The Investigative Judgment
8/21/2004 Banner Elk, NC
By Pastor Tony Cirigliano
The truth the Lord has given to the Seventh-day Adventist Church concerning the investigative judgment has been under attack in recent years.
One critic of the doctrine wrote:
“The Investigative Judgment is a doctrine which is unique to Seventh-day Adventists (SDA). This should serve as a clue that this is a false doctrine. Since the full gospel was handed on to the faithful in the first century (see Jude 3), and no Christian ever heard of this doctrine until 1844 it must be a false doctrine.”
Is the doctrine of the Investigative Judgment a non-biblical doctrine?
If so, then we are following error, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church is based on false doctrine and should be abandoned.
Today I want to show plainly from the Scripture that the investigative judgment is based solidly on the Word of God.
The Bible plainly teaches that there will be a judgment, and that this judgment will involve heavenly records or books.
When will this judgment take place?
Did it take place in 31 AD when Jesus ascended into heaven as critics of 1844 say?
Will believers have to pass through this judgment?
The Bible book of Daniel, especially chapters 7 & 8 give us the time of the judgment, and its outcome.
It also has in it the basis of the Seventh-day Adventist prophetic message!
Let’s take a little time to look at Daniel 7.
Daniel 7
1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and
visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of
the matters.
2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four
winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
In this vision, Daniel saw winds blowing on the sea, and then he saw four beasts rise up out of the sea.
In the Bible “wind” represents strife and warfare.
Jeremiah 25:32
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation,
and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.
In Daniel’s vision, the wind blew on the “sea.”
In Bible prophecy, the “sea” represents nations and a sea of peoples.
Revelation 17
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth,
are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Daniel saw four “beasts” rise out of the sea.
According to Daniel, beasts represent kingdoms or nations.
Daniel 7:17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.
Now Daniel describes the beast he saw arise out of the sea in the order he saw them rise.
Daniel 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
This first beast Daniel saw rise out of the masses of people was a Lion with eagles wings.
Almost all Bible commentators Adventist or not identify this first beast as the kingdom of Babylon.
It is interesting to note that the symbol the ancient Babylonions used as a symbol of their kingdom was a lion with wings!
These can plainly be seen on the ruins of the walls of ancient Babylon even today!
Since all agree as to the identity of this first beast of Daniel 7, we merely need to follow world history to determine the identities of the other three beasts Daniel saw!
5 And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up
itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth
of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh
The kingdom that conquered Babylon was the kingdom of Medo-Persia.
Do you remember the story of the handwriting on the wall when Belshazzer – Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson used the holy vessels from Yahweh’s temple to honor the pagan gods of wood and stone?
Remember that a bloodless hand appeared and wrote on the wall Mene, mene, tekel upharsin – your days are numbered and the kingdom is taken from you.
Belshazzer’s knees literally knocked together. He called Daniel, and Daniel told him what the writing meant.
That was in chapter five of Daniel. Turn there with me to verses
Daniel 5:30-31 In
that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two
years old.
Here is plainly recorded that Medo-Persia defeated Babylon.
In Daniel 7, verse 5 it said the bear RAISED UP ITSELF ON ONE SIDE.
The Persian side was
stronger; Cyrus the Persian was stronger than Darius the Mede.
AND IT HAD THREE RIBS
IN THE MOUTH OF IT BETWEEN THE TEETH OF IT,
denoting the conquest of three provinces—Babylon,
Lydia, and Egypt.
The second beast represents the Medo-Persian Empire. This is the chest of silver in Daniel chapter 2.
.
6 After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back
of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was
given to it.
LIKE A LEOPARD (suggesting very rapid speed and agility) WHICH HAD UPON THE BACK OF IT FOUR WINGS OF A FOWL (or like those of a bird-NIV).
The lion, in v.4, has only two wings. Here the leopard has four. This may denote even greater speed.
THE BEAST HAD ALSO FOUR HEADS. “My kingdom to the strongest.” – Alexander
the Great.
The four heads represent the empire being divided into four parts, after the death of Alexander the Great. The kingdom was divided into Asia Minor, Macedonia, Syria, and Egypt.
The third beast represents the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great. This was the belly and thighs of brass in Daniel chapter 2.
Daniel 7:7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
It is described as being
DREADFUL (or terrifying) AND TERRIBLE (or frightening),
AND STRONG EXCEEDINGLY with GREAT IRON TEETH.
This corresponds with the
iron legs of Daniel 2 that depicted Rome.
None of the other three
empires have such a dreadful and frightening description as this one.
This fourth beast which can be none other then pagan Rome which history tells us followed Greece.
AND IT WAS DIVERSE (or different) FROM ALL THE (former) BEASTS THAT WERE BEFORE IT; AND IT HAD TEN HORNS.
It was different because it would become a religious kingdom – a horse of a different color!
The Ten horns represent the nations of Europe that arose from the break-up of the Roman Empire.
These horns represent the same nations the toes of the great statue of Daniel two represented!
Now Daniel 7 goes a little deeper into prophecy because it tells of the power that arose after the Roman Empire was formed.
8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
Now here we have some identifying marks of this little horn.
First it comes up after the horns are formed and would be Roman in origin because it arose from the pagan Roman Empire.
So it had to arise shortly after 476 AD after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Secondly, it would arise in Europe where the horns were.
Thirdly, the little horn was responsible for plucking out three horns by the roots – leaving nothing left of them.
The Roman Church used the military might of pagan Rome to destroy the Visigoths, the Heruli and the Ostrogoths.
Seven of the horns remained and had descendents, but those three power were totally destroyed leaving no descendants!
Fourthly, the Little Horn had eyes of a man – it would have man’s wisdom not God’s!
It also had a mouth speaking great words. – making awesome claims like “I hold upon the earth the place of Almighty God.” – Pope Leo XIII
Critics of the Adventist message of the investigative judgment say that the “little horn” represented Antiochus Epiphanes a little know ruler who lived in 168 BC.
He did desecrate the temple and offer a pig in the sanctuary – but he could not possibly be the “little horn” of Daniel.
In Daniel 8, the ram is described as "great" (v.4), the goat that followed was "very great" and the horn that grew from littleness became "exceeding great".
Compared to Medo-Persia and then Greece, Antiochus was not great at all — certainly not exceedingly great.
His father, Antiochus III, is barely a blip on the screen of history, yet he was much more successful than his son in holding back the advance of the Romans.
Antiochus IV Ephiphanes was a repeated looser faced with the rising power of the developing Roman Empire.
The Little Horn power that dominated the Middle Ages does fit Antiochus Epiphanes!
Also Antiochus did not arise after the fall of Rome – did not rule in Europe, did not destroy three kings,
Also, verses 26 and 27 of Daniel 7, the chapter we are studying tell us that the Little Horn would rule till the end of time when Jesus’ return destroys him!
This cannot possibly apply to Antiochus Epiphanes!
This little horn power has been identified as the Roman Papacy by almost all the Protestant Reformers!
The Roman Papacy fits the prophecy exactly!
Now notice verse 9 and 10 of Daniel 7.
9 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.
10 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.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake:
I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the
burning flame.
Here we see a judgment scene taking place where seats were set up, books were opened and judgment was set!
This scene according to verse 11 takes place while the Little Horn is in power and speaking great words!
Critics of the Investigative judgment say judgment took place at the cross and not after.
Yet the Bible says that it takes place while the Little Horn is speaking great words, and before the second coming of Jesus destroys it!
This is long after AD 31!
Look with me at verses 24-28 of Daniel 7:
24 And the ten
horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise
after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three
kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out
the saints (NT language – persecute Christians!)of the most High, and think to
change times and laws(change times and laws! – Sabbath!) and they shall be
given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (1260
years!)
26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
The judgment takes away his dominion and gives it to the ones who rightly own it as we shall see in a few minutes!
27 And the kingdom
and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be
given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much
troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my
heart.
Immediately After the judgment scene is set up in verses 9-11 of Daniel 7, we find this description in verses 13 & 14
Daniel 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of
man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they
brought him near before him.
14 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.
Here Jesus “the Son of Man” comes before Yahweh and He receives His rightful dominion and glory and a kingdom that had been usurped by the devil using the little horn!
This happens while the Little Horn is still speaking great words, and before He is destroyed by the return of Jesus!
This scene takes place between 538 BC when the little horn was set up by law and the return of Jesus!
The prophecy is clear that it is the return of Jesus that takes away the dominion of the little horn!
This judgment could not then have taken place in 31 AD when Jesus died on the cross!
In fact, when Paul was preaching the truth to Felix, he warned Felix “of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” – Acts 24:25
The judgment was “to come.” It was future to Paul’s day!
And Paul although saved in Christ believed that He too would pass through the judgment seat!
Romans 14:10
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother?
for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
So this judgment of believers was future to Paul’s day!
Acts 17:31
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he
hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
A day was appointed for the judgment future to Daniel’s day and before the end of the world!
In fact, this date would be known by Jesus’ last days followers who obey the commandments of God because they announce to the world:
“The hour of His judgment has come.” – Revelation 14:6-7.
They could not say it has come unless they knew the time appointed!
After the Great Disappointment of 1844 which was prophesied to happen in Revelation chapter 10.
They studied the prophecies of Daniel – especially the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 that said “unto two-thousands three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.”
These 2300 days or years began in 457 BC and extended till 1844.
The 2300 days had to be prophetic years because when taken as literal days – they do not reach unto Messiah the Prince as it said in Daniel 9.
But when taken as years – the prophecy leads to the anointing of Jesus as Messiah the Prince in 27 AD, and His death on the cross in 31 AD!
The Adventists as they were called at the time believed the earth to be the sanctuary, they believed that Jesus was coming in 1844.
But the book that was so sweet in their mouth became bitter in their belly when Jesus did not com.
Then as they continued to study together – God gave insight and even visions regarding the sanctuary in heaven.
They studied Leviticus and Hebrews and realized that the cleansing of the sanctuary was what was done on Yom Kipper – the Day of Atonement – a day of judgment in the ancient Hebrew economy.
It was the last phase of the yearly round of services.
They also came to see clearly that the yearly services of the sanctuary depicted the plan of salvation!
After the Day of Atonement came the jubilee!
The day that was appointed by God for the heavenly investigative judgment was October 22, 1844 – the end of the 2300 days or prophetic years mentioned in Daniel 8:14.
Then began the heavenly Yom Kippur – the last phase of Jesus’ ministry as our high priest!
It will be finished just before He returns as King of Kings to take back His dominion and His glory!
The Advent believers also found that this pre-advent judgment before the return of Jesus was clearly depicted in the New Testament.
Turn with me to Matthew 22:
Matthew 22
1 And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for
his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding:
and they would not come.
Now go to verse 8
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which
were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the
marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as
many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with
guests.
11 And when the king came in to see (theaomai – to investigate) the guests, he
saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a
wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him
away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
The King examines those who accept the call to the marriage supper – the believers!
The others did not come!
He investigates their clothing.
He not looking for who eats clean meats, or who is a vegan, or a vegetarian or who wears dark suits on Sabbaths or light ones!
He not looking for anything else there but if those who accepted His invitation had on the wedding garment – His righteousness – both imputed and imparted because if you have Jesus – you have both justification and sanctification!
He’s the whole package! Water illustration!
He investigates the guests is what the Bible plainly says!
Critics use John 5:24 to try and deny the pre-advent judgment which reads in the NASV incorrectly. There it says:
24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
But the Greek word used there that the NKJV translators translated as judgment is the Greek word krisis and means “condemnation.”
The King James Version correctly translates it this way:
John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from death into life.
Paul said we must all come into judgment and before the judgment seat of Christ!
So it cannot be that John 5:24 should read that believers shall not come into “judgment,” for then Paul would contradict John!
But the believer will not come into condemnation!
Daniel said this in chapter 7 verse 22 of His book:
Daniel 7
22until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints
of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
God is for us! God is good! – all the time!
Turn with me to
Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do
not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
When we are in Christ – we are born again!
By faith and surrender we put on His garment – we walk according to the spirit – not the flesh!
We are new creatures in Christ with His law written on our hearts!
If you’re in Christ, judgment will be rendered in your favor!
Jesus will recognize you as His own!
There will be no condemnation for you!
The judgment will be an identification process of those who are His!
That’s why we are to endure to the end!
Yes we are forgiven when we accept Jesus, but so was the man who owed his Lord millions of dollars and was forgiven!
He then started to choke his friend who owed him a few dollars.
There is a very important lesson in that story.
Turn with me to it in Matthew 18, verses 29:35.
29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
30 And he would not:
but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and
came and told unto their lord all that was done.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked
servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I
had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should
pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your
hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
This shows that sins can come back upon a forgiven person if they turn from the Lord and are unfaithful!
This is why Jesus said, “He that is faithful unto death shall receive the crown of life!”
As long as life shall last there is a call to be faithful to the Lord!
In the parable of the wedding garment, those who had not on the wedding garment when their turn for investigation came were thrown outside where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
Many are called to be Christians, but few are chosen!
Many go down the broad way Jesus said!
We have seen the investigative judgment or pre-advent judgment and when it would begin today - all from the Bible – not a quote from Ellen White!
It rests solidly on the Bible!
When Jesus finishes this work of pre-advent judgment – the Bible says He returns and His “reward” is with Him which means it has already been determined from what is in the heavenly books!
The judgment is not needed by God – but by the universe so that all will see that God is just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus!
The Lord wants to identify us as His in the judgment!
He wants us to be born again into His spiritual family and to be dressed properly for the marriage supper of the Lamb!
“He that cometh unto Me He said, I will in no wise cast out.”
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