Chapter 348—Christ’s Glorious Appearing
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
Matthew 25:31
.
The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of
Jesus’ coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like
peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God
stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted
up with His glory....
Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a
man’s hand.... The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man.
In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming
lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like
consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth
as a mighty conqueror.... With anthems of celestial melody 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” (
Revelation 5:11
). No human pen can portray the scene; no
mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor....
The righteous cry with trembling: “Who shall be able to stand?
(
Revelation 6:17
). The angel’s 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” (
2 Corinthians 12:9
). The faces of the righteous are lighted up, and joy
fills every heart. And the angels strike a note higher and sing again....
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 is moved out of its place.... 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.... 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
).
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