The Old and New Testaments both agree there will be a judgment. To understand this better we need to examine the sanctuary service. In approximately 555 b.c., God revealed to the prophet Daniel that “the sanctuary” would be cleansed. “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” (Daniel 8:14). “Then” points to a future event. The prophecy reaches 2,300 years into the future.

In Exodus 25:9, 40, God explained to Moses that the sanctuary he was to build was to be according to the pattern of the one in heaven (see Hebrews 8:5).

In the beginning, there was no Bible. God spoke with Adam and Eve face to face. See Genesis, chapters 1 and 2. In the earth made new there will be no need of a Bible, for the same reason (see Revelation chapters 21 and 22).

After sin came into the picture, separating the human race from their Maker, the Lord still desired to be in communion with His people, so He made provision to make reconciliation possible through the sacrifice of His own Son. A plan of atonement for sin was established. This plan had actually been conceived even before the Fall, and it will continue until the work of redemption is complete. “The whole world needs to be instructed in the oracles of God, to understand the object of the atonement, the at-one-ment, with God.”1

The procedure of this plan of atonement was exemplified in the sanctuary service, as explained in Leviticus 16:29-34.

The day of atonement was to be observed by the children of Israel once a year. It prefigured the great day of atonement that was to occur near the close of earth’s history illustrated by the cleansing of the sanctuary foretold in Daniel 8:13, 14. The Old Testament sanctuary was but a figure of the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:6-12). Jesus Christ is our great High Priest officiating for us in the heavenly sanctuary, which the Lord pitched and not man (Hebrews 8:1, 2). In the sanctuary service of the Old Testament, the high priest officiated once a year for the atonement of the sins of the people. This was a symbol prefiguring the work to be performed by our high priest, Christ Jesus, in the sanctuary above. “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1).

For the children of Israel the service of the sanctuary culminated each year on Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1-34; and 23:27-32). This was the most solemn day of the year to the Hebrews. It was a day of judgment and of reconciliation. Those who had with repentant heart afflicted their soul had their sins blotted out on this day.

They stood before God with a clean record, while those who refused to repent were cut off (Isaiah 44:22 and Leviticus 23:29).

Conditional forgiveness is taught in the parable of the ungrateful servant. In Matthew 18:23-35 we find this story. “Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”

The man in the story was forgiven a huge debt (10,000 talents). The average working man could not pay such a big debt if he lived ten lifetimes, but the king forgave him. Though he was forgiven a huge debt, he wouldn’t forgive a fellow employee a small debt of $15.00 But wait a minute. Look at verses 32-34. The hard-hearted man is thrown in jail for his huge debt! Why? He was just forgiven conditionally. But his debt was not cancelled. The Lord’s prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) teaches us that if we do not have the forgiving spirit of God, then our sins cannot be blotted out. This man’s sins had been forgiven, but not blotted out. He had not “afflicted his soul” and searched out his sins in the day of atonement. “For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people” (Leviticus 23:29). In Romans 8:9, last part, we read: “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” This man did not have the forgiving spirit of Christ (the king in our story. See Matthew 18:33, 34).

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:47-50).

“The casting of the net is the preaching of the gospel.”2

“The gospel net gathers both good and bad. It takes time for character to be developed.”3

“When the mission of the gospel is completed, the judgment will accomplish the work of separation.”4

This same concept of separation is brought to view in the parable of the man without a wedding garment - Matthew 22:2-14: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

“By the king’s examination of the guests at the feast is represented a work of judgment. The guests at the gospel feast are those who profess to serve God, those whose names are written in the book of life. But not all who profess to be Christians are true disciples. Before the final reward is given, it must be decided who are fitted to share the inheritance of the righteous. This decision must be made prior to the second coming of Christ.”5

In Revelation 19:7, 8 the wedding robe is the righteousness of the saints. It represents the character which all must possess who shall be accounted fit guests for the wedding. Since our righteousness is compared to filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), we must allow the Lord to cover us with His robe of righteousness. “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10). The man in this parable had to be expelled because he refused to let go of his citizen’s dress. His sin made the separation necessary.

This concept of separation is again brought out in the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13. ALL had lamps. The lamps represent the Bible (see Psalm 119:105). ALL slumbered and slept. ALL were awakened by the midnight cry and trimmed their lamps (increased Bible study), but the five foolish ones did not have enough oil. This lack the five wise ones could not supply (Matthew 25:8, 9). The oil represents the Holy Spirit (see Zechariah 4:1-6).

The ten virgins were waiting for the return of the Lord from the wedding (Luke 12:36). They had been invited to the marriage feast, the reception. But the five foolish virgins were destitute of the Holy Spirit.

“Unless the Spirit of God sets the truth home, the character will not be transformed.”6 They learned too late that “character is not transferable.”7 “It is in a crisis that character is revealed.”8

The robe of Christ’s righteousness can be put on only with the aid of the Holy Spirit, as our character is changed from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) from the “old man of sin” into the similitude of the character of Christ (Colossians 1:27). This is the result of the new birth experience spoken of in John 3:3-8.

Perfection in Christ through His imputed and imparted righteousness! This is what will enable us to stand in the judgment.

In the parable of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30), the workers recognized the tares, but they were not allowed to gather them up, for their roots would get entangled with those of the wheat. God does not leave with men the task of judging character.

“The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Timothy 2:19).

“He who becomes a partaker of the divine nature will be in harmony with God’s great standard of righteousness, His holy law. This is the rule by which God measures the actions of men. This will be the test of character in the judgment.”9 “The only question asked in the judgment will be, ‘Have they been obedient to My commandments?’ ”10

Remember my friend the final exams in school? How you wanted to know the questions beforehand! Well, God wants everyone to pass the test. So, He has revealed to us the test question. Those who pass the final exam are the victorious ones who stand on the sea of glass (Revelation 15:2). But what about those who fail the test? The answer is in Revelation 20:14, 15.

We started our study with Ecclesiastes 12:14. That verse told us there is to be a judgment of every secret thing. We are bidden by the previous verse, Ecclesiastes 12:13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” The ten commandments apply to all human beings at all times, in times of peace and prosperity, in troublous times, even in times of war.

“Character building is the most important work ever entrusted to human beings; and never before was its diligent study so important as now. Never was any previous generation called to meet issues so momentous; never before were young men and young women confronted by perils so great as confront them today.”11

God was at one time “at-one” with man. God will again “at-one” time be “at-one” with man! He has made this atonement (this at-one-ment) possible by the blood of His own dear Son “Men may comprehend the spirituality of the law, they may realize its power as a detector of sin, but they are helpless to withstand Satan’s power and deceptions, unless they accept the atonement provided for them in the remedial sacrifice of Christ, who is our Atonement - our At-one-ment - with God.”12

Will you be found blameless before God? Will you send your sins beforehand to judgment? (1 Timothy 5:24, 25). Will you “afflict your soul” today? Will you by searching find out your secret sins, and ask for forgiveness with a contrite heart? The examination is final! The results are sure! The choice is yours!