What’s so Good News about the Investigative Judgment?
previously published in March 2005
We all love to bear good news. Whether it’s having a baby or finding a perfect job, good news truly is like “apples of gold in pictures of silver.”
After my wife and I became engaged, we were eager to share the news with our friends. Obviously it wasn’t a chore to tell people. Yet, imagine that after the engagement I neglect to tell my family for months. Think my fiancée may become a bit troubled? Telling her that I was too busy may not exactly fly. Worse yet, telling her that I was somewhat embarrassed could end the engagement altogether. In any event, those actions would suggest that this wasn’t really good news to me.
The Gospel. Now that’s good news you want to share. It’s not about good news, it is good news. Literally. “Go-” (or “god”) means good and “-spel” means message. In its most rudimentary form, it is God’s power to save everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16); the same “good news” since the beginning of time.
Something curious happens to our beloved Gospel in Revelation fourteen though. An angel bearing “good news” to the world, opens with these words, “Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of his judgment is come…” Two questions. If the gospel is pronounced here, where is God’s salvation mentioned? Secondly, this is supposed to be good news? With the passage starting off about judgment, at least you’d think that maybe it gets better, but then it goes on to talk about Babylon’s sins, the mark of the beast, and then the wrath of God. Only the twelfth verse makes a reference to something remotely positive.
This dichotomy is the equivalent of Ed McMahon showing up to your door with a bill from the IRS. Do you see good news anywhere? For years I didn’t either. Given that this is our church’s message to bear to the world, is it any wonder it’s taken us this long to finish the work?
The wonderful reality that regretfully took me so long to recognize is that the entire passage is enshrouded by the message of “God’s power to save everyone who believes.” What I failed to appreciate was that though the gospel has not changed since Eden, the vehicle God uses to present it has constantly evolved. For Noah it was to enter the ark, for the Jews it was to prepare for Jesus’ first advent, and for us it is the investigative judgment. It is through these “vehicles” that God has chosen to lead people to believe in the blood of Jesus Christ as the only power over sin and death.
God in His infinite wisdom has given truth a present tense while never changing the Gospel itself. He’s packaged it in a medium that does two things: cause mankind to take notice and also have a sense of urgency to act upon the news. Let’s face it; most news has a way of losing its force after a while. Yet God always presents it to man “hot off the press.”
The cross has always been “cutting edge” in that it has applied to every individual regardless of era. The gospel to the antediluvian world was to give their lives to Jesus. The vehicle was… well actually a vehicle, or ark. Yet, it was the blood of Jesus, not a chunk of gopher wood that saved those souls. The ark caught the people’s eyes, convicted their hearts, prompted them to action, and helped prepare for the cataclysm to come.
The investigative judgment was also meant to draw people’s minds to Christ’s eternal sacrifice. Some will point out that we should focus on God’s love rather than doctrines such as the investigative judgment, that we should keep our eyes on Jesus rather than on theory. Well theory has it that He’s been doing some moving lately. And right now He’s doing His closing work in the sanctuary. This is our “ark” today. One that will catch our eyes, convict our hearts of sin, and prompt us to form the character of Jesus. With the same precision and care Noah took to build the ark, we are to study and understand this last message of mercy.
My dear friends, don’t be afraid when you hear the words “investigative” and “judgment.” Of course you’ve sinned, so have I. This message is much more than a telegram from heaven telling that you’ve sinned and now are to be judged. Beyond convicting of sin, it directs our eyes to the fountain of cleansing. Furthermore, in accepting Christ’s blood on your behalf, justice will actually have a wonderful ring to it. How, you might ask?
Well, it’s difficult to fully appreciate the value of justice until you’ve experienced injustice. And this, realize it or not, we’ve all been affected by. It’s unjust that you’ve had bad relationships years ago, but people will continue to judge you. It’s unjust that people will judge you because of your appearance or by your family’s social and economic background. It’s unjust that “suspicious” people were executed as witches, or that those confessing to God rather than to priests were burned at the stake. It’s unjust that despite being the Son of God and offering Your life for the world, Your own “friends” crucify You and mock Your agony. The verdict is clear. This is an unjust world under an unjust government, Satan’s.
For the transgressor, judgment is always a scary thing. Yet I’ll take a fair Judge over a corrupt one any time. Trust in Him who has promised forgiveness to those who have confessed their wrongdoings. Trust in the Judge who not only cleanses your past, but promises to finish the work He’s begun in your life. The case will soon be settled and the books closed. Satan’s accusations will finally cease as your record will finally be determined and sealed. This is justice, this is mercy, this is the Gospel today’s world is waiting to hear.
Joe Kim is an anesthesiologist living in Washington State, with his wife and two children.