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Investigative Judgment
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shall send Jesus,” “whom the heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all
his holy prophets since the world began.” [
Acts 3:19-21
.]
Christ himself declares: “He that overcometh, the same shall
be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of
the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and
before his angels.” [
Revelation 3:5
.] Again he said to his disciples:
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I con-
fess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall
deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which
is in Heaven.” [
Matthew 10:32, 33
.]
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The lives of all who have believed on Jesus pass in solemn review
before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth,
our Advocate examines the cases of each successive generation, and
closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely
investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. From age to age,
all who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of
Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon written against their
names in the books of Heaven, and in the closing work of Judgment
their sins are blotted out, and they themselves are accounted worthy
of eternal life.
The deepest interest manifested among men in the decisions of
earthly tribunals but faintly represents the interest evinced in the
heavenly courts when the names entered in the book of life come up
in review before the Judge of all the earth. The divine Intercessor
presents the plea that all who from among the fallen sons of men have
overcome through faith in his blood, be forgiven their transgressions,
that they be restored to their Eden home, and crowned as joint-heirs
with himself to the “first dominion.” [
Micah 4:8
.] Satan, in his efforts
to deceive and tempt our race, had thought to frustrate the divine
plan in man’s creation; but Christ now asks that this plan be carried
into effect as if man had never fallen. He asks for his people not
only pardon and justification, full and complete, but a share in his
glory and a seat upon his throne.
While Jesus is pleading for the subjects of his grace, Satan
accuses them before God as transgressors. The great deceiver has
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sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause them to lose confidence
in God, to separate from his love, and to break his law. Now he