The Investigative Judgment

The cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary necessarily is a work of

judgment, just as was the cleansing of the earthly. When this work is
completed, probation will close and Christs priestly ministry on
behalf of sinners will cease. DOF 298.2

There are two phases to any work of judgment. One is the trying of
the case, the searching of the records, the hearing of the witnesses,
and the pronouncing of the sentence. The other is the work of
executing that sentence after the case has been fully tried and the
decision rendered. The first is the investigative judgment; the other,
the executive judgment. DOF 299.1

When Gods judgment begins, it begins with those who have at

some time in life accepted the plan of salvation, and have been
numbered with the household of God. Their names have been
written in the Lambs book of life, and the judgment determines
whether their names should be eternally retained there, or whether
they should be blotted out from the book of life. Thus Peter declares:
The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:
and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not
the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17. DOF 299.2

This phase of the judgment work-the investigation of the records of

the righteous-is carried on while people still live on the earth, and
while the call to repentance is still being sounded throughout the
nations. Thus we read: DOF 299.3

I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the

everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and
to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a
loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His
judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth,
and the sea, and the fountains of waters. Revelation 14:6, 7. DOF
299.4

Here is a solemn announcement that is to be carried to all nations

and kindreds and tongues, and the burden of the message is, The
hour of His judgment is come. It is a warning direct from heaven
that the judgment has begun, and that men should hasten to
worship God and give glory to Him. Since it would begin first with
those who lived in Adams time, and who are now dead, there would
yet be time for those still living upon the earth to make their peace
with God, and hence the final appeal from heaven for men to
prepare for that great and solemn hour when their own names would
be called in review before God. This message, announcing that the
hour of Gods judgment is come, was due to go to the nations in
A.D. 1844, for that is the time pointed out by the prophecy as the
starting point of the judgment, and it was in the year 1844 that the
pioneers of the people who are now called Seventh-day Adventists
discovered this mighty truth and began to herald it to the world.
They believe, therefore, that they are literally fulfilling this prophecy
of Revelation 14:6, 7, and that they have as solemn a commission
from God as did Jonah when he was sent to warn Nineveh of its
impending destruction. DOF 299.5

The opening of the judgment in the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 is

graphically described by the prophet Daniel. Said he: I beheld till
thrones were placed, and One that was ancient of days did sit: His
raiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool;
His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. A
fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousands of
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, A.R.V. DOF 300.1

Thus we see that the judging is done from books of record, in which
is recorded every secret thing, even to every idle word that men
shall speak. DOF 300.2

So, then, there is a time of judgment. It corresponds to the Day of

Atonement in the earthly sanctuary service. And in that day of
judgment the record books in heaven are opened and searched.
After this investigation sins are blotted out as Jesus pleads His
spilled blood in behalf of sinners who trusted in Him for salvation,
and who remained faithful to the end. In the cases of those who
have proved unfaithful, the record of the sin remains against them.
DOF 300.3

During the judgment the names of those who were once Christians
but who have given up their faith in Christ, are blotted out of the
book of life. But the promise abides: He that overcomes, 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. DOF 301.1

It is clearly stated in the Scripture that this blotting out of sins is to

take place just before the return of Jesus. Thus Peter declares: DOF
301.2

Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be

blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before
was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the
times of restitution of all things, which God bath spoken by the
mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:19-21.
DOF 301.3

It is to be at the time of refreshing, which is the outpouring of the

latter rain upon the remnant church. (See Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28-32.) It
will be just before Jesus comes. It will be just before the restitution
of all things. Therefore it will be in the very last days of the worlds
history, and this blotting out of sins is the result of the investigative
judgment, and constitutes a work of cleansing the heavenly
sanctuary, where the record of all the sins of Gods people has been
kept. DOF 301.4

The mere fact that one at some time in life has become a Christian
and has united with the church, is no guarantee of his final salvation.
Said Jesus, He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved. Matthew 24:13. And again we read: Be thou faithful unto
death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Revelation 2:10. DOF 302.1

The doctrine of once in grace, always in grace, will not do. There
are thousands who start well, but who cast away their confidence
(Hebrews 10:3), and who in the final judgment will be weighed and
found wanting. This is clearly set forth in Ezekiels prophecy, as
follows: DOF 302.2

When the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and

commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the
wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath
done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath
trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
Therefore I will judge you, 0 house of Israel, every one according to
his ways, says the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all
your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Ezekiel 18:24.
DOF 302.3

The idea of a final judgment of the righteous is also conveyed by

other passages of Scripture. In the parable of the wicked servant,
narrated in Matthew 18:23-35, the thought is conveyed that even
though one is forgiven and accepted of God, if he goes out from the
merciful presence of his Lord, and treats his fellow servant
unmercifully and cruelly, he will at last find himself condemned
without mercy. DOF 302.4

In the parable a servant who had just been forgiven a great debt by
his lord, beat his fellow servant who owed him a small sum, and
even cast him into prison. When his lord learned of this, he judged
him worthy of the severest punishment, even though he had
previously been forgiven all his debt; and so likewise, said Jesus,
shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. DOF 303.1

When the work of the investigative judgment is completed, and

Christ is about to return, to reward every man according as his work
shall be, then the divine fiat will go forth from the throne, fixing the
destiny of every soul: He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he
which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him
be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Revelation
22:11. DOF 303.2

At that solemn moment human probation will be closed forever. The

righteous will be sealed for eternal life, and the unjust and filthy
must remain so until they receive their just reward of eternal death.
DOF 303.3