The Judgment of the World
We will now take a look at our second scripture, Acts 17:31
God "…hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath risen him from the dead.”
ANOTHER JUDGMENT?
But, how can this be? Has God changed His mind? Has He concluded that His decision in the trial of the first man and the general sentence were unjust, too severe, that He now concludes to judge the world individually? Heavens No! Were such the case, we should have no better guarantee of a just decision in the future trial than in the past. As was stated previously, it is not that God considers His decision in the first judgement unjust, but that he has provided a redemption from the penalty of the first judgment, in order that He might grant another judgment (trial) under more favorable conditions to the entire race–all of whom will then have had experience with sin and its results.
God has not changed one iota from his original purpose, which he formed before the world began. He distinctly informs us that He changes not, and that He will by no means clear the guilty. He will exact the full penalty which He justly pronounced. But that full penalty has been paid by the Redeemer or substitute whom God Himself provided– Jesus Christ, who “by the grace (favor) of God tasted death for every man.” Our Lord having bought Adam and his race, with his own life, can now legally, justly give a new offer of life to them all. And this offer to all is called the new covenant, sealed, ratified or made operative by His death. Rom. 14:9; John 5:22; Heb. 10:16-29; 13:20-21 (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 479)
“Our text signifies a second judgment and thus implies that the sentence of the first judgment is to be set aside. The sentence of the first judgment was death, extinction, and it has been set aside by the great ransom sacrifice made by our Lord; and now, as a consequence of the setting aside of that first sentence upon man, all mankind is to be granted another judgment, that is, another trial, another opportunity to see to what extent past experiences have been profitable, and which under the divine direction and corrections will learn righteousness so heartily and so thoroughly as to pass divine inspection as worthy of life eternal.” (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 836)
What does it mean to judge the world in righteousness?
The apostle says that the world will be judged in righteousness justly, fairly, properly with a view to the blessing of all who will accept the instructions of that day and come into harmony with God, and with a view to the destruction in the second death of all who will reject the favors of that Day of Judgment. We want to get rid of the false conception of the Day of Judgment which has blinded and injured us from infancy that it would be a twenty-four hour day and simply signify a re-trial of the human family, the sending back to heaven or hell or purgatory whence they came of all the human family. No such penalty is taught in the Scriptures, but on the contrary the Lord’s people are bidden to rejoice in view of God’s glorious proposition that the world shall be granted a day of judgment. Hearken to the words of the Prophet David, who exultingly exclaims:
“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD [Jehovah] reigns. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is [are] therein. Then shall all the trees of the wood sing out [loud] at the presence of the LORD [Jehovah], because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the LORD [Jehovah]; for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.” 1 Chron 16:31-34
We wish that those of you who are bible students would take your concordances and note how many Scripture passages refer to “in that day,” “in his day,” etc. You will find wonderful things predicted of that glorious day when God’s kingdom shall be established in the earth, when his reign of righteousness amongst the people shall be inaugurated. It will bring blessings of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the prophets since the world began to all those who obey the Word of the Lord in that time. It will bring chastisements to any of them who might be tardy in the learning of the proper lessons of life, and it will bring the second death to all others who willfully and deliberately reject the grace of God at the hands of him who redeemed us all. (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 836)
"A judge, in ancient times, was one who executed justice and relieved the oppressed. Note, for instance, how when under oppression by their enemies because of transgression against the Lord, Israel was time and again released and blessed by the raising up of judges." A142
"It should be noted that the object of raising up judges was a gracious and beneficent one: it was to deliver and bless the people, not to condemn and punish them. In this view of the office of a judge, how precious is the promise that our blessed Lord Jesus cometh to judge the world in righteousness."R1869:3
Those who profess to be Christians but whose only vision of Judgment Day is one of fear and dread, of vengeance and revenge have not only the wrong conception of the judgment, but likewise give evidence in themselves of having the wrong spirit.
As none of the before mentioned blessing have come as yet it is evident that we are still in the Gospel age, and thus the “appointed day” for the judging of the world has not yet begun. The Lord’s own testimony to this fact is recorded in John 12:47 when he said that he “came not (at his first advent) to judge the world, but to save the world.”
Our Lord's mission at the first advent was not to judge, but to redeem the world, and while judgment begins in a measure with every man as soon as he begins to comprehend the divine testimony, it does not, in the case of the world in general, reach its final decision or “krima” until the day which God has appointed, “The day of Christ”, which is in the Millennial age, during the Mediatorial reign.
The Millennial day is the day of the world’s judgment; however it is not to be understood as a 24-hour day, but as "a day" on a larger scale. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Pet 3:8
“Why any should suppose this Day of Judgment to be of 12 or 24 hours, while recognizing the wider meaning of the word in other similar cases, is beyond comprehension, except upon the supposition that they have been influenced by tradition, prejudice without proper evidence or investigation. Those who will carefully consult a complete concordance of the Bible with reference to the Day of Judgment, and note the kind and amount of work to be accomplished within that period, will soon see the absurdity of the common view, and the necessity for giving to the term day its wider significance.” (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 478)
This day of a thousand years is the time period set aside for the judging of mankind. In it Satan and sin are to be overthrown and righteousness is to be established by “that man (the Great Prophet, Acts 3:22, 23) whom he hath ordained.”
In our next post we will take a closer look at the time of the world’s judgement.
We will now take a look at our second scripture, Acts 17:31
God "…hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath risen him from the dead.”
ANOTHER JUDGMENT?
But, how can this be? Has God changed His mind? Has He concluded that His decision in the trial of the first man and the general sentence were unjust, too severe, that He now concludes to judge the world individually? Heavens No! Were such the case, we should have no better guarantee of a just decision in the future trial than in the past. As was stated previously, it is not that God considers His decision in the first judgement unjust, but that he has provided a redemption from the penalty of the first judgment, in order that He might grant another judgment (trial) under more favorable conditions to the entire race–all of whom will then have had experience with sin and its results.
God has not changed one iota from his original purpose, which he formed before the world began. He distinctly informs us that He changes not, and that He will by no means clear the guilty. He will exact the full penalty which He justly pronounced. But that full penalty has been paid by the Redeemer or substitute whom God Himself provided– Jesus Christ, who “by the grace (favor) of God tasted death for every man.” Our Lord having bought Adam and his race, with his own life, can now legally, justly give a new offer of life to them all. And this offer to all is called the new covenant, sealed, ratified or made operative by His death. Rom. 14:9; John 5:22; Heb. 10:16-29; 13:20-21 (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 479)
“Our text signifies a second judgment and thus implies that the sentence of the first judgment is to be set aside. The sentence of the first judgment was death, extinction, and it has been set aside by the great ransom sacrifice made by our Lord; and now, as a consequence of the setting aside of that first sentence upon man, all mankind is to be granted another judgment, that is, another trial, another opportunity to see to what extent past experiences have been profitable, and which under the divine direction and corrections will learn righteousness so heartily and so thoroughly as to pass divine inspection as worthy of life eternal.” (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 836)
What does it mean to judge the world in righteousness?
The apostle says that the world will be judged in righteousness justly, fairly, properly with a view to the blessing of all who will accept the instructions of that day and come into harmony with God, and with a view to the destruction in the second death of all who will reject the favors of that Day of Judgment. We want to get rid of the false conception of the Day of Judgment which has blinded and injured us from infancy that it would be a twenty-four hour day and simply signify a re-trial of the human family, the sending back to heaven or hell or purgatory whence they came of all the human family. No such penalty is taught in the Scriptures, but on the contrary the Lord’s people are bidden to rejoice in view of God’s glorious proposition that the world shall be granted a day of judgment. Hearken to the words of the Prophet David, who exultingly exclaims:
“Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say among the nations, The LORD [Jehovah] reigns. Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is [are] therein. Then shall all the trees of the wood sing out [loud] at the presence of the LORD [Jehovah], because he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto the LORD [Jehovah]; for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.” 1 Chron 16:31-34
We wish that those of you who are bible students would take your concordances and note how many Scripture passages refer to “in that day,” “in his day,” etc. You will find wonderful things predicted of that glorious day when God’s kingdom shall be established in the earth, when his reign of righteousness amongst the people shall be inaugurated. It will bring blessings of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all the prophets since the world began to all those who obey the Word of the Lord in that time. It will bring chastisements to any of them who might be tardy in the learning of the proper lessons of life, and it will bring the second death to all others who willfully and deliberately reject the grace of God at the hands of him who redeemed us all. (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 836)
"A judge, in ancient times, was one who executed justice and relieved the oppressed. Note, for instance, how when under oppression by their enemies because of transgression against the Lord, Israel was time and again released and blessed by the raising up of judges." A142
"It should be noted that the object of raising up judges was a gracious and beneficent one: it was to deliver and bless the people, not to condemn and punish them. In this view of the office of a judge, how precious is the promise that our blessed Lord Jesus cometh to judge the world in righteousness."R1869:3
Those who profess to be Christians but whose only vision of Judgment Day is one of fear and dread, of vengeance and revenge have not only the wrong conception of the judgment, but likewise give evidence in themselves of having the wrong spirit.
As none of the before mentioned blessing have come as yet it is evident that we are still in the Gospel age, and thus the “appointed day” for the judging of the world has not yet begun. The Lord’s own testimony to this fact is recorded in John 12:47 when he said that he “came not (at his first advent) to judge the world, but to save the world.”
Our Lord's mission at the first advent was not to judge, but to redeem the world, and while judgment begins in a measure with every man as soon as he begins to comprehend the divine testimony, it does not, in the case of the world in general, reach its final decision or “krima” until the day which God has appointed, “The day of Christ”, which is in the Millennial age, during the Mediatorial reign.
The Millennial day is the day of the world’s judgment; however it is not to be understood as a 24-hour day, but as "a day" on a larger scale. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Pet 3:8
“Why any should suppose this Day of Judgment to be of 12 or 24 hours, while recognizing the wider meaning of the word in other similar cases, is beyond comprehension, except upon the supposition that they have been influenced by tradition, prejudice without proper evidence or investigation. Those who will carefully consult a complete concordance of the Bible with reference to the Day of Judgment, and note the kind and amount of work to be accomplished within that period, will soon see the absurdity of the common view, and the necessity for giving to the term day its wider significance.” (Harvest Gleanings Three, Page 478)
This day of a thousand years is the time period set aside for the judging of mankind. In it Satan and sin are to be overthrown and righteousness is to be established by “that man (the Great Prophet, Acts 3:22, 23) whom he hath ordained.”
In our next post we will take a closer look at the time of the world’s judgement.
