Chapter 40. The Second Resurrection

The Great Controversy, by Ellen G. White, [1858], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER 40

The Second Resurrection

Then Jesus and all the holy retinue of angels, and all the redeemed saints, left the City.  The holy angels surrounded Jesus, and escorted him on his way, and the train of redeemed saints followed.  Then Jesus in terrible, fearful majesty called forth the wicked dead; and as they came up with the same feeble, sickly bodies that went into the grave, what a spectacle! what a scene!  At the first resurrection all came forth in immortal bloom; but at the second, the marks of the curse are visible on all.  Kings and the noble men of earth come forth with the mean and the low, learned and unlearned together.  All behold the Son of man; and those very men who despised and mocked Jesus, and smote him with the reed, and that put the crown of thorns upon his sacred brow, behold him in all his kingly majesty.  Those who spit upon him in the hour of his trial, now turn from his piercing gaze, and from the glory of his countenance.  Those who drove the nails through his hands and his feet, now look upon the marks of his crucifixion.  Those who thrust the spear into his side, behold the marks of their cruelty on his body.  And they know that he is the very One whom they crucified, and derided in his expiring agony.  And then there arises one long protracted wail of agony, as they flee to hide from the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

All are seeking to hide in the rocks, and shield themselves from the terrible glory of him whom they once despised.  As all are overwhelmed and pained with his majesty and his exceeding glory, they with one accord raise their voices, and with terrible distinctness exclaim, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord.

Then Jesus and the holy angels, accompanied by all the saints, again go to the City, and the bitter lamentations and wailings of the doomed wicked fill the air.  Then I saw that Satan again commenced his work.  He passed around among his subjects, and made the feeble and weak strong, and then he told them that he and his angels were powerful.  He then pointed to the countless millions who had been raised.  There were mighty warriors and kings who were well skilled in battle, and who had conquered kingdoms.  And there were mighty giants, and men who were valiant, and had never lost a battle.  There was the proud, ambitious Napoleon whose approach had caused kingdoms to tremble.  There stood men of very high stature, and of dignified, lofty bearing, who had fallen in battle.  They fell while thirsting to conquer.  As they come forth from their graves, they resume the current of their thoughts where it ceased in death.  They possess the same spirit to conquer which ruled when they fell.  Satan consults with his angels, and then with those kings and conquerors and mighty men.  Then he looks over the vast army and tells them that the company in the City is small and feeble, and that they can go up and take that City, and cast out its inhabitants, and possess its riches and glory themselves.

Satan succeeds in deceiving them, and all immediately commence to fit themselves for battle.  They construct weapons of war; for there are many skillful men in that vast army.  And then with Satan at their head, the multitude move on.  Kings and warriors follow close after Satan, and the multitude follow after in companies.  Every company has a leader, and order is observed as they march over the broken surface of the earth to the holy City.  Jesus closes the gates of the City, and this vast army surround it and place themselves in battle array.  They have prepared all kinds of implements of war, expecting to have a fierce conflict.  They arrange themselves around the City.  Jesus and all the angelic host with the glittering crowns upon their heads, and all the saints with their bright crowns, ascend to the top of the wall of the City.  Jesus speaks with majesty and says, Behold, ye sinners, the reward of the just!  And behold ye my redeemed, the reward of the wicked!  The vast multitude behold the glorious company on the walls of the City.  And as they witness the splendor of their glittering crowns, and see their faces radiant with glory, expressing the image of Jesus, and then behold the unsurpassed glory and majesty of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, their courage fails.  The sense of the treasure and the glory which they have lost, rushes upon them, and they have a realizing sense that the wages of sin is death.  They see the holy, happy company whom they have despised, clothed with glory, honor, immortality and eternal life, while they are outside of the City with every mean and abominable thing.

See Matthew 23:29; Revelation 6:15-16, 20:7-9, 22:12-15