The purpose of the judgment in recent Adventist theology: Does holiness really matter?

Abstract

The doctrine of the judgment, specifically the pre-advent judgment, is undoubtedly a keydoctrine of Adventism. However, some Adventist scholars have pointed out that this doctrinehas not remained invariable through time (Rolf J. Pohler, Friz Guy). An importantaspect in which the understanding of that doctrine has varied is in connection with thepurpose of the judgment. For the Adventist pioneers the so-called investigative judgmentimplied a decision-making process regarding the salvation of those who are judged. Thisimplied an evaluation of the lives of believers, of their growth in a life of holiness. On theother hand, for several recent Adventist scholars, the judgment seems to be basically focusedon the vindication of God’s character. This paper explores the connection betweenthis change and the (implicit) growing influence in Adventist theology of a monergisticinterpretation of justification by faith, more in harmony with Protestant theology, whichunderstands justification as a punctiliar fact, once and forever. In the Adventist context,this implies that the understanding of the pre-advent judgment focuses on the exhibitionof evidence that vindicates God’s character while minimizing or eliminating the need fora decision-making process during the judgment itself. The paper briefly assesses this shiftin the understanding of the judgment in Adventism in terms of its consistency with therest of the Adventist theological system and suggests some implications regarding theimportance of holiness in the context of Adventist soteriology.