Good News and Bad News:About the Judgment |
Imagine with me a scene in heaven, way back before the beginning of this world's history.
Lucifer has sinned.
God calls him in before His throne and destroys him on the spot!
KAABAAAM!!!!
The next morning the other angels come around and ask, "Where's Lucifer?"
God answers, "I killed him."
"Killed him?" "What does 'killed' mean?"
"I destroyed him because he sinned."
And the angels say, "Sinned? What's that? What are You talking about?"
God says, "Don't you trust Me!?"
And they say, "well, we did -- until now."
There are people today who say that there's no need for an investigative judgment, because the Lord knows those who are His! Of course He does!
But if God had wanted
If He had wanted to use that approach, God could have used it way back at the beginning of sin and at least have saved us all the years of pain and misery that sin has brought.
BUT HE DIDN'T!!!!
He chose to allow sin to demonstrate itself to
its ultimate end so that it will never rise again. And He has
operated in such a way during the entire great controversy that
every one of us can base his trust on an intelligent
understanding of His methods.
After a meeting discussing the merits of the investigative judgment one man toward the rear of the sanctuary jumped to his feet and asked, with gravel in his voice, "Who needs the investigative judgment, anyhow?"
Who needs the investigative judgment?
GOD needs the investigative judgment -- not for His information, but rather for His vindication. (God needs to be vindicated for vindicating us!)
WE need the judgment -- not for our vindication, but rather for our information!
The ANGELS and the unfallen worlds need the judgment.
And besides that, the prosecution -- the devil and his angels -- demand it!
This judgment has a vital part in God's vindication before the entire universe.
As we try to understand the issues involved in the need for the pre-advent judgment, let's go back to the typical court scene of yesteryear. In those days, when they had water pumps in the backyard and kerosene lamps on the oilcloth-covered tables, they often had a circuit judge who traveled from one place to another to sit in judgment on the disputes that had arisen since he was last in town. In fact, the order of events in a court trial haven't changed that much today, even in the Supreme Court of the United States.
Some time ago I had the privilege of meeting
with a group of attorneys. At my request, these attorneys began
reminiscing about the way justice was dealt in those early days
of American history. Out of this discussion, a parable was born.
It has the Old West flavor to it, from the time when the western
frontier was Illinois. It's divided into two parts. Perhaps it
will help us in understanding the purpose of the investigative
judgment a bit more clearly.
There was great excitement in the little town of
Mill Creek, Illinois, that afternoon in 1845. Eighth Illinois
circuit judge David Davis of Bloomingdale had just arrived. As
usual, he was accompanied by several circuit lawyers, including
one named Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln's presence added to the stir
of excitement, for Mill Creek's citizens had not forgotten the
other times when he had come to town with Judge Davis. And in
addition to being an excellent lawyer, Abe Lincoln told the
funniest stories anyone had ever heard.
It had been almost six months since the last court session in Mill Creek, and there was quite an accumulation of cases to be tried. Old Thomas Jacobs was suspected of setting fire to the blacksmiths shop. He and the blacksmith had had words. Old Thomas had made some pretty dark threats, and that very night the blacksmith's shop had burned to the ground. There were witnesses who said that they had seen Old Thomas there at the fire, laughing like anything and slapping his knees.
Then there was the fight at the tavern between Henry Whitney and Ebenezer Bates. Whitney had finally pulled out his pistol and shot Ebenezer in cold blood. Some said that Ebenezer had asked for it and that Whitney was only defending himself. But others sided with Ebenezer and said it was murder, plain and simple.
Perhaps the most outstanding case was that of Jesse Adams. He had ridden into town one day and gone straight up to the Mill Creek Bank, shoved his gun at the teller, and demanded all the bank's cash. He'd managed to get about fifteen miles out of town before the sheriff and his deputy caught up with him. And he had been in the town jail ever since.
The whole town crowded into the courthouse, and during each recess could be heard hotly discussing the pros and cons of each case. The lawyers examined and cross-examined and called out objections at every opportunity. Abe Lincoln had a knack for bringing the truth to light, and in the cases that he defended, even the prosecuting attorney ended up admitting that he was right. As the people listened to each case and heard the evidence for themselves, they were convinced that justice was being dealt.
One by one the cases were brought before the court. The juries withdrew to deliberate, and a verdict was reached -- guilty or not guilty. As Judge Davis sentenced those who had been found guilty, and acquitted those found innocent, the town was satisfied.
The last morning the judge and his lawyers were in town, there was a hanging. Henry Whitney had been found guilty of murder. And the circuit judge and his company moved on to the next town.
---------
The second part of this parable covers the same
ground. Back up and start over, please! Are you with Me? This
time, the story is:
There was great excitement in the little town of
Mill Creek, Illinois, that afternoon in 1845. Eighth Illinois
circuit judge David Davis of Bloomingdale had just arrived,
accompanied by Abe Lincoln and several other circuit lawyers. It
has been almost six months since the last court session at Mill
Creek, and there was quite an accumulation of cases to be tried.
Old Thomas Jacobs was suspected of setting fire to the blacksmith's shop. There had been a fight at the tavern between Henry Whitney and Ebenezer Bates, and Ebenezer Bates was dead. Jesse Adams was in jail awaiting trial for bank robbery. And there were the usual assortment of lesser disputes.
It was announced that court would convene immediately. The whole town crowded into the courthouse. Judge Davis banged his gavel on the desk and said, "Thomas Jacobs, not guilty. Silas Foster, not guilty. Henry Whitney, guilty as charged, to be hanged at sunrise. Jesse Adams, not guilty. Court is closed." Bang!
The prosecuting attorney jumped to his feet. "You can't do that!" he cried. "Who do you thing you are, anyway?! You can't acquit these people without a fair trial or sentence them before they're proven guilty!"
The town's people sided with the prosecution. "He's right!" They enjoined, "How does the judge know who's guilty and who isn't?"
Abe Lincoln raised his voice to be hard above the tumult. "Don't you people trust the judge? The judge knows those who are his to acquit. He has been keeping tabs on things while he has been back at Bloomingdale. He has kept careful records. He has evidence, and he doesn't make mistakes."
But the people became even more upset. "The judge may have the evidence, and he may not!" they said. "But WE don't have the evidence. It's not enough just to claim to have evidence. The evidence must be examined openly before the sentence is given. The whole court needs to see the evidence, not just the judge."
The circuit lawyers kept trying desperately to convince the people of Mill Creek that the judge could be trusted. But the people insisted that trust had to be based on an intelligent understanding of the reasons for the judge's decisions.
The last morning the judge and his lawyers were
in town, there was a hanging. It was the judge who was hanged!
So who needed the investigative judgment in Mill
Creek?
God was vindicated at the cross for forgiving anyone in the whole world. Through Jesus' death, sin's penalty was paid, and God can now be just and the justifier of those who believe on Him. The investigative judgment, however, shows to the universe that God is justified in forgiving the ones who DO get forgiven. For in spite of the fact that the cross was a sufficient sacrifice for the whole world, not everybody gets forgiven. And finally, the judgment during the thousand years justifies God for not forgiving the ones who are not forgiven. Lets go over that one more time:
God is intent on getting every soul possible into his kingdom forever. But He is also intent on making sure that when He gets us there, we will be happy there forever.
Could you be happy, FOREVER, in heaven, if your dearest loved ones were missing and you didn't know why?
God wants you to know why, and know it clearly!
Because not only does He want you in heaven, and not only does He want you to be happy there, but He also is absolutely committed to handling things in such a way that the sin problem will never come again. And the investigative judgment is one of His methods of accomplishing that.
There is a group of people who are going to stand someday on a sea that looks like glass, and you, no doubt, are looking forward to being one of them. Revelation 15 says that they sing a song, called the Song of Moses and the Lamb. And in that song they sing,
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and True are you ways,
King of the ages." Revelation 15:3
This means that when I get to heaven, whether my loved ones are all there or not, there is a plan to enable me to still be happy forever and to still be singing from my heart, without reservation, 'just and true are your ways.' So who needs the investigative judgment? You and I do.
But someone says, "Wait a minute. The investigative judgment began in 1844 and will end shortly before Jesus comes again. We won't even be there, so how could it be for us?"
But we will be there! Do you know when you and I will attend the investigative judgment? It's when we get to heaven and have some questions, during the thousand years. Imagine stopping a passing angel and saying, "please, is it all right to ask questions here?"
He says, "Of course. What did you want to ask?"
And you ask your question. He replies, "I'm glad you asked. We had a pre-advent judgment specifically for that purpose, and I'd like to show you what was done there." So we attend the investigative judgment during the thousand years. There could be no thousand years, during which time we will even judge angels, according to scripture, if the pre-advent judgment had not taken place.
Sometimes we have pictured the judgment as a time when the angels get out the heavenly adding machines and add up all of our good deeds and all of our bad deeds. And if we had 490 good deeds and only 480 bad deeds, we are in. I remember when i was a boy making airplanes in the sawdust while my father and uncle held their evangelistic meetings. I was thankful that my name was Venden instead of Adams -- because, of course, God judges alphabetically!
We have misunderstood the purpose of the books of record that God keeps, and because of that, some have been eager to throw out the idea of books altogether. But the books are a Bible teaching. Revelation 3:5 talks about them: "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels." The books are spoken of repeatedly in Scripture. But we don't need to waste our time trying to figure out whether they have the deluxe binding or are in paper back and wondering when God will hear about computers and microfilm. The books REPRESENT the records that God has kept.
Can't you see God looking down at the devil's motley records, for the devil has kept a record of all the sins he has caused us to commit, and saying, "You want to keep record? All right, I'll show you how to keep records." And God keeps meticulous records, not for the purpose of keeping us out of heaven, but for the purpose of getting us into heaven in spite of the devil's charges.
There IS a pre-advent judgment, according to the scripture. Revelation 14:6, 7 talks about it. "Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.'" It wasn't until the time of the first angel's message that the good news could include the message that the hour of God's judgment HAS come, but it has been everlasting good news that the hour of God's judgment was coming. The fact that God has scheduled a pre-advent judgment to open the records before the entire universe, before He comes, bringing His reward with Him for every person, is good news now, and has always been.
One of the reasons why many are having trouble accepting the good news of the judgment is that they have never really accepted the bad news of the gospel. It is the legalist who complains that the investigative-judgment teaching damages his assurance. The traditional legalist looks at the investigative judgment and begins work on becoming good enough to make it. His attention is not on Jesus and His sufficient sacrifice. It is on himself and his own works. His preoccupation betrays him as a legalist, because he is looking to works as the cause of his salvation, instead of looking to Jesus and what Jesus has already done.
The "gospel legalist" comes along and says, "It's what Jesus did at the cross that saves us." But then he betrays the fact that inside he's still on the works system of salvation when he has to get rid of the investigative judgment to KEEP assurance! If the sacrifice of Jesus is the basis of our salvation and "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe," then it shouldn't disturb our assurance one iota to have our works investigated. We also forget that obedience is a gift and that the only prerequisite for receiving a gift is to come into relationship with the Giver. The one who is looking to Jesus, not only for pardon, but for power in overcoming as well, can continue to look to Jesus during the time of judgment, resting in the assurance that "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6. The fact of the judgment then becomes good news, for it means that we can look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near.
It is possible to do a careful study of the prophetic scriptures concerning this pillar of our faith and uncover all of the Bible support for it and still miss its significance for our own lives. (By the way, many of the apparent problems are easily solved by remembering that Daniel 7, 8, and 9 are a unit -- not just Daniel 8 by itself -- and should be studied together.) But our greatest need is to experience the relationship and personal acquaintance with Jesus, so that we can receive His gifts of forgiveness and pardon and repentance and obedience, and yes, even the gift of assurance that comes from knowing and loving Him.
There is more involved in salvation than the one-time acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice. It's possible to have your name enrolled in the book of life, but but then to have it blotted out. Matthew 24:12, 13 says, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." That's why the pre-advent judgment is needed. Its purpose is to REVEAL -- not to discover, but to reveal -- those who have not only accepted Jesus once, but who have continued to accept Him day by day, enduring to the end.
It could be bad news that those who have not become overcomers have their names blotted out of the book of life. But I'm not the one who overcomes -- Jesus is. And if I endure to the end in the relationship with Him, He'll see to it that I'm an overcomer as well.
Those who are interested in last-day events should be twice as interested in VERY last-day events. We are told that at the very end, "One interest will prevail, one subject will swallow up every other -- Christ our righteousness." -- 'Sons and Daughters of God', p. 259. It was predicted ninety years ago that the very last deception of Satan would be an attack on the gift of prophecy -- 'Selected Messages,' bk. 1, p. 48. And we were told that another of the very last events would be the attempt to discredit the sanctuary doctrine. -- 'Counsels to Writers and Editors,' pp. 52-54. We are seeing the fulfillment of these prophecies today. But when we allow the subject of Christ our righteousness to swallow up the investigative judgment, when we see how even the judgment is part of the good news, then we are protected against Satan's final deceptions. Truth protects!
Isn't it good news that the time is almost here when we will be freed from the devil's custody? The God of heaven has handled the great controversy in such a way that the time will come when Satan himself, by his own choice, will go to his knees and admit that God has been fair and just. "The Controversy Ended" in 'The Great Controversy' tells about that dramatic moment. It's at the end of the thousand years. It's at the moment when everyone who has ever lived or died meets for the first and last time. Some are on the inside of the city, looking out; some are on the outside of the city, looking in.
The enemy is forced out of the dimension that he has been operating in, and the eyes of all turn to look on Him. Isaiah 14:16, 17 says, "Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?'" We'll look at him, perhaps up on a ledge somewhere, high above the throngs of people, and we'll say, "Is this the man?"
As soon as Satan has bowed and admitted that God is right, he hates himself for it. He jumps to his feet and rushes out among the millions trying to stir them for one last attempt to take the city. but his power is gone. They simply stand and stare at him. No one makes a move. Then fire comes down from heaven, and sin and sinners are no more.
Do you think that those of us within the city will be shouting and throwing our hats in the air and beating drums? No, there may be some of our loved ones out there, on the outside. And when you picture God as He sees the final end of millions of loved ones, can't you see His tears? Even Lucifer was His son, His creation, the covering cherub. And if God puts it in the hearts of fathers and mothers still to love even the wayward son or daughter, do you think God could love any less?
So in the watching crowed that day, I don't think there will be much shouting. I think we may see the Father convulsed in anguish. We may see Jesus sobbing. The angels will be weeping, and we will weep, too, as we see the Father saying Good-bye to His beloved children who refused to love Him in return.
But then the Holy Spirit, who is known as the Comforter, will bring the handkerchief and help the Father out. I'd like to be there, wouldn't you? It will be an awesome and solemn time. But because of the way God has handled the sin problem, yes, even in part because of the justice revealed through the investigative judgment, it's a scene that will never be repeated throughout all the ages of eternity!
Praise the Lord!
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This page maintained by Allen Roy. Last Update on 12/13/99