SS - What is Final Judgement

Scripture evidence for final judgement

Revelation 20:11–15 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on 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. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to 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.”

Paul in Athens

Acts 17:30–31 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people 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 by raising him from the dead.””

Other places

Romans 2:5 “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”

Is there more than one judgement? (Dispensational view)

They would not see final judgement in Matt 25

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 people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘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, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””

This is not the great white throne judgement in Rev 20, but rather post tribulation, pre millennium judgement

The Matt 25 judgement is a nation judgement that determines who will enter the millennium

2. The 2 Cor 5 judgement is the judgement of believers works

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Known as bema judgement - bema is greek word for judgement sear in 2 Cor

3. Great white throne judgement - Rev 20

This is judgement of unbelievers at end of millennium

I currently hold to (as grudem, and those who hold to covenant theology) that there is one final judgement that all these passages point to

Refutations

Matt 25 (entering the millenium)

Elements

1 - No mention of millennium

2 - All nations, not just gentile survivors

v.32: “All the nations will be gathered before him.”

panta ta ethnē (“all nations”) is consistently universal in Matthew (e.g., Matt. 28:19, “make disciples of all nations”).

3 - Eternal aspect

Eternal punishment & Eternal life vs 46

4 - Parallels between Rev 20

Son of man/Christ on the throne

Separation of all humanity

Both end in eternal destinies

Rev 20 (Only unbelievers)

Elements

1 - The text does not limit it to unbelievers

Dead, great and small vs 12

Dead were judged according to what they had done

2 - Matches Pauls language in Rom 2

3 - Although “the nations” are here, it is individual judgement

Goats & sheep

Individuals are welcome or rejected

2 Corinthians 5:10 – (Believers)

Elements

1 - Paul does not distinguish separate thrones for believers and unbelievers.

2 - Both reward and retribution happen before the same seat.

Finally, there is no writing on this in church history until the 1800s with darby and 1900 with scofield bible

Although early church history primarily classic premill, we see no affirmation of multiple judgements,

“The church has made mistakes, but the Holy Spirit has not been absent from her teaching and life. To neglect the voice of the church through the centuries is not to honor the Spirit who has guided her.” - J I Packer

When is the final judgement

After the millennium period, when christ returns

The nature of the final judgement

Jesus Christ will be the Judge

2 Timothy 4:1 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:”

Acts 10:39–42 “And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.”

2. Unbelievers will be judged

Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

Romans 2:5–8 “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.”

Degrees of punishment

Jesus - speaking of his return

Luke 12:47–48 “And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

Matthew 11:22 “But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you.”

Scribes will receive greater condemnation

Luke 20:46–47 ““Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.””

Every deed will be taken account of

Matthew 12:36 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,”

Ecclesiastes 12:14 “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

This is public

Romans 2:16 “on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

Luke 8:17 “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

Luke 12:2–3 “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 on the housetops.”

Believers will be judged

Paul, writing to christians says

Romans 14:10–12 “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

To the church at Corinth

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Sheep & goats separated in Matt 25

The judgement for believers is a judgment of reward

We need to not fear a judgment of condemnation

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever 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.”

Judgement being condemnation (death to life contrast)

Revelation 11:18 “The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and 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.””

Degrees of rewards for believers

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Although there are degrees of reward, the joy of everyone who is heaven will be full & complete

If we don’t understand this it’s because we base our understanding of joy on the things we have

Angels will be judged

Rebellious angels will face judgement

2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;”

Jude 6 “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—”

We will help in judging angels

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 “Or 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, then, matters pertaining to this life!”

Necessity of final judgement

If believers die they go immediately into the presence of God, and if unbelievers die, they immediately pass into separation from God, why have final judgement?

It will serve the purpose rather of displaying before all rational creatures the declarative glory of God in a formal, forensic act, which magnifies on the one hand his holiness and righteousness, and on the other hand, his grace and mercy. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that the judgement 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. - Berkhof Systematic Theology

Justice of God in the final judgement

The judgement of God will be a just judgement

Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?””

1 Peter 1:17 “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,”

Romans 3:19 “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.”

Revelation 19:1–2 “After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.””

Moral application of the doctrine of final judgement

It satisfies our internal desire for justice

Colossians 3:25 “For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

2. Enables us to forgive

Romans 12:19 “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.””

3. Motivation for righteous living

Matthew 6:20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

4. Motivation for evangelism

Hell

Important to discuss in connection with final judgement