Resurrection and Judgment
“This is our God we have waited for Him”
Resurrection
“Thy dead men shall live, together
with my dead body shall they arise.”
Mankind
In Christ
Saints
Constitution of Righteousness
Righteous
Ungodly
Belief
and
Baptism
Enlightened
In Adam
Sinners
Constitution of Sin
Unenlightened
Resurrected for Judgment
Responsible
Responsible
Life
Death
Abraham
Isaac & Jacob
Luke 13:28
Daniel 12:3
Judas
Acts 1:16
Luke 12:47
Accountable
Death
Pharisees
Luke 13:28
James 4:17
Will not rise
Death
Majority
Isaiah 25:7 26:14
2Thess 2:11
“If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear?”
1Peter 4:17,18
The genesis of a new life
My substance (body) was not hid from thee, when I
was made in secret, embroidered in the lowest parts
of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance yet
being imperfect (one word meaning a wrapped &
unformed mass ie an embryo); and in thy book all my
members were written - the days they should be
fashioned! when as yet there was none of them. How
precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God…
when I awake I am still with thee. Psalm 139:15-18
Translation adapted from Bro J. Thomas Eureka vol1
& Rotherham
The restoration of identity
“Now the thing to be accomplished in
resurrection is the development of a spirit
body with the consciousness that the character
flashed upon the new body was evolved
through an old earthy body in a previous
state.” Bro Thomas Anastasis
The restoration of identity
The restoration of identity with the deity is neither impossible
nor difficult. The dead are historical characters, who lived
and moved and had their being in Deity. Hence all their
thoughts and actions, constituting their characters, are
recorded in Him as in “a book of remembrance”. Their
characters inscribed upon the divine page are all that remains
of them in the universe. This scroll of record is the broad
sheet of spirit, styled by philosophers, ether or electricity,
which filling the universe enwraps the world.” All thoughts
and action are vibrations excited in this spirit of the creator,
by corporeal agents. These subtle vibratory impressions are
never obliterated, unless He wills never to revive them. These
are the “hidden things of darkness, and the “counsels of the
hearts”.
The restoration of identity
The dead may be said to be like a man newly aroused
from deep and heavy sleep who fails to realise his exact
condition; and is in doubt where, what and how he is,
being in a quandary. He is like a babe without speech or
knowledge and therefore without identity. All that
remains for them, is that like Daniel, their lips be
touched with the lightning of Divine power. This magic
and enlightening touch restored to him the consciousness
he lost on falling into a deep sleep. And so with the dead
in general. Their histories will be flashed upon their
brains from the divine and electrical page upon which
they are inscribed. So that truly of the dead it may be
said, “they all live to Him”. (Luke 20:38)
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
Why does God resurrect the
dead?
 The Moral power of the Resurrection.
John 6:39-40 We abide in Christ.
His commitment to lose none of those given him.
1John 5:10-12 1Peter 1:20-25 He abides in us.
Through the incorruptible word.
The inevitable outcome of a moral transformation.
The Moral power of the
Resurrection
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
 For Christ:
–
–
–
–
Psalm 16:8-11 God’s Love.
Psalm 71:19:20 God’s Righteousness
Acts 2:24-27 God’s Justice.
Romans 6:4 God’s Glory.
The Moral power of the
Resurrection
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
 For those that are Christ's:
–
–
–
–
–
Mark 12:26-27 God’s Identity demands it
Psalm 88:10-12 God’s Praise demands it
Coloss 2:12 God’s Faithfulness demands it
Coloss 3:1-2 God’s Love of His Son demands
Romans 11:15 God’s Love for Israel demands
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
How?
1Cor 15:52 1Thess 4:14-16 The Trumpet shall
sound.
Which trumpet? The one of Lev 23:24
John 5:25-28 The dead hear the voice of the Son
of God. “They that hear shall live”
“All that are in the graves shall hear his voice.”
Which graves? Gk. Mnemeiois memorials.
The dead in Christ rise first. Then we which are
alive and remain join them.
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
How?
• 2Samuel 23:4 The sun of Righteousness arises
• Isaiah 26:19 The dead come forth as the dew
• Psalm 110:3 They come forth, willing - and able.
Judgment
Every Knee shall bow and every
Tongue confess
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Purpose of Judgment
“We shall all stand before the Judgment seat of Christ”
Romans 14:10,11
Man is Humbled “every knee shall bow”
God is Justified “every tongue confess”. In Greek “confess” is
homologeo which means “agree”.
Paul is quoting Isaiah 45 which predicts the fall of Babylon when God would
loose the loins of kings and give Cyrus his anointed the “treasures of darkness
and the hidden riches of secret places”. Belshazzar’s knees smote together
whilst Daniel’s people were saved as Cyrus swept into Babylon (Daniel 5). At
the Judgment, as then, every knee shall bow and every tongue agree that “There
is no God else beside me; a Just God and a Saviour” Isaiah 45:21-23
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
Why a judgment?
• The main tenet of humanism, Darwinism,
capitalism etc. is “uniformitarianism”- “all
things continue they were…” Peter says
such are ignoring God’s “Catastrophism”
• The Athenians gathered to “hear some new
thing” with absolutely no intention of an
outcome. Paul stood up and said “God hath
appointed a day…” Acts 17:31
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Effect of Judgment
for the Righteous
Why would God judge the righteous if He already knows they
are going to be granted eternal life?
 Highlights Unworthiness
Our own utter inadequacy will strike us.
Daniel 10:16,17
 Refinement & Perfection
None of us will be perfect. There may be things which we
have not seen about ourselves.
“He himself shall be saved yet so as by fire” 1Cor 3:15
Malachi 2:17-3:3 The “God of Judgment - a refiner’s fire
& fuller’s soap.”
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Effect of Judgment
for the Righteous
 Gratitude
“For all things are for your sakes that the abundant
grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound
to the glory of God”
2Cor 4:15 Cp Luke 7:47 Psalm 51:12-14
 Judgment a Privilege
No-one has any right to expect reward from God. We
can only regard judgment as a Divinely conferred
privilege to account for ourselves and plead God’s
mercy. Psalm 103:10
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Criteria for Judgment
 A Law of Liberty
“So speak ye and so do as they that shall be judged by a
law of liberty”
James 2:12
For definition: Rom 6:18
Matt 5:48 the liberty to “be perfect”
 What We Value
“A man is to be tried by what he praises” Prov 27:21
(Roth.)
“We shall inherit what we have faith in” Bro. J Thomas
‘Elpis Israel’ Page 258
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Criteria for Judgment
 Our Relationship to The Father & His Son
“This is life eternal to know Thee the only true God and
Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” John 17:3
“I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work
iniquity” Matt 7:23
 Our Attitude to Others
“With what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged and
and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to
you again” Matt 7:1,2; James 2:13
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Process of Judgment
 Romans 14:10 “We shall all stand before
the judgment seat of Christ”. The Greek
word bema is Christ’s judgment seat” (or
tribunal in the Diaglott translation) whereas
the thronos is Christ’s kingly seat, as in
Matthew 25:31 where Christ sits on the
“throne of his glory”.
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Process of Judgment
 Our Words
“For by thy words shalt thou be justified and by thy words
thou shalt be condemned” Matt 12:37
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh”
Matt 12:34,35
Example: Gen 3:10-12; Dan 10:12
 Before Our Angel
“Say not before the angel it was an error” Ecc 5:6
“Whosoever shall confess me before men him shall the Son
of Man confess before the angels of God” Luke 12:8
Cp. Dan 10:16; Gen 48:16; Matt 18:10
Resurrection and Judgment
“This is our God we have waited for Him”
Judgment
Every Knee shall bow and every
Tongue confess
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Process of Judgment
 Motives Rather Than Actions Alone
Judgment is more about assessing attitude than
weighing good deeds against evil deeds done.
“Until the Lord come who both will bring to light the
secrets of darkness and will make manifest the hidden
purposes of the hearts and then the praise will be to
each one from God” 1 Cor 4:5 Diaglott
For if God counted sins who would stand? Psa 130:3
Not by deeds of law Rom 3:28; Eph 2:8,9
Example: Matt 25:44
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Process of Judgment
• How do we know whether we will be
accepted then?
• Our attitude is what is important to God
1John 3:19-24 Are we trying to do the right
the thing? Then our heart will not condemn
us …and God is greater than our heart.
• How can we be sure about our attitude?
• Psalm 66:18 What is our attitude to sin?
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Two Books
 THE BOOKS OF LIVES
“And I saw the dead small and great stand before God
and (the) BOOKS were opened and another book was
opened which is (the book) of THE LIFE and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in
THE BOOKS according to their works” Rev 20:12
This is a sort of “everyday book or journal” in which the
lives of all those who are accountable are recorded. It
exists in the mind of God.
Example: This analogy is based on the custom of kings
of antiquity, Ezra 6:1; Esther 6:1
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Two Books
 THE BOOK OF THE LIFE
This is the “other book” referred to in Rev 20:12,15.
Whilst the accountable are judged “out of the” first
books, those named in this book are “written to LIFE”
numbered amongst the tribes of spiritual Israel.
Ezekiel 13:9; Hebrews 12:23 “Written in heaven”
It is not any life but the Life, that is The Life of the
Lamb. Rev 21:27; 13:8; 17:8; 22:19
“At that time shall thy people be delivered, every one
found written in the book” Daniel 12:2
Names can be added Mal 3:16 Rev 3:5 or deleted from
this book - “Whosoever has sinned against me him will
I blot out of my book” Exodus 32:33
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
Our Response to Judgment
Fear or Love - 1 John 4:17,18
Evil Conscience
Titus 1:15
Good Conscience
1 Peter 3:16, 21
Fear
“I was afraid” Gen 3:10
“Fear hath torment” 1 John 4:18
“The fearful” Rev 21: 18
Love
“There is no fear in love but perfect love
casteth out fear”
1 John 4:18
Shame
I was ashamed “because I was naked”
Gen 3:10; Rom 6:21
Integrity
“Blessed is he that keepeth his garments”
Rev 16:15
Concealment
“I hid myself” Gen 3:10
“Fear hath torment” (reticence)
1 John 4:18
Openness
“Herein is our love made perfect that we
may have boldness in the day of
judgment” 1 John 4:17; Heb 10:19-22
“If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence toward God”
1 John 3:21
The Judgment of Adam & Daniel compared
Adam
Genesis 3
In Eden
Fled at the voice of Elohim
Elohim sought him
Fled to hide himself
Challenged by by the angel
Admits fear
Justifies himself
Condemned by his words
Sentenced to return to dust
A defiled conscience
Daniel
Daniel 10
By river Hiddekel
“Heard” voice of the angel
Angel “came for his words”
Stands to answer
Called “greatly beloved”
Told he has nothing to fear
Confesses his unworthiness
Commended for his words
Strengthened & made incorruptible
A good conscience
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Unforgivable Sin
 What is it?
“Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the
blasphemy (against) the (Holy) Spirit shall not be
forgiven men… neither in this age nor in the (age) to
come” Matt 12:31,32
Blasphemy against the Spirit is the sin. This is the sin
the Apostle John describes as being “unto death” which
he adds, “I I do not say he shall pray for it”
1 John 5:16
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
The Unforgivable Sin
 Why is it Unforgivable?
The Spirit of God is His executive power. To doubt God’s
power is to “blaspheme” it.
The first pre-requisite to pleasing God is belief.
Heb 11:6
Belief in the power of God to forgive us is essential to
salvation. We doubt this power to conquer all when we say,
“I’ll never be good enough to be in the kingdom”
“I’m too sinful… I’m not worth saving”, etc
This is something only we can rectify
Psalm 66:18
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
Are We Prepared?
A Simple Self Analysis
Q. Do we justify ourselves?
A. Leave that to God.
Q. Do we love God?
A. There is no need for fear the one who gave His Son for us.
Q. Do we Believe?
A. Our Faith will save us because it gives God control.
Judgment is God’s plan to save Not induce men to fear Him
1Thessalonians 5:9; Luke 12:32
a dna ™emiTkciuQ
rosserpmoced
.erutcip siht ees ot dedeen era
Judgment a positive experience
 Neh 8:10-12 “Go your way, eat the fat, and
drink the sweet and send portions…”
 Eccles 9:7 “Go thy way, eat thy bread with
joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart;
for God now accepteth thy works”.
How can we be Saved?
•
•
•
•
•
There is only ONE way.
God will present us faultless Jude v24
How?
By faith
Faith in God’s righteousness “His
righteousness is near” Isaiah 51:5
Romans 3:22
Immortality
Thy Love is better than life
Why Live Forever?
 There is no point in immortality without the
perpetual interest and joy of a relationship with
Yahweh.
 Psalm 63:3 “Thy lovingkindness is better than
life”
 Psalm 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life:
in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Immortals
• The immortal saint is “raised” incorruptible,
glorious and powerful freed from all those
attributes that make our human nature
inferior to the nature of the angels. It
acquires new qualities which make the
prayer of Christ a reality “That they all may
be one as Thou Father art in me and I in
Thee… and that the love wherewith Thou
hast loved me may be in them and I in
them.” John 17:21-26.
What do we have in common
with the Angels?




Appearance
Mental capacity
Moral Capacity
Faculty for emotion- love, veneration,
benevolence
 Experience of good & evil
 Sociability
So what is missing?
Immortality
 Variety
Solomon’s search for variety & escape from boredom.
Eccl 1:4
“All things new” Rev 21:5 God’s thoughts more in
number than the sand Psa 139:17,18
 Satisfaction
This life full of dissatisfaction Eccl 5:10
Complete satisfaction in immortality Psa 17:15
Appetites not filled Eccl 6:7
Fulfillment & Satisfaction in immortality Psa 36:8
Occupations of an Immortal
 Messengers
“I saw Another angel fly in the midst of heaven
having the good news of the age”.
Revelation 14:6 Isaiah 52:7
 Judges of the nations
“to execute upon them the judgment written, this
honour have all His saints” Psalm 149:4-9
“The saints shall judge the world” 1Corinth 6:1
Occupations of an Immortal
• Kings and Priests
– “Thou hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth”
Revelation 5:10
• Artisans
– “And Yahweh shewed me four carpenters”
(descriptive of the angels) Zechariah 1:18-21
– “honour & majesty are before Him, strength &
beauty are in His Sanctuary Psalm 96:6
Extent of Knowledge
• Saints still able to learn
– We have vast unexploited mental capacity
– Like the angels, the saints will not know
everything about the future.
Matthew 24:36 1Peter 1:12
– They will work with mortal people who also
have ability to behave according to their
freewill. They will probably be able to very
accurately anticipate human reactions.
The power of Immortality
• “To eat bread in the sweat of the face is sorrowful;
but to work without toil is an element of health
and cheerfulness; and is doubtless the rule of life
to all the intelligences of the Universe of God.”
Man’s Dominion Elpis Israel page 62
• Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon Yahweh shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint. Cp Gen 19:1
Extent of knowledge
• Heightened Perception
“For now we see through a glass poorly but
then face to face, now I know in part, then
shall I know fully (as by experience) even
as also I am fully known. 1Cor 13:11-12
• Full maturity of character
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith
and of the practical knowledge of the Son of
God unto a complete man unto the measure
of the age of the fulness of Christ. Eph 4:13
The Diversity of the Divine
Family
• Personality Retained
Character unites the family of God, personality
distinguishes the individual. “He telleth the
number of the stars, he calleth them all by names”
Psalm 147:4
“And the foundations of the wall of the city were
garnished with all manner of precious stones.”
Revelation 21:19 Cp Jewels of Malachi 3:16
“Unity in Diversity the mark of the Divine family”
Thirteen Lectures pages 185-186 Bro. R. Roberts
The Attributes of the saints
• Will we remember our old life?
• Will we be capable of the same feelings and
emotions?
• How will this be compatible with immortal nature?
• Will we remember events without feeling the pain?
There are important advantages in still being able
to sympathize with the frailty of mortality.
The Attributes of the saints
• Memories retained but not sorrow
The saints, like the angels, will retain the memory of
good and bad experiences without the associated
sorrow and pain. Genesis 3:17&22 Revelation 21:4
• They are happy without levity
“My servants shall sing for joy…He who blesses
himself shall bless himself in the God of truth.
Isaiah 65:14,16
• Sadness without despair
“In all their affliction he was afflicted” Isaiah 63:9
• Disappointment without regret
“grieve not the holy spirit” Ephes 4:30 Isaiah 63:10
Attributes of the Saints
The Elohim of the future will also be Yahweh’s
counselors and and confidants.
• They exercise volition
In the execution of God’s work the Elohim
frequently exercise discretion consistent with His
Divine will. For example Genesis 18:21&19:21
Daniel 10:18
• They are privy to God’s counsel
“The secret of Yaweh is with them that fear Him”
Psalm 25:14 “secret” = intimate circle, council
consultation (Gesenius) translated “assembly” in
Ezekiel 13:9
Attributes of the Saints
• God invites the immortals to confer with
Him - they are autonomous
God invites and values the counsel of the immortal
saints.
Isaiah 44:26 “he confirmeth the word of His
servant and performeth the counsel of His angels”
“performeth” - to be friendly to well disposed, to
complete, to respond to, “counsel” - advice.
For example 1Kings 22:19
Attributes of the Saints
If the saints can think for themselves- How is their
freewill compatible with sinlessness i.e. won’t they
still feel the urge to sin?
• No sin because no temptation
The immortals are not enslaved to the same drives
and needs as mortal men, therefore, like God they
cannot be tempted.
Revelation 7:16 “They shall hunger no more,
neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light
on them, nor any heat.”
James 1:13 “God cannot be tempted”
The Joy of Immortality
• Unity with Yahweh
Psalm 16:11“In thy presence is fulness of joy; at
thy right hand are pleasures evermore”
Psalm 63:1 “Thy lovingkindness is better than life”
1Chron 16:27 “Glory and honour are in his
presence; strength and gladness are in His place.”
Psalm 111:10;115:17,18 Our praise of Yahweh is a
guarantee of immortality- for “His praises are
everlasting”.
The Joy of Immortality
• Unity with Christ
John 17:20,21 “That they may also be one in us”
Revelation 14:4 “These are they that follow the
Lamb whithersoever he goeth”
Proverbs 22:11 “He that loveth pureness of heart,
for the grace of his lips the king shall be his
friend.”
The Joy of Immortality
• Fellowship - with our brethren & sisters
Psalm 133:1“Behold how good and pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity”
The sharing of something special is the mark of
true friendship.eg. David & Jonathon 1Samuel
18:1-4
• Building Friendship for eternity
1John 3:14 “We know we have passed from death
into life - because we love the brethren!”
We cannot ignore antipathy now expecting it to be
resolved in the kingdom!
Unity of the Divine Family
• We are one family with the angels
Ephesians 1:5 “Of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named”
• Our work now co-operates with the angels
2Corinthians 6:1-4 “As workers together with
him…proving ourselves as ministers of God”
Revelation 19:10 “And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am
thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have
the testimony of Jesus”
The Diversity of the Divine
Family
• They differ in rank and responsibility
1Corinthians 15:41 “One star differeth from
another in glory” e.g. “Michael one of the
rishon sar or chief princes (Daniel 10:13)
Luke 19:17 “Authority over ten cities
…authority over five cities
Unity of the Divine Family
• Our future work continues work begun now
2Corinthians 10:6 “Having in readiness to
revenge all disobedience when your obedience is
accomplished”
Matthew 25:21 “Thou hast been faithful over a
few things I will make thee ruler over many
things”
• Try to live as though already immortal.
2Corinthians 4:1,16-18 “We faint not”
“We look not the things which are seen but on
what is unseen.”
2 Corinth. 6:4-10 “As dying and behold we live!