The Judgment By The Book

---

The Investigate Judgment

The investigative judgment is presently taking place in the heavenly Sanctuary, specifically in the Most Holy Place, also known as the Cleansing room. On the day of atonement, all confessed sins were symbolically blotted out, and the sanctuary was cleansed. The Bible mentions three cleansing agents: water, fire, and blood. Water is used at baptism; fire will destroy all sin; blood makes water and fire effective.

• Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
• 2 Peter 3:12 “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
• 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Since 1844, we have been living on the great antitypical day of atonement, known as the investigative judgment. The gospel's final message of warning is a judgment call under the first angel's message.

• Revelation 14:6-7 "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

The word "Judgment" means a tribunal
G2920 krisis (Subjectively or objectively, for or against);
by extension a tribunal; by implication justice (specifically divine law):
- accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment.

So, the expression "the hour of his judgment is come" refers to the specific time when all professed Christians face the heavenly tribunal. The great antitypical day of atonement, the investigative judgment, has continued for nearly 180 years, since 1844. It's court time for all of us. We all sin. We all break the law and labeled as criminals. The death sentence hanging over us. And the Judgment involves an examination of books.

The Judgment Scene

Both Prophet Daniel and John the Revelator saw the courtroom in heaven. And to give a better view, we can use the US tribunal court, where the presiding judge runs the courts and decides cases.

In the USA, "The presiding judge is the judge in charge of a particular court or judicial district. If there is a panel of judges, the term refers to the senior active judge. The presiding judge manages the courts, assigns cases to other judges and specialized courts, oversees the court calendar, and can decide cases." - www.law.cornell.edu

So, in heavenly courtroom, the presiding Judge is God the Father, known as the Ancient of Days, as prophet Daniel saw it. Meanwhile, John the revelator gave more information when he saw Jesus, the Lamb of God, (John 1:29) took the book from Father's hand.

• Daniel 7:9-10 says, "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."

• Revelation 4:2 “And immediately I was in the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.”
• Revelation 5:6-7 “nd I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.”

Roles in the Judgment

Again, in this judgment scene, the presiding Judge will be God the Father.

• Psalms 50:6 “And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.”
• 1 Peter 1:17 “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”

Jesus serves as our Advocate, or Defense Attorney, defending us before God the Father.

• Hebrews 9:24 “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 [the Father] for us:”
• 1 John 2:1-2 “1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

In short, Jesus ascended to heaven and entered the holy places after resurrection. Jesus the Lamb of God is standing in the midst of the throne where God the Father and the heavenly beings sit in the most holy place, the court above, where judgment is being done. Jesus takes the book from the Father on the throne to be our Advocate, Lawyer, Defense Attorney before God.

Satan is the accuser, the prosecuting attorney of the saints.

• Revelation 12:9-10 “9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.”

“While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of his grace, Satan accuses them before God as transgressors. The great deceiver has sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause them to lose confidence in God, to separate from his love, and to break his law. Now he points to their defective characters, to their unlikeness to Christ which has dishonored their Redeemer, to all the sins which he has tempted them to commit, and because of these he claims them as his subjects.” 4SP 309.3

This doesn’t mean that Satan is present in heaven but his job is to accuse us as transgressors and cause us to lose faith in God and break His commandments. Why he wants us to break the law? Because the ten commandments of God serve as:

The Standard of Judgment

• Ecclesiastes 12:13 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: 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."
• James 2:10-12 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."

Evidence In Judgment

How will evidence be given in the judgment? Evidence in judgment comes from the heavenly record books. Today, the cases of the dead who professed to love God are being reviewed.

• Daniel 7:10 “… the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”
• Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and 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.”

God maintains records for the benefit of others, not for Himself. These books are available for heavenly hosts to review God's justice.

For many, the period of probation is coming to an end. Only the holy are worthy of acceptance. Everyone else will be cut off and ultimately lost, separated from God's people. The questions are: Will I face being "cut off" or will I be "cleansed"? What will my outcome be? What will you choose? Everyone, whether righteous or wicked, alive or dead, will face judgment.

• Psalms 7:11 “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”

The Judgment of the Righteous is NOW in progress.

The righteous believers are judged first and rewarded, and then later the wicked are sentenced and condemned. Judgment begins with the house of God, rewarding the righteous and condemning the wicked.

• 1 Peter 4:17 “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
• 1 Timothy 5:24-25 “24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. 25 Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.”

The Judgment of the Wicked is a separate work that will take place during the 1000 years.

It is important to note that the house of God or the professed saints are the only cases that will be examined at this time. The judgment of the wicked who never accepted Christ is a separate work. That is the Final judgment and it is called the Executive judgment where Jesus is the judge together with the redeemed saints.

• John 5:26-27 “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:3 “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”

That will take place at a later date during the 1000 years and before the wicked are destroyed in the lake of fire which is the second death.

“During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection, the Judgment of the wicked dead takes place. The righteous reign as kings and priests unto God; and in union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is written against their names in the book of death. Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and his people.” {4SP 475.2}

The Record Books

The investigative judgment requires books of record that list the names of every individual. Yes, heaven has record books. The Bible mentions three books, or sets of books, that are kept in the archives of the heavenly sanctuary, and were opened when the Judgment began.

1. The Book of Life: Contains the names of those who have accepted God’s sacrifice.
2. The Book of Remembrance: Records the good deeds of those who feared the Lord.
3. The Book of Sins or Book of Death: Records the sins and evil deeds of all.

Let's have Biblical evidences:

1. The Book of Life: Contains the names of those who have accepted God’s sacrifice.

• Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

This book is only for those who have embraced the great sacrifice of the of the Lamb of God and have identified themselves with "the house of God," as stated in 1 Peter 4:17. John calls it "another book," in Revelation 20:12, while Moses called it "Thy book which Thou (God) hast written," in Exodus 32:32.

It's God's family record book. It contains the names of all who have joined God's family and served Him since Adam.

• Luke 10:20 "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
• Philippians 4:3 “And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.”
• Daniel 12:1 "... and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
• Revelation 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”

2 .The Book of Remembrance: Records the good deeds of those who feared the Lord.

• Malachi 3:16 “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
• Nehemiah 13:14 "Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the offices thereof.""
• Psalms 56:8 "Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?""

This book is a record of the excellent deeds of God’s professing children. Every good remark, every tender, loving thought, every generous and thoughtful act has been carefully registered. Every prayer offered, every temptation resisted, every evil overcome, has been faithfully recorded. Every act of self-sacrifice made for Jesus’ sake, every trial and suffering endured for Him, every teardrop shed as a result of following Christ has been recorded, and all will be brought to the Father’s remembrance when our names are called.

3. The Book of Sins or Book of Death: Records the sins and evil deeds of all.

• Jeremiah 2:22 “For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.”
• Isaiah 65:6-7 “6 Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, 7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.”

This book contains a record of our sins and a list of evil deeds. Every vain and idle word, selfish behavior, unfulfilled duty, secret sin, and attempt to deceive has been recorded with terrifying accuracy opposite each name in this book. The recording angel has noted unheeded warnings, neglected or ignored reproofs, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, and the effect of our example, with far-reaching consequences.

But keep in mind that both the wicked and the righteous have their sins recorded in their Book of Sin, because "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," Romans 8:23. The only difference is the fact that the righteous have repented, and their sins have gone "before to judgment," 1 Timothy 5:24, and forgiveness has been written after each one, but NOT blotted out yet.

Forgiveness is the same as pardon
H5545 sâlach A primitive root; to forgive: - forgive, pardon, spare.

• Psalms 25:11 “For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.”
• Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”
• 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

"I warn all who profess the name of Christ to closely examine themselves, and make full and thorough confessions of all their wrongs and let them go beforehand to judgment, that opposite their names the recording angel may write pardon." - Testimony, no. 7, p. 15.1 (T07 15:1); see also 1T 263.

Surprisingly, the SDA church now teach in their publication that no record of sins in heaven.

“God is not keeping a record of our sins up there, but a record of His forgiveness, His mercy in our lives.” Adventist Review, September 8, 1988, page 10

Learn more about the SDA apostasy here.

The examination of these books determines who is granted eternal life. Ultimately, the sins of the righteous are blotted out, their Book of Death will be destroyed, never to be remembered.

• Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”

Process of Judgment

Jesus, our Advocate, examines each case closely. Every good deed is remembered, and every sin is examined for repentance and forgiveness.

Once our guardian angel writes the last entry in our Book of Remembrance and Book of Sins, and the Judge calls out our name, we approach the throne to stand before the great Judge of all the earth. Our passport, sanctification, secured in the holy place, will be accepted if all our sins have gone "before to judgment" 1 Timothy 5:24, by repentance and reformation. No family or friends can help us now.

• Jeremiah 15:1 “Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.”
• Ezekiel 14:14, 16 “14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.”… 16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.”

But those who confessed and forsook their sins "shall have mercy."

• Proverbs 28:13 says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Jesus, our Advocate, will say before the Father, “Father, these sins have all been confessed and I have forgiven them. This soul stood firm for what was right on earth for me. Now I’m standing up for them.” Then, raising His hands, He says: “They are Mine, Father because I have graven them on the palms of My hands.” Isaiah 49:16

Jesus will appeal to the Father, "Blot out all their sins for My sake, and keep their names in the book of life. They are members of the royal family, They are my brother. I want them to be with me wherever I am."

• Revelation 3:5 “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.”

As Jesus confesses us before the Father and the holy angels, the Judge accepts the plea of our heavenly attorney, and we are accepted as joint heirs with Him, to sit on His throne with Him. Our sins are blotted out of the book, and we have been promised that none of the sins we have committed will be brought up again.

• Jeremiah 31:34 “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

How thankful we are that we have Jesus, our Advocate, "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15. And how thankful we are that our Father's throne is a mercy seat, and He longs to cast our sins into the depths of the sea.

• Isaiah 38:17 “ Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”
• Micah 7:19 “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

Those Who are Rejected.

Yet "be not deceived; God is not mocked," Galatians 6:7 for while the Lord is "merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin," He "will by no means clear the guilty." Exodus 34:6-7. He cannot do this. He will not allow a second rebellion to happen.

• Nahum 1:9 "What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time."

Those with sins on their book that have not been repented of, are not accepted but rejected. They do not have on the “wedding garment," (Matthew 22:11-13”, the "garment of salvation" and "robe of righteousness," (Isaiah 61:10) of Christ, (1 Corinthians 1:30 ) and they cannot be admitted to the heavenly family. Jesus says: “I never knew them. They are not Mine.”

• Matthew 7:23 “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
• Ezekiel 33:12-13 “Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.”

The Work Is Almost Finished

Dear ones, we are now living in the period of investigative judgment, the books are now being reviewed in the Most Holy Place. This grand work is almost finished. Soon our names will be called out. When all of the work is completed, the Judge will declare:

• Revelation 22:11-12 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Then the "mystery of God" Revelation 10:7 or the "mystery of the gospel" Ephesians 6:19; Romans 16:25 is finished. For many, probation is coming to an end. Only the sanctified are accepted. All others will be rejected. Either our sins or our names will be blotted out from the books in heaven. Which one do I get? Which one do you choose?

Of course, we all choose to keep our names in the book of life. In fact, I echo what is said, in 5T 160.

“… If my name may be written in the obscurest part of the book of life, it is enough for me, so unworthy am I of His notice.” 5T 160

Yes, that would be enough for me as long as my name is in the smallest and most obscure section of the book of life. Our prayers should be like the prayer of David.

• Psalms 51:1, 9 “1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” … “9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.”

Yes, we have important things to do to keep our names in the book of life?

“All who would have their names retained in the book of life, should now, in the few remaining days of their probation, afflict their souls before God by sorrow for sin, and true repentance. There must be deep, faithful searching of heart. The light, frivolous spirit indulged by the majority of professed Christians must be put away. There is earnest warfare before all who would subdue the evil tendencies that strive for the mastery.” {4SP 314.2}

“And now, while the precious Saviour is making an atonement for us, we should seek to become perfect in Christ.” {4SP 440.2}

So let no one now play with sin, the root of all evil in our world. For if we do sin, we crucify Christ again according to Hebrews 6:6

• Hebrews 6:6 “If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”

God is weighing our characters. And it is a fearful thing to be found wanting. Every day, we must be careful with our words, our thoughts, and our actions. Because what is written in our book record in heaven cannot be changed or amended.

“These are the words of God to us. The past is contained in the book where all things are written. We cannot blot out the record; but if we choose to learn them, the past will teach us its lessons. As we make it our monitor, we may also make it our friend. As we call to mind that in the past which is disagreeable, let it teach us not to repeat the same error. In the future let nothing be recorded which will cause regret in the by and by. We may now avoid a bad showing. Every day we are making our history. Yesterday is beyond our amendment or control; today only is ours. Then let us not grieve the Spirit of God today, for tomorrow we shall not be able to recall what we have done. Today will then be yesterday.” {6T 149.2}

Christ as King

Daniel saw the Son of man receive His dominion as King.

• Daniel 7:14, 22 “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed... 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”

Final Thoughts - REPENT AND BE READY!

When the Investigative Judgment is completed, all cases will be decided for eternal life or eternal death. However, both the righteous and the wicked will continue be living on the earth.

• Luke 17:26-30 “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Yes, people will continue planting and building, eating and drinking as they do now, not knowing that the work of our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary has been completed. The exact hour when this work will close will come as a thief in the night. That is why, according to Jesus,

• Mark 13:35-36 “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.”

If Jesus comes suddenly and finds you careless and selfish, more concerned in pleasing yourself than Him. But, those who keep watch are sure that that day will not surprise them because they will be ready.

• Matthew 24:44 “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
• Isaiah 1:18 “come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Therefore, it is important that day by day, before we go to sleep at night, every sin has been confessed and has gone before to judgment, so that we have a clean record, especially as the day approaching, because we never know when our life may be taken from us and our probation will be closed.

Three Wonders In Heaven

“A Christian once said that when he reached heaven he expected to meet with three causes of wonder. He would wonder to find some that he did not expect to see there. He would wonder not to see some that he expected to meet, and, lastly, he would wonder most to find so unworthy a sinner as himself in the Paradise of God. Many who have stood in high places as Christians upon earth, will not be found with the happy throng that shall surround the throne. Those who have had knowledge and talent, and yet have delighted in controversy and unholy strife, will not have a place with the redeemed. Their hearts were not in harmony with the meekness and self-denial of Christ. They desired to do some great work, that they might be admired and flattered by men, but their names were not written in the Lamb's book of life. “I know you not,” are the sad words that Christ addresses to such. But those whose lives were made beautiful by little acts of kindness, by tender words of affection and sympathy, whose hearts recoiled from strife and contention, who never did any great work in order to be lauded of men, these are found recorded in the Lamb's book of life. Though the world counted them as insignificant, they are approved of God before the assembled universe. They are astonished to hear the word, from the lips of the divine Master, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” ST, February 24, 1890, par. 9

“Get ready,” is the word sounded in my ears. “Get ready, get ready. He that is to come, will come and will not tarry. Tell my people that unless they improve the sacred opportunities given them, unless they do the work I have given them, Satan will come upon them with the stealthy tread of a thief, to deceive and allure them.” God wants us to be wide awake, that when He shall come, we shall be ready to say, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us.” He is coming to us by His Holy Spirit today. Let us recognize Him now; then we shall recognize Him when He comes in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. God calls upon you to get ready to meet Him in peace.” RH April 30, 1901, par. 8

“I leave this message with you, asking you, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, to love one another as He has loved you. Thus the world will see and recognize the amazing power of redeeming grace.” RH April 30, 1901, par. 9

The judgment of the righteous dead is in progress, but nobody knows if it has begun for those of us who are living. We must be ready, as our probation can close at any moment.

Are you ready? Are you sure?!

Truth is truth!

 

Back to top ⇧

---

Related Topics & Links

• The Sanctuary of the Bible
• The 2300 Days Prophecy