PART THREE: THE OUTCOME OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT 1. Two Outcomes Two Resurrections. In the preceding study of the Pre-Advent, the Advent and the Post-Advent phases of the final judgment, mention has already been made of its two outcomes: eternal life for the saved and eternal death for the unsaved. This truth is expressed by Christ in a most simple and emphatic way in John 5:28-29: "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned" (NIV). In this statement, the two resurrections, one to life and the other to condemnation, are presented by Christ as one event because His concern was to emphasize their ultimate outcome rather than the sequence or the manner of their occurrence. John the Revelator, however, clarifies that there is a millennial time gap between the resurrection of the "blessed and holy" (20:6) which takes place at the time of Christ’s Coming, and the resurrection of "the rest of the dead" which occurs a thousand years later (20:5). The first resurrection is the outcome of the Pre-Advent judgment which concerns primarily the saved, and the second resurrection is the result of the Post-Advent judgment which regards the unsaved. Disagreement on the Nature of the Punishment. There is a general consensus among Christians regarding the reward of eternal life that Christ will grant to His followers at His Advent judgment. A marked disagreement exists, however, regarding the nature of the punishment that will be meted out upon the wicked. Three different views are held today regarding God’s final judgment of the wicked. These are known as universalism, eternal punishment, and annihilationism. Brief consideration will now be given to each of them. 2. Universalism Definition. Universalism is the belief that ultimately God will succeed in bringing every human being to salvation and eternal life so that no one in fact will be condemned in the final judgment either to eternal torment or annihilation. This belief was first suggested by Origen in the third century and it has gained steady support in modern times, especially through the writing of such men as Friedrich Schleiermacher, C. F. D. Moule, J. A. T. Robinson, Michael Paternoster, Michael Perry, and John Hick. The arguments presented by these and other writers in support of universalism are both theological and philosophical. Theological Arguments. Theologically, appeal is made to "universalist passages" (1 Tim 2:4; 4:10; Col 1:20; Rom 5:18; 11:32; Eph 1:10; 1 Cor 15:22) which seem to offer hope of universal salvation. On the basis of these texts, universalists argue that if all human beings are not ultimately saved, then God’s will for "all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4) would be frustrated and defeated. Only through the salvation of all human beings can God demonstrate the triumph of His infinitely patient love. Philosophical Reasons. Philosophically, universalists find it intolerable that a loving God would allow millions of persons to suffer everlasting torment for sins committed within a span of a few years. Jacques Ellul articulates this view admirably, asking the following probing questions: "Have we not seen the impossibility of considering that the New Creation, that admirable symphony of love, could exist beside the world of wrath? Is God still double-faced: a visage of love turned toward his celestial Jerusalem and a visage of wrath turned toward this ‘hell’? Are then the peace and joy of God complete, since he continues as a God of wrath and of fulmination? Could Paradise be what Romain Gary has so marvelously described in Tulipe, when he said that the trouble is not the concentration camp but ‘the very peaceable, very happy little village beside the camp’—the little village alongside, where people were undisturbed while millions died atrociously in the camp."18 Purgatorial Process. Furthermore, universalists argue that it is unthinkable that in the final judgment God would condemn to eternal torment the countless millions of non-Christians who have not responded to Christ because they have never heard the Christian message. The solution proposed by some universalists is that God will save all the unfaithful by enabling them to be gradually transformed through a "purgatorial" process after death. This view represents a revision of the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory which limits this remedial process only to the souls of the faithful. The universalists extend this privilege also to the souls of the unfaithful. Thus beyond death, God continues to draw all the unsaved to Himself until ultimately all will respond to His love and so rejoice in His presence for all eternity. An Appealing View. No one can deny that the theological and philosophical arguments of universalism appeal to the Christian conscience. Any person who has deeply sensed God’s love longs to see God saving every person, and hates to think that God would be so vindictive as to punish millions of persons—especially those who have lived in ignorance—with eternal torments. Yet, our appreciation for the universalists’ concern to uphold the triumph of God’s love and to justly refute the unbiblical concept of a vindictive God who inflicts eternal suffering, must not blind us to the fact that this doctrine is a serious distortion of Biblical teaching. Desire, not Fact. First of all, the "universalist passages" declare the scope of God’s universal saving purpose, but not the fact of universal salvation of every human being. For example, in Colossians 1:19-23, God’s plan "to reconcile to himself all things" is said to include the Colossian believers "provided that you continue in the faith."19 Similarly, in 1 Timothy 2:4, God’s desire for "all men to be saved" is expressed together with the fact of a final judgment that will bring "ruin and destruction" to the unfaithful (1 Tim 6:9-10; cf. 5:24; 4:8). God extends to all the provision of salvation, but He respects the freedom of those who reject His offer even though it causes Him utmost anguish. Everlasting Torment. Second, the argument that God will ultimately save all because the doctrine of everlasting torment for the unsaved is impossible to accept, inasmuch as it negates any sense of divine justice and the very peace and joy of paradise, is a valid argument. However, such an argument, as will be shown below, rests upon an erroneous interpretation of the Biblical teaching regarding the nature of the final punishment of the wicked. Universal salvation cannot be right just because eternal suffering is wrong. Remedial Punishment. Third, the notion of a remedial punishment or of gradual transformation after death is a notion totally foreign to the Scripture. The destiny of each person is firmly fixed at death. This principle is explicitly expressed by Christ in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-21). In Hebrews 9:27 also it is clearly stated that "it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment." For the impenitent sinners "the prospect of judgment" is a "fearful" one because they will experience not universal salvation but "a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries" (Heb 10:26-27). The Non-Christian. Fourth, regarding the challenge of those who had no opportunity to learn and to respond to the message of Christ, it is not necessary either to surrender the belief in salvation solely through Jesus Christ or to consign all the non-Christians to everlasting torment. We noted earlier that the less privileged may find salvation on the basis of their trusting response to what they have known of God. Conclusion. Universalism, then, though attractive at first sight, is erroneous because it fails to recognize that God’s love for mankind is manifested not by glossing over sins, nor by limiting human freedom, but rather by providing salvation and freedom to accept it. This truth is aptly expressed in the best known text about God’s love and the danger involved in rejecting it: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). 3. Eternal Punishment The Traditional View. Those Christians who reject the universalist view of the destiny of unbelievers generally hold to one of the following two alternative views: punishment of eternal suffering, or annihilation. The doctrine of eternal punishment is the traditional view that arose in early Christianity and has predominated throughout the centuries. Even today both Roman Catholicism and the major historic Protestant Churches generally hold the view of the eternal punishment of the unsaved. Essentially, this view maintains that those who are condemned in the final judgment will suffer eternal punishment. It is alleged that the suffering will be both privative (poena damni) and positive (poena sensus). The former is the eternal separation and isolation from the presence of God, the latter is the eternal, unimaginable pain caused by both inner tortures of despair and external torments by fire, demons, etc. The Basis of Eternal Punishment. The belief in eternal punishment rests on three basic arguments: (1) the belief in the unconditional immortality of the soul which presupposes eternal survival after death; (2) the assumption that divine justice requires that the sins of a moment must be punished eternally in the next life because sin causes eternal consequences that cannot be undone; and (3) the literal interpretation of those Biblical references which speak of "eternal punishment" (Matt 25:46), "eternal fire" (Matt 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7), and "eternal destruction" (2 Thess 1:9); "the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever" (Rev 14:11; cf. 19:3; 20:10). An evaluation of these arguments will follow immediately in conjunction with the presentation of the third view: annihilationism. 4. Eternal Annihilation Definition. Annihilationism denies the doctrine of eternal suffering, maintaining instead that the Scripture teaches the eternal annihilation or permanent destruction of the wicked, Satan, and fallen angels. The annihilation of the wicked was already taught by some early Church Fathers and by the Socinians in the sixteenth century. It was, however, only in the mid-nineteenth century that this view began to gain ground. Seventh-day Adventists are generally regarded as the chief exponents of this doctrine, though other churches share the same belief. In recent times, numerous scholars—influences perhaps by Oscar Cullmann’s booklet Immortality of the Soul or Resurrection of the Dead?—have adopted some forms of annihilationism. Stephen H. Travis, for example, in his recent book I Believe in the Second Coming of Jesus, admits: "If pressed [between eternal punishment and annihilationism], I must myself opt for the latter."20 Two Different Forms. This doctrine takes at least two different forms. According to some the annihilation of unbelievers takes place at the moment of their death by ceasing to exist. According to Seventh-day Adventists, however, the eternal annihilation of the unsaved will take place at the end of the Post-Advent phase of the final judgment (end of millennium). At that time the unrighteous dead will be resurrected and after a period of punitive suffering, they will be consumed and thus cease to exist. The Basis of Annihilationism. The belief in the annihilation of unbelievers at the final judgment is based on at least four major Biblical and philosophical reasons. First, the Bible does not teach that human beings possess immortal souls which continue to exist independently after the death of the body. This belief derives from Greek anthropology (nature of man) according to which the human soul is naturally and inherently immortal and thus it lives on independently after the body’s death. This philosophical dualism has given rise to the Christian doctrine of eternal suffering. At death, the souls of unbelievers allegedly depart from the body to be cast into the fiery Hell to suffer eternal torment, while the souls of believers are ushered into the beatitude of Paradies. Such a view ultimately makes the Second Advent, the resurrection, and the final judgment unnecessary because at death each human being already receives eternal punishment or eternal life. This view also explains why the most confused chapters of Catholic and Protestant theological manuals are the final chapters dealing with the resurrection and the final judgment. The purpose of these events is far from clear because their outcome has already been largely anticipated at the death of each person. Conditional Immortality. Biblical anthropology perceives man as a psychosomatic unity, that is to say, a unity of body and soul which excludes the independent survival of the soul after death. The only life after death is the resurrection of the whole person. This resurrection is presented in the Scripture, not as the reunion between disembodied souls and resurrected bodies, but as the restoration to life of the whole person of "those who are asleep" or "the dead in Christ" (1 Thess 4:13, 16). The New Testament teaches that God "alone has immortality" (1 Tim 6:16). Human beings are "conditionally immortal," that is to say, they have the possibility of receiving the gift of immortality at the Parousia, but do not possess such a gift as a natural endowment. What this means is that the only way unbelievers could be made to suffer eternally would be if God would first resurrect them immortal at the time of their final judgment and then inflict upon them an everlasting suffering. Nowhere does the Scripture suggest that the unrighteous dead will be resurrected immortal so that they may experience the punishment of eternal suffering. Images of Permanent Destruction. Second, the Biblical images used to describe the fate of the wicked such as "fire" (Matt 25:41; 3:12; 5:22; 2 Pet 3:10-12; Rev 20:10, 14, 15), "destruction" or "perish" (Matt 10:28; Luke 13:3; John 3:16; 10:28; Phil 3:19; 2 Thess 1:9) and "death" (John 5:24; 8:51; Rom 6:23; Heb 2:14-15; James 1:15; Rev 2:11; 20:14; 21:8), are images which clearly suggest annihilation rather than a continuous form of conscious existence. It is noteworthy that Revelation uses four times the phrase "second death" (Rev 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8) to emphasize the final, permanent death of the wicked from which there is no return. It is said, for example, that the lot of the wicked "shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev 21:8). The phrase "second death" is used frequently in the Targum—which is the Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Old Testament—to refer to the final irreversible death of the wicked. For example, a Targum on Deuteronomy 33:6 reads: "Let Reuben live in this world and die not in the second death in which death the wicked die in the world to come."21 Another Targum on Isaiah 65:6 is strikingly similar to Revelation 20:14 and 21:8.22 Speaking of the faithless Jews, it says: "Their punishment shall be in Gehenna where fire burns all the day . . . I will deliver their body to the second death." These and similar examples from nonbiblical literature suggest that the phrase "second death" in Revelation means the final, irreversible cessation of existence of the wicked. The Meaning of "Eternal." Third, the New Testament references to "eternal punishment" (Matt 25:46), "eternal destruction" (2 Thess 1:9), "eternal fire" (Matt 25:41; Jude 7), and "eternal judgment" (Heb 6:2), do not necessarily mean a process that goes on forever. "Eternal" often refers to the permanence of the result rather than the continuation of a process. The English words "eternal," "everlasting," and "forever," are used interchangeably to translate the Greek term aionos which comes from aion meaning literally "lasting for an age." The actual duration of aionos is determined by the context. For example, the fire by which the wicked are punished is said to be "eternal" (Matt 18:8; 25:41) or "unquenchable" (Matt 3:12). This can hardly mean that the wicked will be agonizing forever in the midst of unextinguishable fire. The latter is clear from Jude 7, which says that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered "a punishment of eternal fire." Here "eternal—aionou" obviously means not never-ending but complete and permanent. The same is true of the "eternal fire" that will punish the wicked. It is eternal in the sense that it will burn up completely and forever the last vestiges of sin and sinners. This is clearly indicated by the fact that the lake of fire is explicitly called "the second death’ (Rev 20:14; 21:8), because, as noted earlier, it causes final, radical, and irreversible extinction of life. The Context of "Eternal." Following the principle stated above, the punishment of "eternal destruction" suffered by the wicked (2 Thess 1:9) can not signify a process that goes on forever but an act which brings about permanent results. Some reason that "if the word ‘eternal’ means without end when applied to the future blessedness of believers, it must follow, unless clear evidence is given to the contrary, that this word also means without end when used to describe the future punishment of the lost."23 Such reasoning fails to recognize that what determines the meaning of "eternal" is the object being qualified. If the object is the life granted by God to believers (John 3:16), then the word "eternal" obviously means "unending, everlasting," because the Scripture tells us that the "mortal nature" of believers will be made "immortal" by Christ at His Coming (1 Cor 15:53). On the other hand, if the object being qualified is the "punishment" or "destruction" of the lost, then "eternal" can only mean "permanent, total, final," because nowhere does the Scripture teach that the wicked will be resurrected immortal to be able to suffer forever. Eternal punishment requires either the natural possession of an immortal nature, or the divine bestowal of an immortal nature at the time the punishment is inflicted. Nowhere does the Scripture teach that either of these conditions exists. A Misrepresentation of Divine Justice. Fourth, eternal torment serves only the purpose of misrepresenting divine justice by making God appear a vindictive Being inflicting eternal agony upon those who sinned for the temporary duration of their lives. Some reason that if the wicked were to be punished by annihilation, "it would be a happy relief from punishment and therefore no punishment at all."24 Such reasoning is appalling, to say the least, since it implies that the only just punishment that God can inflict upon the unrighteous is the one that will torment them eternally. It is hard to believe that divine justice can be satisfied only by inflicting a punishment of eternal torment. The human sense of justice regards the death penalty as the most severe form of punishment that can be imposed for capital offenses. There is no reason to believe that the divine sense of justice should be more exacting by demanding more than the actual annihilation of the unrighteous. This is not a denial of the principle of degrees of accountability which, as noted earlier, will determine the "gradation" of the suffering of the lost. The punitive suffering, however, will not last forever but will terminate with the annihilation of the lost. Eternal Cosmic Dualism. Fifth, eternal torment presupposes an eternal existence of a cosmic dualism. Heaven and hell, happiness and pain, good and evil, would continue to exist forever alongside each other. It is impossible to reconcile this view with the prophetic vision of the new world where there shall be no more "mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away" (Rev 21:4). How could crying and pain be forgotten if the agony and anguish of the lost were at sight distance, as in the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The presence of countless millions forever suffering excruciating torment, even if it were in the camp of the unsaved, could only serve to destroy the peace and happiness of the new world. Sinners would remain an eternal reality in God’s universe and God would never be "everything to every one" (1 Cor 15:28). In the light of the above considerations we conclude that the outcome of the final judgment is not universal salvation for all, nor eternal punishment for the unsaved, but eternal life for the righteous and permanent annihilation for the unrighteous. This view provides a consistent interpretation of the Biblical references to the final judgment, and enhances our appreciation for God’s justice and mercy. PART FOUR: THE THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FINAL JUDGMENT The study of the various aspects, phases, and outcome of the final judgment raises questions on its overall significance. What does this doctrine of the final judgment tell us about God’s nature, His relationship to the universe, the outcome of the conflict between good and evil, the value of human life and actions, our attitude toward God, and our view of ourselves? We will attempt to answer questions such as these by considering four major theological implications of the doctrine of the final judgment. 1. A Transcendent Moral Order Security to our World. The final judgment points first of all to the existence of a transcendent moral order in the universe. It tells us that there is a supreme Moral Arbiter in this universe who is working out His eternal purposes. This message has tremendous significance in our time when the world seems out of control. At a time when disorder, hate, immorality, wars, and senseless destruction of human life and property prevail, the message of the judgment reassures us that the eternal destiny of each individual and of the world as a whole is not in the hands of some mad, blind forces, but in the hands of our Almighty God. "He’s got the whole world in His Hands." The scroll of human destiny rests safely in the hands of the Lamb (Rev 5:7). The judgment conducted around God’s throne, in the presence of myriads of beings and on the basis of a perfect record of each individual, tells us that there is a moral order governing this universe, an order to which each individual is ultimately accountable. Those who think they have fooled everybody and every system will be surprised to discover that they never fooled God. The final judgment will disclose all their deeds and punish them accordingly. Meaning to Human Existence. By pointing to a moral order that governs the universe, the doctrine of the final judgment gives meaning to our human existence. To be truly human means to express moral sensitivity, moral responsibility, and moral choices. This would not be possible if a moral order did not exist. It would be frightening to live in a world where there was a total breakdown of the moral and civil order, where everyone was a law unto himself. The final judgment constantly reminds us that we cannot flaunt God’s moral principles with impunity because "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body" (2 Cor 5:10). The reality of the moral order attested by the final judgment makes all our actions, decisions, and choices significant because they have both immediate and ultimate consequences. The violation of moral principles cannot be ignored or taken lightly, because it represents an act of rebellion against God, the Moral Ruler of the universe. This rebellion results in separation from our only Source of being (Isa 59:2) and in a process of self-destruction. The final judgment reveals God’s concern to terminate destructive rebellion in order to restore eternal security to the universe. Substance to our Faith. The final judgment challenges us to substantiate our faith in God not only through words but also through deeds. It reminds us that our relation to God, the Moral Ruler of the Universe, is based not merely on the profession but on the practice of our faith. At the final judgment, Christ will invite into His kingdom "not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ . . . but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt 7:21). "Works" are the criteria of the final judgment because, as noted earlier, they substantiate faith. Salvation is a divine gift that brings upon us a divine claim "to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:12-13). Seriousness to our Living. All of this means that the way we live our daily life is most important. The final judgment gives seriousness to our daily living. Our day-by-day round of thoughts, words, deeds, and attitudes counts for eternity. When the records will be examined in the final judgment, daily living will reveal what kind of persons we have been. Have we lived self-centered lives ignoring God’s moral principles, or God-centered lives reflecting His moral values? Mankind needs to hear the message of the final judgment. When governor Felix invited Paul to speak to him, the Apostle used the opportunity to talk not about the social unrest in Palestine or the political situation in the Empire, but rather "about justice and self-control and future judgment" (Acts 24:25). The three are interrelated because it is the final judgment that challenges a person to live justly and temperately. "Felix was alarmed" by such a challenge, but he chose to ignore it. Many today, like Felix, would rather not hear about the final judgment, preferring to live under the false assumption that they will never have to give account for their immoral and intemperate behavior. Sobering Effect on Living. One day I asked a Capuchin monk—a classmate at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome—why some of their rosaries had a little skull attached to them. He replied: "To remind us constantly of death. When we think about death we are less apt to sin." In Catholic theology, death is in a sense the time of judgment because it is at that moment that each person receives the eternal reward or punishment. We disagree with the Catholic timing of the final judgment, but we wholeheartedly agree with the view that the thought of judgment can have a sobering effect on our living. Perhaps, instead of carrying a skull, we may wish to hang in a visible place the motto: "Remember the Final Judgment!" Such an awareness can constantly remind us of the seriousness of our living. 2. A Revelation of Individual Worth God Views Each Person as Important. The fact that the apocalyptic description of the Pre-Advent and Post-Advent judgment mentions "books" where our "names," thoughts, attitudes, and actions are recorded indicates that God places great value on each individual person. In a society where people are often regarded as cogs in a machine, numbers in a computer, it is reassuring to know that God places a transcendent significance on our personal identity. He has written the name of each believer "before the foundation of the world in the book of life" (Rev 13:8). A name in the Scripture often represents the character and personality of the person it designates (Ex 6:3; Acts 1:15; Rev 3:4). This means that God knows us not merely by our first name or family name, but He knows us as a total person and preserves a perfect record of the totality of our personality. In the sight of God, the meaning and destiny of our life is determined not by our church affiliation, our family lineage, or our racial belonging, but by the values and decisions which characterize our personality. God Views Each Action as Important. The importance which God attaches to each person extends to the single decisions and actions. The final judgement teaches us that nothing we do is worthless or inconsequential in the sight of God. Even the "careless word" (Matt 12:36) is considered in the investigative phase of the final judgment. A reason is that careless, thoughtless talk is often a most accurate reflection of our inner self. Moreover, "idle talk" may sometimes have even a greater impact on others than "serious talk." Thus, every thought, word, and action is potentially determinative of our destiny. Moral Worth to Living. The far-reaching inclusiveness of the final judgment is awesome. Yet at the same time the thought that all we do, think, and say matters in God’s sight makes our life worth living. The fact that even the most insignificant action, such as the giving of a cup of cold water (Matt 10:42; 25:35-40), will not go unnoticed gives a sense of dignity, of importance to all that we do, think, and say. Sometimes it seems that even our highest motives and best efforts are misunderstood. The judgment gives us courage to face human misunderstanding and criticism, reassuring us that God understands and takes notice of all our overt and covert actions. Nothing is ignored in the sight of God and everything will receive due consideration in the final judgment. In summary, to live without the consciousness of the final judgment means to be robbed of the sense of awfulness, grandeur, and moral worth this event gives to our life. 3. A Vindication of God’s Justice and Mercy The Biblical concept of the final judgment defined in this chapter raises some vital questions: Why does the Scripture speak of a final judgment process through which God terminates the problem of sin in this universe? Does God need a judicial process to gather information necessary to execute a just universal judgment? Why does the Scripture mention heavenly and human beings participating in a judicial process regarding the eternal destiny of moral beings? Seventh-day Adventists believe that the answers given to these questions are important because they can help us understand and appreciate God’s final solution to the present conflict between good and evil. God is not Seeking New Information. In the first place, it must be understood that the investigative phases of the final judgment are not intended to supply God with information which He does not already have. After all, God is the Author of the books which are used in His final judgment. The heavenly records represent not the acquisition on the part of God of new knowledge, but the revelation of old knowledge to moral intelligences. One of the most telling evidences that God is not seeking new information through an investigative judgment is the Post-Advent judgment of the unsaved. This judgment, we noted, is designed to enable redeemed humanity to understand more fully God’s justice in not saving the unrighteous. The very fact that the lost have no part in the first resurrection of believers (Rev 20:5) indicates that God has already decided their destiny. Yet, before their final destruction at the end of the millennium, God offers redeemed humanity the opportunity to examine the record of their lives to understand the justice of His judgment. It is noteworthy that both before rewarding believers with eternal salvation and before punishing unbelievers with eternal destruction, God invites His moral creatures to evaluate the basis of His judgment. God is not on Trial. In a sense the ones who are "on trial" in the investigative phases of the final judgment are not the saved or the unsaved, but God Himself. It is God’s justice and mercy manifested in His decision to save some and condemn others that is being judged by moral intelligences. But why should God submit His judgments to the scrutiny of His created beings? Obviously, God is not morally obligated to go "on trial" before the universe. First, He has no moral debt toward His creatures. He has no confession to make as to possible defects in the making of the universe or of human beings. Nor has God any admission to make as to possible unfairness in His administration of the universe. Second, God has no external obligation because He is the Sovereign Ruler who has freely created and redeemed His creatures. As He has freely created the universe, so He could freely dissolve it, starting all over again, without being in default toward anyone. Third, even if heavenly or human beings should find some fault in God’s creation or administration—an absurd hypothesis—they could not dethrone God and enthrone another God in His place. Whether the universe accepts or rejects the justice of God’s government and judgments, this does not affect His Sovereignty. God would still be the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. What is in jeopardy is not the eternal security of God but that of moral beings in the universe. Thus, fundamentally the one who is on trial is not God, but the moral universe. If the latter as a jury should find God, the Defendant, guilty of injustice, it is the jury and not the Defendant that would face a decisive punishment. God is on Trial. There is a sense, however, in which God is "on trial" before His moral universe. For several reasons God is willing and expected to give an account of His creative, redemptive, and punitive activities. First, God has chosen to operate on the principle of freedom of choice. God has granted His moral creatures the freedom to choose between His love and justice and Satan’s hostility and injustice. Not only has God granted this freedom of choice, but He also invites His moral beings to exercise this freedom by examining His moral principles and His judicial actions. Second, God has chosen to operate on the principle of love and not of coercion. It was love that motivated God to create a universe of free moral beings who could be the recipients of His love and who could in perfect freedom reciprocate His love. It was love that motivated God to redeem mankind by entering into the limitations, suffering, and death of human flesh in order to provide moral beings with the greatest incentive to choose His love rather than Satan’s hostility. It is love that motivates God to submit the records of His judgments to the scrutiny of the moral universe, so that His love and justice may be fully understood and accepted. Judgment Deepens Trust in God. Love can render this universe eternally secure only if it becomes grounded on unquestionable trust.. An attitude of trust and loyalty cannot be demanded, it must be freely given. It is only when we have had occasion to see the integrity, fairness, and trustworthiness of a person that we develop an attitude of trust toward such a person. A vital function of the Pre- and Post-Advent judgment is to provide an opportunity to the moral beings of the universe to deepen their trust in God by verifying, validating, and vindicating the justice of His judgments. Questions About God’s Justice. The presence of evil and injustice on this planet raises questions regarding the validity of God’s government. Why do innocent people suffer? Why is "truth" so oftern trampled down? How long will injustice, wickedness, and immorality prevail? Can God be just in saving some and destroying others? Questions such as these are raised in the Scripture. The Psalmist admits that it was "a wearisome task" for him to understand why the wicked "have no pangs" and "are not in trouble as other men are" (Ps 73:16, 4, 5). These questions bothered him "until," he says, "I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end" (Ps 73:17). At the sanctuary, the Psalmist "perceived the end" of the wicked through the typological services performed there. He saw God offering atonement and salvation to penitent sinners and condemnation and destruction to the wicked. On the Day of Atonement, God judged penitent sinners by offering them full cleansing and restoration to covenant relationship while He judged impenitent sinners by punishing them with permanent destruction (Lev 23:29). A similar picture is found in Daniel 8 where a heavenly being asks, "For how long is the vision concerning the continual burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled under foot?" (Dan 8:13). God’s answer in this case is that after a prophetic period of 2300 days, the sanctuary, which is the center of God’s redemptive/judicial activity, will be "restored," or "vindicated" or "made right" (Dan 8:14). In Revelation also, those who "had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne," are figuratively seen as asking with a loud, crying voice: "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?" (Rev 6:9-10). God’s answer to these martyrs is to wait "a little longer" (Rev 6:11). A Vindication of God’s Justice. God’s final answer to all the above troubling questions is given especially through the evaluative and executive phases of His final judgment. We have seen how numerous Scriptural passages speak of God’s inviting heavenly and human beings to participate in an evaluative judgment in order to verify the fairness and justice of His decisions regarding the salvation or perdition of each human being. This verification will ultimately result in a deeper trust in God and a vindication of His righteousness. This trust is expressed by the redeemed—represented in Revelation as standing beside a sea of glass—singing: "Great and wonderful are thy deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are they ways, O King of the ages! Who shall not fear and glorify they name, O Lord? For thou alone art holy. All nations shall come and worship thee, for they judgments have been revealed" (Rev 15:3-4). It is noteworthy that the reason given for the universal acclamation of the greatness, justice, and truthfulness of God is the fact that His "judgments have been revealed" (Rev 15:4). Ellen G. White aptly comments in this regard: "Every question of truth and error in the long-standing controversy will then have been made plain. In the judgment of the universe, God will stand clear of blame for the existence or continuance of evil."25 A Vindication of God’s People. This revelation of the justice of God’s judgment is in a sense also a vindication of the redeemed. We have seen that in the vision of Daniel 7, the Ancient of Days is seen as pronouncing "judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom" (Dan 7:22, NIV). Similarly, John the Revelator sees a great multitude in heaven crying: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgements are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants" (Rev 19:1-2). It is noteworthy that the vindication of God and of His people is followed by the announcement that the marriage of the Lamb to His bride is about to take place (Rev 19:7). The metaphor of a wedding feast is used by Jesus Himself to describe the perfect union to be established at His Second Advent between Himself and His followers (Matt 22:1-14; 25:1-13; Mark 2:19; cf. Is 54:5-6; Jer 31:32). Final Celebration. Paul also likens the relationship between Christ and His church to that of a husband to his wife (Eph 5:25ff), but the actual wedding is viewed as a future event when the church is presented before Christ "in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:27). It is this eschatological celebration of the perfect union between Christ and His church that John sees as taking place after the judicial vindication of God and of His people. As God’s vindication of His people on the Day of Atonement closed with celebrations and every 49 years with the inauguration of the Jubilee Year—a symbol of the ultimate restoration—so the antitypical vindication of God and of His people closes with the "marriage" celebration between Christ and the church and the final restoration of this earth (Rev 21:1-8). 4. A Basis for Hope and Confidence Solemnity and Joy. The Biblical view of the final judgment as the decisive and final triumph of God’s justice, manifested in the vindication and salvation of believers and in the condemnation and destruction of unbelievers, is an event to be anticipated with solemnity and joy. It is to be viewed with solemnity because it deals with the eternal destiny of moral beings which for the unrighteous will be eternal destruction. It is to be looked forward to with joy by believers because it represents for them their final vindication and salvation, the dawn of God’s New World rather than the doom of their life. The Pre-Advent judgment does not destroy our joy and assurance of salvation because it is not a scheme or retribution, but a revelation of our standing before God as we are found to be in Chirst. "Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect?" asks Paul. "It is God who justifies; who is to condemn?" (Rom 8:33-34). As our records are opened in the Pre-Advent judgment, we have nothing to fear because our Mediator stands for us. Essentially, this judgment is the outworking of the message of the Gospel which contains the Good News that God not only justifies penitent sinners in this present life, but also vindicates them on the day of His judgment by giving them the reward of eternal life. Confidence and Hope. The close connection between the Gospel and the final judgment is clearly expressed by Paul when he speaks of the "day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus" (Rom 2:16). The judgment is according to the Gospel in the sense that it is part of the gracious provision of salvation through Jesus Christ who offers us both forgiveness of our sins in this present life and vindication of our forgiven sins in the final judgment. Thus the Christian can look forward to the final judgment, not with fear and despair but with confidence and hope. John sees an evidence of the love of God being made perfect in us in the fact "that we may have confidence for the day of judgment" (1 John 4:17). This confidence rests on the assurance that Christ "is able to keep [us] from falling" in this present life and "to present [us] without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing" on the Day of His judgment (Jude 24). it is also based on the assurance that "God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love which you showed for his sake" (Heb 6:10). Human beings easily forget the good deeds done by others, but God preserves a remarkable and trustworthy record of every good deed, including the giving of a drink to a stranger (Matt 25:35). Thus, for God’s people, the final judgment, especially its Pre-Advent evaluative phase, represents the revelation of their faith and love for Christ and their vindication before the angelic host. It represents the coming of better days when Christ will ultimately reveal the truth about them. 5. Conclusion The doctrine of the final judgment enshrines many vital truths. It points to the existence of a transcendent moral order and of a Moral Ruler. This gives meaning and seriousness to our daily living. It reveals that God places a great value on each person as well as on each of our decisions and actions. This gives a sense of accountability and moral worth to our living. It reassures us that God operates on the principle of love and freedom and that ultimately all the moral universe will be given the opportunity fully to understand and accept the justice and mercy of God. The vindication of God’s justice will result in the vindication of His people. The final judgment guarantees that the conflict between good and evil will not last forever, but will be terminated by God in a final and decisive way. It helps us overcome a self-centered type of religion by reminding us that our eternal destiny is linked to the cosmic vindication and triumph of God’s love and justice which will guarantee the eternal security, peace, and harmony of this universe and its inhabitants. Lastly, the final judgment inspires us to live godly lives with joy, confidence, and hope while "awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:21:04 +0000
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