Early Writings
by Ellen G. White
The Second Resurrection
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When the wicked are resurrected, their minds will
be just as evil as they were when they died.
Illustration ©
Pacific Press Publ. Assoc. |
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Then Jesus and all the retinue of holy angels, and all the
redeemed saints, left the city. The angels surrounded their Commander and
escorted Him on His way, and the train of redeemed saints followed. Then, in
terrible, fearful majesty, Jesus called forth the wicked dead; and 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. The kings and noblemen
of the earth, the mean and low, the learned and unlearned, come forth together.
All behold the Son of man; and those very men who despised and mocked Him, who
put the crown of thorns upon His sacred brow, and smote Him with the reed,
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 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. {EW 292.1}
All are seeking to hide in the rocks, to shield themselves
from the terrible glory of Him whom they once despised. And, overwhelmed and
pained with His majesty and exceeding glory, they with one accord raise their
voices, and with terrible distinctness exclaim, "Blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the Lord!" [293] {EW 292.2}
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 weak and feeble strong, and told
them that he and his angels were powerful. He 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
valiant men who had never lost a battle. There was the proud, ambitious
Napoleon, whose approach had caused kingdoms to tremble. There stood men of
lofty stature and dignified bearing, who had fallen in battle 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 desire 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 it, and cast out its inhabitants, and possess its
riches and glory themselves. {EW
293.1}
Satan succeeds in deceiving them, and all immediately begin
to prepare themselves for battle. There are many skillful men in that vast
army, and they construct all kinds of implements of war. Then with Satan at
their head, the multitude move on. Kings and warriors follow close after Satan,
and the multitude follow after in companies. Each company has its 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, expecting a fierce conflict. Jesus and
all the angelic host and [294] all the saints, with the
glittering crowns upon their heads, ascend to the top of the wall of the city.
Jesus speaks with majesty, saying, "Behold, ye sinners, the reward of the
just! And behold, 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, reflecting the image of Jesus, and then behold the unsurpassed
glory and majesty of the King of kings and Lord of lords, their courage fails.
A sense of the treasure and glory which they have lost rushes upon them, and
they realize 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 the city with every mean and abominable thing. {EW 293.2}
Click here to read the next chapter:
"The Second Death"
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