The coming judgment will be on exactly the same principles as were the first. The same law of obedience will be presented, with the same reward of life, and the same penalty of death. And as the first trial had a beginning, progressed, and culminated with a sentence, so also will the second; and the sentence will be life to the righteous, and death to the unrighteous. The second trial will be more favorable than the first, because of the experience gained under the results of the first trial.
Unlike the first trial, the second trial will be one in which every man will stand the test for himself alone, and not for another. None will then die because of Adam’s sin, or because of inherited imperfections. “In those days they shall say no more:
“The fathers (Adam) have eaten a sour grape (sinned), and the children’s (all of Adam’s children) teeth are set on edge (The nature of the fathers, being polluted by sin, is transmitted to the children, who come under the death sentence for having the same nature or disposition as the fathers). But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man (every individual) who eats the sour grape (sins), his teeth shall be set on edge.”
“The soul (the being or individual) that sins, IT shall die.” (Ezek. 18:4; Jer. 31:29, 30) thus confirming that the soul is not immortal as some are led to believe.
And it will be true of the world then, as it is of the Church now, that a man will not be judged according to that which he hath not, but according to that which he hath. (2 Cor. 8:12) Under the reign of Christ, mankind will be gradually educated, trained and disciplined until they reach perfection. And when they have reached perfection, perfect harmony with God will be required, and any who then fall short of perfect obedience will be cut off, being judged unworthy of life.
The sin which brought death to the race through Adam was simply one disobedient act; but by that act he fell from his perfection. God had a right to demand perfect obedience of him, since he was created perfect; and he will demand the same of all men when the great work of restoring them is complete. None will be permitted to have everlasting life that then in the slightest degree fall short of perfection. To fall short of perfection, then, will be to sin willfully against full light and perfect ability.
Any who sin willfully, against full light and ability, will perish in the second death. And should any one, during that age of trial, under its full blaze of light, spurn the offered favors, and make no progress toward perfection for a hundred years, he will be reckoned unworthy of life and will be “cut off,” though at a hundred years he would be in the period of comparative childhood. Thus it is written of that day: “As a lad shall one die a hundred years old; and as a sinner shall be accursed he who dies at a hundred years old.” (Isa. 65:20–Leeser’s Translation) Thus all will have at least one hundred years of trial; and, if not so obstinate as to refuse to make progress, their trial will continue throughout the entire day of Christ, reaching a culmination only at its close.
The conclusion of the world’s coming judgment is clearly shown in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matt. 25:31-46), in Rev. 20:15; 21:8 and in 1 Cor. 15:25. These and other scriptures show that at its close the two classes will have been completely separated–the obedient and the disobedient; those in harmony with the letter and the spirit of God’s law, and those out of harmony with it. The one enters into everlasting life, the others are remanded to death, extinction (“second death”), the same sentence as in the first judgment, from which they had been reckoned released by Christ who secured the right to release them by the giving of their ransom–by his death. This will be their second death. No ransom will be given for them, and there will be no release or resurrection for them, their sin being a willful, individual sin against full light and opportunity, under a most favorable, individual trial.
We do not wish to be understood as ignoring the present responsibility of the world, which every man has, according to the measure of light enjoyed, whether it be much or little, whether it be the light of nature or of revelation. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good,” and “God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.” (Prov. 15:3; Eccl. 12:14)
The good AND the evil deeds of the present time will receive a just recompense of reward either now or hereafter. “Some men’s sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, and some they follow after.” (1 Tim. 5:24) NO OTHERS than the Lord’s favored “little flock” has as yet sufficient light (an accurate understanding of the truth, NOT all truth, but truth sufficient) to incur the final penalty, the second death. We here merely broach the subject of the world’s present accountability, leaving the particulars for subsequent consideration. (A143-145)
Continued with next post.
