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The Lake

of Fire

(Zechariah 14:1-21)

We recommend that you read Great Controversy

pages 36-38 before reading this chapter.

Two different

‘day’s of the LORD’!

The dividing of the people

1 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, and your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken [AD70], and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue [remainder] of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Jesus prepares a place for the new city

3 Then [after that] shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. 4 And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south [making a great plain].

Early Writings, page 53

It is at the close of the one thousand years that Jesus stands upon the Mount of Olives, and the mount parts asunder and becomes a mighty plain. Those who flee at that time are the wicked, who have just been raised. Then the Holy City comes down and settles on the plain.

The third advent

5 And you [the resurrected wicked] shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee, like as you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with You.

A strange time

6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 but it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

[The KJV margin reading is: That is, it shall not be clear in some places, and dark in other places of the world.

The RSV has it: On that day there shall be neither cold nor frost. And there shall be continuous day (it is known to the LORD), not day nor night, for at evening time there shall be light.] ............ [See also Revelation 21:23 and Jacob’s experience in PP 237].

The living waters

8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem [Revelation 22:1]; half of them toward the former [eastern] sea [the Mediterranean, and half of them toward the hinder sea [the Dead Sea]: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and His name one.

10 All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it [the new city] shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate to the place of the first gate, to the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses. 11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited [Revelation 22:3].

The death of the rejectors

12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth [They disintegrate as they leave the LORD’s grace].

Self destruction

13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

Early Writings 294.001

The Second Death

Satan rushes into the midst of his followers and tries to stir up the multitude to action. But fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them, and the great men, and mighty men, the noble, the poor and miserable, are all consumed together. I saw that some were quickly destroyed, while others suffered longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there was a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained. Said the angel, "The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long as there is the least particle for it to prey upon."

The people of God fight as He does

14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.

Early Writings 288.001

The Saints' Reward

(paragraphing added)

Then I saw a very great number of angels bring from the city glorious crowns--a crown for every saint, with his name written thereon. As Jesus called for the crowns, angels presented them to Him, and with His own right hand, the lovely Jesus placed the crowns on the heads of the saints.

In the same manner the angels brought the harps, and Jesus presented them also to the saints. The commanding angels first struck the note, and then every voice was raised in grateful, happy praise, and every hand skillfully swept over the strings of the harp, sending forth melodious music in rich and perfect strains.

Then I saw Jesus lead the redeemed company to the gate of the city. He laid hold of the gate and swung it back on its glittering hinges and bade the nations that had kept the truth enter in. Within the city there was everything to feast the eye. Rich glory they beheld everywhere.

Then Jesus looked upon His redeemed saints; their countenances were radiant with glory; and as He fixed His loving eyes upon them, He said, with His rich, musical voice, "I behold the travail of My soul, and am satisfied. This rich glory is yours to enjoy eternally. Your sorrows are ended. There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." I saw the redeemed host bow and cast their glittering crowns at the feet of Jesus, and then, as His lovely hand raised them up, they touched their golden harps and filled all heaven with their rich music and songs to the Lamb.

Destruction strikes every living rebellious creature

15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague [the disintegration].

The redeemed

16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

The same sin (of rejection) would lead to the same destruction

17 And it shall be, that whosoever will not come up of all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.

All the redeemed are equal

20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and [even] the pots in the LORD'S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice [the sacrifice of praise, Hebrews 13:15] shall come and take of them, and seethe [boil] therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite [unbeliever] in the house of the LORD of hosts.

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