The Order of Events in the Judgment by John Nevins Andrews

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jan 24, 1878

The Order of Events in the Judgment.

By John Nevins Andrews

NUMBER TWO.

WE have seen that the resurrection of the saints to immortal life is declarative of their final acceptance before God. Whatever of investigation is requisite for the final decision of their cases, must take place before the Saviour in mid-heaven utters the word of command to his angels, "Gather my saints together to me." Ps. 1 : 5 ; Matt. 24 : 31. The act of accounting them worthy must precede all this. The saints alone are to be caught up to meet Christ in the air. 1 Thess. 4 : 17. But the decision who these saints are, who shall thus be caught up, rests not with the angels who execute the work, but with the Judge who gives them their commission. We cannot, therefore, avoid the conclusion that the investigation in the cases of the righteous precedes the coming of the Saviour. Let us now consider an important proposition.

1. This period of investigative judgment is ushered in by a solemn proclamation to the inhabitants of the earth; and this investigative work embraces the closing years of human probation. This is a very important statement. But it is susceptible of being clearly proved.

Rev. 16 : 6, 7: "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."

The gospel of Christ is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1 : 16. No other gospel than this can be preached, not even by an angel from Heaven. Gal. 1 : 8. Whence it follows that the angel of Rev. 14 : 6, 7, preaching the everlasting gospel, represents some part of the great gospel proclamation. It is a part of that preaching which is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. This fact alone is decisive that this proclamation concerning the hour of God's judgment must be made while human probation still lasts. Two other solemn announcements follow. And it is evident that the human family are still upon probation when the third angel declares that "If any man worship the beast . . . the same shall drink the wine of the wrath of God. . . . Here is the patience of the saints." This is a consecutive prophecy, as several expressions plainly indicate. And it is to be observed that the Son of man is seen upon the white cloud after all these solemn proclamations have been made.

That this announcement of the hour of God's judgment precedes the advent of Christ, and is addressed to men while yet in probation, the fourteenth chapter of Revelation clearly proves. That this is not some local judgment is proved by the fact that "every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," are concerned in it. It is evidently that part of the judgment work which precedes the coming of Christ, and as has been already shown, this is the work of determining who shall be accounted worthy to have part in the resurrection to immortal life, and, we may add, who also of the living shall be accounted worthy to escape the troubles that shall come in the conclusion of this state of things, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 20 : 35 ; 21 : 36.

2. When the sins of the righteous are blotted out they can be no more remembered. They are blotted out before Christ comes. There can be, therefore, no act of calling them to account for their sins after the advent of Christ. Thus we read:—

Acts 3 : 19, 20: "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."

Mr. Wesley, in his "Notes on the New Testament," gives a different translation, which may be more accurate:—

"Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and he may send to you Jesus Christ, who was before appointed."

Albert Barnes, in his "Notes on the Acts," speaking of these two translations, says: "The grammatical construction will admit of either." Page 67. One of these represents the blotting out to be when the times of refreshing arrive; the other makes it the cause of that refreshing. But neither of them gives the idea that this blotting out takes place when the sinner turns to God. Both of them throw it into the future. Each of them represent it as preceding the second coming of the Lord. But this is especially true of the latter translation, which follows the original in using a conditional verb respecting Christ's advent; not as though that were a doubtful event, but rather as if his coming to the personal salvation of the ones addressed, depended upon their having part in the refreshing; and as if that refreshing was to come in consequence of the blotting out of sins.

The sins of the righteous are blotted out before the coming of Christ. They cannot be called to give account of their sins after they have been blotted out; whence it follows that whatever account the righteous render to God for their sins must be before the advent of the Saviour, and not at, or after, that event.

3. The sins of men are written in the books of God's remembrance. The blotting out of the sins of men does therefore involve the examination of these books for this very purpose. That the sins of men are thus written is plainly revealed in the Scriptures.

Jer. 2 : 22: "For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God." And thus Moses speaks of the guilt of Israel: "Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?" Deut. 32 : 34. And Paul speaks in the same manner: "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." Rom. 2 : 5, 6. These statements of wrath being treasured up can have reference only to the fact that God takes notice of men's sins and that every sin is marked before him. To this fact all the texts which speak of the blotting out of sins must have reference. Thus David prays that God would blot out his transgressions. Ps. 51 : 1, 9. And Nehemiah, and David, and Jeremiah, pray respecting certain persons, that their sin may not be blotted out. Neh. 4 : 5; Ps. 109 : 14; Jer. 18 : 23. And Isaiah, in prophetic language, speaks of this blotting out as if it were a past event, just as in the next verse he speaks of the new creation, and the final redemption. Isa. 44 : 22, 23. And in the previous chapter he speaks in a similar manner of this blotting out as necessary in order that the sins of the people of God be no more remembered. Isa. 43 : 25. These texts plainly imply that the sins of men are upon record, and that there is a time when these are blotted out of the record of the righteous. But the existence of these books and their use in the judgment is plainly revealed. Thus Daniel says: "The judgment was set, and the books were opened." Dan. 7 : 10. And John says: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Rev. 20 : 12.

It is evident that the utmost importance is attached to the blotting out of the sins of the righteous from these books. When they are blotted out they can never rise up in the judgment against those who committed them; for men give account to God only for those things contained in the books. It is therefore certain that no individual can have his sins blotted out until the close of his probation. But when this work is wrought there must be an examination of the books for this very purpose.

4. The book of life is to be examined before the resurrection of the just. The words of Daniel render this point perfectly clear: Dan. 12 : 1: "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."

We have seen from other texts that the investigation and decision of the judgment in the cases of the righteous precedes the advent of the Saviour. We have also seen that there is a time before the coming of Jesus when the sins of the righteous are blotted out from the books of God's remembrance. This is decisive proof that these books are subjected to examination before the Saviour comes again. But we have now another important fact. The book of life is examined before the deliverance of the saints. Daniel says: "At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book." The book must, therefore, be examined before the resurrection of the righteous to immortal life. This is a convincing proof that the investigation of the cases of the righteous precedes the first resurrection. This book is referred to in the following passages: Ex. 32 : 32, 33; Ps. 69 : 28; 87 : 6; Isa. 4 : 3; Eze. 13 : 9; Dan. 12 : 1; Luke 10 : 20; Phil. 4 : 3; Heb. 12 : 23; Rev. 3 : 5; 13 : 8; 17 : 8; 20 : 12, 15; 21 : 27; 22 : 19.

The book of life is the final means of determining the cases of the righteous in the judgment; for all are delivered who are at the time of deliverance found written in it. But before this book is made the final source of appeal, it is itself to be tested by the books of God's record. For all the names which are entered in this book of life, of those who fail to overcome, are to be blotted out. Yet it is the record of these persons' lives that is to cause their names to be stricken from the book of life. Ex. 32 : 32, 33; Ps. 69 : 28; Rev. 3 : 5. We must, therefore, conclude that before the final examination of the book of life in the case of the righteous, there is a prior examination of the books of God's record to determine, (1) Whose record of repentance and of overcoming is such that their sins shall be blotted out; and, (2) To ascertain from this book who have failed in the attempt to overcome, and to strike the names of all such from the book of life. When the books of God's remembrance are thus examined, and the sins of the overcomers blotted out, and the names of those who have not succeeded to overcome are removed from the book of life, that book becomes the final test, and an examination of its pages concludes the work of investigation preparatory to the deliverance of the saints. J. N. A.