Jeremiah 17:10, "I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings."
Psalms 96:13, "Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. ."
Psalms 119:172, "My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments [are] righteousness."
1. What is Investigative judgment?
1 John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."
John 14:15, "If you love me keep my commandments."
Matthew 19:17, "...if thou will enter into life keep the commandments."
Revelation 22:14, "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."
Matthew 7:21-23, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Acts 17:30, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent."
2. When did the investigative judgment begin?
Daniel 7:9-10, 13, “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days 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. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."
Revelation 10:9-10, "And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter."
3. Who is judging?
Daniel 7:13, "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him."
Who is the Ancient of days?
Psalms 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.”
Who is like the Son of man?
Matthew 24:29, "mmediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:"
Matthew 20:28, "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Matthew 17:9, "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."
John 3:13, "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."
4. Whom is He judging?
1 Peter 4:17, “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?”
5. Who are the witnesses?
Daniel 7: 10, "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him."
6. What is to determine the judgment?
Daniel 7:10, "..the judgment was set, and the books were opened."
7. What is the standard of the judgment?
Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14, "Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment."
James 2:12, "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."
Daniel 5:27, "TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."
Mark 13:36, "Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
8. What are the record books involved in the judgment?
Daniel 7:10, "..the judgment was set, and the books were opened."
a. Book of life
Luke 10:20, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”
Philippians 4:3, "And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life."
Daniel 12:1, "And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book."
Revelation 20:12, “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.”
Exodus 32:33, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book."
b. Book of remembrance
Malachi 3:16, "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name."
Ezekiel 18:24, "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die."
c. Book of records or book of iniquities – records sins of men
Matthew 12:36, "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment."
Matthew 12:37, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Deuteronomy 8:3, "man shall not eat by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."
Proverbs 10:20, "The tongue of the just is as choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is little worth."
Matthew Chapter 12
Ecclesiastes 12:14, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
1 Corinthians 4:5, "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God."
Isaiah 65:6, 7, "Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom."
9. What are the things that are considered in this great event?
Romans 2:12-16, "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."
Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Romans 14:23, "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
10. How just is the judgment of God?
Revelation 22:12, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
Revelation 20:12, "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."
Psalms 62:12, "Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work."
Proverbs 24:29, "Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work."
Proverbs 24:12, "If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"
Matthew 16:27, "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."
Jeremiah 32:19, "Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
11. What are the things that will disqualify us from being sealed during this investigative judgment period?
a. SIN – transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4.
b. Unbelief, murmuring, and rebellion shut out ancient Israel from the land of Canaan.
James 4:4, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
1 John 2:15, "Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
Things in the world that are not for God’s people:
- Material things:
- Fame:
- Customs and traditions:
- Practices:
- Unequally yoking with unbelievers:
John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
2 Corinthians 6:17, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you"
12. What happens at the end of investigative judgment?
Probation closes:
Revelation 22:11,12, "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. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."
13. What happens to those accounted worthy?
Dead saints –
Luke 20:35, 36, "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection."
John 5:29, "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Living saints –
1 Thessalonians 4:17, "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
14. What happens to those accounted unworthy?
Lake of fire –
Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
15. What is our duty now?
- Individual preparation:
- Everyone is required to afflict their souls:
Acts 3:19-21, "Repent ye 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," "whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
- Everyone must search their hearts:
- Put away: ALL SINS:
Reward is heaven!!!!