Judging the Judge - Rumor notes 131

 

Revelation 14

6 I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!"

the hour of his judgment has come

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn't prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:7-10)

This is the core theme of this entire book, that the God who sits on the throne is being accused by the great deceiver as being deceptive Himself. God has been accused of being both good and evil, a mixture of light and darkness, reliant on manipulating offers of rewards and threats of punishments to stay in power. This has to be proven as patently false and all allegations lodged against Him must be fully exposed as complete fraud before His government can be reestablished on a secure foundation.

This is the why the message of this first angel focuses on giving God glory, for the glory that belongs to God is not to make Him feel better about Himself, but as testimony of witnesses to the truthfulness and trustworthiness of God's integrity. What is in serious jeopardy is the foundation of trust, that God's methods of love alone can successfully defeat the power of fear and evil that have scandalized the universe and undermined His authority. It is impossible to restore the kind of trust God needs to govern according to His design by exercising force to shut down His opponents. What must be proven through demonstration is that love can win over force and fear without any use of violence, for violence is a violation of freedom of will, and without this freedom agape love cannot exist.

God is love – agape love, selfless, other-centered love. This God who is agape love will stop at nothing to attract and win the trust and affections of others, even to the point of sacrificing His own life if necessary. Force is foreign and toxic to the environment of pure love where vulnerability is honored instead of avoided. Intimacy, joy, peace, humility, kindness, gentleness – everything describing the fruit of the Spirit can only thrive when love is highest priority over every other agenda including self-defense. This is at the very center of the war between light and darkness.

This truth about God who is agape love is what is under fierce attack from the enemy of love, for Satan insists that love is a mirage, is impossible to achieve and is too weak and unreliable to maintain social order among intelligent beings free to reject it, without the deterrent of fear in place through threat of punishment. These are the elemental issues involved in the trial where God is the primary defendant and His Christ is His defense attorney who alone speaks the full truth about Him and also lived out a full demonstration of this truth so it would be unmistakable for all to see.

May it never be! Yes, let God be found true, but every man a liar. As it is written, "That you might be justified in your words, and might prevail when you come into judgment." (Romans 3:4)

We must understand the truth about this word judgment and lift it out of the context of our dark notions about judgment and the ways we practice it here in this world. Our kind of judgment involves accusations, defenses, carefully screened (often censored) evidence and then having a judge pass sentence on the defendant either for or against them. That must then be turned over to a complex system of law enforcement designed to give teeth to laws that otherwise have no power to enforce themselves. This is the counterfeit system of justice where laws are often manipulated, partial and where law-makers become corrupt, and fear is the primary means of deterring crime.

The condemning power of Satan would lead him to institute a theory of justice inconsistent with mercy. He claims to be officiating as the voice and power of God, claims that his decisions are justice, are pure and without fault. Thus he takes his position on the judgment seat and declares that his counsels are infallible. Here his merciless justice comes in, a counterfeit of justice, abhorrent to God.{CTr 11.4}

This is not at all how heaven conducts judgment. But from our darkened perspective, it is difficult to see the difference between true judgment and justice, and counterfeit judging and justice. (For those interested, I have compiled a number of EGW quotations that make this very clear.) Heaven's justice is revealed through the teachings and example of Jesus who God assigned as Judge in His place.

Jesus was a fountain of healing mercy for the saving of the world; for by precept and example he represented the justice and love of God to men. When the nature of man is renewed by grace, he will be full of tenderness, sympathy, and love. Thus the character of God will be unfolded to the world as it is, and Satan will not be able to fasten the minds of all humanity in his snare, charging God with his own attributes, and misrepresenting his character.{ST November 28, 1892, par. 6}

Logically God cannot preside as judge over His own trial as He is the defendant, for one being accused cannot credible preside over a legal case filed against them. Jesus helps clarify the situation. Here is a brief summary of the way heaven does judgment. First, let's allow Jesus, the embodiment of truth, to define the word itself.

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God. (John 3:19-21)

What is the nature and purpose of this light that induces judgment?

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it. (John 1:4-5)

This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world. (1 John 4:16-17)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-4)

This darkness referenced in Genesis was not merely the absence of physical light. That may have been literally true, but it is a metaphor of the emotional condition that affected the whole intelligent universe that been caught up in the war of accusations and insinuations about God's reliability and integrity. The entire creation account is simultaneously a metaphor of God's response to the crisis precipitated by the revolt of Lucifer, the highest and most brilliant angelic being ever created. Lucifer had chosen to bend his enormous powers of intellect to invent a virtual reality to replace the principles that under-gird all creation that God had designed. Lucifer's continuous accusations and harassment of those who remained loyal to God caused him to become known as Satan, which literally means accuser, opponent, prosecutor. The upshot of his continual disturbance in heaven had led to his eviction, along with a third of the angelic hosts who had chosen to invest with him in his grand new social experiment. This is described in Revelation 12 as the war initiated by Michael.

Yet just because he was no longer allowed to operate freely in heaven did not mean his influence was entirely curtailed. We are told he was cast down to this earth, and this is where he set up his base of operations with a view to expanding his empire of power and control, intent on capturing other worlds until over time he might exalt himself to credibly compete with God in the universe. We catch glimpses of this narrative in various places throughout the inspired writings such as these –

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' (Isaiah 14:12-14 NKJV)

Now it happened on the day when the God's sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan also came among them. Yahweh said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." (Job 1:6-7)

This reveals the fact that Satan had asserted himself as ruler of this world in place of Adam (despite the fact he was not of the same species as the humans he claimed to represent). Part of the mission of Christ was to challenge Satan's credentials, contest his place in this assembly of God's government and displace him. This was why Satan was so bent on destroying Jesus even at a young age, or failing that, sought any way possible to entice Jesus to compromise His integrity or weaken His determination to rely entirely on God as His sole Source of identity as a human being.

Satan was desperate to derail God's plan, for he knew if Jesus succeeded it would mean a complete expulsion from the courts of heaven with no possibility of reentry. This was the second declaration of war by Christ declared openly by His birth as a baby, a direct challenge to again cast down this diabolical usurper from his claim to the dominion of Adam. Jesus came to replace Satan as our true representative, a high priest who, unlike Satan, would fully sympathize with all suffering and exploited humanity because He would be fully united as one with us. This is why Jesus alone is qualified to be our judge, because He became the Son of Man, one in flesh and blood who could fully feel and experience everything we feel and experience in order to relate with us credibly.

For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. (John 5:26-27)

For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn't honor the Son doesn't honor the Father who sent him. (John 5:22-23)

For it became him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, "I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." Again, "I will put my trust in him." Again, "Behold, here I am with the children whom God has given me."

Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For most certainly, he doesn't give help to angels, but he gives help to the seed of Abraham. Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For in that he himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:10-18)

This is a key element in the credibility of heaven's kind of judgment. The One designated to be judge of human beings became a human being Himself, so no one could claim He does not have capacity to relate to us on our level or appreciate what we experience. The humanity of Christ is central to the credibility of His judgments. Jesus is the embodiment of heaven's kind of judgment.

This was all part of a master plan by the Godhead in concert before the foundation of the world as the means by which God's reputation can be cleared as well as to salvage as many as possible who would be willing to be saved through believing and embracing this love revealed through the Son.

"Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? 'Father, save me from this time?' But for this cause I came to this time. Father, glorify your name!" Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." Jesus answered, "This voice hasn't come for my sake, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:27-32)

Where was the prince of this world to be cast out from?

Jesus here states that it is time again for Satan to be cast out, this time from his claim as ruler over all this world. This is part of the judgment process. Early in the beginning of Christ's ministry the devil faced off with Him during a showdown in the wilderness to test His resolve and if at all possible deter Him from going any further in His challenge to deny authority to the great usurper.

The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'" (Luke 4:5-8)

This was also a pivotal part of the trial involving God's credibility. Jesus came to earth not only as the Son of Man to contest the position of the ruler of this world and be our Christ; He simultaneously came as the Son of God to reveal God to the entire universe, and as God's Christ reveal how God would respond under any and all circumstances that could challenge His claim to be nothing other than selfless love. Jesus was God in the flesh being tempted as a human to choose any option than the path of suffering that would finally end in His most cruel torture and death on the cross. Satan offered what he imagined was a very attractive alternative, a power-sharing arrangement conditioned by Christ admitting that Satan's ideas had legitimacy. Then the system he installed in this world could continue without Satan losing his strategic advantage. This was an extreme test of agape love.

Later this same temptation emerged again when Peter was 'inspired' to rebuke Jesus for declaring He would be killed by religious and political leaders. This contradicted all popular narratives for how evil had to be defeated. It made no sense that the Messiah would die, for if He allowed Himself to be killed He could not oversee the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. Yet Jesus made it explicitly clear that the use of force to avoid suffering originated in the father of lies.

But he turned, and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men." (Matthew 16:23)

What does all this have to do with judging the Judge? Because Jesus came to reveal the Father, not appease Him. Every temptation Jesus met was targeted at discrediting His testimony that God is love.

Many passages refer to God as judging the world, yet if we allow Jesus to define the very concept of judgment, they take on a different perspective from our typical definitions of judgment.

Let them sing before Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (Psalms 98:9)

I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. (Revelation 19:11)

This makes it more clear when we compare this to what we just read in chapter 12 and in John 3 that defines true judgment. The way Jesus judges is by exposing the light of truth about God's righteousness apart from the Law, which is nothing less than His heart of agape love. The light of truth always causes a reaction in everyone exposed which is judgment. This is not a sentence like we do in our systems of hierarchical power. The war Jesus carries out is the war mentioned in chapter 12 launched by Michael against the father of lies who is the original accuser of God.

Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God. Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe... (Romans 3:19-22)

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)

The revelation of God's 'better' kind of righteousness apart from what is defined as law-keeping, is how God's Christ exonerates God's reputation, defends His governing style and reestablishes the very foundation of the kingdom of heaven in the hearts and loyalty of beings all throughout the universe for all eternity. Distinguishing between a legal version of righteousness and God's heart-based true righteousness, is what happens when the light of judgment is shone everywhere, especially on the history of His interactions with sinful beings in revolt against His authority.

Jesus Christ came to this world as the revelation of the light of truth about what God is like, His disposition and motives and ways of relating to others that exposes all the lies of the enemy that have undermined God's credibility. This light is never condemning but is exposing, for anything out of harmony with selfless agape love is highlighted by contrast by exposure to the humility, kindness, gentleness and compassion of God's heart. Thus the spirit of judgmental condemning that marks the disposition of how judgment is conducted in our world, has no place in the kingdom of heaven and will not exist in the hearts of those who choose to participate in His kingdom of love.

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. (John 3:14-18)

Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who "will pay back to everyone according to their works:" (Romans 2:1-6)

This world and particularly humanity, was created to reflect the truth about God, but was hijacked to reflect the character of Satan instead. God's Christ wages war against the slander from the father of lies by bringing to light the truth that alone can set us free. This is all part of the judging of God, for God designed us to image His likeness, His heart of love, so our reflections have direct bearing on other's opinions about God as they judge by us whether He can be trusted or not.

Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the peoples be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear, and say, "That is true."

"You are my witnesses," says Yahweh, "With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me. I myself am Yahweh; and besides me there is no savior. I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown; and there was no strange god among you. Therefore you are my witnesses," says Yahweh, "and I am God. Yes, since the day was I am he; and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who can hinder it?" (Isaiah 43:9-13)

You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. (John 8:15-16)

Jesus clarifies that there are two very different ways of judging. We most often judge according to the flesh, meaning we asses a person's worth, identity and social status to label them based on their relative potential value to us or relative obedience to rules. By contrast, God's judgment is based on creation design based on His own constant and impartial love for every one of us. This is the light that has come into the world, the light in which there is no darkness at all, the light of unconditional, passionate, unrelenting love for every person that when embraced has the power to transform, heal and restore us to grow up into the same likeness as seen in Christ Jesus. In this paradigm, judgment is not something done to others but is what transpires in reaction to exposure by the light of truth, revealing the nature of the character and heart of each individual separately.

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." (Acts 1:6-8)

Character witnesses are called to testify when a person's credibility or motives are being challenged.

We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. (Acts 5:32)

John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood; and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:4-6)

Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. He who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness. If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn't believe, I don't judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and doesn't receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak." (John 12:44-50)

give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come

What does all this have to do with the hour of God's judgment? We will dig into this next time.