Angels From Christ’s Passion Until His Death
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was raised, “Crucify him, crucify him.” Through yielding to demoniac
agencies, men were led to take their stand on the side of the great
apostate.
Unfallen worlds looked upon the scene with amazement, unable to
comprehend the degradation that sin had wrought. Legions of evil an-
gels controlled the priests and rulers, and gave voice to the suggestions
of Satan in persuading and tempting the people by falsehoods and
bribes to reject the Son of God, and to choose a robber and murderer in
His stead.... What a scene was this for God to look upon, for seraphim
and cherubim to behold! The only begotten Son of God, the Majesty of
heaven, the King of glory, was mocked, insulted, taunted, rejected, and
crucified by those whom He came to save, who had given themselves
to the control of Satan.—
The Review and Herald, April 14, 1896
.
The angels who were witnessing the whole scene noticed the
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convictions of Pilate, and marked his sympathy for Jesus....
Satan and his angels were tempting Pilate, and trying to lead him
on to his own ruin. They suggested to him that if he did not take any
part in condemning Jesus, others would.—
Spiritual Gifts 1:54, 56
.
Even now Pilate was not left to act blindly. A message from God
warned him from the deed he was about to commit. In answer to
Christ’s prayer, the wife of Pilate had been visited by an angel from
heaven, and in a dream she had beheld the Saviour and conversed
with Him.... She saw Him on trial in the judgment hall. She saw the
hands tightly bound as the hands of a criminal. She saw Herod and his
soldiers doing their dreadful work. She heard the priests and rulers,
filled with envy and malice, madly accusing. She heard the words,
“We have a law, and by our law He ought to die.”
She saw Pilate give Jesus to the scourging, after he had declared,
“I find no fault in Him.” She heard the condemnation pronounced by
Pilate, and saw him give Christ up to His murderers. She saw the cross
uplifted on Calvary. She saw the earth wrapped in darkness, and heard
the mysterious cry, “It is finished.” Still another scene met her gaze.
She saw Christ seated upon the great white cloud, while the earth
reeled in space, and His murderers fled from the presence of His glory.
With a cry of horror she awoke, and at once wrote to Pilate words of
warning.