t, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil.
While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the
sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is
to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God's
people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of
Revelation 14.

When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will
be ready for His appearing. "Then shall the offering of Judah and
Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in
former years."(700) Then the church which our Lord at His coming is to
receive to Himself will be "a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing."(701) Then she will look forth "as the
morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with
banners."(702)

Besides the coming of the Lord to His temple, Malachi also foretells His
second advent, His coming for the execution of the judgment, in these
words: "And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift
witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against
false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages,
the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his
right, and fear not Me, saith the Lord of hosts."(703) Jude refers to the
same scene when he says, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of
His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are
ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds."(704) This coming, and the
coming of the Lord to His temple, are distinct and separate events.

The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the
cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Dan. 8:14; the coming of
the Son of man to the Ancient of days, as presented in Dan. 7:13; and the
coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by Malachi, are descriptions of
the same event; and this is also represented by the coming of the
bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten
virgins, of Matthew 25.

In the summer and autumn of 1844, the proclamation, "Behold, the
Bridegroom cometh," was given. The two classes represented by the wise and
foolish virgins were then developed,--one class who looked with joy to the
Lord's appearing, and who had been diligently preparing to meet Him;
another class that, influenced by fear, and acting from impu