During the Middle Ages there was a strong tendency to portray God as a severe, punitive Judge. Today the tendency is to describe Him as a loving, permissive Father who never punishes His children. Yet, love without justice will turn into chaos and lawlessness, and justice without love will become oppression and subjugation. God’s judging process is a perfect blend of justice and mercy, both of which derive from His unconditional love.

The executive judgment is God’s final and irreversible punitive intervention in human history. Limited punitive judgments occurred, for example, in the casting out of Satan and his rebellious angels from heaven (Revelation 12:7-12), the driving out of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-24), the Great Flood (Genesis chapters 6-8), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-38, Jude 7), the death of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus chapters 11-12), and the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11).

Image © Justinen Creative from GoodSalt.com

So it is no surprise that there will be an executive judgment of the wicked also at the end of human history.

Read 2 Peter 2:4-6 and 2 Peter 3:10-13. How do these texts help us understand the nature of the final executive judgment? How do they imply the idea of the completion of judgment as opposed to its going on forever, which would be a perversion of justice and not an expression of it?

“God’s goodness and long forbearance, His patience and mercy exercised to His subjects, will not hinder Him from punishing the sinner who refused to be obedient to His requirements. It is not for a man — a criminal against God’s holy law, pardoned only through the great sacrifice He made in giving His Son to die for the guilty because His law was changeless — to dictate to God.” — Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, p. 208.

All that God could have done to save humanity from being eternally lost He did, even at a great cost to Himself. Those who are lost ultimately made choices that led them to this unfortunate end. The idea that God’s judgment on the lost, even the annihilation of the lost (as opposed to eternal torment), goes against the character of a loving God is simply wrong. It’s God’s love, and God’s love alone, that demands justice, as well.

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

Amen!(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/wednesday-executive-judgment/

The Bible tells us that at the Second Coming 1. both the living saints and the resurrected saints will “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17); 2. all the saints will be taken to heaven to abide in the heavenly “dwelling places” that He Himself has prepared for them (John 14:1-3, NRSV); and 3. only at the end of the millennium will the New Jerusalem come down to this earth and become the everlasting home of the saints (Revelation 21:1-3, Revelation 21:9-11). So, during the millennium, while this earth remains desolated, the saints will reign with Christ in heaven (Jeremiah 4:23, Revelation 20:4).

Read 1 Corinthians 6:2-3,  and Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 20:11-13. Why should the saints participate in the millennial judgment?

Image © Steve Creitz at Goodsalt.com

The whole judgment process is intended 1. to vindicate God’s character against the accusations of Satan that God is unfair in the way He treats His creatures; 2. to confirm the impartiality of the rewards of the righteous; 3. to demonstrate the justice of the punishments of the wicked; and 4. to dissipate all doubts that could lead toward another rebellion in the universe. In the pre-advent investigative judgment of the righteous, only the heavenly hosts are involved (Daniel 7:9-10). But during the millennial judgment of the wicked and the fallen angels, the saints themselves will also participate (1 Corinthians 6:3, Jude 6, Revelation 20:4-6).

The pre-advent investigative judgment began in 1844 when “thrones were put in place. … The court was seated, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10, , NKJV). The millennial judgment, however, will start after the saints are taken to heaven and sit on thrones, and the judgment is committed to them. Then, once more, the heavenly books are opened, and the dead are “judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:4, Revelation 20:12, NKJV). This process provides an opportunity for the saints to evaluate the heavenly records and to see God’s fair treatment in all cases. He not only rewards all human beings according to what they deserve based on their own decisions, but also explains to them why He does so.

<–Monday Wednesday–>

Amen!(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/tuesday-millennial-judgment/

The concept of judgment before the return of Christ, or what we call a “pre-Advent” judgment, is found in many places in Scripture.

Read Daniel 7:9-14; Matthew 22:1-14; Revelation 11:1, Revelation 11:18-19; and Revelation 14:6-7. How do these passages shed light on the notion of a pre-advent investigative judgment in the heavenly courtroom? What is the significance of such a judgment?

Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com

The concept of a pre-advent investigative judgment of God’s people is grounded on three basic biblical teachings.

One is the notion that all the dead — righteous or unrighteous — remain unconscious in their graves until the final resurrections (John 5:25-29).

The second is the existence of a universal judgment of all human beings (2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:11-13).

The third is the fact that the first resurrection will be the blessed reward for the righteous, and the second resurrection will be eternal death for the wicked (John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:4-6, Revelation 20:12-15).

What this means is that if all human beings will be judged, they should be judged prior to their respective resurrections, because at those resurrections they will receive their final rewards.

The book of Daniel helps us to understand both the time and the nature of that pre-advent judgment. At the end of the 2,300 symbolic days — in 1844 — the heavenly sanctuary would be cleansed (Daniel 8:14, compare with Hebrews 9:23) and the pre-advent investigative judgment would begin (Daniel 7:9-14), two different ways of expressing the same event. And the judgment is “in favor of the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:22, NKJV). That is, it’s good news for God’s people.

In Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus spoke of an investigation of the wedding guests before the wedding feast actually started.

And in the book of Revelation, the pre-advent investigative judgment is referred to by the task of measuring “those who worship” in the temple of God (Revelation 11:1, NKJV) and in the announcement that “the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:6-7 NKJV; compare with Revelation 14:14-16).

<–Sunday Tuesday–>

Amen!(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/monday-pre-advent-judgment/

For many, the idea of judgment means condemnation. And though that’s part of the process, we mustn’t forget that the idea of judgment has a positive side, in that judgment also involves the vindication of the righteous. Actually, the book of Daniel refers to an end-time judgment “in favor of the saints of the Most High” (Daniel 7:22, NKJV). God’s judgment includes both — a principle found in this Old Testament text: “Then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness” (1 Kings 8:32, NKJV).

Read Matthew 25:31-46 and John 5:21-29. How did Christ point to the concepts of both condemnation and vindication in the final judgment?

Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com

Some claim that the expressions “is not judged” (John 3:18, NASB) and “will not be judged” (John 5:24, NIV) mean that those who are in Christ are not judged at all. But these expressions imply that believers are not condemned in the judgment. Hence the texts should be understood as saying “is not condemned” (John 3:18, NIV) and “shall not come into condemnation” (John 5:24).

In short, our destiny is determined in our present life. Those in Christ have their vindication at the judgment already assured, and those who are not in Christ remain under condemnation. Describing the judgment (Matthew 25:31-46), Christ mentioned the presence not only of the goats (wicked) but also of the sheep (righteous). And the apostle Paul stated explicitly, “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NRSV).

While reflecting on the judgment, we should keep in mind that we are saved by grace (Isaiah 55:1, Ephesians 2:8-10), justified by faith (Genesis 15:6, Romans 5:1), and judged by works (Eccles. 12:14, Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20:11-13). The basis of the judgment process is God’s moral law as summarized in the Ten Commandments (Eccles. 12:13, Revelation 20:11-13; James 1:25; James 2:8-17). Our works are the external evidences of the genuineness of our saving experience and, consequently, the elements to be appraised during judgment.

Remember: there is no arbitrary decree from God electing some to be saved and others to be lost. Each one is morally responsible for his or her own destiny.

In the end, the judgment is not the time when God decides to accept or reject us, but the time when God finalizes our choice whether or not we have accepted Him — a choice made manifest by our works.

<–Sabbath Monday–>

Amen!(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/sunday-final-judgment/

Image © Pacific Press

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Matthew 25:31-46; Daniel 7:9-14; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; 2 Peter 2:4-6; Malachi 4:1; Revelation 21:8.

Memory Text: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NIV).

If Scripture is clear about one thing, it is the reality of judgment. God will judge the world. The texts, both in the Old Testament and the New, are numerous and without ambiguity. The justice so lacking here and now will one day come.

The Bible says that God has “perfect knowledge” (Job 37:16, NIV) and “knows everything” (1 John 3:20, NIV), including our most secret intentions (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Jeremiah 17:10). We can hide from everyone and everything else, but nothing is hidden from God.

What this reality implies is that He does not need a judgment for Himself to know the life of each individual. God’s judgments are, indeed, a divine accommodation, carried on for the sake of His creatures, both in heaven and on earth. This process is of a cosmic-historical nature because Lucifer began his rebellion in heaven and then spread it to this world (Revelation 12:7-9).

During this week we will consider the end-time judgment process with its three main phases: the pre-advent judgment, the millennial judgment, and the executive judgment. The whole process ends with the vindication of the righteous and the second death of the wicked.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 24.

Sunday–>

Amen!(0)

Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/sabbath-judging-process/