Does the Bible Prove the Investigative Judgment?

For decades, the Seventh-day Adventist church has been losing the majority of its young people. While not a new phenomenon, this was not true when my father was a young man. Nearly 150 years ago, Mrs. White told us that the time would come when the majority of the church would forsake God’s people, so we shouldn’t be surprised to see this migration away from Adventism.

One of the main reasons given by the young people and even older people for leaving the Seventh-day Adventist church is that they no longer believe that Ellen White had the gift of prophecy, and, therefore, do not trust her writings.

A second reason is that people do not believe in the doctrine of the investigative judgment. Mrs. White wrote extensively about the doctrine of the investigative judgment, so if you don’t believe in the investigate judgment, then you would have to believe Mrs. White is a false prophet because she wrote that the investigative judgment is a Biblical doctrine. They make the sweeping conclusion that the doctrine of the investigative judgment cannot be proven from the Bible alone.

I have been a minister in God’s service for more than 60 years, and have preached a number of sermons on the investigative judgment from the Bible alone. It is a preposterous assertion and totally untrue to believe that the doctrine cannot be proven by the Bible alone.

Let’s Look at Their Proof

One text is cited as the super argument that absolutely proves you cannot prove the investigative judgment from the Bible. Found in the book of John, let’s see what John the Beloved wrote.

“ ‘Most assuredly [that’s absolutely for sure], I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.’ ” John 5:24

John recorded Jesus’ words, and many people today will respond, “See. Jesus said if I hear His words and believe in Him, then I go straight to everlasting life. I am a Christian; there is no judgment for me.”

Three Phases

In the courts of this world, judgment is administered in three phases.

• Investigation and Trial – The police gather evidence against you, and then, in cooperation with the district attorney’s office, and based on the evidence, you are charged with the crime. There are two positions to a trial, the prosecution and the defense. It is the prosecution’s responsibility to argue the evidence against you either to a judge or a jury. The defense’s responsibility is to attempt to show that you are innocent by creating reasonable doubt, or offering evidence that that can clear you or show that someone else could be responsible for the crime. If the defense is successful in creating sufficient reasonable doubt or to prove that you did not commit the crime, and the judge or jury finds you innocent of all charges, then you are free to walk away. But, if the defense fails in its attempts to lead the judge or jury away from you, you will be found guilty.
• Sentencing – Having been found guilty, you will be ordered to appear in court on a specific day, and the judge will hand down your sentence—according to sentencing guidelines established in the laws of the city, county, state, or federal court in which the case was prosecuted. Every jurisdiction has its own regulations.
• Execution of Sentence – Once you have been sentenced, depending on the crime, you may receive the proverbial slap on the wrist, a fine and/or a short period of incarceration, or you may receive life in prison or even the death penalty.

In God’s Judgment

Those who are found guilty of breaking God’s law are sentenced to receive the death penalty. “For the wages of [penalty for] sin is death.” Romans 6:23, first part

The Bible is clear: the penalty for breaking God’s law is death.

This means that we are all born under the penalty of death. We are born sinners, lost from the moment of our birth. Some say, we were not sinners until we have reached several years of age. But the Bible says “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:5. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

We are all under the death sentence. Can you and I pay our sentences? Yes, we can. We can die and never wake up. Mrs. White writes that when Adam and Eve sinned, the angels mourned. The plan of salvation hadn’t yet been explained to them, so they knew that every descendant of Adam and Eve would have to die.

But Jesus told the hosts of heaven about the plan of salvation; how He would pay the price for what Adam and Eve had done, making a way for them and all their descendants to be saved from the penalty for sin. Jesus made the law, so He was above the law. He would not let His children pay the price, and so He came to this world.

Jesus said, “If you believe in Me, you will not come into condemnation.” In other words, you and I, if we believe in Jesus and surrender our lives to Him, we will never reach the sentencing nor the execution phases of judgment because in the investigative judgment, Jesus pleads our case before the Father, offering His life, His blood for our sinfulness, covering us with His robe of righteousness.

John 5:24 does not teach that there is no judgment. It just teaches that if you believe in Jesus as your personal Saviour, surrendering to Him, you will not face judgment nor receive condemnation. The price for your sins has already been paid, and in the investigative judgment you will be acquitted.

Let’s Be Clear

If you do not accept Jesus as your personal Saviour, you are lost. You will go to judgment, you will receive your sentence, and you will die forever. The apostle Peter said, “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

The Bible talks about the judgment from Genesis to Revelation. The concept of judgment is one of the major subjects of the Bible, but it is an unpopular subject. As a sinner, I do not want to be held accountable for what I’ve done. I want a religion that says Jesus paid it all, so I don’t need to worry about anything. However, that’s not Bible religion. The fact that Jesus came to pay the price for my sins so that I wouldn’t have to does not mean that there will be no investigation of my life and character; only that if I believe in Jesus and I put my trust in Him, I will be acquitted.

God is Not on Trial

Neither God, the angels, nor the people in unfallen worlds are on trial. They have never broken God’s laws. Because the people of this world are the only ones who have broken God’s law, we are on trial.

In the book The White Truth written by John J. Robinson, published in 1981, it says, “Two unsophisticated men were sightseeing abroad. When in Paris they decided to visit the Louve. As they viewed the famed art treasures, they were not impressed with the value of the priceless oil paintings. Standing before an especially noted masterpiece, one said to the other, ‘Imagine that being worth a million dollars. I don’t see what is so special about it. You’d certainly never catch me paying a fortune for it.’ The guard, overhearing the conversation, quietly stepped up to the man, touched him on the elbow and said, ‘I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. I would like to say, sir, that these paintings are not on trial, but those who come to see them are.’ ” Do you get the point?

“So with God’s prophets. Daniel was not on trial in the lion’s den. Babylon/Medo Persia was. Jeremiah was not on trial in the pit. Zedekiah was. Paul, standing with chains before Agripa, was not on trial. The king was. Jesus, that greatest of prophets and King of kings standing accused before the praetorian, was not on trial. Pilot and his accusers were.” Ibid.

We need to get it straight in our thinking—who is on trial and who is not.

The word Daniel means “God is my judge.” In Daniel 2, we see that there will be four universal world kingdoms. Verses 41–44 tell us that the fourth kingdom will be divided.

“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”

When God sets up His kingdom, earthly kingdoms will be gone. God’s kingdom will last forever.

To Be a Citizen

Sinners cannot be citizens of the future kingdom of glory unless they first become a citizen of the kingdom of grace now. The kingdom of grace did not exist until Adam and Eve sinned, but it was established on the very day they disobeyed God (Genesis 3:15). The kingdom of grace is a temporary kingdom and exists here in this world alone. Its purpose is to deal with the sin problem and make a way of escape here and now. When the investigative judgment is completed, there will be no further need for forgiveness of sin and the kingdom of grace will no longer be needed. The kingdom of glory will take its place here on earth, just as it has been established in heaven and in the unfallen worlds for millennia. In the kingdom of glory everyone there will be keeping God’s law all the time.

In the Kingdom of Glory

While we do not know the exact date, and are told that we are not to speculate or endeavor to determine the date, we actually know the exact time when the kingdom of grace ends and the kingdom of glory begins.

“During that time [see Daniel 11], Michael shall stand up.” Daniel 12:1, literal translation.

Right now, we are living during the reign of the antichrist, but soon Jesus will stand up and begin His reign. What happens when Jesus stands up? The investigative judgment is finished, and we see Jesus take His rightful place as King of the universe in His kingdom of glory (Revelation 22:11, 12). At the beginning of His kingdom, there will be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time (Matthew 24:21). And during that time God’s people will be delivered, every one whose name is written in the book of life (Revelation 21:27).

Beasts, Heads, and Horns

In Daniel 7, the prophet dreams of four beasts. These four beasts have seven heads and ten horns. Daniel first sees a lion, then a bear, followed by a leopard with four heads and two sets of wings. Lastly, he sees a terrible beast, like nothing he has ever before seen in nature. This beast has ten horns. As Daniel observed the ten horns, he saw a small horn, an 11th horn, rising up among the ten that uprooted three of the ten horns.

“I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” Daniel 7:8. The margin says, “mouth speaking great things.” Daniel became upset when he saw this.

“I was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So, he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things.” Verse 15

Saints are Holy People

People in the Roman Catholic church and many Protestant churches are terribly confused by who a saint is. I have been privileged for most of my life to study and read biblical languages. In Greek, a saint is defined as a “holy person.” Paul says, “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Romans 7:12. By this description of the law then, the people who obey God’s law, who live their lives in harmony with it, are “holy, just, and good” people—saints. Now, let’s go back to Daniel’s dream.

“ ‘I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them.’ ” Daniel 7:21

Who is this little horn making war against? The saints. Who are the saints? Those who keep the commandments of God. But this little horn power didn’t just make war, he overcame the people of God—for a time. What breaks the power of the little horn? The Ancient of Days comes.

God, the Ancient of Days, will decide our cases.

“The judgement was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” Verse 22, last part

“ ‘The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings.

“ ‘He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.

“ ‘But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever.

“ ‘Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’ ” Verses 24–27

There Will be a Judgment

How can it be missed? Daniel 7 is clear that there is to be a judgment. As we further study this chapter’s prophecy, we know that this judgment will begin sometime after 1798. It tells us who will be judged innocent, and therefore, will be acquitted. It also tells us who will be condemned in this judgment.

“ ‘I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.’ ” Verses 9, 10

God’s will concerning the rebellious subjects He has in this world is going to be fulfilled. When God passes the final verdict, where are you going to be?

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” John 5:24

May we know how serious and how solemn life really is, that we are under the death sentence unless we choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour so that He may remove our sins.

Pastor John J. Grosboll is the Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be reached by email at historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at 316-788-5559.