THE
DAY OF JUDGMENT
Lesson 10
Part l
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We have studied the
failures of the Jewish nation and the Christian
Church. Just as Christianity came from the
cradle of Judaism, Protestantism developed within
Catholicism. The force behind each movement
was a pursuit of truth about God. Truth
needs restoration from time to time. Man
becomes careless and forgets. Man-made
teachings gradually displace the Word of
God. Without divine light, we stumble in
darkness. The farther we stray from
Gods Word, the darker the darkness.
In spite of the vast technological knowledge we
have today, are we entering the new dark ages?
Jesus reserved the
continent of North Americaas a haven for
Protestantism. This new world discovery
became a refuge for all seeking religious
freedom. During the past two centuries,
millions of immigrants arrived on these shores
seeking religious freedom and opportunity.
No one argues that God has immensely blessed this
nation. But it is not the natural wealth of
this country that made us great. The United
States became great because she was God-fearing
and lived by the principles of righteousness.
The troubles we face now
are due to the fact that we have lost sight of
our Creator. Like the Jews of old, we have
forgotten God. As a nation, we seek
pleasure more than righteousness. We love
things more than we love God. We have
become a nation of idolaters. TV feeds our
degenerate souls by glamorizing sin a thousand
times each day. Our minds are filled with
meaningless and empty diversions. We never
have enough money or enough time. (If you
dont believe it, ask a friend for some of
either!) We have become poor managers of
our natural resources. Evidence all around
indicates that America is headed downhill fast!
At the end of the
American Revolution one of our forefathers wrote,
The spirit of the times may alter, will
alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our
people careless. A single zealot may
commence persecution, and better men are his
victims. It can never be too often
repeated, that the time for fixing every
essential right on a legal basis, is whole our
rulers are honest and we united. From the
conclusion of this war we shall be going
downhill. It will not then be necessary to resort
every moment to the people for their
support. They will be forgotten, therefore,
and their rights disregarded. They will
forget themselves, and in the sole faculty of
making money, they will never think of uniting to
affect a due respect for their rights. The
shackles, therefore, which shall be knocked off
at the conclusion of the war, will remain on us
long, will be heavier and heavier, till our
rights shall revive or expire in a
convulsion. Thomas Jefferson Notes on
Virginia, Vol 8, page 402
Was Jefferson
prophetic? Are his 200 hundred-year-old
remarks on target? If you think
Jeffersonwas prophetic, Bible prophecy is even
more accurate for God alone declares the end from
the beginning.
Another look at Daniel 7
We need to study Daniel 7
more thoroughly because were seeking an
understanding of the importance of 1844.
How can we know for sure that 1844 marks the
appointed time of the end?
Daniels four
beasts, discussed in the last lesson, parallel
the same kingdoms that Nebuchadnezzar saw.
These kingdoms were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece
and Rome. Even though history removes any
doubt about the identity and chronological
progression of these kingdoms. Daniel 7 has
information greater than the rise and fall of 4
kingdoms!
Daniel 7 contains an
important key that unlocks the significance of
1844. Notice what Daniel says,
As I looked, thrones were set in place, and
the Ancient of Days took his seat. His
clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his
head was white like wool. His throne was
flaming with fire, and its wheels were all
ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming
out from before him. Thousands upon
thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him. The court was
seated, and the books were opened.
Daniel 7:9,10
What did Daniel see
taking place in heaven? What is the meaning
of this courtroom scene? Daniel saw the
judgment of mankind! Reread the verses
above and reflect on the following points for a
moment:
1.
Thrones (plural) were put in place or
arranged. Heaven was made ready for a
great event.
2.
The Ancient of Days, the Father presides.
His appearance is greater than the brightness of
the sun. His throne (compared to the other
thrones) is so bright that it appears to be on
fire. The glowing angels that encircle him
appear to Daniel as wheels of fire.
3.
This is no ordinary convention in heaven.
Billions of angels throughout the universe have
been summoned to this special occasion.
4.
The Father takes his seat. The court was
seated. And the books of record were
opened. But the scene doesnt end with
these verses. Theres more. Daniel
says, In my vision at night I looked, and
there before me was one like a son of man, coming
with the clouds of heaven. He approached
the Ancient of Days and was led into his
presence. He was given authority, glory and
sovereign power; all peoples nations and
men of every language worshipped him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not
pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never
be destroyed. Daniel 7:13,14
5.
In this vast assembly of angels, Daniel sees a
being that looked very different than the
heavenly host. This being looked like a son
of man. Consider the significance of
this. Billions of angels are gathered in
the courtroom and center stage stands a being
that looks like one of the human race! This
son of man can only be Jesus.
6.
Jesus is taken before the Ancient of Days by a
retinue of holy angels.
7.
As Daniel watches, Jesus receives authority,
glory and sovereign power.
8.
Daniel concludes the vision saying that Jesus is
ultimately worshipped by everyone in heaven an on
the earth and His kingdom will never pass away or
be destroyed. (Contrast this with the 4
beasts representing kingdoms that rise and fall.)
Daniel sees the judgment
of human beings
What does this scene
describe? In a sentence, Daniel was
permitted to see the great judgment day of the
human race! The Bible speaks in many places
about the judgment day as being in the
future. Notice a few texts:
- For
God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing, whether it
is good or evil. Ecclesiastes
12:14
- For
he (the Father) has set a day when he
will judge the world with justice by the
man he has appointed
Acts
17:31
- For
we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, that each one may receive
what is due him
II
Corinthians 5:10
- Peter
understood that the Day of Judgment would
be future,
The Lord knows how
to rescue godly men from the trials and
to hold the unrighteous for the Day of
Judgment
II Peter 2:9
- Paul
anticipated the judgment day
saying, This will take place
on the day when God will judge mens
secrets through Jesus Christ
Romans 2:16
- Jesus
told the Pharisees that the great
judgment day was in the future saying,
The men of Ninevehwill stand up at
the judgment with this generation and
condemn it; for they repented at the
preaching of Jonah, and now one greater
than Jonah is here. The Queen of
the South will rise at the judgment with
this generation and condemn it; for she
came from the ends of the earth to listen
to Solomons wisdom, and now one
greater than Solomon is here.
Matthew 12:41,42
- Jesus
told the Jews that He would someday judge
them saying,
the Father
judges no one, but has entrusted all
judgment to the Son, that all may honor
the Son just as they honor the
Father
John 5:22,23
That a judgment day is
prophesied in the Bible is beyond dispute.
But the big question is, When does
Jesus actually determine the eternal destiny of
each person?
The Day of Atonement
Part of the answer to
this question is found in the sanctuary service
of the Old Testament! Remember, Israel
faced a judgment day countdown each year.
According to the Mishna, a collection of Jewish
writings, the judgment of Israel began on the 1st
day of the 7th month with the Feast of
Trumpets and ended on the 10th day
with the Day of Atonement. Today, the 10th
day of the 7th month is called
Yom Kippur which literally means,
judgment day.
If you read lesson 4, you
will find an explanation of the Day of Atonement
and what it meant to the Jews. In short,
the Feast of Trumpets began on the 1st
day of the 7th month with trumpets
sounding to warn Israel that probation or mercy
was closing. Each person was to search his
heart and make all wrongs right before the 10th
day. All sins must be transferred from the
individual to the sanctuary before the 10th
day. Failure to have sins transferred to
the sanctuary meant the sinner must bear the
consequences of his own deeds.
The Jews understood the
Day of Atonement to be the end of the yearly
judgment process.
By the evening of the 9th
day, all sins must be confessed and transferred
into the sanctuary via the shed blood of an
animal so that all sins for that year could be
disposed of. On the morning of the 10th
day, the High Priest cleansed the sanctuary of
all accumulated sins. Thus the Day of
Atonement was the most significant day in Jewish
ceremonies. Jesus told Moses,
on the tenth day of the seventh month
you must deny yourselves and not do any work;
whether native-born or an alien living among you,
because on this day atonement will be made for
you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord,
you will be clean from your sins. It is a
Sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it
is a lasting ordinance. Leviticus
16:29-31
Back to Daniel 7
Daniel obviously saw a
courtroom setting with the Ancient of Days
presiding. Daniel saw the books of record
opened. The record books contain every
motive, deed and thought of all that have ever
lived. Each person that lived on earth will
be examined and a determination for eternal life
or eternal death will be made. All heaven
attends the solemn meeting. Daniel mentions
that ten thousand times ten thousand angels are
present. Every angel anxiously watches as
Jesus reviews each record and arrives at a
decision that will last for eternity! It is
an awesome occasion.
Note: Many people
are surprised to discover in John 5:22 that Jesus
is the One who makes the eternal decision upon
each person. The Father has granted both
the position of advocate and judge to
Jesus. This is only fair, for Jesus has
walked where we walk, He has suffered more than
we suffer and He was tempted more than we are
tempted. Hebrews 4:15 The beauty of this
point might be understood by comparing our
judicial system with heavens judicial
system. In our judicial system, our peers
judge us. In other words, a jury of people
having the same background as the accused judges
a person. In a similar way, the people of
earth are judged in heaven by one of us, a
son of man! Daniel saw Jesus approach
the Father and receive authority and sovereign
power for this express purpose. Sovereign
power means unlimited power.
When does the court
convene?
We must find the answer
to this vital question. Notice the
progression of Daniels vision. We
will find several clues in Daniel 7 that
associate the timing of heavens courtroom
scene with the events on earth. Follow the
chronology along in your Bible:
1.
Daniel was observing the violent behavior and
blasphemous nature of the fourth beast when the
heavenly courtroom scene began. (v7-9)
2.
After court convenes in verses 9 and 10, Daniel
points out that the terrible 4th beast
exists until the end of the world when it is
thrown into a blazing fire. (V11) The importance
of this and the sustained life of the other three
beasts (lion, bear and leopard) will be seen
later when we study Revelation 13.
3.
Daniels gaze returned to the courtroom
scene by describing the appearing of Jesus before
the Ancient of Days. Daniel points out that
the Son of Man is promoted and given
special recognition. He receives authority,
glory and sovereign power and ultimately every
knee bows to worship him. (V13, 14)
An angel helps
Daniel was greatly
troubled by this vision because of the relentless
persecution of the 4th beast upon the
saints. An angel is sent to Daniel with
more information. Daniel is anxious to know more
about the terrible fourth beast.
(V19) The angel begins by reassuring
Daniel, The four great beasts are four
kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But
the saints of the Most High will receive the
kingdom and will possess it forever yes,
ever and ever. Daniel 7:17,18
4.
Daniel saw the persecution of the saints by the
little horn power occur in two segments. The
first persecution continued until the Ancient of
Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the
saints and the second persecution ends when the
saints possess the kingdom. (See v21,
22) We will see later that the Bible
clearly predicts there are two time periods when
the saints are persecuted. One is 1,260
years long the other is 1,260 days long!
This point will be greatly amplified in our study
on Revelation 12 and 13.
5.
The angel identifies the little horn power by
reminding Daniel that the little horn rises out
of the 4th beast and then
uprooted three of the ten kings that
took over the fourth kingdom. (Compare
verses 8, 23 and 24. In our previous lesson
we learned that the papacy was able to destroy
three of the ten kings that conquered Rome.
These were: the Ostrogoths, the Vandals and the
Heruli.)
6.
The angel said the little horn power would speak
against the Most High, oppress his saints and try
or think to change set times and
laws. Even worse, the saints are to be
handed over to this antichrist power for a time,
times and half a time. (V25)
7.
In verses 26 and 27, the angel says, But
the court will sit, and the power of the little
horn will be taken away and the end, the
persecuting power will be completely destroyed
forever. Then all the kingdoms of earth
will be given over to the saints.
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