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 divides his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand [in a position of honour], but the goats on the left.

Here are three occasions of judgment – one by God the Father, one by the resurrected Christians and Christ, and one by Christ alone.  How can we reconcile these three?

Answer:

There are quite often things in the Bible which are called by the same name, but which are different – different in meaning or time, yet similar in principle.  In the case of these judgments we have an example of a difference in timing. Let’s look more deeply into it.

The first of our texts deals with the judgment by God the Father and is showing the occasion of His examination of those whom Christ proposes as candidates for the new world. 

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Daniel 7:

9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down [placed], and the ancient/ of days [God] did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream [the river of life] issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set [begun], and the books were opened. . . .

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man [Jesus] came with the clouds of heaven [some angels], and came to the ancient/ of days [God the Father], and they brought Him near before Him. 14 And there was given Him [the right to] dominion [rulership], and glory, and a kingdom [the new world], that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. [His position was officially recognised.]

15 [While this was going on] I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16 I came near to one of them that stood by [some angels were watching the same vision], and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17 “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth [and cause problems for God’s people]. 18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.” . . .

22 [The scenes went on] until the ancient/ of days came, and judgment was given to [pronounced on] the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. . . .

 [The angel continued with his explanation and said] . . . and they [the saints] shall be given into his [the opponent’s] hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.  26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. 27 And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. 

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We are told, “. . . It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27), and then, “Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before [death] to judgment; and some men they follow after [death].” (1 Timothy 5:24). But all the work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the LORD, for it is written, “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached to you.”  Acts 3:19-20. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated.

While the records must be examined to know who should be resurrected, the people of God need not, and will not, be present at this judgment.

As the books of record are opened, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance.

This is also illustrated in the parable of the wedding. “So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the King came in to see the guests, He saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment [Christ’s robe of righteousness]: and He says to him, ‘Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then said the King to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth’.”  Matthew 22:10-13.

In the parable the gate-crasher (a presumptuous professed Christian) is “speechless” because the saints of God are still “sleeping” in their dusty beds (their graves) awaiting the resurrection.  Even if he was there he would have nothing to say in his defence because he knows that he has rejected the gift of righteousness which came with the invitation.

Therefore it is only after this judgment that Christ can come back to earth and call forth His followers at the second advent.  

Then comes the second of our texts, the one which describes the resurrected saints of God involved in a judgment.

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4 And I saw thrones, and they [the resurrected saints] sat upon them, and judgment was given to them.  And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and [those] 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 This is the first resurrection.

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This judgment is necessary to settle the minds of those who find themselves in heaven, but without some of their relations or friends.  During their one thousand years of sojourn there they can investigate the cases of these companions until they are satisfied that not one of them wants to be in heaven with Christ!  For that is the criteria – not the amount of good works we have done – but the desire to live with the Son of God on a daily basis.  Working with Christ during their period in heaven, they also return with Him at the third advent to see the resurrection of those whose lives they have investigated, for it is written, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:5.

Then we have these words:

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Matthew 25:31-33

“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 divides his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand [in a position of honour], but the goats on the left.” 

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It is at this point that the great Judgment Day occurs.  For the first time, all those who have ever lived on earth are personally assembled to hear the Son of God pronounce executive judgment on all.

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Matthew 25:

34 Then shall the King say to them on His right hand, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was a hungry person, and you gave Me meat [food]: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took Me in: 36 naked, and you clothed Me: I was sick, and you visited Me: I was in prison, and you came to Me.”

37 Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, “LORD, when saw we You a hungry person and fed You?  Or thirsty, and gave You drink? 38 When saw we You a stranger, and took You in?  Or naked, and clothed You? 39 Or when saw we You sick, or in prison, and came to You?” 40 And the King shall answer and say to them, “Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these My brothers [and sisters], you have done it to Me.”

41 Then shall He say also to them on the left hand, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was a hungry person, and you gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and you took Me not in: naked, and you clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and you visited Me not.”

44 Then shall they also answer Him, saying, “LORD, when saw we You a hungry person, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?” 45 Then shall He answer them, saying, “Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me.”

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

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Christ alone presides in this judgment in which the sentence is based on works. He said, “And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” referring to His third advent.  Revelation 22:12.

In the great judgment day those who have not worked for Christ, those who have drifted along, carrying no responsibility, thinking of themselves, pleasing themselves, will be placed by the Judge of all the earth with those who did evil. They receive the same condemnation. Many who profess to be Christians neglect the request of God to look after the poor, the orphans and the widows of the world, and yet they do not feel that in this there is any wrong. They know that the blasphemer, the murderer, the adulterer, deserves punishment; but as for them, they enjoy the services of religion. They love to hear the gospel preached, and therefore they think themselves Christians. Though they have spent their lives in caring for themselves, they will be as much surprised as was the unfaithful servant in the parable to hear the sentence, “Take . . .  the talent from him.” Matthew 25:28. Like the Jews, they mistake the enjoyment of their blessings for the use they should make of them.

Conclusion:

The judgment is really a three-part experience for the children of God.  For the first session their records are examined to see if they have accepted the new heart exchange.  This is done without their presence.  Then, in the second session they are given opportunity to examine the records of those whom they supposed would be with them in the new world.  Again, those being examined are not there in person.  Then finally, the Son of man, because He is one of us, will personally inform the rejecters of what their decision means and allow them to have their way. “For as the Father has life in Himself; so has He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and [one thousand years later] they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:26-29.

 oooOooo

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“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.” Genesis 4:3.

Why did Cain present such an offering when he knew that God wanted a lamb?