Rest and Reflect

Graham Maxwell http://pineknoll.org/graham/sof/index.html
Alden Thompson http://people.wwc.edu/staff/thomal/writings/content.htm
Jon Paulien [Book of Revelation] http://www.andrews.edu/~jonp/
Samuele Bacchiocchi http://www.biblicalperspectives.com/endtimeissues/index.html

I may not agree completely with everything they teach, but I have learnt much from their work.

Explaining the Judgment

Quoted from the book: “Seventh-day Adventists Believe” (p326-7)

The Significance Within the Great Controversy
The prophecies of Daniel 7 and 8 disclose the broader perspectives of the final outcome of the great controversy between God and Satan.

The Vindication of God’s Character. Through the activities of the little horn, Satan has attempted to challenge God’s authority. The acts of that power have reproached and trampled upon the heavenly sanctuary, the center of God’s government. Daniel’s visions point to a pre-Advent judgment in which God will secure a verdict of condemnation upon the little horn, and thus upon Satan himself. In the light of Calvary all Satan’s challenges will be refuted. All come to understand and agree that God is right; that He has no responsibility for the sin problem. His character will emerge unassailable, and His government of love will be reaffirmed.

The Vindication of God’s People. While the judgment brings condemnation upon the apostate little horn power, it is “‘made in favor of the saints of the Most High’” (Dan. 7:22). Indeed, this judgment not only vindicates God before the universe, but His people, as well. Though the saints have been despised and persecuted for their faith in Christ as they may have been throughout the centuries, this judgment puts things right. God’s people will realize Christ’s promise: “‘Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven’” (Matt. 10:32; cf. Luke 12:8, 9; Rev. 3:5).

The Judgment and Salvation. Does the investigative judgment jeopardize the salvation of those who believe in Jesus Christ? Not at all. Genuine believers live in union with Christ, trusting in Him as intercessor (Rom. 8:34). Their assurance is in the promise that “we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

Why then a pre-Advent investigative judgment? This judgment is not for the benefit of the Godhead. It is primarily for the benefit of the universe, answering the charges of Satan and giving assurance to the unfallen creation that God will allow into His kingdom only those who truly have been converted. So God opens the books of record for impartial inspection (Dan. 7:9, 10).

Human beings belong to one of three classes: (1) the wicked, who reject God’s authority; (2) genuine believers, who, trusting in the merits of Christ through faith, live in obedience to God’s law; and (3) those who appear to be genuine believers but are not.

The unfallen beings can readily discern the first class. But who is a genuine believer and who is not? Both groups are written in the book of life, which contains the names of all who have ever entered God’s service (Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Dan. 12:1; Rev. 21:27). The church itself contains genuine and false believers, the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:28-30).

God’s unfallen creatures are not omniscient; they cannot read the heart. “So a judgment is needed before the second coming of Christ to sift the true from the false and to demonstrate to the interested universe God’s justice in saving the sincere believer. The issue is with God and the universe, not between God and the true child. This calls for the opening of the books of record, the disclosing of those who have professed faith and whose names have been entered into the book of life.”

Christ depicted this judgment in His parable of the wedding guests who responded to the generous gospel invitation. Because not all who choose to be Christian are genuine disciples, the king comes to inspect the guests and see who has the wedding garment. This garment represents “the pure, spotless character which Christ’s true followers will possess. To the church is given ‘that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,’ ‘not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing,’ (Rev. 19:8; Eph. 5:27). The fine linen, says the Scripture, ‘is the righteousness of saints’ (Rev. 19:8). It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.” When the king inspects the guests, only those who have put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness so generously offered in the gospel invitation are accepted as genuine believers. Those who profess to be followers of God but who are living in disobedience and are not covered by Christ’s righteousness will be blotted from the book of life (see Ex. 32:33).

A few verses that may help you:

Ecc 12:13-14 — all our acts (open and secret) will be brought into judgment

Rom 8:1 — judgment is not condemnation (at least not for those who are saved in Jesus) c.f. John 5:24

Rom 3:4 — the issue in the judgment is: Is God telling the truth? (a quote from Psa 51:4)

Rev 14:7 — the hour of his judgment is come

Lev 23:27 — called to afflict our souls on the Day of Atonement (i.e. recognise our sin – hence God’s justice)

Heb 9:28 — speaking of the anti-typical Day of Atonement, we look to see Christ emerge from the Most Holy Place “without sin” (sin problem solved) “unto salvation” (salvation has been achieved)

Rev 5 — who is worthy to open the scroll? (could this be the same scene as Daniel 7:10?)

Deu 32:4 — the conclusion of the judgment

Some verses that refer to unfallen beings involved

1 Corinthians 4:9

Dan 7:10

Eph 1:10, 3:10

1 Pet 1:12

Rev 5:11-14

Judgment in the Trust-Healing Model:
Is God right when He says we are “sick” or not? Is He right when He says this “treatment regime” would work or not? Is He right in His judgment of whether we are “healed” or not? The universe needs to accreditate God by evaluating His decisions and interventions in the Great Controversy.

Ellen White Comments

Multitudes who were not interested in the harangues of the rabbis were attracted by His teaching. They could understand His words, and their hearts were warmed and comforted. He spoke of God, not as an avenging judge, but as a tender father, and He revealed the image of God as mirrored in Himself. His words were like balm to the wounded spirit. Both by His words and by His works of mercy He was breaking the oppressive power of the old traditions and man-made commandments, and presenting the love of God in its exhaustless fullness. (Desire of Ages, 205)

It is Satan’s work to fill men’s hearts with doubt. He leads them to look upon God as a stern judge. He tempts them to sin, and then to regard themselves as too vile to approach their heavenly Father or to excite His pity. The Lord understands all this. Jesus assures His disciples of God’s sympathy for them in their needs and weaknesses. Not a sigh is breathed, not a pain felt, not a grief pierces the soul, but the throb vibrates to the Father’s heart. (Desire of Ages, 356)

God is dishonored, his character is misinterpreted by Satan, and he is represented as a stern judge who causes suffering to come upon the creatures he has made. This misrepresentation of God’s character is made to appear as truth, and thus through the temptation of the enemy, men’s hearts are hardened against God. (Review & Herald, June 26, 1894)

In Christ’s day the religious leaders had so long presented human ideas before the people, that the teaching of Christ was in every way opposed to their theories and practice. His sermon on the mount virtually contradicted the doctrines of the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees. They had so misrepresented God that he was looked upon as a stern judge, incapable of compassion, mercy, and love. They presented to the people endless maxims and traditions as proceeding from God, when they had no “thus saith the Lord” for their authority. Though they professed to know and to worship the true and living God, they wholly misrepresented him, and the character of God, as represented by his Son, was as an original subject, a new gift to the world. Christ made every effort so to sweep away the misrepresentations of Satan, that the confidence of man in the love of God might be restored. He taught man to address the Supreme Ruler of the universe by the new name “Our Father.” This name signifies his true relation to us, and when spoken in sincerity by human lips, it is music in the ears of God. Christ leads us to the throne of God by a new and living way, to present him to us in his paternal love. (Review & Herald, September 11, 1894)

Why is it that our hearts have been so insensible to the love of God? Why have we had so hard a judgment of our Heavenly Father? From the light that God has given me, I know that Satan has misrepresented our God in every possible way. He has cast his hellish shadow athwart our pathway, that we might not discern our God as a God of mercy, compassion, and truth. This is why the iron has entered into our souls. (Review & Herald, February 26, 1889)

Many of our difficulties in religion and relationships stem from a confused view of God (“as an avenging judge”) and a confused view of His judgment. We don’t really like the Judge; we are afraid of the Judge. We are judgmental of others, we are cold and hard to others, because (deep down inside) that is how we think God is. We fear the judgment because we fear the Judge. We see God in human terms; as one who needs to be placated – to be convinced to plead our case in court. But rather God says to the Accuser, “Judge Me — prove that My salvation of My children is unjust.” (See John 3:17; Rom 8:31-39)

Conclusion

Isn’t God omnicient? Doesn’t he know everything? From the beginning, doesn’t he know the end? So I ask the question: why a judgement? Does he need it?

The judgment is not for Him. The judgment is for our benefit . We are lousy at judgment, we do a very poor job. Because we don’t have all the answers. God doesn’t have this problem; He knows everything! He can tell you where you are going to end up; we can’t do that.

It says something about God that He would open His books. That He would reveal every detail of the way He does His business to all the universe so that they could see, not only what was happening, but what kind of a God He is that He would treat His created beings in such a dignified, gracious way.

Looking from this viewpoint the judgment isn’t a court case, an examination, an evaluation, an audit. It is a testimony to what a wonderful God we serve! “I don’t call you my servants anymore, but my friends, because everything the Father has told me, I have shared with you.” (John 15:15)

He is there to plead our cases in the courts of heaven. He is there because we need a friend in the heavenly court, one who is to be our advocate and intercessor. Then let us rejoice in this. We have everything for which to praise God. … We must believe the words of God just as he has spoken them; we must take Christ at his word, believe that he came to represent the Father, and that the Father, as is represented in Christ, is our friend, and that he desires not that we should perish, or he would never have given his Son to die our sacrifice. The cross of Calvary is an eternal pledge to every one of us, that God wants us to be happy, not only in the future life, but in this life. (Review & Herald, March 8, 1892)

“The judgment was never intended to scare us into the kingdom, but rather to draw us into the kingdom.”