The Judgment Seat of Christ

The Judgment Seat of Christ

The Jordan River was the place of our Saviour's baptism. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him." Matthew 3:13. John felt unworthy to baptize Christ, but Jesus said:

"Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he suffered him. And JESUS, WHEN HE WAS BAPTIZED, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw THE SPIRIT OF GOD DESCENDING LIKE A DOVE, AND LIGHTING UPON HIM: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased.—Verses 15-17.

Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 10:38.)

1. CHRIST CAME ON TIME (Part 1 of 2)

In Mark's description of the same event, we find that Jesus immediately began to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, saying:

"THE TIME IS FULFILLED, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."—Mark 1:15.

The baptism of our Saviour was on time. The time was fulfilled, and this lent power to His message.

To what time did Christ refer? The time of His coming to this world to fulfill prophecies made centuries before. The Greek word "Christ"—equivalent to the Hebrew "Messiah"—means the "Anointed One." Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost at His baptism. The Messiah, or Christ, was expected by all the prophets and was the real subject of their prophecies.

Now, as to the exact time when He was to appear, let us look at the ninth chapter of Daniel's prophecy. Remember that the people of Israel were in captivity and under the rule of the great Persian empire. Here are the words of a holy angel to the prophet Daniel:

"SEVENTY WEEKS ARE DETERMINED UPON THY PEOPLE [the Jewish people] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem] . . . Know therefore and understand, that FROM THE GOING FORTH OF THE COMMANDMENT TO RESTORE AND TO BUILD JERUSALEM UNTO THE MESSIAH [Christ] THE PRINCE SHALL BE SEVEN WEEKS, AND THREESCORE AND TWO WEEKS."—Daniel 9:24, 25.

These weeks are weeks of years, for in symbolic Bible prophecy a day stands for a year. (See Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34.) So seventy weeks of years, allotted to the Jewish people, would be 70 times 7, or 490 years. But the time which would extend to the appearance of the Messiah is "seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks," or sixty-nine weeks—69 times 7, or 483 years. The Messiah would then "confirm the covenant" during the seventieth week. (Daniel 9:27.)

When did this time period begin? When the commandment went forth "to restore and to build Jerusalem." (Verse 25.) According to Ezra 6:14, the "going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem" dates from the decree of Artaxerxes, which was issued in the seventh year of his reign, 457 B.C. (Ezra 7:7.) History sustains this date.

1. CHRIST CAME ON TIME (Part 2 of 2)

The Messiah was to appear at the end of 69 of 70 weeks. And Christ appeared right on time, for 483 years after 457 B.C. brings us to A.D. 27. In that very year, Jesus was baptized, was anointed by the Holy Ghost, and thus became the Messiah, the Christ.

When did Christ's baptism and anointing take place? Can we be sure it came in A.D. 27?

"IN THE FIFTEENTH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF TIBERIUS CAESAR, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, . . . the word of God came unto JOHN the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he CAME INTO ALL THE COUNTRY ABOUT JORDAN, PREACHING THE BAPTISM of repentance for the remission of sins; . . . JESUS ALSO BEING BAPTIZED, and praying, . . . THE HOLY GHOST DESCENDED in a bodily shape like a dove UPON HIM, AND A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN, WHICH SAID, THOU ART MY BELOVED SON;"—Luke 3:1-3, 21, 22.

Historical evidence shows that Tiberius was closely associated with Augustus Caesar in administering the Roman government as far back as A.D. 12. So the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar would be A.D. 27, exactly 483 years from "the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem."

Thus the prophecy of the 69 weeks was fulfilled. The Messiah appeared on time. By the mathematics of Daniel's prophecy, and by the voice of God at the Jordan River, Jesus is identified as the long-expected Messiah.

The time when Jesus would appear to begin His work was foretold hundreds of years before He was born. What a firm foundation we have for our faith in Jesus!

2. SEVEN YEARS OF OPPORTUNITY

Jesus was baptized and anointed as the Christ at the end of 69 of the 70 weeks. Following His baptism, Jesus began His glorious ministry which was climaxed by His atoning sacrifice—His death on the cross.

"He [Christ] shall confirm the covenant with many for ONE WEEK: and IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease."—Daniel 9:27.

This seventieth week is of course a prophetic "week" of years, or seven years, reaching from A.D. 27 to A.D. 34. After three and a half years of public ministry, the Saviour was crucified on Calvary in A.D. 31, in the very midst of this final seven-year period. "In the midst of the week" Christ's death on the cross caused "the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." That is, His death brought to an end the need for sacrificing lambs and performing the other ceremonies which pointed forward to Christ's death on the cross for our redemption.

With the offering of Jesus on the cross, all the typical offerings of the ancient temple lost their significance. The veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom when the Lamb of God laid down His life, a sign that He had caused "the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." (See Matthew 27:51, 52.)

Jesus "was cut off," He died, "but not for himself." (Verse 26.) It was for you and for me that Jesus died on the cross. There He who was guiltless, sinless, became "sin for us," that we might become "the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21.)

The holy Messiah, our Christ Jesus, was to "confirm the covenant with many for one week," the last of the 70 weeks allotted in God's merciful patience to His chosen people. Christ carried on His public ministry for three and a half years, beginning in the autumn of A.D. 27. He labored for the Jewish nation and wept over them in love, then died in the spring of A.D. 31, "in the midst of the week." Then the disciples devoted their ministry to the people of Israel during the next three and a half years, until A.D. 34.

At the close of this seventieth week, which began in A.D. 27 and ended in A.D. 34, opposition to the gospel became exceedingly bitter. The divine invitation, extended by the risen Saviour through such men as Stephen, was rejected. And the same council which against all evidence had rejected the Messiah Himself, again rejected the appeal of the Holy Ghost shining visibly in Stephen's countenance. (See Acts 7:51-60.)

3. THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD

In A.D. 34 Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christians, was converted and became the mighty apostle to the Gentiles. Persecution drove the believers out of Jerusalem, and "they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:4.) So the good news began to find its way to the uttermost parts of the earth. (See Colossians 1:23.)

The 70 weeks allotted to Jerusalem, the holy city, and to the chosen nation, had ended, though Christ's salvation would always be available to any individual of that, or any other, nation. The offer of salvation is open for all of us today.

Have you responded to Christ's message of love? Have you decided for Him? What is the best day for such a decision? Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not here and may never come. Today is the day.

God proclaimed Jesus the Son of God at His baptism. Fulfilled prophecy proclaimed Him at the cross. Will you not proclaim Him where you are right now? May God help you as you yield your life to Him.

4. PROPHECY FULFILLED IN OUR DAY

The eighth and ninth chapters of the great prophecy of Daniel are closely connected. In both chapters the angel Gabriel speaks to Daniel the prophet.

In the eighth chapter Daniel had seen the great panorama of the future, like a talking picture on a sky-sized screen. The angel Gabriel had explained part of the prophecy to him, for the command of God had been, "Make this man to understand the vision." Daniel 8:16. The angel explained the ram and the he-goat described in Daniel 8:1-12 as representing Medo-Persia and Greece, to be followed by a "little horn" power, Rome. (See verses 20-25.) When the prophet saw the persecutions and troubles that would come to the people of God during this third period, he fell fainting and was so ill that he was unable to hear the explanation of the fourth part of the vision, in which a celestial being said,

"Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."—Verse 14.

The eighth chapter closes with no explanation of this period of time. But later the angel reappeared to the prophet with these words:

"O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. . . . Therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision."—Daniel 9:22, 23.

Then the angel explained the time part of the prophecy, the part which he had failed to explain at his first appearance to Daniel; namely, the 2300 days. These 2300 days are, of course, 2300 years, each day standing for a year. (Ezekiel 4:6.)

The angel told Daniel when these 2300 day-years would begin, and he said that seventy weeks were to be cut off from them for the people of Israel. Seventy weeks, each day standing for a year, would be 490 years of the 2300. These 490 years were "cut off" for the people of Israel and the holy city Jerusalem:

"SEVENTY WEEKS ARE DETERMINED [cut off] UPON THY PEOPLE AND UPON THY HOLY CITY, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins [Christ did this when He died on the cross], and to make reconciliation for iniquity [this our Redeemer did by means of His atoning sacrifice], and to bring in everlasting righteousness [Christ made it available to all of us sinners], and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand [said the angel to Daniel], that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks." Daniel 9:24,25.

Seventy weeks, or 490 years, constituted the first section of the longer period of 2300 years. Knowing when the 490 years started, we know also when the 2300 years began. When did they start? The date is given by the angel: when the command should go forth "to restore and to build Jerusalem," or 457 B.C. In A.D. 34—seventy weeks, or 490 years later—the day of special favor for Israel came to an end. Our Saviour had died upon the cruel cross, had risen from the dead, and had ascended to heaven to begin His work as our High Priest above. Thus ended the first section—the 490 years—of the 2300-year period.

Taking 490 years from 2300 years, leaves 1810. Adding 1810 years to A.D. 34—the date established for the end of the 490 years—brings us to A.D. 1844.

5. THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY CLEANSED

And now read again the prophecy of Daniel 8:14:

"Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

We have discovered that this prophetic time period, which began in 457 B.C., reaches to 1844, near the middle of the last century. "Then," says the prophecy, "shall the sanctuary be cleansed." What is the sanctuary? What does the cleansing of the sanctuary mean?

Of course, the temple or sanctuary in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman armies long ago, in A.D. 70. Since then God has had no temple on earth, but He does have one in heaven. As we discovered in our last lesson, the sanctuary on earth was only a replica of the original in heaven. So the sanctuary to be cleansed, beginning in 1844, is the heavenly sanctuary.

Now, what does the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary mean? In ancient Israel the time for cleansing the earthly sanctuary was called Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It was really a day of judgment to the people. Those who refused to confess and seek divine pardon for their sins were considered to be in rebellion. Judged to be unrighteous, they were "cut off" from Israel. (Leviticus 23:29, 30.) (For a full account of the meaning of the sanctuary and its cleansing, read carefully Leviticus, chapters 16 and 23, and review the previous lesson on Jesus' work in the heavenly sanctuary.)

We live in a solemn hour. For since 1844, when the antitypical Day of Atonement began, Jesus has been ministering as our High Priest in the most holy place of the heavenly temple. How long His ministry there will continue, we cannot say, but when it is finished, our Saviour will lay aside His priestly work of intercession and come to earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords.

According to the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, at the end of the 2300 day-years, the heavenly sanctuary was to be cleansed. The meaning is clear: IN 1844 THE WORK OF JUDGMENT BEGAN IN THE HEAVENLY SANCTUARY.

6. JESUS OUR MEDIATOR AND OUR JUDGE (Part 1 of 4)

There are three phases to the judgment:

(1) From 1844 to Second Coming—The Cases of the Righteous Investigated.

The devil, the instigator of all evil, has led mankind into sin. He wants to see us judged unrighteous and destroyed. But Jesus, our Elder Brother, gave His life to save us. As our priestly Mediator, Jesus is ever working to make the forgiveness of sin, which He gained for us on Calvary, a practical reality in every life. He is our High Priest in the investigative judgment, offering His own blood to cleanse from sin the record of all who have responded to His invitation to accept salvation.

Then, when Jesus comes a second time, He will reward the righteous.

"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."—Revelation 22:12.

Those who profess to serve God must be judged before the second coming of Jesus to determine who among them are to receive their reward at that time. And this work of judging the righteous began in 1844.

What is Jesus' work in judgment? As our High Priest, He is now cleansing the heavenly sanctuary, as foretold in Daniel 8:14. He is now clearing the books of record in the heavenly sanctuary, blotting out the sins of those who have claimed redemption through His blood and have remained firm to their commitment. And when Jesus comes again a "second time," He will appear "without sin."

"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."—Hebrews 9:28.

At the second coming of Jesus, the sins on record in heaven will have been cleansed or blotted from the record of those who have remained faithful to Christ.

If you had the opportunity to alter your life record, what changes would you make? You would probably appreciate the opportunity to correct the errors, to blot out every kind of wrong. Jesus offers to do all this and far more. As our High Priest, Jesus blots out all the mistakes from our life record. He promises the one who accepts and trustingly obeys Him, that his sins will be "blotted out." (Acts 3:19.)

6. JESUS OUR MEDIATOR AND OUR JUDGE (Part 2 of 4)

When your name comes up in the judgment, it will be an easy matter to face your life record if you have accepted the wonderful work of Jesus in our behalf. It will not be necessary to face the record of a wasted and broken life, for the perfect life of Jesus will appear in the place of our own life record. (2 Corinthians 5:21.) What assurance! Jesus—confident that the faithful have learned their lesson—clears their record of every trace of sin. He then returns to earth to reward them.

(2) During the 1,000 Years—The Wicked Judged.

Guide 9 explains fully what happens during the thousand years following Christ's second coming. During that time the cases of the wicked will be committed to the righteous for investigation. The justice of each sentence will become plain, for the dead are "judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." (Revelation 20:12.) The redeemed, examining the record in the books of heaven, view the opportunities which the wicked have failed to grasp. They will be convinced of God's long-suffering vigilance, for He has offered the wicked not only a second chance, but chance after chance to yield to Him. Yet they have rejected His every overture of love.

(3) The Final Judgment Scene—Entire Universe Present.

At the close of the thousand years the curtain will be lifted on the final act in the judgment scene. But you need not fear the final judgment, for Jesus, the One who loved us enough to die for us, will be the Judge. God the Father, "the Judge of all" (Hebrews 12:23), "hath committed all judgment unto the Son." (John 5:22.) Therefore, "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." (Romans 14:10.)

6. JESUS OUR MEDIATOR AND OUR JUDGE (Part 3 of 4)

The final dramatic phase of the judgment will center on this planet. (Revelation 20:11-15.) The Holy City, New Jerusalem, will descend to earth. (Revelation 21:2.) ALL THE RIGHTEOUS OF ALL AGES will gather around the "great white throne" of judgment within the city. ALL THE WICKED OF ALL AGES will be awakened from the dust of the earth, and will come "up on the breadth of the earth" and surround the city. (Revelation 20:5, 8, 9.) EVERY BEING IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE looks on at this final judgment scene. (Philippians 2:10.)

As the next act in the drama is unfolded, the wicked are summoned to stand before the judgment bar, and their whole life record is opened before them. John wrote of this judgment day:

"I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it. . . . And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; 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."—Revelation 20:11, 12.

From the records contained in the books, Jesus, the righteous Judge, will unfold before the entire universe the full story of His dealings with angels and men. In fact, this is one of the most important aspects of the judgment. The whole plan and purpose of God are to be made fully known, and His character is to be vindicated. Ever since sin began, the devil has been slandering God's character and charging Him with being unjust. Now, before the whole universe, every step in the work of saving men will be revealed.

Every being in the universe will be satisfied with the character of the Judge of all the earth and with the fairness of His judgments. As the entire universe looks down upon Jesus in all His glory standing before the throne of God (Revelation 5:6, 13), all will be given a comprehensive view of His redemptive work—His coming to this world to dwell in human flesh, His sinless life, His atoning death, His priestly ministry, seeking to save the lost—all the lost if possible.

6. JESUS OUR MEDIATOR AND OUR JUDGE (Part 4 of 4)

As Jesus steps forth in all His beauty and passes sentence on the wicked, every being in the universe—even Satan himself—will admit the justice of this final act of divine judgment, for all have been given a comprehensive view of the books of record. And when the sentence is pronounced, the whole universe will break forth in singing:

"Great and wonderful are thy deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are thy ways . . . All nations shall come and worship thee, for thy judgments have been revealed."—Revelation 15:3, 4, R.S.V.

The wicked will then have passed judgment upon themselves, by acknowledging Jesus a just Judge. Their course of rebellion has unfitted them for real happiness, either in this life or in the life to come, and they will be destroyed, together with the devil and his angels. (Revelation 20:14, 15.) The entire universe of God will then be clean, never again to be marred by sin.

"He [the Lord] will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time."—Nahum 1:9.

7. THE JUDGMENT-HOUR MESSAGE

In 1844 the "hour of God's judgment" began in heaven—that is, Jesus began His work as our High Priest, cleansing the heavenly sanctuary. When the judgment began in heaven, the judgment-hour message was to sound throughout the world. God's judgment-hour message is found in Revelation 14:6-15. Note particularly that this message begins with the announcement: "Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come." (Verse 7.) This worldwide message (verse 6) will be dealt with in a future lesson.

Did such a message begin in the middle of the nineteenth century? Is it going to all the earth? The answer is, Yes. Beginning in a very small way, the message based on these great prophecies of Daniel and Revelation is now circling the earth, and the Voice of Prophecy broadcast is a part of it. It is calling the attention of men to their Saviour and Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ, as prophet, priest, and king. His work as prophet was completed on this earth when He died upon the cross at Calvary. His work as priest is being carried on now in the heavenly temple. Soon He will come as King.

Put your case in the hands of Jesus now. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." 1 John 2:1. When the record of your sins appears in the judgment, Jesus can say before the entire universe, "I died for that man's sins."

No matter what life has brought to you, your problem is not too hard for the Saviour. He can help you. His blood will cover all sin, even yours. Give your heart to Jesus and He will receive you. Young or old, sick or well, give your heart to Him now. This is your opportunity. This is the day of salvation.