The Real Judgment

The Judgment

 scripture: dan 7:9-11

Opening Song 416- The judgment has set

Closing song 4- praise my soul the king of heaven

Disclaimer

The message of the judgment is usually a fearful one. People usually get timid or scared when the judgment is spoken of. However, I am hoping that after our little discourse today your mind will be set at ease about the judgment.

Intro

Today I will be sharing with you some information  under the caption of the judgment, for some of us this information is common knowledge. 

Consequently what I hope to be doing today, is to just connect the dots and fortify what we already know. I will do my best to provide the scripture for every assertion that I will make, however, because of time constraints I will not be able to read everyone scripture I reference.

My request however is that you contemplate the things I will say and research them to see if they are true or not. Write the scripture texts down and study them.

Disclaimer

Now in this presentation, I will be asking some questions; however, these are all rhetorical. i.e.They are for emphasis and not necessarily for you to answer.

With this in mind, I pause now that those interested can get something to write with.

For those of us who are already ready, 

 

                        Let us pray 

Ok. Let us begin.

 

God alone is all-knowing

 

Q. How many beings in all of creation are All-knowing?

A.           The truth is that, despite what some my think about other creatures, God is the only being in all of creation that is able to declare the end from the beginning. 

Note He does not know about it, he is intimately associated with it. Because He is the very thing. He is the end and the beginning. (Rev 1:8, 1:11 21:6, 22:13.)                                                                            

God stands outside of time and observes it. As a result, He can see all of time, i.e. the present, the future, and even the past. All these are every present before Him, i.e. the past present and future are all before Him at the  same time. 

If you did not know this before, you surely know this  now. But let me ask you this. 

Q. Are Angels all-knowing?

A.           Believe it or not, angels are NOT all-knowing. If God does not given them knowledge they do not know it. Angels are constantly learning at His feet.

 We are told about the angels that stand in His presence declaring Holy, Holy Holy. These angels are often referred to as cherubs. Rev 4:8

Night and day they declare, ,by choice, Holy Lord God almighty.

It is said that when they fall to declare Holy, on their way up they get a new revelation about His Holiness and they again fall to his feet and declare Holy.

Surely we can appreciate the fact that being all-knowing has to be an attribute of God. 

This is something we have long maintained. The word we use to refer to God's all-knowingness is Omniscience. 

I am sure that most of us on the line have at the very least heard the word before.

However this is only one of the 3 attributes we often ascribe to God. 

As a side note, the other two attributes are OmniPresent (Present everywhere) and  Omnipotent ( All-powerful)

He is the beginning and the end

For the most part we understand God's omnipresence and His Omnipotence, however it often His Omniscience that is the subject of debate.

What do I mean? 

In explaining about the perfect couple in the Garden of Eden, it is often said that God put a plan in place in the event i.e. per chance Adam and Even sinned.

When the truth is there is no place for probability with God. The end and the beginning are certain for Him. His other creatures did not know, what would happen in the garden, but He knew.

Since God is all-knowing, He does not need anyone to tell him about the beginning or the end, because He declares that He is the beginning and the end.  

Consequently, He does not need any other being to inform Him about any event because He is always aware. He always knows.

As a result, whenever He is to make a declaration about the future, He does not need to make an estimate. He declares it as it is. 

Bible students know that if the time is 2300 years; that is exactly what God will say! If it is 490 years, He will NOT say about 500 years. If it is 1260 years He will not say around 1300 years or greater than 1200 years.

Quite Frankly He does not need to. 

The present past and future are before HIm, so all He has to do is declare what is before HIm.

He will give you the exact number because He can see it., and He is looking at it when He speaks. 

Again, God is in the present, past, and future all at the same time. I will not try to explain how it is that He does this, but I will make the claim that God is the only one that can see the future and reveal it. (Isa41:23, 44:7, 46:10, jer28:9, Eze12:25; 24:14) 

 God’s foreknowledge is not predestination

 So after we come to this conclusion we now start to graple with the concept of predestination. 

I know some of you will be thinking this, so let me address it now. God is not predestinating any event. He is simply stating what He sees and knows.

Consider the prophecies in Daniel. He is not ensuring that these events happen. On the contrary, He is simply stating the events what He sees. To make this point clearer let us consider the discourse between Jesus and Peter.

Luke22:31-34

 

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

Jesus told Peter what he (Peter) would do before he did it. 

Peter is totally powerless to stop it although it was declared unto him. 

Jesus is just declaring the future to Peter.

Peter objects to the declaration. However Jesus only consoles Peter by telling him that He has prayed for him.

The idea behind this is that God’s foreknowledge of an event does not change the event in any way, neither for the good or the bad. 

Hence God can declare any event from the future and it still happens just the way in which He described it.

Not even the devil can change the events that God has declared. He often tries, but just fails each and every time. However this is a discussion for another time.

What I am declaring to you today is that the word of God is sure.

God  does not need to direct the future for it to happen just the way He has declared it.

For again He is the beginning and the end.

God is not reactionary to events.

Hopefully, that is settled. However, it should give you great peace to know that since God knows everything, He does not have to wait until an event happens to respond to it. In other words, God is NOT reactionary to events. He is always proactive.

Q.Does any event surprise God? 

A. No event can surprise God, because He already knows about them, He is always aware remember? Again even before the event has occurred God is aware of it. 

Q. Can you imagine the immense burden that must be to be of responding accurately to events that have not yet happened?

A.That is why Only God can be God, and only He is all-knowing.

 

God is on trial 

At this point, we come to a critical juncture. If God knows everything, what is the judgment about? Since God can see the future, he can make decisions about the future, i.e. God can make a decision about an event or a person, that has not yet been born.

Let’s go to our scripture reading for this example.

Dan7:9-11

9I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.  10A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.  11I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.  KJV

“I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;  A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.  “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. NKJV

Note that Daniels sees both the beginning and the end of the little horn in the book that was open.

 For those of us who know our History, Daniel was living in the Babylonian/Meda/Persian era. The little horn did not come until the end of the Roman empire., which came after the Greek empire

 Although Daniel would not have known the little horn power physically, he still was able to see its beginning and its end.

So although the little horn at the time did not exist, God showed Daniel in one of the open books, that the little horn was going to rise and was going to be destroyed and then burned in the lake of fire.

God declared judgment upon the little horn and then opens the books for the scrutiny of the onlookers. So that the beings (like Daniel and the angels) who do not know everything can judge God and see if His decision was right.

Q.Who did I say was being Judged?

A.God

Let us read this.

Rom 3:4

4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. KJV

Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”

God is not investigating anything, but rather, God's decisions are being investigated. Rev 14:7

This is not what I was taught however, the text in revelation 14:7 seems to have dual application and strengthens this point.

Note the verse does NOT say the hour of OUR judgment has come, but instead says the hour of His judgment has come. 

I don't know if you think that this is a play on words, however I believe that there is more here in this verse than we often say there is.

No doubt however it seems to strengthen my point that God is on trial.

I will say this again for emphasis.

God does not need to investigate what He already knows. 

Instead, He allows His decisions to be judged so that all creation can declare with one voice.

"Just and true are your Ways Oh Lord!"

For emphasis let me say it again. God’s foreknowledge does not change the event.

God is not reactionary to events. There are no events that surprise God, because He can see the future.

God is not investigating anything but rather, God is being investigated, for the decisions that He has made about the past and future. 

The greatest decision for which God is on trial is the decision to banish the devil and his angels from heaven.

The matter has already been settled in heaven, but it has yet to be resolved on the Earth.

Rev 12:10-12

10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Righteous judged

 There is an urgency for the books of those declared righteous to be reviewed right now because they are the ones who will be brought to heaven. Therefore the statement is relevant that "Judgement begins in the house of the Lord."

This has nothing to do with the close of probation. Probation will close once and for all, for all at the same time. There is no staggered close of probation.

And..we know the sign of the close of probation.

For those who have not called on the name of the Lord, there is no urgency for those books to be reviewed. 

These will be reviewed during the 1000 years in heaven. 

At that time we will look into the books of the fallen angels and all those who did not make it.

1 Cor6:3 

The books were opened in 1844

 As we know and preach, the books have been open since 1844. The heavenly sanctuary began to be cleansed and since then the investigative judgment began.

I hope we now have a fuller understanding that it is the heavenly beings who are reviewing the books, and not God.

 

Investigative judgment vs executable judgment

I hope by this discourse you have a better understanding of what the investigative judgment is all about, and why it is called thus. I will again ask a question, hoping to settle this in your minds.

Q. If God is all-knowing, does He really need to do an investigation?

A. The truth is whenever He poses as He is doing an investigation, it is always for the benefit of other onlooking beings. Because He already knows.

In other words, the investigative judgment which is going on right now is being done by the heavenly beings right now to confirm the decisions of God, to bring the saints to heaven.

Once every book has been reviewed and every decision confirmed, the executive part of the judgment will follow.

The reward of life or death

This is where each being will receive the reward of life or the penalty of death.

Those who receive life will spend the first 1000 years of their new life in heaven with God, which in turn is a sabbath for the earth. Those who received the death sentence will face the lake of fire at the end of the 1000 years. Ex 31:14

Conclusion

The judgment is often presented as a fearful event. I have listened to countless sermons about the investigative judgment that made me fearful.

They usually say something to effect of that the investigative judgment is taking place right now and if your book is open and you are caught in an act of sin while your book is being reviewed, you will be condemned to eternal death. So you better live right.

However, as I learn more about God’s grace and mercy, I realize that the judgment is not a fearful event but a hopeful event for the child of God.

Q. Does God want to destroy us?

 A. Romans 8:1 tells us that

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

It is God’s desire to save you, to give you eternal life, to write pardon in your book, to remove your sins from your book and add your name in the book of life.

The only question which remains is will we allow Him to pass this judgment? 

I hope now, that we realize that the Judgment is not something that we should we fear, but something to embrace.

Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

These are my few words.