How to Expect God’s Judgment Without Going Crazy?

© Jiří Moskala, Th.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Old Testament Exegesis and Theology Andrews University Old Testament Department

In the heart of the Eternal Gospel and at the core of our sanctuary doctrine (the 1844 message) is

the concept of Judgment!

It is the heartbeat of Adventism!

Revelation 14:6 –7

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had

the eternal gospel

to proclaim to those who live on the earth —to every nation, tribe, language and people.

He said in a loud voice, “

Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.

Worship him

who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

The First Picture of God

in the Bible

God is presented as

the Creator!

What is the Second Picture of God in the Bible?

What is the Second Picture of God in the Bible?

God is

the Judge!

God is our

Judge

(Gen 3); and within this designation God is presented as our

Savior

(Gen 3:15)!

The Central Theme and Biblically Pervasive Doctrine

God being our Judge is not a peripheral teaching in the Bible, but it lies at the center of its message right from the beginning. It is God’s pattern of relating to humanity.

Consider examples

in the book of Genesis:

-

Gen 3:

the first record of God’s judgment occurred in the context of the Fall.

-

Gen 4:

Cain.

the second account on judgment is in the story of

Gen 6 –9:

story.

judgment expressed in the midst of the Flood -

Gen 11:

judgment on the builders of the Babylonian Tower.

Gen 18 –19:

God’s judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah.

Allow me to be more personal:

What are your first thoughts when you hear the word JUDGMENT?

What is your feeling?

What is your first impression, first reaction?

BE HONEST and do not speak theologically!

Our Understanding and Impressions

1. Fear

1. Fear 2.

Condemnation

1. Fear 2. Condemnation 3. Punishment

1. Fear 2. Condemnation 3. Punishment

4. Destruction

1. Fear 2. Condemnation 3. Punishment 4. Destruction

5. Death

Common Element: All is NEGATIVE.

My Imagination/View

• I had a distorted view, because I grew up in a totalitarian communist regime.

• Judge —a person in black with a very serious facial expression pointing at someone with his finger and pronouncing a death sentence over the accused person…

Result

We see God as a heavenly Nebuchadnezzar who is with His magnifying glass looking at us (like a heavenly policeman) in order to punish us for our mistakes.

No wonder that we are

scared

of God’s Judgment.

Thus, we have NO JOY and ASSURANCE OF

SALVATION.

We are full of fear and anxiety!

Why?

• For two main reasons.

Two Main Reasons

• 1.

Faulty Definition of Judgment

(one-sided; only negative view).

• 2. The truth about Judgment was presented/taught

in isolation from the rest of the Gospel

(at least the connection was not apparent).

In other words (stated positively)

• In order not to go crazy while expecting God’s judgment: – We need to understand the true nature of judgment (its definition and meaning), – And it must be closely connected with the Gospel as it is in Jesus.

What is the Primary Meaning of God’s Judgment?

The PRIMARY Meaning of God’s Judgment

To JUDGE means: 1. To

JUSTIFY

― concept of justification .

Every time we pray for forgiveness and we are justified by God’s grace, we go through DIVINE JUDGMENT.

We are forgiven, acquitted, no more guilty, pronounced just!

God’s eschatological judgment breaks through to our time!

God as our Judge justifies us sinners!

The Primary Meaning of God’s Judgment

To JUDGE means: 2. To

SAVE

― concept of

salvation

.

God saves us from death, and gives eternal life!

The Primary Meaning of God’s Judgment

To JUDGE means: 3. To

DELIVER

― concept of

deliverance

.

God delivers us from different addictions to sin! He gives us FREEDOM!

The Primary Meaning of God’s Judgment

To JUDGE means: 4. To

VINDICATE

― concept of

vindication

.

God vindicates us against accusations of Satan!

God is for us and never against us!

Primary meaning

All FOUR HAVE A POSITIVE MEANING: JUSTIFY, SAVE, DELIVER, AND VINDICATE Only when we do not accept the positive dimension of God’s judgment are we under the negative meaning of His judgment! (i.e., under a secondary meaning: condemnation, punishment, destruction.)

Examples of DIVINE POSITIVE Judgments: 1. The Book of Judges

What is the primary function of Judges?

•

To condemn?

•

To punish?

•

To destroy?

Main Functions of Judges

• To

DELIVER

God’s people from the oppression of the enemies. They are the liberators!

Main Functions of Judges

• To

DELIVER

God’s people from the oppression of the enemies. They are the liberators! • To

CARE

for them.

Main Functions of Judges

• To

DELIVER

God’s people from the oppression of the enemies. They are the liberators!

• To

CARE

for them.

• To

PROTECT

them.

Main Functions of Judges

• To

DELIVER

God’s people from the oppression of the enemies. They are the liberators!

• To

CARE

for them.

• To

PROTECT

them.

• To

SAVE

them.

The Book of DELIVERERS ―

they bring

FREEDOM .

2. Dan 7:22

“Until the Ancient of days came, and

judgment was given to

the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.” (KJV)

Correct Meaning of the Preposition “to” - Judgment was given “to” … - Can be misleading: the first impression is that judgment is given to the saints that they will judge (it is wrong!).

- Daniel 7 describes the pre-Advent Judgment.

- Battle here is for the correct understanding of the preposition “to”.

- In Aramaic language of Dan 7:22 is a preposition “lamed,” the so called “lamed of advantage.” Judgment was given “for” the saints of the Most High, it was delivered into their advantage, for their favor! - Some new translations caught this meaning very well.

Dan 7:22

• “Until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced

judgment in favor of the saints

of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.” (NIV) • “Until 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.” (NKJV)

David’s Prayer

• •

3. Psalm 7:8–9; 26:1; 35:24; 43:1 (three times David, once the sons of Korah)

“The LORD shall judge the people:

judge me, O LORD

, …” (7:8) Of David. “

Vindicate me, O LORD

, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.” (26:1)

Psalm 35:24

“

JUDGE ME, O LORD my God, according to Your righteousness

, and do not let them rejoice over me.”

Psalm 82:6

(Asaph) “Rise up, O God, judge the earth …”

Your Personal Prayer?

How many of you did ever (dare to) pray: “

Please, Lord, judge me!

”?

4. Psalm 37:38–39

“But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of

the wicked will be cut off.

The

salvation

of the righteous comes from the LORD ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.”

5. Psalm 76:8–9

“From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet ― when you, O God, rose up to judge,

to save

land.” all the afflicted of the

The Flood Account

6. Gen 6–9

Chiastic climax of the Flood Account: Gen 8:1–5: Gen 6:8: “ “ AND

GOD REMEMBERED NOAH.

But NOAH found/received GRACE .

” ” Gen 6:3: Gen 6:6:

120 years of additional grace.

“The Lord was grieved [nacham] and His heart was filled with pain [‘atsab].

”

Theological Essence of the Flood Story

Gen 6:11–13

Play on the word shachat: 1. Corrupt 2. Destroy

Gen 6:11-13 (used four times)

“Now the earth was

corrupt

in God’s sight and was full of violence. (12) God saw how

corrupt

the earth had become, for all the people on earth had

corrupted

their ways. (13) So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to

destroy

them and the earth.’” both

Result

God has

shachat

what was already

shachat

.

God has destroyed humans!

what has been already destroyed by God is presented as the Surgeon out!

to cut the cancer of sin The world before flood became one big concentration camp ― with violence, exploitation, abuse, torture, suffering, etc.

If God would not intervene, His promise of the Coming of the SEED to conquer Satan/evil would be never fulfilled. Only 8 people were willing to cooperate with God! God waited to the last minute!

To Judge = To SAVE

7. Isa 35:4–5

“Say to those with fearful hearts , ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with

vengeance

; with divine

retribution

he will come

to save you

.

’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” See also

Deut 32:36

and

Ps 94:1 –3.

Judgment and Joy

Psalm 96:11–13

“Let the heavens rejoice , let the earth be glad ; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; 12 let the fields be jubilant , and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy ; 13 they will sing before

the LORD

, for he comes,

he comes to judge the earth

.

He will judge the world

peoples in his truth.” in righteousness and the See also

1 Chron 16:31–36 (joy, salvation, and judgment are put together).

New Testament:

1 John 2:28

“And now, dear children,

continue in him

, so that when he appears we may be

confident and unashamed

before him at his coming.”

1 John 4:17

“In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will

have confidence on the day of judgment

, because in this world we are like him.” parresia = boldness, assurance, confidence

Positive Event

• God’s Judgment =

God’s SMILE for His people

Rom 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Result

:

JOY and ASSURENCE

of salvation!

Judgment as our only HOPE

• Only people who are condemned to death (

being under the death penalty

) can rejoice over the news that there will be a new trial (judgment) for their case!!!

• When you know that you are condemned to eternal death because of your sins, you rejoice over

God’s new judgment on your behalf

!

A new trial is

your only hope

!

Chance for sinners to be saved! All depends on our relationship to our Lord and Savior!

Today’s Court System

• • •

Judge

(against you; judging you)

Attorney

(for you; defending you)

Two different persons with each doing a different function!

• Plus: Prosecutor (expresses accusations against you; accusing you)

Court System in Ancient Israel

- There were

no attorneys.

-

A judge was at the same time an attorney.

-

Only ONE PERSON for both functions.

- The

judge

was perceived as the

savior.

- You had to go to the judge to be delivered from injustice and vindicated.

- The Day of Judgment is the Day of Salvation.

•

We need to train our minds to think positively about God’s judgment.

• Only when the positive meaning does not make sense will then the negative aspect of God’s judgment takes place.

Rev 14:7

POSITIVE

JUDGMENT Rev 14:8

NEGATIVE

JUDGMENT

AM I RIGHT?

Our God does not need to organize a judgment in heaven in order to condemn us.

Right or Wrong???

Right!

Our God does not need to organize judgment in heaven in order

to condemn us

.

WHY NOT ?

We are all sinners!

Because we are already condemned to death (we are all sinners)!

He does not need to do it for a second time.

Main Reason

God calls for a judgment in heaven in order

to LEGALLY secure our place in heaven for all eternity in front of the whole universe!

(Plus He plainly unmasks the powers of iniquity before the entire cosmos!)

God is For us!

•

God is never against us!

• Right thinking leads to right actions! • Cultivate a correct thinking paradigm!

• Cultivate an

awe attitude

toward Him, a true REVERENCE toward Him! This leads to an

awe experience

with Him!

• God is judging us in order to justify, save, deliver, and vindicate us!

We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ!

• •

This is the foundation of the eternal Gospel.

This is the basic of biblical theology of Judgment.

The Only Solution

• If someone is condemned at the judgment, it is not because he or she is a sinner (we all have sinned!), but because that person

did not accept the solution

to his or her situation of sin, namely, Jesus Christ as the personal Savior!

• We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, but

judged by our attitude to Christ!

Saved by Grace

•

We are saved not because we feel good, or are good, or feel great about ourselves, but because God said so!

• •

We can feel miserable, and yet we can have full assurance of forgiveness and salvation!

It does not depend on our performance, achievements, works, or obedience, but on God’s word!

1 John 3:20

“For if our heart condemns us,

God is greater than our heart,

things.” (NKJV) and knows all

1 John 1:7, 9

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,…the blood of Jesus, his Son,

purifies us from all sin.

“If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just

and will forgive us our sins and

purify us from all

unrighteousness.”

Isaiah 1:18

“‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the LORD. ‘

Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”

Isaiah 38:17

“

Surely

it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction;

you have put all my sins behind your back.

”

Micah 7:19

“You will again have compassion on us; you will

tread our sins underfoot

and

hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Divine Judgment

and the

Gospel

The Second Vital Issue

How to expect God’s Judgment without going crazy? Only by relating the Gospel and Judgment!!!

(By putting salvation and judgment together.)

How to put together God’s

Judgment

and the

Gospel

?

God’s Universal Judgment

How is divine eschatological judgment usually presented/explained?

God’s Universal Judgment: Traditional View

It is explained as eschatological judgment in three phases: Which ones?

1. Pre-advent Judgment (from 1844)

1. Pre-advent Judgment 2. Judgment during Millennium

1. Pre-advent Judgment 2. Judgment during Millennium 3. The Final Judgment Am I Right?

Vital Question

Is this view correct?

Is this understanding in harmony with ALL biblical data?

YES or NO???

Yes and No!

It is right as for the events and dates!

BUT WRONG for the starting point!

It is right as for the events (the three judgments mentioned above) and the dates like 1844. BUT WRONG for the starting point, Judgment)! because in the year 1844 God’s eschatological judgment did not begin (but only the Pre-advent Let me explain.

Crucial Difference

There is a difference between the eschatological (end-time) judgment and the pre-advent judgment!

-The starting point for the pre-advent judgment is 1844. - BUT: When does start the eschatological (end-time) judgment?

When Do

the Last Days

Begin?

- The last days?

- The end of the ages?

When does the end of the ages begin?

Traditional answer:

In AD

1798

(1755) or

1844.

Right or Wrong?

WRONG!!!

• •

Let me prove it from the Bible!

Our faith must be always built on

“It is written!”

Question: What is written?

The Beginning of the Eschatological Time

1. Heb 1:1–2

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but

in these last days

he has spoken to us by

his Son

, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” 2. Acts 2:17; Heb 9:26; 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Pet 1:20; 4:7; 2 Pet 3:3; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Thess 4:16 –17.

Acts 2:17

“

In the last days

, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Heb 9:26

“Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all

at the end of the ages

to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

Is There a Difference Between

the Last Days

and

the Time of the End

?

The phrase “

the time of the end

”

#qe t[e

is a specific exegetical idiomatic expression used

only in the book of Daniel

referring to 1798 or 1844 (

Dan 8:17; 11:35, 40; 12:4, 9

). It’s the time of cutting, the time of decision, the prophetic apocalyptic time of the end.

Crucial Difference

but

Complementary

General eschatological time

was inaugurated from the first coming of Christ (

the last days, the end of the ages began, the end time

).

Specific prophetic/apocalyptic eschatological time of the end

: from 1798 and/or 1844 (Dan 7 –9, 12).

Difference but not Contradictory

•

The Last days, the End of the Ages, [the End of Time or the End Time] – from the Cross

•

The Time of the End – from 1798/1844

Crucial Difference

but

Complementary

General eschatological time (the last days; the end of time) Specific prophetic/apocalyptic eschatological time (the time of the end) from 1798/1844 on

The Centrality of the Cross Eschatological Time teaching)—the end time, the last days arrived with (biblical the CROSS (the first coming of Christ)!

Where does the problem lie?

Correct biblical teaching advent judgment and the date of 1844, but the event is isolated about pre from the most crucial point ― the CROSS of Jesus or Christ as a Person!

HE must be at the CENTER!

The Central Place of the Cross

•

The Cross of Christ, Jesus Himself, must be the starting point of all our discourses on the divine Judgment!

•

The year AD 31 and not 1844 has to be the foundational and beginning reference point of God’s eschatological judgment!

No Dichotomy

• There is

no dichotomy between AD 31 and 1844.

You do not need to choose between them.

• They need to be

put together

in the proper relationship and perspective!

• The starting point of God’s eschatological judgment is AD 31!

It is a better way to preach about God’s judgment:

•

It is crucial to connect divine judgment with the Cross of Jesus!

•

The cross is and must be the CENTRAL event for all our doctrines!!! Please, never, never, never present judgment without the Cross!

Serious Matter

To preach or teach about God’s judgment and start with 1844 is a grievous sin ! Neglect to put Christ at the center results in a religious crime , because people then live in a spiritual schizophrenia .

When you read, for example,

Dale Ratzlaff

’s book on The Cultic Doctrine of Adventism, you understand that he knew only a distorted Sanctuary doctrine which robbed him of assurance of salvation…

• As

Dr. Davidson

mentioned last night that in his early years of pastoral ministry, he thought that if he knew how to prove mathematically 1844 and is able to explain the symbolism of the furniture in the Tabernacle, then he knew the doctrine of the sanctuary… But today it’s different, he helped us to see Jesus at the center of this biblical teaching… • The date of 1844 and the sanctuary furniture are

only a framework, a picture frame,

but the picture is still missing.

• The picture frame is essential and significant, because it provides specific background and gives flavor to the picture, but

the most important is the picture itself!

Several years ago I preached

in Sydney

about the pre-Advent judgment from the perspective of the Cross. I put Jesus at the center. When I finished, two pastors said to me…

“If the message you presented tonight was preached in Australia 30 years ago, there would be

no Desmond Ford Crisis!

”

From and To the Cross

• “The Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:8)

The Centrality of the Cross in All our Doctrines

“The Sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated,

every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the Cross of Calvary.

I present before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, Salvation and redemption—the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by our ministers.

”

Gospel Workers, p. 315

The Centrality of the Cross

“Of all professing Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be world.”

foremost

in uplifting Christ before the

Gospel Workers, p. 156

Divine Universal Judgment in Seven Phases: Celebration of the Cross of Jesus 1 Pre-Cross Judgments 2 Eschatological/Post Cross Judgments 4 5 6 3 7 God’s Executive Judgment

Remember!

God

- as your Judge -

is for you and never against you! He smiles on you!

He is always ready and able to justify, save, deliver, and vindicate! He needs to be always at the center of our discourses on judgment!

Let’s praise Him for His goodness, and faithfulness! Hosanna, glory, and halleluiah to our loving, gracious, and holy Judge! Amen.

Toward a Biblical Theology of God’s Judgment: A Celebration of the Cross Seven Phases of Divine Universal Judgment (An Overview Of a Theocentric Christocentric Approach) in

(For more details, see my article in

Journal of Adventist Theological Society

, Spring 2004) .