Is truth relative?

Should not be.

Where do we obtain truth?

The Bible.

40,000 Denominations Worldwide - Is Christianity Divided?

Some critics of Christianity are keen to point out that, according to best estimates, there are roughly 40,000 Christian denominations worldwide. This is an astoundingly large figure, and some see it as evidence that Christianity is divided.

If Christians can’t even agree among themselves, how can they make exclusive claims about absolute truth? a

Unfortunately these demonations are plagued with Biblical misunderstandings!

Can you point out some misunderstood Bible passages?

How about, "Judge not!"

Matthew 7:1

KJV ¹ Judge not, that ye be not judged. CEV (Luke 6.
37,38,41,42) ¹ Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you.

Context very often helps clear out some Biblical misconceptions.

A Text Without a Context Is a Pretext (a reason given in justification of a course of action that is not the real reason.)

In other words, a scripture read without thought to the surrounding verses is easily misconstrued. Each verse lies inside a chapter. Each chapter inside a Book, inside a Testament, and inside the whole of Scripture. To properly pull the truth from a scripture it must be understood within the context of the segment it’s in, the chapter it’s in and the book as a whole. When doing so we find that each book has a specific purpose and/or theme. The verse takes on a broader meaning when you realize who it was written by, who it was written to and why it was written at all. b

The Best Interpreter of Scripture Is Scripture!

"Sola scriptura" – meaning, by scripture alone, is a Christian theological doctrine held by most Protestant Christian denominations.

So, back to "judge not!", what does the immediate context tell us?

Matthew 7:1-5

KJV ¹ Judge not, that ye be not judged. ² For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³ And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴ Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁵ Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. CEV (Luke 6.
37,38,41,42) ¹ Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. ² God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them. ³ You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. ⁴ How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you don't see the log in your own eye? ⁵ You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.

When people around us are doing wrong, we are called to confront them!

Strong warning found here:

Ezekiel 33:8

KJV ⁸ When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. CEV ⁸ When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways. But if you refuse to warn them, you are responsible for their death.

There are several passages in Scripture showing the consequences of not carrying out judgment, for example:

1 Samuel 3:10-17

KJV ¹⁰ And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. ¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. ¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. ¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. ¹⁴ And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. ¹⁵ And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision. ¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. ¹⁷ And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. CEV ¹⁰ The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!” “I'm listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?” ¹¹ The Lord said: Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it! ¹² I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised. ¹³ He knew that his sons refused to respect me, and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever. ¹⁴ I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things. ¹⁵ The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the Lord's house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said. ¹⁶ But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!” “Yes, sir!” Samuel answered. ¹⁷ Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I'll ask God to punish you terribly if you don't tell me every word he said!”

We are called to judge!

In fact, the Bible tells us that we will judge angels!

1 Corinthians 6:3

KJV ³ Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? CEV ³ Don't you know we will judge angels? And if this is so, we can surely judge everyday matters.

When we judge, we are called to judge fairly.

And we must never forget that ultimate judgement in this world can only be carried out by God, because only God can see true intentions.

God reads the heart – 1 Samuel 16:7

KJV ⁷ But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. CEV ⁷ But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.”

Don't judge by appearances – John 7:24

KJV ²⁴ Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. CEV ²⁴ Don't judge by appearances. Judge by what is right.

So judges, what do you think about death?

Jesus made sure to explain what death was in John 11:1-14

KJV ¹ Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) ³ Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. ⁴ When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. ⁶ When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. ⁷ Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. ⁸ His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? ⁹ Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. ¹¹ These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. ¹² Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. ¹³ Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. ¹⁴ Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. CEV ¹ ^1-2 A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who later poured perfume on the Lord's head and wiped his feet with her hair. ³ The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick. ⁴ When Jesus heard this, he said, “His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son.” ⁵ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. ⁶ But he stayed where he was for two more days. ⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “Now we will go back to Judea.” ⁸ “Teacher,” they said, “the people there want to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?” ⁹ Jesus answered, “Aren't there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won't stumble. ¹⁰ But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light.” ¹¹ Then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up.” ¹² They replied, “Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep. ¹⁴ Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead!

We turn to dust and spirit returns to God – Ecclesiastes 12:7

KJV ⁷ Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. CEV ⁷ So our bodies return to the earth, and the life-giving breath returns to God.

Dead don't know anything – Ecclesiastes 9:5

KJV ⁵ For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. CEV ⁵ We know we will die, but the dead don't know a thing. Nothing good will happen to them — they are gone and forgotten.

Dead cannot praise God – Psalm 115:17

KJV ¹⁷ The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. CEV ¹⁷ The dead are silent and cannot praise the Lord,

Dead don't work – Ecclesiastes 9:10

KJV ¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. CEV ¹⁰ Work hard at whatever you do. You will soon go to the world of the dead, where no one works or thinks or reasons or even knows anything.

Even with these verses in mind, Christians still believe in the immortality of the soul!

Were we made immortal?

Satan's lie regarding immortality – Genesis 3:4-5

KJV ⁴ And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: ⁵ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. CEV ⁴ “No, you won't!” the snake replied. ⁵ “God understands what will happen on the day you eat fruit from that tree. You will see what you have done, and you will know the difference between right and wrong, just as God does.”

Who only is immortal?

Only God is immortal – 1 Timothy 6:16

KJV ¹⁶ Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen. CEV ¹⁶ Only God lives forever! And he lives in light that no one can come near. No human has ever seen God or ever can see him. God will be honored, and his power will last forever. Amen.

Many popular books and movies are produced with the desire/dream/fantasy/delusion to prolong existence beyond the grave!

Transcendence movie.

Altered Carbon series.

Do you want to live forever?

God has given us a wonderful promise of how to achieve eternal life

John 3:16

KJV ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. CEV ¹⁶ God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

What about this week lesson?

It's titled, "The Standing Dead."

Sounds like a title for a Zombie movie!

Zombies??? Revelation 20:12

KJV 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. CEV ¹² I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done.

Do you think we could benefit with some context?

Revelation 20:11-15

KJV ¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. CEV ¹¹ I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. ¹² I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done. ¹⁴ Afterwards, death and its kingdom were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name wasn't written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
is a summary of events from the Second Coming to destruction of the wicked:

The Second Coming - Revelation 20:11

KJV ¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. CEV ¹¹ I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go.

The Investigation and sentencing of the wicked - Revelation 20:12

KJV 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. CEV ¹² I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done.

The investigation and sentencing of the wicked in heaven during the thousand years.

The dead will stand before God, not in person but through the record of their lives.

After the millenium - Revelation 20:13

KJV ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. CEV ¹³ The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done.

After the millennium, the sea and the grave will give up the wicked dead, and they will see with their own eyes the record of their lives and confess the justice of their sentence.

The sentence executed - Revelation 20:14-15

KJV ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. CEV ¹⁴ Afterwards, death and its kingdom were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name wasn't written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

The sentence will be executed in the lake of fire.

Questions

Why must God execute judgment and justice at all?

What does the amount of time used for the entire process reveal about God’s character?

SUN – Three Stages [of Judgment] (inGest)

As we pointed out in Week 8 [URL:https://sabbath-school.adventech.io/en/2022-04-cq/08/01], the judgment of the righteous before the millennium follows a three-step process:

Judgment of the righteous

STEP 1 – The judgment review (Investigative Judgment) in heaven before the Second Coming – Revelation 14:6-7

KJV ⁶ 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, ⁷ 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. CEV ⁶ I saw another angel. This one was flying across the sky and had the eternal good news to announce to the people of every race, tribe, language, and nation on earth. ⁷ The angel shouted, “Worship and honor God! The time has come for him to judge everyone. Kneel down before the one who created heaven and earth, the oceans, and every stream.”
Daniel 8:14

KJV ¹⁴ And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. CEV ¹⁴ The other answered, “It will be 2,300 evenings and mornings before the temple is dedicated and in use again.”

STEP 2 – The announcement of the verdict and sentence in heaven – Revelation 22:11

KJV ¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. CEV ¹¹ Evil people will keep on being evil, and everyone who is dirty-minded will still be dirty-minded. But good people will keep on doing right, and God's people will always be holy.

STEP 3 – The implementation of the verdict (the reward) when Jesus returns to earth – Revelation 22:12

KJV ¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. CEV ¹² Then I was told: I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done.

The judgment of the wicked during and after the millennium will follow the same three-step process.

Before the process begins, however, Jesus will return to earth in power and glory.

Read Revelation 6:14-17

KJV ¹⁴ And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. ¹⁵ And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; ¹⁶ And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: ¹⁷ For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? CEV ¹⁴ Then the sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all mountains and islands were moved from their places. ¹⁵ The kings of the earth, its famous people, and its military leaders hid in caves or behind rocks on the mountains. They hid there together with the rich and the powerful and with all the slaves and free people. ¹⁶ Then they shouted to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us! Hide us from the one who sits on the throne and from the anger of the Lamb. ¹⁷ That terrible day has come! God and the Lamb will show their anger, and who can face it?”

This passage describes the second coming of Jesus, when every mountain and island will be moved out of its place (not be found) and the wicked will cry out for the mountains and rocks to fall on them to hide them from the face of the One who is seated on the throne.

Read Revelation 20:11

KJV ¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. CEV ¹¹ I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go.

This passage further describes the Second Coming, where there is One sitting on a throne before whose face heaven and earth find no place.

The brightness of Christ’s coming will destroy the wicked, and they will remain dead for one thousand years – 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8

KJV ⁷ And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, ⁸ In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: CEV ⁷ but he will give you relief from your troubles. God will do the same for us, when the Lord Jesus comes from heaven with his powerful angels ⁸ and with a flaming fire. Our Lord Jesus will punish anyone who doesn't know God and won't obey his message.
Revelation 20:5

KJV ⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. CEV ^5-6 These people are the first to be raised to life, and they are especially blessed and holy. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and Christ and will rule with them for 1,000 years. No other dead people were raised to life until 1,000 years later.

After Christ's Second Coming, the three-step process will then begin:

Judgment of the wicked

STEP 1 – The Millennial Review:

[The faithful will join Jesus in judgment]

At the Second Coming, the faithful martyrs will come to life – Revelation 20:4-5

KJV ⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: 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 worshipped 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. ⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. CEV ⁴ I saw thrones, and sitting on those thrones were the ones who had been given the right to judge. I also saw the souls of the people who had their heads cut off because they had told about Jesus and preached God's message. They were the same ones who had not worshiped the beast or the idol, and they had refused to let its mark be put on their foreheads or hands. They will come to life and rule with Christ for 1,000 years. ^5-6 These people are the first to be raised to life, and they are especially blessed and holy. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and Christ and will rule with them for 1,000 years. No other dead people were raised to life until 1,000 years later.

The faithful martyrs along with the redeemed of all ages will participate with Jesus in the heavenly millennial judgment – 1 Corinthians 6:1-3

KJV ¹ Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? ² 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? ³ Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? CEV ¹ When one of you has a complaint against another, do you take your complaint to a court of sinners? Or do you take it to God's people? ² Don't you know that God's people will judge the world? And if you are going to judge the world, can't you settle small problems? ³ Don't you know we will judge angels? And if this is so, we can surely judge everyday matters.

During this judgment, the wicked dead will stand before God’s judgment bar, not in person but through the record of their lives – Revelation 20:12-13

KJV 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. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. CEV ¹² I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done.

It is in this sense that the dead stand before God.

STEP 2 – The Verdict and Sentence

After the judgment reviews the lives of the wicked, the heavenly court will pronounce the verdict and sentence.

Ellen White says that, The redeemed,

“meted out to the wicked the portion which they must suffer, according to their works; and it was written against their names in the book of death.” (Ellen G. White, Early Writings (Battle Creek, MI: Review and Herald, 1882), 291.)

STEP 3 – The Execution of the Sentence:

Execution of the sentence

The third stage, the execution of the sentence, will take place on earth after the millennium.

The wicked will resurrect and see with their own eyes the record of their lives, and will confess the justice of their sentence – Isaiah 45:23

KJV ²³ I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. CEV ²³ I have made a solemn promise, one that won't be broken: Everyone will bow down and worship me.
Philippians 2:9-11

KJV ⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. CEV ⁹ Then God gave Christ the highest place and honored his name above all others. ¹⁰ So at the name of Jesus everyone will bow down, those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. ¹¹ And to the glory of God the Father everyone will openly agree, “Jesus Christ is Lord!”

They will then be cast into the lake of fire to suffer the second death – Revelation 20:14-15

KJV ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. CEV ¹⁴ Afterwards, death and its kingdom were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name wasn't written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Ellen White in Early Writings 294 describes that the wicked will suffer according to the their deeds:

Satan rushes into the midst of his followers and tries to stir up the multitude to action. But fire from God out of heaven is rained upon them, and the great men, and mighty men, the noble, the poor and miserable, are all consumed together. I saw that some were quickly destroyed, while others suffered longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there was a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained. Said the angel, "The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long as there is the least particle for it to prey upon."

Satan and his angels suffered long. Satan bore not only the weight and punishment of his own sins, but also of the sins of the redeemed host, which had been placed upon him; and he must also suffer for the ruin of souls which he had caused. Then I saw that Satan and all the wicked host were consumed, and the justice of God was satisfied; and all the angelic host, and all the redeemed saints, with a loud voice said, "Amen!"

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MON – The Second Resurrection (inTerpret)

The resurrection of the wicked after the millennium is described in Revelation:

“The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works” (emphasis supplied) Revelation 20:13

KJV ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. CEV ¹³ The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done.

The expressions “gave up” and “delivered up” are similar to the language of Isaiah:

“Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead” (emphasis supplied). Isaiah 26:19

KJV ¹⁹ Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. CEV ¹⁹ Your people will rise to life! Tell them to leave their graves and celebrate with shouts. You refresh the earth like morning dew; you give life to the dead.

As with the righteous, the wicked will resurrect with the selfsame character they had in life.

The wicked will resume at the precise point where they left off when they died.

God preserved a precise record of their lives on His “heavenly hard drive,” and He will return to them their self-identity without the minutest change.

During the thousand years the wicked dead will appear in judgment through their records, after the thousand years they will live again and appear in person. Revelation 20:5

KJV ⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. CEV ^5-6 These people are the first to be raised to life, and they are especially blessed and holy. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests for God and Christ and will rule with them for 1,000 years. No other dead people were raised to life until 1,000 years later.

“There are kings and generals who conquered nations, valiant men who never lost a battle, proud, ambitious warriors whose approach made kingdoms tremble. In death these experienced no change. As they come up from the grave, they resume the current of their thoughts just where it ceased. They are actuated by the same desire to conquer that ruled them when they fell.” (Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1911), 664.)

Clearly, the wicked not only receive the breath of life but also the precise record of their lives that God preserved on His “heavenly hard drive.”

As we noted in an earlier lesson, the spirit is more than just the breath of life; it is the breath along with the life record and character of the person:

“Our personal identity is preserved in the resurrection, though not the same particles of matter or material substance as went into the grave. The wondrous works of God are a mystery to man. The spirit, the character of man, is returned to God, there to be preserved. In the resurrection, every man will have his own character.” (Ellen G. White, Maranatha, 301.)

The wicked will stand before the judgment bar of God for high treason against the government of heaven.

Their works will be revealed to them and the unchangeable sentence pronounced:

“The whole wicked world stand arraigned at the bar of God on the charge of high treason against the government of heaven. They have none to plead their cause; they are without excuse; and the sentence of eternal death is pronounced against them.” (White, The Great Controversy, 668.)

Then the sentence will be executed, when the wicked are cast into the lake of fire to suffer the second death – Revelation 20:11-15

KJV ¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. ¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. CEV ¹¹ I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. ¹² I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead people who were in it, and death and its kingdom also gave up their dead. Then everyone was judged by what they had done. ¹⁴ Afterwards, death and its kingdom were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name wasn't written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

What questions emerge after studying this passage? What parts are difficult?

What other principles and conclusions do you find?

If death doesn’t bring about change for the wicked, then when was their opportunity?

How does understanding this impact your own life?

Jesus has promised in Rev. 22:14-15,

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (NKJV) Revelation 22:14-15

KJV ¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. CEV ¹⁴ God will bless all who have washed their robes. They will each have the right to eat fruit from the tree that gives life, and they can enter the gates of the city. ¹⁵ But outside the city will be dogs, witches, immoral people, murderers, idol worshipers, and everyone who loves to tell lies and do wrong.

“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” Revelation 21:7-8

KJV ⁷ He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. ⁸ But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. CEV ⁷ All who win the victory will be given these blessings. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ⁸ But I will tell you what will happen to cowards and to everyone who is unfaithful or dirty-minded or who murders or is sexually immoral or uses witchcraft or worships idols or tells lies. They will be thrown into that lake of fire and burning sulfur. This is the second death.

We must come to Jesus now and claim Him as our advocate.

If we repent of our sins, confess them, and trust His righteousness, He will defend us in the judgment.

At death or the close of probation all cases are decided and there will be no changing sides:

1 John 2:1-2

KJV ¹ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. CEV ¹ My children, I am writing this so you won't sin. But if you do sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. ² Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world's people.

Hebrews 7:26

KJV ²⁶ For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; CEV ²⁶ Jesus is the high priest we need. He is holy and innocent and faultless, and not at all like us sinners. Jesus is honored above all beings in heaven,

Hebrews 4:15

KJV ¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. CEV ¹⁵ Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!

What do the three steps in the judgment process reveal about God’s character?

What is He saying to you through these texts?

How do you see Jesus differently or see Him again?

Prayer:

How do you respond to seeing Jesus in this way?