No. There are a wide variety of different views within Christianity (and in Judaism and Islam) about the Judgment. In fact, many groups endorse a phased Judgment, including a type of judicial pre-Advent Investigative Judgment, which occurs before and is distinct from the executive Final Judgment. For example:
· Roman Catholics differentiate between the ‘Particular Judgment’ of an individual, which occurs when someone dies and thus before the 2nd coming of Christ, and the ‘General Judgment’ or ‘Last Judgment’, which is the judgment of nations that occurs at the return of Christ.
· The Eastern Orthodox Churches similarly makes the distinction between a ‘Particular Judgment’ and ‘General Judgment’ or ‘Final Judgment’.
· Evangelicals (Dispensationalists) believe in three broad judgment phases, the Rapture, the Millennium Reign of Christ and a Final Judgment, in much the same way as Adventists believe the judgment has three distinct phases:
For further information see:
http://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/Biblequestions/judgmentseccoming.htm
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI am an Adventist and there has been a lot of division and schism over the issue of the investigative judgment. However, the obsession of both Adventists and non-Adventist critics on when this judgment begin is slightly insane.
Whether Christ entered the Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary in 1844 or just after the Cross is really an obscure academic question of little practical relevance for Adventists today. It was important for the SDA pioneers because they needed to justify their reason for thinking Christ was going to return in 1844.
Stripping this pedantic obscure issue of when particular judgment began, which isn't really important, Adventists in fact have a very mainstream and orthodox view of a phased, investigative judgment. I just wish both Adventists and their critics would realise this!
This is not just an academic question. It has practical value for our lives today. The second phase of Christ's high-priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary means He is preparing us *now* for His second coming.
ReplyDeleteI agree it is important, but I also think that it is clear every Christian group has a different take on the issue. Most of these other groups also believe a type of pre-Advent judgment as well, but obviously in a slightly different way.
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