Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, Sabbath, December 24, 2022.

Main Theme:  The pre-advent judgment, the millennial judgment, and the executive judgment ends with the vindication of the righteous.

Read in Class: Daniel 7:9-14, Matthew 22:1-14, Revelation 11:1, 18-19, Revelation 14:6-7. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study: How do these passages shed light on the notion of a pre-advent investigative judgment in the heavenly courtroom? What is the significance of such a judgment?

Apply: How should our knowledge of a judgment in heaven impact how we live here on earth?

Share: Your friend says there is no need for God to have an investigative judgment since He already knows everything. What is there for him to investigate? How do you answer your friend? Hint: in Genesis 3:9-11 God is performing an investigation and asking questions He already knows the answers to.

Read in Class: 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 and Revelation 20:4-6, 11-13. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study: Why should the saints participate in the millennial judgment? Is God offering transparency and accountability?

Apply: What does it teach us about the character of God that before any of the sleeping lost are resurrected to face the second death, the saved will be involved in the judging process, and no one will be punished until we, too, see the justice and fairness of God?

Share: Your friend says that everyone will be given a second change during the thousand years. What do you say to your friend? See also The Millennium in Light of the Cross.

Read in Class: 2 Peter 2:4-6 and 2 Peter 3:10-13. What is the common thread of these passages?

Study: How do these texts help us understand the nature of the final executive judgment? How do they imply the idea of the completion of judgment as opposed to its going on forever, which would be a perversion of justice and not an expression of it?

Apply: What does the Cross itself teach us about what God was willing to do in order to save everyone who would be saved?

Share: Your friend asks how we can hasten the coming of Jesus? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: Revelation 21:1-8 and Revelation 22:14. Define the main idea of these passages.

Study: What is the hope and reward of the righteous? What is the second death of the wicked?

Apply: What is your only hope in the judgment? How do you know you will be saved? See Salvation in Light of the Cross.

Share: What hope you gained from the lessons this quarter? What is your main takeaway?