These Perilous Times Vol. 2 No. 22 Nov. 21, 2010 Special Issue The Trial of the Ages {God s Judgment-Part One} The judgment is spoken of by every Bible writer. It is mentioned over a thousand times in the Sacred Writings. It is more solemn than death; for death separates friends only until the resurrection, but the judgment separates them forever. No one can escape it. To ignore the thought of the judgment and live without preparing for it, will not evade it. 1 Everyone who has ever lived will face the judgment. 2 God has appointed a day when He will judge the world in righteousness. 3 So how can we know and understand with certainty when the trial of the ages will convene. Who will be judged first? Who will be judged last? How will we be judged? And by whom will we be judged? The next three special issues of TPT will address these and other questions concerning the judgment. I Corinthians 14:33 plainly states that God is not the author of confusion. So, for the sake of clarity we will take time to examine and explain The Trial of the Ages/Judgment as three individual component/parts of the entire judgment/trial whole. Part One Investigative/Pre-Advent Judgment Revelation 14:7 tells us that God s judgment has already begun. And the hour of his judgment is come KJV; has Come NKJV. I Peter 4:17 tells us that God s people, {those who claim to be His followers} will be the first to be judged. Two of our questions are no longer a mystery, God s heavenly court is now in session and God s people are the first to be judged, {the righteous dead first and then the righteous living}. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Haskell, Stephen, N. The Cross and Its Shadow, South Lancaster, Mass., The Bible Training School, 1914, p. 230. 2 II Corinthians 5:10 3 Acts 17:31 1
The first part of the judgment, {Investigative} began after the 1260 year reign, {538-1798 A.D.} of the Papal/Little Horn dominance. Daniel 7:8-10 clearly shows that the judgment begins after the little horn power, 4 or after 1798; also known as the dark ages. The first part of the trial commenced in the year 1844. Arriving at the date 1844 is not a random date that Bible scholars/historians selected arbitrarily, but it is based on historical Bible facts about the cleansing of the sanctuary. 5 Now, how do we arrive at this date? First we have to establish a starting date of the 2300 day/year prophecy to determine the beginning of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary. Bible scholars through Biblical research and social history have established that date to have begun in the year 457 B.C. at the decree of Artaxerxes to restore and build Jerusalem. 6 His decree came during the seventy week/490 year probationary period given to the Jews to accept Jesus and put away their sins. 7 When Daniel was given this prophecy he said that seventy weeks were determined, {Heb. - Chathak} amputated or cut off from a larger prophecy or time period. What does this mean for us? If we follow the symbolic progression of the earthly sanctuary, which Moses was instructed to make while communing with God on the mount, 8 it will simplify our understanding of the entire judgment ministration in heaven. Remember the earthly sanctuary was a pattern or blueprint of the heavenly sanctuary, which was God ordained. During the Day of Atonement/judgment, which came once a year, 9 for the children of Israel, the earthly sanctuary had to be cleansed of the record of accumulated sin. The High Priest performed this ministry in the Most Holy place. Those who did not confess their sins during the Day of Atonement were cut of from among the people of Israel. 10 The High Priest represented a type of Christ, an advocate with God who pleaded the cases of all of Israel. On the Day of Atonement two goats were selected; one representing Jesus, {the Lamb of God}, and the other, Azazel, the scapegoat or Satan. No one living in the world with any common sense would go to his/her court trial without legal representation; especially when facing a possible death sentence. Christ our heavenly Advocate will plead the cases of all who have given Him their confessed sins. 11 4 Daniel 7:19-20 5 Daniel 8:14 6 Ezra 7:7, 12&13 7 Daniel 9:24-27 8 Exodus 25:8&9, 41; Hebrews 8:5 9 Day of Atonement/ Judgment happened on the tenth day of Tishri the seventh month Sept-Oct Strong s Concordance 10 Leviticus 23:29 11 I John 1:9 2
When Jesus comes for His church probation has closed for all. No second chances, no seven year extensions to make confessions. Case closed. 12 This is why we must claim Christ s righteousness today! I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not remember thy sins. 13 During the investigative phase of the judgment recording angels are gathering the evidence that will convict or acquit those who have or have not chosen Jesus. What ultimately determines the outcome of our case before the heavenly tribunal is, the choices that are made manifest by our works. 14 The good news is, though we are judged by the perfect law of liberty, 15 16 contained in the Ark of the Covenant; judgment is always mingled with God s everlasting mercy. That doesn t mean that the guilty, {those without Jesus as their defense attorney} will be cleared of all charges. 17 Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks three score and two weeks Daniel 9:25. Messiah means the anointed one. So during this time prophecy in the 69 th week or 483 rd year Jesus was to be anointed. He was anointed, {for public ministry} baptized in the 15 th year of Tiberius Caesar which according to the Gospel of Luke, {and Bible historians} occurred in the year 27 A.D., when Jesus was about to turn 30 years old. 18 According to Daniel 25:26, 27, in the middle of the week Jesus, the Messiah, would be cut off/crucified; which occurred in the year 31 A.D. Now there is only 3 ½ years left to the 70 week prophecy which culminated in the year A.D. 34 after the stoning of Stephen. In order to fulfill the 70 week prophecy, {confirm the covenant with the Jews} the gospel had to be proclaimed by Jesus apostles and followers for another 3 ½ years, thus ending the Jewish economy or ceremonial-sacrificial system. 19 20 Doing the math When we count down 2300 years from the date 457 B. C. or the decree of the Persian king, Artaxerxes we come to the year 1843. Remember there is no zero year when calculating from B. C. to A. D. so we must add one year to 1843 which brings us 12 Revelation 22:11&12 13 Isaiah 43:25 14 Matthew 16:27 15 James 2:10-13 16 Psalms 19:7 17 Exodus 34:7 18 Luke 3:1, 21-23 19 Act 7:51-60 20 Acts 13:46-48 3
to the date 1844, the beginning of the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary; judgment in heaven. 21 Summary Seventh-day Adventist Believe There is a sanctuary in heaven, the true tabernacle which the Lord set up and not men. In it Christ ministers on our behalf, making available to believers the benefit of His atoning sacrifice offered once for all on the cross. He was inaugurated as our Great High Priest and began His intercessory ministry at the time of His ascension. In 1844 at the end of the 2300 days, He entered the second and last phase of His atoning ministry. It is a work of investigative judgment which is part of the disposition of all sin, typified by the cleansing of the ancient Hebrew sanctuary on the Day of Atonement. In that typical service the sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly things are purified with the perfect sacrifice of the blood of Jesus. The investigative judgment reveals to heavenly intelligences who among the dead are asleep in Christ and therefore, in Him, are deemed worthy to have part in the first resurrection. It also makes manifest who among the living are abiding in Christ, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and in Him, therefore, are ready for translation into His everlasting kingdom. This judgment vindicates the justice of God in saving those who believe in Jesus. It declares that those who have remained loyal to God shall receive the kingdom. The completion of this ministry of Christ will mark the close of human probation before the Second Advent. 22 These Perilous Times Vol. 2 No 23 Dec. 7, 2010 Special Issue The Trial of the Ages {God s Judgment-Part Two} Deliberation When the trumpet shall sound and Jesus comes the second time there will be only two classes of people on earth, the saved and the lost. They will be divided into four categories: 21 The Gospel, 1844, and the Judgment, Adult Sabbath School Study Guide, July- Sepember, 2006, 22 Fundamental Beliefs, 24 4
the righteous living and righteous dead; the wicked living, {who will face the first death at that time} and the wicked dead, who sleep on through the first resurrection and are called forth at the second resurrection. 23 The righteous dead will be awakened by the blast of the trumpet from Jesus, the Arch Angel. They shall rise first to meet Jesus in the clouds, {Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels will accompany Jesus when He comes}. 24 The righteous living shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. 25 At that time we, {those who have accepted Christ and His righteousness} will put on immortality, and receive glorious bodies fashioned after Christ s glorious body. What a glorious reunion day for His remnant to behold. 26 27 At this time phase one, known as the investigative, and/or the Atypical Day of Atonement, the probationary period of God s judgment has come to a close. No second chances, no seven year grace period to repent. The eternal fate of all who ever lived has now been decided. 28 29 During the 1000 Year reign with Christ The second phase of God s judgment begins the millennial period when God s Saints reign with Him one thousand years and assist in the judgment vindicating Jesus decision concerning the fate of the lost. 30 Now begins the judicial examination of the recorded evidence, {in the heavenly books, by God s people-saints} 31 presented against those who were not called forth in the first resurrection, 32 those who at Christ s appearing were destroyed by the brightness of His coming, 33 those who did not accept Jesus as their sin-pardoning personal Savior before their sleep of death. 34 The Saints will also examine the lives of the wicked angels to vindicate the Lord s mercy and justice in dealing with them. 35 36 37 23 Revelation 20:5&6 24 Revelation 8:1 25 I Thessalonians 4:16&17 26 I Co9rinthians 15:51-55; 27 Philippians 3:20&21 28 Revelation 22:11&12 29 Revelation 16:15 30 Matthew 12:36&37 31 Daniel 7: 9&10 32 Revelation 20:5-7; John 5:26-29: Daniel 12:2 33 II Thessalonians 2:8 34 Isaiah 1:18; Micah 7:19; Jeremiah 31:34; II Chronicles 7:14; I John 1:7-9; John 3:36; I John 5:12 35 I Corinthians 6:2&3 36 Philippians 3:20&21 37 Jude 6 5
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ o thousand years And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:4, 12 During the thousand years following the second advent of Christ to the earth, the righteous will join with Christ in judging the wicked. Then the justice of God in condemning the wicked will be demonstrated before all. The fact they had no part in the first, or investigative judgment, that their names are not in the book of life, and no one represented them in the court of heaven, is sufficient to condemn them. The books of heaven, containing the faithful record of their lives, condemn them. The witness of angels who have kept the faithful record also condemns them; but with all that evidence, God has each name considered by the Saints from the earth. 38 Can you see why it is so important to accept Jesus today, rather than put it off until we have a more convenient season? 39 We have no idea what tomorrow may hold for us, we are not promised tomorrow. 40 41 42 43 What does this mean for us? During our probationary grace period, {the investigative judgment} we will have selected our heavenly attorney, {Jesus} 44 45 to represent us, before the millenary period begins. We will have made the choice to be part of the heavenly court. We will have made the choice to be in the first resurrection. We will have gotten the victory over every besetting sin, {through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit} and over the Mark of the Beast. 46 47 It is NOW that we choose to have the mind of Christ, helping us to break all ties of evil associates that do not recognize Jesus Righteousness, causing us to waiver. 48 49 50 51 After the 1000 years is ended phase three, the final phase of God s eternal judgment begins. The New Jerusalem then descends from Heaven. 52 38 Haskell, p. 235. 39 Acts 24:24&25 40 Matthew 6:33&34; 41 Proverbs 27:1 42 James 4:14 43 II Corinthians 6:2 44 I John 2:1 45 Hebrews 7:25 46 Revelation 15:2 47 Hebrews 12:1&2 48 Romans 12:2 49 Philippians 2:5 50 II Corinthians 6:17 51 I Kings 18:21 52 Revelation 21:1-5 6
Summary During our 1000 year reign with Christ we witness first hand why certain family members are not with us; why certain church members are not with us; why certain friends aren t with us; why those we thought were not worthy are with us, why Jesus decided to save us. All of our unanswered WHY questions will finally be answered. No more mystery, just Christ s majesty. The Trial of the Ages is drawing to a close. Jesus must now mete out the punishment of the wicked, which is not in His character. 53 How the punishment is administered we will discover in the December 21, 2010 issue of TPT, The Trial of the Ages, Part Three-Rewards and Punishment. These Perilous Times Vol. 2 No 24 Dec. 21, 2010 Special Issue The Trial of the Ages {Part Three-Rewards & Punishment} The 1000 years spent in heaven over the deliberation of the lost is now complete. The verdict is now in. New Jerusalem descends from heaven, {with God s redeemed, 53 Isaiah 28:21 7
and the heavenly angels} prepared as bride adorned for her husband. 54 55 But there is something else, not so beautiful, not so pleasant, that must also happen during this time period. There is something that interrupts the final resting place of New Jerusalem. Now begins the third phase of God s judgment-the meting out of punishment. The wicked are now resurrected to face their self-appointed destiny, but not until their rebellious spirit once again is made manifest before the entire universe-after which they must face the second death, from which there is no return. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrect: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years Revelation 20:5&6 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, {he is no longer bound to earth by a chain of circumstances, but is joined by millions of the resurrected wicked who conspire with him} and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog, {The leader of the pagan host that Ezekiel predicted would attack the restored Jewish state} 56 57 and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Revelation 20:7-9 The wicked will awake to everlasting shame and damnation. 58 Their own life s record is the paramount testimony & witness against them. They have no legitimate defense, argument, excuses, or recourse against the court of heaven. The final decision was reviewed by the entire universe. Their sentences based on heavenly intelligences are merciful and just. Jesus, the Lamb of God did everything in heaven s power to save men from themselves. We notice, that in Ezekiel 11, that Jesus takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 59 Jesus came to earth to live a perfect life and give Himself a ransom for many, to redeem us and provide the only means of Salvation. The wages of sin is death, and since the lost chose not to have their sins covered by Jesus they stand naked before the Throne of God. They willfully forgot God s word; they were lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. 60 61 Instead of being judged by the works of Jesus, the lost will be judged by their own deeds. 62 63 54 Revelation 21:1&2 55 Isaiah 66:22&23 56 SDA Bible Commentary. Vol. 8, p. 426&427. 57 Ezekiel 38:2&3 14-18; 39:1, 11, 15 58 John 5:28&29 59 Ezekiel 33:11 60 II Timothy 3:1-5, 61 II Peter 3:1-7 62 II Peter2:4-12 8
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.: II Peter 3:9 The lost have not repented of their wickedness; during the fifth plague that is falling on the earth, they blaspheme God which precedes their final destiny. 64 After the lost finally realize their fate, they must now face the second death. At that time the death sentence is carried out and they are cast into the lake of fire prepared for Satan and his wicked angels. 65 The degree of punishment depends on their knowledge of sin. 66 67 What does this mean for us? Jesus strange act and works are finished forever. He creates new heavens and a new earth where there is no night, sin, death, illnesses and disease. 68 69 All evil forces have become obsolete. We will reign with Christ for eternity; enjoying the things that God has prepared for those that love Him. AMEN! Summary If there ever was a time when serious reflection becomes every one who fears God, it is now, when personal piety is essential. The inquiry should be made, What am I, and what is my work and mission for this time? On which side am I working-christ s side or the enemy s side? Let every soul now humble himself or herself before God, for now we are surely living in the great Day of Atonement. 70 List of Works Consulted Anderson, Roy Allan. Unfolding the Revelation, U. S. A. Pacific Press Pub. Assn, 1953. Adult Sabbath School Study Guide, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, The Gospel-1844, and Judgment, Nampa, ID, Pacific Press Pub. Assn, 2006. Amazing Facts Study Guide. Right On Time, Roseville, CA, Amazing Facts Pub. Assn. Christ s Ministry in the Heavenly Sanctuary. Seventh-day Adventists Believe, Fundamental Beliefs, 24. Goldstein, Clifford. 1844 Made Simple, United States, Pacific Press, Pub. Assn, 63 Revelation 16:11 64 Revelation 16:10&11 65 Revelation 20:12-15 66 Luke 12:47&48 67 James 4:17 68 Revelation 21:3-5 69 Isaiah 66:22&23 70 E. G. White MS, 87, 1886. 9
1988. Gordon, Paul A. The Sanctuary, 1844 and The Pioneers, Silver Spring Md., Pacific Press Pub. Assn, 1983. Haskell, Stephen N. The Cross and Its Shadow, Hagerstown MD, R&H Pub. Assn, 1914, 1984. Hill, Glenn H. The Sanctuary, The Center of Christ s Work for Man, 2009. Judgment. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, Washington, D. C. R&H Pub. Assn, 1976, pp. 711, 712. Revelation Seminars. God Sets a Date for the Judgment, Keene, Texas, R&H Pub. Assn, 1983. The Holy Bible. KJV Super Giant Print Reference Bible, Korea, Broadman & Holman Pub. Assn, 1996. The Holy Bible. NASV Cambridge Study Edition, Cambridge London, NY, Melbourne, Cambridge University Press, 1960. The Holy Bible. NKJV The Word in Life Study Bible, Nashville, Atlanta, London, Vancouver, Thomas Nelson Pub. Assn, 1979. Treiyer, Alberto R. The Glorious Promises Of The Sanctuary, Siloam Springs, AK, Creation Enterprises International, 1994. White, Ellen G. Christ in His Sanctuary, Mountain View CA, Pacific Press Pub., Assn, 1969. 10