The jury is in, the verdict read—case closed! Few thoughts could be more sobering. The day is fast approaching when all who have ever lived will have their lives reviewed before the all-knowing God (2 Corinthians 5:10). But don’t let this alarm you—take heart! Millions have already found the judgment message revealed in this Study Guide to be very good news! On four occasions when the book of Revelation mentions the great judgment, it brings forth praise and thanksgiving! But did you know that the Bible mentions judgment more than a thousand times? Almost every Bible writer refers to it, so its importance cannot be overstated. In the next few minutes, you’re going to get a real eye-opener on this neglected subject. Note: There are three phases of the final judgment—watch for them as you study this lesson!

<p>The jury is in, the verdict read—case closed! Few thoughts could be more sobering. The day is fast approaching when all who have ever lived will have their lives reviewed before the all-knowing God (2 Corinthians 5:10). But don’t let this alarm you—take heart! Millions have already found the judgment message revealed in this Study Guide to be very good news! On four occasions when the book of Revelation mentions the great judgment, it brings forth praise and thanksgiving! But did you know that the Bible mentions judgment more than a thousand times? Almost every Bible writer refers to it, so its importance cannot be overstated. In the next few minutes, you’re going to get a real eye-opener on this neglected subject. Note: There are three phases of the final judgment—watch for them as you study this lesson!</p>

Amazing Facts

Amazing Facts Audio

Amazing Facts Bible Study Guides

01 Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?

02 Did God Create the Devil?

03 Saved From Certain Death

04 A Colossal City in Space

05 Keys to a Happy Marriage

06 Written in Stone

07 The Lost Day of History

08 Ultimate Deliverance

09 Purity and Power

10 Are the Dead Really Dead?

11 Is the Devil in Charge of Hell

12 1000 Years of Peace

13 God’s Free Health Plan

14 Is Obedience Legalism

15 Who is the Antichrist?

16 Angel Messages From Space

17 God Drew the Plans

18 Right on Time

19 The Final Judgment

20 The Mark of The Beast

22 The Other Woman

23 The Bride of Christ

24 Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics

25 In God We Trust

26 A Love that Transforms

27 No Turning Back


You're listening to Amazing Facts Bible Study Guide, lesson number 19. Our topic, the Final Judgment. The day is fast approaching when all people who have ever lived on planet Earth will have their lives reviewed before the all-knowing God. This includes you and me. While this may sound alarming, take heart.

Stay tuned as we dig into what the Bible says about the final judgment. Says about the final judgment. Okay, so we're going to be looking at the 3 phases of the judgment. The angel Gabriel gave the prophet Daniel a prophecy about the heavenly judgment. The first phase is called the pre-advent judgment because it takes place before the second coming of Jesus.

Okay, so what's the purpose of this pre-advent judgment and when does it end? Well, the first phase ends just before the second coming of Jesus. Let's look at some Bible verses. 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 17. The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God.

Revelation chapter 22 verses 11 and 12. He who is unjust let him be unjust still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him be righteous still. He who is holy, Let him be holy still.

And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work." In an earlier study, we established the date 1844 as the beginning of the first phase of the judgment. That's when those, alive or dead, who claimed to be Christians, the house of God, will be considered. Oh, I see. But who does the judging or accusing? And are there any attorneys or witnesses?

Good questions. Let's go right to the scriptures. Daniel, chapter 7, verses 9 and 10. The Ancient of Days was seated. His throne was a fiery flame.

The court was seated, and the books were opened. 1 John 2, verse 1 We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Revelation 12, verses 9 and 10 The devil, the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. Revelation chapter 3 verse 14. These things say the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

And here's what Jesus said. John chapter 5 verse 22 The Father has committed all judgment to the Son. So we have God the Father, the Ancient of Days, presiding over the judgment. He loves you very much. 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 in Daniel chapter 7 that the judgment will be made in favor of the saints, in favor of those who have put their trust in Jesus. Okay, but what kind of evidence will be used in this judgment? And since God already knows everything about every person why even have a judgment at all? Here are a few verses we should consider.

Daniel chapter 7 verse 10. The court was seated and the books were opened. Revelation chapter 20 verse 12. The dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. James chapter 2 verse 12.

They will be judged by the law of liberty. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 9. We have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men." Evidence for this court comes from books in which all the details of one's life are recorded. For the faithful, the record of prayer, repentance, and forgiveness of sin will be there for everyone to see. The records will prove that God's power enables Christians to live changed lives.

God is pleased with His saints and will delight in sharing the evidence of their lives. The judgment will confirm the truth in the first verse of Romans chapter 8. 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." The 10 Commandment Law is God's standard in the judgment. Breaking His law is sin. The righteousness of the law will be fulfilled by Jesus in all of his people.

To claim that this is impossible is to doubt the Word of Jesus and his power. The judgment isn't to inform God, he's already fully informed. Rather the redeemed will be coming to heaven from a world that has been degraded by sin. Both the angels and the inhabitants of other, unfallen worlds will certainly feel uneasy about admitting anyone to God's kingdom who might start sin all over again. So the judgment will open to them every detail and answer every question.

Satan's real aim has always been to discredit God as unfair, ruthless, unloving, and untruthful. This makes it even more important for all beings in the universe to see firsthand how extremely patient God has been with sinners. The vindication of God's character is another very important purpose of the judgment. Let's turn to Revelation chapter 19 for a moment. Revelation chapter 19 verses 1 and 2.

After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, Alleluia, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments." Note that the praise and glory are given to God for the way that he handles the judgment. So what part of a person's life will be considered in the first judgment phase, and what will it determine? Well, in this judgment, every detail of a person's life will be reviewed, including secret thoughts and hidden actions. First, let's look at the words of Jesus. Matthew chapter 13 verses 30 and 41 Let both 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. Revelation chapter 22 verse 12. Behold I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. And let's look at 1 more. Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 14.

God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. For this reason, the first phase of the judgment is also 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, according to James chapter 2, prove the genuineness of a Christian's faith.

I see. So what's the purpose of the second phase of the judgment and who's involved in it? Well, actually the Saints, the saved people of all ages who were taken to heaven by Christ at His Second Coming will be participating in the second phase of the judgment. First Corinthians, Chapter 6, verses 2 and 3. Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?

Do you not know that we shall judge angels? Revelation chapter 20 verse 4. I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them. 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 of these questions. The life of every lost person, including Satan and his angels, will be reviewed by the saved, who will ultimately agree with the decisions of Jesus regarding the eternal fate for each 1. 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 either serve Jesus or another master. Okay, but when will the third phase of the final judgment take place, and who does it involve?

The third phase of the judgment will take place on Earth at the end of the 1, 000 years of Revelation, chapter 20, after the return of Jesus to earth with the Holy City. Zechariah 14, verses 4, 5, and 10. 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 Ramon, south of Jerusalem.

Revelation chapter 21 verse 2. I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 and 8. Now, when the thousand years have expired, Satan will go out to deceive the nations, to gather them together to battle. At the third phase of the judgment, all the wicked who have ever lived, including the devil and his angels, will be present.

At the close of the 1, 000 years, according to Revelation, Chapter 20, the wicked dead of all ages will be raised. Satan will then 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. I see. What happens after that?

The Bible says that the wicked will surround the city and prepare to attack. Wow, what stops them? Suddenly God will appear with almost paralyzing brightness above the city. Revelation chapter 20 verse 12. 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.

2 Corinthians 5, 10. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Romans 14, 11, 12. 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.

The moment of truth will have 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. 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 strong conviction that often came. The repeated refusals to respond. It's all there. Its accuracy is incontestable.

Its facts 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. God is not involved in some celestial cover-up.

He hasn't destroyed any evidence. There's nothing to hide. Everything is wide open and every person who has ever lived and all the good and bad angels will be viewing this drama of all dramas. Suddenly there's a movement. 1 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. On all sides now, people and evil angels are likewise kneeling. Then in 1 great, almost simultaneous move, all remaining people and evil angels, including Satan, fall prostrate before God. They openly clear the name of God from all false accusations and give witness to His loving, fair, and merciful treatment of them. All confess that the sentence of death pronounced upon them is fair, the only safe way to handle sin.

Of the lost, it can be said that each 1 chose to destroy themselves. 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. Romans chapter 14 verse 11 For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God. Okay, then what happens next?

Well, after the final judgment, fire from heaven will fall upon the wicked. The fire will completely eradicate sin and those who cherish it from the universe forever. Revelation chapter 20 verses 9 and 10. They surrounded the camp of the saints And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire.

Malachi chapter 4 verse 3 The wicked shall be ashes under the soles of your feet. This will be a time of deep sadness and trauma for God's people. Virtually every person will have a loved 1 or friend in the fire. Guardian angels will probably weep over the loss of the people they protected and loved for years, Christ will doubtless weep over those he loved and pled with so long. At that awful moment, the anguish of God, our loving Father, will defy description.

But then, when it's all over, something amazing will happen. The Lord will wipe all tears away from His redeemed people and will create new heavens and a new earth for his saints. Isaiah chapter 65 verse 17. Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth. Second Peter chapter 3 verse 13.

Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Best of all, God will reside here with His people throughout eternity. Revelation chapter 21 verse 3. Behold the tabernacle of God is with men and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them.

Right here let's think about how the Old Testament sanctuary Day of Atonement service symbolized the judgment and God's plan to eradicate sin from the universe and restore harmony. When sin started, Satan falsely accused and challenged God, bringing sin into the universe. The Day of Atonement in ancient Israel taught, through symbols, how God will handle the sin problem and bring harmony back to the universe through the Atonement. Atonement really means at 1 met, or to bring all things into total divine harmony. In the earthly sanctuary, the symbolic steps were 1.

The Lord's goat was slain to cover the sins of the people. 2. The high priest administered the blood before the mercy seat. 3. The judgment took place during which the righteous were confirmed, the unrepentant were cut off, The record of sin was removed from the sanctuary.

And 4, the record of sin was placed on the scapegoat. These symbolic steps represented the literal atonement events that are instituted from the heavenly sanctuary, God's headquarters for the universe. Notice how clearly God has symbolized these great atonement events. 1. Jesus died a sacrificial death as mankind's substitute.

2. Jesus, our High Priest, restores people to God's image. 3. The judgment provides records to confirm lives, good and bad, and then removes the records of sin from the heavenly sanctuary. 4.

Satan bears ultimate responsibility for originating sin and for causing people to sin. 5. Satan is banished into the wilderness, so to speak, during the 1000 years. 6. Satan, sin, and those who cling to sin are eradicated.

And 7. A new earth is created for God's people. All good things lost by sin are restored. The atonement is not completed until the universe and all in it are restored to pre-sin conditions with the assurance that sin will never rise again. God promises to acquit you in the heavenly judgment if you invite Jesus to enter your life and permit him to remain in control.

Will you invite him to enter in today? Yes, of course! I'd be foolish not to. But can you tell me, what's the difference between accepting Jesus as Savior and accepting Him as Lord? Well, the difference is significant.

When you accept him as Savior, he saves you from the guilt and penalty of sin and gives you the new birth. He changes you from sinner to saint. This transaction is a miracle and is essential to salvation. No 1 can be saved without it. However, Jesus is not finished with you at this point.

You've been born again, but His plan is that you also grow up to become like him. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 13. Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. When you accept him daily as the ruler, Lord of your life, he by his miracles causes you to grow in grace and Christian conduct until you are mature in Christ. 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 18.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 4 verses 14 and 15. That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ. The problem is that we want to run our own lives and to have our own way. The Bible calls this iniquity or sin.

Making Jesus our Lord is so important that the New Testament mentions him as Lord 766 times. In the book of Acts alone he is referred to as Lord 110 times and as Savior only twice. This demonstrates how important it is to know him as Lord and ruler of our lives. Jesus placed continuing emphasis upon his lordship because he knew that crowning him Lord would be a forgotten and neglected imperative. Unless we make him Lord of our lives, there's no way we can ever become full-grown Christians clothed in Christ's righteousness.

We can't do it on our own. Instead, we stay, as described in Revelation chapter 3, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, and even worse, feeling that we have need of nothing. But since the record of the sins of God's people was transferred to the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement, does that also make him our sin-bearer? Didn't Jesus alone bear our sins? The scapegoat, which represents Satan, in no way bears or pays for our sins.

The Lord's goat, which was sacrificed on the Day of Atonement, represented Jesus, who assumed our sins upon himself and paid for them on Calvary. Jesus alone takes away the sin of the world. Satan will be punished, as will all other sinners, for his own sins, which will include responsibility for the existence of sin, his own evil actions, and influencing every person on earth to sin. God will clearly hold him accountable for evil. This is what the symbolism of the transfer of sin to the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement was meant to convey.

The Bible says that God forgives all sins that are confessed, but the record of these sins remains until the end of time. Why aren't the sins blotted out when they're forgiven? Well, there's a very good reason. The heavenly judgment isn't complete until the judgment of the wicked takes place, immediately prior to their destruction at the end of the world. If God destroyed the records Before this final phase of the judgment, he could be accused of a massive cover-up.

All records of conduct will remain open for viewing until the judgment is completed. But some say the judgment took place at the cross. Others say it takes place at death. Which is it? Thankfully, God clearly specified the timing of the judgment 3 times in Daniel chapter 7.

Notice his specific timing. He leaves no room for uncertainty. The divine sequence is stated in this 1 chapter as follows. 1. The Little Horn Power ruled from AD 538 to 1798.

2. The judgment began after 1798 in 1844, and continues until Jesus returns. 3. God's new kingdom will be established at the end of the judgment. God makes it clear that the judgment doesn't take place at death or at the cross but between 1798 and the Second Coming.

We see a reminder of that fact in part of the first angels message. Revelation chapter 14 verse 7. Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come. Notice the following points. 1, God may seem to take a long time before he acts, but his timing is just right.

No lost person will ever be able to say, I didn't understand, or I did not know. 2. Satan, and evil of all kinds, will ultimately be dealt with by God in the judgment. Since the judgment is God's work and He has all the facts, we should stop judging others and let Him do it. It's a serious matter for us to take over God's work of judging.

It's usurping his authority. 3. God leaves us all free to decide how we will relate to him and who we will serve. However, we must be prepared for serious consequences when we decide to go contrary to His Word. Well, we've come to the end of our study.

You won't want to miss our next lesson, entitled, The Mark of the Beast. You've just heard highlighted portions from Lesson 19 of the Amazing Facts Bible Study Guides. To read the complete lesson, please visit www.AmazingFacts.org forward slash Bible Study Guides Scripture taken from the New King James Version Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Series

Amazing Facts Bible Study Guides

19 The Final Judgment

Description

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

01 Is There Anything Left You Can Trust?

28m

02 Did God Create the Devil?

28m

03 Saved From Certain Death

28m

04 A Colossal City in Space

28m

05 Keys to a Happy Marriage

28m

06 Written in Stone

28m

07 The Lost Day of History

28m

08 Ultimate Deliverance

28m

09 Purity and Power

28m

10 Are the Dead Really Dead?

28m

11 Is the Devil in Charge of Hell

28m

12 1000 Years of Peace

28m

13 God’s Free Health Plan

28m

14 Is Obedience Legalism

28m

15 Who is the Antichrist?

28m

16 Angel Messages From Space

28m

17 God Drew the Plans

28m

18 Right on Time

28m

19 The Final Judgment

28m

20 The Mark of The Beast

28m

22 The Other Woman

28m

23 The Bride of Christ

28m

24 Does God Inspire Astrologers and Psychics

28m

25 In God We Trust

28m

26 A Love that Transforms

28m

27 No Turning Back

28m

Sound Doctrine