God Reveals the Date for the Judgment
We have seen that
the
We have also seen
that the earthly Tabernacle was merely a symbol of the Heavenly Tabernacle and
the work of redemption that Christ is doing for His people.
Since this is so, the
culmination point of Christ's work in heaven must necessarily be the
cleansing of the heavenly Tabernacle of the accumulated sins of God's
people, in conjunction with the Day of Judgment.
God has not left us
hanging in suspense as to when this great work was to begin. He has revealed the very day this awesome
work was to commence!
Let us then study
this amazing prophecy and learn more about the Judgment.
GOD GIVES THE JUDGMENT
DATE
1. What amazing scene was Daniel allowed to view?
Daniel 7:9-10
2. At what time, according to the prophecy, was the Tabernacle to be
cleansed?
Daniel 8:14
3. Which Tabernacle was intended—the earthly
or the Heavenly?
Matthew 23:37,38
Note: The Tabernacle of Daniel 8:14 must refer to the Heavenly Tabernacle,
because, as we shall see, the earthly Tabernacle no longer existed when the
2,300 days ended. It had lain desolate
for almost 1,800 years. Disowned and
abandoned by Christ, and desecrated by God Himself at the supernatural rending
of the inner veil (Matthew 27:51), the temple in Jerusalem was finally
destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70, and has never been rebuilt since that
time.
Daniel was told that
2,300 days into the future, the Tabernacle in Heaven would be cleansed; that is, the Judgment and the Day of
Atonement would begin.
4. How was the Heavenly Tabernacle defiled?
2 Thessalonians 2:3,4,7,9,10
Daniel 7:25
Revelation 12:7-9
Note: In order to give a complete answer to this question, the
"defilement" of the Tabernacle must be viewed in two ways:
a) In the immediate
context of Daniel 8, the defilement was obviously brought about by the perversions
and counterfeits of a false system of worship, designed by Satan to becloud
and obscure the truth about God, bringing fear. (We shall study these things in
detail in lessons 21-24b.)
b) The word
"cleansed" is taken from the Hebrew word "sadaq"
("to be just", "to be righteous", or to "be put
right", as in Romans
What went
wrong in the Tabernacle that must be "put right"? If you remember, the Great Controversy began in
the
Thus, the
record that needed to be "put right" or cleansed was God's,
because of Satan's lies (Romans 3:4).
5. How will the Heavenly Tabernacle
be "cleansed"?
Daniel 7:9,10
Isaiah 41:21,22
Note: God brings forth the evidence, the record of His dealings with
humanity and the sin problem.
A CLEANSING WORK
The ultimate
cleansing of the Tabernacle is simply removing all the false pictures (idols)
of God we have in our minds. When we see
him as he really is, our souls will be cleansed of all unchristlikeness. Like a chain reaction, our greatest desire
will be to banish the myths about God in the minds of our fellow men.
When the Tabernacle
of our minds are cleansed of these lies about God, sin
can be destroyed and the universe can again be made clean.
SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF
THE 2,300 DAYS
6. Are the 2,300 days literal or symbolic?
Daniel 8:17,19,26
Note: These three verses state that this prophecy would reach into the distant
future. Since they would only be
about 6½ literal years, they must therefore be symbolic.
7. What does 1 day symbolize in prophecy?
Numbers
Ezekiel 4:6
Note: A day equals a year in prophecy.
8. When do the 2,300 days/years begin?
Note: The angel Gabriel, though commanded to
make Daniel understand the vision, gave him only a partial explanation. As the terrible persecution to befall God's
people was unfolded to the prophet's vision, his physical strength gave
way. He could endure no more, and the
angel left him for a time. Daniel "fainted, and was sick certain
days." "And I was astonished
at the vision," he
says, "but none
understood it."
But God had bidden his messenger, "Make
this man to understand
the vision." That commission must be fulfilled. In obedience to it, the angel, some time
afterward, returned to Daniel, saying, "I am now come forth to give thee skill and
understanding.... Therefore understand
the matter, and consider the vision."
There was one important point in the
vision of chapter 8 which had been left unexplained, namely, that
relating to the time of the 2,300 days.
Therefore the angel, in resuming his explanation, begins by saying, "Seventy
weeks are determined upon thy
In lesson 17 we studied the remarkable
prophecy of the 70 weeks. The word
translated "determined" means "cut-off", "measured-off",
or "appointed" in the original Hebrew.
This "cutting
off" must be from some longer period of time. Since the 2,300 days was the only period
of time mentioned in chapter 8, it must be the period from which the
seventy weeks are cut off; which means that the two periods must have a
common starting point.
The starting point
for the "70 weeks" is specifically given as: "From the going
forth of the commandment to restore and to build
9. The accompanying chart
completes the 2,300-year time prophecy diagram.
According to the prophecy, when did the Judgment in Heaven begin?
Note: Having established the starting-point, the rest is simple
arithmetic. Since the decree of
Artaxerxes did not go into full effect until the autumn of 457 B.C.. 2,300 full years reach to the autumn of AD 1844.
It is sobering to
realize that the judgment has been in session in Heaven for well over 150
years!
10. When the Judgment began in Heaven, in which apartment of the Tabernacle
did John see Jesus?
Revelation 11:15-19
Note: The prophet saw Jesus in the second apartment, the
THE THREE PHASES OF THE
JUDGMENT
PHASE #1- THE JUDGMENT BEFORE CHRIST’S COMING
11. Who is involved in the FIRST PHASE of the judgment that is
now taking place in Heaven?
I Peter 4:17
Note:
The house of God is His Church, I Timothy 3:15.
The judgment, now in progress, centers on those who CLAIM to be
Jesus' servants. The wicked are not
judged in the first phase. This phase of
the Judgment will clearly reveal which believers are false and which are
true. (This is sometimes called "the
Pre-Advent Judgment" or “the
Investigative Judgment”)
12. Who is the Advocate or
Attorney for the righteous?
I John 2:1
Hebrews 9:24
Hebrews 7:25
Note: The One who gave his life for us now serves to represent us in
Heaven. Since he is the only one who
knows the heart, he can defend us before our future friends and neighbours from
the accusations of the enemy, even if we make mistakes.
13. What will be considered
in the Judgment?
Ecclesiastes 12:13,14
14. What will God use as
His standard of measurement in the judgment?
James 2:10-12
Note: God's law of self-sacrificing love is the standard in the
Judgment. The law is God's character
described in words. Since love will
reign in the universe after sin is destroyed, only those who have allowed God
to impress his character of self-sacrificing love upon their hearts will be
there.
15. Since we are not
present at the pre-advent judgment, how do we know it will be fair?
Revelation 20:12
Note: Though this verse is referring to the second phase of the
Judgment, the books will be testimony also for the first phase of the judgment—Daniel
The records are
accurate and complete. They include even
thoughts and motives (I Corinthians 4:5). The court is fair; I need not be there. The evidence will speak for me.
16. Who presents the case
against us?
Zechariah 3:1,2
Job 1:6-11
17. Does God need books and
a judgment, or court trial, to find out about me and my conduct, or does he
know everything about me already?
I Kings
John 3:18
2 Timothy 2:19
18. Since the present judgment,
which is now in session, is not needed by God, personally, for whose benefit is
it?
Revelation 3:5
Note: God knows who trusts him (Nahum 1:7), but the rest of the
universe probably has its doubts about this "planet in rebellion"
(wouldn't you, if you lived in a sinless universe and observed the things we do
to one another on this planet?). Are those
of us "admitted" into their company for eternity truly safe to have
around? Were the lost truly
hopeless? The present judgment will
permit them to completely examine all evidence and be fully satisfied regarding
God's justice.
God does not
announce the decision until the angels are clear that all people have made up
their minds about God and Satan. There
will be no more changing sides (Revelation 22:11,12), because everyone
will be so settled in their decision that change would not be possible,
regardless of how much time and evidence were given. It is not a decree but an announcement. All have made final choices. More probationary time would change
nothing.
PHASE #2- THE JUDGMENT DURING THE 1,000 YEARS
19. When will the lost be
judged?
Revelation 20:4
Note: The lost will be judged in Heaven during the 1,000 years
of Revelation chapter 20. This is
sometimes called, "The Investigative Judgment"
20. Who are among those
judging the wicked, including Satan and his angels?
I Corinthians 6:2,3
Note: There will be many surprises in Heaven. There will be many there we did not expect to
be there, and many we expect to see will not be there. But the records will be there. We may, along with Christ and the angels, look to see why a certain person is or is not there,
and rest assured that they have chosen to exclude themselves. We will shed some tears, and God shall weep
along with us. But we have the promise that
He will personally wipe away our tears—Revelation 21:4.
21. In
your opinion, for whose benefit is the judgment of the lost conducted? After all, people who are not in Heaven
during the 1,000 years are lost anyway, so why conduct this judgment for the
wicked?
Note: Looking through the records and asking questions will remove all
doubt as to God's fairness. It will be
seen that those who are lost chose to ignore God's love in spite of innumerable
loving appeals by His Spirit.
THE JUDGMENT AT THE CLOSE OF THE 1,000 YEARS
22. Matthew 25:31-46
pictures a THIRD PHASE of the
judgment, when every person who has ever lived (both wicked and righteous)
faces the Lord, alive, to receive their "reward", or their choices. (This is often called, "The Executive
Judgment"). At this time
explanations are given as to why people are saved or lost. In your opinion,
a) Does this
judgment take place at the second coming, or at the close of the 1,000
years?
b)
For whose benefit is this phase of the judgment conducted?
Note: It has to take place at the close of the 1,000 years,
because that is the only time in earth's history when all who have ever lived
will be alive at the same time for a short time—either inside or outside the
Holy City (Revelation 20:11-15). This judgment convinces the wicked, including
Satan and his angels (who will at this time have questions answered and will
finally see), that God is loving, kind, just, and fair. God never uses force on his enemies and
orders them to be silent. He simply
presents clear cut evidence which is too plain to question.
23. When God announces the
results of our choices, is he making the decision at that moment who will be saved, or simply permitting angels and men to
confirm what he already knew?
Romans 2:5
I Corinthians 4:5
Note: The redeemed in heaven clearly give the reason why all consider
God just and true: his judgments are made manifest, or as the New English Bible
says, "Thy just dealings
stand revealed." God knew all along where every person
stood. But in order to solve the problem
of rebellion and sin he patiently waits till men and angels, both good and
evil, see what he has long seen. The
truth about every being will be revealed in the judgment. It will be too plain for any to debate—Isaiah
3:10,11.
ASSURANCE IN CHRIST
24. Since I am involved in
the Judgment, whether I want to or not, can I have assurance right now that I
will not be among the ones who reject God's help?
Daniel 7:22
Isaiah 3:10
Note: God has promised a happy ending for all those who love and truly
follow him. In the judgment, he calls
them saints! (See
insert for additional precious promises from the Bible.)
CONCLUSION
"There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1
"I will put my
law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God,
and they shall be My people."
Jeremiah 31:33
The only thing required
for us to be saved is to come home. Do
you choose to return to the Father, so he can put his self-sacrificing love
into your heart, changing you into his image?
My response to Christ is:______________________________