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.
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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).
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### 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.
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### 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.
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### 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!"
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### 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.
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### 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.
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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
