Everything in life leads us to the moment when our names shall come up in the final judgment. Will we be counted faithful and received into everlasting life? Or will we be deemed unfaithful and wicked and be sentenced to eternal death? God’s judgment has already begun in the courts of Heaven and just as soon as Jesus has finished this work in the Most Holy Place of the Heavenly Sanctuary He will remove His priestly garments and return to our world as the King of kings and Lord of lords to receive all those who have put their trust in Him.
In the preceding article 'Our High Priest and the Heavenly Sanctuary' (click here to read) we reviewed the basic structure and function of the Earthly Sanctuary and discovered that Jesus is now mediating for us as our High Priest in the Sanctuary in Heaven. We saw that at His ascension Jesus entered into the Holy Place where He presented His own blood as the offering for our sins. As our sacrificial lamb, Jesus took our sins upon Him; as our High Priest, He has now transferred those sins to the Sanctuary in Heaven. However, at the end of the 2300 days, the Heavenly Sanctuary is to be cleansed of the sin that now defiles it.
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
We previously saw that the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary began at the termination of 2300 days on October 22, 1844. At this time Jesus moved from His ministration in the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place to begin the work of the antitypical (true) Day of Atonement. What many do not realise is that the cleansing of the sanctuary requires an act of judgment. On the Day of Atonement only the sins of those who had ever confessed their sins upon a sin offering and had them transferred into the Earthly Sanctuary were removed from it. For obvious reasons, if your sin had never been moved into the sanctuary, it cannot be removed.
Sin can go in one of two ways from the sanctuary: 1) It can be placed upon the scapegoat which represents Satan who will take our sins with him into the lake of fire and be forever destroyed, or 2) it can return to the sinner. What determines which way it goes? Whether we remain steadfast in the faith or turn back into the world and give ourselves to a life of sin, rejecting our Saviour.
For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. Hebrews 6:4-6
For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 2 Peter 2:20
Many believe in the ‘once saved always saved’ doctrine, however, this is not taught in the Bible. God’s arm is never too short to save, but we must accept the gift of salvation. When we come to Christ He does not force us to stay with Him. It is possible for us to be partakers of the Holy Spirit and yet fall away again into sin. If we do this, we lose eternity and our sins will return to us.
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24:13
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Those who endure to the end, daily faithfully bearing the burdens of life and following Christ, will be judged as worthy and their sins will be forever removed from them and placed on the scapegoat.
As we can see from the example of the Earthly Sanctuary, it is only those who have ever entered into Christ’s service whose names come up in the judgment that is currently taking place in Heaven. Only those who have confessed their sins upon Christ have had them transferred to the Heavenly Sanctuary.
For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17
The judgment of the wicked, who have only ever rejected God, is carried out by the righteous during the millennium reign with Christ in heaven.
Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 1 Corinthians 6:3
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. Daniel 7:22
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. Revelation 20:4
The Scriptures present two judgments, the first in which God will judge the righteous and the second when the righteous will then judge the wicked (including Satan and his fallen angels). At the end of the millennium, once the judgment of the wicked has finished, Jesus will return to the Earth with His saints and the Heavenly city (Revelation 20:9). The wicked will then be raised and their sentence will be handed out (Revelation 20:5, 11-13). Each person will confess God’s righteous judgment and acknowledge their sin (Romans 14:11-12). Finally, they will be destroyed in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).
The beginning of the judgment of the righteous is marked by the message of the first angel of Revelation 14.
“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.” Revelation 14:7
In 1844 Jesus moved into the Most Holy Place and began His judgment of all who have ever had their name written in the Book of Life. Beginning with Adam and Eve and ending with those of us who are now living, the books of each case are being opened in heaven; each one is investigated and decided before the entire universe.
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. Daniel 7:9-10
This work of investigative judgement was set out by Christ in His parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22. Those who come into the feast are those who have accepted the gospel call. Once at the feast the King is seen to be moving through the crowd of guests and examining them as to whether they are wearing the wedding garment, which represents Christ’s righteousness (Isaiah 61:10), or not. Those who do not have this garment on are cast out.
But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 22:11-13
This event must take place before Jesus returns because when He comes His reward is with Him to give every one according to their works. Jesus must judge each case to determine their reward before He can give it.
And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. Revelation 22:12
Jesus is our judge (John 5:22), He is also our advocate (1 John 2:1) pleading on our behalf. Satan, on the other hand, stands as our accuser (Revelation 12:9-10). The Ten Commandments is the law that judges us (James 2:10-12).
It is not for God’s benefit that the record books are opened in heaven for us to be judged out of them. God is perfectly acquainted with every single person; He knows full well who has accepted Him and who has rejected Him. The purpose of the judgment is for us and for all of God’s other created beings who are watching on. The record books are there to prove that God’s judgment is just and satisfy any questions we may have.
The record books contain an exact transcript of every motive, thought, feeling, word and action. God is able to read the very depths of our hearts. Every single thing we do, whether it is good or evil, has been recorded.
For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14
During the Day of Atonement, the Israelites were given strict instruction to humble themselves before God. This was a time of soul searching and repentance from sin. Likewise, now that we are living in the true Day of Atonement we should be working out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) and searching our own souls as to whether we are saved or lost.
It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever. Leviticus 16:31
The three angels of Revelation 14 bring with them the final messages of warning to a dying world. As we have seen, the first angel has already sounded, announcing that the judgment has now begun in Heaven. The second angel has also done his work, only the mark of the beast remains to be enforced before the end will come. God wants us to heed these warnings, repent of our sins, humble ourselves before Him, and accept the offer of eternal life that He has made available to us. This is the work for us now. When we give our hearts to Christ He gives us the Holy Spirit and we enjoy the benefits of a loving and trusting relationship with Him.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Once judgement has finished in Heaven and every case has been decided Jesus will return as conqueror and King to receive His own. There is only a short time left for us to prepare ourselves to meet Him. Will you give your heart to Christ and accept His offer of eternal life that He may write ‘pardoned’ beside your name in the record books of Heaven? Now is the time, do not delay, for we know not the hour in which the Son of Man comes.
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