The Earth in Ruins

When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict of life. Blinded by Satan’s deceptions the rich prided themselves on their superiority to those less favored. But they had neglected to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, deal justly, and love mercy. Now they are stripped of all that made them great and are left destitute. They look with terror upon the destruction of their idols. They have sold their souls for earthly enjoyments and have not become rich toward God. Their lives are a failure, their pleasures turned to gall. The gain of a lifetime is swept away in a moment. The rich bemoan the destruction of their grand houses, the scattering of their gold and silver, and the fear that they themselves are to perish with their idols. The wicked lament that the result is what it is, but they do not repent of their wickedness. – {HF 395.1}

The minister who has sacrificed truth to gain the favor of men now discerns the influence of his teachings. Every line written, every word uttered that led men to rest in a refuge of falsehood has been scattering seed; and now he beholds the harvest. Saith the Lord: “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! ... Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings.” “With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.” Jeremiah 23:1, 2; Ezekiel 13:22. – {HF 395.2}

Ministers and people see that they have rebelled against the Author of all righteous law. Setting aside the divine precepts gave rise to thousands of springs of iniquity, until the earth became one vast sink of corruption. No language can express the longing which the disloyal feel for that which they have lost forever—eternal life. – {HF 396.1}

The people accuse one another of having led them to destruction, but all unite in heaping their bitterest condemnation upon the unfaithful pastors who prophesied “smooth things” (Isaiah 30:10), who led their hearers to make void the law of God and persecute those who would keep it holy. “We are lost!” they cry, “and you are the cause.” The hands that once crowned them with laurels will be raised for their destruction. Everywhere there is strife and bloodshed. – {HF 396.2}

The Son of God and heavenly messengers have been in conflict with the evil one to warn, enlighten, and save the children of men. Now all have made their decisions; the wicked have fully united with Satan in his warfare against God. The controversy is not alone with Satan, but with men. “The Lord hath a controversy with the nations.” Jeremiah 25:31. – {HF 396.3}

The Angel of Death

Now the angel of death goes forth, represented in Ezekiel’s vision by the men with the slaughtering weapons, to whom the command is given: “Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.” “They began at the ancient men which were before the house,” those who professed to be the spiritual guardians of the people. Ezekiel 9:6. – {HF 396.4}

False watchmen are the first to fall. “The Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.” “A great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.” Isaiah 26:21; Zechariah 14:13. – {HF 396.5}

In the mad strife of their own fierce passions and by the outpouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall wicked priests, rulers, and people. “And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other.” Jeremiah 25:33. – {HF 397.1}

At the coming of Christ the wicked are destroyed by the brightness of His glory. Christ takes His people to the city of God, and the earth is emptied of its inhabitants. “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. ... The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word ... because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned.” Isaiah 24:1, 3, 5, 6. – {HF 397.2}

The earth appears like a desolate wilderness. Cities destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted trees, ragged rocks torn out of the earth are scattered over its surface. Vast caverns mark the spot where the mountains have been rent from their foundations. – {HF 397.3}

The Banishment of Satan

Now the event takes place foreshadowed in the last solemn service of the Day of Atonement. When the sins of Israel had been removed from the sanctuary by virtue of the blood of the sin offering, the scapegoat was presented alive before the Lord. The high priest confessed over him “all the iniquities of the children of Israel, ... putting them upon the head of the goat.” Leviticus 16:21. In like manner, when the work of atonement in the heavenly sanctuary has been completed, then, in the presence of God and heavenly angels and the host of the redeemed, the sins of God’s people will be placed on Satan; he will be declared guilty of all the evil which he has caused them to commit. As the scapegoat was sent away into a land not inhabited, so Satan will be banished to the desolate earth. – {HF 397.4}

After presenting scenes of the Lord’s coming, the revelator continues: “I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Revelation 20:1-3. – {HF 398.1}

The “bottomless pit” represents the earth in confusion and darkness. Looking forward to the great day of God, Jeremiah declares: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void [*] and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down.” Jeremiah 4:23-26. – {HF 398.2}

Here is to be the home of Satan with his evil angels for a 1000 years. Limited to the earth, he will not have access to other worlds to tempt and annoy those who have never fallen. In this sense he is “bound.” None remain on whom he can exercise his power. He is cut off from the work of deception and ruin which has been his sole delight. – {HF 398.3}

Isaiah, looking forward to Satan’s overthrow, exclaims: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! ... Thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: ... I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” Isaiah 14:12-17. – {HF 398.4}

For 6000 years Satan’s prison-house has received God’s people, but Christ has broken his bonds and set the prisoners free. Alone with his evil angels he realizes the effect of sin: “The kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house [the grave]. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch. ... Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people.” Isaiah 14:18-20. – {HF 399.1}

For 1000 years, Satan will behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God. His sufferings are intense. He is now left to contemplate the part he has acted since he rebelled and to look forward with terror to the dreadful future when he must be punished. – {HF 399.2}

During the 1000 years between the first and second resurrections, the judgment of the wicked takes place. Paul points to this as an event that follows the second advent. 1 Corinthians 4:5. The righteous reign as kings and priests. John says: “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. ... They shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-6. – {HF 399.3}

At this time “the saints shall judge the world.” 1 Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works, and it is recorded against their names in the book of death. – {HF 399.4}

Satan and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people. Says Paul: “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” 1 Corinthians 6:3. Jude declares: “The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 6. – {HF 399.5}

At the close of the 1000 years, the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead and appear before God for the execution of “the judgment written.” Psalm 149:9. Thus the Revelator says: “The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:5. And Isaiah declares, concerning the wicked: “They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.” Isaiah 24:22. – {HF 400.1}