THE BATTLES IN JERUSALEM

 

“The greatest of all wars is to be fought about the holy land.”

Zech. 14:1 -- "Behold” says the Lord, “the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee."

 

Zech. 14:2 -- "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." (2TG #41 p18)

 

“The first event predicted is a war against Jerusalem, in which all nations participate.  In that war a part of the people in Jerusalem go into captivity, but the rest remain in the city.” (1TG #20 p11)

 

“In view of the fact that Jerusalem is to be protected by a wall of fire (Zech. 2:5) while the house of Judah reigns there, it is definite that the battle here described must be fought before the house of Judah is established.  In that battle the nations will defeat the rulers of the Promised Land. Then it is that the house of Judah commences to be set up.

 

“As the warring nations besiege the city, and rifle the houses, also ravish the women, they are by no means righteous nations, but since not all the inhabitants go into captivity, and since all are not cut off from the city, it must be that the wicked are taken away and the righteous left in to join the house of Judah. (1TG. #19 pp3, 4)

 

THE REBUILDING OF THE KINGDOM BY THE CARPENTERS

 

“As to the means which are to make possible the return of God's people to their own land, we shall read--

 

Zech. 1:18, 19 -- "Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.  And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these?  And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem."

 

“Anciently the kingdom of Israel occupied the northern portion of the promised land, and the kingdom of Judah occupied the southern portion of it.  The former was scattered by the kings of Assyria and the latter by the king of Babylon.  Those who returned to Jerusalem in the days of Zechariah were from the kingdom of Judah, the Jews, but as the kingdom of Israel was assimilated by the nations, it consequently lost its racial and national identity.  The powers that scattered both Judah and Israel are, you note, symbolized by the four horns.

 

Zech. 1:20, 21 -- "And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do?  And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it."

 

“Here the same powers which scattered Judah and Israel are again seen, not as horns, but as carpenters; not to scatter God's people, but to build for them, and to cast out the horns (powers) of the Gentiles -- those who rule the land.  Plainly, then, on one hand the nations which do not rule Palestine are to (arise as "horns") against those who rule it, and on the other hand they are to (rise as carpenters) for the people of God.  Thus will "the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Lu. 21:24. (1TG. #11 pp10, 11)

 

“Previously the prophet saw these as four horns, as powers that scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem throughout the Gentile nations, but as the angel projected the prophetic view to the time of the end he saw them as four carpenters; that is, as "horns" they come to "fray" and to "cast out the horns of the Gentiles" from the land of Judah, but as carpenters they obviously come to build for Judah.  Evidently, then, when the horns (powers) of the Gentiles are cast out of the land, and God's people are brought into it, then "the times of the Gentiles" shall have been fulfilled.” (1TG #12 p15) (See Tr. #14 pp24, 25)

 

“Let us ever remember that those who once wrecked the ancient kingdom and cast out its people, shall now come to build it up and to cast out the horns of the Gentiles who now rule the land, so even our enemies of yesterday God puts working for us today.” (1TG #11 p13)

 

“Who is to drive the Gentiles out of the land? -- The answer is in Zech. 1:14-17, 20, 21 --   Obviously one part of the Gentile nations shall come against the part that is in the Holy Land, and chase them out to make room for God's people.  Then will the Lord's feet stand on Mount Olives and the Mount shall cleave in the midst thereof and make therein a very great valley.  Thus shall the Lord open the way for His people to flee there to the "valley" where the Lord's feet stand, and all the saints with them (Zech. 14:4, 5).” (2TG #44 pp50, 51)

 

Zeph. 2:3, 6, 7 -- "Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought His judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger.... And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.  And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity."

 

“Now, the fact that the Lord is to destroy all the inhabitants in the land of the Philistines (Zeph. 2:5), and at the same time make it dwellings for "shepherds, and folds for flocks," shows that He is first to drive out of the land all the wicked, all those who are not seeking meekness, then He is to set up the "house of Judah" in it.

 

“The only Jews and Arabs that may remain in the land will be those who seek the Lord, the God of Moses.

 

“And the only people that will get there are those who will stay there.  The land is reserved for the kingdom of antitypical Judah.  The nation and the kingdom that will not serve her "shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." Isa. 60:12.” (1TG #22 pp26, 28)

 

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE HORNS/CARPENTERS,

THE HOUSE OF JUDAH ESTABLISHED.

Zech. 14:3, 4 -- "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle.  And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."

 

“At the time Jerusalem, that now is, falls, the Lord's feet shall stand upon Mount of Olives and there make a very great valley; that is, remove the obstacles and hindrances, and thus prepare the land for the returning of His people.  Then it is that the prophecy of Zechariah 10:8 -- that the Lord shall "hiss" for His people -- will have met its fulfillment.

 

Zech. 14:5 -- "And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee."

 

“Having thus opened the way for the re-establishment of the house of Judah, His people, who beforehand have been informed of it through present Truth, will flee to the valley, to where the Lord's feet stand, as quickly as if they were fleeing from an earthquake; and all the saints thereafter follow after them.  There are several facts in this scripture itself which prove that this event is premillenial: (1) Note that the Lord's feet stand on the mount in the day of the war in which Jerusalem is taken by the wicked nations.  (2) Those that flee to the valley do not descend from Heaven.  (3) They can not be the wicked for they do not flee away from the Lord, but flee to Him, to where His feet stand.  (4) All the saints follow after them. "Early Writings," p. 75, makes a double application of this scripture, a post millennial one.

 

"In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness." Zech. 12:4.  That is, God surprisingly confuses the wicked that they begin to act like mad men.  At the time the Lord brings this to pass, He protects the house of Judah.

 

"In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." Zech. 12:6.

 

“When the Lord smites the armies of the nations, He also makes the rulers of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood.  Thus shall they with the "everlasting gospel" devour all the heathen round about, and thus shall Jerusalem be inhabited safely by God's faithful people.

 

“So it is that "in the days of these kings [not after their days] shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and It shall stand for ever." Dan. 2:44.

 

“Then it shall come to pass that "many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Mic. 4:2.” (1TG. #19 pp 3-6)

 

Zech. 14:12 -- "And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."

 

“In one of the preceding verses we are told that the Lord is to fight against all those who fight against Jerusalem.  And now in this verse we are told of the means which the Lord will employ in that warfare.  He is not to use man-made weapons, but a plague.

 

Zech. 14:13 -- "And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour."

 

“Besides the plague, there shall be a great tumult -- a confusion and excitement that will turn every man against his neighbor.  Thus shall the Lord defeat the enemies of His people.

 

Zech. 14:14 -- "And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance."

 

“During this conflict of the nations, the Kingdom of Judah is to be restored.  She also shall fight at Jerusalem, and shall gather to herself the wealth of the heathen.

 

Zech. 14:15 -- "And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague."

 

“The plague falls on both men and beast that are found in the tents of the unbelieving.”  (1TG. # 20 pp12, 13)

 

“Before closing, though, let us in a few words summarize what we have studied this afternoon.  Just before the kingdom of Judah is established in Jerusalem, the city shall be besieged, the houses shall be rifled and women ravished.  Not all, though, shall go into captivity.  The residue are not cut off from the city, they obviously become a part of the house of Judah.  At that time, when Jerusalem has fallen and the Lord has removed all obstacles and hindrances for the gathering of His people, then it is that the house of Judah is re-established.  God's people shall flee to the "valley" as quickly as though they were fleeing from an earthquake.  The Lord smites the armies of the nations, while at the same time He protects and exalts His own people.

 

“Through the prophet Zechariah, God promises to His people in our day adequate and constant spiritual light.  From Jerusalem in that day shall flow forth the living Truth. Then it is that "many nations shall come and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord." What a prospect! And what a tragedy if any of us should fail to do our part to usher in that glorious day.” (1TG #19 pp8, 9)

 

Nah. 2:6, 10, 13 -- "The gates of the rivers shall be opened, and the palace shall be dissolved.... She is empty, and void, and waste: and the heart melteth, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather blackness.... Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard."

 

“Here the prophet predicts that Assyria's capital city will be emptied, and her palace dissolved.  Clearly, then, the kingdom of Judah is set up in time of war and turmoil.” (1TG #24 pp12, 13)

 

 

THE END OF HUMAN IDOLS AND THEIR WORSHIPERS

AND

THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS

Zech. 12:5-14 -- "And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God.  In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.  The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

 

"In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

 

"In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.  And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; all the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart....

 

“The revival and reformation herein presented -- mourning and heart searching caused by appreciativeness of God's great mercy and goodness -- shall be in the day the governors of Judah say, "The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength," in the day the Lord makes even the most feeble among them as David, and the house of David as God, as the angel of the Lord.

 

“When this thorough reformation takes place then the cleansing fountain shall be opened to the whole house of David.  In that day the wicked shall be cut off and kept out of the house of David, and the false teachers, "prophets," shall feel ashamed of having ever taught their private interpretations of the Scriptures.  Then shall men fully realize that though they could be taught by men to keep cattle, yet no man could teach them to prophesy; that this office is restricted to the Spirit of Prophecy, that no prophecy of the Scriptures is of private interpretation. (2TG #44 pp 46-49)

 

Zech. 13:1, 2 -- "In that day [in the day the great mourning takes place] there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.  And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land."

 

“Two things stand out clearly in these verses: (1) that the house of David must come into existence before the cleansing fountain is opened; (2) that the cleansing begins with cutting off the names of the idols, and throwing out of the land the false prophets and the unclean spirits.

 

“In our previous study of the tenth chapter of Zechariah, we learned that these idols are the kind that speak; that they are men.  There is no doubt, therefore, that these are ministering brethren who the laity are idolizing.  As a result, the laity are blindly following them, and whatever decisions their "idols" make concerning what is truth and what is error, what is sin and what is righteousness, those are the decisions which the laity does carry out.  These "idols," therefore are creating a situation similar to that which the priests, scribes, and Pharisees created in the days of Christ's first advent.  Consequently, the idol-worshipers are not troubling themselves to personally investigate fresh messages, and they are thereby ignorantly following men rather than Christ and His advancing Truth.  These, along with the prophets and the unclean spirits, shall pass out of the land. (1TG #18 pp14, 15.)

 

”When this fountain "for sin and for uncleanness" is finally opened "to the house of David," the crowning evidence will be seen that the consolidation of the two kingdoms is an accomplished fact, and that the time has come for the proclamation of the gospel in all the world.

 

”And "it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land." Zech. 13:2. That is, at the time that this gospel-proclaiming kingdom is set up, it will be a church without guile -- free from all idolaters and false teachers. And it shall be fed by "one shepherd...even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them." Ezek. 34:23, 24.” (8Tr. pp18, 19)

 

Ezek. 36:24-27 -- For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them."

 

“After He gathers them from all countries and brings them into their own land, then it is that He promises to cleanse them eternally from their filthiness and from their idolatry -- to remove all the defects that sin has wrought upon them.  Then it is that He gives them a new heart, puts His Spirit upon them and enables them to unavoidably keep His judgments.  Mark carefully that regardless of our ideas and opinions all these things take place after God's people return to their father's land.” (1TG #15 pp8-10)

 

“When this cleansing takes place, then it is that a new heart and a new spirit will be given to all who are now striving to grow in the knowledge of God, and who are then found in the Kingdom.  After this heart operation takes place, to do the will of God will be but a natural thing: There will no longer be a struggle against the carnal heart.” (1TG #51 p12)

 

“As the fulfillment of this scripture is yet future, it proves that at the present time everyone of us is unclean, and that none of us is walking in God's statutes and keeping or doing His judgments, for after the Lord takes us from among the heathen and into our own land, "then" He says, He will cleanse our hearts and cause us to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments.  Hence, how can one talk about the sins of another without condemning himself?  "This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you."  (John 15 :12. (4SC #10-12 p12)

 

"For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am!  Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Rom. 7:19-25.

 

“From these verses of Scripture you see that the law of the ten commandments, the eternal law which always was and always shall be, is the law which defines sin, and which judges a man either right or wrong.  Now, since all mankind has broken this law, they are all condemned to eternal death, but we thank God that Jesus died in our stead and arose again, making us free from the condemnation of the law.  Yes, His death and resurrection make us all free from the death which transgression of the law imposes.

 

“All who repent of breaking the law, and accept Him as their Saviour, arise to walk in newness of life.  A life that is in harmony with the law is indeed the righteousness of Christ.  They, moreover, no longer sin, their salvation is secured because, says the apostle John, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." -- 1 John 2:1.  He therefore cannot sin, or stay in sin.  He is righteous in the Lord.

 

“Until the Lord takes us back to our own land, though, there to change our hearts and to write on them His law (Ezek. 36: 24-28), until then the struggle in which the apostle Paul found himself -- a struggle to obey the law of the Spirit while the law of the flesh is against it -- is to be our lot.  But we thank God Who gives us power to overcome day by day in the Lord our Saviour.

 

“Though we fall seven times a day, though we sin unintentionally, if we arise and run the race we shall win.  We cannot lose, because we have an Advocate, even Jesus Christ, the Righteous.  Our assurance of salvation is therefore guaranteed.” (2TG #19 pp6-8)

 

“None of the living can actually be cleansed from all their marks of sin while among the Gentile nations, you see.  They must first be separated from the hypocrites and Gentiles, then brought into their own land, there to be sprinkled with clean water, cleansed from all their filthiness and from all their idols, when they get to their own land, not before.  Even a new heart is to be given them there, and a new spirit also.  Thus will the Lord cause them to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments forevermore.  Thus shall they return and dwell in the land of their fathers, Palestine, and thus shall they be God's people eternally.  These things, you see, are premillennial.” (2Tg #33 p13)

 

KINGDOM TO BE ATTACKED

BY GOG ONLY AND ALSO BY ALL NATIONS

Please read 2 TG #4 pp17-20

 

Ezek. 38:1, 2 –“Gog is here said to be the chief prince, the king of Meshech and Tubal.  These two cities, Meshech and Tubal were anciently situated in Asia, south of the Black Sea, where the Turkish Empire now is.”

 

Ezek. 38:8 –‘The "many days" after which Gog is visited are the thousand years.  The latter days in which Israel return to their land, and the time in which Gog shall go against them are premillennial.”

 

Ezek. 38:9 –“The expression, to "ascend, and come like a storm," suggests that these things are to take place in the time of the airplane.”

 

Ezek. 38:10-12 –“As the land of Israel shall have no visible human protection whatsoever, it will appear to Gog that he should have no difficulty robbing the people of the land.”

 

Ezek. 38:13 –“These neighboring countries and people that ask Gog to tell them his mission, evidently (are not allied with him.)”

 

Ezek. 38:14-17 –“Clearly, this Kingdom of Israel is set up in the latter days, in the days before the millennium, for after the Kingdom is set up, Gog opens war against It.  Indeed, this cannot be after the millennium, for then all the nations from the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog with them, shall encompass, not the mountains of Israel, but the new Jerusalem.  Furthermore at that time the slain shall not be buried but burned to ashes (Rev. 20:9, 10; Mal. 4:1)”.

 

Ezek. 38:23 -- "Thus will I magnify Myself, and sanctify Myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord."

 

Ezek. 39:1-7 –“Gog, you see, shall fail to rob God's people.  He will instead perish in the mountains of Israel.” (2TG #4 pp17-19)

 

Zech. 12:2 -- "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem."

 

“From this verse we learn that the Gentile nations are to make a siege not only against Jerusalem, but against Judah also -- yes, against the entire Kingdom, church, or people.  And at that time, at the time of the siege, Jerusalem will be made a cup of trembling to all people; that is, all the people shall fear Jerusalem and tremble before her.

 

Zech. 12:3 -- "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."

 

“This siege will not be made (only) by the nations adjacent to Jerusalem, but by (all) the people of the earth, a thing that is made possible only by the communication lines in our day.  Thus will Jerusalem be a burdensome stone to all the people round about.  In an endeavor to combat their fear they burden themselves by besieging the city.  For this evil work they shall be cut in pieces.

 

Zech. 12:4 -- "In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open Mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness."

 

“Though the Lord shall smite with madness, with astonishment, and with blindness, those who besiege the city, yet He shall open His eyes upon the house of Judah.

 

Zech. 12:9, 10 -- "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn."

 

“When God begins to destroy the nations, He will pour upon His saints the Spirit of grace, then will they really mourn for sinning against the Lord.” (1TG #9 pp3, 4, 13, 14)

 

THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

 

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

 

“For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto 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 come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

 

“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” (Rev. 16:13-16)

 

Battle of Armageddon Soon to Be Fought.—“There are only two parties in our world, those who are loyal to God, and those who stand under the banner of the prince of darkness. Satan and his angels will come down with power and signs and lying wonders to deceive those who dwell on the earth, and if possible the very elect. The crisis is right upon us. Is this to paralyze the energies of those who have a knowledge of the truth? Is the influence of the powers of deception so far reaching that the influence of the truth will be overpowered?” {7BC 982.4}”

 

“The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on whose vesture is written the name, King of kings and Lord of lords, leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen, clean and white (MS 172, 1899).” {7BC 982.5}

 

“Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question. The battle of Armageddon will be fought, and that day must find none of us sleeping. Wide awake we must be, as wise virgins having oil in our vessels with our lamps.” {7BC 982.6}

“The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us, and the Captain of the Lord's host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are right upon us (Letter 112, 1890)”. {7BC 982.7}

 

Two Opposing Powers.—"Two great opposing powers are revealed in the last great battle. On one side stands the Creator of heaven and earth. All on His side bear His signet. They are obedient to His commands. On the other side stands the prince of darkness, with those who have chosen apostasy and rebellion (RH May 7, 1901)”. {7BC 982.8}

 

Satan Mustering His Forces for Last Battle.—“The present is a solemn, fearful time for the church. The angels are already girded, awaiting the mandate of God to pour their vials of wrath upon the world. Destroying angels are taking up the work of vengeance; for the Spirit of God is gradually withdrawing from the world. Satan is also mustering his forces of evil, going forth "unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world," to gather them under his banner, to be trained for "the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Satan is to make most powerful efforts for the mastery in the last great conflict. Fundamental principles will be brought out, and decisions made in regard to them. Skepticism is prevailing everywhere. Ungodliness abounds. The faith of individual members of the church will be tested as though there were not another person in the world (MS 1a, 1890).” {7BC 983.1}

 

“That under the seventh plague, the hosts arrayed for the battle of Armageddon will fight with, and will be decimated by, the armies of Heaven (Testimonies, Vol. 6, pg. 406), and that Christ shall appear in all His glory, destroy the remaining wicked, resurrect the righteous dead (1 Thess. 4:15-16), and usher in the millennium (Rev. 20:5).” (2TG #10 P31)

 

“The Armageddon cannot be the anger of the nations above mentioned, for it is fought in the time of the sixth plague (Rev. 16: 12-16); that is, in the period of the wrath of God, during which, according to the vision above mentioned, "the anger of the nations" could not occur, for their "anger" and the "wrath of God" "are two separate and distinct events, one following the other." Consequently, the Armageddon is one thing and the anger of the nations another.” (2SC #2 p4)

 

“Then the four angels of Revelation seven, who were "holding the four winds of the earth [the nations in check], that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree," shall let the wind "blow;" and as there would remain nothing to hold the nations and peoples together and to restrain hostilities, the conflict within and without, will result in the final battle of "Armageddon." (Rev. 16:14, 16.)” (2SR p161)

 

“These are some of the future events that are soon to follow in quick succession in the ushering in of the kingdom.  Then follows the closing of probation, and the pouring out of the seven last plagues, which shall fall upon those who figuratively stand on His left hand -- those who are outside Palestine.  Then while the plagues are falling, the mightiest of all battles will be fought, "the battle of that great day of God Almighty", -- the long expected end of the world, -- the Armageddon (Rev. 16:12-16)”.(Tract 12 p52)

 

FINAL PREMILLENNIAL EVENTS.

 

“Let us give undivided attention to the scriptures which record the things that are to take place just before the thousand years begin -- the things which will bring about the millennial age of peace, as revealed to John:

 

“I saw...a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True....  He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.... And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written,

KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." Rev. 19:11, 13, 16.

 

“Here Christ reveals Himself, not as a priest or as a lamb, but as the King of kings, treading "the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."  Rev. 19:15.  This is His

 

Slaying of the Wicked.

 

“The "angel standing in the sun...cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.

 

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.  These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.  And the remnant [the "kings" and "captains" and "mighty men" and "horses" and "them that sit on them" and "all men, both free and bond, both small and great"] were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh" (Rev. 19:17-21) -- a final work from which it is readily seen that the wicked are

 

Slain Just Before the Millennium.

 

“Since after the millennium, the wicked are not slain and their flesh is not eaten by the fowls, but rather destroyed with fire (Rev. 20:9), Revelation 19:17-21 is seen to refer to a pre-millennial destruction.

“Decisively, therefore, the King of kings is to slay, just before the millennium, all except the righteous -- except those who get "the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." Rev. 15:2.   Then shall the righteous dead be raised, whereas the wicked dead remain in their graves and, along with the wicked living, all of whom are then slain by the Lord, live "not again until the thousand years" are "finished." Rev. 20:5.

 

“Since, moreover, at the commencement of the millennium, when the wicked are slain, the heaven and the earth pass away, then, as a result,The Saints Remove to Another Sphere.” (9 Tr. pp 31-33)

 

Five Groups in the Kingdom.

 

“These groups are (1) the 144,000, Israelites the first fruits of the living, whose "nobles shall be of themselves," and whose "governor shall proceed from the midst of them" (Jer. 30:21); they shall return to Jerusalem, and stand on Mount Sion with the Lamb; (2) those whom John saw, after the sealing of the 144,000, gathered from "all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues," during the "great tribulation,"  the "time of trouble such as never was" -- the great multitude who go to Jerusalem  before the resurrection; (3) those who arise to everlasting life in the resurrection of Daniel 12:2; (4) those Israelites who shall come forth in the resurrection of Ezekiel 37:1-14; (5) all who come in the resurrection of Revelation 20:6; -- collectively, these are all the Israelites and Gentiles who shall return to Jerusalem, possess the promised land, and then the whole earth. (9Tr. p65)

 

“At the close of the seventh plague, the Lord, Himself, visible to every eye (Rev. 1:7), "shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we "Ever Be With the Lord."

1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

 

"With the righteous dead of all ages being  resurrected and joined with the living saints, the kingdom is completely made up -- the righteous having been set on His right (the kingdom), and the wicked, on His left (Babylon). Then, while the King sends those on His left "into everlasting  punishment," He says to those on His right "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matt. 25:46, 34. (9Tr. p71)

 

“For when the Son of man comes with all His angels, He shall send them "with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect [the resurrected] from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matt. 24:31), and take them to join the living.” (Tr. #3 p53)