Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Nov 1963

Though one has written on the various judgement scenes depicted in the Scriptures at different times, there is still the need for restatement, for human minds are leaky and soon forget, and in other cases the mental capacity of some readers is very limited to take in what they read. Thus, a teacher must be ready to repeat again and again the lessons he has given till they sink into and find a permanent place in the mind of reader or hearer. Again, budding youth may think their views on theology are the standard ones that all should accept, even if they are not in line with accepted doctrine of past years. It is well that in all things we have the standard measure for all views of God and His ways in the Scriptures, and by these the wise may test all they hear and read.

Years ago, when one was young, one used to hear of the last judgement, last in the sense of final, for there was no thought in what one heard that the judgement of the Great White Throne was the last of a series of divine judgements.

Scripture shows clearly that all mankind will not be lumped together at a last judgement to be sorted out by the Lord for each to be given his due meed of praise or punishment as the records in the Hooks call for: nor will each person have to await that future event for him to know on which side he will be, whether among the blessed or the cursed for ever.

Let us consider, and we can do so only briefly, the vast subject of divine judgement of human beings. First of all let us point out what the Son of God said on this subject of judgement in John 5 in which He gave several reasons substantiating the statement of the Jews that He "called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God" (verse 18). He said,

"For neither doth the Father judge any man, but He hath given all judgement unto the Son ; that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which sent Him" (John 5.22, 23).

"He gave Him authority to execute judgement, because He is the Son of

Man" (verse 27).

It will be seen in the H.V. marg. that there is no "the" before Son of Man, as the marginal reading gives "a Son of man". The idiom of the English requires either "the" or "a", but there is no indefinite article in the Greek. "Son of Man" (without the definite article) is found only here in John's Gospel. Of this Mr. Westcott says, "The prerogative of judgement is connected with the true humanity of Christ ... The Judge ... must share the nature of those who are brought before Him". He is Son of Man by His birth of the virgin Mary, Son of God as the only begotten Son of the Father.

The judgements in which the Lord will be the presiding Judge are ever judgements of works on which are based the measure of praise or punishment, not for the settling of where a person shall be in eternity, whether in weal or woe. That is a settled matter when a person leaves this earth.

The Scriptures know nothing of the place called Limbo, which is "in Roman Catholic theology, a place of waiting in the world beyond for souls of such as, though not disqualified, are not qualified for heaven", or of Purgatory "in the Romish Church, a place or state after death, in which souls are purified from venial (pardonable) sins, and in which the result is in great part ascribed to the prayers of the faithful and the sacrifice of the mass". The former is one of Home's lies, but the latter is one of Home's monstrous lies by which her coffers are filled with money for priestly masses or sacrifices to be made on behalf of those in purgatory. It is a slight on the Lord's sacrifice, of which it is said, "Apart from shedding of blood there is no remission" (Hebrews 9.22, see also verses 26.28). "The blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth us from all sin." Not by the sacrifices and prayers of Romish priests, but by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ will souls enter heaven to share the joys of the blessed there. Home's absolutions are not recognized in heaven neither for men on earth nor in purgatory.

In seeking to say a little on the vast subject of the judgement of human beings, we would point out that these fall into three distinct epochs:

(1)at the coming of the Lord for His saints of this dispensation of grace, for all who are in Christ.

(2)at the coming of the Lord to earth when distinct groups will be judged.

(3)at the Great White Throne when all the dead from land and sea will be raised to be judged by the Lord to whom all judgement has been given (John 5.22, 27).

"By Myself have I sworn, the word is gone forth from My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."

(1)The substance of this verse is given a free rendering by Paul in Romans 14.11, 12:

"As I live, saith the Lord, to Me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God." We do not now go into the verbal difference between Isaiah 45.23 and Romans 14.11,but this scene of our appearing to give account of ourselves will be at the Judgement-seat of Christ, "that each one may receive the things done in (through, R.V.M.) the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5.10). This is a judgement of reward or no reward, as we see from I Corinthians 3.10-15; no reward will in itself be a sufficient grief to saints when they appear before the Lord who did so much for them.

(2)When the Lord returns to judge the earth, various groups will appear before Him. First, I judge, will be Old Testament saints and those who come triumphant from the persecutions of the Antichrist, for then will come "the time of the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear Thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth" (Revelation ii. 18, see also 20.4 and Daniel 12.2, 8).

Then the Lord will deal with the priestly tribe of Levi as being the tribe which was and shall be nearest to Himself.

"But who may abide the day of His coming? ... And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto the LORD offerings in righteousness" (Malachi 3.2, 3).

The silver refiner removes the dross from the surface of the silver until he can see his face perfectly reflected in the precious metal.

Then the Lord shall judge His people Israel (Psalm 50.4) and remove from among them that evil and adulterous generation which was to continue until He, the Son of Man, should come. He said, "This generation (meaning this kind of generation, not the generation living at that time) shall not pass away, till all these things be accomplished" (Matthew 24. 84). After this, "Thy people (Israel) also shall be all righteous" (Isaiah 60.21).

Then the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory and before Him shall be gathered all the nations. Some He shall set on His right hand, the blessed, and some on His left hand, the cursed. The cursed shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matthew 25.81-46). Many scriptures tell of this time when the Lord shall judge the world in righteousness.

(3)After the Millennium, the 1,000 years of the reign of Christ and His saints, will come the resurrection of all the dead. To this the Lord referred in John 5.28, 29:

"Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done ill, unto the resurrection of judgement."

It is clear enough from Revelation 20.11-15 that all who will stand in the judgement of the Great White Throne will not be cast into the Lake of Fire, only such as are not written in the Book of Life will be cast thereinto. Some will arise in that judgement whose acts will. condemn others, such as the men of Nineveh and the queen of the South (Sheba) (Matthew 12.41, 42). See Romans 2.8-10 as to principles of judgement relative to the judgement of the Great White

Throne.

J. Miller | Nov 1963
Jottings