THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD IN THE LAST DAYS

GOD WILL INTERPOSE - HE WILL PUNISH

"The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for Gods visitation has about come. Although loath to punish, nevertheless He will punish, and that speedily." 5 Testimonies, 209.

"Instead of being softened by the patience and long forbearance that the Lord has exercised toward them, those who fear not God and love not the truth strengthen their hearts in their evil course. But there are limits even to the forbearance of God, and many are exceeding these boundaries. They have overrun the limits of grace, and therefore God must interfere and vindicate His own honor." 5 Testimonies, 208.

"The world has become bold in transgression of Gods law. Because of His long forbearance, men have trampled upon His authority . . But there is a line beyond which they cannot pass. The time is near when they will have reached the prescribed limit. Even now they have almost exceeded the bounds of the longsuffering of God, the limits of His grace, the limits of His mercy. The Lord will interpose to vindicate His own honor, to deliver His people, and to repress the swellings of unrighteousness.

"In Noah's day, men had disregarded the law of God until almost all remembrance of the Creator had passed away from the earth. Their iniquity reached so great a height that the Lord brought a flood of waters upon the earth, and swept away its wicked inhabitants.

"From age to age the Lord has made known the manner of His working. When a crisis has come, He has revealed Himself, and has interposed to hinder the working out of Satan's plans. With nations, with families, and with individuals, He has often permitted matters to come to a crisis, that His interference might become marked. Then He has made manifest that there is a God in Israel who will maintain His law and vindicate His people." Christ's Object Lessons, 177-178.

Carefully consider the following paragraphs. They explain that the Laodicean Message of Revelation 3 is closely connected with the Three Angels Messages of Revelation 14. And should not this be so? The three angels warn of the coming wrath of God and the only way of avoiding it, by submission and obedience to Him. The Laodicean Message comes at the same time in history and is a plea to Gods people to return to Him before it is too late. It is so urgently important that they return for they are commissioned to work with those angels in giving that final warning of the approaching wrath of God against the disobedient. It is no time for them to relax and say that the Third Angels Message is really of little consequence because there is no wrath of God!

"The prophet Ezekiel thus enumerates the causes that led to Sodom's sin and destruction: Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. All who would escape the doom of Sodom must shun the course that brought Gods judgments upon that wicked city . .

"Many of you are reposing in false security, absorbed in selfish interests, and attracted by earthly treasures. You fear no evil. Danger seems a great way off. You will be deceived, deluded to your eternal ruin unless you arouse and with penitence and deep humiliation return unto the Lord.

"Again and again has the voice from heaven addressed you. Will you obey this voice? Will you heed the counsel of the True Witness to seek the gold tried in the fire, the white raiment, and the eyesalve? The gold is faith and love, the white raiment is the righteousness of Christ. The eyesalve is that spiritual discernment which will enable you to see the wiles of Satan and shun them, to detect sin and abhor it, to see truth and obey it.

"The deadly lethargy of the world is paralyzing your senses. Sin no longer appears repulsive because you are blinded by Satan. The judgments of God are soon to be poured out upon the earth. Escape for thy life is the warning from the angels of God. Other voices are heard saying, Do not become excited; there is no cause for special alarm. Those who are at ease in Zion cry Peace and safety while heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the transgressor. The young, the frivolous, the pleasure loving, consider these warnings as idle tales and turn from them with a jest. Parents are inclined to think their children about right in the matter, and all sleep on at ease. Thus it was at the destruction of the old world and when Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed by fire. On the night prior to their destruction the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure. Lot was derided for his fears and warnings. But it was these scoffers that perished in the flames. That very night the door of mercy was forever closed to the wicked, careless inhabitants of Sodom.

"It is God who holds in His hands the destiny of souls. He will not always be mocked; He will not always be trifled with. Already His judgments are in the land . . Yet the hearts of men are hardened. They recognize not the warning voice of God. They will not flee to the only refuge from the gathering storm." 5 Testimonies, 232-234.

wording of the above paragraph: The first two sentences are explained, in context, by those that follow. Man works his own destruction by his actions, by sowing sinful seeds. These, if not repented and turned from, bring an inevitable harvest. The harvest is death. This paragraph teaches that man is in charge of the seed-sowing and responsible for the harvest. The paragraph also teaches that, at the end, it is God who is in charge of the judgments.

An illustration is given in the COL paragraph, to illustrate the meaning of the first two sentences in the paragraph. It is the experience of Pharaoh. He was fully responsible for the obstinacy and unbelief, and therefore for all that resulted from it. Yet it was God who, by a direct act, caused the devastation and death: the devastated land; the cold, dead form of his first-born; and the death of his warriors in the Red Sea. Read the Bible, Exodus 3 to 13.

The magicians in Egypt calmed the fears of Pharaoh and helped him harden his heart. They did it by declaring that judgments do not come from Israel's God; He is not to be feared. The error they taught was "Israel's God does not exist, so no judgments will ever come from Him." The error being taught today is "Israel's God does exist, but no judgments will ever come from Him."

"Peace and safety" is the message of the world today, and some in our midst. But it is the very opposite of the Third Angels Message!

Protestants declare that, since there no longer is a Divine Law we are bound to obey, the judgment is past; it all fell on Christ. The "God will not kill anyone" theory teaches that God has no judgments at all.

Before concluding this section, it should be noted that the magicians of Satan claimed that the judgments came by their own enchantments (thus, as a direct act of Satan), but we know that the judgments upon Egypt (the ten plagues) came as a direct act of God. Read Patriarchs and Prophets, 263-280, if you question this truth.

MEN BRING THE PUNISHMENT

UPON THEMSELVES

Men bring the punishment upon themselves by their consistent desire to remain in sin.

THE EXAMPLE OF SODOM, ABOVE EVERY OTHER,
IS THE GREAT TYPE OF THE FINAL DESTRUCTION
OF THE WICKED BY THEIR CREATOR

The destruction of Sodom and the cities of the plain, by fire from heaven, is described in Genesis 18-19.

"And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to bring on the way. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation? . . For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment . .

"And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know. And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom. But Abraham stood yet before the Lord. And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? . . And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes . . If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it . . I will not destroy it for twenty's sake . . I will not destroy it for tens sake.

"And there came two angels to Sodom at even . . And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness . . Hast thou here any besides? Son-in-laws, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring 

them out of this place. For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it . . And Lot . . said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked ["God does not kill," they said] . .

"The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities . . And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt."Genesis 18:16-19:29.

"For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment, and spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." 2 Peter 2:4-9.

"And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved . . unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."Jude 6-7.

"Abraham had seen in his guests only three tired wayfarers, little thinking that among them was One whom he might worship without sin. But the true character of the heavenly messengers was now revealed. Though they were on their way as ministers of wrath, yet to Abraham, the man of faith, they spoke first of blessings. Though God is strict to mark iniquity and to punish transgression, He takes no delight in vengeance. The work of destruction is a strange work to Him who is infinite in love . .

"God knew well the measure of Sodoms guilt; but He expressed Himself after the manner of men, that the justice of His dealings might be understood. Before bringing judgment upon the transgressors He would go Himself, to institute an examination of their course; if they had not passed the limits of divine mercy, He would still grant them space for repentance."Patriarchs and Prophets, 138-139.

"Love for perishing souls inspired Abrahams prayer . . The spirit of Abraham was the spirit of Christ. The Son of man is Himself the great Intercessor in the sinners behalf. He who has paid the price for its redemption knows the worth of the human soul. With an antagonism to evil such as can exist only in a nature spotlessly pure, Christ manifested toward the sinner a love which infinite goodness alone could conceive."Patriarchs and Prophets, 140.

"The long-suffering of God is wonderful, because He puts constraint on His own attributes; but punishment is nonetheless certain" (read 2 SM 372-373 for the entire passage). What is this attribute? "With an antagonism to evil such as can exist only in a nature spotlessly pure" (Patriarchs and Prophets, 140). It is only by restraining Himself that God does not instantly destroy sin and those that cling to it. But He does so in order to work out the issues of the great controversy. The marvel is not that God will someday destroy the wicked; the marvel is His self-constraint in waiting so long to do it.

"In Sodom there was mirth and revelry, feasting and drunkenness. The vilest and most brutal passions were unrestrained. The people openly defied God and His law and delighted in deeds of violence. Though they had before them the example of the antediluvian world, and knew how the wrath of God had been manifested in their destruction, yet they followed the same course of wickedness."Patriarchs and Prophets, 157.

"And now the last night of Sodom was approaching. Already the clouds of vengeance cast their shadows over the devoted city. But men perceived it not. While angels drew near on their mission of destruction, men were dreaming of prosperity and pleasure . . None could discern in those humble wayfarers the mighty heralds of divine judgment."Patriarchs and Prophets, 157-158.

"That last night was marked by no greater sins than many others before it; but mercy, so long slighted, had at last ceased its pleading. The inhabitants of Sodom had passed the limits of divine forbearance the hidden boundary between Gods patience and His wrath. The fires of His vengeance were about to be kindled in the vale of Siddim.

"The angels revealed to Lot the object of their 

mission: We will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it . . Lot went out to warn his children. He repeated the words of the angels, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed to them as one that mocked . . They were well enough off where they were. They could see no evidence of danger . .

"But Lot delayed. Though daily distressed at beholding deeds of violence, he had no true conception of the debasing and abominable iniquity practiced in that vile city. He did not realize the terrible necessity for Gods judgments to put a check on sin . . The heavenly messengers took him and his wife and daughters by the hand and led them out of the city.

"Here the angels left them, and turned back to Sodom to accomplish their work of destruction. Another, He with whom Abraham had pleaded, drew near to Lot . . The command was given with startling vehemence: Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain . . The storm of divine judgment was only waiting that these poor fugitives might make their escape . . Again the solemn command was given to hasten, for the fiery storm would be delayed but little longer. But one of the fugitives ventured to cast a look backward to the doomed city, and she became a monument to Gods judgment . . While her body was upon the plain, her heart clung to Sodom, and she perished with it. She rebelled against God because His judgments involved her possessions and her children in the ruin."

It was God (Christ) who gave the announcements of coming destruction to Abraham and to Lot; it was He who had planned the action and who carried it out.

"Suddenly and unexpectedly as would be a thunder peal from an unclouded sky, the tempest broke. The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities and the fruitful plain; its palaces and temples, costly dwellings, gardens and vineyards, and the gay, pleasure-seeking throngs that only the night before had insulted the messengers of heaven all were consumed. The smoke of the conflagration went up like the smoke of a great furnace. And the fair vale of Siddim became a desolation, a place never to be built up or inhabited a witness to all generations of the certainty of Gods judgments upon transgression."

In the above quotation, there is no doubt as where the fire came from. "The Lord rained brimstone and fire out of heaven upon the cities." And there is equally no doubt as to where the fire comes from that destroys the wicked at the close of the millennium. It also comes from God out of heaven. The fire that destroys the wicked does not come from men nor from Satan. Such talk is idle speculation!

"The flames that consumed the cities of the plain shed their warning light down even to our time. We are taught the fearful and solemn lesson that while Gods mercy bears long with the transgressor, there is a limit beyond which men may not go on in sin. When that limit is reached, then the offers of mercy are withdrawn, and the ministration of judgment begins." Patriarchs and Prophets, 159-165.

The Flood and the destruction of the cities of the plain occurred fairly early in human history as a warning to all time to come, that those who persist in sin must face a similar holocaust before the end comes. No man should make a mockery of those solemn events by speculating that they were not judgments from God, when the Bible says they were.

"There is a record kept of the impieties of nations, of families, of individuals. God may bear long while the account goes on, and calls to repentance and offers of pardon may be given; yet a time will come when the account will be full; when the souls decision has been made; when by his own choice mans destiny has been fixed. Then the signal will be given for judgment to be executed . .

"Christ declared, As it was in the days of Lot . . even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. Luke 17:28-30. The daily record of passing events testifies to the fulfillment of His words. The world is fast becoming ripe for destruction. Soon the judgments of God are to be poured out, and sin and sinners are to be consumed."Patriarchs and Prophets, 165-166.

" Escape for thy life, is the warning from the angels of God; but other voices are heard saying, Be not excited; there is no cause for alarm. The multitudes cry, Peace and safety, while Heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the transgressor. On the night prior to their destruction, the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure and derided the fears and warnings of the messenger of God; but those scoffers perished in the flames; that very night the door of mercy was forever closed to the wicked, careless inhabitants of Sodom. God will not always be mocked; He will not long be trifled with. Behold the day of

God warns all the world today through the powerful message of three angels that His wrath is going to fall on all those who refuse to worship and obey Him. Who is that man who dares to tell the people that God is not going to manifest such wrath "because He is too kindly to punish the wicked"?

THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD ARE ALREADY UPON THE EARTH
AND WILL INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN

It is quite obvious that the great need of our time is to live right, to tell others the special truths for this time, and to warn them of the great crisis ahead and the judgments which are to fall on those who remain in their sins. And this is the message of the three angels (Rev 14:6-12). We are to be living it and sharing it every day. We are not to deny any part of it by our lives or by our teachings.

Inspiration tells us that Gods judgments are now falling. But after probation closes they will increase on an immense scale and then culminate, in a massive degree, at Christ's return and again at the final destruction of the wicked after the millennium.

"What terrible scenes will take place when the Lord shall arise to shake terribly the earth! Then the words of Revelation 18:1-3 will be fulfilled. The whole of the eighteenth chapter of Revelation is a warning of what is coming on the earth. But I have no light in particular in regard to what is coming on New York, only I know that one day the great buildings there will be thrown down by the turning and overturning of Gods power. From the light given me, I know that destruction is in the world. One word from the Lord, one touch of His mighty power, and these massive structures will fall. Scenes will take place the fearfulness of which we cannot imagine . .

"Not long hence these cities will suffer under the judgments of God. San Francisco and Oakland are becoming as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Lord will visit them in wrath. [Written on September 1, 1902; the San Francisco Earthquake took place in April of 1906.]"Life Sketches, 412.

My family once had a close friend that we prayed with and were trying to help. His name was Fred Nogle. He lived a couple miles from our home in southern Illinois in the early 1980s. Fred loved Gods Word and he daily read in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. Desire of Ages had especially been a deep encouragement to him. He was also reading her other books. Generously, he would purchase boxfuls of Steps to Christ, Desire of Ages, and Great Controversy, and give them to colporteurs to distribute. Many times, he gave expensive, new Bibles to children, to help them in their walk with the Lord.

Although Fred had made much progress in other lines, he had so far not been able to overcome the tobacco habit. For this reason, he had not yet been baptized. But, month by month, he was strengthening in his resolve. God was wonderfully blessing in his life and he was thankful for it; he had hoped that soon this last difficulty would be put away in the strength of Christ.

Then, one day, someone shared with him a newsprint religious newspaper mailed out monthly by an independent Adventist publisher in Oregon. It told him that God does not punish sin, and he inferred from this that it did not really matter whether one sinned or not. Now a different kind of peace came into Fred's heart. No more need for an upward walk. No more need to overcome the tobacco habit. As he commented later, "If God doesn't punish sin, then He intends to take me to heaven anyway. Anybody can see that."

The newspaper tabloid advertised cassettes, as well as a book, by Fred Wright. So he ordered the cassettes and several copies of the book. When they arrived, he listened to the cassettes and read the book and decided two things. And the very next day he stopped by and told me of his discovery and his two decisions. I will never forget his words:

"Last week, I accepted the sacred name theory, and this week I've accepted the God does not kill theory. I know that neither one is in the Spirit of Prophecy, so I'm done with those books!"

He was honest enough to openly admit that those theories were not in the Spirit of Prophecy. Fred handed me a copy of a book by Fred Wright. Opening it and noting the chapter titles, I turned to the chapter on the destruction of Sodom, and then to the chapter on the final destruction of the wicked.

In the first of those two chapters (the one on Sodom), I found, not Scripture but, page after page of descriptions of various volcanoes that had occurred in different parts of the world, such as Vesuvius, Krakatoa, and Mt. Pelee. The chapter concluded with the thought that maybe, who knows, an accidental volcano is what destroyed Sodom, not an act of God. (Which would be very fortunate, since God through the angels had said that He would destroy the city; and since, according to the theory, He doesn't do such things, an accidental volcanic eruption just then would be a fine solution to a difficult problem.) In the three years that has elapsed since I was given that book, I have tried to locate data on volcanic activity in the Dead Sea area (where Sodom and the cities of the Plain were once located)but what I have discovered is that there have never been volcanoes in that area. An extinct volcano is relatively easy for geologists and volcanologists to identify.

The other chapter in that book, the one that dealt with the topic of the final destruction of the wicked, turned out to be primarily a speculative exercise as to the possibility of the sun blowing up, conveniently, all by itself at just the right time the time that the great controversy is concluded; the wicked would die because of an accidental explosion of our sun, because God lacked the capacity to solve the problem Himself.

Fred Nogle walked away and left Gods Word. He became a changed man. No longer did he buy Bibles or Spirit of Prophecy books. Instead, Fred sold his own in an auction sale and moved north to central Illinois. He became so vicious in his personal habits that, within a short time after talking with me, his wife and children left him.

About six months later I was told that he went out in the garage one day, turned on the ignition in the car, and sat there till the carbon monoxide killed him. When Fred Nogle left Gods Word, he destroyed himself.

"June 20, 1903: The judgments of God are in our land. The Lord is soon to come. In fire and flood and earthquake, He is warning the inhabitants of this earth of His soon approach. O that the people may know the time of their visitation! We have no time to lose. We must make more determined efforts to lead the people of the world to see that the day of judgment is at hand.

"November 12, 1902: The time is nearing when the great crisis in the history of the world will have come, when every movement in the government of God will be watched with intense interest and inexpressible apprehension. In quick succession the judgments of God will follow one another fire and flood and earthquakes, with war and bloodshed.

"February 15, 1904: [speaking about the erection of the large buildings in New York and how they are funded by greed and fraud] The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence men will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass, and they will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah. The scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at lofty and supposedly fireproof buildings, and said, They are perfectly safe But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable to operate the engines. I am bidden to say that when the Lords time comes, should no change have taken place in the hearts of proud, ambitious human beings, men will find that the hand that has been strong to save will be strong to destroy. No earthly power can stay the hand of God. No material can be used in the erection of buildings that will preserve them from destruction when Gods appointed time comes to send retribution on men for their insolence and their disregard of His law. "Life Sketches, 412414.

CALVARY WAS PROVIDED TO SAVE US FROM
THE CLOUD OF VENGEANCE

CHRIST SUFFERED THE SIN OF THE WORLD

ON OUR BEHALF, AT THE HANDS OF A JUST GOD

"The sin of the world, with all its terribleness, was felt to the utmost by the Son of God. The displeasure of the Father for sin, and its penalty, which is death, were all that He could realize through this amazing darkness. He was tempted to fear that sin was so offensive in the sight of His Father that He could not be reconciled to His Son. The fierce temptation that His own Father had forever left Him caused that piercing cry from the cross: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

"Christ felt much as sinners will feel when the vials of Gods wrath shall be poured out upon them. Black despair, like the pall of death, will gather about their guilty souls, and then they will realize to the fullest extent the sinfulness of sin . . If they refuse the heavenly benefit and choose the pleasures and deceitfulness of sin, they have their choice, and at the end receive their wages, which is the wrath of God and eternal death." 2 Testimonies, 210.

What took place at Calvary? Jesus experienced the wrath of God, which is His anger against sin. And it involves separation of God from the one identified with the sin. Jesus experienced all of this to the full. It is in Gods nature to be angry with sin. And those who stubbornly refuse to separate from it will have to experience that anger or wrath someday. It is not wrong for God to be angry with sin. It is not wrong for Him to punish those who have lived their days cherishing it and refusing to leave it. It is not wrong for God to someday kill in hellfire those who live to injure, hurt, and destroy. It is not wrong for Him to blot out of existence those who shall continue in these thoughts and actions as long as they have being.

Christ experienced the wrath of God and His judgment against sin. Those who refuse to accept Christ will also experience Gods wrath and His judgments. Refusing repentance, acceptance and obedience, they have refused the Atonement.

Only He who received the full wrath of God, in order to save us, will someday inflict it upon those who refuse the salvation which He now offers them.

Question: Is it just and right to let Jesus execute the final judgment upon the wicked? Yes, it is fully just and right.

Question: Would it be just and right for God to let Satan inflict the final judgment upon the wicked? No, it would not be just and right. Satan has not been appointed to do it (anywhere in Scripture). He is not qualified to do it. He would not, and could not, do it properly. Every sinner finally lost will suffer in the fire only a certain amount, exactly equivalent to his sinful life, and then will cease to exist. That is fair and right. But Satan would not do this. He would try to continue their suffering on and on, just as he did through the papists to the martyrs in the Dark Ages. The character of God would not be vindicated if He were to turn the final destruction of sinners over to Satan. To do so would be a blot on His justice and on His mercy. And if the "God does not kill" theory were correct, there would be no way that God could stop Satan from continuing on their misery for unending ages, because God would not step in and put a stop to it by destroying Satan!

"He has given light and life to all, and according to the measure of light given, each is to be judged. And He who has given the light, He who has followed the soul with tenderest entreaty, seeking to win it from sin to holiness, is in one its advocate and judge. From the opening of the great controversy in heaven, Satan has maintained his cause through deception; and Christ has been working to unveil his schemes and to break his power. It is He who has encountered the deceiver, and who through all the ages has been seeking to wrest the captives from his grasp, who will pass judgment upon every soul.

"And God hath given Him authority to execute the judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Because He has tasted the very dregs of human affliction and understands the frailties and sins of men; because in our behalf He has victoriously withstood the temptations of Satan, and will deal justly and tenderly with the souls that His own blood has been poured out to save, because of this, the Son of man is appointed to execute the judgment."Desire of Ages, 210.