THE TIME OF RECOMPENSE by John Nevins Andrews

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 5, 1880

THE TIME OF RECOMPENSE.

By John Nevins Andrews

GOD will reward every man according to his deeds. This fact is many times stated in the Bible. Rom. 2:6-8; Job 34:11; Ps. 62:13; Prov. 24:12; Jer. 32:19; 17:10; Rev. 2:23; 20:12, 13; 22:12; Pet. 1:17; Matt. 16:27; 2 Cor. 5:10. No one who believes the Bible can doubt after reading these passages that God regards the acts of men and that he will recompense men according to their works. But when is it that he thus recompenses mankind? Three different answers are given to this question.

1. Those who assert that all men will be saved without regard to the kind of life which they live, give their answer: God rewards or punishes in this life every human being, so that at the end of man’s present existence all are alike in God’s sight; those who serve God and walk in his fear receive their recompense in the good things of this life and in exemption from affliction and sorrow; while those who lead wicked lives are subjected to poverty and distress and every kind of trouble. Those who hold this theory think that all men will at the end of this life be just alike in God’s sight and that he will take them all to heaven.

It is indeed true that God does in some instances manifest his displeasure at sin by judgments inflicted at the moment of transgression as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, (Acts 5:1-10) and in that of Herod (Acts 12:21-23) but it is generally the case that wicked men are permitted to prosper in this life and to go down to the grave in peace. Though the just have many tokens of God’s favor in this life this is not the time of their reward. Christ said to his disciples "in the world ye shall have tribulation." John 16:33. Paul said: "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," 2 Tim. 3:12. Job’s friends asserted that he must be a wicked man because calamities come only on bad men while good men always prosper. But Job asserted the opposite and declared that wicked men prosper in this life and that the righteous are often afflicted. When God decided the controversy he said that Job’s friends had not spoken the truth. Job 42:7. But the truth is manifest that earthly good things are the portion of the wicked rather than that of the just in this life.

2. The second answer to this question is thus given: God rewards men at death by taking the just to heaven and by sending the unjust to the fire of hell. This answer assumes that man has an immortal nature before the resurrection, which we have shown in a former article is directly contrary to the Bible. Rom. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:51-54. It also assumes that men can be taken to heaven or sent to hell before the judgment. Thus the day of judgment is treated as something of no real consequence. The many millions of the human race that have died are already in immortal glory or in endless torment. But at the day of judgment these innumerable millions will be summoned to the bar of God that it may be decided whether they shall be saved or lost? what could be more absurd than such an idea?

There are a few passages relating to individual cases and not to mankind in general which seem to teach that certain persons went to heaven or to hell when they died. We shall in due time show that such is not the meaning of these texts. But there is not the entire Bible one text that says that death is the time when men receive their recompense. This is a fact of great importance. The passages which we shall quote in support of the third answer will show that death cannot be the time when God rewards or punishes men.

3. The third answer to the question "When does God recompense men?" is thus given: they are not recompensed till the day of judgment. But after the books have been examined they will be rewarded or punished according to their works. This recompense therefore will not be given till the second advent and the resurrection of the dead. Now let us give attention to the declarations of the Bible.

1. Christ says expressly that he will come in the glory of his Father with his angels and then he will reward each according to his works. Matt. 16:27. This is decisive testimony that the reward of men’s work is given at the coming of Christ. To make a stronger impression upon their mind concerning his personal advent he promised a visible representation to some then living which he fulfilled in the transfiguration. Compare Matt. 16:28; 17:1-5; 2 Pet. 1:16-18.

2. When Christ commanded certain works of mercy he stated the time of the reward in these words: "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:14. There can be no mistake as to the time of the recompense; it is not at death but at the resurrection.

3. Paul says that all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive according to the things that they have done, whether good or bad. 2 Cor. 5:10. The judgment does therefore precede the reward.

4. Christ describes the judgment that shall take place when he comes the second time. Mankind shall then be separated into two classes, and then one class will enter the kingdom of God and the other will be cast into the fire. Matt. 25:31-46. It is plain from this passage that the day of judgment precedes the recompense.

5. Peter says that the unjust are reserved to the day of judgment to be punished. 2 Pet. 2:9. Then it follows that they are not to be punished till the day of judgment. They cannot be punished till after they have been judged unless we make God capricious in his conduct, punishing men first and then judging afterward. But the perdition of ungodly men does not come till the day of judgment. 2 Pet. 3:8.

6. We have seen at the commencement of this article that God will reward all men according to their works. He has many times said this in the Bible. But to do this, their work must first be examined. And so we find the description of the judgment in Rev. 20:11-15, and the statement that the books are opened and that the dead are judged according to their works as found written in these books. Thus whosoever is not found written in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire. This shows that wicked men are not to be cast into the fire till the day of judgment.

7. John fixes the time when God shall reward his servants, the prophets, and all his saints, small and great. It is after the seventh trumpet is sounded. Rev. 11:15-18. This shows that even the prophets have not yet been recompensed and that none of God’s servants shall receive their reward till the judgment of the great day.

8. In Rev. 22:12 Christ announces his second advent and says that his reward is with him to give every man according to his works. This shows that the reward is not given till the Saviour comes again, and till the books are examined to see what men’s works have been.

9. Christ fixes the second advent as the time when his apostles should be with him. He says to them, I go to prepare a place for you, and when I have prepared the place I will come again and receive you unto myself. John 14:1-3. This shows that the people of God are not to be with Christ till he descends from heaven with a shout and takes them to himself. 1 Thes. 4:16, 17.

Bale, Jan. 1880.