What is the Investigative Judgment

I’m going to give you a summary of my understanding, and then we’re going to see if the Bible supports this understanding. I propose that God created the whole universe perfect. What I’m about to get into is what’s called the Great Controversy concept—the great controversy between Christ and Satan. It is because of this great controversy between Christ and Satan that necessitates the need for there to be an investigative judgment.

How the Great Controversy concept goes is that God created the universe and all of creation, and Heaven—everything was perfect. There was no sin, there was no evil, and Lucifer was created perfect in all of his ways, including morally perfect. However, Lucifer, as well as the rest of every creature that God has created—every sensible being—they all have the ability to exercise freedom of the will. God gave us all that ability because without that ability, the love that we would be giving to other creatures would be valueless, because we would be programmed that way. But if God gives us that ability to choose not to love, then when we choose true love in spite of having that ability, he makes our love of value in comparison to if we were just programmed to love and had no choice in the matter.

However, that comes with a risk when you give creatures that ability, which is that they do have the ability to choose not to love. That’s exactly what Lucifer ended up doing with his freedom of will: he chose to rebel against God and decided to try to overthrow God’s government. In doing this, he attacked that which was at its very foundation, which was God’s moral law. What better way to overthrow something than to attack that which is at its very foundation, right?

Lucifer, being the most intelligent created being, attacks the law of God, the foundation of God’s government. You can’t have government without law to maintain rule and order, can you? So Lucifer attacks it by making it out as if it’s unjust, and he not only accuses God’s law of being unjust, but also God’s character as being unjust in legislating such a law to be the foundation of his government for the whole universe.

When Lucifer rebelled against God, God could have destroyed Lucifer then and there. But that would not have dealt with the sin problem ultimately. The reason why it would not have dealt with the sin problem is that the creatures in the universe would be wondering: What if Lucifer’s accusations against God were right? What if God really is a tyrant? What if God really was legislating this law out of the exaltation of himself, wanting creatures to worship Him and obey Him out of selfish reasons? God’s action of destroying Lucifer would have acted as evidence for Lucifer’s accusations against God, and thus creatures would have been worshiping God out of fear. In addition to that, creatures would have ultimately followed the way of Lucifer and rebelled against God in the same or similar kind of way to how Lucifer did.

Ultimately, the sin problem would not have been dealt with. That’s exactly what God wants to do: He wants to have the whole universe pure from sin and evil, so that there is none of that in the universe. Therefore, God has to go about achieving this end of making the universe forever pure from sin and evil in the best way possible—in a way that’s going to have success. That way obviously was not going to be just to destroy Lucifer; He had to do things in a more intelligent kind of way.

Therefore, God allowed Lucifer to continue to exist and allowed Lucifer to further develop the principles of Lucifer’s government so that the whole universe can see for themselves who’s right in the Great Controversy. God is allowing the whole universe to look at all of God’s doings and look at Lucifer’s doings, and they can think for themselves who is right. When they see who is right, they can also see who is wrong, and that’s the way they’re going to gain God’s trust—so that God can destroy Lucifer as a part of purifying sin and those identified with it from the universe without it having to arise another time in the future. We will see what kind of results the ways of sin lead to.

That’s why God had to choose that kind of path: to allow Satan to further develop the principles of his government, which Lucifer has been doing on Earth ever since. He succeeded in leading Adam and Eve into sinning.

As a part of falsifying every single one of Lucifer’s accusations against Him, God has to create a process through which God can be shown to the whole universe that He truly is perfectly righteous in every single one of His ways. That includes: Is God perfectly righteous, perfectly loving, just, and fair in regards to His decision for every single individual person that’s involved in the sin situation? That would include every person in the human race, as well as Satan and his angels that sided with him.

In order for God to be proven perfectly righteous in His ultimate decision for all those people’s fates, it necessitates an investigative judgment upon the life records of every single one of those persons, as well as their deeds, so that the whole universe and the host of Heaven can see for themselves who was right in the Great Controversy, and that the whole universe can see for themselves that God truly is perfectly righteous, perfectly loving, just, and fair in every single one of His ways. There is not one person who is lost without God being perfectly loving in that person being lost, as well as there being not one person who inherits the kingdom of God without God being perfectly just and fair in that person inheriting the kingdom of God.

So that’s the summary of the investigative judgment. In these two presentations, I’ll be getting into the investigative judgment element of the Great Controversy topic. Showing that from the Bible will be a whole other presentation in itself, but I just wanted to give you that summary so that we have a context and a framework in which to understand the investigative judgment.

The investigative judgment shows to the universe what humans meet the conditions or prerequisites necessary for God to be perfectly loving, righteous, and just in completely saving them and allowing them to inherit Heaven, as well as what sinful creatures meet the conditions or prerequisites necessary for God to be perfectly loving, righteous, and just in causing those sinful creatures to suffer the second death and an allocated portion of torment in the Lake of Fire.

Just so I don’t give such a mouthful of “God has to be perfectly loving, just, and fair in every single one of His ways,” I’m going to put that under the word righteous. By definition of what it means to be perfectly righteous biblically speaking, it means to be perfectly loving, just, and fair. So for future reference, when I use the term perfectly righteous, it means perfectly loving, just, and fair.

Evaluating the Concept in Scripture

Continuing on to the next question: Now that you’ve got my understanding, let me show you how the Bible supports this understanding of the investigative judgment. Does the Bible support the idea that there is to exist some sort of judgment that involves evaluations being made? Let’s see if this is a biblical concept.

When it comes to the word judgment, there are different forms of judgment. Words can have a range of meanings, and the word judgment has a range of meanings. You can have judgment in an executive sense, like you’re executing judgment or giving a reward, or you can have a judgment in the sense that you are evaluating something.

If you look at these verses, it seems to be talking about the evaluating kind of judgment:

“When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!”

1 Corinthians 6:1–3

It talks about judging—evaluating—things pertaining to this life as well as judging or evaluating angels. In this case, I propose it’s talking about sinful angelic creatures, Satan and his angels particularly. I propose that their life records are going to be evaluated as a part of a judgment process.

Moving on to our next Bible verse: 1 Corinthians 4:5. Think to yourself, does this sound like an evaluation kind of judgment that is being alluded to here?

“Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.”

1 Corinthians 4:5

According to this verse, the hearts of people—the purposes of people’s hearts—are going to be disclosed or revealed. What’s the point of revealing them if it’s not for them to be evaluated? Does that make sense?

Our next verse says:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

2 Corinthians 5:10

I think these verses are quite clear. In Daniel, an evaluative kind of judgment scene is taking place. Notice the books being opened alluded to and mentioned in these verses:

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”

Daniel 7:9–10

Notice Ecclesiastes:

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14

After going through these Bible verses, I do think it is quite evident that there is some sort of a judgment of evaluation that the Bible supports taking place.

What the Investigative Judgment Is (and Is Not)

Now let’s move on to our next question: What is the investigative judgment, what is God trying to achieve through it, and what is it not about? What is not the purpose of the investigative judgment?

I ask this last question because understanding what it’s not about will help us understand what it is about, expanding our understanding of what it could potentially mean.

I propose that it is not the purpose of the investigative judgment to investigate a person’s life record to identify whether or not that person has transgressed God’s moral law in order to cause that person to come under the law’s condemnation. It is not necessary for any investigative judgment to take place in order to cause a person to come under the law’s condemnation.

For example, when Adam and Eve sinned, which resulted in them coming under the law’s condemnation and being prohibited from entering into the Garden of Eden, that didn’t require any investigative judgment to take place in order for them to come under the law’s condemnation. People can come under the law’s condemnation without any investigative judgment taking place at all, and therefore that’s not the purpose of the investigative judgment.

Rather, I propose that it is the purpose of the investigative judgment for the heavenly hosts to attain proof that God is perfectly righteous in permitting the ultimate fate of every single creature entangled in the sin situation.

I think this should be comforting for us. It means that verses such as Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 shouldn’t be concerning for us. According to verse 14, God will bring every deed of ours into judgment and every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. All of these things are going to be brought into judgment when our life records are evaluated, but we need not be concerned about this. The reason why we shouldn’t be concerned is that the purpose of looking at our deeds is not to try to bring us under the law’s condemnation, but rather to evaluate whether God can be perfectly righteous in either allowing us to inherit the kingdom of God or allowing us to suffer the second death as well as an allocation of torment in the Lake of Fire.

Is There a Need for God to Be Justified?

Moving on to the next question, which is quite an important one: Does the Bible reveal that there exists a need for God to be justified and vindicated? Does there exist a need that God needs to be proven beyond all question that He truly is perfectly righteous in every single one of His ways? Because if He doesn’t, then what’s the point of an investigative judgment, right?

Let’s look at these Bible verses. Notice how it alludes to God being judged and there existing a need for God to be justified:

“What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.””

Romans 3:3–4

Notice how God is being judged. The Apostle Paul makes the statement, talking of God, that “you may be justified in your words and may prevail when you are judged.” That would be a redundant statement if there existed no need for God to be justified and prevail when He is to be judged. I don’t think the Apostle Paul was making a redundant statement here, meaning that I think there does exist a need for God to be justified—vindicated, in other words—which is to be done through this investigative judgment process.

Notice this verse in Revelation, and notice how it talks about and emphasizes God’s righteous acts as being revealed:

“And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.””

Revelation 15:3–4

What would be the point in emphasizing God’s righteous acts being revealed if there existed no need for those righteous acts to be revealed, especially when it is not just emphasized in these verses in Revelation, but in other places as well?

Notice these next two parts of Revelation:

“And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.” And I heard the altar respond, “Yes, Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments!””

Revelation 16:5, 7

“For true and righteous are his judgments; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

Revelation 19:2

I think we can see that there is definitely an emphasis on God’s righteous acts and God’s righteousness being revealed in these verses, which I do think is supportive of the idea that there exists a point or a need for God’s righteousness to be revealed and shown.

Records in Heaven

Let’s move on to our next question: Does the Bible reveal that there exist records in Heaven that could be examined as part of an investigative judgment process? How are you going to have an investigative judgment process, or a judgment of evaluation process, when you don’t have any records to examine or evaluate? Does the Bible support the idea that there exist such records that could be evaluated?

We have what’s called the Book of Life being alluded to:

“Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:20

It would seem that Jesus is referring to His disciples in this verse. Disciples of Jesus also seem to be alluded to in Philippians, which supports the idea that those who are disciples of Christ have their names written in the Book of Life:

“Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”

Philippians 4:3

So there exist records in regards to those who have their names within the Book of Life.

Now let’s get into some Bible verses that support the idea that there exist records of people’s deeds:

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name.”

Malachi 3:16

“You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”

Psalm 56:8

“Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.”

Nehemiah 13:14

Now let me share the records of sinful deeds. This can be seen here:

“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.”

Psalm 90:8

So we have books in front of people, and it’s talking about iniquities being set before God in this case. Is it possible that they’re set before God through a book? Let’s see if the next verses support this:

“Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me, declares the Lord God.”

Jeremiah 2:22

To support the idea that it’s through records that this iniquity or guilt is before God:

“Behold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their lap both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together,” says the Lord; “because they made offerings on the mountains and insulted me on the hills, I will measure into their lap payment for their former deeds.””

Isaiah 65:6–7

I think it is clear that there exist heavenly records of people’s good deeds and bad deeds from the previous verses we looked at.

Evaluating Records and Determining Rewards

Let me address this next question: Does the Bible reveal that there will be a judgment process in which every person entangled in the sin situation will be evaluated, with their records of deeds being a relevant factor in regards to whatever verdict is given?

Our first verse is alluding to the Second Coming:

““Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.””

Revelation 22:12

According to this verse, Christ’s reward is with Him to give every person according as his work shall be. God is going to be rewarding people according to their works, and this can either be a positive reward or a negative reward.

If Christ is coming with His reward, doesn’t it imply or insinuate that the reward has been figured out beforehand as to what that reward is going to be? That could take place in an investigative judgment process or a judgment that involves evaluating and taking into consideration people’s deeds. I propose that that is the case, which is supported by this passage:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

2 Corinthians 5:10

It is quite clear that there is going to be some kind of judgment process to figure out what a person’s reward is going to be. But if you look at Revelation 22:12, it seems to be the case that the figuring out of the reward takes place before the Second Coming.

With that being the case, how are we going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ if we don’t go to Heaven until after the Second Coming, which is after this judgment takes place? I propose that we are not appearing before the judgment seat of Christ ourselves in person, but rather it is through our life records that we appear before the judgment seat of Christ—that the evaluations are made and figured out before the Second Coming of Christ.

We looked at Ecclesiastes 12:14 before, which alludes to God bringing every deed into judgment with every secret thing, whether good or evil. I don’t think this verse would be making this statement unless it was a relevant factor in regards to the judgment process of God.

To elaborate on what my belief is in regards to how our deeds are relevant:

When God ultimately decides and shows that He cannot be perfectly loving in a person being saved, and can only be perfectly loving in that person suffering the second death as well as an allocated portion of torment in the Lake of Fire, what gets figured out during the investigative judgment process is how much torment in the Lake of Fire they are deserving of suffering before the moment of them going into non-existence. Is God perfectly righteous in that particular allocated portion of torment in the Lake of Fire that they are going to experience? Is God perfectly righteous in His verdict and decisions there?

In regards to those who are shown that God can be perfectly righteous in them inheriting the kingdom of God, the kind of reward that is evaluated and shown is a non-salvific kind of reward that they receive in Heaven through the records of the good deeds which God worked through them. I say that it’s a non-salvific reward because our works don’t save us; our works don’t contribute to our salvation. The Bible is clear that the saved receive a reward of some sort as a result of the good deeds that God works through them. Therefore, the conclusion would logically follow that it must be a non-salvific kind of reward which we receive in Heaven, which can involve perhaps a certain privilege that we can have in Heaven. This is supported by a particular parable I’ll get into shortly.

These verses spoken by Christ allude to our deeds and our life records being revealed in the investigative judgment process:

“In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.””

Luke 12:1–3

““For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.””

Mark 4:22

It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 12:14, where it talks about God bringing into judgment every single deed, every single secret thing, whether it be good or evil. I believe that Christ is alluding to the investigative judgment process here.

The parable that I was talking about before—the Parable of the Talents—supports the idea that the saved receive a positive, non-salvific heavenly reward. Notice how the person who gained more talents received a response from his lord:

“His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.””

Matthew 25:21

Obviously, this person is going to receive certain privileges as a result of the production of more talents through the initial talent which his lord gave him.

Prerequisites for Inheriting the Kingdom

Moving on to my next question: This gets into the second reason as to why our deeds are evaluated. The first reason was in regards to the righteous—those who were saved—to see if God is perfectly righteous in regards to what non-salvific reward He provides them with, but also to see if God can be perfectly righteous in allowing that person to inherit the kingdom of God in the first place.

What must God do in order to make it possible for Him to be perfectly righteous—perfectly loving and just—in deciding for any given person involved in the sin situation to inherit the kingdom of God and receive the benefits of salvation?

James gives us a clue to the answer:

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.”

James 2:8–12

James here is telling us to speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. Is he talking about the righteous who are judged under the law of liberty, or the unrighteous? James is telling us to do that which the righteous would be doing. Therefore, I think he’s telling us to be speaking and acting in the kind of way that those who God has shown to be perfectly righteous in vindicating their life’s case are to be judged under the law of liberty.

According to the context, how is it that they would be acting and speaking in a way that keeps the whole law without failing in one point of it? Because whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point becomes guilty of all.

Our keeping of God’s law, therefore, would be a condition in order for God to be perfectly righteous in vindicating our life’s case. I propose that it’s living up to the law in as much as we have knowledge of what that law is, because God’s law is perfectly just and therefore is not going to condemn transgressions done in complete ignorance where we had no knowledge of it.

It’s only when we know the right thing to do and do it not that it is sin:

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

James 4:17

If a person has zero knowledge of the Fourth Commandment (the Sabbath) and they were to transgress it ignorantly, God’s law is not going to condemn them, and therefore they’re not required to live up to that portion of the law. But when they get the knowledge of it and see the evidence that they need to be keeping it quite clearly and inexcusably, that’s when if they were to fall short of keeping it, they would be failing in that one point—which would make them guilty and not possible for God to be perfectly righteous in allowing them to inherit the kingdom of God.

This is the reason why God is not allowing Satan and his angels to go back to Heaven and inherit the kingdom of God: because they’re clinging to sin and they’re unrepentant. In fact, they’ve gone so far that they grieved away the Holy Spirit and don’t even have the capacity anymore to repent. It’s their lack of repentance that is preventing them from inheriting the kingdom of God.

When a person is in a state of sinning, they’re in a state of being unrepentant. If God was to allow any single human being who was unrepentant from a sin and living in it into Heaven, then God would be exercising a double standard if He did not allow other persons, such as Satan and his angels, to inherit the kingdom of God for their lack of repentance and clinging to sin. God would be falling short of being perfectly fair and perfectly righteous. God cannot exercise any double standard in that sort of way, which is why it’s necessary that a person keeps the whole law in accordance with the knowledge of that law which God provides them with, in order for God to be perfectly righteous in allowing them to inherit the kingdom of God.

Moving on to the next Bible verse that supports this:

“For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.”

Romans 2:13

I propose this is talking about who will be justified in the investigative judgment. According to this verse, it’s those who are doers of the law that will be justified, not those who are hearers only.

I want to clarify something, because in the Book of Romans we seem to see the Apostle Paul talking about justification as being forgiveness of sins, and that our works don’t justify us:

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

Romans 3:20

My reconciling explanation for this is that there exist two different kinds of justification. There exists the kind of justification which is forgiveness of sins, but then there’s a different kind of justification, which is the justification of a person’s life record—for it to be seen that God can be perfectly righteous in that person receiving the benefits of salvation and inheriting the kingdom of God in the investigative judgment.

With forgiveness of sins, our good works come as a result of us receiving forgiveness of sins. The justification that is forgiveness of sins precedes our good works. On the other hand, our justification in the investigative judgment proceeds after our good works—it takes place after the record of those good works exists.

When I say good works, I’m talking about those good works that God works through us, because in ourselves it’s impossible to perform any true good work.

To further back up that our justification/forgiveness of sins precedes our good works:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Ephesians 2:8–9

“But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

Romans 11:6

According to Romans 11:6, we can’t be receiving something as a result of grace and as a result of works at the same time. By definition of what it means to receive something by grace, it means to not be receiving it by works—it is a free gift. By definition of what it means to receive something by works (earning it), it means we’re not receiving it by grace.

In short, there are two different kinds of justification. The kind of justification we’re getting into in Romans 2:13 is the investigative judgment justification, which takes place after our good works take place, which takes place after our forgiveness-of-sins justification takes place.

To support that God’s grace results in us performing good works:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:10

When we receive God’s grace and He forgives us of our sins, it results in us doing good works. Forgiveness of sins is not just God clearing some sort of debt; it’s also a reclaiming from our sinning and an enabling for us to no longer sin and to obey God with pure motives.

Satan’s Accusations and the Role of Trials

To get into some Bible verses to support the idea that our works are a relevant factor in regards to Satan accusing us before God: Satan tries to argue that God can’t be perfectly righteous in saving us, while God presents that He can be, and our works are a relevant factor.

We see this supported in the Book of Job:

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.””

Job 1:6–11

According to the spirit of God’s law, it requires us to be serving and worshiping God out of selfless reasons. What Satan is accusing Job of doing is serving God out of selfish reasons, falling short of the true spirit of God’s moral law. In this story, God permits Satan to cause many trials, calamities, and painful circumstances to come upon Job to prove Satan wrong. One of the questions God was answering through allowing Satan to do these bad things to Job was to show that Job was truly obeying God for selfless reasons rather than selfish reasons, and that God can be perfectly righteous in allowing him to inherit the kingdom of God.

The trials Job faced were relevant to either God being proven right or Satan being proven right. That’s how it is in our lives in regards to when we’re tested with trying circumstances and fiery trials: Our deeds will reveal whether or not Christ abides within our hearts. That’s the test.

In Revelation 12:10, Satan is referred to as “the accuser of our brothers,” who accuses them before our God day and night. You can see how Satan is trying to build his case that God can’t be righteous in saving us, where God is trying to present a case that He can be perfectly righteous in saving us. Ultimately, what determines whether or not God can be righteous in allowing us to inherit the kingdom of God is what we do with our freedom of will. Do we choose to trust God? Do we choose to believe in Him and exercise faith that results in Christ entering into our hearts so that we can obey Him and not sin?

I propose that God will allow certain trying circumstances to come upon us to show how we have changed after coming to Christ and believing in Him. Our deeds will reveal whether Christ really abides within our hearts, showing that our repentance is genuine. Satan will point to our wicked deeds to say, “These are the reasons why God cannot be perfectly righteous in allowing this person to enter the kingdom of God.” But by a person repenting from their sins by God’s grace, allowing Christ to enter their heart, and allowing God to work good deeds through them, God can point to those good deeds.

Look at Abraham: He was tested three times, and he failed the first two times in areas of lacking faith. But in the third and most difficult trial, Abraham succeeded when he trusted in God, believing that God would raise up Isaac from the dead. That was a true display of faith.

To support the idea that these fiery trials are relevant to our investigative judgment process:

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

1 Peter 4:12–17

Notice how these fiery trials are mentioned in the context of verse 17, which says it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. This judgment—which I propose is alluding to the investigative judgment, a judgment of evaluation—is being mentioned in the context of these fiery trials. The fiery trials that a born-again Christian faces, and how they respond to them, are relevant to their evaluation in the investigative judgment process to see whether God can be perfectly righteous in allowing that person’s ultimate fate.

It is by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony that we overcome Satan (Revelation 12:11). It’s by the blood of the Lamb that Christ enters into our hearts to forgive us of our sins, cause us to be born again, and cause us to perform good works by His grace. It’s by us performing those good deeds that a record and a testimony of them gets written and recorded in Heaven, and by that testimony God falsifies the accusations coming from the accuser of the brethren.

Assurance of Salvation and God’s Mercy

I want to share how the investigative judgment topic and allowing Christ within our hearts should not be in conflict with us having assurance of salvation. The investigative judgment should not interfere with our assurance of salvation because we cannot be lost without God being perfectly loving and us being lost, right? That should give us great assurance.

Look at the thief on the cross. We see a demonstration of what I was talking about, where he performs good deeds after coming to Christ which contradict the bad deeds he committed before coming to Christ. In Matthew 27:38–44, we see that both thieves cast insults against Christ. That was a bad deed he committed. But then in Luke 23:39–43, we see that one of those thieves repented of his wrongdoings, trusted in Christ, rebuked the other thief, and asked Christ to remember him when He came into His kingdom. Christ said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

It doesn’t matter where you are on your journey—you can be at the end of your rope like the thief on the cross. In that scenario of him repenting and coming to Christ, it’s not possible for God to be perfectly loving in him being lost, and God can be perfectly righteous in him being saved because he repented. God can go to Satan and present the good deed coming from the thief on the cross which contradicts the bad deed that he committed before.

God doesn’t require the impossible from us at all. There were plenty of other bad deeds that the thief on the cross committed in his lifetime which he didn’t have the opportunity to perform good deeds to contradict, but in spite of that he’s still going to be saved because God’s not going to require the impossible from a person. He only requires that which is possible. With it being the case that he repented, God can be perfectly righteous in him inheriting the kingdom of God.

Even in the Book of Genesis you see this principle play out, where Joseph’s older brothers were placed in a parallel situation to the past where they sinned against Joseph. Later on, they faced a much harsher trial, yet in spite of this they didn’t sin—they did the right thing when Joseph was testing them to see if they had changed. That is what God is trying to show in the investigative judgment: that this person has repented, changed, and because Christ is now abiding within their heart, their life has been made in harmony with God’s law. He can show to Satan that He can be perfectly righteous in allowing that person to inherit the kingdom of God.

This is something that angels desire to look into. Angels love to behold the salvation that God works within us. 1 Peter 1:12 says, “…things into which angels long to look.” The object of what the angels desire to look into is salvation—the transformation that God works within us as a result of Christ entering into our hearts. I propose they look into these things through the investigative judgment process; they love it when God is proven to be righteous and Satan’s accusations against us are falsified.

Examining the Heart and Abiding in Christ

Getting towards closing, two Bible verses show how God doesn’t just evaluate our deeds, but our heart gets evaluated and looked into as well:

““I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.””

Jeremiah 17:10

The reason why our heart is to be looked at is to see whether or not salvation has taken place within it, and our deeds will testify to whether or not that is the case. What God is trying to show to the universe is: Have we allowed God to save us? Have we allowed God to abide within our hearts? Because ultimately that’s up to us—that’s our own choice that we make.

Throughout our journey of obeying God, we shouldn’t at all be surprised when there come times when we stumble and fall. Even after a born-again experience, we shouldn’t be surprised if there comes a time when we slip up and sin, but we don’t need to be concerned when that happens, because Jesus is there reaching out His hand to pick us back up again—like how Jesus picked up Peter when he was drowning in water so he could walk on water again.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

1 John 2:1

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

We should have complete assurance of salvation every single step of the way because whenever we fall, God is there to help us out. He’s our friend; He wants us to be saved, and He wants to be perfectly righteous in saving us. When we stumble, if we grab onto His hand in repentance from our sins, He’ll pick us back up again, and then we can continue on our path of walking in the Spirit again and performing good works.

We’ve got to remember that those good works that we perform—it is absolutely impossible for us to perform them without Jesus Christ abiding within our hearts. It is absolutely impossible for us to perform them without God’s grace. We can do nothing without Christ:

““Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.””

John 15:4–6

This is what the investigative judgment is trying to see: Has Christ really entered into our hearts? If He has, it will result in us bearing good fruit. If there’s any person that’s not bearing good fruit, it’s proof that Christ is not abiding within that person’s heart—they have not allowed Christ to enter. With that being the case, what else can God do but allow them to receive the outcome entailed by their choice?

It’s a tragedy, but God is perfectly loving in all of His ways, which means He’s not going to force Himself into someone’s heart. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of Heaven’s government. If God were to do that, how could He be perfectly loving and righteous in every single one of His ways? He couldn’t.

Unfortunately, many people choose to use their freedom of will in that kind of way, but there exists hope for every single person. We all have the chance to choose to put God first in all of our ways, to seek Him for help, and to seek for Christ to enter within our heart so that God can be perfectly righteous in saving us and leading us into the ways of His choosing for our lives, falsifying Satan’s accusations against us in the investigative judgment.

One very important point I want to mention: Biblically speaking, our faith consists not only of a mere belief in God’s existence. Our faith is more than just a belief in God’s existence, for even the demons believe and shudder, according to James 2:19. Biblical, saving faith—the kind of faith that results in Christ entering within our hearts—involves the choice for us to put God first in every single one of our ways and our choice to obey Him. When we make that choice as a part of our trust in Him, exercising faith in Him, that’s the kind of faith that can result in Christ entering within our hearts. It’s only as we maintain that faith connection with Him that we are able to stay obedient to Him.

If we make provision for the flesh, as it says in Romans 13:14, that’s when Christ has to let us experience the consequences of doing that. But whenever we do that, friends, Christ is always holding out His hand to pick us back up again and have us walking in the Spirit again.

VIDEO

What is the Investigative Judgment – Part 2

Liam Koutros

Introduction and the Structure of Judgment

Welcome to Advent Defense League. This is part two of our investigative judgment presentation, where we will get into some more specifics of the investigative judgment as well as deal with some objections, so let us get right into it. To begin, what is the structure and setup of the investigative judgment? For example, when it comes to the judgment of evaluation, does that take place before a person receives their verdict and reward, or does it happen the other way around? I propose that evaluation generally takes place before a person receives their reward, which is figured out and given as a verdict during that evaluation.

In Revelation 22:12, Christ says, “And behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Notice how before Christ’s coming to execute judgment according to 2 Thessalonians 4:1, Christ already has that reward figured out. This is clearly supported by 1 Corinthians 4:5 and 2 Corinthians 5:10, which we looked at in part one. Second Corinthians 5:10 indicates quite clearly:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

2 Corinthians 5:10

A person appears before the judgment seat of Christ through their life records to have their case evaluated, figuring out and making possible what that person will receive.

Two Separate Evaluations and Resurrections

Next, regarding the judgment of evaluation that takes place to figure out whether God is perfectly righteous in allowing a person to inhabit the kingdom of God, or whether He is perfectly righteous in allowing a person to receive torment in the Lake of Fire for an allotted period followed by non-existence: are both of those evaluations done at the same time in one judgment process, or in two parts? I propose that it takes place in two separate parts. Biblical support for this is found in John 5:28–29, which speaks of two different resurrections:

“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

John 5:28–29

Revelation 20:5 explicitly mentions a “first resurrection,” which would be redundant if there were not a second resurrection happening after the 1,000 years. The existence of two separate resurrections supports the idea of two separate judgments of evaluation preceding each general resurrection. The first evaluation—the pre-Advent investigative judgment—shows the universe which humans meet the prerequisites necessary for God to be perfectly loving, righteous, and just in completely saving them and allowing them to inherit heaven. The second evaluation shows the universe which sinful creatures meet the prerequisites for God to be perfectly loving, righteous, and just in causing them to suffer the second death and an allocated portion of torment in the Lake of Fire.

The Three Aspects of Judgment and Biblical “Measuring”

To chart the process after a person’s life case comes up in the investigative judgment: it begins with an evaluation of the life case, followed by a verdict, and then the execution of that verdict. Judgment consists of these three aspects: evaluative, verdict, and executive. People can receive a positive executive judgment—for example, the redeemed receive a positive reward. In Biblical Hebrew, “judgment” is often used in a positive sense, such as “judging the fatherless” or “executing judgment for widows,” which means righting a wrong or rectifying a situation for someone who suffered loss, as illustrated in Job 29:14.

Does the Bible support the idea of two separate evaluations taking place? In Revelation 11:1–2, a measuring takes place. To understand what measuring means, Matthew 7:1–2 states:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

Matthew 7:1–2

Judging, especially of the evaluative kind, is referred to as measuring. Revelation 11:1–2 says:

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.”

Revelation 11:1–2

Those inside the spiritual temple of God (as mentioned in Hebrews 10:19) get measured or evaluated, while those in the court—the spiritual Gentiles—are not measured at that time. The fact that spiritual Gentiles are not measured alongside those in the temple supports two distinct evaluation processes: the first for the righteous, and a second for spiritual Gentiles. This second evaluation is when Satan and his fallen angels are judged. As seen in 1 Corinthians 6:1–3, the saints will judge angels, taking place after going to heaven rather than on Earth.

Judgment During the Thousand Years and the Second Resurrection

This second evaluation is alluded to in Revelation 20, where Satan is bound and restricted in the abyss for 1,000 years so he cannot deceive. Verse 4 states, “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.” This refers to those resurrected in the first resurrection, who receive the authority to judge. The verse continues, “Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

This evaluation during the 1,000 years is further elaborated in Revelation 20:11, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.” To identify when verse 11 takes place, Job 14:10–14 (specifically verse 12) reveals Job will not be resurrected until the sky is no more. First Thessalonians 4:14–17 and Matthew 25:31 show that this resurrection occurs at the Second Coming, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory. Therefore, the fleeing of the sky happens at the first resurrection and Second Coming.

In Revelation 20:12, an evaluation takes place before rewards are handed out:

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

Revelation 20:12

While Ecclesiastes 9:5 states the dead know nothing and are unconscious (often described as sleep in scripture), they stand before God’s throne through their life records. Just as the righteous appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) prior to the Second Coming and receiving their reward (Revelation 22:12) via their records, the unrighteous appear through their life records while remaining dead.

Revelation 20:5 confirms the rest of the dead do not live again until the 1,000 years are finished, during which this evaluation occurs. Revelation 20:13 follows:

“And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.”

Revelation 20:13

Hades here represents the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Sheol, meaning the grave (as seen comparing 1 Corinthians 15 to Hosea). Death and Hades delivering up the dead means they are resurrected, after which they receive executive judgment—eternal destruction or non-existence through the second death. Once sin and sinners are purified from the universe, death and suffering cease, meaning death and Hades are destroyed. As Revelation 20:14–15 states:

“Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:14–15

Heavenly Location, Angelic Witnesses, and the Sanctuary

Throughout the investigative judgment, those who sin against God may have their names blotted out of the Book of Life (Exodus 32:32–33). Ezekiel 18 and 33 explain that if someone is found righteous, their sins are blotted out and no longer remembered, keeping them in the Lamb’s Book of Life. If someone is found wicked, their righteous deeds are forgotten, their sins cannot be blotted out, and their names are blotted from the Book of Life.

Where does the investigative judgment take place? Psalm 11:4–5 shows it is in God’s holy Heavenly Temple:

“The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.”

Psalm 11:4–5

Daniel 7:7–10 shows an investigative judgment scene with thousands serving God, myriads before Him, and books opened. God does not judge alone; angels behold the proceedings. Angels evaluate our lives to see God working salvation within us. If we are willing to let God work, it provides evidence to the heavenly host that He is righteous in saving us; rejecting His salvation prevents this. First Peter 1:12 notes that angels desire to look into these matters of salvation. Furthermore, the Old Covenant sanctuary served as a symbol and shadow of the New Covenant Heavenly Temple (Hebrews 10:1). Cherubim woven into the fabric of the Most Holy Place typified that angels would be present during God’s work of judgment in the Heavenly Sanctuary, as described in Daniel 7.

Exegesis of 1 Peter 4:17 and Timeline of the Judgment

When does the investigative judgment begin? First Peter 4:17–18 states:

“For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

1 Peter 4:17–18

Some claim this contradicts Seventh-day Adventist theology—which places the start on October 22, 1844—by implying judgment began in Peter’s day. However, in the King James Version, “is come” is in italics/brackets, signifying those words were supplied by translators and are absent in the original Greek. In the Greek, the only word indicating time is “disobeying” (present tense), while the word associated with judgment is in the aorist infinitive mood, which is time-ambiguous and does not denote past, present, or future (unlike the aorist indicative, as in Romans 3:23). A more accurate translation is: “For the time of the judgment of the house of God must have a beginning; and if it begins first with us, what will be the outcome of those disobeying the gospel of God?”

Pinpointing the exact time using Daniel 7, the four beasts arise, followed by the little horn plucking up three horns and speaking great words, after which the court sits in judgment (verses 9–10). This places the judgment after the little horn’s rise. Verses 24–26 specify that after the little horn persecutes the saints for a time, times, and half a time (1,260 years, ending in 1798), the court sits in judgment to take away its dominion. Thus, the judgment must begin after 1798.

Furthermore, the pre-Advent judgment must occur before the close of probation (Revelation 22:11). Revelation 14:6–7 shows an angel proclaiming the everlasting gospel saying, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come.” Because this judgment is announced while the gospel is still being proclaimed before probation closes, it must begin after 1798 but before the close of probation.

The 1844 Prophecy and Justification of the Sanctuary

Adventist theology pinpoints October 22, 1844, using the 2,300-day prophecy of Daniel 8:14 connected to the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24. Paralleling Daniel 7 and 8: Medo-Persia is represented by a bear (Daniel 7) and a ram (Daniel 8); Greece by a leopard (Daniel 7) and a goat (Daniel 8); followed by the little horn power. In Daniel 7, the next event is the investigative judgment; in Daniel 8, it is the cleansing of the sanctuary at the end of 2,300 prophetic days (evenings and mornings, reflecting Genesis 1 creation days) in 1844. These two events describe two aspects of the same work.

In Daniel 8:14, the word translated “cleansed” can also be translated “justified” or “cleared of charges” (as in Psalm 51:4). This is not a problem but a strength: Revelation 11:1 describes measuring (judging) both the temple and the worshipers together. Furthermore, since God’s people are referred to as a temple, the justification of the sanctuary applies to both the Heavenly Sanctuary and God’s spiritual temple of believers.

Executive Judgment, Degrees of Punishment, and Conclusion

Finally, regarding the executive judgment and reward for the wicked: 2 Thessalonians 1 indicates they suffer eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord. Revelation 14:9–11 shows they are tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb before going into non-existence. They experience varying degrees of torment based on their deeds while in the presence of the Lamb, before facing ultimate destruction away from His presence.

The parable of the unforgiving debtor in Matthew 18:23–35 illustrates being handed to torturers until a debt is paid, showing that punishment matches individual guilt. Romans 2:4–6 notes that the unrepentant store up wrath for the day of wrath according to their deeds, and James 5:1–6 warns that misusing riches and neglecting others witnesses against the wicked and brings judgment.

Lastly, what about those with very little light or knowledge? Romans 2:12 explains:

“For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

Romans 2:12

Those whom God cannot righteously save nor condemn to the Lake of Fire simply perish at death without a resurrection. In conclusion, let us surrender our hearts to God so He may work salvation in our lives and vindicate us in the investigative judgment.

Let us pray: Father in Heaven, thank You for Your goodness, grace, and revealed truth. Thank You for revealing a gospel that makes sense and explaining the resolution of suffering. Help us fully surrender so You may work salvation within us and vindicate us before the angels, bringing an end to this world and its suffering. In Jesus’ name, Amen.