Um, ok???

I honestly have been trying to get a grasp on just WHAT the teaching itself IS of the Investigative Judgement (IJ). I found it odd that when I Googled it, I found only critisisms of the SDA church for having this doctrine, yet even in those critisisms, only a few clues about the actual teaching itself were scattered throughout those pages. So far, I've discovered that, according to the experts and lay people alike, as well as anti-Adventists:

1. The Adventist church is not to be considered reliable.
2. I'm a cultist.
3. Nobody seems to have a clear understanding of just what this IJ thing really is anyway.

What do you have to say about it? Can you explain the actual teaching itself in less than 500 words?

Side Note: I did view the whole About.com page about it. I found it to be interesting, but was rather surprised by the last line or two of that page. Here is the response I sent the author:

"Re: your comment about the Sabbath being an OT Jewish custom only...

Would you seriousely ask a Jew to give up the Feast of the Lord, Shabbat (Lev. 23, Coll. 2:14-17, HEBREWS [that's Jews] 4) in order to believe in the Messiah who called Himself the Lord of Shabbat, who is the Son of Adonai, who gave weekly Shabbat vacations to mankind for his own good? Do you not know that Jesus is still a Jew? He said "Salvation is of the Jews" meaning "Salvation is Jewish!" The men who were on the road to Ammaus mistook Him to be a Jew coming from Jerusalem after He had died and rose again! He still had the same nail-scarred Jewish hands and feet! The disciples all recognised Him, and only Thomas had to be convinced that He wasn't a Jewish ghost! Paul recognised Him when He appeared to Him from Heaven on the road to Damascus! Please study this one out more carefully, thanks. Otherwise, I'll think you don't Believe in the Jewish Messiah who died for the sins of the Jews and the gentiles alike."

Perhaps it's a bit harsh, but so was some of what "Sal" wrote on that page about Adventists as well as that comment about the Jewish Sabbath being old. Anywho, just figured I'd share my response to what he said about that.

As for my reaction to what Sal said about the SDA doctrines in question, other than how I think he was a tad harsh in some cases, I am still researching how this doctrine came about, and honestly, don't feel that I'm any closer to understanding it, so I'm still taking comments about the teaching itself. Thanks.