THE JUDGMENT DAY IS NEAR!

Is it a literal 24-hour day? A day filled with fear and quaking? A day set aside to sentence every man, woman, and child who has lived to a place of eternal bliss or a place of eternal suffering and unspeakable tortures? Or is the judgment day scenario entirely different from this? What do the Scriptures say concerning how God judges his people and separates those who prove faithful and obedient from those who do not?

There are three great works of separation revealed in God's word, each taking place during its own special time period. They are the separation of “the chaff from the wheat,” “the tares from the wheat,” and “the sheep from the goats.”

The first work of separation, the “chaff from the wheat,” took place when Jesus was on earth. This was a separation only within the Jewish nation, sifting the Israelites indeed (the wheat), who would be gathered into the Gospel church, from the remainder of the Jewish nation (the chaff). Matthew 3:12, “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This separation culminated in a great time of trouble (symbolized by fire) at the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jewish nation was not even aware that they were in a judgment test and were found unworthy to be part of the Gospel church because they knew not the time of their “visitation“ (Luke 19:44).

The second great separation among those who profess to be God’s people was due to take place at the end of the Gospel Age. The Gospel Age began at Pentecost when God started gathering his Gospel church. Matthew 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and

bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” This work of separating the true Christians (wheat) from the false Christians (tares) has been going on, and the world and worldly church have been unaware of it.

The third great period of separation among those who profess to be living in harmony with God’s will is in the future and after the Gospel church is glorified with Christ. This will be the separation of the sheep from the goats. Matthew 25:32-33, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”

This separation will involve all mankind and take place at the end of the Millennial Age and will include all who have been raised from the grave during Christ’s earthly kingdom. The judgment of mankind will be gradual, not all at the same moment. It will take the entire period of the reign of Christ and his church. All mankind will be brought to a clear knowledge of the truth for the purpose of testing them, that they may choose to follow the law of God (the sheep) or they may be clearly separated as those who will choose ungodliness and selfishness (the goats). This separation will not be an immediate sentence that takes place immediately when one is raised to life, but it will be the final judgment based on a fair and impartial individual trial that will take place during an extended period of time, lasting many years under very favorable conditions.

The question might be asked: If the Judgment Day of mankind is to cover the period of Christ’s 1000-year millennial reign, why do the Scriptures use the term “day” to describe it, as in Acts 17:31, “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained”? The term day in Bible times was frequently used, as now, to cover a long but definite period of time not equal to a 24-hour day. For instance, Hebrews 3:8, “The day of the temptation in the wilderness" [40 years]; 2 Corinthians 6:2, "The day of salvation." [the Gospel Age].

Revelation 20:12, “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.”

The judgment of mankind during Christ’s kingdom will test the small and great - the humble and proud, poor and rich, all mankind from every walk of life will be required to be on trial for everlasting life. The books of the Bible will then all be “opened,” or understood. All will then see that the Golden Rules laid down by inspiration through Moses and the Prophets, and Jesus and His Apostles, are the very ones which mankind will be required to obey.

The judgment of that time, the test, will not be of faith, because knowledge will be universal and all the darkness and obscurity created by ignorance and superstition will have passed away. The test at that time will be of absolute obedience; whereas the tests of the Church at the present time are of faith.

This judgment day will be the time when all the heathen will have their trial after they shall all be brought to a clear knowledge of the Truth. It will also be the time when the great masses of Christendom will for the first time hear of the real character of God and His requirements of them. Although some of them may have been in churches occasionally and may have seen Bibles occasionally, nevertheless the eyes of their understanding were darkened. They saw not; they heard not; they understood not. Why? Because Satan, “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), blinded them by replacing the truth with error.

Now, during the Gospel Age, the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev. 13:8) alone is open, and only those called to be members of the Gospel church class and who accept the call are written therein. But in the great 1000-year “day” of the world's trial or judgment, another book of life will be opened (Rev 20:12).

A record will be made of all who, during that time, will show themselves worthy of everlasting life on the human plane, and, if faithful, they will be accepted of the Father to life eternal. What about those who will not give their hearts to the Lord and be obedient to the laws of the Messianic Kingdom? These will fail the test. And failing the fairest, most favorable test that could possibly be given, these will prove themselves incorrigible, unworthy of life, so they “shall be destroyed from amongst the people” (Acts 3:19-23).

Many have dreaded the world’s Judgment Day due to erroneous teachings. But the Bible represents the day of judgment as a period of glory and blessing. Psalm 98:4-9 says, “Make a joyful noise…rejoice, and sing praise…for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.”

Hartford Bible Students * P.O. Box 493 * Manchester, CT 06045

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Last modified: 09/19/09