He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
He calls to the heavens above and to the earth as witnesses in order that He may judge His people. The Judge is God Himself, the mighty and righteous God who comes and will not keep silent, shining forth out of Zion in greatness. In that setting He gathers His saints who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice, while the heavens declare His righteousness because God is Judge Himself. The judgment is a solemn future reality at Christ's coming in majesty as King of kings to establish the reign of righteousness, when He comes in fiery power and glory with holy angels amid upheaval in heaven and earth, bringing terror to those who rejected Him. In that judgment every case is reviewed before God from the records kept in the heavenly courts where thoughts, words, and motives are revealed and every soul is tested by the law of God, so the present day of grace is urgent, calling for heart-searching, faithful work, and repentance and conversion that sins may be blotted out.
Witnesses Summoned for Judgment
He calls to the heavens from above and to the earth as witnesses in order that He may judge His people. The summons is a calling of heaven and earth to witness the judgment of His people. The surrounding setting identifies Him as the righteous Judge who does this work.
The Judge is God Himself. He is the mighty God who comes and will not keep silent. He shines out of Zion in greatness when He calls heaven above and earth to witness for judgment.
In that setting He gathers His saints who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. The gathering of the covenant people belongs together with the coming in judgment and the summoning of heaven and earth. While this takes place the heavens declare His righteousness, because God is Judge Himself.
Christ's Return to Judge
The calling of heaven and earth to witness is a solemn future reality, when God judges His people at Christ's coming in majesty. That coming is the return of Christ as King of kings, amid fire and tempest, to establish the reign of righteousness. The prospect makes the present day of grace urgent, calling for heart-searching and faithful work in view of what is to come.
He comes in fiery, tempestuous power and glory, the King of kings descending in flaming fire. His coming is with holy angels in glorious majesty, and the earth is ablaze with His presence. Upheaval shakes the heavens and the earth as He gathers His covenant people and the heavens declare His righteousness as God judges.
His appearing brings terror to those who rejected Him. In that same glory the wicked face punishment.
In that judgment every case is reviewed before God from the records kept in the heavenly courts, where a true record of character is preserved. Thoughts, words, and motives will be revealed from heaven's records. Every soul will be tested by the law of God.
Urgency to Prepare Now
The judgment is still future, and because it is future the present day of grace with its opportunities presses with urgency. Thoughts and words and motives will be revealed from the records kept in heaven, and every soul will be tested by the law of God. That prospect calls for heart-searching and faithful work now. It calls for repentance and conversion now, so that sins may be blotted out when every case is reviewed before God and the true record of character is examined in the heavenly courts.
In that reckoning His people are called to account for covenant faithfulness, including how they use what belongs to God. The same judgment confronts forgetting God through selfishness and love of the world. It is joined to the gathering of the saints who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice.
On the last great day those who have worked on the side of Satan in anarchy and war and strife will see their fearful loss. Having failed to take their stand under the rule of Christ, they will see how many souls were lost through their failure. This whole warning of coming judgment is a message to be spoken to the people.
He calls to the heavens above and to the earth as witnesses in order that He may judge His people. The Judge is God Himself, the mighty and righteous God who comes and will not keep silent, shining forth out of Zion in greatness. In that setting He gathers His saints who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice, while the heavens declare His righteousness because God is Judge Himself. The judgment is a solemn future reality at Christ's coming in majesty as King of kings to establish the reign of righteousness, when He comes in fiery power and glory with holy angels amid upheaval in heaven and earth, bringing terror to those who rejected Him. In that judgment every case is reviewed before God from the records kept in the heavenly courts where thoughts, words, and motives are revealed and every soul is tested by the law of God, so the present day of grace is urgent, calling for heart-searching, faithful work, and repentance and conversion that sins may be blotted out.
Witnesses Summoned for Judgment
He calls to the heavens from above and to the earth as witnesses in order that He may judge His people. The summons is a calling of heaven and earth to witness the judgment of His people. The surrounding setting identifies Him as the righteous Judge who does this work.
The Judge is God Himself. He is the mighty God who comes and will not keep silent. He shines out of Zion in greatness when He calls heaven above and earth to witness for judgment.
In that setting He gathers His saints who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. The gathering of the covenant people belongs together with the coming in judgment and the summoning of heaven and earth. While this takes place the heavens declare His righteousness, because God is Judge Himself.
Christ's Return to Judge
The calling of heaven and earth to witness is a solemn future reality, when God judges His people at Christ's coming in majesty. That coming is the return of Christ as King of kings, amid fire and tempest, to establish the reign of righteousness. The prospect makes the present day of grace urgent, calling for heart-searching and faithful work in view of what is to come.
He comes in fiery, tempestuous power and glory, the King of kings descending in flaming fire. His coming is with holy angels in glorious majesty, and the earth is ablaze with His presence. Upheaval shakes the heavens and the earth as He gathers His covenant people and the heavens declare His righteousness as God judges.
His appearing brings terror to those who rejected Him. In that same glory the wicked face punishment.
In that judgment every case is reviewed before God from the records kept in the heavenly courts, where a true record of character is preserved. Thoughts, words, and motives will be revealed from heaven's records. Every soul will be tested by the law of God.
Urgency to Prepare Now
The judgment is still future, and because it is future the present day of grace with its opportunities presses with urgency. Thoughts and words and motives will be revealed from the records kept in heaven, and every soul will be tested by the law of God. That prospect calls for heart-searching and faithful work now. It calls for repentance and conversion now, so that sins may be blotted out when every case is reviewed before God and the true record of character is examined in the heavenly courts.
In that reckoning His people are called to account for covenant faithfulness, including how they use what belongs to God. The same judgment confronts forgetting God through selfishness and love of the world. It is joined to the gathering of the saints who have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice.
On the last great day those who have worked on the side of Satan in anarchy and war and strife will see their fearful loss. Having failed to take their stand under the rule of Christ, they will see how many souls were lost through their failure. This whole warning of coming judgment is a message to be spoken to the people.