And the dead were judged.—“This judgment, or rulership, cannot begin until Christ, whom Jehovah hath appointed to be the Judge or Ruler of the world, has come again—not again in humiliation, but in power and great glory: not again to redeem the world, but to judge [rule] the world in righteousness. A trial can in no case proceed until the judge is on the bench and the court in session at the appointed time.—Matt. 25:31.”—A. 345.
Out of those things which were written in the books.—“It is by the Word of the Lord that men are judged (John 12:48-50); and not by the opinions or precedents of fellow-men in any capacity. Therefore all should imitate the noble Bereans who ‘searched the Scriptures daily’ to see if the things taught them were true. (Acts 17:11.) ‘To the Law and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’—See 1 Thes. 5:21; Isa. 8:20.”—D. 66.
According to their works.—“The judgment of that time, the test, will not be of faith; for knowledge will be universal, and all the darkness and obscurity created by ignorance and superstition will have passed away. The test at that time will be of works, whereas the tests of the Church at the present time are of faith.”—B. S. M.
20:13. And the sea.—The masses of mankind, not under religious restraint—the condition of the whole world in the time of anarchy due in its full severity in the fall of 1920. See page [178].
Gave up the dead which were in it.—Earth's new Ruler will deal first with those who survive the Time of Trouble, reckoned dead, even though actually having a small measure of life. When the Lord said, “Let the dead bury their dead” (Matt. 8:22), He used the same word to describe both classes. Those under the death sentence are counted by the Lord in the same class with those upon whom the sentence has been already executed. None but God's people have “passed from death unto life.” (1 John 3:14.) All the rest of the world, in God's sight, are dead.
And death.—“From the first, or Adamic death, a resurrection has been provided. All that are in their graves shall come forth. It was in view of God's plan for redeeming the race from that first death that in both the Old and New Testaments it is called a ‘sleep.’ ”—H. 58.
And hell.—“The dark, secret condition, the grave, which in the present time speaks to us of a hope of future life by God's resurrection power in Christ.”—Z. '10-41.
Delivered up the dead which were in them.—“Thus God tells us through the Prophet, ‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave [Sheol]. I will redeem them from death.... O grave [Sheol] I will be thy destruction.’ (Hos. 13:14.) The first or Adamic death shall no longer have liberty or power over men, as it has had for the past six thousand years; no longer shall any die for Adam's sin. (Rom. 5:12; Jer. 31:29, 30; Ezek. 18:2.)”—Z. '10-41.
And they were judged every man according to their works.—“Since all mankind will not be raised at once, but gradually, during the thousand years, each new group will find an army of helpers in those who will have preceded it. The love and benevolence which men will then show to each other (the brethren of Christ) the King will count as shown to Him. (Rom. 13:10.)”—Z. '10-39.
20:14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.—“The destruction of the first death and Hades commences with the beginning of the Millennial Reign and continues to its close. Hades (the grave) will be destroyed [pg 314] when all the dead in it have heard the Lord's voice and come forth. (John 5:25.) But ‘death’ will still have hold upon these, since every ache and pain and every mental and moral imperfection is a part of the inherited Adamic penalty. The millions awakened will be still under condemnation, still in death; but in proportion as they render obedience to the terms of the New Covenant, progress will be made toward health, perfection and life. On the other hand, those who, after full knowledge, refuse to accept and personally apply the merit of the sacrifice of Christ, will remain under condemnation; because their wills consent to evil, they will progress toward the Second Death. In the case of the obedient, death will be swallowed up of life. In the case of the disobedient, death will be swallowed up of the Second Death. (1 Cor. 15:26, 54, 55; Isa. 25:6-8.)”—H. 66.