THIS COULD BE SCARY, BUT NOT FOR ALL. One Day we will be judged for everything we have done, even our darkest secrets. Everything we have ever done will be open for the entire universe to see, both good and bad. But the Bible depicts the judgment as good news. How is that?
In this series of videos, we look at the Judgement as good news in the context of the times in which we are living. As we consider the judgment, we must remember that our orders for the present day are centered in the three angels’ messages of Revelation chapter 14.
These messages make up the core of the gospel of Jesus Christ and are the present truth for our time. Therefore, in this series, we are studying the messages surrounding the three angels of Revelations 14 and their relevance to the gospel (the Good News) for the times in which we are living.
If you want to review any of our previous videos, you can find them at SabbathSchoolDaily.com. Additionally, you can obtain the study guide for these lessons at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org.
Inviting God’s Presence
Heavenly Father, for many, the idea of judgment is scary. Remove from our hearts the fear associated with judgment and replace it with joy and anticipation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
My heart would grip with fear as my mother’s car pulled into the driveway. Why? Because all day, rather than doing the things that she had instructed us to do and not do, we did what we wanted to do. Then at the last hour, just before her arrival, my brothers and I would scramble to get our chores done. Need I say, as she pulled up the driveway, it was judgment time!
In the Bible, we find that God is our Judge. The following verses suggest that He is the judge of all the earth.
Genesis 18:25
25 Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25)
Psalms 58:11
11 So that men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely He is God who judges in the earth.” (Psalms 58:11)
Psalms 94:2
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth; Render punishment to the proud. (Psalms 94:2) (Split)
And Psalms 98:9
9 For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity. (Psalms 98:9) (Split)
And sooner or later, judgment is going to come. Just as my mom drove up that driveway, sooner or later, judgment will come. God will judge everyone, both the dead and the living.
Paul in Romans 14:12 says it this way: 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)
When you think about it, it’s kind of a scary thought, especially if we have failed to do what He has instructed us to do, like my brothers and me.
As a matter of fact, every person who ever lived will have to give account to God for everything they have done. Interestingly, God knows everything. Thus, Ecclesiastes 12:14 tells us:
“God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
Scary as this may seem, in the end, God’s work as Judge will show how loving and merciful, He is. Everyone in the universe, those in heaven and those on earth, will see that God is both fair and full of love and mercy in how He judges the saved and even the lost.
Therefore, we take a deeper look at God’s work as Judge in the end times. We look at it specifically in relation to the great controversy in the universe between good and evil. We also examine what happens to God’s faithful people in the “judgment to come.”
So, keep watching. View Part 2 of this Video. The Significance of the Judgment Hour
The book of Revelation tells us what will happen at the end of the agelong battle between good and evil. This war between good and evil started before God made the earth. Lucifer started this war in heaven. Lucifer was a beautiful angel who turned against God. He challenged the justice, fairness, and wisdom of God before the angelic beings.
Like a dissenting manager of a company who feels he or she knows how to run the company better than the Chief Operating Officer, Lucifer accused God of being unfair and unjust in how he administered the universe. Therefore, at the center of Revelation’s final judgment is the conflict over the character of God.
The unfolding of the Book of Revelation shows how evil and wrong Lucifer is and how fair and just God is.
Again as in our previous video, we read Revelation 14:7, in which the first angel says:
“Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” (Revelation 14:7).
But notice that prior to the first angel speaking of God’s work as Judge, John in Revelation 14:6 tells us: “I 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,” (Revelation 14:6)?
This angel connects the Everlasting Gospel, the Good News about Salvation, with God’s work as Judge.
Both are parts of the First Angel’s Message. They are inseparable. In other words, without the Good News about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, we would have no hope when we face God as our judge. The Good News is our only hope when we face the judgment.
During God’s work as Judge, all the other unfallen beings in the universe will see that God did everything possible to save every person on Earth. God’s work as Judge shows that He is fair, equitable, and full of mercy. It helps all to understand His love and His law better. God’s work as Judge also helps all to see His amazing grace and His power to deliver us from sin and save us from eternal destruction.
Hence, ultimately, God’s work as Judge is the solution to the sin problem. For in this cosmic battle between good and evil, God answered Satan’s charges against Him on the cross when He gave his only begotten son to die for the sins of the entire world. Moreover, in God’s work as Judge, He shows us that He did everything possible to save us and to lead us to the cross to obtain forgiveness.
Therefore, the record books in heaven, containing the minute, intricated details of our lives, will be opened for all to see.
Daniel in Daniel 7:10 describes this part of the proceeding, saying:
10 “A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened. (Daniel 7:10).
All of us are precious to God. We are so precious that God gives everyone in the entire universe an opportunity to look at the choices we made to follow the Holy Spirit leading and our choice to accept the redemption Jesus has so freely provided for us on Calvary’s cross.
King David, in Psalm 51:1–4, acknowledging that God is just and blameless, makes a plea in which he asks that God’s judgment be fair and righteous toward him for the awful sin he had committed by taking Bathsheba and having her husband Uriah killed in battle.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. (Psalms 51:1-4)
The cross and judgment both help us to see that God is just and merciful. God is just in that he will, with fairness, execute judgment, and he will extend mercy to those who, like David, acknowledge their sins and accept the gift of eternal life through His son Jesus. The doors of mercy are still open for all, but the day will come when the doors will be closed.
Then you ask if we are all required to give account to God, by what standards will we be judged?
Find out in the next Video: Day 3: God’s Mercy and Judgement
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