Pre-Advent/Investigative Judgment.

K'doshim

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I never said that we will be saved by faith alone, that is why I mentioned 3 essential commandments of the Lord which are faith and works. And as I said, the last two that I mentioned fulfills the ten commandments.

Mark 12:30-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [a]This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

By the way, faith will manifest works, when one say he/she have faith, but without works, they are lying to themselves, they do not have faith.
That's already in the Torah:

Deuteronomy 6:

שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃
Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃
Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.

Leviticus 19:17-18
לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃​
"You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him.
לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD."



What he's saying in your passage is that the "fulfillment of the Torah" itself is embodied in that commandment - Not that the Torah is abrogated for a very antinomian "be nice and ignore the Torah", no that's entirely against HaShem. Paul isn't saying anything unique here, he's just commenting on the necessity as already known in Judaism. Our sages have basically the same sentiment about the Torah's essence, which is actually felt through actually observing the Torah.
 
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Axl888

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That's already in the Torah:

Deuteronomy 6:

שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃
Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃
Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day.
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃
Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up.

Leviticus 19:17-18
לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃​
"You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kinsman but incur no guilt because of him.
לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD."



What he's saying in your passage is that the "fulfillment of the Torah" itself is embodied in that commandment - Not that the Torah is abrogated for a very antinomian "be nice and ignore the Torah", no that's entirely against HaShem. Paul isn't saying anything unique here, he's just commenting on the necessity as already known in Judaism. Our sages have basically the same sentiment about the Torah's essence, which is actually felt through actually observing the Torah.
But the 10 commandments are not enough for the jews to be saved, they have to believe (have faith) in Jesus Christ as their savior to be saved, would you agree? Also, when one says about something being superseded, it does not always mean it is being abrogated, it could also mean that there was an amendment, an improvement (of the older version) or an added information/article/clause.
 

K'doshim

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OK I understand...but I believe the discussion here are between Christians. Anyhow, I respect your opinion.
Yes I noticed your post and how those verses quoted the Torah, I thought it was fascinating that those verses are what you Christians hold onto (from Paul's letters) as representations of what Jesus is supposed to represent when it is just an isolation of Toraic commandments, things in Leviticus (Wayiqra) and Deteronomy (Devarim) respectively.
Paul was speaking from a 1st century Hellenistic Jewish heretical (on the absurd idea of Jesus as Moshiach) view, simply making recapitulation of Torah.
 

Axl888

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Yes I noticed your post and how those verses quoted the Torah, I thought it was fascinating that those verses are what you Christians hold onto (from Paul's letters) as representations of what Jesus is supposed to represent when it is just an isolation of Toraic commandments, things in Leviticus (Wayiqra) and Deteronomy (Devarim) respectively.
Paul was speaking from a 1st century Hellenistic Jewish heretical (on the absurd idea of Jesus as Moshiach) view, simply making recapitulation of Torah.
Jesus Christ did came to fulfill the Law and brought salvation to all...to those who say "baruch haba b'Shem Adonai".

Christ Fulfills the Law
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. - Matthew 5:17

Jesus Laments over Jerusalem
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ” - Luke 13:34-35
 

phipps

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I never said that we will be saved by faith alone, that is why I mentioned 3 essential commandments of the Lord which are faith and works. And as I said, the last two that I mentioned fulfills the ten commandments.

Mark 12:30-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [a]This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

By the way, faith will manifest works, when one say he/she have faith, but without works, they are lying to themselves, they do not have faith.

Paul being a jew (as Jesus was), it was customary for them to observe the sabbath, but I believe Paul and Barnabas did not went to the synagogue to observe the sabbath, the main reason they went there was to preach the Gospel unto the Jews (who are gathered during sabbaths), likewise the gentiles did not went to the synagogue to observe the sabbath, they went there to hear Paul preach the Gospel. Again, gentiles/Christians are not obligated to observe the sabbath.
I never said that we will be saved by faith alone, that is why I mentioned 3 essential commandments of the Lord which are faith and works. And as I said, the last two that I mentioned fulfills the ten commandments.
I know you didn't say that we will be saved by faith alone. You implied that I said we will be saved by works so I was explaining that I know we can't saved by works. I had to explain no one will be saved by works alone or faith alone. The two have got to be together. And I repeat that its all the ten commandments that the two fulfil.

Mark 12:30-31 New King James Version (NKJV)
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ [a]This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Galatians 5:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
You don't have to repeat the two summaries of the ten commandments. I know them as well as you do.

By the way, faith will manifest works, when one say he/she have faith, but without works, they are lying to themselves, they do not have faith.
True. That is exactly the point James was making. I have been attacked here by other Christians for saying exactly this on this subject. Many believe that we don't need works. We just need faith but the Bible is clear we have to have faith and works too.

Paul being a jew (as Jesus was), it was customary for them to observe the sabbath, but I believe Paul and Barnabas did not went to the synagogue to observe the sabbath, the main reason they went there was to preach the Gospel unto the Jews (who are gathered during sabbaths), likewise the gentiles did not went to the synagogue to observe the sabbath, they went there to hear Paul preach the Gospel. Again, gentiles/Christians are not obligated to observe the sabbath.
No. Paul observed the Sabbath with Gentiles too and not once did he tell them they didn't have to observe the Sabbath. Those are the early Christians. The Sabbath commandment was made for man and has to be observed by all man not just Jews. Nor did God separate them and say Gentiles can obey nine unless you're a Jew then your excepted to obey ten commandments. You are wrong on this point and its not biblical. Man changed the Sabbath commandment specifically the Catholic Church and no man can change anything that God has uttered and put in place. I told you that just because the majority of Christians go to church on Sunday doesn't make it right. Biblically only a minority ever have the truth.

I have a forum on this subject and I suggest you read it because it has more information on it. I will repost something from there (separate from this response) so you can see that its God we ought to follow not man.
 
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phipps

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@Axl888, this is the repost from my forum. Its the first thing I posted on there.

The Catholic Church claims responsibility for the change from the seventh day to the first day Sabbath. Here is an explanation fromThe Catechism of the Catholic Church Section 2 Article 3 (1994):

"Sunday – fulfilment of the Sabbath. Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath..."

"The Sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been replaced by Sunday which recalls the new creation, inaugurated by the Resurrection of Christ..."

"In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church’s holy days as legal holidays."

And here are various Catholic sources claiming the change was the doing of the Roman Catholic Church:

Cardinal James Gibbons, The Faith of Our Fathers (Ayers Publishing, 1978): 108:
"But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify."

The Convert's Catechism of Catholic Doctrine (1957): 50:
"Q. Which is the Sabbath day?
A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q. Why Do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday."


Chancellor Albert Smith for Cardinal of Baltimore Archdiocese, letter dated February 10, 1920:
"If Protestants would follow the Bible, they should worship God on the Sabbath day by God is Saturday. In keeping the Sunday, they are following a law of the Catholic Church."

Stephen Keenan, Catholic—Doctrinal Catechism 3rd Edition: 174:
"Question: Have you any other way of proving the Church has power to institute festivals of precept?

"Answer: Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her, she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday the 1st day of the week, for the observance of Saturday the 7th day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."

Our Sunday Visitor (February 5, 1950):
"Practically everything Protestants regard as essential or important they have received from the Catholic Church... The Protestant mind does not seem to realize that in accepting the Bible and observing the Sunday, in keeping Christmas and Easter, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the Pope."

Catholic Priest T. Enright, CSSR, lecture at Hartford, KS, Feb 18, 1884:
"I have repeatedly offered $1000 to any one who can furnish any proof from the Bible that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep...The Bible says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” but the Catholic Church says, “No, keep the first day of the week,” and the whole world bows in obedience."

Catholic Record (September 1, 1923):
"The [Catholic] Church is above the Bible, and this transference of the Sabbath observance is proof of that fact."

Pope Leo XIII, Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae (The Reunion of Christendom), June 20, 1894: 

"We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty."

Our Sunday Visitor (April 18, 1915): 3:
"The letters inscribed in the Pope’s miter are these: VICARIUS FILLII DEI, which is the Latin for, “Vicar of the Son of God.”"


Letter from C.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons on October 28, 1895:
"Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act…And the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters."

Arthur Weigall, The Paganism in Our Christianity (New York: Putnam’s Sons, 1928): 145:
"The Church made a sacred day of Sunday…largely because it was the weekly festival of the sun; for it was a definite Christian policy to take over the pagan festivals endeared to the people by tradition, and to give them a Christian significance."

John A. O'Brien, The Faith of Millions: the Credentials of the Catholic Religion Revised Edition (Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1974): 400-401:
"But since Saturday, not Sunday, is specified in the Bible, isn't it curious that non-Catholics, who claim to take their religion directly from the Bible and not from the Church, observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Yes, of course, it is inconsistent; but this change was made about fifteen centuries before Protestantism was born, and by that time the custom was universally observed. They have continued the custom even though it rests upon the authority of the Catholic Church and not upon and explicit text in the Bible. That observance remains as a reminder of the Mother Church from which the non-Catholic sects broke away—like a boy running away from home but still carrying in his pocket a picture of his mother or a lock of her hair."


This change from Saturday to Sunday Sabbath was prophesied about in Daniel 7:25.
"And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

Jesus and the apostles all kept the Sabbath as the law commands us to do in Exodus 20:8-11.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.


So its up to all of us to choose whether we want to follow God or the majority who follow a man made commandment. Jesus told the Jewish leaders of His day, "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).

Also the same Sabbath Jesus kept during creation week after He created the earth and man, the same sabbath He kept while here on earth as a man, He will be keep throughout eternity with His people.

Isaiah 66:22-23, "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord."
 
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phipps

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Who Judges us at the Pre-Advent Judgment?
Summary: Before Christ returns, He will judge between those who follow Him and those who do not.

There are several phases to the judgment: investigation, vindication, and execution. The investigative, or pre-advent, judgment takes place before the Second Coming of Christ.

The Bible makes it clear that Christ will judge everyone before He returns: "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be" (Revelation 22:12). See also John 5:22, 2 Timothy 4:1, 8; Hebrews 10:30; and Revelation 19:11.

We know from 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 that when the Lord comes, “the dead in Christ will rise first” and then those that are alive “will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (see also 1 Peter 4:17).

If Christ will know who to raise from the dead, then logically He must have already decided before He arrived who gets which reward. This process of deciding who will be rewarded and resurrected is the first part of the judgment process, known as the investigative, pre-advent, or pre-millennial judgment, and will take place before Christ’s coming.

When Jesus returns to this earth, He will reward those who have been obedient and He will punish the disobedient—those who have chosen to follow Satan's methods. The decision of who is saved or not saved will precede the coming of Christ. The reward for those who choose God's way is eternal life, and those people will be resurrected at the Second Coming.


amazingdiscoveries.org
 
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phipps

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What is the Judgment?

Summary: God's judgment is not a snap decision at the end of time or a verdict based on how He feels on the day you die. God set up the Israelite sanctuary service under Moses to show us the process of salvation.

In order to understand end-time events, we must first understand the judgment. Contrary to what some believe, the judgment is not a quick decision made by God either at the time of a person’s death or at the end of the world. The sanctuary service that God set up with the Israelites under Moses shows us the process of salvation. Through the rituals in that service, in particular on the Day of Atonement, we see how seriously God takes the process of judgment.

It is important to note that the millennium is not the reward. It is actually an important part of the lengthy judgment process.

Since the beginning of time, people have accused God of being unfair. When terrible things have happened, people have railed against God, blaming Him for the tragedy, the trial, and the pain.

Probably nearly everyone has had an experience in his or her life where they questioned God. The millennium is God’s answer to those questions. It is a beautiful part of the plan by which God will prove that His judgments, His actions, and His dealings have been just. It is the time when God will lay open the books of heaven to be examined by His people.

During the millennium, we will be examining what God has been up to all this time, and why things turned out the way they did. We will be able to understand what really happened. We will be able to read the secret conversations, the private thoughts of each and every person who did not make it to heaven. We will finally be able to understand the “why” of the trials and pain of our lives.

So we see that the judgment involves more than just God judging us. In fact, the purpose of the judgment is three-fold:

1. To decide who must be stricken from the Book of Life because they have chosen to reject God’s sacrifice on their behalf (see Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12; Romans 2:5-11; and Revelation 3:5, 20:15, 21:27, 22:12).

2. To set the record straight about the origin of sin and to vindicate God's character and dealings with humanity (see1 Corinthians 4:5, 6:2-3).

3. To mete out the reward or sentence to each person who has ever lived, either by pronouncing them worthy of eternal life, raising them in the resurrection at Christ’s Coming, and taking them to heaven, or by permitting them to perish (see Revelation 22:12). Why does God not save everyone?

Not all of these purposes are fulfilled at the same time. The first purpose is fulfilled before Christ’s Second Coming. Before He comes, Christ must judge every person and decide who will receive the reward. At Christ's Second Coming, He comes to collect those that have chosen His sacrifice and lived their lives in submission to His principles.

In the thousand years of peace that follow, known as the millennium, these people will be given the opportunity to review the judgments of God and determine their justness. In the meantime, those that have chosen to reject Christ's offer of eternal life will be dead, smote by the brightness of His coming. There will be no one left on Earth during the millennium.

After the millennium, when God returns with His people, those that have been left on earth and that chose to reject Christ’s offer of eternal life are resurrected, shown that they were wrong, and then perish forever. Only when this final phase takes place will every aspect of judgment be officially complete.

The millennium is actually an opportunity for us to make sure that God has not made a mistake in His judgment before the rejecters of His mercy receive their reward. It is like a safety measure to ensure that we're all in agreement with God's decisions concerning each person. There will be many in heaven who will have loved ones missing. Each person will examine the records and see that God's judgments are just. The millennium serves as an opportunity for God to be vindicated in all His dealings with humanity since the beginning of time.


amazingdiscoveries.org
 
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phipps

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‘The harvest of the earth is ripe’

Revelation 14: 14 -20

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest
"Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.


Reaping the Grapes of Wrath
"Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs."

NOTE: ‘The tares are permitted to grow among the wheat, to have all the advantage of sun and shower; but in the time of harvest "you shall
again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him”
(Malachi 3:18). Christ Himself will decide who are worthy to dwell with the family of heaven. He will judge every man according to his words and his works. Profession is as nothing in the scale. It is character that decides destiny. The Saviour does not point forward to a time when all the tares become wheat. The wheat and tares grow together until the harvest, the end of the world. Then the tares are bound in bundles to be burned, and the wheat is gathered into the garner of God. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Then “the Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire.”’ Christ’s Object Lessons, page 74-75.
 

phipps

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What portion of a person’s life is considered in the pre-advent judgment? What will be confirmed? How will rewards be decided?
“God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

“Let both [wheat and tares] grow together until the harvest. ... The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend” (Matthew 13:30, 41).

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

Every detail of life will be reviewed, including secret thoughts and hidden actions. For this reason, this first phase of the judgment has been called the “investigative judgment.” The judgment will confirm who will be saved of those who claimed to be Christians. It will doubtless also confirm as lost those whose names are not judged in the pre-advent judgment. Although we are saved by grace, rewards will be given based on works, deeds, or conduct—which prove the genuineness of a Christian’s faith (James 2:26).
 

phipps

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Who presides at the pre-advent judgment? Who is the defense attorney? The judge? The accuser? Who is the witness?
“The Ancient of Days was seated. ... His throne was a fiery flame. ... The court [judgment] was seated, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9, 10).

“We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

“The Father ... has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).

“The Devil ... the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down” (Revelation 12:9, 10).

“These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God” (Revelation 3:14).
(See also Colossians 1:12–15.)

God the Father, the Ancient of Days, presides in the judgment. He loves you very much (John 16:27). Satan is your only accuser. In the heavenly court, Jesus, who loves you—and is your best friend—will be your attorney, judge, and witness. And He promises that judgment will be “made in favor of the saints” (Daniel 7:22).
 

phipps

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In the Bible there are three phases of judgement. The first phase is the pre advent or investigative judgement that takes place before Jesus’ second coming as I've posted in this thread. When Jesus comes back the second time all mankind's fates will have been decided for eternity depending on what choices they made. Hence why Jesus will be coming back with rewards "to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
 
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phipps

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The second phase of Judgement.

The second phase of judgement takes place during the 1,000 years written of in Revelation chapter 20. What is the purpose of the second phase of judgement if Jesus has already judged mankind and knows all their destinies? In fact all the righteous are with him in heaven during the 1000 years, "They lived [came alive] and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? ... Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:2, 3).

“I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them” (Revelation 20:4).

The “saints”—the saved people of all ages who Christ takes to heaven at His second coming—will be participating in this second phase of the judgment. Suppose a family discovered that their much-beloved son who was murdered is not in heaven—but the murderer is. Doubtless they would need some answers. This second phase of the judgment will answer all these questions. The life of every lost person (including Satan and his angels) will be reviewed by the saved, who will ultimately agree with Jesus’ decisions regarding the eternal fate for each one. It will become obvious to all that the judgment is no arbitrary matter. Instead, it simply confirms the choices that people have already made to serve either Jesus or another master (Revelation 22:11-12).
 

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Third Phase of the Final Judgement.

When and where will the third phase of the final judgment take place? What new group will be present at this phase of judgment?

“In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem. ... Thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with You. ... All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 14:4, 5, 10).

“I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2).

“When the thousand years have expired, Satan will ... go out to deceive the nations ... to gather them together to battle” (Revelation 20:7, 8).

The third phase of the judgment will take place on the earth at the close of the 1,000 years of Revelation chapter 20—after Jesus’ return to earth with the holy city. All the wicked who have ever lived, including the devil and his angels, will be present. At the close of the 1,000 years, the wicked dead of all ages will be raised (Revelation 20:5). Satan will launch a powerful propaganda campaign to deceive them. Amazingly, he will succeed in convincing the nations of earth that they can capture the holy city.

What happens next?

“They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (Revelation 20:9).

The wicked surround the city and prepare to attack.

What interrupts their battle plan, and with what results?

“I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:12).

“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11, 12).

Suddenly, God appears above the city (Revelation 19:11-21). The moment of truth has arrived. Every lost soul since the world began, including Satan and his angels, now faces God in judgment. Every eye is fastened upon the King of kings (Revelation 20:12).

Each Life Reviewed

At this time, each lost soul recalls his or her own life story: God’s constant, warm, pleading calls to repent; that wooing, still small voice; the awesome conviction that often came; the repeated refusals to respond. It is all there. Its accuracy is incontestable. Its facts are irrefutable. God wants the wicked to fully understand. He will provide any details desired in order to make all things clear. The books and records are available.

No Cover-Up

God is not involved in some celestial cover-up. He has destroyed no evidence. There is nothing to hide. Everything is open, and every person who has ever lived and all the good and bad angels will be viewing this drama of all dramas.

The Lost Fall to Their Knees

Suddenly there is a movement. One lost soul drops to his knees to admit his guilt and openly confess that God was more than fair with him. His own stubborn pride kept him from responding. And on all sides now, people and evil angels are likewise kneeling (Philippians 2:10-11). Then in one great, almost simultaneous move, all remaining people and evil angels, including Satan, fall prostrate before God (Romans 14:11). They openly clear the name of God from all false accusations and give witness to His loving, fair, merciful treatment of them.

All Confess the Sentence Is Fair

All confess that the sentence of death pronounced upon them is fair—the only safe way to handle sin. Of each lost person it can be said, “Thou hast destroyed thyself” (Hosea 13:9 KJV). God now stands vindicated before the universe. The accusations and claims of Satan have been exposed and discredited as the perverse lies of a hardened sinner.
 

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The final sentence is death.

"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries"
(Hebrews 10:26-27).

Those people who choose to believe Satan rather than God (John 8:45) have had their characters formed according to their master. They would never be happy among the people of God where there is no room for selfishness. The atmosphere that permeates heaven is an atmosphere of self-sacrifice and joy.

As this realization falls upon those who have spurned God, they all will accept God's judgments as true and just.


“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:12-13).

Satan's allegations against God and His government will be proved groundless. Christ will stand vindicated and ready to perform his "strange act” (Isaiah 28:21).
 

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Judgment Pattern in the Bible.

Genesis 3:8-20:

"And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.


Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

So the Lord God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.

And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”

To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”


And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living."


What does God do before He pronounces judgment?
He investigates. God investigated Adam and Eve and inquired why they ate the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden before He judged them.

The concept of an investigative judgment is biblical. God’s judicial procedure often includes a phase of investigation and inquiry. A first instance is reported in Genesis 3, where God investigates before He pronounces the verdict (Genesis 3:8-19). God’s dealings with Cain (Genesis 4), Babel (Genesis 11), and Sodom (Genesis 18, 19) follow a similar pattern. We see God undertaking the same action that He requires of the judges in Israel; namely, to “search out, and ask diligently” (Deuteronomy 13:14, 19:18).

Investigation involves deliberation and fairness. It is often public. God allows others to see for themselves what He is doing. In this way, when God announces the verdict—be it salvation or condemnation—onlookers are assured that God’s action is the best. This is exactly the reason why the heavenly judgment in Daniel 7 involves books. The books are not for God’s sake, so that He would remember more easily, but for the benefit of the celestial beings surrounding Him, who, unlike God, don’t know all things.

How does judgment turn out for the saints? Daniel 7:22? "judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom."
 
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