'It has
been fully noticed that the Judgment of the saints must be completed before
Christ leaves the throne of his priesthood. But not so of the Judgment of the
wicked.
In the
Judgment which takes place during his priesthood, it will be determined whose
names shall have no place in the book of life; but their cases must come up for
review that the measure of their punishment may be determined.
To
properly locate this work has been one object of the present argument, in
distinguishing between the two thrones. There is still a work of judgment after
Christ resigns his priestly office on the throne of his Father; after his
enemies are given to him, and he has dashed in pieces the nations and kingdoms
of the world. An order of events is laid down in Dan. 7:21, 22, …
Dan
7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them;
Dan
7:22 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.
…from
which we gain important instruction on this subject. Speaking of that
persecuting power, already noticed, which wore out the saints of the
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H. Waggoner
Most High,
the prophet said: “I 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.” In regard to the time when the saints shall possess the kingdom, we
further quote as follows: “In the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in
the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.” Matt. 19:28.
These are
the words of the Lord himself to his twelve disciples. And by the words of Paul
we readily locate the time of this judgment, if, indeed, any further proof can
be asked. He said “the saints shall judge the world” (1 Cor. 6:2), but he said
also: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come.” 1 Cor.
4:5. Rev. 20:1-6 …
1Co
4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who
both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest
the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Rev
20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev
20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev
20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a
seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand
years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little
season.
Rev
20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given
unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of
Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither
his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their
hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev
20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev
20:6 Blessed and holy is he 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.
…introduces
the coming of Christ, the binding of Satan, the resurrection of the blessed and
holy—the first resurrection, which is at Christ’s coming—and thrones of
judgment given to the overcomers. And it is further a matter of proof that the
saints do not and cannot enter upon this work of judgment in the present life
or the present state.
In 1 Cor.
6:1-4…
1Co
6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before
the unjust, and not before the saints?
1Co
6:2 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?
1Co
6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that
pertain to this life?
1Co
6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them
to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
… the
apostle reproves the brethren for going to law, and that before the
unbelievers, as though they were not competent to settle their own temporal
difficulties. “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?”
Observe
that the judgment of which he speaks, that of the world and of angels, is not
in “this life.” And there is reason for this; in this life we cannot discern
motives and so understand the lives and hearts of the world as to be able to
judge them correctly. Much less can we now judge angels. The fallen angels, who
sinned, are reserved unto the Judgment of the great day. 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.
2Pe
2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to
hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment
Jud
1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own
habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the
judgment of the great day.
Even over
them shall the saints sit in judgment. But no saint, however faithful and
exalted, is qualified to judge them in this life. There is a time coming,
however, when our partial knowledge shall pass away; when we shall know even as
we are known. 1 Cor. 13:8-12.
1Co
13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall
fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge,
it shall vanish away.
1Co
13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co
13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
shall be done away.
1Co
13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co
13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Paul had
the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of prophecy; but only so as “to know in part”
and to “prophecy in part.”
The
Atonement - 180
But a
clearer light is to burst upon his vision when the Lord comes; when this mortal
puts on immortality. “When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in
part shall be done away.” “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then
face to face; now I know in part; then shall I know even as also I am known.”
All these scriptures leave no room for doubt that the work of the judgment of
the world, in which the saints shall take part, is after the priesthood of
Christ is ended; after his second coming; after the saints are immortalized and
glorified.
But the
question may still be asked: If it shall already have been decided who are the
lost ones; if their names are not in the book of life, wherefore a further
judgment in their cases? To this question the Scriptures afford an easy
solution. In the rewards of the righteous there will be degrees of glory. “For
star differeth from star in glory; so also is the resurrection of the dead.” 1
Cor. 15:41, 42.
1Co
15:41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in
glory.
1Co
15:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption;
it is raised in incorruption
One is
made ruler over ten cities; another over five cities. Luke 19:17-19.
Luk
19:17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast
been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Luk
19:18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five
pounds.
Luk
19:19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
“They that turn many to righteousness [shall
shine] as the stars forever and ever.” Dan. 12:3.
Dan
12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the
firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and
ever.
And so in
the punishment of the wicked, there will be recognized degrees of demerit. Some
shall be beaten with many stripes, and others with few stripes. Luke 12:45-48.
Luk
12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and
drink, and to be drunken;
Luk
12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for
him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will
appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
Luk
12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not
himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many
stripes.
Luk
12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him
shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will
ask the more.
For some it will be more tolerable in the day
of Judgment than for others. Matt. 10:15; 11:22-24.
Mat
10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Mat
11:22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the day of judgment, than for you.
Mat
11:23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be
brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee,
had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Mat
11:24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
1Co
6:2 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?
Dr.
Bloomfield says of 1 Cor. 6:2:— “Upon the whole, there is, after all, no
interpretation that involves less of difficulty than the common one, supported
by some Latin Fathers, and, of modern divines, by Luther, Calvin, Erasmus,
Beza, Cassaubon, Crellius, Wolf, Jeremy Taylor, Doddridge, Pearce, Newcome,
Scott, and others, by which it is supposed that the faithful servants of God,
after being accepted in Christ, shall be in a certain sense, assessores
judicii, by concurrence, with Christ, and being partakers of the judgment to be
held by him over wicked men and apostate angels; who are, as we learn from 2
Peter 2:4; Jude 6, reserved unto the judgment of the last day.” And Dr. Barnes
observes:—
- 181 - J.
H. Waggoner
“Grotius
supposes that it means that they shall be first judged by Christ, and then act
as assessores to him in the judgment, or join with him in condemning the
wicked.” Certainly this view has a most respectable array of authors in its
favor; and well it may have, for we cannot see how any other view of the text
can, with any show of reason, be taken. In speaking of the judgment of the
righteous, it was remarked that when
Christ comes his elect will be translated or raised to immortality in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye. And this act of glorifying them will prove that
they have already been judged and acquitted; accepted of the Judge of all.
But as there are two resurrections, one of the just and one of the unjust, the
fact that the unjust are not raised at that time is conclusive proof that they
will have been already rejected, or judged unworthy of eternal life. But it is
one thing to determine that a person is guilty, and quite another thing to
determine the degree of his guilt and the measure of punishment which he should
justly receive; whether he should be beaten with few or many stripes. The first
is done before the throne of the Most High while Jesus, as Priest, is blotting
out the sins of his people, as he passes by those who are unjust and unholy.
The second is done by Christ and the saints, who, as Bloomfield says, act as
assessores judicii. As the judgment of the saints takes place before their
resurrection, and they are raised to receive the reward determined in their
respective cases, so with the wicked. In Rev. 20 we learn that they who have
part in the first resurrection sit upon thrones of judgment for a thousand
years. And in the same scripture we learn that “the rest of the dead”—in
distinction from the blessed and holy—”lived not again until the thousand years
were finished.” Thus the assessing judgment—to use the idea presented by many
authors—will occupy the one thousand years of Rev. 20, and at the end of that
period the wicked will be raised to receive their reward—the second death in
the lake of fire. When we consider the exceeding great multitude of the lost
who have lived since the time of Cain, and that every case has to be examined,
it does not appear strange that one thousand years are set apart to the work. '
(To be
continued)
(Excerpt
from-) THE ATONEMENT PART SECOND:
THE
ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE
(1884)
BY ELDER J. H. WAGGONER
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