You Have Come to God, the Judge of All
Read Hebrews 12:23. If this is a celebration, why is God described as
a judge? How can a judge be part of or a reason for a celebration?
Read also Daniel 7:9, 10, 13–22.
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The celebration described in Hebrews 12:22–24 alludes to a future
judgment. God, the Judge, presides, and books are used, and the result
of this future judgment from the books is that God’s people receive the
kingdom (Heb. 12:28).
This scene evokes the great pre-Advent judgment described in
Daniel 7, which portrays a judgment scene in which God, the “Ancient
of Days” (Dan. 7:9), sits on a throne made of fire and is surrounded
with “ten thousand times ten thousand” (Dan. 7:10) angels. Books are
opened (Dan. 7:10), and the judgment is decided in favor of “the saints
of the most High,” who then “possessed the kingdom” (Dan. 7:22).
Similarly, Hebrews 12:22–29 describes a judgment scene at Mount
Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, where God, “the Judge of all,” is sur-
rounded with “thousands upon thousands” of angels (NIV). The scene
also is a fiery one (Heb. 12:29). It includes books because the saints
are “enrolled” in them (Heb. 12:23, ESV), which implies a favorable
judgment for the saints.
Jesus is at the center of the scene (Heb. 12:24). He was described as
the Son of man in Hebrews 2, who was “crowned with glory and honor”
after having tasted “death” in our behalf (Heb. 2:9, ESV). According
to Hebrews 2:10, the “son of man” (see Heb. 2:6, ESV) suffered in
order that He could bring “many sons to glory” (ESV); that is, in order
that believers would be able to be “crowned with glory and honor,”
as well. The “Son” has now brought believers into Zion, the heavenly
Jerusalem, through the benefits of the new covenant (Heb. 12:22–24),
where they are promised to receive a kingdom (Heb. 12:28).
This judgment is, then, really good news for believers because it is a
judgment that rules in their favor. It vindicates them. It is a judgment
that defeats their adversary, the dragon, who is behind the terrible
beasts that have persecuted believers in the past (Daniel 7) and will do
so in the future (Revelation 13).
How does what we studied today help us understand that God’s
judgment in the three angels’ messages is “good news” for this
time (Rev. 14:6, 7; compare with Deut. 32:36; 1 Chron. 16:33–35)?