Judgement

Judgement

1. Penal Judgement. This may be administered on earth in God's government of men or of His people, in accordance with the principles of the economy in force at the time; or hereafter for eternity, in accordance with God's decrees. God's four sore judgements on the living were threatened against Jerusalem, and have often fallen upon mankind generally, and will fall upon them in the future, as shown in the Revelation.

1. War, death by the sword either from an enemy from without, or in civil war.

2. Famine, which may arise from a dearth in the land, or by a city being besieged.

3. Noisome beasts, which doubtless includes the ravages of locusts, because they spoil the land and make it desolate.

4. Pestilence, which has often swept away its thousands.   Ezekiel 14:13-21 .

Besides these there are in various parts of the earth conflagrations, earthquakes, eruptions, cyclones, avalanches, floods, frosts, shipwrecks, sea-waves, etc., some of which happen every year. These occur in the providential government of God, and by them He continually makes Himself heard, and manifests His power: cf.  Job 37:13 . But beside this providential government, there are often direct judgements, hence the prophet said, "When thy judgements are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."  Isaiah 26:9 . Such judgements are, alas, too often accounted as natural phenomena or mere accidents or calamities, without any recognition of God, and are soon forgotten. They should warn men; as a slight shower often falls before a storm, so these frequent judgements are but the forerunners of the great storm of the wrath of God that will surely fall upon this guilty world, when the vials of His fury are poured out: cf.  Revelation 6 - 20.

All judgement, that is, the act of judging (κρίσις),whether of dead or living, has been committed to the Lord Jesus. He is represented as coming from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, when He will tread the people in His anger, and trample them in His fury, and their blood will stain all His raiment.  Isaiah 63:1-3 . His judgement falls on the living nations; also before Israel is restored to blessing, judgement from God will fall upon them. See Tribulation. Upon professing Christendom also God will execute judgement. See Babylon The Great. The eternal punishment of the wicked is called "eternal judgement."  Hebrews 6:2 . The fallen angels are reserved unto judgement,  2 Peter 2:4; and everlasting fire is prepared for the devil and his angels.  Matthew 25:41 .

2. Sessional Judgement. The common expression 'the General Judgement' does not occur in scripture. By this term is commonly understood that all mankind on 'the day of judgement' will stand before God, or rather the Lord Jesus, to be judged according to their works, and there to hear their eternal destiny. But this is not according to scripture. In all the passages (except  1 John 4:17 , where it speaks of the Christian having boldness in the day of judgement) it is 'day of judgement;' not the day of judgement, as referring to one specified time.

Besides the sessional judgement of the empires in  Daniel 7:9-14 , there are two other such judgements in scripture, with more or less of detail, which do not take place at the same time, nor embrace the same people. The Lord Jesus has been appointed to judge the living and the dead.  Acts 10:42 . In  Matthew 25 the living are judged, and in   Revelation 20 the dead are judged, both of which cannot refer to the same judgement.

In  Matthew 25 : In  Revelation 20 .

It is the living nations, and no } {It is the dead, and no mention of

mention of the dead, this earth } { the living, the earth having 'fled

being the scene of it, to which } { away' before His face who sits

the Son of man comes. } { upon the great white throne.

Some are saved and some are lost.} {No mention of any saved: all are lost.

Judged solely according to their } {Judged according to general sins,

treatment of the Lord's brethren, } { and no mention made of their

and no mention of general sins.} { treatment of the saints.

It is plain that these are separate and distinct judgements. The judgement of the 'living' will be at the beginning of the Lord's reign. After the Church has been taken to glory, Christ will still have His own servants doing His work upon the earth, such as His two witnesses in  Revelation 11:3; cf. also  Matthew 10:23 . When He comes to reign, the nations will be judged as to how they have treated these whom He calls His 'brethren.' The judgement of the wicked 'dead' will be after the millennium, and will embrace all who have died in their sins from the creation of the world. They will be judged according to their works, and the secrets of men will then be judged.

Then the question arises as to the saints who may be alive at thecoming of the Lord, and the thousands who have died. They cannot be included in either the judgement of  Matthew 25 or of   Revelation 20 . As to their persons, whether they are to be saved or not, it is plainly stated in  John 5:24 , that they will not come into judgement at all. "He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement; but is passed from death unto life." The A.V. reads 'condemnation,' but the word is κρίσις and is translated 'judgement' in the same chapter —  John 5:22,27,30 , and 'damnation' in  John 5:29 . It is the same word also in  Hebrews 9:27; "As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement  ; . . . . unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation."

3. The Judgement-Seat Of Christ. All will be manifested before this judgement-seat that they may receive the things done in the body whether it be good or bad.  2 Corinthians 5:10 . This does not clash with the above statement that the believer does 'not come into judgement.' The Lord Jesus will sit on the judgement-seat, He who died for believers' sins, and rose again for their justification; and He is the believer's righteousness — He will not judge His own work. The saint, being divinely justified, cannot be judged, indeed,  John 5:24 declares he does not come into judgement at all. But he will be manifested: the things done in the body will be brought into review, all will then be seen by him in its true light, whether good or bad, and this will but serve to exalt the grace that has saved him.

Then an account will be required as to what sort of servant he has been. Has he used the talent committed to him ? Some may have laboured with improper materials, and such work will be burned up, and the workman will lose his reward, though he himself will be saved yet so as through fire. Whereas, with others, the work will abide, and the labourer will get a reward.  1 Corinthians 3:14 . Each shall receive a reward according to his own labour.  1 Corinthians 3:8 . The apostle John exhorted the saints to abide in Christ that he, as a workman, might not be ashamed before Him at His coming.  1 John 2:28 : cf.  2 John 8 . These passages apply to the Christian's service, to each of whom a talent is given.

The exhortation to the Philadelphians is "Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown."  Revelation 3:11 . And the Lord says "Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work shall be."  Revelation 22:12 . All that Christians do now will then be manifested; they should therefore seek to do such work as will stand the fire, and such as will be owned and approved of in that day by their Lord and Master. His love to us is "made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement, because as he is so are we in this world."  1 John 4:17 .