‘The entranee of thy uiord giveth fight.” THE JUDGMENT ITS EVENTS ‘ax THEIR ORDER. J. N. ANDREWS Bible Students’ Library No. 55 4 H | ' i d i THE JUDGMENT ITS EVENTS THEIR ORDER. a. N. Andrews PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING COMPANY ‘OAKLAND, CAL. New Yore, Saw Frascisco, axe Losony, CONTENTS. CHAPTER [. Tue Investicarive Jupcment.—The Ques- tion Stated—The Magnitude of the Work—Judged as Individuals—Time for this Work—The Righteous Judge the Wicked—A Judgment Message—Accounting Worthy =Record of Sins. 2n514 CHAPTER II. Exasixatioy oF Tite Booxs.—The Book { Life—The Book of Remembrance—Blotting Out of Sins—Blotting Out of Names—Judgment Precedes Resurrection—A Solemn Decree—Closing Work of Our . High Priest a 15-24 CHAPTER Il. Goo tHe Fatwer tae Jupce.—The ‘Ancient of Days—Judgment in Heaven—Destruction of the Papacy—Christ’s Coronatior CHAPTER IV. Orrices_ of Cuxist.—Christ, as. the Prophet—Christ. as Great High Priest—Christ as Kin; CHAPTER V. Messaces To THe Worn —Begi Christ's Priesthood—The Mystery of God—The Seventh Trumpet—The Closing Work. 48-62 CHAPTER VI. Tie Saxctvary iv Heaves.—A Heav- ‘enly Temple—The Earthly Type—The Law of God— ‘The Day of Atonement—The Antitypical Scapegoat— ‘The Cleansing of the Sanctuary. 65-87 CHAPTER VII. THeCrowsinc or Cunist—TheSeven Last Plagues—Opinions of Bliss and Litch—Chi Occupies Two Thrones—A Kingly Priest... CHAPTER VII. THe Executive Jupoent.—Christ Executes JudgmentGathering of the Nations—Work- ing of Satan—Separation of the Righteous and Wicked— ‘The Saints Gathered Home. 102-116 CHAPTER IX. THeSaixts Sitixc ix JuocMext.—The Saints Do Not Determine Character—They Determi the Measure of Guilt—The “Bottomless Pit""—Resurrec- tion of Wicked—Satan’s Final Work—The Judgment Executed—A Clean Universe, 117 THE AUTHOR John Nevins Andrews (1829-1883) became a minister at the age of 21. He claimed the ability to reproduce the entire New Testament from mem~ ory. He could read the Bible in seven different languages. He was the third president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adven~ tists, taking office in 1867. He was editor of the Review & Herald for a year. In 1874 he took his family to Switzerland as the first SDA overseas missionary. After consolidating the believers there, he started Les Signes des Temps. He died in Europe nine years after his arrival there. He was an excellent theologian and wrote an article proving that Sabbath was from sunset to sunset, which became the doctrine of SDAs. He was first to write that the U.S. was the two-horned beast of Rev. 13 He was instrumental in establishing “systematic benevolence. Elder Andrews wrote many articles and books during his career. Order of Events in the Judguent. CHAPTER I ‘THE, INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT. in mine heart, God shalt judge the righteous sad the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” Eccl. 3:17. Tue judgment of the great day isan event certain to take place.‘ He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.” Acts 17:31. What God hath appointed is sure to come in due time, The re urrection of Christ is an assurance to all men of the final judgment. It is not the fact of the judgment, however, but the order of its work, that at this engages our attention, The work to be accon plished is of immense magnitude, The judgment re- lates, (1) to all the righteous; (2) to all_the wicke (3) to all the evil angels. The number of case therefore, to be acted upon at this grand tribunal e ceeds our powers of conception. We must not, how- ever, suppose that there will be any difficulty on the Part of the, Judge in acting upon every case individu- ally. Far from this, ‘there is a time there for ever purpose and for every work.” The judgment, in- (s) 6 ORDER OF EVENTS 18 THE JUDGMENT, deed, pertains tu.an immense number of beings; yet every one of them shall give account of himself to God. Rom 14:12. It will not relate to’ so vast a number as to make it otherwise than a strictly per sonal matter. Nor will there be aught of confusion or disorder in that final reckoning. God has plenty oftime for the work, and he has no lack of agents to do his bidding. ‘That he has order in this work, the Scriptures clearly teach. —¥ The righteous are to judge the wicked; yet the righteous are themselves to pass the test of the judg- ment. Whence it follows that the judgment must pass upon the righteous before they can sit in judg- ment upon the wicked. _ This is a very important proposition. That it is tnuthful we know from the express testimony of the Scriptures. “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall Judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Cor. 6:2, 3. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and 1 saw the souls of them that were Lcheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,— and wi had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or i their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thou- sand years." Rev. 20:4. “T beheld, and the’same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the ,kingdom."* Dan. 722%, 22. THE INVES JATIVE JUDGMENT. 4 Here is the exalted work of the saints in the judg- ment, ‘They are to take part in the examination of the cases of all wicked men and fillen angels. But this is not to be till they have been changed to im- mortality, and exalted to thrones of glory. They do not, therefore, have their cases decided at the € the reader tice of this reasoning. Let ion:— ame time with the wicked. We bel will acknowledge the us state another prop 2. The trump of God sounds as the Saviour de- scends from heaven, When that trump is heard, all “the righteous are, ia the twinkling of an eye, changed t immortality. There can be no examination after this to determine whether they shall be counted worthy of eternal life, for they will then have already haid hold upon it. From this it follows that the exam- ination and decision of the cases of the righteous takes place before the advent of Christ, ‘The resurrection of the righteous to immortality is decisive proof that they have then already passed the test of the judg- ment, and have been accepted of the Judge. ‘That they are thus raised to immortality the following texts plainly teach:— ~ “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; if is raised im incorruption; it is sown in dis- honor; if is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; i is raised in power; it is sown a natural body; if is raised a spiritual body. There is.a natural body, and there is a spir- itwal body." “ Rehoid, T show you a mystery: We shall not , ut we shail all he changed, ment, in the ing ofan eye, at the last trump; for the trimnpet shail sound, and the dead shal? be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor. 142 42-44, 51, 52. 8 ORDER OF EVENTS IN TIN: JUDGMENT. These passages are certainly: convincing. ‘The res- urrection of the saints is to immortal life, and they are made immortal in the very act of the resurrection. The decision of their cases is, therefore, passed before their resurrection, for the nature of their resurrection is declarative of their eternal salvation. But the fact that the decision of the judgment in the case of the righteous precedes the advent is proved by another proposition, as follows:— 3. The righteous are to be raised de/ore the wicked have their resurrection. This shows that the exami- nation of their cases takes place before they are raised, for the final discrimination is made in the very act of raising the just and leaving the unjust to the resurrec- tion of damnation. y “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thou- sand years were finished. ‘This is the first resurrection. Blessed anid holy she that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests.of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Rev. 20: 5, 6. “But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; neither can they die any more ; for they are equal unto the angels; and ave the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke 20: 35, 36. “If by any means J might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” (Literally "the resurrection out from the dead “For as inl Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order; Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.” 1 Cor. 15:22, 23. THE INVESTIGATIV JUDGMENT 9 There is a resurrection which bears the inspired designation of the “tirst resurrection.” All who have part in this resurrection are pronounced “blessed and holy.” On them “the second death hath no power." ‘This resurrection is out from among the dead. Paul carnestly labored 16 attain unto it, It is to be at the coming of Chri who are Christ's shall have part in it. ve part, in it are the chil- dren of God because they are the children of the res- urrection to life. These fucts clearly prove thut the examination of the cases of the righteous precedes their resurrection at the advent of Christ, that event being really declarative of their innocence in the sight of God, and of their eternal salvation. Such as are accepted of God are raised; the others sleep till the resurrection to damnation. These facts are decisive proof that the righteous arc judged. before they are raised. . But we have a still more explicit statement yet to notice, Says our Lord: ‘But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrec- tion from the dead,” etc. Then it is certain that the act of accounting worthy to obtain the resurrection from among the dead, and a part in the world to come, does precede the resurrection of the righteous. But this act of accounting men worthy of a part in the kingdom of God is the very act of acquitting them in the judgment. The investigative judgment in the cases of the righteous is, therefore, past before their resurrection. As the resurrection of the just is at the advent of Christ, it follows that they pass their ex- amination, and are counted worthy of a place in the 10 ORDER OF EVENTS IN THE JUDGM! kingdom of God, before the Saviour returns to the carth to gather them to himself Itis proved, therefore, that the resurrection of the saints to immortal life is declarative of their final acceptance before God. Whatever of investigation is requisite for the final decision of their cases, must take place before the Saviour in mid-heaven utters the word of command to his angels, “Gather my saints together unto me.” “The act of accounting them worthy must preced saints alone are to be caught up to meet Christ in the air, 1 Thess. 4:17. But the decision who these saints are, who shall thus be caught up, rests not with the angels who execute the work. but with the Judge, who gives them their commission. - We cannot, there- fore, avoid the conclusion that the investigation in the cases of the righteous precedes the coming of the Saviour. , Let us now consider an important proposi tion. 1. This period of investigative judgment is ushered in by a solemn proclamation to the inhabitants of the earth; and this investigative work embraces the clos- ing years of human probation. This is a very impor- tant statement. But it is susceptible of beingclearly proved. ‘And 1 saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell ‘on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, ‘and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and giv glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and ‘earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." Rev. 14:6, 7.