COURT IN SESSION: The investigation is over, the stage is set, and the books are open. The bailiff announces, “ALL RISE!” The Court of Heaven is now in session. The Honorable Judge Jesus Christ is presiding. How will you be found on that great day?  

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

Let Us Pray

Holy Father, though we are guilty and deserve eternal death, we confess our sins and plead the blood of Jesus Christ that our sins may be washed away. Do not blot us out of the Book of Life. In Jesus’ Name Amen

“We must all stand in front of Christ to be judged. Each one of us will be judged for what we do while in our bodies. We’ll be judged for the good things and the bad things. Then each of us will receive what we are supposed to get” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NIrV).

Sometimes things in life are not fair. But the Bible tells us that the justice so lacking in our world today will one day come. The Bible tells us that God will judge the world. 

As Judge, He will make all that is wrong, right. Different from earthly judges, God as presiding judge, knows everyone and every case. Therefore, his decision will be final. There will be no room for appeal. Job 37:16 lets us know that God has “perfect knowledge.”

16 Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who has perfect knowledge? (Job 37:16 NIV)

He “knows everything,” according to 1 John 3:20.

20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (I John 3:20) . 

So, God knows everything we say, do, and think. He even knows about the things we do in secret according to Ecclesiastes 12:14, and Jeremiah 17:10.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)

Jeremiah 17:10

10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10)

The point is, that we can hide things from people, but we can’t hide anything from God.

In contrast to earthly judges, this lets us know that God doesn’t need to judge us to learn anything about us. He already knows everything about us. He knows the life of every individual who has lived on this earth.

So, why does God judge us?

His judgment is not for Himself, but for all His creatures in heaven and on earth. The thing is God wants to show everyone in the universe that His final decisions are fair and equitable.

This final judgment is on a cosmic level, and it is of a historical nature because Lucifer began his rebellion in heaven and then spread it to our world, as revealed in Revelation 12:7-9.

7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer.

9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7-9)

Thus, Every person’s work passes in review before God. . . . Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful misleading. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel.

If your name is registered in the Lamb’s book of life, then all will be well with you. Confess your faults and forsake them, that your mistakes and sins may go beforehand to judgment and be blotted out.—The Faith I Live By, p. 210. (Adapted)

Therefore, in this part of the series on Death, Dying and the Future Hope, we look at God’s work as Judge. This work has the main phases:

(1) The Pre-Advent Judgment. God’s work before the Second Coming,

(2) The Millennial Judgement – His work during the 1,000 years in heaven, and finally

(3) The Executive Judgment – His punishment of the wicked dead, who will be awakened from the dead and die the second death.

In the end, God will show that His people are innocent of the sins that Satan accused them of doing. Thus, this whole process ends with the vindication of the righteous and the second death of the wicked. 

The idea of judgment indicates condemnation. Although that is a part of the process, there is a positive side to the judgment. What is it? Find out on Day 2 The Final Judgement

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