Godsloveandlaw's Blog

Last week we mentioned that the subject of the short 100 years on earth, brought about by the 2nd resurrection of the wicked, was not largely understood. We’d like to delve into this fascinating study to give a more clear view.

First, we’d like to make a correction. Last week we mentioned that this understanding first came by way of the Spirit of Prophecy. However,  although the following comments were made in the “Signs of the Times” in 1893, we are not certain the answer given was from the prophetess. There were several early pioneers who addressed issues on the paper and this may have been someone other than EGW. The reason we feel this is the case is the very last comment “We present the suggestion for what it is worth.” This was not a statement that suggests the inspired prophetess would make.

752 THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Vol. 19, No. 47. OAKLAND, CAL., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1893

“Will you please explain Isa. 65:20 and oblige? F. a. L.”

The text reads as follows: “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be destroyed.” A suggested plausible explanation is as follows : The first part of the verse, to the first semicolon, refers to the new earth (see verse 17), and simply declares that there shall be no death in that state. The last part of the verse refers to the wicked which are raised from the dead (see Rev. 20:1-9), and remain upon the earth “a little season,” or one hundred years. During this time the wicked youth will grow up and the hardened sinner will abide, but at the end of that period sin and sinners are no more, while the people of the Lord endure forever. We present the suggestion for what it is worth.”

However, let us note that the Elijah prophet confirms this understanding , therefore it should be authoritative and restoring -truth. Let us read his comments.

“Isa. 65:17-19, speak of the new earth.  Isa. 65:20, is here quoted from the Hebrew translation by Isaac Lesser.  “There shall no more thence an infant of few days, nor an old man that shall not have the full length of his days; for as a lad shall one die a hundred years old; and as a sinner shall be accursed he who (dieth) at a hundred years old.”  It seems this translation makes the meaning of the verse just a little plainer than the King James’. 

The scripture speaks of the time at the end of the 1000 years (millennium) after the resurrection of the wicked.  At that time there will not be any births to infants.  “There shall no more thence an infant of days.” 

The lesson therefore is not so difficult for one to comprehend.  All the wicked are called forth in the second resurrection, whether old or young (at the time of death).  All come up at the same time.  This hour becomes the birth of all the wicked in the second life. 

There is to be no natural, or unnatural death, for all must live to the time of the second  death, which is by “fire come down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” Read Rev. 20:7-10.  “And as a sinner shall be accursed he who (dieth) at an hundred years old.”  This scripture predicts the span of life of the wicked after they are resurrected as being 100 years.  “For as a lad shall one die a hundred years old; and as a sinner shall be accursed he who (dieth) at a hundred years old.”  During this 100 year period, the wicked make preparation for their attack on the holy city.  Read Rev. 20:8, 9.” (SRod, vol. 1, p.164-165)

Here we see that God’s purpose is to raise the wicked (all those who ever lived who were unbelievers) to make what they will of the earth for 100 years. They shall ultimately find that their one united desire will be to overtake the glorious kingdom which sits upon the earth in all its majestic glory. Satan shall do his very last deception, complete with mankind’s great historic generals and leaders. In other words , God gives them all the resources and abilities they ever had to unload upon His people and their kingdom, yet we know Christ rises up just as they come to the apron of the city and they are then paralyzed and all bow down in the final acknowledgment of their creator. The world’s historic wisdom forgets Who sits upon the throne! Then fire comes down and destroys them all.

The final bowing of every knee is thus fulfilled —

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11)

Scripture explains this final short period after the millennium —

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is  as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” (Rev. 20:7-9)

Our last prophetess beautifully explains this final scenario–

Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans.

The wicked are Satan’s captives. In rejecting Christ they have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. They are ready to receive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves and that he is about to rescue them from the most cruel tyranny.

The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints and to take possession of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points to the unnumbered millions who have been raised from the dead and declares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city and regain his throne and his kingdom.

In that vast throng are multitudes of the long-lived race that existed before the Flood; men of lofty stature and giant intellect, who, yielding to the control of fallen angels, devoted all their skill and knowledge to the exaltation of themselves; men whose wonderful works of art led the world to idolize their genius, but whose cruelty and evil inventions, defiling the earth and defacing the image of God, caused Him to blot them from the face of His creation.

There are kings and generals who conquered nations, valiant men who never lost a battle, proud, ambitious warriors whose approach made kingdoms tremble. In death these experienced no change. As they come up from the grave, they resume the current of their thoughts just where it ceased. They are actuated by the same desire to conquer that ruled them when they fell.

Satan consults with his angels, and then with these kings and conquerors and mighty men. They look upon the strength and numbers on their side, and declare that the army within the city is small in comparison with theirs, and that it can be overcome. They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem. All immediately begin to prepare for battle. Skillful artisans construct implements of war. Military leaders, famed for their success, marshal the throngs of warlike men into companies and divisions.

At last the order to advance is given, and the countless host moves on–an army such as was never summoned by earthly conquerors, such as the combined forces of all ages since war began on earth could never equal. Satan, the mightiest of warriors, leads the van, and his angels unite their forces for this final struggle. Kings and warriors are in his train, and the multitudes follow in vast companies, each under its appointed leader. With military precision the serried ranks advance over the earth’s broken and uneven surface to the City of God. By command of Jesus, the gates of the New Jerusalem are closed, and the armies of Satan surround the city and make ready for the onset.

Now Christ again appears to the view of His enemies. Far above the city, upon a foundation of burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray. The glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The brightness of His presence fills the City of God, and flows out beyond the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance.(GC p. 664-666)

I have often thought of this fitting end to this solemn and woeful last stance of the Godless of mankind. Upon the encroaching of the kingdom by the people and armies of the Satanic world, all those who fought God’s people in their prior life, either with disdain, distrust or evil actions, will look up upon the high walls of the kingdom city and notice the faces of those they fought against who stand safely and happy within God’s kingdom!

The Lord’s Elijah message gives us more understanding, and shows the case why Isaiah 65:20 is the short 100 year period for the wicked.

Isa. 65:17 — “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”

   Here we are brought down to the time the Lord finally renews the heaven and the earth.

Isa. 65:18, 19 — “But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.  And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.”

We are encouraged to rejoice because Jerusalem, as well as her people, are created for joy.

Isa. 65:20 — “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”

   Concerning the wicked in the earth made new, who come up in the second resurrection, the resurrection of the unjust (Rev. 20:5), there shall be neither birth nor death among them for one hundred years.  Thus the only children that shall be among them will be those who are raised from the dead.  Consequently both those who are old and those who are young will have lived a hundred years from the resurrection of the unjust to the second death.  Thus the child and the sinner, becoming a hundred years old in the earth made new, shall both succumb in the end of the century.  Then the righteous shall inhabit the whole earth.

Isa. 65:21, 22 — “And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.  They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.”

   Again we see that the Hereafter is to be as real and as natural as was the Garden of Eden in the day it was created.  So the message of Elijah shall indeed restore all things — all that was lost through sin.

Isa. 65:23 — “They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.”

Much of our labor on this earth is done in vain, and many of our sons and daughters are also born in vain.  But in the earth made new, no one shall labor in vain, and nothing shall be brought forth for trouble.

Isa. 65:24 — “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”

   For the answers to some of our prayers we often wait long, and most of them are not answered as we want them to be.  But in the earth made new there shall be no delay and no disappointment.

Isa. 65:25 — “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, saith the Lord.”

   There shall be peace all around.  We shall not see men quarreling nor beasts fighting and eating one another.  There shall be real and perfect peace among them all.

   If we could only realize what God has prepared for them that love to study His Word and to walk in His ever-increasing Light, then we would make God’s business our chief interest; then we would no longer waste our energies striving for the material things of life.  They will be added unto us while we diligently labor for the upbuilding of His Kingdom, for He Himself says: “The workman is worthy of his hire.” (Timely Greetings, Vol. 1, No. 44 , p.8-10)    

This small study of the 100 year period is quite thrilling to those of us who thank the Lord often that He sent His end time Elijah to “restore”(Matt 17:11)  and to “interpret” (TM, p.475) His Holy Word.  Oh, let us do all we can to avoid being in the second resurrection, as we see clearly that it will end horribly.

As we learned from last weeks chart study, we the SDA church, will be the first to be judged when the Lord’s judgments start among the living. Now is our time to do all to be within that glorious kingdom!

May God be your strength today, and you make the decision to forgo the sins of the world and come under the umbrella of His last message for His church–His Elijah message.

This entry was posted on July 18, 2015 at 3:38 am and is filed under Elijah Interpretations, End times. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.