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 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.*†
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.*†
Daniel 7:9-10: 9 “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.†‡
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.*†‡
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.*†‡
[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.†‡
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.*†‡
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.*†‡
[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.†‡§
[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.†‡§
[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.†‡§
[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.†‡§
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.]‡
[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.‡
[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.]‡
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?]‡
[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.]‡
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.]‡
[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?]‡
[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.†‡
[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.†‡§
[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.†‡§
[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.†‡§
[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.†‡
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.†‡§
©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
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