Signs in the earth and in heaven
And first, God will show signs in the earth beneath. Acts 2:19. In particular he will arise to shake the earth terribly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage. There shall be earthquakes. The words in various places do not mean in various places only, but in all places: not in one only, or a few, but in every part of the habitable world. Even such as were not since men were upon the earth, so mighty earthquakes, and so great. Luke 21:11.
In one of these, every island shall flee away, and the mountains will not be found. Revelation 16:20. Meanwhile, all the waters of the globe of land and water will feel the violence of those shocks. The sea and the waves roaring, Luke 21:25, with such an agitation as had never been known before, since the hour when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, to destroy the earth which then stood out of the water and in the water.
The air will be all storm and tempest, full of dark vapors and pillars of smoke, Joel 2:30, resounding with thunder from pole to pole, and torn with 10,000 lightnings. But the commotion will not stop in the region of the air. The powers of heaven also shall be shaken. There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, in those that are fixed as well as in those that move around them. Luke 21:25-26.
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord comes. Joel 2:31. The stars shall withdraw their shining, Joel 3:15, yes, and fall from heaven, thrown out of their orbits.
Then shall be heard the universal shout from all the companies of heaven, followed by the voice of the archangel, proclaiming the approach of the Son of God and man, and the trumpet of God, sounding an alarm to all who sleep in the dust of the earth. 1 Thessalonians 4:16. In consequence of this, all the graves shall open, and the bodies of men arise. The sea also shall give up the dead which are in it, Revelation 20:13, and every one shall rise with his own body: his own in substance, although so changed in its properties that we cannot now conceive it. For this corruptible will then put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:53.
Yes, death and Hades, the invisible world, shall deliver up the dead that are in them. So all who ever lived and died, since God created man, shall be raised incorruptible and immortal.
1771 text
And 1st, God will shew signs in the earth beneath: particularly he will arise to shake terribly the earth. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage. There shall be earthquakes κατὰ τόπους not in divers only, but in all places: not in one only, or a few, but in every part of the habitable world: even such as were not, since men were upon the earth, so mighty earthquakes and so great. In one of these every island shall flee away, and the mountains will not be found. Meantime all the waters of the terraqueous globe will feel the violence of those concussions: the sea and waves roaring, with such an agitation as had never been known before, since the hour that the fountains of the great deep were broken up, to destroy the earth which then stood out of the water and in the water. The air will be all storm and tempest, full of dark vapours and pillars of smoak; resounding with thunder from pole to pole, and torn with ten thousand lightnings. But the commotion will not stop in the region of the air: the powers of heaven also shall be shaken. There shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars; those fixt, as well as those that move round them. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. The stars shall withdraw their shining, yea and fall from heaven, being thrown out of their orbits. And then shall be heard the universal shout from all the companies of heaven, followed by the voice of the arch-angel, proclaiming the approach of the Son of God and man, and the trumpet of God, sounding an alarm to all that sleep in the dust of the earth. In consequence of this all the graves shall open, and the bodies of men arise. The sea also shall give up the dead which are therein, and every one shall rise with his own body: his own in substance, although so changed in its properties, as we cannot now conceive. For this corruptible will then put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality. Yea, death and hades, the invisible world shall deliver up the dead that are in them. So that all who ever lived and died since God created man, shall be raised incorruptible and immortal.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 15 in the 1771 Works. Romans 14:10. Bedford, 10 March 1758.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.