the holy angels； a vast； unnumbered throng； attend Him on His way。 The
firmament seems filled with radiant forms〃ten thousand times ten thousand；
and thousands of thousands。〃 No human pen can portray the scene； no mortal
mind is adequate to conceive its splendor。 〃His glory covered the heavens；
and the earth was full of His praise。 And His brightness was as the light。〃
Habakkuk 3：3；4。 As the living cloud comes still nearer； every eye beholds
the Prince of life。 No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head； but a
diadem of glory rests on His holy brow。 His countenance outshines the
dazzling brightness of the noonday sun。 〃And He hath on His vesture and on
His thigh a name written； King of kings； and Lord of lords。〃 Revelation
19：16。
Before His presence 〃all faces are turned into paleness；〃 upon the rejecters
of God's mercy falls the terror of eternal despair。 〃The heart melteth； and
the knees smite together； 。 。 。 and the faces of them all gather blackness。〃
Jeremiah 30：6； Nahum 2：10。 The righteous cry with trembling： 〃Who shall be
able to stand？〃 The angels' song is hushed； and there is a period of awful
silence。 Then the voice of Jesus is heard； saying： 〃My grace is sufficient
for you。〃 The faces of the righteous are lighted up； and joy fills every
heart。 And the angels strike a note higher and sing again as they draw still
nearer to the earth。
The King of kings descends upon the cloud； wrapped in flaming fire。 The
heavens are rolled together as a scroll； the earth trembles before Him； and
every mountain and island
642
is moved out of its place。 〃Our God shall come； and shall not keep silence：
a fire shall devour before Him； and it shall be very tempestuous round about
Him。 He shall call to the heavens from above； and to the earth； that He may
judge His people。〃 Psalm 50：3；4。
〃And the kings of the earth； and the great men； and the rich men； and the
chief captains； and the mighty men； and every bondman； and every freeman；
hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains； and said to
the mountains and rocks； Fall on us； and hide us from the face of Him that
sitteth on the throne； and from the wrath of the Lamb： for the great day of
His wrath is come； and who shall be able to stand？〃 Revelation 6：15…17。
The derisive jests have ceased。 Lying lips are hushed into silence。 The
clash of arms； the tumult of battle； 〃with confused noise； and garments
rolled in blood〃 （Isaiah 9：5）； is stilled。 Nought now is heard but the voice
of prayer and the sound of weeping and lamentation。 The cry bursts forth
from lips so lately scoffing： 〃The great day of His wrath is come； and who
shall be able to stand？〃 The wicked pray to be buried beneath the rocks of
the mountains rather than meet the face of Him whom they have despised and
rejected。
That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead； they know。 How often have
its plaintive； tender tones called them to repentance。 How often has it been
heard in the touching entreaties of a friend； a brother； a Redeemer。 To the
rejecters of His grace no other could be so full of condemnation； so
burdened with denunciation； as that voice which has so long pleaded： 〃Turn
ye； turn ye from your evil ways； for why will ye die？〃 Ezekiel 33：11。 Oh；
that it were to them the voice of a stranger！ Says Jesus： 〃I have called；
and ye refused； I have stretched out My hand； and no man regarded； but ye
have set at nought all My counsel； and would none of My reproof。〃 Proverbs
1：24； 25。 That voice awakens memories which they would fain blot
outwarnings despised； invitations refused； privileges slighted。
643
There are those who mocked Christ in His humiliation。 With thrilling power
come to their minds the Sufferer's words； when； adjured by the high priest；
He solemnly declared： 〃Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the
right hand of power； and coming in the clouds of heaven。〃 Matthew 26：64。 Now
they behold Him in His glory； and they are yet to see Him sitting on the
right hand of power。
Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speechless now。 There
is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal title and bade the mocking
soldiers crown Him king。 There are the very men who with impious hands
placed upon His form the purple robe； upon His sacred brow the thorny crown；
and in His unresisting hand the mimic scepter； and bowed before Him in
blasphemous mockery。 The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life now
turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of
His presence。 Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet； the
soldier who pierced His side； behold these marks with terror and remorse。
With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary。
With shuddering horror they remember how； wagging their heads in satanic
exultation； they exclaimed： 〃He saved others； Himself He cannot save。 If He
be the King of Israel； let Him now come down from the cross； and we will
believe Him。 He trusted in God； let Him deliver Him now； if He will have
Him。〃 Matthew 27：42； 43。
Vividly they recall the Saviour's parable of the husbandmen who refused to
render to their lord the fruit of the vineyard； who abused his servants and
slew his son。 They remember； too； the sentence which they themselves
pronounced： The lord of the vineyard 〃will miserably destroy those wicked
men。〃 In the sin and punishment of those unfaithful men the priests and
elders see their own course and their own just doom。 And now there rises a
cry of mortal agony。 Louder than the shout； 〃Crucify Him； crucify Him；〃
which rang through the streets of Jerusalem； swells the awful；
644
despairing wail； 〃He is the Son of God！ He is the true Messiah！〃 They seek
to flee from the presence of the King of kings。 In the deep caverns of the
earth； rent asunder by the warring of the elements； they vainly attempt to
hide。
In the lives of all who reject truth there are moments when conscience
awakens； when memory presents the torturing recollection of a life of
hypocrisy and the soul is harassed with vain regrets。 But what are these
compared with the remorse of that day when 〃fear cometh as desolation；〃 when
〃destruction cometh as a whirlwind〃！ Proverbs 1：27。 Those who would have
destroyed Christ and His faithful people now witness the glory which rests
upon them。 In the midst of their terror they hear the voices of the saints
in joyful strains exclaiming： 〃Lo； this is our God； we have waited for Him；
and He will save us。〃 Isaiah 25：9。
Amid the reeling of the earth； the flash of lightning； and the roar of
thunder； the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints。 He
looks upon the graves of the righteous； then； raising His hands to heaven；
He cries： 〃Awake； awake； awake； ye that sleep in the dust； and arise！〃
Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that
voice； and they that hear shall live。 And the whole earth shall ring with
the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation； kindred； tongue； and
people。 From the prison house of death they come； clothed with immortal
glory； crying： 〃O death； where is thy sting？ O grave； where is thy victory？〃
1 Corinthians 15：55。 And the living righteous and the risen saints unite
their voices in a long； glad shout of victory。
All come forth from their graves the same in stature as when they entered
the tomb。 Adam； who stands among the risen throng； is of lofty height and
majestic form； in stature but little below the Son of God。 He presents a
marked contrast to the people of later generations； in this one respect is
shown the great degeneracy of the race。 But all arise with the freshness and
vigor of eternal youth。 In the beginning； man
645
was created in the likeness of God； not only in character； but in form and
feature。 Sin defaced and almost obliterated the divine image； but Christ
came to restore that which had been lost。 He will change our vile bodies and
fashion them like unto His glorious body。 The mortal； corruptible form；
devoid of comeliness； once polluted with sin； becomes perfect； beautiful；
and immortal。 All blemishes and deformities are left in the grave。 Restored
to the tree of life in the long…lost Eden； the redeemed will 〃grow up〃
（Malachi 4：2） to the full stature of the race in its primeval glory。 The
last lingering traces of the curse of sin will be removed； and Christ's
faithful ones will appear in 〃the beauty of the Lord our God；〃 in mind and
soul and body reflecting the perfect image of their Lord。 Oh； wonderful
redemption！ long talked of； long hoped for； contemplated with eager
anticipation； but never fully understood。
The living righteous are changed 〃in a moment； in the twinkling of an eye。〃
At the voice of God they were glorified； now they are made immortal and with
the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air。 Angels 〃gather
together His elect from the four winds； from one end of heaven to the
other。〃 Little children are borne by holy angels to their mothers' arms。
Friends long separated by