SS Lesson Doctrinally Weak?

My main concerns on aspects of the SS lesson #8 – The Pre-Advent Judgment

1. The focus is on Daniel 7:22 – judgment in favor of the saints. This however is part of the vision that Daniel was given. The interpretation of verse 22 is found in verses 25, 26. Clearly, these two verses emphasize that the judgment shall sit and the little horn’s dominion shall be taken away and it shall be destroyed. THEN the kingdom under the heavens shall be given over to the saints. It seems to me that the focus of the judgment is not on an examination of the saints but rather on the termination of the activity of the little horn. The judgment is not to determine which peoples are to become saints but to destroy the little horn so that the saints (having already been deemed saints) will receive the glorious kingdom and thus vindicated. Pfandl has reversed the focus of the judgment (Sabbath afternoon page 64, paragraph 2; Tuesday’s section, page 67, paragraph 3; and Wednesday’s section, page 68) and has made the focus the vindication of the saints when he says, “…ultimately there is a judgment that NOT ONLY vindicates the Lord’s people …. But that brings the wicked little horn to final justice” and “In the final judgment NOT ONLY are God’s people vindicated but the persecutor is punished” (page 68, emphasis mine) Look also at paragraph three…

All this is done because he focuses on the vision (verse 22) rather than on the interpretation (verses 25, 26).

I have grtave concerns about the investigative judgment being based on the premise of Dr. Pfandl as outlined in the SS Lesson.

2. This is a new one to me…. Page 68, 2nd paragraph, third to last line… “But the judgment shall sit, and they [the saints] shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end” (vs 26)” So it is the saints – not the Ancient of days (vs 9, 22) who shall take away the dominion of the little horn and consume and destroy the little horn!!! New to you too?

3. I believe in the concept of a Pre-Advent Judgment. John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:4-6 and 1 Cor. 15: 50 are clear enough. We do not need to use a parable that literally begs the point!! It seems to me that the parable of the marriage feast in Matt. 22 is not an illustration that speaks to the Pre-Advent Judgment. How so?

The coming of the king has always or at least mostly been used as a figure of the coming of Christ. In this parable, the king comes and finds the man unprepared and casts him out. The focus of the parable then is that when Christ comes and finds any one unprepared (not clothed in the righteousness of Christ) he will not join the wedding feast but will be cast out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. It seems to me that this parable is more representative of the coming of Christ and/or the White throne judgment of Rev 20:11-13 than of the Pre-Advent judgment.

Gerhard Pfandl, the main contributor of the SS Lesson, is the Director of the Biblical Research Committee. I am not sure that I can support the findings and conclusions of this scholar….

You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.

Michael Murrell