with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:14.
5. What view of the judgment scene was given Daniel?
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed, R.V.], and the Ancient of days
did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His
throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and
came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times
ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Dan.
7:9,10.
6. Out of what will all be judged?
"And the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book
of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according
to their works." Rev. 20:12.
7. For whom has a book of remembrance been written?
"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord harkened,
and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the
Lord, and that thought upon His name." Mal. 3:16. See Rev. 20:12.
8. Who opens the judgment and presides over it?
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed], and the Ancient of days did
sit." Dan. 7:9.
9. Who minister to God, and assist in the judgment?
"Thousand thousands [of angels] ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before Him." Verse 10. See Rev. 5:11.
10. Who is brought before the Father at this time?
"I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with
the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before
Him." Dan. 7:13.
11. What does Christ as the advocate of His people confess before the Father and His
angels?
"He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not
blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My
Father, and before His angels." Rev. 3:5. See Matt. 10:32,33; Mark 8:38.
NOTE.-During this judgment scene, both the righteous and the wicked dead are still in
their graves. The record of each one's life, however, is in the books of heaven, and by
that record their characters and deeds are well known. Christ is there to appear in behalf
of those who have chosen Him as their advocate. 1 John 2:1. He presents His blood, as He
appeals for their sins to be blotted from the books of record. As the place of judgment is
in heaven, where God's throne is, and as Christ is present in person, it follows that the
work of judgment is also in heaven. All are judged by the record of their lives, and thus
answer for the deeds done in the body. This work will not only decide forever the cases of
the dead, but will also close the probation of all who are living, after which Christ will
come to take to Himself those who have been found loyal to Him.
12. After the subjects of the kingdom have been determined by the investigative
judgment, what is given to Christ?
"And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that
all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him." Dan. 7:14.
13. When He comes the second time, what title will He bear?
"And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and
Lord of lords." Rev. 19:16.
14. What will He then do for each one?
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then
He shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27. See also Rev.
22:12.
15. Where will Christ then take His people?
"In My Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John
14:2,3.
16. How many of the dead will be raised?
"For the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life;
and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5:28,29. See
also Acts 24:15.
17. What time intervenes between the two resurrections?
"And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had
received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
years were finished." Rev. 20:4,5.
18. What work did Daniel see finally assigned to the saints?
"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
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." Dan. 7:21,22.
19. How long will the saints engage in this work of judgment?
"I And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:
. . . and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Rev. 20:4.
20. Who will thus be judged by the saints?
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world
shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we
shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor.
6:2,3.
21. How will the decisions of the judgment be executed?
"And out of His [Christ's] mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite
the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the wine-press of
the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Rev. 19:15.
22. Why is the execution of the judgment given to Christ?
"For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life
in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the
Son of man." John 5:26,27.
23. How was the opening of the judgment to be made known to the world?
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel
to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue,
and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of
His judgment is come." Rev. 14:6,7.
NOTE.-There are three phases of the judgment mentioned in the Scriptures,-the
investigative judgment, preceding the second advent; the judgment of the lost world and
wicked angels by Christ and the saints during the one thousand years following the second
advent; and the executive judgment, or punishment of the wicked at the close of this
period. The investigative judgment takes place in heaven before Christ comes, in order to
ascertain who are worthy to be raised in the first resurrection, at His coming, and who
among the living are to be changed in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last
trump. It is necessary for this to take place before the second advent, as there will be
no time for such a work between the coming of Christ and the raising of the righteous
dead. The executive Judgment on the wicked occurs after their cases have been examined by
the saints during the thousand years. Rev. 20:4,5; 1 Cor. 6:1-3. The investigative
judgment is that which is announced to the world by the angel's message of Rev. 14:6,7.
