Ecclesiastes 3:17 & the Judgment

I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work. 

Ecclesiastes 3:17

 

"The sins of men are written in the books of God’s remembrance.

The blotting out of the sins of the righteous does therefore involve the examination of these books for this very purpose. That the sins of men are thus written, is plainly revealed in the Scriptures.  

“For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me, said the Lord God.” Jeremiah 2:22.

 

THE judgment of the great day is an event certain to take place. “He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained.” Acts 17:31. What God hath appointed is sure to come in due time. The resurrection of Christ is an assurance to all men of the final judgment. 

 

The work to be accomplished is of immense magnitude. 

The judgment relates 

(1) to all the righteous; 

(2) to all the wicked; 

(3) to all the evil angels. 

The number of cases, therefore, to be acted upon at this grand tribunal exceeds our powers of conception. 

 

1. The righteous are to judge the wicked; yet the righteous are themselves to pass the test of the judgment. 

Whence it follows that the judgment must pass upon the righteous before they can sit in judgment upon the wicked.
This is a very important proposition. That it is truthful we know from the express testimony of the Scriptures.
“Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be

judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:2,3.

“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.” Daniel 7:21. 22.
Here is the exalted work of the saints in the judgment. They are to take part in the examination of the cases of all wicked men and fallen angels. 

---But this is not to be till they have been changed to immortality, and exalted to thrones of glory. They do not, therefore, have their cases decided at the same time with the wicked.

 

2. The trump of God sounds as the Savior descends from heaven. When that trump is heard, all the righteous are, in the twinkling of an eye, changed to immortality. 

 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption; it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.” “Behold, I show you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 14:42-44. 51,52.

There can be no examination after this to determine whether they shall be counted worthy of eternal life, for they will then have already laid hold upon it. 

---From this it follows that the examination and decision of the cases of the righteous takes place before the advent of Christ. The resurrection of the righteous to immortality is decisive proof that they have then already passed the test of the judgment. 

 

This period of investigative judgment is ushered in by a solemn proclamation to the inhabitants of the earth; and this investigative work embraces the closing years of human probation. This is a very important statement.
“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; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6,7.
The gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” Romans 1:16. 

No other gospel than this can be preached, not even by an angel from heaven. Galatians 1:8. Whence it follows that the angel of Revelation 14:6,7, preaching the everlasting gospel, represents some part of the
great gospel proclamation. It is a part of that preaching which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. 

This fact alone is decisive that this proclamation concerning the hour of God’s judgment must be made while human probation still lasts. 

 

Two other solemn announcements follows. 

And it is evident that the human family are still upon probation, when the third angel declares that “if any man worship the beast . . . the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. . . . Here is the patience of the saints.” This is a consecutive prophecy, as several expressions plainly indicate. And it is to be observed that the Son of man is seen upon the white cloud after all these solemn proclamations have been made.

That this announcement of the hour of God’s judgment precedes the advent of Christ, and is addressed to men while yet in probation, the fourteenth chapter of Revelation clearly proves." J.N. Andrews