Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)
Ms 137, 1897
The Judgment
NP
December 16, 1897
Portions of this manuscript are published in LDE 276. See also RH 09/20/1898. +Note
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” [Matthew 25:31-33.] 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 1
This whole chapter contains an important lesson, by which is decided our eternal destiny. The Lord Jesus would have all understand the publicity of His second appearing. The judgment scene will be held in the presence of all the worlds, for in this judgment the government of God will be vindicated, and His honor, His law, stand forth as “holy, just, and good.” [Romans 7:12.] Then every case will be decided, and the judgment sentence passed upon the whole world. Sin will not then appear attractive, but will be seen in all it hideous magnitude. Then will be seen the relation in which we stand to God and to each other. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 2
Christ came to the world as its Redeemer, to sow truth in the hearts of all who would give ear to it and receive it and be converted. He longed to breathe into prostrate humanity the breath of life. He came to take away the sin of the world, and to fill every heart with pure, healthful joy. His sermon on the mount broadened an deepened the law of Jehovah. He pronounced His blessings on true merit and righteousness. His benedictions were pronounced upon all who were seeking for that righteousness which it was His prerogative to give. He gave evidence that all the treasures of heaven were at His command, and that in disposing of them He knew no restrictions. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 3
Christ discarded kings and priests and rulers. From the men whom the world had favored, the men who had found their own enjoyment in fulsome flattery, He turned with gladness to a peculiar people, and showed which class was “blessed.” That was a representation of what will be enacted at the judgment. He assigned appropriate rewards to those who were faithful and true. Having brought into the world the accumulated treasures of heaven, He bestowed it upon them. He adopted them as His heirs according to the attributes of His character. To those who suffered for His name’s sake He declared, “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” [Matthew 5:11, 12.] 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 4
When God’s people are clothed with white robes, and crowned as true subjects of His kingdom, those who have been disloyal will see the inconsistency of their uniting with the loyal to honor and magnify the law of God which they have educated themselves to disregard. As they have regarded the law of God as null and void, should they be trusted to come through the gates into the city? They then find that they have no passport, nothing in them that can change their life sentiments. They have made their choice of false theories in the place of truth and holiness and righteousness, and they cannot change them. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 5
“The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” [John 5:22], who can best determine human suffering in that endured by the saints in the cause of truth and virtue in a world corrupted by false religious theories. The judge, the Prince of sufferers for the truth’s sake is on the throne—He who submitted to be arraigned at the bars of Herod and Pilate, who was rejected by His own nation, condemned by the very man who had declared, “I find no fault in him,” He who was lacerated with stripes, spit upon, degraded, and whose holy brow was crowned with thorns. [John 19:1-4.] 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 6
Christ had such an experience in His humanity that He would be close beside every one who passes through suffering for the truth’s sake—those who are tortured, imprisoned in dungeons, and bound in chains. Christ ministered unto these. It was Christ in the person of His saints who suffered. And all who cause His people to suffer, will experience this suffering will in their own bodies, be they pope, legate, priests, or people. They will understand in that day that they were dealing with Christ in the person of His saints. Then they will understand the wrath of the Lamb. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 7
Those who have tried to lay their plans in councils, and by their superior numbers gain power to oppress the saints of God, to compel them to dishonor and disobey their Redeemer, will understand the work they have done upon the earth as enemies of God, betrayers of sacred trusts. They will then know how many souls have deceived and led away from their allegiance to God. They will see that they have made themselves responsible, by misinterpreting the Word of God, for their own destruction and the destruction of God’s property, His one heritage, purchased at an infinite cost. The blood of these souls is on their garments. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 8
Let us read (Matthew 25) carefully. Does not this parabolical representation engage the attention and subdue the heart? Have we marked the partition made between the sheep and the goats? Listen to His words to each party, specifying the reward each are to have: 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 9
“Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink: or when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when saw we thee sick or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these by brethren, ye have done it unto me.” [Verses 34-40.] 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 10
“Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, When saw we thee an hungered, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.” [Verses 41-46.] 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 11
Can we not feel that this is real? He has told them of a partial resurrection, of the souls who came up after His resurrection, whom He led captive through the gates of the city to the throne: and He says, “Marvel not at this for the hour cometh in the which all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth.” [John 5:28, 29.] This voice is soon to resound through all the nations of the dead, and every saint who sleeps in Jesus shall awake and leave his prison house. The general judgment shall take place at the end of the one thousand years. Whoever then has disowned Christ, betrayed Him in the person of His saints, will see the result of their work. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 12
Then the virtue of character we have received from Christ’s righteousness will ally us to true greatness of the highest order. Every action of ours in befriending God’s people will be awarded as done unto Himself. Whatever influences have opposed the truth, which He has made it their duty to proclaim in His name, it has dishonored His name in turning from truth to accept and advocate falsehood. This is a violence offered to the laws of His kingdom, which He will not suffer to go unpunished. “Ye did it unto me,” He says, or “Ye did it not to me.” [Matthew 25:40, 45.] 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 13
Then every man who by his actions has declared, “I will not have this man to reign over me” [Luke 19:14], will no longer have the privilege of being under His rule. Christ will then sit on the throne of judgment. He will not stand before the bar of Pilate or Herod. He is the Judge, and Pilate and Herod stand before the man whom they scourged and delivered up to the will of His enemies, while priests and rulers clamored for the death of their Messiah. Pilate and Herod, who suffered the Lord to be scourged, and those who scourged Him, those who struck Him in the face and mocked Him will then understand what it means to meet the wrath of the Lamb. 12LtMs, Ms 137, 1897, par. 14