The Judgment.

OR nearly six thousand years of sin this world has stood as a dark blot in the

And yet through it all mercy has shone clear

and bright, and the work of redemption has gone steadily forward. And when this work shall be finished, there will have been gathered from the dwellers of all the ages a host of those who have been true to God, who shall people this earth according to the original plan of the Creator.

When the warfare between good and evil is ended, the sharpest line of demarkation will be drawn "between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not." This will be a clean world, with the stains of sin and the blot of sinners forever removed. Mal. 3:18.

It is therefore evident that a time must come when the cases of all who have lived shall come in review, and their future destiny be finally settled. This is the time of judgment so many times men

tioned in the word of God. Paul says that "we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Rom.

14: 10.

This judgment will not be arbitrary. The God of heaven knows the character of every human being, and when his life work is ended He could pass upon his future for weal or woe without the formalities of a future judgment. But the evil outcome of sin must be complete as an object-lesson to unfallen worlds. God's right

eousness has been called in question by Satan. It must be revealed in the closing up of this world's history. Throughout the ages of

eternity God's

earth be decided.

justice and

mercy, as manifested in His dealings with Satan and sinners, must stand vindicated, hence the final judgment will be very real, and in its scenes hosts of heavenly angels and the redeemed of earth will participate.

Of this great day we read that God "hath ap

pointed a day [time or period] in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained [Jesus Christ]; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." Acts 17:31.

The judgment cannot, therefore, take place at the death of each individual, as some suppose, for a "day," or set time, has been fixed when this work shall be undertaken. And Paul, in his powerful argument before Felix, "reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come." Acts 24:25. Hence in the days of Paul the judgment had not taken place, nor was it then in session.

The Books of Heaven.

In order that the investigations of the judgment may be unquestioned and complete, the lives of all men are written in the books of heaven. From the records found in these books will the future of all who have lived on this earth be decided.

Concerning the books of record and the throngs that take part in this great assize, we read, "Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Dan. 7:10.

Of the fate of the millions who have lived and died John writes, "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." Rev. 20:12.

The Book of Life.

In the foregoing text reference is made to "the

book of life." This to the Christian is the most im

It is the

In it are

portant volume in all the universe of God. roster of all the faithful of all the ages. written the names of all who have undertaken the service of God. No other names are entered upon its pages.

Day by day the guardian angel bears to heaven the record of those whose names are written in the book. Their sins are recorded upon the debit side. As sins are confessed and wrongs made right, "par

And another
book was
opened

which is
the book of
life.

don" is written

opposite the transgression.

And so the life record grows. Happy is the mortal whose debits of sin are balanced by the "pardons" of forgiveness. Awful is the fate

of him who starts in the service of God, but falters in his course. For him the record on the "book of life" will not be clear. The debit side will not be balanced by the "pardons" of the credit side. The names of such will be blotted out of the book of life in God's great judgment day.

Although our names may be once written in the book of life, they may, in the day of judgment, be stricken from its pages. Of the one who does not continue in well doing John writes, "God shall take

away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." Rev. 22: 19.

COUNTED WITH SINNERS.

Only those whose names are retained in the book of life can enter the gates of the New Jerusalem. "There shall in no wise enter into it [the New Jerusalem] any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Rev. 21:27.

The names of all the overcomers will be retained in this wonderful book. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." Rev. 3:5.

"The righteous may turn from their service of God, lose the reward for all the service they have rendered, and at last be numbered among the sinners. Right doing is our normal service. No balancing up between right and wrong will be made, and no general average will be struck. A godly life will give us a home in heaven. A failure to overcome will bring punishment for every sin committed.

"The foregoing conclusion is evident from the statement in Eze. 3:20: 'When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered.'

"In the judgment the names of such will be stricken from the book of life, and they will be called upon to answer for

From the foregoing it will be seen that the judgment for which the book of life is the basis has to do only with those who have undertaken the service of God. This investigative judgment must take place before Jesus comes, for at His coming He brings the reward for the overcomers, and fulfills all the promises made to them. Hence their cases must then have been decided.

their sins with the rest of the wicked."