Topical Studies
Judgment, Timing of
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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One's judgment occurs throughout the time of his opportunity for salvation (I Peter 4:17). Beginning with God opening the individual's mind to understand His way of life, the judgment extends to the end of his life, and its consequences are eternal. God looks upon the heart (I Samuel 16:7), mercifully judging a person based on his attitude, his knowledge of God and His way, his application of what he understands, and his personal relationship with the Father and Son. By this judgment, God determines who will be in His Family. The vast majority of mankind will receive the gift of eternal life, and only the few who deliberately and willfully reject God's salvation will not (Hebrews 10:26-27). The judgments are broken into three broad periods: from Adam to Christ's return, the thousand-year reign of Jesus Christ, and a period following the Millennium when all those who have not had an opportunity for salvation will be resurrected to physical life (Ezekiel 37:12-14; Revelation 20:5-6, 11-14). Additional scriptures regarding judgment: Hebrews 6:2; 9:27; Romans 2:16; 14:10-12; Acts 10:42; John 5:26-30; II Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 11:20-24; 12:41-42.
John Plunkett
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Isaiah 65:20-25 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Isaiah envisioned the final days of the judgment period when the resurrected billions will receive their call to participate in God's plan. These resurrected multitudes will be counted among God's elect—made participants in His Master Plan, and given the opportunity to enter God's Family (verses 22-23). They will they then have a close relationship with God the Father (verse 24). Imagine the astonishment of those resurrected at the beginning of this period of judgment. Each person will be in his first moment of consciousness since death. At first, some may think they are in heaven, hell, or purgatory. Most will simply be confused—bewildered. Nothing that many had been taught about an afterlife will turn out to be true. Faced with undeniable evidence that their old teachings and ways were false, they will be more willing to start over and be taught the truth. Untold millions who have not had any religious teaching whatsoever will start learning from scratch. Who will teach these thousands of millions? Millions of teachers who will have been born into God's Family in the first resurrection and during the Millennium! Those resurrected to mortal life will then undergo a process of conversion similar to that of Spirit-begotten Christians today. They will be taught God's laws and will learn they are guilty of sin and deserving of the death penalty. They will learn of God's mercy, and that Christ paid the penalty for them, if they will accept His payment. The vast majority will repent. Upon repentance and faith in Christ as their personal Savior, they will be forgiven, and God's Spirit will be given to them. Then they, as Spirit-begotten children of God, can begin growing spiritually—developing God's holy, righteous, and perfect character within them. Unlearning all the falsehoods learned in their first life and learning God's true ways will take time. And building character will take time, because character can be developed only through time and experience.
The Last Great Day: God's Master Plan Completed!
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Revelation 7:9-17 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
Revelation 7:1-8 describes the 144,000, then verse 9 begins with "after these things." This is simply a time marker in John's vision, not in prophetic time. It means afterward, later, John saw an innumerable multitude. The Greek does not say that the events of Revelation 7:9-17 immediately follow or that they are part of the preceding information—only that John received this information after the previous information. Perhaps it could follow right after, but the Greek does not require it. John says "no one could number" this multitude (verse 9). Why? Notice that this multitude is comprised "of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues." That would seem to be a great many people! The context indicates a large number, not just an indeterminate one. John sees these people "standing before the throne and before the Lamb"—not with Him on the throne ruling, but before the throne in judgment. Remember, judgment occurs over a period of time. The firstfruits have already been judged and have risen at Christ's return, so this multitude has to be people in a different group who are judged later. Revelation 3:21, written directly to Laodicea, says God grants overcomers the reward of sitting with Him on His throne! Thus, they have qualified to be in the first resurrection, having been judged to be worthy now (I Peter 4:17). We have already seen that whether we die in Christ or are still alive, we are "changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" (I Corinthians 15:51-52) as firstfruits. None of those in the first resurrection will stand "before the throne" for judgment when He returns, for we are currently under judgment, which God will complete and reward us at His Son's return (Revelation 11:18). This multitude, then, cannot be in the first resurrection! In the process of judgment, they have donned white robes, a growth in spirituality that takes considerable time.
Staff
The Innumerable Multitude
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Revelation 20:11-13 (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)
The dead who stand before God could not include true Christians today, because they will appear before Christ and receive their rewards at the first resurrection when He returns. It could not refer to those converted during the Millennium, because they will have already inherited the Kingdom during the thousand years, after living a normal life span. Those in this second resurrection are those who died in spiritual ignorance in past ages. Their time of salvation occurs after the second resurrection! The Greek word translated "books" in verse 12 is biblia. It is from this word that the English word "bible" is derived. The books that are opened are the books of the Bible! They will be opened to the understanding of the multiple thousands of millions of people who had not been able to know and understand God's purpose and plan for them during their previous lifetime, never having been called by the Father and given His Spirit of understanding. Some, assuming that "judgment" means only the pronouncing of a sentence based on past behavior, have thought that these people, even if they repented, could do nothing to alter their fate. Thankfully, God is merciful, always willing to forgive upon true repentance. In this period of judgment, not only is the Bible opened to their understanding, but the Book of Life is also opened. These people are given an opportunity to receive eternal life! God, in perfect fairness, will give them the same opportunity for salvation He now gives to those He calls in this age. However, they will not be subject to Satan's influence as we are today, because Satan will have been finally sent to his punishment (Revelation 20:10).
Staff
Is This the Only Day of Salvation?
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