May 2, 2024 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Ted Wilson (TW): Greetings, friends. Today we will be looking at a very important topic—the investigative judgment. This teaching is outlined in Scripture, and particularly in the books of Daniel and Revelation.
The prophet Daniel describes the opening of the judgment scene in Daniel 7:9,10 where we read:
“I watched till thrones were put in place,
And the Ancient of Days was seated;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
Its wheels a burning fire;
A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
The court was seated,
And the books were opened.”
Nancy Wilson (NW): Daniel continues his description of this amazing judgment scene in verses 13 and 14:
“And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away.”
TW: This passage does not describe His second coming to the earth but Christ’s coming “to the Ancient of Days,” to receive “dominion and glory and a kingdom.” The Great Controversy elaborates on this, indicating these things “will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming . . . that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844” (The Great Controversy, p. 480). This is based on the prophecy of Daniel 8:14—“Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
NW: This prophecy describes a work of judgment. Other Bible passages make clear that the judgment consists of both an investigative and a final phase. In 1 Peter 4:17 we read: “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?”
And in The Great Controversy we read that the books of record in heaven, mentioned by Daniel the prophet, contain “the names and the deeds of men,” and these records “are to determine the decisions of the judgment” (The Great Controversy, p. 480).
TW: The Bible talks about a special book in heaven where names and deeds are written. In Malachi 3:16 we read about a “book of remembrance” in which are recorded the good deeds of “those who fear the Lord, and who meditate on His name” (NKJV). Faithful Nehemiah said, “Remember me, O my God, . . . and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God” (Neh. 13:14).
NW: In the New Testament, Jesus told His disciples, “Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20, NKJV). The Apostle Paul speaks of his faithful fellow workers, “whose names are in the book of life” (Phil. 4:3, NKJV). In looking down to “a time of trouble such as never was,” the prophet Daniel declares that God’s people will be delivered, “everyone that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1, NKJV) And in Revelation 21:27 we read that only those whose names “are written in the Lamb’s book of Life” will enter the New Jerusalem.
TW: In The Great Controversy, we read this encouraging statement: “In the book of God’s remembrance every deed of righteousness is immortalized. There every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, every word of tender pity expressed, is faithfully chronicled. And every act of sacrifice, every suffering and sorrow endured for Christ’s sake, is recorded” (The Great Controversy, p. 481). Of course, only by the grace and power of God can we do any of these positive things.
NW: While there is a book of remembrance, we are told there is also a record where the sins that have been committed are recorded. Scripture tells us, “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Eccl. 12:14, NKJV). Affirming this, Jesus said, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:36,37, NKJV). The pen of inspiration tells us, “The secret purposes and motives appear in the unerring register; for God ‘will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts’” (1 Cor. 4:5, The Great Controversy, p. 481). And in Isaiah 65:6 and 7, God says, “Behold, it is written before Me, . . . your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers.”
TW: As we consider the reality of the judgment, it can be tempting to cry out, “Who then can be saved?!” because we know “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, NKJV). However, we have the marvelous promise that Jesus “is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25, NKJV).
In our next video message, we will discover why the judgment is indeed wonderful news and why we do not need to be afraid. I invite you to join me again for that encouraging message.
As we close our time together, let’s pray together just now.
Father in heaven, we thank you for the amazing indications in Scripture about your sanctuary service and about what it is that you have provided for us. And that beautiful ark of the covenant containing the tablets of stone with all ten Commandments, including the precious fourth commandment. Thank you for giving us the Sabbath and helping us to remember that it is your day of rest throughout eternity and that today, the seventh day, Sabbath is as important as when you created it at the end of the six days of creation. Thank you for hearing us in this prayer and blessings as we worship you and keep your Sabbath day. Holy. Your seventh day Sabbath. In Jesus name, we ask it. Amen.