Judgement...when?

'As the work of the high priest under the law in making atonement for all the people, was but the work of one day, a short time compared to the continual work of intercession, and that day clearly specified, so is the atonement by our High Priest, Jesus Christ, in the antitype. It is accomplished just before his second coming. If this be made to appear it will be another and a strong proof that reconciliation is distinct from it, and must precede it.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE JUDGMENT

There are no isolated, independent truths in the great plan of salvation, even as there is no special “saving” duty in Christian life. It takes the sum of all the graces to make a perfect Christian character; and so also it takes all the truths and doctrines of the gospel to make the one complete system of salvation. The great foundation of the whole is the sacrifice of Christ; the shedding of his blood for the sins of the world. Heb. 9:22.

Heb 9:22  And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 

To us belongs reconciliation through his death. Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:20.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 

As the work of the priests under the law only reached its ultimate object when the high priest went into the most holy place with the blood of the sin offering, and cleansed the sanctuary of God from the sins of the people, so the result of the gospel of remission is fully accomplished, not by the death of the sacrifice; not by our repentance and reconciliation to God; but, by the action of our great High Priest, who appears in the presence of God for us, in blotting out our sins and removing them forever from the presence of the throne of the Most High.

The subject of the Judgment may be considered a continuation of the subject of the preceding chapter, namely, the Atonement. The word “Judgment” may, however, cover or include much more than the word “Atonement.” The latter has to do solely with the people of God, for the Atonement is made only for those who are reconciled to God by the death of his Son; whereas the Judgment has to do with all mankind, for “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” But the subject of this chapter is not thus extensive, as it will be confined to the judgment of the righteous. The prevailing ideas of the Judgment are vague and indefinite. Probably a majority, certainly many, look upon it in the following light: That the Lord shall appear in the clouds of heaven; that all the dead, both the righteous and the wicked, will be raised, and the Judgment will then sit upon the whole human race. Another view,

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and a popular one, is that each one is judged immediately after death. Both these views are forbidden by the Scriptures, which say that the saints shall judge the world, 1 Cor. 6:2,

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? 

and that God hath appointed a day in which the Judgment shall take place. Acts 17:31; see also 2 Peter 2: 9, and 3:10.

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 

2Pe 2:9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

 Now it is not reasonable to suppose that the saints will judge the world in their present state, or previous to the time when themselves are judged. The following from Bliss’ review of Prof. Bush on the Resurrection is more reasonable and scriptural than the views which are generally entertained:— “We are inclined to the opinion that the judgment is after death, and before the resurrection; and that before that event the acts of all men will be adjudicated; so that the resurrection of the righteous is their full acquittal and redemption—their sins being blotted out when the times of refreshing shall have come (Acts 3:19); while the fact that the wicked are not raised proves that they were previously condemned.” Eld. Josiah Litch, in a work entitled “Prophetic Expositions,” said:— “The trial must precede the execution. This is so clear a proposition that it is sufficient to state it. . . . But the resurrection is the retribution or execution of judgment, for they that have done good shall come forth to the resurrection of life. . . . There can be no general Judgment or trial after the resurrection. The resurrection is the separating process, and they will never be commingled again after the saints are raised, no matter how long or short the period to elapse between the two resurrections.”

That the judgment of the saints is fully accomplished while the Saviour is in the sanctuary in Heaven, before his coming, and therefore before the resurrection, is evident; for (1) Their judgment must be closed while Jesus is their advocate, that he may procure their acquittal. And (2) They are raised immortal, which is the evidence of their acquittal.

The judgment of the wicked must be subsequent to the redemption of the righteous (for the saints will take part in that transaction; see 1 Cor. 6:1-3),

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? 

and yet previous to the second resurrection. It is quite reasonable to consider that the wicked are merely rejected while Christ is a priest, their cases being passed

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over for future consideration; indeed, this is the only view that will harmonize all Scripture; and as the resurrection of the righteous to immortality and eternal life is the announcement of the decision of the judgment to them, so the wicked are raised to condemnation and the second death, which is the execution of the judgment before determined in regard to them.

(To be continued)

(Excerpt from-) THE ATONEMENT PART SECOND:

THE ATONEMENT AS REVEALED IN THE BIBLE

  (1884)

BY   ELDER J. H. WAGGONER