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DOCTORAL STATEMENT
1] The time of
one's judgment is the time of his opportunity for salvation, extending
from one's calling by God until his death (or the resurrection). During
this judgment period a person's mind is opened to understand God's way,
and his actions and attitudes are being evaluated by God in the light of
His way of life and His law. All human beings from all time shall have a
full opportunity for salvation either now (for the Church), or during
the one thousand year reign of Christ on earth, or in the Great White
Throne Judgment. Those who shall qualify for God's Kingdom-the
overwhelming majority-shall inherit eternal life, and those who
deliberately reject God's way shall be consumed in the lake of fire.
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DOCTRINAL OVERVIEW
2]One of the most awesome truths of God is that all
mankind from all time shall have an opportunity for salvation-the
attainment of eternal life in the family of God. No human being is
doomed forever simply because he has never heard of Christ's name or
never really understood God's purpose and plan. God makes it adequately
plain that He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance" (2
Peter 3:9). He intends to give everyone a
chance to know and understand His truth and to have the opportunity to
be with Him in His glorious Kingdom (cf. 1
Timothy 2:4).
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3]Combined with this thrilling truth that all men
shall have an opportunity for salvation is the fact that all men will
not receive this opportunity at the same time. The time during which
each individual is receiving his chance is the time of judgment. The
term "judgment," as used in this context, is not restricted to passing
sentence. It rather implies a process, a period of time during
which a person's mind is opened to understand God's plan, and during
which his actions are under daily scrutiny by God in the light of that
understanding. God is intimately concerned with His children, and works
in their lives to produce the best ultimate results. The parable of the
tares of the field shows that Christians start out as seeds and must
grow until the harvest (Matthew 13:36-43). Of course, this judgment
process shall in most people's lives cover a period of many years. It is
only at the end of this period that God shall make the decision of
whether or not that person shall enter His Kingdom at the resurrection.
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4]But judgment involves more than just making a "yes"
or "no" decision, more than the simple determination of whether a person
shall be granted salvation; for, indeed, the overwhelming majority shall
make it. Judgment also involves the reward that God shall give to
each person who qualifies. There are different positions and
responsibilities in God's family. As Jesus related in the parable of the
pounds (Luke 19:12-27), the servants who used their pounds profitably
were all given positions of rulership, but the level or degree of
their position was directly proportional to how much they had
accomplished. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) shows that God
rewards each person according to what he accomplished in relationship to
what he had to start with. The servant who started with two talents and
made two received the same reward as the servant who started with five
and made five.
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5]God has divided His plan into three
great judgment periods, each of which deals specifically with a
different classification of persons. The first period of judgment began
at the creation of man and shall continue until the return of Jesus
Christ. During this era, God has not chosen to call the vast majority of
persons, but rather a small group-"the elect" (Romans 8:28 ff). These
"elect" have had their minds opened to understand God's truth and have
been given God's Holy Spirit in this age. For these persons-who compose
the Church or "house of God"-the period of judgment is now. "For
the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God" (1
Peter 4:17). Those whom God has called now are
not called because of an inner desire to serve God, but by virtue of
God's mercy (Romans 9:15-16).
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6]God has not called the masses now
because He wants man to learn by experience that his way apart from God
is the way of death (Proverbs 14:12). Those
whom He does call now are called for the express purpose of preaching
the gospel to the world as a witness (Matthew
24:14; 28:19-20) and to prepare to become rulers in God's millennial
Kingdom (Revelation).
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7]All those who have qualified for God's Kingdom from
Adam's time to the return of Christ shall be resurrected at return. The
end of this first judgment period is thus marked by the first
resurrection (Revelation 20:5-6).
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8]During His thousand-year reign, Christ and the
saints shall reestablish God's government on earth (Micah
4:1-4) and
shall reconstruct society so that in every way it conforms to God's holy
laws. God shall also pour out His Spirit upon all those who will be
alive during this time, and shall open their minds to understand the
gospel and give them a chance for salvation. The millennium thus marks
the second great judgment period of God, the time when the human beings
who live on into the new age (from the present age) and those
subsequently born as their offspring shall have their opportunity for
salvation.
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9]After the thousand-year period, there is, the "Great
White Throne" judgment. This spectacular event epitomizes the time when
all who have ever lived and died without having had a chance for
salvation, never having heard about Jesus Christ and the plan of God, or
never having had their eyes opened to truly understand the gospel-shall
be resurrected from the dead to physical life (Revelation 20:11 ff).
This time their minds shall be opened to a full understanding of God's
laws and His truth.
"Behold, I will open your graves, and raise
you from your graves ... And I will put my Spirit within you,
and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then
you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done
it, says the Lord" (Ezekiel 37:12-14).
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10]This third judgment period is the greatest of the
three because it includes the innumerable multitudes of all humanity who
have lived and died in ignorance of God's way.
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11]Although God wants all to come to the knowledge of
His truth and earnestly desires that all obtain salvation, it is
nevertheless true that some few shall totally reject God and lose out on
eternal life. Those who have adamantly rejected this truth-those who
have committed the unpardonable sin by not asking God to pardon their
sins-shall be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). These
individuals are those who would never repent of their sins and shall
therefore be put out of their misery by a merciful God. It would be
cruel punishment for God to make a rebellious person live forever under
His government when that individual has permanently rejected God's
government in his life by his actions and attitudes.
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12]God's fairness, concern and love for mankind is
exemplified by the three judgment periods outlined above. His plan for
salvation includes ample opportunity for all those who have ever lived
and died to live a full physical life under God's laws, and then to
qualify to enter His Kingdom, and, ultimately, to gain eternal life as
full members of His divine family.
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