The Judgment Message by George I. Butler

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 5, 1908

The Judgment Message

By George I. Butler

GEORGE I. BUTLER

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Rev. 14: 6, 7.

The careful reader will notice that this message announces the beginning of the great judgment period. “He [God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.” Acts 17:31. To appoint is defined by Webster: “To fix by a decree, order, command, resolve, decision, or mutual agreement; to prescribe; to fix the time or place of.” God, then, as declared by the great apostle, has fixed the time when the judgment will begin, by a decree, a command, a decision of his omnipotent word. This appointment had already been made when the apostle spoke that wonderful discourse to the Athenians. It was, then, settled more than eighteen centuries ago at what time the great heavenly assize should begin. And the time when it should begin was to be announced to the world. This first angel’s message itself is the announcement of it. The great judgment day is to settle the eternal destiny of every person, dead or alive. Paul uses the past tense, “hath appointed” the day, or period, when the judgment should begin. The judgment of mankind must occupy a period of time, a considerable period. “I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Eccl. 3:17.

Preceding the day of Christ’s second coming, and occupying a sufficient period to fulfil the pleasure of the all-wise and omnipotent One, who himself presides over the sessions of this grandest assize of the universe, the books of record kept in the archives of heaven, written by the angels of God, will be examined, and a decision, made in every case for weal or woe, will be rendered before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to execute the decisions of the judgment. These decisions will be final, fixed to all eternity, because the Judge of all presides, whose word is ever true, and must be right. Reader, would you get a clear and comprehensive and soul-enlightening view of this greatest of supreme courts,—God the Father, the Son, and the innumerable host of heavenly angels in session? We will give it to you from the divine Word:—

“And I beheld till thrones were placed, and One that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.” Dan. 7: 9, 10.

It is not the purpose of this brief article to enter into a full elucidation of the subject of the judgment. Books on this subject can be obtained at any of our publishing offices or depositories. A few words will properly introduce the subject:—

This wonderful description of the last judgment scene forms a part of one of the most remarkable lines of prophecy in the Bible. In Daniel 7, four great universal kingdoms are introduced in symbol,—Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia, and Rome,—successive in their work, leading us down in the history of the world from Daniel’s time to the last days. Each played its part in the great drama of the world’s history; but the prophecy gives more in detail the work of Rome, and especially the last division of that power, papal Rome, to the coming of Christ in glory. The great judgment scene is at the very close of this long line of prophecy. It is the last work of God and Christ preceding his coming to this earth, and preparatory to it. A careful study of this scripture will inevitably decide the question that the judgment scene going on in heaven takes place while the last generation is living on the earth. The first angel’s message demonstrates this beyond doubt; for it states, in the clearest language, that a grand proclamation must go to the world by the voice of the preacher, “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,” announcing the grandest of all facts, “The hour [or period] of his judgment is come.”

Eighteen centuries ago, Paul declared that God had “appointed a day” for this great assize to begin. The beloved John was instructed in holy vision to announce to the world the proclamation of a world-wide message, declaring the momentous fact that the period of his judgment had already come—“is come.” If this does not demonstrate that the period of the last judgment takes place in the heavenly courts while the last generation is living on the earth, to whom God’s messengers are preaching the grand truth that that judgment is actually in session, then we shall never be able to understand human language.

Another consideration must settle the question, in the minds of all candid, intelligent persons, that the judgment of the last day takes place in heaven before our Saviour appears: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

Let the reader carefully note these facts: when the Lord comes, he appears in mid-heaven, with all his escort of mighty angels. All come with him. The righteous dead are raised immortal, and immediately arise to meet him in the air. All the living righteous ascend with the resurrected dead to meet him in mid-heaven. Other scriptures declare that he, with them, immediately goes up to the New Jerusalem in heaven, to reign a thousand years. Christ does not come down upon the earth at that time. The judgments of God in the seven last plagues and the glory of Christ’s advent destroy all the living wicked, and they lie upon the earth unburied and unlamented, and thus our earth lies desolate till the end of the thousand years, when the wicked dead are all raised to receive their final punishment.

The one point we wish to impress upon every mind is this: at the coming of Christ, an eternal separation takes place between the righteous and the wicked. The righteous go to heaven with Christ, to inhabit those mansions which Jesus prepared for them before he came. John 14:1-3. The wicked are all left upon the earth, and are slain by the brightness of his coming. How could these indisputable facts be true unless it had been decided who were righteous, and who were wicked? This decision is the work of the great judgment day that the first angel’s message brings to view: “The hour of his judgment is come.” It is every way fitting, yea, absolutely necessary, when we consider the mercy and justice of God, that his intelligent creatures should be warned of this momentous event so important for every person to know; so the solemn message must be proclaimed to all mankind. Other considerations connected with this first last-day proclamation will be considered in our next article.

Bowling Green, Fla.