The Bible records many stories of coming judgment. These judgments are beautifully mixed with mercy as God sends prior warnings, which if heeded, preserve lives.
Interestingly, often a prophetic timeline would lead up to this time of judgment. For example, God told Noah, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Gen. 6:3. All those years, Noah preached and urged the antediluvians to come into the ark of safety. Only eight responded and survived the worldwide flood.
God sent Jonah with a message that in “forty days…Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Jon. 3:4. The people repented in sackcloth and ashes and God spared their city.
God gave the Jewish nation 490 years in which they were to “finish the transgression” and “make an end of sins.” Dan. 9:24. But instead, they rejected and crucified the Messiah. Sadly, Jesus told them, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” Matt. 23:38.
Bible prophecy reveals that in the last days there is a far greater judgment day, and God has once again given a timeline to know when it will be and how we can prepare for it.
1. Why is God calling all to repentance?
Acts 17:30–31 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained.
Contrary to common belief, judgment day does not occur individually at the moment of death. Rather, the judgment of the world begins on a day God has appointed.
2. What worldwide pronouncement is made near the end of Earth’s history?
Revelation 14:7 Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.
Prior to the second coming of Christ, “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (v. 6) will be warned that the judgment hour has already begun. This is why all are urged to fear (obey) God, give Him glory, and worship Him as Creator.
3. Why must the judgment take place before Jesus returns?
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Judgment is needed to determine what reward each person will receive when Jesus returns.
The prophetic book of Daniel gives a timeline of events leading up to the judgment and even points to the date when the judgment begins! Let us take a look at these amazing prophecies.
1. What does Daniel see in vision?
Daniel 7:2–7 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion.… And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear.… After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard.… After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring…and it had ten horns.
Daniel 7:17 Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.
Daniel 7:23 The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth.
The four beasts are symbols for world empires. These same political powers are mentioned in chapters two and eight, using different symbols, and the identities of several are specifically given. History confirms the following sequence of nations:
2. What does Daniel see next in the vision?
Daniel 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
Daniel 7:25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.
The little horn power arises out of the fourth beast and describes a new phase of Rome. For centuries, Reformers and Bible scholars taught that this was the medieval Roman church which ruled Europe from ad 538 to 1798, when Pope Pius VI was captured and placed in exile. This 1,260-year reign corresponds to the “time and times and half a time,” or 1,260 prophetic days of Revelation 12:6, 14. Note: In prophecy, days are symbols for years. See Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6.
3. What happened very shortly after the little horn was removed from power in 1798?
Daniel 7:9–10 I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.
What an impressive scene! God takes His seat upon His throne, surrounded by the innumerable angelic host as witnesses. He then begins His work of judging the little horn (v. 26) and making judgement “in favor of the saints.” V. 22. This judgment continues until “the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” V. 22.
While the sequence of nations in Daniel 7 gives us an approximate time for judgment to begin, it doesn’t give an actual starting point. We turn to the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 9 for this.
1. What event in Daniel 8 parallels the heavenly judgment in Daniel 7?
Daniel 8:14 And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
If we continue our previous chart, we find that the rise of the little horn is immediately followed by the judgment (Dan. 7), or the cleansing of the sanctuary. Dan. 8. These are the same event. Every year on the Day of Atonement, the Jewish sanctuary had to be cleansed from the record of sins that had accumulated there throughout the year. This service is detailed in Leviticus 16. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, on this solemn Day of Atonement, God was “seated on His throne to judge the world…. This is the day of judgment.… On the day of Atonement it is sealed who shall live and who are to die.”
2. Which sanctuary is being cleansed in Daniel 8:14?
Hebrews 8:1–2 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.
The earthly sanctuary was just a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” Heb. 8:5. Jesus ministers as our High Priest in this heavenly sanctuary. And it is this sanctuary that is cleansed from sin at the end of the 2,300 days.
3. What prophecy gives us a starting date for the 2,300 days?
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city.
The 70-week prophecy is connected to the 2,300-day prophecy for the following reasons: (1) The same Gabriel returns to help Daniel “understand the vision” (v. 23), or the unexplained part about the 2,300 days. See Daniel 8:26–27. (2) The Hebrew word for “determined,” chathak, literally means to “cut off,” indicating the 70 weeks were cut off from the longer 2,300 days. If we multiply 7 days by 70 weeks, we get 490 prophetic days, or 490 literal years. [For a fascinating study of the 70-week prophecy and how it related to the Messiah and the Jewish people, see the article “The Kingdom of God is at Hand” in the All Eyes on Israel (34.3) issue of Last Generation.]
4. When did both the 70-week and 2,300-day prophecies begin?
Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.
Both prophecies begin with the command to restore and build Jerusalem, which was given by the Persian king Cyrus in the fall of 457 bc. Ezra 7:1–26. If we count down 2,300 years, taking into account that there is no 0 year, we come to the year 1844. On October 22, 1844, the date for the Day of Atonement in that year, Jesus began His work of cleansing the heavenly sanctuary—a work of investigative judgment. Since that time Jesus has been reviewing the cases of every person, which is why the last-day message of Revelation 14:7 is “the hour of His judgment has come”!
1. With whom does judgment begin?
1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
Judgment begins with those who profess to be followers of God. This is because “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matt. 7:21.
2. On the Day of Atonement, Jews would fast, pray, and afflict their souls. Lev. 23:27. How should we respond to the realization that the judgment is taking place right now?
Psalm 139:23–24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
On our own we cannot stand confidently in the judgment. But if we ask Jesus, He will forgive and cleanse us from our sins (1 John 1:9), cover us with His own robe of righteousness (Isa. 61:10), and plead His own blood on our behalf. Heb. 9:24–26. We will come forth victorious!
3. What promises can I claim during the judgment?
Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Romans 8:33–34 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
4. What pronouncement is made at the close of the judgment? What event happens next?
Revelation 22:11–12 He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.
Bible prophecy reveals the timeline leading to the hour of God’s judgment. We are now living in the solemn antitypical day of atonement. When this judgment ends, Jesus will return with His reward and the saved will be taken to heaven, while the lost will ultimately experience eternal death.
I am thankful that Jesus has shown me that today can be a day of salvation, and I choose Him to be my Advocate in the judgment now taking place in heaven.
All verses quoted are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible.
“Atonement, Day of,” JewishEncyclopedia.com, jewishencyclopedia.com.
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