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Sermon Outline

On Death, Dying, and the Future Hope

The Judging Process

Lesson #13 for December 24, 2022

Scriptures: Matthew 25:31-46; Daniel 7:9-14; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Peter 2:4-6; Malachi 4:1; Revelation 21:8.

  1. In this lesson we will discuss God’s judgment. The idea of judgment is very clear both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

1 John 3:20: If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything.CAmerican Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed., 1 John 3:20). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].†‡

Ecclesiastes 12:14: God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.?Good News Bible.*

  1. If we believe that God is omniscient and that He knows everything, then He does not need any kind of judgment process for His own benefit. The end-time final judgment will take place when God reviews the records of each individual and demonstrates to the onlooking universe whether we are savable or not savable.
  2. This process will take place before the entire heavenly host, not only the angels who live in heaven but also all those who live in other parts of the universe. (Job 1&2) God’s goal is to be perfectly transparent and to make it clear that those who are invited to join the heavenly society are safe to admit there. God “cannot” allow another controversy to arise!
  3. We know from Revelation 12:7-9 that war broke out in heaven. Satan and his followers were cast out of heaven because it was not safe to allow them to remain in heaven.

Revelation 12:7-9: 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, who fought back with his angels; 8but the dragon was defeated, and he and his angels were not allowed to stay in heaven any longer. 9The huge dragon was thrown out—that ancient serpent, called the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world. He was thrown down to earth, and all his angels with him.?Good News Bible.*

  1. So, how does the judgment take place?

Daniel 7:9-10:“As I looked,

“[sic] thrones were set in place,

and the Ancient of Days took his seat.

His clothing was as white as snow;

the hair of his head was white like wool.

His throne was flaming with fire,

and its wheels were all ablaze.

10 A river of fire was flowing,

coming out from before him.

Thousands upon thousands attended him;

ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

The court was seated,

and the books were opened.”?The New International Version.* (2011). (Daniel 7:9-10). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.†‡

  1. It is important to recognize who is doing what in that judgment scene: God the Father is in charge; Satan is accusing us; and Jesus is defending us.

Zechariah 3:1-5: In another vision the LORD showed me the High Priest Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD. And there beside Joshua stood Satan, ready to bring an accusation against him. 2The angel of the LORD said to Satan, “May the LORD condemn you, Satan! May the LORD, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire.” [The High Priest was to represent God to man and man to God.]

3 Joshua was standing there, wearing filthy clothes. 4The angel said to his heavenly attendants, “Take away the filthy clothes this man is wearing.” Then he said to Joshua, “I have taken away your sin and will give you new clothes to wear.”

5 He commanded the attendants to put a clean turban on Joshua’s head. They did so, and then they put the new clothes on him while the angel of the LORD stood there.?Good News Bible.*†‡

  1. It is important to recognize another very significant point. The central issue in the great controversy has always been the question: Who is telling us the truth? Is it God? Or, is it the liar, Satan? So, the universe is watching to see how the judgment will come out. Is God telling the truth about us and about how He runs His universe? Or, is Satan telling the truth about us and about God?
  2. The judgment takes place in several different sections and periods of time. When the judgment is all over, the whole universe including Satan and his angels will be down on their knees, admitting that God has done what is right.

Philippians 2:10-11: 10 And so, in honour of the name of Jesus

all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below

will fall on their knees, [this will include Satan]

11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.?Good News Bible.*†‡

  1. The great controversy will not be over until everyone?and that includes Satan and all of his fellow angels?have agreed that God has done everything that He could do to save as many as possible.
  2. I like to say that there are 5 judgments: (1) The pre-advent judgment going on right now; (2) the first executive (meaning that God takes action) judgment at the second coming when the righteous will be taken to heaven (both the formerly-dead righteous and the living righteous), and the wicked living will perish; (3) the millennial judgment during which the righteous who have been taken to heaven will review God’s judgments and totally agree with them; (4) the judgment by the wicked including Satan at the third coming when they will also agree with God’s judgments (Philippians 2:10-11; Great Controversy 670.2 and 543.0); (5) The final executive judgment when all who are out of harmony with God will be separated from the source of life, God Himself, and will perish forever based on their own choices.
  3. These points are a very important key to understanding the outcomes of the judgment.

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture.?Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 670.2.†‡

[EGW:] A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God.?Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 542.2.†‡ [Selfishness, greed or covetousness would be completely out of place in heaven.]

[EGW:] [At the third coming, as] the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart—all appear as if written in letters of fire.?Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 666.2.†‡

  1. God is not arbitrarily saving some and condemning others. God’s judgment is perfectly transparent; the judgment process is only revealing the truth about each one of us before the entire onlooking universe.
  2. Matthew 5:31-46 and John 5:21-29 make it very clear in the words of Jesus Himself that judgment will ultimately separate the good from the evil, the faithful from the disloyal. And each group will be raised to life at a different time. The righteous will be raised to life at the second coming; the wicked will be raised to life at the third coming.

John 5:21-29: [Jesus said:] 21 “Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, in the same way the Son gives life to those he wants to. 22Nor does the Father himself judge anyone. He has given his Son the full right to judge, 23so that all will honour the Son in the same way as they honour the Father. Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.

24 “I am telling you the truth: those who hear my words and believe in him who sent me have eternal life. They will not be judged, but have already passed from death to life. 25I am telling you the truth: the time is coming—the time has already come—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will come to life. 26Just as the Father is himself the source of life, in the same way he has made his Son to be the source of life. 27And he has given the Son the right to judge, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not be surprised at this; the time is coming when all the dead will hear his voice 29and come out of their graves: those who have done good will rise [at the second coming] and live, and those who have done evil will rise [one thousand years later at the third coming] and be condemned.”?Good News Bible.*†‡

  1. Jesus Himself described how the judgment takes place, separating good from evil.

John 3:17-21: [Jesus said:] 17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its saviour.

18 “Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. 19This is how the judgement works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20All those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.”?Good News Bible.*†‡

  1. These verses make it very clear that God’s judgment only reveals the truth about us and our choices while living on this earth. Do we prefer the light? Or, do we prefer the darkness?

[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] While reflecting on the judgment, we should keep in mind that we are saved by grace (Isa. 55:1, Eph. 2:8–10), justified by faith (Gen. 15:6, Rom. 5:1), and judged by works (Eccles. 12:14, Matt. 25:31–46, Rev. 20:11–13). The basis of the judgment process is God’s moral law as summarized in the Ten Commandments (Eccles. 12:13, 14; 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 [recognizes] our choice as to whether or not we have accepted Him—a choice made manifest by our works.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sunday, December 18.†‡§

  1. The first portion of the judgment process started in 1844 and is taking place right now in heaven. As we have already suggested, Daniel 7:9-14 tell us that millions of the heavenly host will be our jury. Matthew 22:1-14 and Revelation 14:6-7 make it quite clear that this first phase of the judgment takes place while we are still alive on this earth.

[BSG:] The concept of a pre-Advent [sic] investigative judgment of God’s people is grounded in 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 Cor. 5:10, Rev. 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; Rev. 20:4–6, 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 (Dan. 8:14, compare with Heb. 9:23[–24]) and the pre-Advent investigative judgment would begin (Dan. 7:9–14), two different ways of expressing the same event. And the judgment is “ ‘in favor of the saints of the Most High’ ” (Dan. 7:22, NKJV). That is, it’s good news for God’s people.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Monday, December 19.†‡§

  1. Hebrews 9:24; Daniel 8:14; and Daniel 7:9-14 make it clear that this pre-advent judgment is taking place in heaven. It will result in good news for God’s faithful people. (Daniel 7:22)
  2. The pre-advent judgment is for the purpose of clarifying in the minds of the entire onlooking universe that the people God is planning to admit to heaven are safe to live next door to for the rest of eternity and that the wicked are not.
  3. So, if God is judging us right now and the entire universe is watching to see how we are doing, should that impact the way we behave every day?

[BSG:] 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 Thess. 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 (Rev. 21:1–3, 9–11). So, during the millennium, while this earth remains desolate, the saints will reign with Christ in heaven (Jer. 4:23, Rev. 20:4).?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday.†‡§

  1. First Corinthians 6:2-3 and Revelation 20:4-6,11-13 make it very clear that during this millennial judgment, the resurrected and translated saints will participate. So, what needs to be accomplished in that judgment process?

[BSG:] 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 [sic] investigative judgment of the righteous, only the heavenly hosts are involved (Dan. 7:9, 10). But during the millennial judgment of the wicked and the fallen angels, the saints themselves also will participate (1 Cor. 6:3, Jude 6, Rev. 20:4–6)….

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.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Tuesday, December 20.†‡§

  1. We are going to see that when the final stage of God’s judgments is over, every individual who has ever existed and those who will occupy heaven and the future new earth will have had an opportunity to see God’s fairness. Even the Devil will bow down and admit that God is right. (Philippians 2:10-11)
  2. As we suggested earlier, God is also on trial before the entire universe. He has been repeatedly accused by Lucifer/Satan of not being fair to angels or to humans. In the final judgment, God must prove His fairness to all, even the Devil. (Philippians 2:10-11)

Romans 3:1-4: 1Have the Jews then any advantage over the Gentiles? Or is there any value in being circumcised? 2Much, indeed, in every way! In the first place, God trusted his message to the Jews. 3But what if some of them were not faithful? Does this mean that God will not be faithful? 4Certainly not! God must be true, even though every human being is a liar. As the scripture says,

“You [God] must be shown to be right when you speak;

you [God] must win your case when you are being tried.”?Good News Bible.*†‡ [Each of us is casting our vote about God and about the Devil.]

  1. Not many people recognize that God is also on trial in the sense that the entire universe must ultimately be convinced that God has done everything right and that God can be trusted. Are we fully convinced that God has done everything right?

[BSG:] 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.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Wednesday, December 21.

  1. This final executive judgment which takes place at the third coming of Jesus to this earth might seem to some like a punitive action. God has taken some pretty serious actions against sinners in the past: (1) Driving Satan and his rebellious angels out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-12); (2) driving Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3); (3) sending the worldwide flood (Genesis 6-8); (4) raining fire on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19, Jude 7); (5) causing the destruction of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 11:29-30); and (6) causing the sudden deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11).
  2. But, the final, executive, end-time judgment of God will be very different! There is nothing punitive about God’s final judgment. Each person gets exactly what s/he has chosen for herself/himself! The righteous will get to live eternally with God; the wicked who have rejected God’s form of government will get the separation from God they have chosen.

[EGW:] Could those whose lives have been spent in rebellion against God be suddenly transported to heaven and witness the high, the holy state of perfection that ever exists there,—every soul filled with love, every countenance beaming with joy, enrapturing music in melodious strains rising in honor of God and the Lamb, and ceaseless streams of light flowing upon the redeemed from the face of Him who sitteth upon the throne,—could those whose hearts are filled with hatred of God, of truth and holiness, mingle with the heavenly throng and join their songs of praise? Could they endure the glory of God and the Lamb? No, no; years of probation were granted them, that they might form characters for heaven; but they have never trained the mind to love purity; they have never learned the language of heaven, and now it is too late. A life of rebellion against God has unfitted them for heaven. Its purity, holiness, and peace would be torture to them; the glory of God would be a consuming fire. They [the lost] would long to flee from that holy place. They would welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just and merciful on the part of God.?Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 542.2-543.0.†‡ [A portion of this quotation is also quoted in Item #11 above.]

  1. Second Peter 2:4-6 and 2 Peter 3:10-13 suggest that God’s final judgment will result in the wicked being destroyed completely. This is stated clearly in Malachi 4:1.

Malachi 4:1: The LORD Almighty says, “The day is coming when all proud and evil people will burn like straw. On that day they will burn up, and there will be nothing left of them.”?Good News Bible.*

[EGW:] 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, 208.1. [1876] [Are criminals allowed to choose their own punishment?]

  1. How could anyone understanding the life and death of Jesus suggest that God has not done everything He possibly could to save sinners. The most loving thing God can do to those who reject Him and do not want to be a part of His government is to allow them to perish permanently and to cease to exist.
  2. The cross makes it very clear what will become of those who reject God’s offer of salvation. Christ’s life and His death give us a clear choice: We can choose to live a life as far as possible like Christ’s life; or, we will die the death that He died, separated from the only Source of life! How could God have made things any clearer?
  3. Let us repeat what we have suggested earlier about the final end of Satan and his followers.

[EGW:] Satan sees that his voluntary rebellion has unfitted him for heaven. He has trained his powers to war against God; the purity, peace, and harmony of heaven would be to him supreme torture. His accusations against the mercy and justice of God are now silenced. The reproach which he has endeavored to cast upon Jehovah rests wholly upon himself. And now Satan bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence….

With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: “Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy* 670.2-3.†‡ [Note that even Satan himself “bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence.” Then, he turns to attack the New Jerusalem.]

  1. The final end of all sinners will be in the lake of fire which is the second death.

Revelation 20:5,11-15: 5(The rest of the dead [the wicked] did not come to life until the thousand years were over.) This is the first raising of the dead….

11 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sits on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence and were seen no more. 12And I saw the dead, great and small alike, standing before the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, the book of the living. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. And all were judged according to what they had done. 14Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. (This lake of fire is the second death.) 15Whoever did not have their names written in the book of the living were thrown into the lake of fire.?Good News Bible.*†‡

Revelation 21:8: “But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars—the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”?Good News Bible.*

[BSG:] Thus, the final annihilation of sin and sinners—in contrast to the unbiblical theory of their everlasting sufferings in hell—provides a just and proportional punishment for whatever evil people had committed. It also confirms that sin had a beginning and will have an end. Then the whole universe will return to its original perfection, before sin, evil, and disobedience arose mysteriously and without any justification.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Thursday, December 22. [Do you agree with the Bible study guide that God will hand out “proportional punishment” in the end? Or, do the wicked just cease to exist? See #42.]

  1. Now that we understand the choices that the wicked and Satan himself have made, it is clear that the idea that in the end God could somehow save everyone is completely false.
  2. Some might question why God has allowed this whole great controversy sequence to take place, considering the fact that He could have prevented it by destroying or not creating Lucifer/Satan.

[EGW:] In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression. Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious Victim, sinners will stand condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been. Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear of blame for the existence or continuance of evil. It will be demonstrated that the divine decrees are not accessory to sin. There was no defect in God’s government, no cause for disaffection. When the thoughts of all hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in declaring, “Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? ... for Thy judgments are made manifest.” Revelation 15:3, 4.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 58.1.†‡ [Will the thoughts and motives of the lost be revealed?]

  1. So, is the following clear in your mind?

[EGW:] If you cling to self, refusing to yield your will to God, you are choosing death. To sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire. [Hebrews 12:29] If you choose sin, and refuse to separate from it, the presence of God, which consumes sin, must consume you.—Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing* 62.1.†‡

  1. Do you understand why God has a pre-advent judgment? And a millennial judgment? Do you see why God even allows Satan and all his followers, including sinners here on this earth, to see the truth and make their own judgments about themselves? Are you happy that God operates such a transparent government?

[BSG:] Through His judgments, God restores His glory and vindicates His character. He does so openly and consistently so that everyone can know who He is (Ps. 34:8). God wants all intelligent beings in the universe to understand His purposes and to know that He deals with evil fairly, punishes the wicked appropriately, and saves sinners justly (Ezek. 18:21, 23, 32; Ezek. 33:11; Rom. 3:21–26).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 171.†‡§

  1. God’s judgment brings eternal happiness and peace to the righteous and brings final annihilation to the wicked. It brings a lasting solution to the problems of death, suffering, pain, injustice, and violence, all of which are the results of sin. (Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 21:3-4)
  2. When God is all done, He will transform our world into a beautiful reproduction of the Garden of Eden. Wouldn’t you like to be there? Eternal peace and safety will be there.
  3. If anyone should ever choose to rebel against God at any time in the future, God will be able to point back to what happened with Lucifer’s rebellion in heaven and all its consequences as proof that He should not allow such a thing ever to happen again.

[BSG:] In the end, God will fully restore harmony and peace throughout the entire universe (Eph. 1:10). Evil and anything or anyone who associates with it will be eliminated and destroyed (Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 20:13–15). Everyone who totally and voluntarily submitted to God, acknowledging Him as his or her Creator, Redeemer, Lord, and King will receive everlasting life, joyfully serving and worshiping Him forever (Exod. 34:6, 7; Dan. 7:14, 27; Nah. 1:7; John 3:16, 17; Eph. 1:4–10; Phil. 2:10, 11; Rev. 15:3, 4). Thus, the original abundant life of joy, happiness, and peace will be restored and never again be disrupted by any form of disobedience or rebellion (Nah. 1:9; John 10:10; Rom. 2:7; 1 Tim. 1:16; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8; Titus 2:11–14).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 171.†‡§

  1. And, once again, we are reminded that God’s justice and His righteousness will be fully revealed. (Romans 3:21-26) Do you agree with the following from the Bible study guide?

[BSG:] The Bible testifies that when God calls the heavenly court into session prior to His second coming (Dan. 7:9, 10, 13, 14, 22, 26, 27; Rev. 11:19; Rev. 14:7; compare with Matt. 22:1–14), the primary purpose will be to legally and eternally secure our place within the heavenly family. [Or, is it to show that God is righteous? (See Romans 3:25-26 and the 7 page discussion in Item #13 of the handout on Romans posted on www.theox.org under Teacher’s Guides.)] John 14:2, 3 reassures us that Jesus is not building our places in heaven as a Master Builder, shaping a nice house or mansion for us (He could do that in a matter of seconds), but He is legally securing our place in heaven before the representatives of the whole universe. This legal proceeding takes a lot of time, as attested in Daniel 7:9, 10, 13, 14, 22, 26, 27. Jesus, as the true Witness, will fairly present our individual cases and proclaim in front of the whole universe that we, as believers in Him, are His; we have accepted His death to purify us from sin; His grace is sufficient for us, and the power of His grace works in us.

Jesus secures our salvation legally, openly, publicly, and transparently before all inhabitants of the universe, so that no one during eternity will ever raise the question of something being done secretly or partially. Jesus makes it plain that the saved are trustworthy people and will fit into the heavenly family because God’s amazing grace is a transforming grace that changes them. God wants us to be accepted into heaven without any doubts or question marks [because the whole universe knows we are safe to live next to for the rest of eternity].

Therefore, given the nature of this investigative judgment, it also can be called the affirmative judgment that certifies, seals, and ratifies what was done during a person’s lifetime. Affirmative judgment is a confirmation of lifetime decisions.?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 172.†‡§

  1. God’s final judgment simply confirms what each of us has chosen for ourselves.
  2. The panorama that will be shown at the third coming to all?including to the wicked and all of Satan’s angels?reveals the truth based on all that has happened from the rebellion in heaven until the second coming of Jesus Christ in the clouds.

[EGW:] Above the throne is revealed the cross; and like a panoramic view appear the scenes of Adam’s temptation and fall, and the successive steps in the great plan of redemption.?The Great Controversy* 666.3.†‡

  1. Despite all that, Satan will lead sinners into the final desperate attack against the holy city. If God gave the wicked another chance, they would simply repeat what they have already done.
  2. For a full and lengthy discussion of what the Bible and what Ellen White say about “The Final End of Sin and Sinners,” see the large handout posted on Theox.org:

https://www.theox.org/images/uploads/bbk/KHart_BTGG_PDF_Gnrl_Final_End_Sin_and_Sinners_18.pdf

[BSG:] After cutting off what was sick and sinful without possible healing, God acts as Re-Creator of life. He will create the new heavens and the new earth (Revelation 21; Revelation 22). Salvation and life will be secured for all eternity. Sin will never occur again. All intelligent beings in the universe will serve God faithfully out of love and gratitude because they know the goodness, love, justice, and truth of God. Love, peace, harmony, joy, justice, freedom, order, and truth will reign for all eternity. God as the Lord of lords and King of kings will be loved, admired, followed, obeyed, and worshiped forever and ever by everyone (Dan. 7:27; Revelation 21; Revelation 22).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 174.†‡§

  1. So, how should we live in light of all of this information? Are we ready to bow before Christ right now instead of waiting to do it, along with Satan, just before being annihilated?

©2022, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. Bold type is added. Brackets and content in brackets are added. §Italic type is in the source.                                                 Info@theox.org

Last Modified: October 30, 2022