p. 5 | The Nature of the Judgment by Stephen N. Haskell

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 24, 1912

The Nature of the Judgment

By Stephen N. Haskell

S. N. HASKELL

Every Bible writer speaks of the judgment. It is mentioned over one thousand times in the Sacred Writings. It is more solemn than death; death separates friends only until the resurrection, but the judgment separates them forever. To ignore the thought of judgment and live without preparing for it will not enable one to evade it. Solomon recognized this fact when he wrote, “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; . . . and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” Eccl. 11: 9.

Money and friends can often change the decisions of earthly courts and release the guilty, but not so in the heavenly court. Every one must meet the record of his own life. “Every one . . . shall give account of himself to God.” Rom. 14: 12. Earthly parents have been known to sacrifice everything they possess to save one child from the condemnation of earthly courts. Think you our Heavenly Father would let Satan destroy all his earthly children without an effort to save them? He risked all heaven for their sakes. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3: 16. No human being can face his life record in the books of heaven and escape condemnation unless belief in Christ and love for his service are a part of that record. Christ, the heavenly Advocate, will plead the case of all who have given him their sins. He

says, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Isa. 43: 25. The life record scarlet with sin and wretchedness, he covers with the spotless robe of his righteousness; and the Judge, looking upon it, sees the sacrifice of his Son, and the record is, “Accepted in the Beloved.” Who can reject such infinite love?

The judgment involves, first, the investigation of every case, the testimony of witnesses, and if there is an advocate, his plea is presented. Then comes the decision of the court, and after that follows the execution of the sentence rendered by the court. A just sentence can not be rendered upon an individual at death. Some, through their writings, have made more infidels since their death than while living. A just sentence could not be passed upon them until the record of the lives of those who had been lost through their influence appeared as witnesses in their case. On the other hand, as the waves of a lake continue until the shore is reached, so the influence of the righteous continues to the end. Abel “being dead yet speaketh.” Heb. 11: 4. Wyclif, that fearless man of God, could not have been judged at his death, for thousands have been enlightened by the influence of his life since his voice was silent in death.

If the Bible record was silent upon this point, it is apparent at a glance that the judgment could not be held before the last generation; but the Bible is not silent. The date of the opening of the great tribunal was revealed by the Lord thousands of years before it took place. Peter taught the same truth. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” Acts 3: 19, 20. The sins will be blotted out just before the coming of the Lord.

The investigative judgment is an examination of the life record kept in heaven. Daniel says, “The judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7: 9, 10. There are several books mentioned in connection with the records of heaven. The book of remembrance records even the thoughts of the heart. Mal. 3: 16. How just and merciful is our God that he takes cognizance of it when we only think upon his name! Often when pressed by temptations, our souls cry out after the living God, and a faithful record is kept of it all. Many deeds are done in darkness, hidden from even the most intimate associates; but when the books of heaven are opened, God “will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.” 1 Cor. 4: 5. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Eccl. 12: 14. Not only the deeds are recorded, but the motives or counsels of the heart that prompted the deed; and of the bitter tears of repentance shed in secret, the psalmist says, “Are they not in thy book?” Ps. 56: 8.

Our daily conversation, the words spoken without thought, we may count of little worth; but “every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matt. 12: 36, 37. Words are the index of the heart; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. Matt. 12: 34. The place of birth and the environments, everything that can in any way influence the life record, are all recorded in the books of heaven. Ps. 87: 4-6. The most wonderful book of all the heavenly records that pertain to humanity is the book of life. To have one’s name recorded in that book is the highest honor given mortals in this life. Luke 10: 19, 20. The book of life contains the names of the righteous. Phil. 4: 3. It is a source of great rejoicing to know that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10: 20), but the life must be in harmony with heavenly things if our names remain enrolled with the righteous. The names of those who turn from righteousness to wickedness do not remain in the book of life (Ex. 32: 33; Rev. 13: 8; 17: 8), but are written in the earth (Jer. 17: 13), for all their hopes and affections have clung to earthly things. All whose hearts are the dwelling-place of the Most High and whose lives show forth his character will, when their cases come up in the heavenly court, have an Advocate, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2: 1. He will confess their names before the Father and before the angels. Their sins will be blotted out, their names retained in the book of life, and they clothed with the white raiment of Christ’s righteousness. Rev. 3: 5.

On the day of atonement in the typical service only those sins that had been confessed and transferred to the sanctuary by the sin-offerings were carried out and laid upon the head of the scapegoat. In the investigative judgment only the cases of those who have confessed their sins will be investigated. Their names will be in the book of life. Peter says 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. Those who have not served God will go by default. There will be no one to present their case. They have no advocate in the heavenly court. Sad indeed will be the condition of those who have started on the heavenly way, and after experiencing the joy of sins forgiven and the peace of God in the heart, have returned to the world and its follies. Their names have been written in the book of life, and their cases will be presented, only to have the sentence “Unfaithful” passed upon them, and their names blotted forever from the book of life.

When the Saviour comes in the clouds of heaven, he gives reward to the righteous; but final judgment can not be executed upon the wicked, for all are to be judged “out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Rev. 20: 12. During the thousand years following the second advent of Christ to the earth, the righteous join with Christ in judging the wicked. Rev. 20: 4; 1 Cor. 6: 2, 3. Then the justice of God in condemning the wicked will be demonstrated before all.

There are redeemed ones gathered out of every age who will sit in judgment on the cases of the wicked, and the punishment will be meted out to each one according to his works. In the day of judgment God will call to the heavens above. He will call for the angels’ records of men’s lives,—the record of the words that they have spoken, of the deeds that they have done; even the most secret deeds will then be called upon to bear testimony; for “our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.” There is one class who then will be gathered. He says, “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.” Ps. 50: 3-6. This day of God’s investigative judgment we have now entered, and the executive part of it will take place at the close of probation, after the witnesses have borne their testimony.

When the judgment of the wicked closes, saints, angels, and all the universe will be in harmony with the decisions rendered. At the end of the thousand years, when fire from heaven devours the wicked as “stubble fully dry” (Nahum 1: 9, 10), all the universe will say, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” Rev. 16: 7.

South Lancaster, Mass.