Judgment

Introduction The book of Amos is a small book—nine chapters, 146 verses, and about 2,050 Hebrew words— but it is a challenging book. Works on this book are legion, the interpretation of almost every clause is debated among scholars, and all kinds of methods have been applied to its study—from his...

The apostle Paul has much to say about eschatology and particularly the eschatological significance of Jesus’ resurrection. It is striking how Paul links the eschatological truth of Jesus’ resurrection to his own life and ministry and to the everyday life of the Christians to whom he writes. This presentation illustrates this feature of Pauline theology by mapping the everyday themes that arise from Paul’s discussion of the resurrection in his letters.

This presentation highlights the importance of studying and obtaining a clear understanding of last-day events during these final stages of earth’s history. A proper biblical understanding of last-day events will not only protect sincere Christians from being deceived, but will also help prepare this generation for the soon coming of Christ. This presentation also intends to contribute to a unified understanding of Adventism’s doctrine of eschatology.

The millennium issue is one of the most controversial in Christian eschatology. This presentation compares two approaches toward the millennium: the Orthodox and the Adventist. The understanding of the Orthodox position on this crucial eschatological problem is very important for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in countries that traditionally were under the strong influence and dominion of the Orthodox Church. Analysis and evaluation of two positions, and finding common ground and distinctions, will facilitate a constructive dialogue between Orthodox and Adventist believers.

Eschatology is one of the major ways theology deals with the issue of theodicy, or the problem of evil. Issues specific to eschatology include the final fate of the wicked, the imperfect believer, the unevangelized pagan, the completeness of God’s victory over evil, and the prospect of evil's full elimination, or its possible re-emergence. Over time theologians have produced a range of eschatological responses to these issues. Some of these responses are outlined, analyzed, and compared with the comprehensive Seventh-day Adventist eschatological vision based in the pre-Advent and millennial judgments.

One of the most important themes in Seventh-day Adventist eschatology is the interpretation of the day of atonement as a time of judgment just before the second coming of Christ. In the Old Testament, however, the main description of the judgment comes from the prophetic announcement of the coming of the “Day of the Lord.” Adventist eschatology uses some elements of this concept to explain some important ideas of the eschatological timeline. A study of these biblical motifs shows important parallels among them. Both describe a time of judgment, distress, and a vindication for the people of God. These and other parallels allow a possible harmonization of these two motifs in the Adventist understanding of the eschatological events.

This presentation examines the six instances of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” that appear in the Gospel of Matthew, with the purpose of understanding its literary and theological meaning. These six phrases are read as symbolic descriptions, functioning as eschatological metaphoric images of exclusion and condemnation. Each phrase is investigated in its own literary context, establishing thematic connections between these pericopes and the Gospel of Matthew as a whole.

One of the points of debate in the interpretation of Revelation 20 has to do with where the saved will spend the millennium: in heaven or on earth? The debate is compounded by the fact that many New Testament passages are not explicit as to whether eternal life is to be lived in heaven or on earth. Most premillennialists hold the view that the saints will remain on earth throughout the thousand-year period between Christ’s return and the eternal state. Other premillennialists, mostly Adventist scholars, have defended their “heavenly premillennial” position mostly by appealing to the use of the word “thrones” in Revelation 20:4. Adventist scholars have correctly pointed to other passages in Revelation that make it clear the redeemed will be in heaven, at least for some time. Postmillennialists and amillennialists consider that the millennium will take place on earth before Christ comes or that it is now ongoing, respectively. This presentation seeks to show that the heavenly millennial kingdom helps explain why several New Testament passages stop short of specifying where eternal life is to be lived. It argues that the millennium forms the eschatological interface between judgment that begins shortly before the return of Christ and that which continues at His return. While a continuation of judgment on the one hand, the coming of Christ and the subsequent millennial reign in heaven mark the beginning of eternal life on the other. From this vantage point, the millennium provides the hindsight with which to plot eschatological events with greater precision than is otherwise possible.

The investigative judgment doctrine has always been an intrinsic part of Seventh-day Adventist soteriology. Throughout the history of Seventh-day Adventists, however, the investigative (or Pre-Advent) judgment has been one of the most controversial doctrines, challenged and questioned more than any other Adventist belief. For Adventists, however, the investigative judgment forms an essential part of their theology and cannot be abandoned. This is because their soteriology is locked within a meta-theological paradigm that necessitates the eschatological pre-Advent judgment. Understanding this paradigm may be helpful in explaining the beauty and uniqueness of Adventist soteriology.

Last messages or last warnings are very important. If one does not take them seriously, one has to count on unpleasant consequences. On the other hand, if they are followed, one can enjoy wonderful benefits. The Bible presents a last message in Rev 14:6-12. I. The Context 1. The Larger Context Re...