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VI.
The Sure Word of
Prophecy
»
Chapter 56
:
The Judgment-Hour Message
1. WHAT prophetic view of
the judgment was given Daniel?
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down
[placed], and the
Ancient of days did sit: . . . thousand
thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand
times ten thousand stood before Him: the
judgment was set, and the books were opened."
Dan. 7:9,10.
2. What assurance has God
given of the judgment?
"Because He 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 raised Him from the dead."
Acts 17:31.
3. What message announces the
judgment-hour come?
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of
heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and
kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud
voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour
of His judgment is come: and worship Him that
made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains
of waters." Rev. 14:6,7.
4. In view of the judgment-hour,
what is proclaimed anew?
"The everlasting gospel." Verse 6,
first part.
5. How extensively is this
message to be proclaimed?
"To every nation, and kindred,
and tongue, and people." Verse 6, last
part.
6. What is the whole world called
upon to do?
"Fear God, and give glory to Him."
Verse 7.
7.
What special reason is given for this?
"For the hour of His judgment is come." Same
verse.
8.
Whom are all called upon to worship?
"Him that made heaven, and earth." Same verse.
NOTE.-There is only one gospel (Rom. 1:16,17. Gal.
1:8), first announced in Eden (Gen. 3:15), preached
to Abraham (Gal. 3:8) and to the children of Israel
(Heb. 4:1,2), and proclaimed anew in every
generation. In Its development, the gospel meets the
needs of every crisis in the world's history. John
the Baptist in his preaching announced the kingdom
of heaven at hand (Matt. 3:1,2), and prepared the
way for the first advent. John 1:22,23. Christ
Himself in His preaching of the gospel announced the
fulfillment of a definite-time prophecy (the
sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, of Dan. 9:25), and
called the people to repentance, in view of the
coming of the predicted Messiah. Mark 1:14,15. So
when the time of the judgment comes, and Christ's
second advent is near, a world-wide announcement of
these events is to be made in the preaching of the
everlasting gospel adapted to meet the need of the
hour.
9.
What prophetic period extends to the time of the
cleansing of the sanctuary, or the investigative
judgment?
"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three
hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."
Dan. 8:14.
10. When did this long period expire?
In A. D. 1844. See reading in chapter 53.
NOTE.-Our Lord based His preaching of the gospel
upon the fulfillment of the first part of the 2300
days, or years (Mark 1:14,15), a prophecy which
determined the time of the first advent. The whole
period extends to the time of the judgment, just
preceding the second advent, and at its expiration a
special gospel message is sent to all the world
proclaiming the judgment-hour at hand, and calling
upon all to worship the Creator. The facts of
history answer to this interpretation of the
prophecy: for at this very time (1844) just such a
message was being proclaimed in various parts of the
world. This was the beginning of the great second
advent message which is now being proclaimed
throughout the world.
11. How is the true God
distinguished from all false gods?
"Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods
that have not made the heavens and the earth, even
they shall perish from the earth. . . . He [the true
God] hath made the earth by His power, He hath
established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched
out the heavens by His discretion." Jer. 10:11,12.
12. For what reason is worship justly due to God?
"For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all
gods. . . . The sea is His, and He made it: and His
hands formed
the dry land.
O come, let us
worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our
Maker." Ps. 95:3-6.
13. Why do the inhabitants of heaven worship God?
"The four and twenty elders fall down before Him,
saying, Thou art worthy; O Lord, to receive glory and
honor and power: for Thou hast created all things,
and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."
Rev. 4:10,11.
14. What memorial did God
establish of His creative power?
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it
holy. For in
six days the Lord
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is,
and rested
the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath
day, and hallowed it." Ex. 20:8-11.
15. What place has the Sabbath in
the work of salvation?
"Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths, to be
a sign between Me and them, that they might know
that I am the Lord that sanctify them." Eze.
20:12.
16. How many are concerned in the
judgment?
"For we must all appear before the
judgment-seat of Christ; that everyone may
receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2
Cor. 5:10.
17. What will be the standard in the judgment?
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of all. For He that said) Do
not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou
commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a
transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they
that shall be judged by the law of liberty."
James 2:10-12.
18. In view of the judgment, what exhortation is given?
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep His commandments: for this is the
whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into
judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good,
or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:13,14.
NOTE.-A comparison of Rev. 14:7 with Eccl. 12:13,14,
suggests that the way to give glory to God is to
keep His commandments. and that in giving the
judgment-hour message, the duty of keeping the
commandments would be emphasized. This is plainly
shown in the description given of the people who are
gathered out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and
people as the result of the preaching of this
message, in connection with the other messages which
immediately follow and accompany it. Of this people
it is said, "Here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev.
14:12.
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