GOD'S Sabbath Rest

Heavenly Judgment

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? …Know ye not that we shall judge angels? I Cor.6:2,3

     There is coming a time when the history of the rebellion of angels and men must be reviewed. This time of judgment will last 1000 years (Rev.20:4). It takes place in heaven as Jesus said: “I go to prepare a place for you…that where I am, there may ye be also.” (Jn.14:2,3). This review of the history of sin is important due to the fact that GOD has been accused of the most horrendous acts, when the fact is that evil men and angels are the true source of every misery life has faced from the beginning of sin’s dominion. Because of the flood of injustice ruling the Earth throughout its history many will have profound questions concerning the way GOD responded to the cruelty caused by sin. Each and every question will be answered in accordance with man’s ideals for justice, mercy and love; vindicating GOD in every case; and thus, affirm the words of the Apostle John: “God is love.” I Jn.4:8.

     There will be many who will hear the Gospel for the first time in heaven, as it is written: “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” Zech.13:6. Even those who rejected the blackmailing message of corrupt churchmen but who remained open to the Holy Spirit’s leading in their lives will find acceptance through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Nu.15:27,28): for these refused to violate that heavenly leading in accordance with both their conscience and limited understanding, “for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” I Sam.16:7.

     The Apostle Paul also addressed this great and merciful aspect of GOD’S salvation: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law [standing ignorant to the Holy Law’s existence and demands], do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.” Rom.2:14,15. Millions of American Indians, Chinese, Islanders, people from every corner of the globe, who honored the leading of GOD in their lives will receive His gift of eternal life through Christ our LORD!

     To those who are eager to refute the above: Yes, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12); but these words should never be used to teach that unless you know the name of Jesus you stand condemned in your sin. “God is no respecter of persons.” Acts 10:34. Many men in the Christian church lack the basic humility to see that every hint of falsehood promoted by the church is condemned of heaven (Ps.101:7). As a whole the human race gives more reverence to fiction than to truth—vain imagination more than wisdom.

     The choice given to every man by the Creator of heaven and earth is simple: everlasting life for the obedient: eternal death for the disobedient. Obedient to what? Truth! The once ruler of Judea, Pontius Pilate, asked the question of Jesus Christ, "What is truth?" Jn.18:38. Jesus gave the answer to this question—to those who believe—in His Grand Prayer, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Jn.17:17. The Holy Bible will judge every man who has ever lived (Jn.12:48), whether they were aware of it or not (Zech.13:6), and the Bible gives allowances for every case (Eze.18:30). On this simple fact, the Savior has warned, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matt.7:21. The will of GOD is found in the Word of GOD. The greatest testament to this fact is found in the life of Christ. Jesus had to know Who He Was—by faith; believe the written testimony concerning what He was to accomplish on the behalf of man—by faith; and overcome the sinful nature He adopted when He became a man—by faith (Rev.3:21). What was His standard against ignorance? "It is written." Every aspect of the human condition, the flaws of human character, the destructive relationships between men and GOD, and with one another, are pinpointed to exact measurement. The Bible has omitted nothing that deals with the history and character of GOD’S people. Said the King of the redeemed, "But take ye heed, Behold, I have foretold you all things." Mk.13:23. When the whole of mankind stands before Jesus Christ in the end of time it will be seen who loves GOD’S “truth” and who does not: "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." Mal.3:18.

     Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits." Matt.7:15,16. Jesus then describes in the Day of Judgment how multitudes of unrepentant sinners come to Him claiming to have served Him. And His response: "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Ver.23. Jesus can have no association with those who chose sin over Him.

     To distinguish GOD’S obedient church from the disobedient—the sincere servant of GOD from the one merely using GOD to satisfy a sinful ambition, one must allow Scripture to define sin and repentance, for this lies at the heart of the plan of salvation. And when we lay the foundation of Bible literacy to understand the plan of salvation we are blessed to discern the boundaries of GOD’S jurisdiction in the lives of men: where He has the right to bless and protect, and where He is legally helpless to intervene to protect His children from the jurisdiction of Satan’s mechanisms of destruction. GOD’S legal framework to rescue humanity must be understood, for the many traps of Satan used to deceive men to keep them united with their sins (Eze.28:15,16; Rev.12:17), thus causing their ruin (Is.59:2) are not known in the world, and little understood within Christianity (Hos.4:6). Therefore, it is the primary goal of Satan to keep men ignorant to Scripture (Matt.22:29) and disobedient to GOD (I Sam.15:22). To accomplish this, Satan works to discredit Scripture, malign its lessons, and corrupt every trace of GOD’S intentions in how He deals with the sin problem. This is evident from Satan’s very first words recorded in the Bible: "Hath GOD said…?” Gen.3:1.

     Sin is so much more than men give recognition: "Thy commandment is exceeding broad." Ps.119:96. The Bible’s prophecies for the Christian era declare that the Vatican has overruled GOD’S Law just as did the Jews of ancient times (Dan.7:25; Jn.7:19; II Th.2:1-12). The parallels between the generations are so obvious, and yet man’s blindness to his transgression continues. Because of this, each of the prophetic views held today come from men who live in open sin; and their true work is to overshadow the churches guilt of proselytizing sin as part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But faith and sin are not partners in salvation. GOD’S call to repent (Prov.28:13) means to separate from the sins that disqualify the soul from the companionship of the Holy Spirit, for without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit none can receive the everlasting inheritance (Is.59:2; Rom.8:11; Jn.3:3).

     Nevertheless, one day, sin and sinners will be no more (I Cor.15:26). And every prophecy assigned to “the new earth” will be fulfilled (Isa.66:22,23). And the amount of books needed to describe the life that is to come for those who “love him and keep his commandments” (Deut.7:9) all the libraries of Earth wouldn’t ‘scratch the surface.’ This is why the prophet Isaiah wrote, “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” Isa.64:4.