OF OLIVES.

JESUS

CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE THIRD COMING OF CHRIST

ESUS came the first time to this earth nineteen centuries ago; he will come the second time in this present generation; and he will come the third time at the close of the thousand years of the millennium.

It is at the close of the millennium that the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, comes down from God out of heaven and rests upon the earth. Christ also, attended by the great host of the saved of all ages, and by a company of glorious angels, returns to this earth.

"And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." Zech. 14: 5.

And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley." Zech. 14: 4. "And the Lord shall be king over all there be one Lord, and his name one."

the earth: in that day shall Zech. 14:9.

As Christ comes down from the heavens the third time, his voice rolls through all the earth, and in response to his call the mighty hosts of the wicked awake from their sleep

of death and stand up upon the earth. And then in the sight of the wicked the New Jerusalem settles down upon the place prepared for it by the cleaving asunder of the Mount of Olives. Christ and the redeemed take their place in the city, which is to become the capital of a glorified new earth.

"And I John saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." Rev. 21:2, 3.

Satan is released from his captivity by the resurrection of the wicked. Around him are gathered the vast hosts of his own evil angels, and now this great company is joined by the innumerable throngs of the wicked, "the number of whom is as the sands of the sea." Some of them are the giants who lived on the earth before the flood. The great captains and famous generals of the world's great wars are there, just as eager as ever to destroy their opponents.

As Satan sees himself joined by this great host, and beholds before him the New Jerusalem containing the righteous and the holy angels with their loved commander, the Son of God, he determines that he will not yet yield his struggle. He points out to his angels and the mighty men of the earth that the city is unprotected, and would doubtless be unable to resist attack. He inspires them with the hope that after all they may be able to overthrow the government of God and take the city.

The Attack against the Holy City

Led by this delusive hope the wicked prepare themselves for the last great struggle for the supremacy of the world. Weapons of warfare are prepared; companies, battalions, regiments, and corps are formed and drilled'; and then the great host of the lost is led forth by Satan to take the Holy City.

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." Rev. 20:7-9.

As the great host of the wicked surround the Holy City the fire of God falls from heaven, and the vast multitude of evil men and fallen angels are overwhelmed. This fire does not perpetuate the wicked, but devours them. This is the second death, from which there will never be any recovery.

The Destiny of Satan

The fire will have the same effect upon Satan and his angels that it has upon the wicked. They will also be brought to nothing and be as though they had not been. This is very plain from the words which God spoke to Satan.

"I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. I will bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more." Ezek. 28: 16-19.

The destiny of Satan is also referred to in the book of Malachi.

"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." Mal. 4: 1.

Thus the end of the great conflict of the ages between Christ and Satan will result in the utter destruction of Satan and his angels and all who ally themselves with him. The fires of the last day will consume them and leave them neither root nor branch. Satan is the root, and the wicked are the branches. The universe is to be cleansed from every stain of sin.

The Earth Purified by Fire

The fire which consumes the wicked will also purify the earth. Great billows of flame will burn the ruined works of men. The last remnants of sin will be consumed. "The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 2 Pet. 3: 10. The long controversy against God is closed. The last foe, death, has been destroyed. 1 Cor. 15:26. The warring world has at last been overthrown, and all is now at peace with God. The first heaven and the first earth, the great theatre of sin, the scene of strife and rebellion, have passed away, and when they have been purified by the fires of the last day which come down from heaven, then by the word of the Lord there is brought into existence "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet. 3: 13.

Upon the billows of flame which have purified the earth, the Holy City, with the righteous nations of the saved within it, has ridden safely. And when the flames subside, having accomplished the work of purifying the earth, the city settles into its place to become the eternal capital of the universe of God. God will dwell in it, and the throne of the Lamb will be in it, and it will remain for all eternity the center of the entire universe.

After the desolation of the millennium and the purifying fires at the close of the millennium, the earth will blossom again and become the home of the redeemed of the Lord. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Matt. 5:5. Then shall be fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

"The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them [the redeemed]; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Labanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of

dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there; but the redeemed shall walk there; and the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Isaiah 35.