Yes, if a person does not look too hard at the subject that there are a few verses that people have taken to make them think that they actually judge people in the millennial kingdom. The Adventist version is that we we are checking to see why certain people are not there.
We actually judge the world all the time and in fact we have to judge angels (messengers) also. As in do not trust every spirit but test them. So is Paul exaggerating to make a point? Possibly or he may be referencing one of the eschatological beliefs of the Jews at that time. Whichever way he acknowledges that it is less important then making good judgments in this life.
Still the more likely explanation is that these are the ways the people at that time thought about life in heaven where they were to rule and reign with Christ. And that to them was acting as the authority of judges but in a world of followers of Christ who really needs rulers, as there the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Yet the expression of reigning is used to express just how much better their reward is then the sacrifices in this life:
Yes, you are right, Adventists do believe the redeemed will "judge" -- God giving a thousands years to show them the mysteries of His redeeming love, in contrast to the deceptions of sin.
And if you look at that verse in 1 Cor. 6:3 closely you will see that Paul is contrasting the saints future judging with the need to judge certain things pretaining to THIS LIFE. He's referring to a judging outside of THIS LIFE and comparing it to the need to judge certain things in THIS LIFE.
Why this "judgment" in the future? People today have questions, BIG questions, why, why why??? If God is love WHY? These questions pour forth from even committed Christians of every faith.
Surely God didn't allow this sin situation with all it's misery to continue for no good reason.
One must understand that sin hurled a challenge against God. A challenge that says, it's a better and more fun and exciting life to live in sin rather than abide in the ways of the Lord. A challenge that says God's ways are boring and burdensome, while sin makes life challenging and exciting.
Sadly millions are buying into that illusion and still hurling that challenge against God. God is patiently trying to teach all who have an heart to learn, not only of His redeeming love, but also that sin is destructive, cruel and leaves one empty.
Most of us really don't have any real understanding of the terribleness of sin -- especially when it comes to the more "acceptable sins".
Mankind was not created as a robot, but as a rational being, and God deals with His created creatures as rational being who sadly are very slow learners.
When the redeemed meet in heaven there will be some shocking things -- People will be there who we thought shouldn't be there. Let's say, a woman is in heaven and there she sees a man who abused her as a child. This same woman then looks around for a kind friend who helped her so much while she was child, but that friend is no where to be found in heaven. Questions questions questions, the rational mind is NOT turned off once we get to heaven.
But Christ says, "come, I'll show you what happened". And he does....
But like one poster already shared, it may be hard to believe that this friend's seemingly mild sins, (compared to the sins of the forgiven and redeemed abuser) weren't really that bad, why wasn't he also forgiven?
So we have the resurrection of the wicked after the thousand years. Some believe this time period is not just a day or two, but that these people are alive again for quite a few years....
Long enough for Satan to go forth and deceive them into thinking the kingdom is really his and get them to plan and prepare for a war of all wars.
What will these "wicked" do? And I believe this is the crucial question. Rev. 22. 14-15 show the redeemed inside the city and the lost outside. What will the wicked do? It sounds like they keep right on sinning.
In this final drama they show exactly what they want to do. Nowhere in these verses do we see them repenting instead they form a vaste army, like the sands of the sea and match against God's Holy City, they would tear Christ Himself from the throne and capture the city as in the bloody conquests of the history of this world. Yes, they want the city, but they also want their sins. But after being arrested before the Great White throne and shown how they despised God's mercy, the fires consume them and all trace of sin.
The universe (not just the redeemed) but all will know that every single person who could be redeemed was redeemed. The rebellious characters of the rest had been allowed to fully reveal themselves beyond all shadow of any lingering doubts.
My e-mail to my wife (then girlfriend) took forever. It was painful to hit send and wait while the stupid thing rattled and hummed for about twenty minutes before it finally said 'message sent'.
