What are the common objections raised by most Christians against the Investigative Judgment and what is World's Last Chance response to each of them?
A great deal can be learned about the Bible doctrine of the Investigative Judgment from reviewing the objections raised against it, and weighing them against the counter arguments in support of this biblical doctrine. Let us review some of the common objections and our response to each one of them.
Objection
# 1:
The Investigative Judgment is false because when Jesus ascended to heaven He sat at the right hand of God. This fact is stated in many Bible verses such (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1; 10:12). This implies that He sat where with His Father's throne is located, which is in the Most Holy, the second compartment. Therefore, advocates of the Investigative Judgment are wrong to tell us that Christ after His ascension to heaven has been ministering in the Holy, the first compartment of the Sanctuary.
World's
Last Chance response:
At the surface it appears to be a valid objection. However, a careful analysis of "at the right hand of God" reveals that is not about location as it is about position. After His successful mission on earth, Christ was elevated to be the right-hand of His Father in a much stronger sense than ever before. Before incarnation He was the only begotten son. Now, He is His Father's right hand in every sense of the word. To show that the expression is not about location but about position, let us ask this question: when Christ descended for a while to give John the Revelator a special vision on the Isle of Patmos, can we say that having left heaven He was no longer at the right hand of His Father? This obviously we can not say. It only shows that the expression of "at the right hand of God" is again one of position and not of location.
Objection
# 2:
The Investigative Judgment claims that Christ has been investigating His people since 1844, starting with the dead believers, and then turning to the cases of the living. It is claimed that during this process the sins of the believer will either be blotted out or the names of the believers will be dropped from the Book of Life. Probation will then close for all at the end of the judgment process. This will usher the way for Christ to return to earth to claim His people. It is silly to suppose that the all-knowing (the Omniscient) Christ would need over 160 years to find out who His people are. This claim by advocates of the Investigative Judgment is contradicted by the following Bible verses: "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep" John 10:14; "The Lord knoweth them that are His" 2 Tim. 2:19.
World's Last Chance response:
It is a fact that our Lord is Omniscient. However,
this does not cancel out the judgment process. In the Book of Revelation we
have been foretold of the ultimate fate of the harlot, yet we have been also
informed that she will be judged. And
there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with
me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters" (Revelation 17:1). The Omniscient Lord in more than one reference
(Revelation 17:16; 19:20) foretold the final verdict of the harlot, yet this
did not exclude her judgment. Hence, we do not see any contradiction between
the Omniscience of our Lord, who knows the end from the beginning, and knows
very well who His people are, with the need for having a judgment. One does not
cancel the other.
Objection # 3:
Advocates of the Investigative Judgment stress that
like Daniel, every one must stand in his lot at the end of days. But this
contradicts Christ's promise that there will be no judgment for His people. "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 NKJV).
World's
Last Chance response:
The following Bible passage confirms that both the wicked and the righteous will go through judgment:
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes12:13-14).
Obviously those who do "good" are the righteous, yet their works will also be brought "into judgment" just like those who do "evil". When we read the John 5:24 in the KJV, we find that the judgment for the righteous will not bring about condemnation.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and
shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life."
Here is lies the difference in outcome for both the righteous and the wicked. The wicked will come out condemned, whereas the righteous will come out un-condemned. It is stated very clearly in the Bible that both [the righteous and the wicked] will have to go through the judgment.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
"For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people" (Hebrews 10:30).
Objection # 4:
The Investigative Judgment advocates teach that when a sinner repents and forsakes his confessed sins, he gains a temporary pardon; for his sins are not blotted out until after the settlement of his case in the Investigative Judgment. This is not biblical, at least not in harmony with Isaiah 44:22, which states that out sins are blotted out when we repent:
"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isaiah 44:22).
World's Last Chance response:
The blotting out is here in terms of the heavenly Sanctuary, where the sins
have been recorded. This was illustrated by the service in the earthly
Sanctuary. The sinner once he confessed his sins over the head of the lamb, the
sin was symbolically transferred from him to the lamb. Then he kills the lamb,
and the priest takes over, and brings the blood inside the holy place and sprinkle
of it on the outside curtain facing the
"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19).
Peter made it very clear that the
act of blotting out of sin was a future act, that will come later than the act
of repentance.
Objection # 5:
The Investigative Judgment is built on the premise that Christ's work of atonement was not completed on the cross. This again is not biblical in light of these Bible verses:
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:30).
"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:12-14).
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
World's Last Chance response:
What the Bible teaches is that there was indeed a complete and spotless sacrifice on the cross. However, by looking at the service in the earthly Sanctuary, which was a type of the heavenly service, we know that there was much involved beyond the act of sacrificing the lamb. The act of killing the lamb was never considered as the complete act of atonement. There was the highly solemn Day of Atonement, which was a day of judgment, and it came much later than the killing of the lamb. During that Day of Judgment it was required of all those sinners who have confessed their sins over the head of the lamb and killed it, to afflict their souls and confess their sins again. Those who do did not do so during this Day of Judgment were put to death. The ancient Day of Judgment was but a mere God-given illustration of the heavenly process; a type (a prefigure) of what was going to actually happen much later in heaven. When the heavenly Judgment is completed then the atonement would be considered finished, and Christ will then to come to execute the Judgment arrived at in the heavenly court, and claim His righteous people. The perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross initiates the atonement process which climaxes when the Judgment in the heavenly court is over, and the execution of the Judgment becomes possible by His Second Coming.
If as opponents of this biblical doctrine allege that the atonement was completed on the cross, why did Christ ascend to heaven as our high priest? You only need a high priest if there is an atoning work going on. But was Christ since His ascension of the atonement was indeed completed at the cross. Obviously, there is not logical response from opponents of the Investigative Judgment.
The heavenly Sanctuary is the divine mechanism for dealing with sin, in the way that meets God's justice and governance. Man has sinned and his sinning has brought about the wrath of God. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). Christ stepped in to be the one who will face the wrath of God by offering His blood.
"And to wait for his
Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us
from the wrath to come" (I Thessalonians 1:10).
For the atonement to be properly initiated, Christ had to make sure right after His resurrection that His Father has accepted His sacrifice. When He had done this, He came down to take up with Him this time representatives of the human family, 24 elders to be exact. These were to serve as the jury that would testify to the integrity of the heavenly judgment. We read about the judgment scene where God is presiding as the Judge and seated with him are the 24 elders, with Christ standing as the living sacrifice pleading on behalf of His people.
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened" (Daniel 7:9-10).
The divine plan for the total eradication of sin from the universe did not start and
end at the cross. There is a much important work going on in the heavenly Sancturary right now by our Lord Jesus Christ, and [this work] is as important for us as His perfect sacrifice was on the cross. Ignoring the Investigative Judgment means ignoring the as-important-as-His-sacrifice-on-the-cross ministry of our Lord right now on our behalf in the heavenly Sancturary.