The Nature of Such an Event
By J. O. CORLISS
The Final Adjustment of Human Awards—No. 2
The Nature of Such an Event
God is no respecter of persons, and therefore will deal impartially with every one in the last day. Favoritism will be avoided from the fact that “every one of us shall give account of himself” at the bar of the universe. Rom. 14:12. But notwithstanding this apparent favor shown all men, we are assured that the test of that day will be of the most searching nature. Speaking of that event, the Saviour said: “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matt. 12:36. But even this is not to be the limit of that great ordeal. The very motives of the heart will be open to investigation; for “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12:14. With such a vast occupation before it as the research of every human motive, the judgment work can not be done hurriedly. There must be “time there for every purpose and for every work.” Eccl. 3:17. Agencies must be in operation then by which the minutiae of every person’s life-work will appear in just that order set forth in the sacred volume. This being true, the idea instantly vanishes which is held by so many, that the judgment work will be a promiscuous one, in which good and bad will stand together in one vast assembly awaiting an arbitrary sentence. The truth is that but one class is under examination at the same time. To this the apostle agrees, as set forth in these words: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17. It is therefore clear that those who have made a profession of godliness will be the first called to meet the trying ordeal. These must receive sentence from Jehovah himself, who is “the Judge of all.” Heb. 12:23. But another phase of the judgment work is to decide the cases of wicked men and evil angels. This is performed by saints, who have themselves passed the solemn test, and so have been changed into the perfect image of Christ. To the church at Corinth the great apostle wrote: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . . Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” 1 Cor. 6:2, 3. It is quite evident, however, that this work is not entrusted to men in the mortal state, who are subject to the frailties of human flesh. These would be too apt to be swayed by human prejudices. This proposition is entirely settled by the admonition of the apostle when he said: “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart.” 1 Cor. 4:5. Until the Lord comes, and the saints are made immortal, they can not judge righteously, because they can not read the hidden counsels of the heart. But when Christ comes, this difficulty will have been removed, and the saints will be capable of being Christ’s representatives, not only in this world, but in the judgment as well. This conclusion reaches back to develop a thought previously introduced. Since all who profess to be God’s children may not stand the test of sainthood, it follows that none will be permitted to sit in judgment on others who have not themselves first been pronounced saints through the first test. That the judgment of the saints is thus separated from that of the wicked is revealed in what the prophet describes. He says: “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 they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Rev. 20:4. It hardly need be repeated that among these were men who had lived on this earth, and suffered martyrdom for Christ; but when seen by the revelator on thrones of judgment, they all had been made to live again. Then he goes on to say: “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” The further statement is added: “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power.” The second death, which visits those who come up in the second resurrection, is employed alone upon such as “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars.” Rev. 21:8. This shows that the10first resurrection, which takes place a thousand years prior to the second, brings up those who are declared exempt from the penalty of the wicked. Their judgment sentence will, therefore, have been rendered at least one thousand years before that of the wicked. The question then arises as to the exact time when these saints passed the judgment test. Was it before or after their resurrection? This query must be settled by an examination of the nature of the “resurrection of the just.” Writing upon this point, the apostle says: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible.” 1 Cor. 15:51, 52. From this it is plain that there would be no time to carry on the judgment between the sound of the last trump, and the change to immortality, which follows in “the twinkling of an eye.” Then also the fact that these are incorruptible when brought up from their graves, is the strongest evidence that their cases were decided before the trumpet sounded which called them forth. It is clearly stated in another place that when Christ comes, “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” 1 Thess. 4:16. This reveals a discrimination between the righteous and the wicked which recognizes that the judgment has already decided who belong to each class. The apostle treats the subject in these words: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” 1 Cor. 15:22, 23. Thus the Scriptures make it plain that an investigation takes place before any resurrection, which determines who are worthy to come up in the first resurrection, and who are to be left behind to come up in the second resurrection. But more of this in the next paper.