Good News of the Judgment (lesson)

LESSON 5 April 22–28 Sabbath Afternoon Read for This Week’s Study: Rev. 14:7; Ps. 51:1–4; Rev. 20:12; Dan. 7:9, 14, 26; Rev. 4:2–4; Rev. 5:1–12.

Memory Text: “Saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’ ” (Revelation 14:7, NKJV). If the Bible was ever clear about anything, it’s clear that God is a God of judgment. Scary thought, isn’t it?

Yet, ultimately the judgment reveals the goodness and the grace of God and that He is both just and merciful in how He deals with the saved, and even with the lost.

SUNDAY April 23 The Significance of the Judgement Hour

Revelation 14:7 reads:

“ ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water’ ” (NKJV).

Why is it significant that right after we are told about the “everlasting gospel,” the first angel’s message mentions God’s judgment?

What does the “everlasting gospel” have to do with God’s judgment?

The truth about investigative judgement is obvious clear and simple.

The judgement is to reveal who among those who claim to be Christians truly accepted the gospel and by true faith accepted Christ righteousness and maintain that faith till the end.

Why during the judgement also our deeds are taken into consideration?

It is so because they proof that our faith is authentic. If we truly accept Christ righteousness as our only way of salvation we should be born of the Spirit and learn to live by the Spirit.

In the parable of wedding garment what is king doing?

Mat 22:11-13

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Read Psalm 51:1–4 carefully, especially verse 4.

How do these verses help shed light on the meaning and purpose of the judgment?

“That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.”

God has to proof before the universe that He is just justifying believing sinners and condemning unbelievers.

Romans 3:26 says the same

“God is to to demonstrate … that He is just justifying the one who has faith in Jesus.”

God proves through the gospel that He saved not through bypassing the law but according to the demands of the law:

Muslim and Catholic scholars accuse protestant Christians of proclaiming an unethical gospel...

Rom 7:4

Rom 6:8

God placed all sinners in Christ and whatever He did became ours.

Rom 5:18

MONDAY April 24 God’s Mercy and Judgement

If God’s law could be changed or abolished, it would be totally unnecessary for Jesus to die. Christ’s death establishes the eternal nature of the law, and the law is the basis of judgment. Read Revelation 20:12.

How are we judged?

What relationship do our good works have to our salvation?

Our good works, empowered by the Holy Spirit, do not save us, but they do testify that our faith is genuine.

EGW Notes — MONDAY “Those who do not realise the sinfulness of sin are not able to appreciate the value of the atonement and the necessity of being cleansed from all sin. The sinner measures himself by himself and by those who like himself are sinners. He does not look at the purity and holiness of Christ. . . .

Look up, my brethren. Has the gospel lost its power to impress hearts? Is it because the regenerating influence of the Spirit of Christ has died away that hearts are not purified, sanctified, and prepared for the Holy Spirit? No; the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of the living God, is with us yet; but it must be wielded with earnestness. Let us use it as did God’s sanctified ones of old. By its living, quickening power it will cut its way to hearts.—The Upward Look, p. 16.

“O that the young and the old might realize that all comes to them through the virtue of Christ’s life and death, and acknowledge the ownership of God.” — Sons and Daughters of God, p. 238.

TUESDAY April 25 A Magnificent Scene

The book of Revelation announces that the hour of God’s judgment has come. The book of Daniel reveals when the judgment began.

In Daniel 7, God revealed the history of the world to the prophet. Nations rise and fall. Persecuting powers oppress the people of God. After describing Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, Rome, the breakup of the Roman Empire, and the persecution of the church for the 1,260 years depicted in the text (Dan. 7:25; see also Rev. 12:14), God focuses Daniel’s mind on God’s final judgment. Read Daniel 7:9, 10, 13 and describe what Daniel saw in these verses. What is the final result of this judgment?

Daniel 7:22 (NKJV)

“Until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”

See Daniel 7:14, 26, 27.

EGW Notes — TUESDAY A Magnificent Scene

The light that Daniel received from God was given especially for these last days. . . . The unfulfilled predictions of the book of Revelation are soon to be fulfilled. This prophecy is now to be studied with diligence by the people of God and should be clearly understood. It does not conceal the truth; it clearly forewarns, telling us what will be in the future. The solemn messages that have been given in their order in the Revelation are to occupy the first place in the minds of God’s people.—Last Day Events, pp. 15, 16.

WEDNESDAY April 26 A Glimpse of Heaven Read Revelation 4:2–4.

What similarities can you see here with the judgment scene in Daniel 7?

Who are these 24 elders REV 4:4?

In ancient Israel there were 24 divisions in the Levitical priesthood. These priests represented the people before God.

In 1 Peter 2:9, the apostle declares that New Testament believers are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood.”

These 24 elders could, perhaps, represent all the redeemed that one day will rejoice around the throne of God; or, perhaps, they represent the people resurrected at Christ’s resurrection, who ascended to heaven with Him (Matt. 27:52; Eph. 4:7, 8).

Either way, this is good news. There are some of the redeemed from the earth around the throne of God. They faced temptations just as we face them. Through the grace of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, they overcame. They are clothed in “white robes” signifying the righteousness of Christ that covers and cleanses their sins. They have a golden crown upon their heads signifying that they are victorious in the battle with evil and are part of heaven’s royal line of faith-filled believers.

EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY A Glimpse of Heaven

“We know that the gospel is a perfect and complete system, revealing the immutability (unchangeable) of the law of God.” —God’s Amazing Grace, p. 70.

“We must be partakers with Christ of His sufferings if we would sit down in triumph with Him on His throne. So long as we choose the easy path of self-indulgence and are frightened at self-denial, our faith will never become firm, and we cannot know the peace of Jesus nor the joy that comes through conscious victory. The most exalted of the redeemed host that stand before the throne of God and the Lamb, clad in white, know the conflict of overcoming, for they have come up through great tribulation. Those who have yielded to circumstances rather than engage in this conflict will not know how to stand in that day when anguish will be upon every soul, when, though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, they could save neither son nor daughter, for everyone must deliver his soul by his own righteousness.” —Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 215.

THURSDAY April 27 Jesus Is Worthy

In Revelation 5:1–3, once again we see a throne. A scroll is introduced with writing on both sides. It is sealed with the divine seal, and no one in heaven or on earth can open the scroll.

No angelic being can represent humanity in earth’s final judgment. John weeps because no one can open the scroll.

Then one of the elders, one of those redeemed from the earth, speaks words of encouragement to John’s heart. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is worthy to open the scroll.

John beholds the ultimate answer to the sin problem in Revelation 5:5. Here the aged prophet beholds the only way anyone can pass the final judgment at the throne of God.

“But one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll.’ . . . And I looked, and behold, . . . a Lamb as though it had been slain” (Rev. 5:5, 6).

Read Revelation 5:8–12

How does all of heaven respond to the announcement that Jesus is worthy to open the scroll of judgment and redeem us?

Jesus, the Lamb of God who has sacrificed His life for the salvation of all humanity, takes the scroll of judgment and opens it.

All of heaven bursts forth in rapturous praise. His victory over Satan’s temptations, His death on Calvary’s cross, His resurrection, His high priestly ministry, provides salvation for all who choose by faith to respond to His grace.

The judgment is incredibly good news for the people of God. It speaks of the end of the reign of sin and the deliverance of God’s people.

Jesus stands for us in the judgment. His perfect, righteous life covers us. His righteousness works within us to make us new. His grace pardons us, transforms us, and empowers us to live godly lives. We need not fear. Jesus stands for us in the judgment, and the powers of evil are defeated.

Judgment is passed in “favor” of the people of God (Dan. 7:22).

The purpose of the judgment is not to find out how bad we are but to reveal how good God is. Again, dwell on the great hope that we have in the judgment: Jesus as our Substitute. Why is that our only hope?

EGW Notes — THURSDAY Jesus Is Worthy

“The Saviour is presented before John under the symbols of “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” and of “a Lamb as it had been slain.” Revelation 5:5,6.

These symbols represent the union of omnipotent power and self-sacrificing love.

The Lion of Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient and faithful.

The pillar of fire that speaks terror and wrath to the transgressor of God’s law is a token of light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His commandments.

Everyone who is faithful will be saved.”

The Acts of the Apostles, p. 589.

THE DOCTRINE ABOUT INVESTIGATIVE JUDGEMENT DOES NOT CONTRADICT THE TRUTH ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH ALONE

The biblical doctrine on the investigative judgement, therefore, does not contradict the truth about righteousness by faith alone. It only demonstrates that the saints remain in Christ and His righteousness until they are finally sealed and until the end of the probation period (prior to Christ’s glorious return). Their sanctified life (which is the result of Christ and Holy Spirt presence and work in them) proves they are covered with the robe of Christ's righteousness and are saved.

Also the record of sins (committed by saints) found in the heavenly sanctuary remains there until the great day of judgement, final atonement and cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, not against them, as they are no longer under the law and condemnation (Rom 7:6; 8:1) but against Satan who will ultimately be held responsible for all the sins included in that record.

On the basis of the same record, the investigative judgment also reveals before entire universe why God can’t save the professed believers, those who only say that they are Christ’s true followers but with their legalism, life independent from God, lasting in sin, stubbornness give evidence that they are hypocrites and are spiritually dead.

In order to judge them and show His righteousness by excluding them from heaven, God must have the record of their unbelief, legalism, pride, sins, and hidden ungodliness! If God during the investigative judgement doesn’t show the cause of depriving those fake Christians of everlasting life, He might have encourage holy angels and unfallen worlds to serve Him out of fear and not pure love.

WHAT ABOUT BIBLE VERSES THAT SEEM TO STATE THAT OUR SINS ARE BLOTTED OUT FOREVER AND NOT REMEMBERED ANYMORE?

But, what about all those texts that seem to say that when God forgives us now He doesn’t remember our sins anymore? Isn’t what we teach about cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, the investigative judgement and the final atonement contradict the Word of God?

Here are few verses that claim God is not supposed to remember our sins:

"I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12).

"I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more" (Isaiah 43:25).

"I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34).

Well, there is no contradiction here as these verses simply predicted that after the final Day of Atonement and when Christ finishes the final act of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary, God will finally blot out all our sins registered in heavenly records.

However, at the same time, if we are true believers in Christ our sins are already forgiven, we constantly live under the umbrella of His righteousness and are free from condemnation of the law.

This record of sins (committed by believers) found in the heavenly sanctuary remains there until the great day of judgement, final atonement and cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, not against the believing sinners, as they are no longer under the law and condemnation (Rom 7:6; 8:1) but against Satan who will ultimately be held responsible for all the sins included in that record.

So, there is no contradiction here. Those who quote the above Bible verses which state that God will not remember our sins anymore don't prove that EGW was wrong and that our doctrine of the investigative judgement and final cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary from registered in heaven sins contradict those verses. They only say, that God will forgive us and will remember our sins no more at some point in the future (after the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary).

However, at the same time it is important to emphasise the fact that the forgiveness from our sins and freedom from condemnation starts as soon as we accept Jesus as our Savior (1 John 1:9). And we stay forgiven, freed from condemnation of the law and we constantly remain righteous in Him as long as we keep on truly believing in Christ and accepting His righteousness as our own and as long as we remain in Him through faith (1Cor 1:30, Romans 8:1; Rom 5:1; Rom 7:4).