The Fact of Final Judgment
Scriptural Evidence for a Final Judgment. Scripture frequently affirms the fact that there will be a great final judgment of believers and unbelievers. They will stand before the judgment seat of Christ in resurrected bodies and hear his proclamation of their eternal destiny.
The final judgment is vividly portrayed in John’s vision in Revelation:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it; from his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, death and hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done. Then death and hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11 – 15)
Many other passages teach this final judgment. Paul tells the Greek philosophers in Athens that God “Now … commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). Similarly, Paul talks about “the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). Other passages speak clearly of a coming day of judgment (see Matthew 10:15; 11:22, 24; 12:36; 25:31-46; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Hebrews 6:2; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6, et al.).
This final judgment is the culmination of many precursors in which God rewarded righteousness or punished unrighteousness throughout history. While he brought blessing and deliverance from danger to those who were faithful to him, including Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and the faithful among the people of Israel, he also from time to time brought judgment on those who persisted in disobedience and unbelief: his judgments included the flood, the dispersion of the people from the tower of Babel, the judgments on Sodom and Gomorrah, and continuing judgments throughout history, both on individuals (Romans 1:18 – 32) and on nations (Isaiah chapters 13-23, et al.) who persisted in sin. Moreover, in the unseen spiritual realm he brought judgment on angels who sinned (2 Peter 2:4). Peter reminds us that God’s judgments have been carried out periodically and with certainty, and this reminds us that a final judgment is yet coming, for “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteousness under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority” (2 Peter 2:9-10).
Will There Be More Than One Judgment? According to a dispensational view, there is more than one judgment to come. For example, dispensationalists would not see the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-46:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, “Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food… As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food… As you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.” And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
From a dispensational perspective, this passage does not refer to final judgment (the “great white throne judgment” spoken of in Revelation 20:11-15), but rather to a judgment that comes after the tribulation and before the beginning of the millennium. They say that this will be a “judgment of the nations” in which the nations are judged according to how they have treated the Jewish people during the tribulation. Those who have treated the Jews well and are willing to submit to Christ will enter into the millennium, and those who have not will be refused entrance.
In a dispensationalist view there are different judgments: (a) a “judgment of the nations” (Matthew 25:31-46) to determine who enters the millennium; (b) a “judgment of believers’ works” (2 Cor. 5:10) in which Christians will receive degrees of reward; and (c) a “great white throne judgment” at the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:11 – 15) to declare eternal punishments for unbelievers.
These three passages all speak of the same final judgment, not of three separate judgments. With regard to Matthew 25:31 – 46 in particular, it is unlikely that the dispensational view is correct: There is no mention of entering into the millennium in this passage. The judgments pronounced speak not of entrance into the millennial kingdom on earth or exclusion from that kingdom but of eternal destinies of people: “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…. Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels… And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (verses 34, 41, 46). Finally, it would be inconsistent with God’s ways throughout Scripture to deal with people’s eternal destiny on the basis of what nation they belong to, for unbelieving nations have believers within them, and nations that exhibit more conformity to God’s revealed will still have many wicked within them. And “God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11). Though “all the nations” are gathered before Christ’s throne in this scene (Matthew 25:32), the picture of judgment is one of judgment on individuals (sheep are separated from goats, and those individuals who treated Christ’s brothers kindly are welcomed into the kingdom while those who rejected them are rejected, Matthew 25:35-40, 42-45).
The Time of Final Judgment
The final judgment will occur after the millennium and the rebellion that occurs at the end of it. John pictures the millennial kingdom and the removal of Satan from influence on the earth in Revelation 20:1 – 6, and then says that “when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations … to gather them for battle” (Revelation 20:7 – 8). After God decisively defeats this final rebellion (Revelation 20:9 – 10), John tells us that judgment will follow: “Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat upon it” (verse 11).
The Nature of the Final Judgment
Jesus Christ Will Be the Judge. Paul speaks of “Jesus Christ who is to judge the living and the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1). Peter says that Jesus Christ “is the one ordained by God to be the judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42; compare Acts 17:31; Matthew 25:31-33). This right to act as judge over the whole universe is something that the Father has given to the Son: “The Father . . . has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:26-27).
Unbelievers Will Be Judged. It is clear that all unbelievers will stand before Christ for judgment, for this judgment includes “the dead, great and small” (Revelation 20:12), and Paul says that “on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed,” “he will render to every man according to his works . . . for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury” (Romans 2:5-7).
This judgment of unbelievers will include degrees of punishment, for we read that the dead were judged “by what they had done” (Revelation 20:12, 13), and this judgment according to what people had done must therefore involve an evaluation of the works that people have done. Similarly, Jesus says:
And that servant who knew his master’s will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating” (Luke 12:47-48).
When Jesus says to the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida, “It shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you” (Matthew 11:22; compare v. 24), or when he says that the scribes “will receive the greater condemnation” (Luke 20:47), he implies that there will be degrees of punishment on the last day.
In fact, every wrong deed done will be remembered and taken account of in the punishment that is meted out on that day, because “on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter” (Matthew 12:36). Every word spoken, every deed done will be brought to light and receive judgment: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).
As these verses indicate, on the day of judgment the secrets of people’s hearts will be revealed and made public. Paul speaks of the day when “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16; compare Luke 8:17). “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops” (Luke 12:2-3).
Believers Will Be Judged. In writing to Christians Paul says, “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of God… Each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10, 12). He also tells the Corinthians, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10; see Romans 2:6 – 11; Revelation 20:12, 15). In addition, the picture of the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-46 includes Christ separating the sheep from the goats, and rewarding those who receive his blessing.
It is important to realize that this judgment of believers will be a judgment to evaluate and bestow various degrees of reward (see below), but the fact that they will face such a judgment should never cause believers to fear that they will be eternally condemned. Jesus says, “He who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24). Here “judgment” must be understood in the sense of eternal condemnation and death, since it is contrasted with passing from death into life. At the day of final judgment more than at any other time, it is of utmost importance that “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The day of judgment can be portrayed as one in which believers are rewarded and unbelievers are punished:
The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth. (Revelation 11:18)
Will all the secret words and deeds of believers, and all their sins, also be revealed on that last day? We might at first think so, because Paul says that when the Lord comes he will “bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then every man will receive his commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5; compare Colossians 3:25). This is a context that talks about “commendation,” or praise, that comes from God, so it may not refer to sins. And other verses suggest that God will never again call our sins to remembrance: “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19); “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12); “I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25); “I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12; compare 10:17).
Scripture also teaches that there will be degrees of reward for believers. Paul encourages the Corinthians to be careful how they build the church on the foundation that has already been laid; Jesus Christ himself.
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)
Paul also says of Christians that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10), again implying degrees of reward for what we have done in this life. Likewise, in the parable of the pounds, the one who made ten pounds more was told, “You shall have authority over ten cities,” and the one whose pound had made five pounds more was told, “And you are to be over five cities” (Luke 19:17, 19). Many other passages likewise teach or imply degrees of reward for believers at the final judgment.
But we must guard against misunderstanding here: Even though there will be degrees of reward in heaven, the joy of each person will be full and complete for eternity. If we ask how this can be when there are different degrees of reward, it simply shows that our perception of happiness is based on the assumption that happiness depends on what we possess or the status or power that we have. In actuality, however, our true happiness consists in delighting in God and rejoicing in the status and recognition that he has given us. The foolishness of thinking that only those who have been highly rewarded and given great status will be fully happy in heaven is seen when we realize that no matter how great a reward we are given, there will always be those with greater rewards, or who have higher status and authority, including the apostles, the heavenly creatures, and Jesus Christ and God himself. If highest status were essential for people to be fully happy, no one but God would be fully happy in heaven, which is certainly an incorrect idea. Those with greater reward and honor in heaven, those nearest the throne of God, delight not in their status but only in the privilege of falling down before God’s throne to worship him (see Revelation 4:10-11).
It would be morally and spiritually beneficial for us to have a greater consciousness of this clear New Testament teaching on degrees of heavenly reward. Rather than making us competitive with one another, it would cause us to help and encourage one another that we all may increase our heavenly reward, for God has an infinite capacity to bring blessing to us all, and we are all members of one another (see 1 Corinthians 12:26 – 27). We would more eagerly heed the admonition of the author of Hebrews, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24 – 25). In our own lives a heartfelt seeking of future heavenly reward would motivate us to work wholeheartedly for the Lord at whatever task he calls us to, whether great or small, paid or unpaid. It would also make us long for his approval rather than for wealth or success. It would motivate us to work at building up the church on the one foundation, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
Angels Will Be Judged. Peter says that the rebellious angels have been committed to pits of nether gloom “to be kept until the judgment” (2 Peter 2:4), and Jude says that rebellious angels have been kept by God “until the judgment of the great day” (Jude 6). This means that at least the rebellious angels or demons will be subject to judgment on that last day as well.
Scripture does not clearly indicate whether righteous angels will undergo some kind of evaluation of their service as well, but it is possible that they are included in Paul’s statement “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). It is probable that this includes righteous angels because there is no indication in the context that Paul is speaking of demons or fallen angels, and the word “angel” without further qualification in the New Testament would normally be understood to refer to righteous angels. But the text is not explicit enough to give us certainty.
We Will Help in the Work of Judgment. It is a rather amazing aspect of New Testament teaching that we (believers) will take part in the process of judgment. Paul says:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, matters pertaining to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)
It might be argued that this simply means we will be watching the declaration of judgment by Christ and approving it, but this does not seem to fit the context well, for here Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to settle legal disputes among themselves rather than taking them to court before unbelievers. In this very context he says, “Can it be that there is no man among you wise enough to decide between members of the brotherhood, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers?” (1 Corinthians 6:5 – 6). This kind of judgment certainly involves careful evaluation and wise discernment. And this implies that such careful evaluation and discernment will be exercised by us in judging angels and in judging the world on the day of final judgment.
This is similar to the teaching of Revelation 20, where John says that he saw thrones, and “seated on them were those to whom judgment was committed” (Revelation 20:4). Although the text does not explain the identity of those seated on the thrones, the fact that they are mentioned in the plural indicates that Christ does not reserve every aspect of the process of judging for himself alone. He tells his twelve disciples that they will “sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28; compare Luke 22:30). This accords with the fact that throughout the history of redemption God has from time to time given the right to exercise judgment into the hands of human authorities, whether Moses and the elders who assisted him, the judges of Israel whom God raised up during the period of the judges, the wise kings such as David and Solomon, the civil government of many nations (see Romans 13:1 – 7; 1 Peter 2:13-14), or those who have authority to rule and govern within the church and to oversee the exercise of church discipline.
Necessity of Final Judgment
Since when believers die they pass immediately into the presence of God, and when unbelievers die they pass into a state of separation from God and the endurance of punishment, we may wonder why God has a time of final judgment established at all. The final judgment is not for the purpose of letting God find out the condition of our hearts or the pattern of conduct of our lives, for he already knows that in every detail. It will serve the purpose rather of displaying before all rational creatures the declarative glory of God in a formal setting which magnifies on the one hand His holiness and righteousness, and on the other hand, His grace and mercy. It should be kept in mind that the judgment at the last day will differ from that of the death of each individual in more than one respect. It will not be secret, but public; it will not pertain to the soul only, but also to the body; it will not have reference to a single individual, but to all men.
Justice of God in the Final Judgment
Scripture clearly affirms that God will be entirely just in his judgment and no one will be able to complain against him on that day. God is the one who “judges each one impartially according to his deeds” (1 Peter 1:17), and “God shows no partiality” (Romans 2:11; compare Colossians 3:25). For this reason, on the last day “every mouth” will be “stopped,” and the whole world will be “held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19), with no one being able to complain that God has treated him or her unfairly. In fact, one of the great blessings of the final judgment will be that saints and angels will see demonstrated in millions of lives the absolutely pure justice of God, and this will be a source of praise to him for all eternity. At the time of the judgment on wicked Babylon, there will be great praise in heaven, for John says, “I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just'” (Revelation 19:1 – 2).
Moral Application of the Final Judgment
The doctrine of final judgment has several positive moral influences in our lives.
The Doctrine of Final Judgment Satisfies Our Inward Sense of a Need for Justice in the World. The fact that there will be a final judgment assures us that ultimately God’s universe is fair, for God is in control, and he keeps accurate records and renders just judgment. When Paul tells slaves to be submissive to their masters, he reassures them, “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality” (Colossians 3:25). When the picture of a final judgment mentions the fact that “books were opened” (Revelation 20:12; compare Malachi 3:16), it reminds us (whether the books are literal or symbolic) that a permanent and accurate record of all our deeds has been kept by God, and ultimately all accounts will be settled and all will be made right.
The Doctrine of Final Judgment Enables Us to Forgive Others Freely. We realize that it is not up to us to take revenge on others who have wronged us, or even to want to do so, because God has reserved that right for himself. “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’ ” (Romans 12:19). In this way, whenever we have been wronged, we can give into God’s hands any desire to harm or pay back the person who has wronged us, knowing that every wrong in the universe will ultimately be paid for, either it will turn out to have been paid for by Christ when he died on the cross (if the wrongdoer becomes a Christian), or it will be paid for at the final judgment (for those who do not trust in Christ for salvation). But in either case we can give the situation into God’s hands, and then pray that the wrongdoer will trust Christ for salvation and thereby receive forgiveness of his or her sins. This thought should keep us from harboring bitterness or resentment in our hearts for injustices we have suffered that have not been made right: God is just, and we can leave these situations in his hands, knowing that he will someday right all wrongs and give absolutely fair rewards and punishments. In this way we are following in the example of Christ, who “when he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:22-23). He also prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34; compare Acts 7:60, where Stephen followed Jesus’ example in praying for those who put him to death).
The Doctrine of the Final Judgment Provides a Motive for Righteous Living. For believers, the final judgment is an incentive to faithfulness and good works, not as a means of earning forgiveness of sins, but as a means of gaining greater eternal reward? This is a healthy and good motive for us, Jesus tells us, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), though it runs counter to the popular views of our secular culture, a culture that does not really believe in heaven or eternal rewards at all.
For unbelievers, the doctrine of final judgment still provides some moral restraint on their lives. If in a society there is a widespread general acknowledgment that all will someday give account to the Creator of the universe for their lives, some “fear of God” will characterize many people’s lives. By contrast, those who have no deep consciousness of final judgment give themselves up to greater and greater evil, demonstrating that “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). Those who deny the final judgment, Peter says, will be “scoffers” who “will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions and saying, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?'” (2 Peter 3:3 – 4). He also declares that evildoers who “are surprised that you do not now join them in the same wild profligacy,” and “who abuse you” will nonetheless “give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:4-5). An awareness of final judgment is both a comfort to believers and a warning to unbelievers not to continue in their evil ways.
The Doctrine of Final Judgment Provides a Great Motive for Evangelism. The decisions made by people in this life will affect their destiny for all eternity, and it is right that our hearts feel and our mouths echo the sentiment of the appeal of God through Ezekiel, “Turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11). In fact, Peter indicates that the delay of the Lord’s return is due to the fact that God “is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).