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.
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!"
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.
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 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.