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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
a death-bed repentance. Every ray of light neglected leaves the sinner
in greater darkness than before, till some fearful deception may take
possession of his mind, and his case may become hopeless. Yet there
are instances, like that of the poor thief, where enlightenment comes
at the last moment, and is accepted with an intelligent faith. Such
penitents find favor with Christ.
With amazement the angels beheld the infinite love of Jesus, who,
suffering the most excruciating agony of mind and body, thought only
of others, and encouraged the penitent soul to believe. While pouring
out his life in death, he exercised a love for man stronger than death. In
Christ’s humiliation, he, as a prophet, had addressed the daughters of
Jerusalem; as priest and Advocate, he had pleaded with the Father to
forgive the sins of his destroyers; as a loving Saviour, he had forgiven
the iniquity of the penitent thief who called upon him. Many who
witnessed those scenes upon Calvary were afterward established by
them in the faith of Christ.
The serpent lifted up in the wilderness represented the Son of man
lifted upon the cross, Christ said to Nicodemus, “As Moses lifted up
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the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted
up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life.” In the wilderness all who looked upon the elevated brazen serpent
lived, while those who refused to look died. The two thieves upon
the cross represent the two great classes of mankind. All have felt
the poison of sin, represented by the sting of the fiery serpent in the
wilderness. Those who look upon and believe in Jesus Christ, as the
thief looked upon him when lifted upon the cross, shall live forever; but
those who refuse to look upon him and believe in him, as the hardened
thief refused to look upon and believe in the crucified Redeemer, shall
die without hope.
The enemies of Jesus now awaited his death with impatient hope.
That event they imagined would forever hush the rumors of his divine
power, and the wonders of his miracles. They flattered themselves
that they should then no longer tremble because of his influence. The
unfeeling soldiers who had stretched the body of Jesus upon the cross,
divided his clothing among themselves, contending over one garment,
which was woven without seam. They finally decided the matter by
casting lots for it. The pen of inspiration had accurately described
this scene hundreds of years before it took place: “For dogs have