid His right hand upon John; He raised Him up from his prostrate position. So will He do unto His loyal, trusting, ones.” That I May Know Him, 360.

Again, I must re-emphasize the important truth that it is only because we become joined with Christ here on earth, that when we die we will come forth from the grave when He calls. This is stated clearly in Maranatha, 302. “Christ became one flesh with us, in order that we might become one spirit with Him. It is by virtue of this union that we are to come forth from the grave—not merely as a manifestation of the power of Christ, but because through faith, His life has become ours. Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of life eternal.” Is that not amazing? Here is the gospel in its fullness.

The Condition of the Resurrected Righteous

Have you ever wondered what the appearance and size of the righteous dead will be like when they are resurrected? That answer is found in inspiration also. “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 the vigor of eternal youth. . . . All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave. Restored to the tree of life in the long-lost Eden, the redeemed will ‘grow up’ (Malachi 4:2) to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory.” The Great Controversy, 644, 645.

“When Christ comes, . . .we shall then be gifted with a higher nature. The bodies of all who purify their souls by obeying the truth shall be glorified. They will have fully received and believed in Jesus Christ.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 427.

I have discovered another gift that will be bestowed upon the saints of God when He comes. “When Christ comes, we shall then be gifted with a higher nature. The bodies of all who purify their souls by obeying the truth shall be glorified. They will have fully received and believed in Jesus Christ.” Selected Messages, book 3, 427.

It is no wonder that the apostle exclaimed in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “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.” Let these words of inspiration from 1 Corinthians15:53 be riveted in our mind: “This corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality.”

Ellen White emphasizes these word in The Great Controversy, 645. “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.” “There are the columns of angels on either side . . . then the angelic choir strike the note of victory and the angels in two columns take up the song and the redeemed host join as though they had been singing the song on the earth, and they have been. Oh, what music! There is not an inharmonious note. Every voice proclaims, ‘Worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” Sons and Daughters of God, 359. I get so thrilled when I read about the coming wonders that I can hardly wait. My heart cry is, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.”

Picture with me the reunion of God’s saints. “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 mother’s arms. Friends long separated by death are united, nevermore to part. . . .” The Great Controversy, 645. (If you are interested in reading more about children in heaven, see Selected Messages, vol. 2, 260 and Early Writings, 19.)

A Big Reunion

We shall know our friends even as the disciples knew Jesus. They may have been deformed, diseased or disfigured in this mortal life, but they will rise in perfect health and symmetry. Yet, in the glorified body, their identity will be perfectly preserved. “Then shall we know, even as also we are known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.

“He [Jesus] will come to honor those who have loved Him and kept His commandments and to take them to Himself. He has not forgotten them or His promise. There will be a relinking of the family chain.” The Desire of Ages, 632.

What about those we have led to Jesus? “The redeemed will meet and recognize those whose attention they have directed to the uplifted Saviour. What blessed converse they have with these souls! ‘I was a sinner,’ it was said, ‘without God and without hope in the world, and you came to me and drew my attention to the precious Saviour as my only hope.’ . . . Others will say, ‘I was a heathen in heathen lands. You… came to teach me how to find Jesus and believe in Him as the only true God. I demolished my idols and I worshiped God, and now I see Him face to face. I am saved, eternally saved, ever to behold Him whom I love.’..

“Others will express their gratitude to those who fed the hungry and clothed the naked. ‘When despair bound my soul in unbelief, the Lord sent you to me,’ they say, ‘to speak words of hope and comfort, . . . so that I could grasp the hand of Christ that was reached out to save me. . . . You read to me the precious promises of God’s word. You inspired in me the faith that He would save me. My heart was softened, subdued, broken, as I contemplated the sacrifice which Christ had made for me…’

“What rejoicing there will be as these redeemed ones meet and greet those who have had a burden in their behalf! And those who have lived, not to please themselves, but to be a blessing to the unfortunate who have so few blessings—how their hearts will thrill with satisfaction.” My Life Today, 353.

As I recall these wonderful statements, beloved, we must be there. We must be there! Please contemplate this mighty appeal of the Holy Spirit found in Early Writings, 110. “Then only those who are holy, those who have followed fully the meek Pattern, will with rapturous joy exclaim as they behold Him, ‘Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.’ And they will be changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.’—that trump that wakes the sleeping saints, and calls them forth from their dusty beds, clothed with glorious immortality, and shouting, ‘Victory! Victory over death and the grave.’ The changed saints are then caught up together with the angels to meet the Lord in the air, nevermore to be separated from the object of their love.

“With such a prospect as this before us, such a glorious hope, such a redemption that Christ has purchased for us by His own blood, shall we hold our peace? Shall we not praise God even with a loud voice, as did the disciples when Jesus rode into Jerusalem? Is not our prospect far more glorious than was theirs? Who dare then forbid us glorifying God, even with a loud voice, when we have such a hope, big with immortality, and full of glory? We have tasted of the powers of the world to come, and long for more. My whole heart cries out after the living God, and I shall not be satisfied until I am filled with all His fullness.”

Is Exact Obedience Necessary?

Elementary Principles that Every Child and Young Person Needs to Know

Among Christians today, a frequently debated question is, Do we really have to obey God exactly? Some people say that it is impossible to obey God exactly and completely, so we should just try to be as good as we can. Others think that we do not even need to try, since God will save us just the way we are. What is the Bible’s answer to this important question? There are several Bible stories that we will examine to help us discover that answer.

In the Garden of Eden, Eve did not think that it was really very important that she obey God exactly, so she ate a piece of fruit that God said not to eat. As a result of this seemingly small deviation from God’s command the floodgates of misery, woe, sickness, suffering, death, strife and war were opened up for all of their descendents.

Cain was another person that did not think it was important to obey God exactly. He thought that he could choose the part of God’s command he wanted to follow, and so when God instructed them to bring a lamb as a sacrifice, he brought a sacrifice, but instead of a lamb, he brought the fruit of his own hands to offer to God. What response did he receive from God? “And the Lord respected Able and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So God said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is at the door.” Genesis 4:3,4. Cain was worshipping the Lord. He was even bringing an offering to the Lord, but he did not follow the divine instructions. His obedience was not exact.

A Rebellious People

This failure of the human race, since the time of Adam, to recognize that God means what He says is also seen in the story of the Children of Israel in the wilderness. When God worked a miracle every day to provide manna for their food, He gave them special instructions about it’s preparation and use. In Exodus 16:19, 20 we read, “And Moses said, ‘Let no one leave any of it [the manna] till the morning.’ ” Did they follow these simple instructions? “Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.” They refused to listen to God’s counsel through Moses. They did not think it was important to obey exactly.

When they disobeyed God, they saw the results. And it would seem logical that they would have learned to obey God when He gave them instruction, but when He told them to gather a double portion for the Sabbath day, and not go out on the Sabbath to gather food, they again tested God. “Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place in the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.” Exodus 16:25–30.

Human beings seem to have a hard time learning that God means what He says even though God’s requirements are few. There are only Ten Commandments in the whole moral Law. There is not an encyclopedia, or books and books of laws. His Law is simple enough for a child to understand, but God is particular as to whether or not His word is obeyed.

It is important to obey God exactly. In fact, your eternal destiny is determined by whether you obey God exactly or not. Exact obedience does not earn salvation, but the gift of salvation is not given to those who are rebellious against God and are not particular to obey Him.

A Disobedient Prophet

The story of the prophet sent to rebuke king Jeroboam and to prophesy what was going to happen to him because of his idolatry adds to our understanding of the seriousness of this point. After the prophet gave His message, the king was so angry that he ordered his seizure. As he pointed his finger toward the prophet, his whole hand withered up and he could not move it—his hand was paralyzed. In terror he plead with the prophet, “Oh, please, pray for me!” So the prophet prayed for him and the Lord worked a miracle and restored his arm to perfect function.

Here he had very plain evidence, in his own body, that the Lord had spoken to him through this prophet, and so he realized that it would only be wise to listen. So he said to this prophet, “Come home with me and eat with me.” But the prophet said, No! ” ‘If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, “You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.”‘ So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.

“Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. And their father said to them, ‘Which way did he go?’ For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. Then he said to his sons, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, and went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak.

“Then he said to him, ‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’ And he said, ‘I am.’ Then he said to him, ‘Come home with me and eat bread’. And he said, ‘I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, “You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.” He said to him, ‘I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, “Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.”‘ [He was lying to him.] So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

“Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water,’ your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.”‘
“So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

“Now when the prophet who had brought him back by the way heard it, he said, ‘It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.’ And he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled it.

“Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother.'” 1 Kings 13:8–30.

When Its Not Safe to Listen to an Angels’ Message

The problem for this prophet was that he listened to another prophet who lied to him, claiming to have a message from an angel. Do you realize that when God speaks, even if an angel should tell you to do something different, you are going to lose your soul if you disobey the Lord?

The apostle Paul makes this clear. “If we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you that what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8. When God speaks, you will lose your soul if you listen to anybody else and disobey—even if it is an angel.

We need to learn this lesson today, for many people are going to eternal destruction who could be saved if they understood that whether you obey or disobey makes the difference between whether you will have eternal life or eternal death.

Notice what Moses said to the Children of Israel about this very point. “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give them.” Deuteronomy 30:15–20.

New Covenant Obedience

Moses said, “I am setting before you life and death determined by your obedience.” However, some will say, “But, I am living in the new covenant today.” Do you realize that the requirements of the new covenant are even more strict than the requirements of the old covenant? (Read the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5, 6 and 7.)

In the new covenant, Jesus said it is not enough to keep the law of God on the outside, you have to keep it from your heart. Jesus declared the necessity of obedience in John 5:28, 29: “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.” Jesus links the type of life that you live to your eternal destiny. Obedience or disobedience determines your eternal destiny.

The apostle Paul repeats the same warning as he speaks concerning God, “who will render to each one according to his deeds, eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to every one who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For an many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers or the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; . . .)” Romans 2:6–13.

Another New Testament writer speaks to the same subject: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.” James 2:8–12.

It is clear that James is talking about the moral law, the Ten Commandments. Breaking one of these commandments makes you guilty of breaking them all. Obedience or disobedience will determine the eternal destiny of men and women, boys and girls.

The Bible predicts that obedience will distinguish God’s true people from His professed followers in the last days, when Jesus predicted that “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matthew 24:12. God’s last day people are described in Revelation 12:17. “And the dragon was enraged with the woman [the symbol of a church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [the last of God’s people], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

God’s people in the last days will be commandment keepers. Again in Revelation 14:12 we read: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” God’s people are here contrasted with the disobedient, those who receive the mark of the beast. (See Revelation 14:9–11.)

The last chapter of the Bible says again, “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.” Revelation 22:14. The next verse describes those who do not obey God’s commandments. Three times in the last three chapters of Revelation God contrasts the obedient with the disobedient, so we will not make a mistake. Eternal destiny is determined by whether you obey God exactly.

But today there is a worldwide deception concerning the law of God. Some people think that you cannot keep it. Others think that you do not need to keep it. But the worst deception of all is when people think that they can change or adjust the requirements of God’s law, and that then they are keeping it when actually they are breaking it. (This is especially true when people claim to be keeping God’s law while they are breaking the fourth commandment, the Sabbath commandment mentioned in Exodus 20:8–11.)
Through Jesus, God’s mercy has been manifested to men, but mercy does not set aside justice. The law reveals the attributes of God’s character and not one jot or tittle of it can be set aside to meet man in his fallen condition. God did not change His law. He sacrificed Himself in Christ to redeem man from the curse of the law.

The law requires righteousness, a righteous life, and a perfect character. But this, man does not have and so he can not give it. He cannot meet the claims of God’s holy law, but Christ came down to earth as a man, lived a holy life and developed a perfect character. These He offers to give to man as a free gift, if man will receive it.

More than this, Christ imbues a man with the attributes of God’s own character so that He can develop, within this human being, the attributes of the divine character, that the principles of the Law might be fulfilled in the life of the Christian. (Romans 8.) By His life and death, Christ proved that God’s justice did not destroy His mercy as the devil’s deception claims. He showed that sin could be forgiven and that the law is righteous and can be perfectly obeyed. The law was not abrogated, which would immortalize sin and place the whole world under Satan’s control.

Because the law could not be changed, Jesus died on the cross and established the law. However, Christ’s death on the cross is the very act which the devil claims destroyed the law. He has lead men to believe that the moral law, the Ten Commandments, were “nailed to the cross,” when in fact Christ came to do just the opposite.

Since the beginning of the great controversy, Satan has claimed that the law, spoken by God’s own voice, is faulty and that some specification can been set aside. The last great deception that Satan will bring upon the world will be on this same point. Bible prophecy foretells that in the last days Satan will assail one of God’s commandments, and lead men to keep a man-made law instead of God’s law.
Will the devil need to make you break the whole law? No, he knows that those who keep the whole law but offend in one point are guilty of all. (James 2:10.) He knows that if you consent deliberately to break one precept, that brings you under his control. So, the devil will work on the minds of men so that they will set up their laws to counterwork the Law of God and seek to compel the consciences of others to enforce their man-made laws.

This warfare against God’s law will continue until the end of time. Every man is going to be tested. Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. Every single human being is going to choose between the law of God and the laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will only be two classes. Every character will be fully developed, every person will demonstrate whether he will keep all the law of God. What will your decision be?

Editorial – Purification of the Church, Part III

Question: How does the work of purification begin in the church?

[Emphasis supplied]

“Let the churches who claim to believe the truth, who are advocating the law of God, keep that law and depart from all iniquity. Let the individual members of the church resist the temptations to practice evils and indulge in sin. Let the church commence the work of purification before God by repentance, humiliation, deep heart searching, for we are in the antitypical day of atonement—solemn hour fraught with eternal results.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 378.

Question: What is the church to be purified from?

“The Church is in great need of purification. There are sins that are unrepented of and unconfessed. The poison of sin must be cleansed from the Church. Many have been so deceived, their principles so corrupted, that they have no pleasure in the word of God, and it has no power over their lives. God will test character. In the day of final judgment, when every man shall be judged according to the deeds done in the body, nothing will seem to have existence but character and the law of God. Man will be stripped of everything but the character he has formed. All will be seen to be either righteous or unrighteous.” Review and Herald, February 12, 1901.

Question: When is this purification to take place, and what will happen to church members if this work of purification is delayed?

“Many are asleep, and what can be said to arouse them from their carnal slumber? The Lord would have His church purified, before His judgments shall fall more signally upon the world. [Malachi 3 and 4 quoted.]

“I am instructed to urge upon our people most earnestly the necessity of religion in the home. Among the members of the household there is ever to be a kind, thoughtful consideration. Morning and evening let all hearts be united in reverent worship. At the season of evening worship, let every member of the family search well his own heart. Let every wrong that has been committed be made right. If, during the day, one has wronged another, or spoken unkindly, let the transgressor seek pardon of the one he has injured. Often grievances are cherished in the mind, and misunderstandings and heartaches are created that need not be. If the one who is suspected of wrong be given an opportunity, he might be able to make explanations that would bring relief to other members of the family. [Hebrews 12 is quoted, showing that the purification of the church and the shaking are one and the same.

“The Lord will show His loving favor to those who will keep His commandments. The Word, the living Word, received and obeyed, will be a savor of life unto life. The reception of the truth will regenerate and cleanse the sinful soul. This work of individual purification of character can not be safely delayed. Let our brethren and sisters take hold diligently of this work, co-operating with Him. . .

“Put away all deception. Let no one idolize his own opinions. Take your position decidedly to be fully consecrated to truth and righteousness. Christ is ready to receive all who will come to Him. Exercise a firm faith in all the promises of God. With confession and prayer, take your stand to be wholly the Lord’s henceforth and forever.

“To my ministering brethren I would say, Unite in a work of humbling your souls before God. Some have lost their first love, and need a new experience. Be determined that you will not yield to the enemy. Be patient toward all men, remembering that Christ has died for them. Improve every capability for the Lord’s work, and labor faithfully, untiringly, to save souls. Seek to arouse the churches by your own zeal.

“We all have a part to act in the Lord’s great plan for His work in the earth. We shall all have something to do, though it may be in jots and tittles, as opportunities present themselves. If these warnings are not heeded, if diligent work is not made to overcome and put away defects of character, God will soon have finished the work of judgment, and many will be found wanting. Shall we now, at once, cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God? We can not afford to delay this work of confession and humbling of soul, that our offerings may be acceptable unto God.” Review and Herald, November 8, 1906.