#4 - The Investigative Judgement & 1844 - Pr. Opanda Wamalika | Prophecy

Good morning, brothers and sisters. Once again, welcome to a continuation of our prophetic expositions where we are focusing specifically on judgment. Prophecy is a very wide field and it is a special kind of Bible study. [clears throat] So, I welcome you that we continue together. Let's pray. Our father and our God, we invite you to be with us during this presentation in Jesus name. Amen. Today I'm dealing with a sensitive topic entitled the investigative judgment. The investigative judgment and 1844. the investigative judgment and 18:44. We have not departed from Revelation 14:7 which says, "Sing with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and the springs of water. Remember yesterday we mentioned that uh I told you that I'll only ask you to bear with me to learn only two Greek terms is actually one cis and crema only that that in the new testament the word which is translated in English as judgment either is crisis or is krema and kma you'll find that it has been used to refer to punishments most of the time and crisis is used to refer to judgment as a judicial process. Are you seeing? So we say to that revelation 14:E7 here the word for the hour of his judgment has come is crisis meaning that judgment as a a process as a judicial process is supposed to commence. But when you look at the context in which chapter 14:7 finds itself, we see judgment as a punishment. And this one begins in Revelation chapter 12. This is a theme that begins from chapter 12 and it goes up to six to up to 18. You'll see punishments even verse from verse 9 it says that it's a strong warning those who worship the beast and pick accept the mark will be tormented day and night. What is this? And so we said that actually it is God who is being judged. We saw yesterday scripture saying God is on trial. So yesterday we looked at God on trial. And what's who is the accuser? Satan. Who is the accused God? What are the accusations to the sovereignty of God is unjustified and his law is arbitrary and therefore God has to deal with the accusations. That's one of the reasons why he didn't destroy the devil. He has to satisfactoryily respond and reply the devil's allegations. He does this through two great works. Creation and of course the redemption. That's the historical aspect. In creation, God reveals himself who he truly is because it name had been misrepresented by the devil. God is love. And so when you look at creation, you'll see the love of God there. The principle that runs that governs the universe is love. Ellen White says the great law of love. Everything in the universe gives. The sun gives light. Everything is always giving. The only thing that seems to be receiving without giving is man. Trees they give fruits. If you don't eat the fruit, it will drop down. Water everything. That is the law of love. Love is engraved in nature. That's the reason why God created to manifest to reveal himself. But historically, which begins with the creation of man, look, he created man in his own image and likeness. Why was so why was God so desperate to create man in his image and likeness? It's because his image and likeness, that's God's name, had been misrepresented by the devil. And God wanted to rely on man to redeem this name. So you notice that the coming into existence of sin was associated with the name of God being misrepresented. And therefore dealing with the sin problem which is redeeming the name of God must naturally involve obedience to the law of God. That's natural. If sin is the transgression of the law of God, salvation must involve obedience to the law of God. The only problem is and of course uh one of the presidents of our union has been watching this also. We met and we were discussing this thing and he said there's a part I have to explain again. I thank the Holy Spirit for reminding me for what are we saved? See how are we saved? We are saved by grace through faith. Meaning the grace of God is what provides us with salvation. When we believe, we receive it. For what are we saved? We are not saved to go to heaven. Very important. We are saved to do good works because we are dealing with the sin problem. When you do good works, they redeem the name of God. Are you see to redeem the name of God means to glorify God. Glorify God by your works. Meaning do good works. So he say that the law of God is arbitrary. That's what the devil said. And therefore, man cannot obey the law of God. And God created man. Sin had already come. And the devil said, God has created man. Let me show you that man cannot keep the law of God. He goes and man failed. You see what did I tell you? But God said, wait a minute, I am measuring time. So I said the first day those who are here that the concept of time has been created by God to measure the duration he will take to deal with the sin problem. So he gave time within which Jesus died and later on now God is being interrogated. So here Revelation 14:7 should be understood in this context. Look at this statement. At the cross, God was objectively judged and vindicated. We saw yesterday that at the cross, God was vindicated. Man was justified. Satan was condemned. No wonder there were three crosses. Of course, the justification of man, Romans 5:18 says clearly that by one act which Jesus did, men were justified. Meaning we were in Christ when he died. The Bible says if one died for all therefore all died. Christ was our substitute. We call it substitutional death of Christ. He died for us. But we also talk about vicarious death of Christ. We died in him. Therefore the penalty for our sin was paid. If you have a debt of 1 million shillings and someone pays for you, you cannot be considered as a a a data again. All human beings need not die for their sin because it has been paid. and salvation that the kingdom of God has been provided for everyone for free. Because I'm speaking this thing, let me give a small illustration. I met a certain lady in one of the towns where I work. She told me her career. We were talking in Of course, but I really wanted her to explain because she looked confident and not worried by telling me that in fact I was very careful at that point because I'm somebody else's husband. So, so I said specifically what do you do? Of course, it's a long story. You are interested, but I'll not give I had called her. We met in Kakamega Central SDA church outside the compound under a tree. We are talking. She told me that she owns a big bar where she sells alcoholic drinks and so on. And number two, she owns lodgings and she has hired about 20 ladies. So wayward men always go to her and she gives a photograph. Choose the one you want. This one. This one is 500 shillings. All right, you pay her. And then she calls that lady. I was square. So I told her, "Do you have children? Are you married?" She said she has two children. Uh would you like them to do the work you are doing? Says, "Never. Never." I told her that your children will never achieve what you are praying for her. They will be under a curse because those husbands you take, their wives are always cursing you. And this curse will go to your children. The men who come to the bar and drink and some go to steal, others go to beat their wives. Those people cry to God and your children will never enjoy the love you think you want them to enjoy. So she said, "What can I do?" I read John 3:16 to her. I told the her that God has provided salvation for you and for me for free. I told her the difference between you and me is that while both of us are sinners in equal measure I am saved and therefore I have accepted the kingdom of God but you have not accepted. So you are going to hell but if you accept you will be like me and we shall start both going there. He said I have never had this kind of thing. I said I'm going to pray for you. And I told her, stop doing that business. Go and sell it. Start me tumbai business or you can start a hardware. So I prayed for her. Prayed for. We knailed under tree. So we prayed. I told her I run a prayer ministry. I kneel with people anywhere. Even on on the road, we pray. So when we prayed, she told me she does not remember in her life when anybody prayed for her. And what did she do? She put her hand here and removed 1,000 pastor. >> [laughter] >> What do you think I did with that? Did I throw it? No, I took 10% tithe. 10% offering because I normally pay offering 10%. And the remaining 800 I went and bought fish for my wife. I hope she's not watching. I never told her where I got that money from. >> [laughter] >> We enjoyed fish. It was my secret. Do you What What do you think would have happened if I told that I would have lost her. I have her number. She normally calls pastor pray for my daughter is going to do an exam. I pray and there do you remember what I told you? Yes. Yes. Now listen to this point. At the cross, God was objectively judged and vindicated. In other words, the death of Jesus Christ showed that the law of God cannot change because the law of God is love. Jesus himself says Matthew 22 summarizing the two command sets of commandments, love God, love man. And Paul in Romans chapter 13 from verse 8 to10 he says love is the fulfillment of the commandment. So God on the cross was demonstrating infinite love. He proved that his law cannot change because his law is his character and he's so loving that he can die eternally for his enemies. No man can do that. That is why either we are given heaven for free or we are not given it at all. No matter what you do, you cannot buy the kingdom of God. It is too ex expensive. It is beyond the good works that you can ever do. So the good works have their own role. Do not ever imagine and I've been telling my student that you don't eat salt. Of course, salt is not good terms of health. Be careful with salt. Even sugar, they don't eat sugar. They don't eat salt. They don't eat cooking oil. They don't eat eggs. They don't eat milk. They don't take fish. They don't take chicken. They don't take beef. They don't eat. Then what do you eat? I am preparing for the time of travel. That's why I tell you and if I I've seen a number of them here, they have greeted me and others are there at home. I'll be telling you how to prepare for the tribulation, for the time of trouble. I'll be telling you not today, but keep watching. Even if you don't eat anything and you eat grass, of course we also eat grass. There's some grasses which medical mission teach us to eat grass. It will never give you heaven. Do you know what will happen after you have troubled yourself like that and you reach heaven? Then you meet a person who ate not just fish but pork. There you will leave heaven. [laughter] He ate pork. I'm not saying go and eat fork. I know you can twist it you university students. No, it will never give you heaven. So good works vindicate God and therefore you have to do them at the best of your ability. The greater works you do, the greater works of charity, everything and sacrifice that you do is simply vindicating the name of God is glorifying God. God is happy with you. God works with you and he does wonders with you. The moment you start imagining that these things are giving you heaven, you start parting with God. and your religion becomes dry because you are rejecting what Jesus has achieved for you and me on the cross. SO DO GOOD WORKS, let them glorify God, but the kingdom of God has been given to you for free. So let's continue with this statement. Now since then since the cross what was achieved at the cross was to be translated into the experience of God's witnesses. That's the saints. This process is a kind of judgment of God and has continued to date. The demons and all the cosmic hosts learn something about God when they look at you. God has been judged somehow. Now listen the last statement. But because of the crisis of the end, the witness of the saints will come under sharp focus by the cosmic host at a particular point. That point at which the witnesses of the saints, the witness of the saints comes under sharp focus has been generally understood by the adventist as the year 1844. It is the position of the Adventist church that at this point commenced the investigative judgment for the righteous. This thinking is a subject of intense theological debate. Whatever the name and leaving controversy aside, let us examine what happens with the righteous from 1844. That's the hour of his judgments come using the Bible's internal evidence. Look at Daniel 8:14. It is generally understood by Adventists that the prophecy of Daniel 8:14 commences its fulfillment in 1844. It reads, "And he said to me, for 2,300 days, then the sanctuary shall be cleansed." Literally, Daniel 8:14 reads, "After 2,000 evenings, mornings, and then the sanctuary shall be restored." That's the accurate reading. The commencement of debt of 2300 days. The commencement date is 457 BC according to Ezra chapter 7 from verse 11 continuing where the foster son of Esther called atasusas I issued a decree to return to Jerusalem. You can notice that when Vashi, you remember Housewas? Yes. When Vashi was expelled from the palace and Esther, a Jew, took over. She became the foster mother of the children of Aasuos and therefore she influenced them somehow. One of the sons of Aroseros was called Ataxas the first. He is the one who issued a decree for the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. So you can see that foster mothers could influence children positively if they chose. And so the calculation is the year 457 plus 2300 days you get 1844 plus and minus one from 0 BC to 0 AD those are two years right before from crwanda numa we were counting it in the reverse right 1844 is an estimate there is no consensus as to which calendar to be used so please for those who may want to go a little bit deeper which calendar are you using if you use the Gregorian calendar is 1844. If you use the Julian calendar, it's not October. 1844 is later. But if you use the Jewish calendar, it is quite earlier. But there's also another calendar which we like calling prophetic calendar of 360 days. It's also a little bit earlier. So 1844 is an approximation. Don't be too precise with deaths in prophecy. I told you that in 2013 a student presented a prophetic uh lesson in MS and he said that it was in November that judgment for the living righteous will begin on January 1st 2024. We were very worried no people fear judgment but I'm presenting so that we may have assurance of judgment. Now the issue is I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and levites in my realm who volunteered to go up to Jerusalem may go with you. Now what's the cleansing and restoration of the sanctuary? This is the last spiritual activity that heaven conducts before close of probation. It is typified by the day of atonement ministry in the Mosaic sanctuary according to Leviticus 16. At the end of this ministry, all the sin of Israel was laid on the scapegoat which was released into the wilderness to be devoured by a wild beast. Meanwhile, as the high priest conducted the day of atonement ministry, all Israel was required to afflict their souls. In confession and repentance of sin, anyone found not having done so was cut off from the assembly of Israel. This was considered by Adventist pioneers as a kind of judgment and would deify what would take place at the end of the world. Since these pioneers understood that the Bible teaches that judgment has to start at the house of God according to 1 Peter 4:17 and Revelation 11:1-2. They therefore taught that this end time judgment would start with the righteous dead and then later the living. By reading Daniel 7 together with Revelation 20, they concluded that people the righteous as well as the wicked would be judged according to their works by the things written in the books. Hence investigative judgment. In other words, you are investigating in a book. investigating in a book when I'll be talking about investigative judgment probably tomorrow Thursday. Yeah. And 1844 this today's investigation 1844 or is tomorrow or today? All right. Yeah. One student asked me what is God investigating? So let's move on. Since then this position has severely been challenged. For example, the righteous are judged on the merits of Christ and not on their own. Uh let me read quickly John chapter 3 verse 18. Let's look at John chapter 3 verse 18. It says, "He who believes in me is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God." John 5:4 says, "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." That word judgment, if you check in Greek, crisis, and I told you crisis means judgment as a judicial process. Of course, there's a question I was asked. I'm answering slowly. The righteous according to second Corinthians chapter 5. No you note that all of us shall appear before the judgment seat. The righteous shall never appear before the judgment seat. So you have to do a serious exesis of that chapter. The people who will appear before the judgment seat are the wicked. If you read Daniel 7 and together with Revelation 20 carefully, you will notice those who are being judged at the wicked. All right, let's move quickly. Uh, Romans 5:18. Romans 5:18, it says, "Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation. Even so, through one man's righteous act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification for life." The word justification is a court term which means aquito. The revised standard version uses the word aquito. Those who believe in Jesus have already been acquitted. And of course I read Romans 8:1. There's now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And I told you the Greek ends there. But the saint demands those who walk not according to the faith but according to the spirit. Number two, who does the judging? This is very interesting. It is Christ who has been invested with authority to judge. Look at uh Romans chap uh no John chapter 5:22. John chapter 5 verse 22. It says, "For the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son." Right? And verse 27, the same book it says, "And has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the son of man." Verse 30 says, "I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the father who has sent me." Look at Revelation chapter 20 verse 4. Revelation 20 verse 4 it says, "And I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was committed to them." Meaning those who sat on the thrones were to do the judgment. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned. Underline the word reigned. As that verse begins, there were thrones. Thrones, not a throne. meaning Jesus and the righteous are the ones who are reigning these a thousand years. They are the ones who start conducting the judgment. That judgment um in chapter 20 is now the wicked and he cannot discharge this mandate while still serving as the high priest. Jesus is right now a high priest and not a judge. Are you seeing that after putting aside the high priestly garments, he puts on the king's garments and he sits as a judge. And he himself talks about it in Matthew chapter 25. When the king will come and sits in judgment, people will appear before him like goats and sheep. And he will have to, you see, Jesus executes judgment after serving as a priest. So the judgment set in Daniel 7 and Revelation 20 is for the wicked and not for the righteous and will be done during the millennium. Look at Psalm 130:3. If you Lord should mark iniquities, oh Lord, who could stand? Let me tell you, even the person whom you can think is perfect, if God scrutinizes him, he has sin. No one can withstand God's scrutiny. Uh a student came with a number of questions on investigative judging some of which I've written here. And one of the questions was what is God investigating? And I brought him to one elder the group that talks about investigative judgment serious. So I said sit down ask and you answer I want to listen. So this one asked what is God investigating? And this one said, "God is investigating any sin that could be in you." All right. And the the other question for the student was, "What is the purpose of the investigation?" This one said, "The purpose of investigation is to determine the suitability of you entering heaven." Should they see even a small sin that has not been repented and he would he would quote Ellen White, the angels are carefully writing even thoughts and what have you. You will not inherit. Then these student both of them were a student. The one who is answering is doing electrical engineering. The one who is asking medicine. So they are sharp. I was listening. The doctor said, "Then who will enter heaven?" Who will enter heaven? And I tell you, no one is qualified to enter heaven. Even if you are the most righteous man, never can you be qualified to enter heaven. Heaven is given to you and me for free. If you don't believe it, try to be good. You will disqualify yourself someday. So what happens from 1844? Let me go. God will be judged in the witness of his saints. This unique judgment will not be done by Christ or by God himself. Now this is a very important point. It will be done by all the cosmic host fallen and unfallen. When the cosmic signs of the end become manifest, the forces of evil will intensify their activities. They will unleash all their terror against the righteous, bringing about a great tribulation such as has not been seen the beginning of the world until this time. That's what we call the time of trouble. The righteous will go through a tribulation. That is when all cosmic will examine how they will defend God. They will stand for the truth even if they die. That is the judgment we are saying. Now listen, this tribulation will be so severe that unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. Even Jesus himself claims he no one can be saved. But for Alex's sake, those days will be shortened. This tribulation will shake the righteous so severely that only those who cannot be shaken will remain in the faith. Those who cannot be shaken are those who are sealed. Therefore, before this time, the righteous will have to be sealed. Revelation 14:E3 talks about those who die during this time. It refers to those who die during the tribulation. The saints who die during the tribulation are covered by the blessing of Revelation 13. Their labors do follow them. Never mind if you are not able and this is some kind of good news. We have those who will resist up to the end but we have those who will die during the tribulation. But again they are saying even if you die during the tribulation because you had taken a stand with your God. This is what I see this statement saying your works are following you. So what happens from 1844? The ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary is to facilitate the sealing of the saints. What is sealing? It is firmly settling in the gospel truth leading to assurance of salvation. Somebody say amen. This is the significance of revelation 14 verse14-6. Pastor Ciso Malika has argued if you have listened to his presentation very successfully and I'm convinced that Revelation 14:14 verse 6 to 12 is not the gospel. It is a call for people to respond to the gospel. The gospel is just one birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which we don't see in the revelation 14 6 to2. It is a call for people to be firmly established in the gospel because a crisis is coming. When you are firmly established in the gospel, you are sealed. The gospel is what prepares you for the time of trouble, not food avoiding. In any case, people will go through the time of trouble are supposed to be strong, have eaten well enough, not have suffered greatly. You should be established firmly in the gospel and be thoroughly assured of your salvation. Those are the people who will go through the tribulation. From tomorrow, I'll be talking about what the order of Hebrews. I've reviewed that several times. You will notice that he is talking about being firmly established in the gospel and that is what Jesus is doing in the sanctuary. Jesus is there so that you may be firmly established. 1 John 2 verse 1 and 2. My little children, I'm writing to you so that you don't sin. But if you sin, we have somebody in heaven whose work right now is to deal with that problem. If you look at Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary as one who is judging my friend, your establishment in the gospel will be ruined. But if you see him as somebody who is assuring you of salvation, you will not be worried of judgment. When you are established in your faith, you will be shocked to realize that that thing is a motivation to do good works because you are happy. You have been given heaven. The only way you can do is to live thankfully by doing good works. We shall continue. I'll finish these remaining two or three slides tomorrow before we continue with the topic I guess the fall of Babylon. So keep writing to me your questions. I think the one who had asked about all of us appearing before the judgment seat I've answered but I'll continue answering. God bless us all in Jesus name. Let's pray. We thank you father for teaching us these things. May your holy spirit embrace them upon our hearts and transform us after the likeness of your divine nature in Jesus name. Amen.