LESSON XIII.—SEPTEMBER 28.—THE EXECUTION OF THE JUDGMENT.
[Note to the Student.—These lessons are not designed to be exhaustive, but suggestive. In references to the “Desire of Ages,” in the lessons, the subscription edition is referred to. Those who have only the trade edition will find the matter in chapters 1, 4, 11, 27, 71, 77, 78; also read “Patriarchs and Prophets,” chapters 5 and 30. “Christ Our Advocate,” Bible Students’ Library No. 129 (price, 10 cents), and “Looking unto Jesus” (price, $1.00) will be found a great help. The SIGNS OF THE TIMES will have an article on the subject of each lesson this quarter by J. O. Corliss. Read these articles in connection with the study of the lesson. We have not space to print all the scriptures. Let the student study them carefully from the Bible. Those printed are from the Revised Version.]
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
1. Into whose hands will the judgment of the wicked be given?
“And judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” Dan. 7:22. (Rev. 20:4.)
2. What experiences will have fitted them for this work?
“And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matt. 19:28. (Luke 22:28-30.) Note .
3. Who will be judged by them?
“Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world is judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more, things that pertain to this life?” 1 Cor. 6:2, 3.
4. What will enable the righteous to judge understandingly?
“Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.” 1 Cor. 4:5. (Rev. 20:12.) Note .
5. What takes place at the close of the investigative judgment of the wicked?
“And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee by the valley of My mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azel: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the holy ones with Thee.” Zech. 14:4, 5.
“And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” Rev. 21:2. (Rev. 20:5, 7, 8.) Note .
6. For what purpose do Christ and His saints come at this time?
“And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” Jude 14, 15.
7. What weapons are used in their punishment?
“Let the saints exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the nations, and punishments upon the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all His saints. Praise ye the Lord.” Ps. 149:5-9. (Rev. 19:13-15.)
8. What is this sharp two-edged sword?
“For the Word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb. 4:12.
9. To what is God’s Word further compared?
“Is not My Word like as fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Jer. 23:29.
“And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall burn among them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining to the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it.” Obadiah 18.
12. Where do the wicked go, and for what purpose, which brings them in contact with this fire?
“And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.” Rev. 20:9. Note .
13. How does the fire of the Lord’s presence affect the earth?
“A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His adversaries round about. His lightnings lightened the world; the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.” Ps. 97:3-5. (Micah 1:3, 4; Nahum 1:5.)
14. Why can not the earth bear the glory of the presence of the Lord?
“The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are found guilty; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.” Isa. 24:5, 6. (Micah 1:4, 5.)
15. Will it ever recover from the curse thus placed upon it?
“For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Rom. 8:19-23. (2 Peter 3:13.) Note .
16. By what will this little earth then be honored?
“And there shall be no more curse: and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be therein; and His servants shall do Him service, and they shall see His face; and His name shall be on their foreheads.” Rev. 22:3, 4. (Rev. 21:3.)
NOTES.
Read “Great Controversy,” ch. 42; “Early Writings,” pp. 151-154.
