The judgment

 The Judgment

**Scripture**: Daniel 7:9-11

**Opening Song**: Hymn 416 - "The Judgment Has Set"

**Closing Song**: Hymn 4 - "Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven"

Disclaimer

The message of the judgment can often evoke a sense of fear or anxiety. Many individuals feel apprehensive when the subject of judgment arises. However, I hope that by the end of our discussion today, your heart and mind will be at ease regarding this concept.

 Introduction

Today, I'm excited to share insights under the theme of judgment. While some of this information may be familiar to many of you, my intent is to connect the dots and strengthen what we already know. I will strive to provide scriptural evidence for each point I make, although time constraints may prevent me from reading every referenced scripture. I encourage each of you to take notes and delve deeper into the scriptures I mention to verify that what I have asserted is indeed true..

### A Note on Questions

I will pose several rhetorical questions throughout this presentation; these are intended for emphasis rather than direct answers. I encourage you to reflect on them as we progress.

Let’s take a moment to gather materials for note-taking.

Now, let us pray together.

---

 Let's Begin

God Alone Is All-Knowing

**Key Point**: God alone possesses complete knowledge.

**Rhetorical Question**: How many beings in all of creation are truly all-knowing?  

**Answer**: Contrary to some beliefs, only God has the power to declare the end from the beginning.

It's crucial to understand that God does not merely anticipate the future; He is intricately connected to it. Why is this the case? God knows the future because He **is** the future. As stated in Scripture, God is both the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, 22:13). Thus, there's no need for anyone to inform God about what is to come; He embodies the very essence of time itself.

#### God Exists Outside of Time

God stands outside of time and observes it, seeing all moments—past, present, and future—simultaneously. This is a profound truth that may come as a revelation to some. 

**Rhetorical Question**: Are angels all-knowing?  

**Answer**: Believe it or not, angels are not all-knowing. Like us, they learn from God and rely on His revelations. The angels in God's presence proclaim His holiness day and night, experiencing new revelations of His glory each time they bow down (Revelation 4:8).

---

### The Nature of Omniscience

The attribute of omniscience is fundamental to God’s nature, alongside His omnipresence (being everywhere) and omnipotence (being all-powerful). While the other two attributes are rarely questioned, omniscience often sparks debate.

Let’s examine a common misconception: when discussing the perfect couple in the Garden of Eden, it is frequently said that God devised a plan in case Adam and Eve sinned. But let me be clear—there's no room for probability with God. God is fully aware, and so, therefore, what may seem like chance to us is absolute certainty to Him.

**Key Assertion**: God knows everything—not just what will happen, but why it will happen, because He stands outside of time.

Whenever God declares something about the future, He speaks with certainty, not guesswork. God doesn't need events to occur first; He can proclaim them as they will be seen in His eternal gaze. He gives precise timelines—be it 2300 years or 490 years—because He sees the unfolding of time and knows it intimately.

---

### God’s Foreknowledge vs. Predestination

Anticipating a common thought: God’s foreknowledge does not equate to predestination. God does not force events to unfold; He merely declares what He knows will happen.

Take, for instance, the encounter between Jesus and Peter (Luke 22:31-34). Jesus foretold Peter’s denial—not to control Peter's actions, but to acknowledge His divine insight. Peter's fate was set, not by coercion, but by God’s awareness of his choices.

The crux is this: while God knows and declares, the unfolding of events remains intact. This knowledge empowers God to be proactive, never reactive. **Rhetorical Question**: Can any event truly surprise an all-knowing God? No, because He already sees it all.

---

### The Seriousness of Judgment

Now, if God is truly all-knowing, what does judgment mean? With His foresight, does God still need to judge? Let's return to our scripture reading (Daniel 7:9-11), where we see a scene of judgment taking place. 

Here, Daniel perceives both the rise and fall of the "little horn," an event that wouldn't manifest for centuries after his time. Even though the little horn did not yet exist, God revealed its destiny to Daniel.

**Key Insight**: God’s judgments are not just arbitrary; they are based on the decisions He has made, which are open to scrutiny. 

#### God Is on Trial

**Rhetorical Question**: Who is being judged?  

**Answer**: Interestingly, it is God Himself being put on trial. Romans 3:4 asserts that God's truth prevails, regardless of human fallibility.

The Book of Revelation further supports this perspective. Revelation 14:7 declares "the hour of His judgment has come," emphasizing that God is being examined rather than investigating events He already knows.

**Summary**: God does not need to scrutinize what He fully understands. Instead, His decisions are being evaluated so that all creation can affirm, "Just and true are Your ways, O Lord!"

---

### The Righteous in Judgment

This leads us to the current state of judgment—the heavenly beings are reviewing the decisions for the righteous, determining who will enter heaven. This judgment is meaningful, particularly because "judgment begins at the house of the Lord."

The urgency here is for those declared righteous to have their names reviewed and confirmed. For those unrepentant, their judgment will occur later, during the thousand years mentioned in Scripture.

---

### Conclusion

In conclusion, while judgment is often portrayed as a terrifying concept, I believe it can be re-contextualized as a hopeful event for believers. Does God desire our destruction? Romans 8:1 assures us that there is "no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus"—a testament to God's grace.

**Final Thought**: The judgment isn't meant to instill fear; instead, it serves as an opportunity for us to receive salvation and eternal life. The question remains: will we embrace judgment with faith in His mercy?

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.

These are my reflections. Thank you for your attention.

____________________________________________________________________

The Vindication of God's Name

Ultimately, God's name is vindicated in every way. Through the work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption, the perfect righteousness and love of God is manifested beyond any reasonable doubt (see Rom. 3:25-26; Rom. 5:8).

Read Romans 3:1-4 in light of Isaiah 5:3-4. What does this teach about God Himself being vindicated in the cosmic conflict?

---

In Romans 3 and Isaiah 5, we see that God (in some limited sense) invites mere creatures to judge His character, even though we have no right or standing to do so. In the end, when all the "books" are opened, we will see the evidence that God is perfectly just and righteous. God will vindicate Himself before all intelligent creation.

Read Revelation 15:3 and Revelation 19:1-6. What do these passages teach about the vindication of God's name in the end?

---

Throughout Scripture, God shows concern for His name.

Why? You cannot have a deep love relationship with someone whose character you detest or do not trust. If someone told your spouse or spouse-to-be horrible lies about your character, you would do what you could to counter any such claims, for if such claims are believed, they would fracture your love relationship.

In the end, God is vindicated at the cross and through the entire plan of redemption. In the pre-advent judgment, God is vindicated before the onlooking universe.

Then, in the post-advent judgment during which the redeemed will even "judge angels" (1 Cor. 6:2-3), God is vindicated, as the redeemed have been given the opportunity to review the records and see for themselves why God has acted as He has, and that all of God's judgments have always and only been perfectly righteous and loving. Who among us doesn't have a lot of questions needing answering? Before it's all done, we will have those questions answered (see 1 Cor. 4:5).

Finally, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil. 2:10-11). This is all part of the vindication of the character of God.

https://ssnet.org/lessons/25a/less11.html

What it means to be committed

 Title:What it means to be committed

Opening song : My God is real

Scripture reading Rev 13:11-15

Closing song

11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 

12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 

13 And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. 

14 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 

15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 

Story

It was the early 16th century, an era in which Spain was vigorously pursuing new territory. In the wake of the expedition led by Christopher Columbus, there were many conquistadors who wanted to get their hands on new bounty. But acquiring new territory was not for the faint of heart or uncommitted. As often the natives put up a resistance before the territory could be acquired. This sometimes meant the loss of life for some who would dare to take up the challenge. Often resulting in a shameful retreat to Spain.

There was one such conquistador by the name of Hernán Cortés, who would not allow unknown challenges to prevent him from conquering new territory in Veracruz. In order to remove the thought of retreat from the minds of his men; shortly after arriving in  the New World next, he relinquished all but of his ships. This sent a clear message to his men: “There was no turning back, only conquest lay ahead of them.”

Commitment in the bible

He is not asking of you what he himself has not done.

Can you believe it? God is the one that has given us life and we don’t trust Him with it.

Present day Commitment

Make your calling election sure. You are baptized, the time is running out.

Future Commitment

Make up your mind to stand before the time.

Sabbath work, make up your mind before

Do yo fear the hand of man or the hand f God

Only time will tell

Some were sent

 In a land where shadows cast a mighty sway,

Lived some humble servants, working night and day.

Their journey began in a pit so deep,

A place of darkness, where many would weep.

Some were called, their names whispered in the dark,

A destiny awaited, igniting a spark.

Others were sent, by fate's guiding hand,

To traverse a path through a desolate land.

A few just got up and went on their own,

With courage and heart, into the unknown.

From the pit of despair, they began to climb,

Leaving behind the sorrow of time.

Through trials and tribulations, they made their way,

Into the prison where hope seemed to sway.

Behind iron bars and walls so tall,

They found strength together, standing strong, standing tall.

Some were called, their spirits never bent,

Others were sent with a message, heaven-sent.

A few just got up and faced the strife,

Determined to find a better life.

As days turned to months, their spirits soared,

For in unity and faith, they found their reward.

The prison doors opened, light poured in,

A glimpse of the palace where their new life would begin.

With hearts full of hope, they continued their quest,

Through fields of gold, where dreams manifest.

Some were called, now leaders among men,

Others were sent, guiding with wisdom's pen.

A few just got up and led the way,

To the palace where they’d forever stay.

Their journey complete, from the pit to the throne,

They found their true home, a place of their own.

In that grand palace, their spirits were free,

A testament to their strength and unity.

Some were called, some were sent,

And others just got up and went.

Together they thrived, in joy and grace,

Having conquered the pit, the prison, the chase.

Their story a beacon, for all to see,

A tale of triumph, of destiny.

there once was a king

 Once there was a King who was sick. He sent to all the doctors in the land, but none could heal him. Finally, he sent for the church officer to pray for him. This was a very special officer and he was really connected to God. He heard a message from the Lord. The Lord told him that the King was going to die.

This made the king very sad, and he cried a lot. However, the church officer comforted him, saying that there was still hope. The officer suggested that the King seek out a rare herb known for its healing properties, located in a distant mountain.

Determined to try anything to survive, the King embarked on the journey with the church officer by his side. After a perilous adventure, they found the herb and brought it back to the kingdom. Miraculously, the King's health improved, and he recovered completely. Grateful for the second chance at life, the King vowed to rule with wisdom and compassion, cherishing each moment as a gift from above.

the deep

 Topic:

Scripture

Opening 

Closing

Intro

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Deep - Deep- tahoom -h8415

1. deep, depths, deep places, abyss, the deep, sea

1. deep (of subterranean waters)

2. deep, sea, abysses (of sea)

3. primeval ocean, deep

4. deep, depth (of river)

5. abyss, the grave

Gen 1:2

Usually, in this verse, we say that deep means water and we gloss over it. But the deep here means so much more than just water.

Note that both water and deep are used in the verse which implies they are different words and consequently have different implications as well as different meanings.

We must first look at interpretation before we can look at the application.

Gen 1:2 mentions darkness upon the face of the deep. We have briefly looked at what is darkness, but what is the deep. 

Q:What is the deep?

Deep is  a grave Rom 10:7

A: WIthout visiting any other text we can see that the deep is simply a place containing space. There is nothing more than can be said other than this. However, when we begin to look at application there is much inference that can be made.

 The deep: a place covered in darkness that had water.

We know this because, this is the place where we see the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

In other words this was the place that God visited to showcase His Lesson.

, so that water had to be in the deep, in order for the Sprit of God to move upon the waters.

There was darkness upon the surface of the deep.

The deep is the place of origin for the punishment or judgments of God: psalms36:6, 

Ezek 26:19, psalm 140:10

Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man, and beast.

Vs ps104:6 Thou coveredst it (the earth) with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

A: The earth was placed in the deep. 

Note God came to the place where the deep was and there He made His creation called Earth.

Gen 49:25

Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.

Q. Where is the deep? 

A: The deep was/is the location that was outside of/below  heaven a special place created for a special purpose

Deut 33:13 -beneath heaven

What was the function of the deep?

IT was the confined space that held the darkness. Rather than the darkness being the chain, it was the deep that was the prison, and darkness covered it.

Q. Was the deep outside of Gids jurisdiction?

The lord  rules the deep psalm 135:6

Interpretation

Darkness

Deep: 

Gen 7:11 - there was water in the deep Prov 8:28, isaiah 51:10

The deep will be destroyed Amos 7:4

Note that the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, so that water had to be in the deep----Application Water represent people/beings. Therefoire there were people that were in the dark, who did not understand.

Rev 13

 Opening Song

Closing song

Scripture reading Rev 13:11-18

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Intro

This bible study speaks to the bible student who already has an understanding of who the dragon is, who the dragon beast is and who is the lamblike beast. So there will be no time here wasted in tryingto establish these.

We have the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah smith, all we have to do is read it, to get the proper understanding.

This study will be and attempt to clear up the clouds that have gathered around verses  16 and 17 of our scripture reading.

I will read it again for emphasis.

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Body

The universality of the mark

Now the he in verse 16 needs no introduction. He is the lamb-like beast that spake like the dragon. What is noteworthy is what the verse says he does and contrary to  what many may think it meas, what it actually means.

Note the scripture says he causeth all to receive a mark. There is no exception in all. The scripture then defines all. The small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the bond is included in all. I don’t think it is overkill to say the righteous and the righteous,  because they are part of the all.

No doubt John would have been included in this all. You and I are included in this all. I don’t know to which specific group you would be listed in , but no doubt we are all represented here.  

But what is this mark?

What is bro Greenland really saying?

We know and preach that the passing of the National Sunday Law in AMerica is the sole act that polarizes the world.

This is the text that we should quote to back up that thought.

Once the decree is made to worship on Sunday. There is no more middle ground. You eith er break the law of God or the law of man.

I’m not sure what the clauses of this decree will be. May be it will be when we hear the beating of the drum or the playing fo the music.

If iIf only it would be so simple. Based on what we know as in the days of Constantine, it was not only the worship o n Sunday which was mandated, but the outright abandoning of the &th day Sabbath.

17. Buy or sell. This stern measure will be taken in an effort to secure compliance with the dictates of the image. But the measure will be unavailing (see on ch. 14:1, 12). This measure will doubtless bring on the death decree (see on ch. 13:15).

Mark. See on v. 16.

Nichol, Francis D., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 1978.

Come and buy of me - Rev 3:18

Shortage for the word of God

Constantine

538 AD

First mention

Buy and sell -

Ezekiel 28:16

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

feminine passive participle of H7402; trade (as peddled):—merchandise, traffic.

phrase james 4:13

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, G1710 G1710 and get gain:

2 peter 3:3

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise G1710 of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

The KJV translates Strong's G1710 in the following manner: buy and sell (1x), make merchandise (1x), variations of 'buy and sell' (1x).

1. to go a trading, to travel for business, to traffic, trade

2. of a thing, to import for sale

3. to deal in

4. to use a person or a thing for gain

 Justinian I wanted to place the Papacy in charge of Rome. He wanted to move from the Byzantine empire over to Rome. He led his forces in battle against the Ostrogoths and the Vandals. These were Barbarian groups that had adopted the Aryan syle of Christianity. He thought he was protecting Catholics when he was driving the Ostrogoths out of Rome. The Battle of Rome was fought in 537AD. The Papacy finally became the law of Rome so to speak when the Ostrogoths were driven out in 538AD. 

Heretics- cause to be put to death

Note the scripture says i

European Union As Revived Roman Empire Ready To Step Into Jerusalem Prophecy - Signs To Watch For - Signs Of The Last Days

In the prophetic eyes of God, the Roman Empire never ceased to exist. It fell from world dominion but was not destroyed. Its remains have continued to influence the world, and now in the Last Days are reviving as the neo-medieval Roman Empire through the European Union.

The Last Days prophecies foretell who leads the world into the end of the age. 

In the prophecies God gave the prophet Daniel, God gave us His big picture world view of the empires of mankind that would dominated the world. This is represented in the Daniel chapter 2 prophecy as a great image of a man with a head of gold, chest of silver, thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and then feet and toes of iron mingled with clay.

From Scripture and history we know this image prophetically represented in order the empires of man with them being the Babylonian Empire (gold), the Medo-Persian Empire (Silver), the Grecian Empire (brass), and finally the Roman Empire (iron). But then the Roman Empire also continued, with the influence of iron from the  legs, extending down into its final representation in the world as feet and ten toes.

Who is the beast and what does he do?

Strong delusion

Conclusion

And what I say to you I say to all. watch

For those of us who have listened to me before, know that I do not challenge the doctrines of the church but seek to establish them.

Mark of the beast

Ignore the comments about chips and tattoos on your forehead or hand. When the Bible speaks of the right hand it’s speaking of our works. The forehead represents what is in our head, our brain, intelligence, our understanding. The antichrist will control us based on our works and what we believe in. Those that believe he is the Christ returned they have been misled and are following the false Christ, Satan. They will do his work and follow him in exchange of allowing them to buy things. Those that are understanding of the truth and know this isn’t Christ will have a hard time buying things

Adam and Eve

Adam got the mark in his hand and eve in her head. You cannot receive the mark in your head and not get it in the hands.