YOU ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION: In a court case, prior to the sentencing, there is an investigation to determine the defendant’s guilt or innocence. Similarly, before the sentence of eternal life or eternal death, there is a period of investigation. When does this investigation begin and who will do the investigating?

Sin, Evil, Death, Dying, and What Happens After We Die

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

God Most High, during this time of judgment, we ask that you prepare our hearts and mind to meet you when Christ returns. In Jesus’ Name Amen

On Day 1 we established that there are three phases to the Judgment. They are the Pre-Advent Judgment, the Millennial Judgement, and the Executive Judgment.  Review Day 1 of the Judging Process @ SabbathSchoolDaily.com. 

Before Jesus returns, God will perform the first phase of His work as Judge. This work is known as the pre-Advent judgment. The word “pre” means before. The word “Advent” means the Second Coming. The word “judgment” is the time when God will judge His people. So, the time known as the “pre-Advent judgment” is the time when God will judge His people before Jesus’ Second Coming.

Several books in the Bible talk about the pre-Advent judgment.

For Instance, the following verses refer to the pre-Advent judgment.

Daniel 7:9–14; Matthew 22:1–14; Revelation 11:1, 18, 19; and Revelation 14:6, 7.

What is the pre-Advent judgment? The pre-Advent judgment is a time when God carefully investigates the lives of His people.  This investigation searches their thoughts, hearts, and behavior.

At the second Advent, the time when Jesus comes the second time, He will wake up the righteous dead and receive the righteous living. Therefore, all the dead both the righteous and the unrighteous remain unconscious in their graves until the final resurrections as depicted in John 5:25–29.

25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.

26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,

27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice

29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. (John 5:25–29)

Therefore the Bible teaches us three important ideas about the pre-Advent judgment:

(1) During this time, all the dead stay asleep in their graves until Jesus wakes them up. The dead include both the righteous and the unrighteous. Jesus will wake up the righteous at His Second Coming. But the wicked, the unrighteous, will remain in their graves until the final resurrections as seen in John 5:25-29.

(2) God’s careful investigation of His people’s lives is an indication that God will judge all human beings both the righteous and the unrighteous, as indicated in 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 20:11–15.

II Corinthians 5:10

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (II Corinthians 5:10)

Revelation 20:11-13

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. (Revelation 20:11-13)

And (3) God will reward the righteous at the first resurrection. As we already saw, the first resurrection is the time when Jesus wakes up the righteous dead at His Second Coming. The second resurrection will be eternal death for the wicked. It happens after the saved people stay in heaven with God for 1,000 years. Then Jesus brings His people back to earth and wakes up the wicked. 

As indicated in John 5:28, 29; Revelation 20:4–6, 12–15. At that time, They will get their punishment: the second death No one who dies the second death will ever live again. The will be eternally wiped out of existence. (S[;ot)

John 5:28-29

28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Revelation 20:4-6

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)

Revelation 20:12-15

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15)

This means that every person will be judged prior to the resurrection before Jesus wakes them from the dead. Then each person will get his or her final reward, either life or death.

The book of Daniel offers help in understanding both the time and the nature of that pre-Advent judgment. At the end of the 2,300 symbolic days  which was in 1844, the heavenly sanctuary would be cleansed according to Dan. 8:14

14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” (Daniel 8: 14)

 And as expressed in Hebrews 9:23

23 Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. (Hebrews 9:23)

Daniel 7:9–14 expresses the same event, whereby Dan. 7:22, NKJV indicates that the pre-Advent judgement is “ ‘in favor of the saints of the Most High’ ”. That is, it’s good news for God’s people.

Also, Jesus in Matthew 22:1–14,  speaks of an investigation, when he described the wedding guests before the wedding feast actually started. Read both Daniel 7 and Mathew 22:1-14 for details.

Revelation 11:1 also speaks of the pre-Advent judgment in reference to a reed-like measuring rod. 

Revelation 11:1

1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. (Revelation 11:1)

And Revelation 14: 6 and 7 and Revelations 14: 14-16 lets us know how the true worshipers of God are determined.

6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—

7 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.” (Rev. 14:6, 7.)

They are those who worship the God who made heaven and earth. Therefore, at the present time, God is in heaven doing a careful search of our lives, and we decide the outcome of the investigation by how we live our lives today. 

“We are each deciding our eternal destiny, and it rests wholly with us whether we shall gain eternal life. Will we live the lessons given in the Word of God, Christ’s great lesson book? It is the grandest, and yet the most simply arranged and easily understood book ever prepared for giving an education in proper behaviour, in speech, in manners, in affection. It is the only book that will prepare human beings for the life that measures with the life of God. And those who make this Word their daily study are the only ones who are worthy of receiving a diploma entitling them to educate and train the children for entrance into the higher school, to be crowned as victorious overcomers.

Christ Jesus is the only judge of the fitness of human agents to receive eternal life. 

The gates of the holy city will open to those who have been humble, meek, lowly followers of His, having learned their lessons from Him, and received from Him their life insurance policy, forming characters after the divine similitude. —My Life Today, p. 339.

Today if you hear his voice open your heart and mind to listen and obey.

The Bible speaks of a time when the earth is desolate, and the righteous are in heaven with Christ for a thousand years. What happens during this time of desolation? Find out in Day 4: The Millennial Judgement

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