Hidrología

Abbey, is a memorial of World War II. It consists

of four bound volumes that contain the names of 60,000 civilians killed in the city of London by en- emy action. A light shines upon one open volume. Each day it is turned to a new page. It is a book of death.

When Daniel Webster, the great legislator and

orator, was asked, “What is the greatest question that has ever crossed your mind?” he paused and then replied, “My personal accountablity to God.”

A SPECIAL JUDGMENT

In heaven, there are several books. One is the Book of Life. You and I want our names entered into that book. We want to be protected by the blood of Christ when our names come up in the Judgment.

“He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world.”—Acts 17:31.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”—2 Corinthians 5:10.

When Jesus Christ comes to earth the second time, He will bring His reward with Him, “to give

every man according as his work shall be” (Revela- tion 22:12).

Since this is true, it is clearly evident that a work of judgment must take place before Christ returns to give those rewards.

We earlier learned when we viewed the little horn of Daniel 7, that after the 1260 years of pa- pal church supremacy from A.D. 538 to 1798, the judgment was to sit. We have found that A.D. 1844 is the Bible date for the beginning of that work.

At that time, the cleansing of the heaven Sanctuary began, as the records of sinful men started to be examined.

We would expect that Adam’s name would be called first, and eventually the last name will be reached.

This work was yet future in Paul’s day, for

“he reasoned of . . judgment to come” (Acts 24:25). We have learned that, just as the years of Christ’s baptism and death were specifically foretold, so God set the clock of eternity to strike, at a certain

time, the hour for the Investigative Judgment to begin.

What must this scene, where the judgment occurs in heaven, be like? The glory and power and magnificence of it must be truly immense. We

are given a view of the opening day in these words:

“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 . .

“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.”—Daniel 7:9-11, 13.

First, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down.” The phrase, “cast down,” really means “placed” or “arranged.” Seats were arranged in position in vari- ous places before the throne of God.

Second, God is the presiding judge, for “the Ancient of days did sit.” Verse 9 shows that He is God the Father.

Third, we are afforded a glimpse of the utter majesty of God Himself.

“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.”—Daniel 7:9-10.

Fourth, the mathematics of verse 10 indicates that millions upon millions of angels are present.

Fifth, Christ “came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him” (verse 13). How very thankful we are that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

—What a view all this gives us of the opening of the Investigative Judgment in the Sanctuary in heaven!

Jesus is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Intercessor at the judgment bar of God. —For

God the Father created all things by Jesus Christ (Ephe sians 3:9), He reconciled the world to Himself by Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18), and He will judge the world by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31).

Here is a remarkable comment:

“The priests and rulers [at the trial of Christ] had set themselves up as judges to condemn Christ’s work, but He declared Himself their judge, and the judge of all the earth. The world has been committed to Christ, and through Him has come every blessing from God to the fallen race. He was the Redeemer

before as after His incarnation. As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour. He has given light and life to all, and according to the measure of light given, each is to be judged. And He who has given the light, He who has followed the soul with tenderest entreaty, seeking to win it from sin to holiness, is in one its advocate and judge. From the opening of the great controversy in heaven, Satan has maintained his cause through deception; and Christ has been working to unveil his schemes and to break his power. It is He who has encountered the deceiver, and who through all the ages has been seeking to wrest the captives from his grasp, who will pass judgment upon every soul.”—Desire of Ages, 210.

While probationary time lasts, Christ is will- ing to accept and win our case at court. But only

if, in humility of heart and simple, childlike submis- sion and obedience, we let Him remove our sins and purify our hearts.

THE BOOKS OF RECORD

The books of record in heaven, in which the names and the deeds of men are registered, are to determine the decisions of the judgment. At

the opening of this judgment, “The judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:10).

One of these books is the book of life. “Another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”—Revelation 20:12.

We want to make sure that our names are retained in the book of life. Daniel, looking down

to “a time of trouble, such as never was,” declared that God’s people shall be delivered, “everyone that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1).

John the Revelator wrote that those only shall enter the city of God whose names “are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

Then there is “a book of remembrance,” written

before God, in which are recorded the good deeds of “them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Their words of faith, their acts of love, are registered in heaven.

Every deed of heartfelt kindness to others is to be found in this book of God’s remembrance.

There every temptation resisted, every evil over- come, every word of tender pity expressed, is faith- fully kept. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake is recorded.

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?”—Psalm

56:8.

There is also a book in which the sins of men are recorded: the book of sin. The most secret plans

and actions of men are in those books.

“For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”—Ecclesiastes 12:14.

“Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”—Matthew

12:36-37.

“The Lord . . will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.”—I Corinthians 4:5.

“Behold, it is written before Me, . . your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord.”—Isaiah 65:6-7.

It is all there—in the books of heaven. And the books are opened in the Judgment.

THE STANDARD OF THE JUDGMENT

The standard of the Judgment is the law of God. It is the law book of the assembled court.

This is what we would expect, for it is the great moral standard which God has given us to live by.

“Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”—Ecclesi-

astes 12:13-14.

“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.”—James 2:12.

Those who in the judgment are “accounted wor- thy” (Luke 20:35) will have a part in the resurrec- tion of the just. Jesus added that, as part of their reward, they will be “equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resur- rection” (verse 36).

The righteous dead will not be raised until after the judgment at which they are accounted

worthy of “the resurrection of life” (John 5:29). Therefore, they will not be alive at the time of the judgment when their records are examined and their cases are decided.

How thankful we can be that Jesus will be their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God.

“If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”—1 John 2:1.

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”—Hebrews 9:24.

“Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”— Hebrews 7:25.

A young man was brought into Denver’s west-side court to answer for an alleged offense.

When his case was called, he stood there silent, not knowing what to say. The clerk read the charge, but the lad stood speechless. The judge, a kindly man, leaned forward on his desk and asked him if he had a lawyer. The boy shook his head. Then the judge motioned to a man in the courtroom who came for- ward and took his place beside the defendant. He was appointed as his attorney, or advocate.

The two left the courtroom to confer together. Other cases were called and disposed of. Within an hour the lawyer with his young client returned. The boy’s case was again called. This time, accompanied by his attorney, he had more confidence; for now he had an advocate to speak for him.

In the Investigative Judgment, God has pro- vided Jesus Christ as the advocate for all who will, in this life, accept Him and submit their lives to His control.

SUMMARIZING THIS CHAPTER

Here is an excellent summary of this judg- ment and how we, today, should prepare for it:

“All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah: ‘I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’ Isaiah 43:25.

“Said Jesus: ‘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.’ Revelation 3:5. ‘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 . .

“Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness . . Their names stand enrolled in the book of life, and concerning them it is written: ‘They shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.’ Revelation 3:4.

“Thus will be realized the complete fulfillment of the new-covenant promise: ‘I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ . . When the Investigative Judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be . .

“Sins that have not been repented of and for- saken will not be pardoned and blotted out of the

books of record, but will stand to witness against

the sinner in the day of God . .

“Those who would share the benefits of the Sav- iour’s mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful study of the Word of truth. The subject of the Sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly un- derstood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days.

“All who have received the light upon these subjects are to bear testimony of the great truths which God has committed to them. The Sanctuary in heaven is the very center of Christ’s work in behalf of men. It concerns every soul living upon the earth. It opens to view the plan of redemption, bringing us down to the very close of time and re- vealing the triumphant issue of the contest between righteousness and sin. It is of the utmost importance that all should thoroughly investigate these subjects and be able to give an answer to everyone that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them.

“The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the Sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven. We must by faith enter within the veil, ‘whither the forerunner is for us entered.’ Hebrews 6:20. There the light from the cross of Calvary is reflected. There we may gain a clearer insight into the mysteries of redemption. The salvation of man is accomplished at an infinite expense to heaven; the sacrifice made is equal to the broadest demands of the broken law of God. Jesus has opened the way to the Father’s throne, and through His mediation the sincere desire of all who come to Him in faith may be presented before God.”—Great Controversy,

483-486, 488-489.

FOUR REMARKABLE STORIES

Before concluding this chapter, let me brief- ly tell you four incidents in earlier American history which will help explain this:

One day, D.L. Moody met the governor of a cer- tain State, who told him, “Moody, I have decided to respond to a petition from a great number of people

to grant a pardon to a criminal. I want you to take my pardon to him.”

All the men were called into chapel, and heard Moody, standing in front, say, “I have a pardon for one of you. I do not know you by face, but here is your name.”

Oh, what sudden interest gripped them! Those five or six hundred men scarcely breathed; each wondering, “Is it me?”

When Mr. Moody read the name, a shriek came from someone, and he ran forward. It was almost more than the man could bear.

The governor had a legal right to pardon that man. Jesus Christ has a legal right to provide us with a pardon, and more: a passport to heaven.

But many will not accept it—before the Judg-

ment begins.

Here is the second story: God is gracious, but He will not force the acceptance of His grace upon men. In 1829, George Wilson in Pennsylvania was sentenced to be hanged by a United States Court

because of the robbery of a mail train near Reading, Pennsylvania, earlier that year.

For some reason, President Andrew Jackson pardoned him on June 14, 1830; but, because of antipathy he had for Jackson, Wilson refused the pardon, insisting that it was not a pardon unless

he accepted it.

That was a point of law never before raised, and the president called upon the Supreme Court to decide. Chief Justice John Marshall gave the fol- lowing decision:

“A pardon is a paper, the value of which de- pends upon its acceptance by the person impli-

cated. It is hardly to be supposed that one under sentence of death would refuse to accept a pardon.

But, if it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson

must be hanged!” And he was hanged.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation for everyone, irrespective of what he may have done. But it is only for those willing to ac- cept it. Many will not come to Christ and receive it. Here is the third story: The Investigative Judgment will later be followed by the Execu- tive Judgment, when the wicked will finally be destroyed. At that time, it will be too late to plead for Christ to defend us in that judgment hour.

Something had happened, and a man was going to defend himself in criminal court on a very seri- ous charge. There was one attorney capable enough to handle the case, for he had done so on earlier occasions. But this time the man waited too long to contact him.

When he finally did, the attorney considered the

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