THE JUDGMENT | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 3, 1890

THE JUDGMENT.

WE have shown in previous articles that the closing work of our great High Priest must be a judgment work. This is evident (1) from the typical work of the high priest anciently on the day of atonement; and (2) from the nature of the case itself every probationary work must close with a judgment to determine who have endured the trial and met the test required. This is true of man's probation. And it is also true that the gospel message will bear to the world the proclamation of a judgment near. This matter may be better understood if placed in the form of propositions with Scripture proof.

1. There will be a judgment-day which will decide the fate of all men. This is declared in Holy Writ so many times that it seems scarcely necessary to produce proof. One or two texts of the many will suffice. Says Paul in Acts 17:31: "Because He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Here the apostle declares that the resurrection of Christ is an assurance of the judgment. That this judgment will involve the cases of all is proved by the following: "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10. See also Eccl. 12:13, 14; Rom. 14:10.

2. This judgment begins before probation closes and Christ comes. Every judgment must necessarily consist of three parts, namely, the examination of cases, the passing of sentence, and the execution of the judgment. The investigative judgment begins previous to the close of probation at the coming of Christ. This is shown in the first part of that threefold message of Rev. 14:6, 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."

This angel symbolizes religious teachers which bear to the world the only gospel of Christ (Gal. 1: 8, 9), and declaring as a part of its mighty import, "The hour of his judgment is come." Paul placed the judgment future in his day; it was yet to come. Acts 24:25; 17:31. Martin Luther and the Reformers believed it to be still future; but when this message is given to the world (as it assuredly must be) it will declare that God's judgment hour is come already, even while probation still lingers; for this is proved by the gospel message.

This is a message which will but shortly precede the coming of Christ. This is shown by the two messages which immediately follow, and go with the first message. The first angel gives the positive side of the one threefold message, or reveals to man what he ought to do. The third reveals the negative side of the message, or warns man against what he ought not to do. The second reveals the natural consequences of rejecting the first. These messages warn men living on the earth in view of God's wrath unmixed with mercy. See Rev. 16: 1. And immediately following, the Son of man comes to execute judgment. Rev. 14:14.

The time when the investigative judgment begins can be definitely ascertained. It has been shown by conclusive proof that our Saviour, in harmony with the types of the past dispensation, began his ministration of priest in the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. He will close his work in the second apartment, where John saw the ark of his testament. Rev. 11:19. This work in the type was called the cleansing, reconciling, or justifying, of the sanctuary from the sins transferred there through the blood of the sacrifices. So also the heavenly things must be cleansed by the better sacrifice. Heb. 9:23. There is no escaping this plain, positive declaration of Inspiration. The heavenly sanctuary must be cleansed, not from physical defilement or impurity, but from the sins which have been brought in there through the blood of Christ. This cleansing, or putting away of all sin, was in the type a judgment work; it is no less so in the antitype. And as the type ended in A.D. 31, at the crucifixion, when the veil of the temple was rent in twain, whatever cleansing of the sanctuary there is which the prophetic word places this side of the crucifixion, must therefore apply not to the earthly sanctuary but the heavenly. This, all must acknowledge. But the time which points this out we have already shown began in 457 B.C. and ended in 1844 A.D., namely, the 2,300 days of Dan. 8:14. The cleansing of the sanctuary therefore mentioned in the last text is the closing work of our great High Priest on high.

Right at this time a class of religious teachers, embracing nearly all evangelical denominations, heralded to the earth the message, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." Dan. 8:14. This message is brought to view in the prophecy in Revelation 10: It is based on time (verse 6). This does not mean probationary time, as another message is to follow (verse 11). It means simply this, that the last message containing definite time concerning our Lord's work as high priest was then given. This is shown in what this time pertains to. Says the angel: "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." Verse 7.

"The mystery of God" is shown, by comparing Eph. 3:3; 1:9, 10; 6:19; Gal. 1:11, 12, to be that work of Christ which gathers out from all nations a people one with him, or, in other words, the gospel work, including our Saviour's priesthood; for the gospel is nothing without that. But what prophet has said anything about the finishing of that work in connection with prophetic time?—The prophet Daniel, in the words, "Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed." The word used to denote this work is, in the Revised Version, in both Dan. 8:14 and Heb. 9:23, the same, namely, "cleansed." Dan. 8:14 is the only passage which refers to this work in connection with time. That this passage in the Revelation refers to Daniel's prophecy is also shown by the little book upon which the angel bases this prediction. It was a little book just opened, showing that it had sometime been closed. This is true of but one book as recorded in the Bible. The book of Daniel was shut up and sealed till the time of the end. Dan. 12:4. The book of Rev. 10:2 was opened in the time of the end, and from that it was declared that time should be no longer. The longest period of prophetic time, and the only period which has especially to do with Christ and his work, the 2,300 days, ended therefore in 1844.

It can be easily shown that the day and hour and month and year of the sixth angel, the second woe trumpet (Rev. 9:15), ended August 11, 1840. A little period intervened, denominated "quickly," between the sixth trumpet, or second woe, and the seventh trumpet, or third woe. Compare chapter 9:12 with 11:14. This coincides with Dan. 8:14, allowing the little term "quickly" to cover the four years between 1840 and 1844. Then the seventh angel began to sound in 1844. In the beginning of the days (years) of his sounding, the mystery of God, the work of the gospel, the work of saving mankind, will be finished. This brings us again to the judgment work. This was the message given in 1840 to 1844.

But were those who gave that message not disappointed?—Yes, in the event to take place at the end of 2,300 days. They supposed that the popular idea of the judgment was correct, that it all occurred at the very time when Christ came, that the sanctuary was the earth, or some portion of the earth, and that its cleansing was to be by fire, at the second coming of Christ. But they were not disappointed in the time; that was as sure as the oath of the angel.

The very prophecy itself indicated that they would not see all clearly, and that they would be disappointed. The angel was clothed with a cloud, indicating obscurity; but this obscurity was not to issue in despair. Over the cloud was the rainbow, token of hope. John, as the representative of the church, was bidden to eat the book, in other words, to receive the message. He did so, and it was sweet as honey in his mouth. Even so was the message given by the faithful in 1840 to 1844. But when he had eaten it, it was bitter; even so was the disappointment to those who bore the scorn of the popular and proud churches and scoffing world in 1844. But God did not forsake his people. Another message was yet to be given,—"Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." Rev. 10:11. The fact that they were mistaken does not show that they did not fulfill prophecy. The disciples were mistaken when they hailed Jesus as King before his crucifixion. Luke 19:37, 38; 24:21. But all this was necessary that the prophecy might be fulfilled. Zech. 9:9; Luke 19:40.

We are warranted therefore by the foregoing testimony in placing the beginning of the justification, or cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, in 1844; and we are further warranted in calling it a judgment. Right here also began the message of Rev. 14:6, 7, declaring that the hour of God's judgment is come. That message calls men away from will-worship, and man-worship, to the fear and worship of the one true God, who created all things. The very words almost of the fourth commandment are used in calling men back to the true worship of God, such worship as will stand the test of the judgment, which begins with the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Under this trumpet is also opened in heaven the most holy place, where is seen, by the representative of the church, the ark of the testament, containing the holy law of God, another proof that our Saviour went in at that time to finish his work.

Another confirmation of this is shown in Dan. 7:9-14. Before the papal power represented by the little horn comes to an end the judgment is set. It is after this that the dominion of the papal power is taken away, which occurred in 1870. Verse 26. The prophet sees the Son of man go in before the Ancient of Days to receive his kingdom, and when the kingdom is given and the coronation takes place, the Son of man has ceased to be priest.

That the judgment begins before Christ comes is also shown by the resurrection of the righteous dead, who are raised at his second coming to this earth. See 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. They are not raised, and then judged, and then changed to immortality, but they are "raised incorruptible." 1 Cor. 15:52. This shows that their cases have been previously decided. This also is shown by the words of our Saviour in Luke 20:35: "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage." If they have been accounted worthy of the resurrection out from among the dead (as it is literally), it follows that there has been examination of their cases previous to their resurrection.

The above proof is sufficient to show that the investigative judgment, which separates the righteous from the wicked, takes place before Christ comes. When the investigation ceases, the following decree will go forth: "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev. 22:11, 12.

(Concluded next week.)