LESSON 13 *December 17–23
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 25:31–46; Dan. 7:9–14;
1 Cor. 6:2, 3; 2 Pet. 2:4–6; Mal. 4:1; Rev. 21:8.
Memory Text: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things
done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10, NIV).
If Scripture is clear about one thing, it is the reality of judgment. God
will judge the world. The texts, both in the Old Testament and the New,
are numerous and without ambiguity. The justice so lacking here and
now will one day come.
The Bible says that God has “ ‘perfect knowledge’ ” (Job 37:16, NIV)
and “knows everything” (1 John 3:20, NIV), including our most secret
intentions (Eccles. 12:14, Jer. 17:10). We can hide from everyone and
everything else, but nothing is hidden from God.
What this reality implies is that He does not need a judgment for
Himself to know the life of each individual. God’s judgments are, indeed, a
divine accommodation, carried on for the sake of His creatures, both in
heaven and on earth. This process is of a cosmic-historical nature because
Lucifer began his rebellion in heaven and then spread it to this world (Rev.
12:7–9).
During this week we will consider the end-time judgment process with
its three main phases: the pre-Advent judgment, the millennial judgment,
and the executive judgment. The whole process ends with the vindication of
the righteous and the second death of the wicked.
* Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 24.
EGW Notes — SATURDAY ↓
Sabbath Afternoon, December 17
Lesson 13 - The Judging Process
“Hereafter,” said Jesus, “shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right
hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” In these words Christ
presented the reverse of the scene then taking place. He, the Lord of life
and glory, would be seated at God’s right hand. He would be the judge of
all the earth, and from His decision there could be no appeal. Then every
secret thing would be set in the light of God’s countenance, and judgment
be passed upon every man according to his deeds.
The words of Christ startled the high priest. The thought that there was
to be a resurrection of the dead, when all would stand at the bar of God, to
be rewarded according to their works, was a thought of terror to
Caiaphas. He did not wish to believe that in future he would receive
sentence according to his works. There rushed before his mind as a
panorama the scenes of the final judgment. For a moment he saw the
fearful spectacle of the graves giving up their dead, with the secrets he
had hoped were forever hidden. For a moment he felt as if standing before
the eternal Judge, whose eye, which sees all things, was reading his soul,
bringing to light mysteries supposed to be hidden with the
dead.—The Desire of Ages, pp. 707, 708.
Every man’s work passes in review before God. . . . Opposite each name
in the books of heaven is entered, with terrible exactness, every wrong
word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with
every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected,
wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for
good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the
recording angel.
If your name is registered in the Lamb’s book of life, then all will be
well with you. Be ready and anxious to confess your faults and forsake
them, that your mistakes and sins may go beforehand to judgment and be
blotted out.—The Faith I Live By, p. 210.
All who have ever taken upon themselves the name of Christ must pass
its searching scrutiny. Both the living and the dead are to be judged “out
of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works.” Revelation 20:12.
Said the Judge: “All will be justified by their faith and judged by their
works.” . . .
The judgment is now passing in the sanctuary above. For many years
this work has been in progress. Soon—none know how soon—it will pass
to the cases of the living. In the awful presence of God our lives are to
come up in review. At this time above all others it behooves every soul to
heed the Saviour’s admonition, “Watch and pray: for ye know not when
the time is.” Mark 13:33.—The Faith I Live By, p. 211.
SUNDAY December 18
The Final Judgment
For many, the idea of judgment means condemnation. And though that’s
part of the process, we mustn’t forget that the idea of judgment has a
positive side, in that judgment also involves the vindication of the
righteous. Actually, the book of Daniel refers to an end-time judgment “ ‘in
favor of the saints of the Most High’ ” (Dan. 7:22, NKJV). God’s judgment
includes both—a principle found in this Old Testament text: “ ‘Then hear in
heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing
his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to
his righteousness’ ” (1 Kings 8:32, NKJV).
Read Matthew 25:31–46 and John 5:21–29. How did Christ point to
the concepts of both condemnation and vindication in the final
judgment?
* Your notes will not be saved!
Some claim that the expressions “ ‘is not judged’ ” (John 3:18, NASB)
and “ ‘will not be judged’ ” (John 5:24, NIV) mean that those who are in
Christ are not judged at all. But these expressions imply that believers are
not condemned in the judgment. Hence the texts should be understood as
saying “ ‘is not condemned’ ” (John 3:18, NIV) and “ ‘shall not come into
condemnation’ ” (John 5:24).
In short, our destiny is determined in our present life. Those in Christ
have their vindication at the judgment already assured, and those who are
not in Christ remain under condemnation. Describing the judgment (Matt.
25:31–46), Christ mentioned the presence not only of the goats (wicked)
but also of the sheep (righteous). And the apostle Paul stated explicitly,
“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each
may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good
or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10, NRSV).
While reflecting on the judgment, we should keep in mind that we are
saved by grace (Isa. 55:1, Eph. 2:8–10), justified by faith (Gen. 15:6, Rom.
5:1), and judged by works (Eccles. 12:14, Matt. 25:31–46, Rev. 20:11–13).
The basis of the judgment process is God’s moral law as summarized in the
Ten Commandments (Eccles. 12:13, 14; James 1:25; James 2:8–17). Our
works are the external evidences of the genuine ness of our saving
experience and, consequently, the elements to be appraised during
judgment.
Remember: there is no arbitrary decree from God electing some to be
saved and others to be lost. Each one is morally responsible for his or her
own destiny.
In the end, the judgment is not the time when God decides to accept or
reject us, but the time when God finalizes our choice as to whether or not
we have accepted Him—a choice made manifest by our works.
EGW Notes — SUNDAY ↓
Sunday, December 18
The Final Judgment
Christ is a risen Saviour; for, though He was dead, He has risen again,
and ever liveth to make intercession for us. We are to believe with the
heart unto righteousness, and with the mouth make confession unto
salvation. Those who are justified by faith will make confession of Christ.
“He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life” (John 5:24). The great work that is wrought for the sinner
who is spotted and stained by evil is the work of justification. By Him who
speaketh truth he is declared righteous. The Lord imputes unto the
believer the righteousness of Christ and pronounces him righteous before
the universe. He transfers his sins to Jesus, the sinner’s representative,
substitute, and surety. Upon Christ He lays the iniquity of every soul that
believeth. “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christ made satisfaction for the guilt of the whole world, and all who
will come to God in faith, will receive the righteousness of Christ, “who
his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed”
(1 Peter 2:24). Our sin has been expiated, put away, cast into the depths of
the sea. Through repentance and faith we are rid of sin, and look unto the
Lord our righteousness. Jesus suffered, the just for the
unjust.—Selected Messages, book 1, p. 392.
Paul endeavored to direct the minds of his hearers to the one great
Sacrifice for sin. He pointed to the sacrifices that were shadows of good
things to come, and then presented Christ as the antitype of all those
ceremonies—the object to which they pointed as the only source of life
and hope for fallen man. Holy men of old were saved by faith in the blood
of Christ. As they saw the dying agonies of the sacrificial victims they
looked across the gulf of ages to the Lamb of God that was to take away
the sin of the world.
God justly claims the love and obedience of all His creatures. He has
given them in His law a perfect standard of right. But many forget their
Maker and choose to follow their own way in opposition to His will. They
return enmity for love that is as high as heaven and as broad as the
universe. God cannot lower the requirements of His law to meet the
standard of wicked men; neither can man in his own power meet the
demands of the law. Only by faith in Christ can the sinner be cleansed
from guilt and be enabled to render obedience to the law of his
Maker.—The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 424, 425.
MONDAY December 19
The Pre-Advent Judgment
The concept of judgment before the return of Christ, or what we call a
“pre-Advent” judgment, is found in many places in Scripture.
Read Daniel 7:9–14; Matthew 22:1–14; Revelation 11:1, 18, 19; and
Revelation 14:6, 7. How do these passages shed light on the notion of a
pre-Advent investigative judgment in the heavenly courtroom? What is
the significance of such a judgment?
The concept of a pre-Advent investigative judgment of God’s people is
grounded in three basic biblical teachings.
One is the notion that all the dead—righteous or unrighteous—remain
unconscious in their graves until the final resurrections (John 5:25–29).
The second is the existence of a universal judgment of all human beings
(2 Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:11–13).
The third is the fact that the first resurrection will be the blessed reward
for the righteous, and the second resurrection will be eternal death for the
wicked (John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:4–6, 12–15).
What this means is that if all human beings will be judged, they should
be judged prior to their respective resurrections, because at those
resurrections they will receive their final rewards.
The book of Daniel helps us to understand both the time and the nature
of that pre-Advent judgment. At the end of the 2,300 symbolic days—in
1844—the heavenly sanctuary would be cleansed (Dan. 8:14, compare with
Heb. 9:23) and the pre-Advent investigative judgment would begin (Dan.
7:9–14), two different ways of expressing the same event. And the
judgment is “ ‘in favor of the saints of the Most High’ ” (Dan. 7:22, NKJV).
That is, it’s good news for God’s people.
In Matthew 22:1–14, Jesus spoke of an investigation of the wedding
guests before the wedding feast actually started.
And in the book of Revelation, the pre-Advent investigative judgment is
referred to in the task of measuring “ ‘those who worship’ ” in the temple of
God (Rev. 11:1, NKJV) and in the announcement that “ ‘the hour of His
judgment has come’ ” (Rev. 14:6, 7, NKJV; compare with Rev. 14:14–16).
How should our knowledge of a judgment in heaven impact how we
live here on earth?
EGW Notes — MONDAY ↓
Monday, December 19
The Pre-Advent Judgment
We are each deciding our eternal destiny, and it rests wholly with us
whether we shall gain eternal life. Will we live the lessons given in the
Word of God, Christ’s great lesson book? It is the grandest, and yet the
most simply arranged and easily understood book ever prepared for
giving an education in proper behaviour, in speech, in manners, in
affection. It is the only book that will prepare human beings for the life
that measures with the life of God. And those who make this Word their
daily study are the only ones who are worthy of receiving a diploma
entitling them to educate and train the children for entrance into the
higher school, to be crowned as victorious overcomers.
Christ Jesus is the only judge of the fitness of human agents to receive
eternal life. The gates of the holy city will open to those who have been
humble, meek, lowly followers of His, having learned their lessons from
Him, and received from Him their life insurance policy, forming
characters after the divine
similitude.—My Life Today, p. 339.
In the great day of final atonement and investigative judgment, the
only cases considered are those of the professed people of God. The
judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, and takes place at
a later period. . . . 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. . . .
The book of life contains the names of all who have ever entered the
service of God. Jesus bade His disciples, “Rejoice, because your names are
written in heaven.” Luke 10:20. Paul speaks of his faithful fellow workers,
“Whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:3. . . .
“A book of remembrance” is 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.—The Faith I Live By, p. 210.
As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who
have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those
who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each
successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is
mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names
rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record,
unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book
of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of
God’s remembrance. The Lord declared to Moses: “Whosoever hath sinned
against Me, him will I blot out of My book.” Exodus
32:33.—The Great Controversy, p. 483.
TUESDAY December 20
The Millennial Judgment
The Bible tells us that at the Second Coming (1) both the living saints
and the resurrected saints will “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:16,
17); (2) all the saints will be taken to heaven to abide in the heavenly
“ ‘dwelling places’ ” that He Himself has prepared for them (John 14:1–3,
NRSV); and (3) only at the end of the millennium will the New Jerusalem
come down to this earth and become the everlasting home of the saints
(Rev. 21:1–3, 9–11). So, during the millennium, while this earth remains
desolate, the saints will reign with Christ in heaven (Jer. 4:23, Rev. 20:4).
Read 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3 and Revelation 20:4–6, 11–13. Why should
the saints participate in the millennial judgment?
The whole judgment process is intended (1) to vindicate God’s character
against the accusations of Satan that God is unfair in the way He treats His
creatures; (2) to confirm the impartiality of the rewards of the righteous; (3)
to demonstrate the justice of the punishments of the wicked; and (4) to
dissipate all doubts that could lead toward another rebellion in the universe.
In the pre-Advent investigative judgment of the righteous, only the
heavenly hosts are involved (Dan. 7:9, 10). But during the millennial
judgment of the wicked and the fallen angels, the saints themselves also
will participate (1 Cor. 6:3, Jude 6, Rev. 20:4–6).
The pre-Advent investigative judgment began in 1844 when “ ‘thrones
were put in place. . . . The court was seated, and the books were opened’ ”
(Dan. 7:9, 10, NKJV). The millennial judgment, however, will start after the
saints are taken to heaven and sit on thrones, and the judgment is committed
to them. Then, once more, the heavenly books are opened, and the dead are
“judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the
books” (Rev. 20:4, 12, NKJV). This process provides an opportunity for the
saints to evaluate the heavenly records and to see God’s fair treatment in all
cases. He not only rewards all human beings according to what they deserve
based on their own decisions but also explains to them why He does so.
What does it teach us about the character of God that before any of
the sleeping lost are resurrected to face the second death, the saved
will be involved in the judging process, and no one will be punished
until we, too, see the justice and fairness of God? Bring your answer
to class on Sabbath.
EGW Notes — TUESDAY ↓
Tuesday, December 20
The Millennial Judgment
At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face of the
whole earth—consumed with the spirit of His mouth and destroyed by the
brightness of His glory. Christ takes His people to the City of God, and the
earth is emptied of its inhabitants. “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth
empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth
abroad the inhabitants thereof.” “The land shall be utterly emptied, and
utterly spoiled: for the Lord hath spoken this word.” “Because they have
transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting
covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell
therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned.”
Isaiah 24:1, 3, 5, 6.
The whole earth appears like a desolate wilderness. The ruins of cities
and villages destroyed by the earthquake, uprooted trees, ragged rocks
thrown out by the sea or torn out of the earth itself, are scattered over its
surface, while vast caverns mark the spot where the mountains have been
rent from their
foundations.—Maranatha, p. 306.
After the saints are changed to immortality and caught up together
with Jesus, after they receive their harps, their robes, and their crowns,
and enter the city, Jesus and the saints sit in judgment. The books are
opened—the book of life and the book of death. The book of life contains
the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil deeds
of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible,
and according to that men are judged. The saints, in unison with Jesus,
pass their judgment upon the wicked dead. “Behold ye,” said the angel,
“the saints, in unison with Jesus, sit in judgment, and mete out to the
wicked according to the deeds done in the body, and that which they must
receive at the execution of the judgment is set off against their names.”
This, I saw, was the work of the saints with Jesus through the one
thousand years in the Holy City before it descends to the
earth.—Early Writings, p. 52.
The abundant evidence given by God that He desires the salvation of
all, will be the condemnation of those who refuse the gift of heaven. At
the last great day, when all will be rewarded or punished according to
their obedience or disobedience, the cross of Calvary will appear plainly
before those standing before the Judge of all the earth to receive sentence
for eternity. They are made capable of comprehending something of the
love that God has expressed for fallen human beings. They see how
greatly He has been dishonored by those who have continued in
transgression, choosing sides with Satan and showing contempt for the
law of Jehovah. . . .
God’s law is the transcript of His character, and those only who obey
this law will be accepted by
Him.—In Heavenly Places, p. 361.
WEDNESDAY December 21
The Executive Judgment
During the Middle Ages there was a strong tendency to portray God as a
severe, punitive Judge. Today the tendency is to describe Him as a loving,
permissive Father who never punishes His children. Yet, love without
justice will turn into chaos and lawlessness, and justice without love will
become oppression and subjugation. God’s judging process is a perfect
blend of justice and mercy, both of which derive from His unconditional
love.
The executive judgment is God’s final and irreversible punitive
intervention in human history. Limited punitive judgments occurred, for
example, in the casting out of Satan and his rebellious angels from heaven
(Rev. 12:7–12), the driving out of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden
(Genesis 3), the great Flood (Genesis 6–8), the destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah (Genesis 19, Jude 7), the death of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus
11, Exodus 12), and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11). So,
it is no surprise that there also will be an executive judgment of the wicked
at the end of human history.
Read 2 Peter 2:4–6 and 2 Peter 3:10–13. How do these texts help us
understand the nature of the final executive judgment? How do they
imply the idea of the completion of judgment as opposed to its going on
forever, which would be a perversion of justice and not an expression of
it?
“God’s goodness and long forbearance, His patience and mercy
exercised to His subjects, will not hinder Him from punishing the sinner
who refused to be obedient to His requirements. It is not for a man—a
criminal against God’s holy law, pardoned only through the great sacrifice
He made in giving His Son to die for the guilty because His law was
changeless—to dictate to God.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases,
vol. 12, p. 208.
All that God could have done to save humanity from being eternally lost
He did, even at a great cost to Himself. Those who are lost ultimately made
choices that led them to this unfortunate end. The idea that God’s judgment
on the lost, even the annihilation of the lost (as opposed to eternal torment),
goes against the character of a loving God is simply wrong. It’s God’s love,
and God’s love alone, that demands justice, as well.
What does the Cross itself teach us about what God was willing to do
in order to save everyone who would be saved?
EGW Notes — WEDNESDAY ↓
Wednesday, December 21
The Executive Judgment
Has God, in showing mercy to the sinner, ceased to be just? Has He
dishonored His holy law, and will He henceforth pass over the violation of
it? God is true. He changes not. The conditions of salvation are ever the
same. Life, eternal life, is for all who will obey God’s law. Perfect
obedience, revealed in thought, word, and deed, is as essential now as
when the lawyer asked Christ, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? how readest thou? . . . this
do, and thou shalt live” (Luke 10:25-28).
Under the new covenant the conditions by which eternal life may be
gained are the same as under the old—perfect obedience. Under the old
covenant there were many offences of a daring, presumptuous character
for which there was no atonement specified by law. In the new and better
covenant Christ has fulfilled the law for the transgressors of law if they
receive Him by faith as a personal Saviour. . . . Mercy and forgiveness are
the reward of all who come to Christ trusting in His merits to take away
their sins. In the better covenant we are cleansed from sin by the blood of
Christ. . . . The sinner is helpless to atone for one sin. The power is in
Christ’s free gift, a promise appreciated by those only who are sensible of
their sins and who forsake their sins and cast their helpless souls upon
Christ, the sin-pardoning Saviour. He will put into their hearts His perfect
law, which is “holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12), the law of God’s
own nature.—That I May Know Him, p. 299.
The flames that consumed the cities of the plain shed their warning
light down even to our time. We are taught the fearful and solemn lesson
that while God’s mercy bears long with the transgressor, there is a limit
beyond which men may not go on in sin. When that limit is reached, then
the offers of mercy are withdrawn, and the ministration of judgment
begins. . . .
The judgments of God are soon to be poured out upon the earth.
“Escape for thy life” is the warning from the angels of God. Other voices
are heard saying: “Do not become excited; there is no cause for special
alarm.” Those who are at ease in Zion cry “Peace and safety,” while heaven
declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the transgressor. . . .
Thus it was at the destruction of the old world and when Sodom and
Gomorrah were consumed by fire. On the night prior to their destruction
the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure. Lot was derided for his fears and
warnings. But it was these scoffers that perished in the flames. That very
night the door of mercy was forever closed to the wicked, careless
inhabitants of Sodom.—Conflict and Courage, p. 53.
THURSDAY December 22
The Second Death
God is leading human history toward its end-time climax. At the end of
the millennium all the wicked dead are raised from their graves to receive
their final punitive sentences (Rev. 20:5, 11–15). Then, when the whole
judging process is completed and nothing else can be added to it, the
wicked will acknowledge God’s justice. “With all the facts of the great
controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one
accord declare: ‘Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.’ ” And
Satan himself “bows down and confesses the justice of his sentence.”—
Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, pp. 670, 671.
Read Malachi 4:1; Revelation 20:14, 15; and Revelation 21:8. How
effective are the “lake of fire” and the “second death”?
The final destruction of Satan and his angels and all the wicked will
cleanse the universe from sin and its consequences. And yet, even the final
destruction of the wicked is an act of God’s love, not only for the saints but
also for the wicked themselves. They would rather die than live in the
presence of God who is a “consuming fire” for sin (Heb. 12:29).
“They [the lost] would long to flee from that holy place. They would
welcome destruction, that they might be hidden from the face of Him who
died to redeem them. The destiny of the wicked is fixed by their own
choice. Their exclusion from heaven is voluntary with themselves, and just
and merciful on the part of God.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy,
p. 543.
Thus, the final annihilation of sin and sinners—in contrast to the
unbiblical theory of their everlasting sufferings in hell—provides a just and
proportional punishment for whatever evil people had committed. It also
confirms that sin had a beginning and will have an end. Then the whole
universe will return to its original perfection, before sin, evil, and
disobedience arose mysteriously and without any justification.
Praise the Lord that He, as our “righteous Judge” (2 Tim. 4:8, NKJV),
will make the fair decision of granting immortality to the righteous and
eternal destruction to the wicked.
What would be wrong with the idea that God saves everyone in the
end? Why is that such a bad idea?
EGW Notes — THURSDAY ↓
Thursday, December 22
The Second Death
The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God on the
charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none
to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal
death is pronounced against them.
It is now evident to all that the wages of sin is not noble independence
and eternal life, but slavery, ruin, and death. The wicked see what they
have forfeited by their life of rebellion. The far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory was despised when offered them; but how desirable it now
appears. “All this,” cries the lost soul, “I might have had; but I chose to put
these things far from me. Oh, strange infatuation! I have exchanged peace,
happiness, and honor for wretchedness, infamy, and despair.” All see that
their exclusion from heaven is
just.—The Great Controversy, p. 668.
The wicked saw what they had lost; and fire was breathed from God
upon them and consumed them. This was the execution of the judgment.
The wicked then received according as the saints, in unison with Jesus,
had meted out to them during the one thousand years. The same fire from
God that consumed the wicked purified the whole earth. The broken,
ragged mountains melted with fervent heat, the atmosphere also, and all
the stubble was consumed. Then our inheritance opened before us,
glorious and beautiful, and we inherited the whole earth made new. We all
shouted with a loud voice, “Glory;
Alleluia!”—Early Writings, p. 54.
The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made
to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has
caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than
that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by
his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the
wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch—Satan the root, his
followers the branches. The full penalty of the law has been visited; the
demands of justice have been met; and heaven and earth, beholding,
declare the righteousness of Jehovah.
Satan’s work of ruin is forever ended. For six thousand years he has
wrought his will, filling the earth with woe and causing grief throughout
the universe. The whole creation has groaned and travailed together in
pain. Now God’s creatures are forever delivered from his presence and
temptations. “The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they [the righteous]
break forth into singing.” Isaiah 14:7. And a shout of praise and triumph
ascends from the whole loyal universe. “The voice of a great multitude,”
“as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings,” is
heard, saying: “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.” Revelation
19:6.—The Great Controversy, p. 673.
FRIDAY December 23
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Without a Wedding
Garment,” pp. 307–319, in Christ’s Object Lessons; “Desolation of the
Earth,” pp. 653–661; “The Controversy Ended,” pp. 662–673, in The
Great Controversy.
“In the day of final judgment, every lost soul will understand the nature
of his own rejection of truth. The cross will be presented, and its real
bearing will be seen by every mind that has been blinded by transgression.
Before the vision of Calvary with its mysterious Victim, sinners will stand
condemned. Every lying excuse will be swept away. Human apostasy will
appear in its heinous character. Men will see what their choice has been.
Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then
have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear
of blame for the existence or continuance of evil. It will be demonstrated
that the divine decrees are not accessory to sin. There was no defect in
God’s government, no cause for disaffection. When the thoughts of all
hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal and the rebellious will unite in
declaring, ‘Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. Who shall not
fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? . . . for Thy judgments are made
manifest.’ Rev. 15:3, 4.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 58.
Discussion Questions:
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1. “If you cling to self, refusing to yield your will to God, you are
choosing death. To sin, wherever found, God is a consuming fire. If
you choose sin, and refuse to separate from it, the presence of God,
which consumes sin, must consume you.”—Ellen G. White, Thoughts
From the Mount of Blessing, p. 62. How does this quote help us
understand the nature of the executive judgment?
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2. Dwell on the idea (presented at the end of Tuesday’s study) that
not one of the lost will face final judgment until after the redeemed
have been part of the judging process. Again, what does this teach us
about the openness and transparency of God? For a universe in
which love reigns, why is this transparency so important?
-
3. How will the participation of the saints in the millennial
judgment comfort them in regard to their loved ones who will be
lost?
EGW Notes — FRIDAY ↓
Friday, December 23
For Further Reading
Early Writings, “The Earth Desolated,” pp. 289–291;
The Great Controversy, “The Controversy Ended,” pp. 662–673.
INSIDE STORY
Two Dreams in Angola
By ANDREW MCCHESNEY
Every time he went to church, little William Frederico João Lumbo
seemed to hear the preacher say the same phrase. The big preacher stood
behind the pulpit in the church in Angola. He raised a hand into the air, and
thundered, “Those who do not live to serve God are not fit to live!”
The preacher’s words made a big impression on his young mind. But the
world outside the church also made a big impression, and he decided that he
would rather dance than go to church. At age 14, he formed a dance group
and performed at parties and school events in Angola’s capital, Luanda.
Even though William enjoyed dancing, something didn’t seem right. He
felt an emptiness inside, and he remembered the words of the preacher,
“Those who do not live to serve God are not fit to live.”
The joy from dancing faded, and William began to smoke and drink. But
he felt increasingly empty. One day, he prayed desperately, “I am not living
to serve You, and I am not fit to live. Help!”
Shortly after the prayer, a friend gave William a flash drive with a
sermon on it. William wanted the flash drive because, on it, the friend also
had saved a video of him dancing.
The sermon touched William’s heart. He fell to his knees and asked for
forgiveness. He decided to go to church. All churches were closed in
Angola because of COVID-19, and William ended up in an Adventist house
church.
A big surprise awaited William. The leader of the house church, Filipe,
had had two dreams about William over the past two nights. In the first
dream, Filipe was standing beside a big tree, and, in his hand, he held a
small branch. He needed to somehow connect the branch to the tree so it
could grow again. In the second dream, Filipe was standing beside a big
river. A small river flowed beside the big river, and Felipe somehow needed
to connect the small river to the big river.
“You are the small branch that needs to be connected to the big tree,”
Filipe told William. “The big tree is Jesus, who is the Tree of Life. You are
the small river, and the big river is Jesus. You need to be connected to Jesus,
who is the River of Life.”
William could scarcely believe his ears. “Jesus wants me to be
connected to Him?” he asked.
As William worshiped at the house church, peace and joy began to fill
the emptiness in his heart. He decided to be connected only to Jesus. Today,
William couldn’t be happier. He lives only to serve God.
This mission story illustrates Spiritual Growth Objective No. 5 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s
“I Will Go” strategic plan, “To disciple individuals and families into Spirit-filled lives.” Read more:
IWillGo2020.org.
Provided by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission, which uses Sabbath School
mission offerings to spread the gospel worldwide. Read new stories daily at
AdventistMission.org.
