Jesus said in Matt 7 - "
Not everyone who says Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but rather he who does..." - there is a judgment before the appearing of Christ happens but
it does not change a lost person into a saved person rather it looks at the fruit to see if someone is a born-again Christian or not (a good tree or a bad tree as in the Matt 7 teaching). We see this in Rom 2:4-16 spelled out in detail.
Note: "looking at the tree" does not change it from "good to bad" or from "bad to good"
Seventh-day Adventists affirm the Dan 7:9-10, 22 statement on judgment in heaven that is:
1. pre-advent
2. based on deeds recorded in books of heaven
3. occurs before the coming of Christ
4. occurs while persecution of the saints is going on
5. Begins after the 1260 years of dark ages persecution mentioned in Dan 7
6. Is the work of Christ (God the Son) and the "Ancient of Day" (God the Father)
7. Christ's ongoing role in heaven is that of our High Priest Heb 8:1-3
8. The sanctuary in heaven is original of which the OT sanctuary was a miniature symbol/pattern with its two phase function of "daily" and then "Day of Atonement"
God the Father comes in and take his seat in judgment, a court is setup and books of record are opened for review in judgment:
Dan 7 four empires
Lion: Babylon
Bear: Medes and Persians.
Leopard: Greece
Dragon/Iron-beast: Rome
Little Horn (11th horn): A greater world empire than pagan Rome.
Dan 7:
9 “I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;
His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was ablaze with flames,
Its wheels were a burning fire.
10 A river of fire was flowing
And coming out from before Him;
Thousands upon thousands were serving Him,
And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;
The court convened,
And the books were opened.
God the Son - Jesus as High Priest (Heb 8:1-4) - comes to the Ancient of Days - comes to that court in heaven and at its conclusion receives full control over the Kingdom:
Dan 7:
13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a son of man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14 And to Him was given dominion,
Honor, and a kingdom,
So that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
Saints are persecuted until that judgment based out of records contained in books is completed "
Judgment passed in favor of the saints"
Dan 7:
19 “Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of the horns fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and prevailing against them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.
Saints persecuted for 1260 years (apocalyptic writing uses day-for-year)
Dan 7;
25 And he will speak against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time. (1260 years) 26 But the court will convene for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.
The court convenes sometime after the 1260 years of persecution - and all torment of the saints ends once the judgment is completed (passed in favor of the saints). And then we see Christ take over events on Earth.
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Rev 21 explains what it means to have judgment based on the content of books in heaven. It is individual... case by case, specific deeds. (As we also see in Rom 2:4-16)
Rev 21:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, each one of them according to their deeds
2 Cor 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad.