Angels in the Great Hereafter
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them a consuming fire. The glory of Him who is love will destroy
them.—
The Desire of Ages, 764
.
The whole universe will have become witnesses to the nature and
result of sin. And its utter extermination, which in the beginning would
have brought fear to angels and dishonor to God, will now vindicate
His love and establish His honor before the universe of beings who
delight to do His will, and in whose heart is His law.—
The Great
Controversy, 504
.
The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace
of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before
the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin.
One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the
marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side,
His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has
wrought.—
The Great Controversy, 674
.
Sin is a mysterious, unexplainable thing. There was no reason for
its existence; to seek to explain it is to seek to give a reason for it, and
that would be to justify it. Sin appeared in a perfect universe, a thing
that was shown to be inexcusable and exceeding sinful. The reason of
its inception or development was never explained and never can be,
even at the last great day when the judgment shall sit and the books be
opened.... At that day it will be evident to all that there is not, and never
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was, any cause for sin. At the final condemnation of Satan and his
angels and of all men who have finally identified themselves with him
as transgressors of God’s law, every mouth will be stopped. When the
hosts of rebellion, from the first great rebel to the last transgressor, are
asked why they have broken the law of God, they will be speechless.
There will be no answer to give, no reason to assign that will carry the
least weight.—
The Signs of the Times, April 28, 1890
.
The inhabitants of all worlds will be convinced of the justice of
the law in the overthrow of rebellion and the eradication of sin.... The
working out of the plan of salvation reveals not only to men but to
angels, the character of God, and through the ages of eternity the
malignant character of sin will be understood by the cost to the Father
and the Son of the redemption of a rebel race. In Christ, the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world, all worlds will behold the marks of
the curse, and angels as well as men will ascribe honor and glory to
the Redeemer through whom they are all made secure from apostasy.