Looking Unto Jesus

25 A WORK OF JUDGMENT

AN examination of the work called “the cleansing of the sanctuary,” leads us into a series of subjects of the most important and timely character, subjects which explain some statements of the Scriptures which are otherwise obscure, harmonize lines of prophecy otherwise disconnected, and answer some otherwise unanswerable queries which arise concerning events connected with that crowning of all events, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. LUJ 220.1

For instance, when Christ comes, the people of God are singled out for a great and immediate change to be passed upon them, while all others are passed by. The righteous who are in their graves are raised in power, glory, and immortality, and the rest of the dead live not again for a thousand years (1 Thessalonians 4:10; Revelation 20:5), and the righteous who are living are changed from mortality to immortality, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:51, 52), while the rest of the living are given over to perish under the judgments of the Almighty. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. And this change for God’s people is wrought at the last trump. But before this change can be wrought, it must be decided who the people of God are, who are to be thus delivered, and who the incorrigibly wicked are, who are to be thus left to perish. This matter must be determined before the Lord comes; for there is no time given then for investigation of character and decision of destiny. But this work of decision is a work of judgment, for all awards of good or evil are a part of the judgment, as God has ordained (Revelation 20:12); and such a work of judgment must therefore take place before the Lord comes. LUJ 220.2

We know of no system of belief which has a place for this preliminary work of judgment, except that held by the Seventh-day Adventists. How to adjust this matter, to have Christ reward his people immediately according to their works without a judgment (Revelation 22:12), has been a source of perplexity to many, and to meet it they have been obliged to resort to such unscriptural conclusions as these: 1. That all the human family, good and bad, are raised indiscriminately together; but this contradicts the Bible; for it plainly declares that there are a thousand years between the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked. Revelation 20:5. 2. Another way they try to adjust the matter, is to say that when the righteous are raised, they are raised mortal, judged, and then changed; but this contradicts the Bible; for the Bible assigns no place for any such work of investigative judgment after Christ appears, and, moreover, explicitly declares that the righteous are raised in power, in glory, with spiritual bodies, and in incorruption (1 Corinthians 15:42-44), and that the living righteous are changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Verses 51, 52. Thus every attempt made by any other system to explain how it is that immortality can be conferred upon the righteous when Christ comes, without this preliminary work of judgment, runs directly against the Scriptures at every step. And no system which contradicts such plain statements of the Bible can be worthy of the least credence. But in this closing work in the sanctuary we find just the place for this work of judgment before Christ comes; and when we look at the sanctuary work itself, we find it to be just such a work as meets the case. LUJ 221.1

The subject of the sanctuary, correctly understood, removes all these difficulties. The cleansing of the sanctuary provides the very place for this preliminary work of judgment, and brings to view a work of just exactly this nature. LUJ 222.1

The cleansing of the sanctuary is a work of judgment. A few considerations will make this proposition plain. The priesthood of Christ continues up to the time when he takes his own throne as king. He passes directly from the position of priest to that of king; and when he takes his position as king, his work as priest is done. Now, his work as priest being designed to gather out from the human family a people for his name and kingdom (Acts 15:14), his priestly office cannot close till this result is declared. When his work is finished, it will have been decided who have availed themselves of his mediation, and have thus become his people. It is the putting away of sin that determines this; but this is the very work that Christ performs in the most holy place in the conclusion of his ministry. He here puts away the sins of his people; and this is the cleansing of the sanctuary. LUJ 222.2

This involves an examination of the books; for the rule that God has laid down in this matter is that all judgment shall be rendered according to each man’s works as they stand upon the record. “And the dead,” says John, “were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:12. From the reference in this and numerous other passages, to the books, the book of life, the names or the things written therein, and a work called “blotting out,” to take place in connection with them, but one conclusion LUJ 222.3

[NO PAGE NUMBER] PICTURE AND TEXT can be drawn; and that is, that a faithful record is kept of each one’s actions, the thoughts, words, and deeds, that make up the texture of his character, and the course of his life. If the person repents and maintains a Christian life to the end, all these recorded sins are to be blotted out of this book. So Peter declared, “Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19. Of the same class Christ speaks in Revelation 3:5: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” Again he says, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32, 33; Luke 12:8, 9. And this is when Christ is about to be sent the second time to earth (Acts 3:20), and when he is about to come as a thief on all them that do not watch. Revelation 3:3. Ask the average Christian when the foregoing definite statements of Scripture apply; and would he be able to tell? But the sanctuary subject places them all in a clear light. Is not a subject glorious which thus makes God’s word clear and intelligible?

The two divisions of this great proposition are thus established: If we secure the pardon of our sins, the time comes, just before the end, when these sins are blotted out of the books, and our names are retained in the Lamb’s book of life, and the Saviour confesses our names to the Father as those who have accepted of salvation through him. Our cases are then decided, and we are sealed for everlasting life. If, on the other hand, we do not repent, our sins are not blotted out of the record where they stand, but our names are blotted out of the book of life, and Christ denies our names before his Father, as those who have slighted his mercy, and are not entitled to everlasting life through him. LUJ 223.1

Thus the cleansing of the sanctuary involves the examination of the records of all the deeds of our lives. It is an “investigative” judgment. Every individual of every generation from the beginning of the world, who has ever become interested in the work of Christ, thus passes in review before the great tribunal above. So Daniel, describing the opening of the scene, calls it a work of judgment, and expressly notices the fact that the books are opened. Daniel 7:9, 10. LUJ 224.1

This work has been going forward in the sanctuary above, since the end of the prophetic period in 1844. Beginning, according to the natural order, with the earliest generation, the work of examination passes on down through all the records of time, and closes with the living. Then the sealing message (Revelation 7) will have performed its work, and all antecedent questions being determined, all cases decided, everything will be ready for the coming of the Lord. LUJ 224.2

Reader, think how many years already this solemn work has been in progress! How much longer can it continue? More than half a century of this decisive work of investigative judgment already past, and yet how few of all the masses of the earth dream of their position! O church of Christ, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, sound an alarm which shall cause all the inhabitants of the land to hear and tremble; for the great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly. LUJ 224.3

It may occur to some as an objection to the view here offered, that no such work of judgment appeared in the LUJ 224.4

PICTURE AND TEXT
type, and hence nothing of this kind could occur in the antitype. Of course there is an almost infinite difference between earthly things and heavenly. The law, said Paul, had not the very image of the things to come, but only a shadow of them. Hebrews 10:1. Men, back there, could not read hearts, and so could not judge individual cases. The work in the type could, therefore, only be general in its character, an offering for the whole congregation. But the people had individually to afflict their souls while the high priest was officiating for them, or lose the benefit of his work. It was, therefore, a work of the same nature, as far as it could be performed by mortal men; and it was certainly sufficient to prefigure the greater and more solemn work of judgment, which must take place, yea, must be even now taking place, in heaven.