Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
The Last Plagues and the Judgment
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The execution of the judgment, when the wicked are destroyed,
will be at the close of the one thousand years.
Illustration ©
Review and Herald Publ. Assoc. |
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At the general conference of believers in the present truth,
held at Sutton, Vermont, September, 1850, I was shown that the seven last
plagues will be poured out after Jesus leaves the sanctuary. Said the angel,
"It is the wrath of God and the Lamb that causes the destruction or death
of the wicked. At the voice of God the saints will be mighty and terrible as an
army with banners, but they will not then execute the judgment written. The
execution of the judgment will be at the close of the one thousand years."
{EW 52.1}
After the saints are changed to immortality and caught up
together with Jesus, after they receive their harps, their robes, and their
crowns, and enter the city, Jesus and the saints sit in judgment. The books are
opened—the book of life and the book of death. The book of life
contains the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil
deeds of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible,
and according to that men are judged. The saints, in unison with Jesus, pass
their judgment upon the wicked dead. "Behold ye," said the angel,
"the saints, in unison with Jesus, sit in judgment, and mete [53]
out to the wicked according to the deeds done in the body, and that which they
must receive at the execution of the judgment is set off against their
names." This, I saw, was the work of the saints with Jesus through the one
thousand years in the Holy City before it descends to the earth. Then at the
close of the one thousand years, Jesus, with the angels and all the saints,
leaves the Holy City, and while He is descending to the earth with them, the
wicked dead are raised, and then the very men that "pierced Him,"
being raised, will see Him afar off in all His glory, the angels and saints
with Him, and will wail because of Him. They will see the prints of the nails
in His hands and in His feet, and where they thrust the spear into His side.
The prints of the nails and the spear will then be His glory. It is at the
close of the one thousand years that Jesus stands upon the Mount of Olives, and
the mount parts asunder and becomes a mighty plain. Those who flee at that time
are the wicked, who have just been raised. Then the Holy City comes down and
settles on the plain. Satan then imbues the wicked with his spirit. He flatters
them that the army in the city is small, and that his army is large, and that
they can overcome the saints and take the city. {EW 52.2}
While Satan was rallying his army, the saints were in the
city, beholding the beauty and glory of the Paradise of God. Jesus was at their
head, leading them. All at once the lovely Saviour was gone from our company;
but soon we heard His lovely voice, saying, "Come, ye blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
We gathered about Jesus, and just as He closed the gates of the city, the curse
was pronounced upon the wicked. The gates were shut. Then the saints used their
wings and mounted to the top of the wall of the city. Jesus was also with them;
His crown looked brilliant and [54] glorious. It was a crown within a
crown, seven in number. The crowns of the saints were of the most pure gold,
decked with stars. Their faces shone with glory, for they were in the express
image of Jesus; and as they arose and moved all together to the top of the
city, I was enraptured with the sight. {EW 53.1}
Then the wicked saw what they had lost; and fire was
breathed from God upon them and consumed them. This was the execution of the
judgment. The wicked then received according as the saints, in unison with
Jesus, had meted out to them during the one thousand years. The same fire from
God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken, ragged
mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all the stubble
was consumed. Then our inheritance opened before us, glorious and beautiful,
and we inherited the whole earth made new. We all shouted with a loud voice,
"Glory; Alleluia!" {EW
54.1}
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