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The Desire of Ages
It was God’s purpose to place things on an eternal basis of security,
and in the councils of heaven it was decided that time must be given
for Satan to develop the principles which were the foundation of his
system of government. He had claimed that these were superior to
God’s principles. Time was given for the working of Satan’s principles,
that they might be seen by the heavenly universe.
Satan led men into sin, and the plan of redemption was put in
operation. For four thousand years, Christ was working for man’s
uplifting, and Satan for his ruin and degradation. And the heavenly
universe beheld it all.
When Jesus came into the world, Satan’s power was turned against
Him. From the time when He appeared as a babe in Bethlehem, the
usurper worked to bring about His destruction. In every possible
way he sought to prevent Jesus from developing a perfect childhood,
a faultless manhood, a holy ministry, and an unblemished sacrifice.
But he was defeated. He could not lead Jesus into sin. He could not
discourage Him, or drive Him from a work He had come on earth to do.
From the desert to Calvary, the storm of Satan’s wrath beat upon Him,
but the more mercilessly it fell, the more firmly did the Son of God
cling to the hand of His Father, and press on in the bloodstained path.
All the efforts of Satan to oppress and overcome Him only brought out
in a purer light His spotless character.
All heaven and the unfallen worlds had been witnesses to the
controversy. With what intense interest did they follow the closing
scenes of the conflict. They beheld the Saviour enter the garden of
Gethsemane, His soul bowed down with the horror of a great darkness.
They heard His bitter cry, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass
from Me.”
Matthew 26:39
. As the Father’s presence was withdrawn,
they saw Him sorrowful with a bitterness of sorrow exceeding that of
the last great struggle with death. The bloody sweat was forced from
His pores, and fell in drops upon the ground. Thrice the prayer for
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deliverance was wrung from His lips. Heaven could no longer endure
the sight, and a messenger of comfort was sent to the Son of God.
Heaven beheld the Victim betrayed into the hands of the murderous
mob, and with mockery and violence hurried from one tribunal to
another. It heard the sneers of His persecutors because of His lowly
birth. It heard the denial with cursing and swearing by one of His best-
loved disciples. It saw the frenzied work of Satan, and his power over