Chapter 9—The Judge

It is the “Ancient of Days,” “the Judge of all the earth,” “God the Father,” who presides in the investigative judgment (The Great Controversy, 479). While the Father presides, the Son, according to 1 John 2:1 and Hebrews 9:24, appears as the sinners’ intercessor and advocate, “to plead in their behalf before God” (The Great Controversy, 482). “Jesus stands in the holy of holies,” we are told, “now to appear in the presence of God for us. There He ceases not to present His people moment by moment, complete in Himself” (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:933). It is not until the investigative judgment is completed that Christ will assume the office of Supreme Judge. Ellen White states:IJWEGW 11.3

“The One who has stood as our Intercessor; who hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who is represented with a rainbow, the symbol of grace and love, encircling His head, is soon to cease His work in the heavenly sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then descend from the throne and justice will take their place. He for whom His people have looked will assume His right—the office of Supreme Judge.”—The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 7:989.

Christ is the judge who will pronounce the sentence of reward or punishment, the One appointed to “execute the judgment” (The Desire of Ages, 210). Ellen White explains further:IJWEGW 11.4

“The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. He hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man....

“God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be judge of the whole world. He who came from the heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; He whom men despised, rejected, and upon whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings inspired by Satan, are capable; He who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and who suffered the ignominious death of the cross, He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment....

“In that day of final punishment and reward, both saints and sinners will recognize in Him who was crucified the Judge of all living.”—The Review and Herald, November 22, 1898, p. 745.

It is doubtless in this light—that Christ executes judgment—that the following citations are to be understood:IJWEGW 12.1

“There is only one Judge—the One who died for us, who took upon Himself our nature and all the infirmities of humanity, that we might stand on vantage-ground with God.”—The Review and Herald, January 19, 1905, p. 9.

“The Father is not the Judge. The angels are not. He who took humanity upon Himself, and in this world lived a perfect life, is to judge us. He only can be our Judge. Will you remember this, brethren? Will you remember it, ministers? Will you remember it, fathers and mothers? Christ took humanity that He might be our Judge.”—Testimonies for the Church 9:185.