Chapter 41: The Second Death
Satan rushes into the midst, and tries
to stir up the multitude to action. But fire from God out of heaven is rained
upon them, and the great men, and the mighty men, and the noble, and poor and
miserable men, are all consumed together. I saw that some were quickly
destroyed, while others suffered longer. They were punished according to the
deeds done in the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there
was a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering was there. Said the
angel, The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long
as there is the least particle for it to prey upon.
But Satan and his angels suffered long. Satan not only
bore the weight and punishment of his sins, but the sins of all the redeemed
host had been placed upon him; and he must also suffer for the ruin of the souls
which he had caused. Then I saw that Satan, and all the wicked host, were
consumed, and the justice of God was satisfied; and all the angelic host, and
all the redeemed saints, with a loud voice said, Amen!
Said the angel, Satan is the root, his children are the
branches. They are now consumed root and branch. They have died an everlasting
death. They will never have a resurrection, and God will have a clean universe.
I then looked, and saw the fire which had consumed the wicked, burning up the
rubbish and purifying the earth. Again I looked and saw the earth purified.
There was not a single sign of the curse. The broken up, and uneven surface of
the earth now looked like a level, extensive plain. God's entire universe was
clean, and the great controversy was forever ended. Everywhere we looked,
everything the eye rested upon, was beautiful and holy. And all the redeemed
host, old and young, great and small, cast their glittering crowns at the feet
of their Redeemer, and prostrated themselves in adoration before him, and
worshiped him that liveth forever and ever. The beautiful New Earth, with all
its glory, was the eternal inheritance of the saints. The kingdom, and dominion,
and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, was then given to the
saints of the Most High who were to possess it forever, even forever and ever.
See Daniel 7:26,27; Mark 9:44,48; II Peter 3:9-13;
Revelation 20:6-10.
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