There are so many misconceptions and false doctrines concerning the Lord's return, I feel any article or lesson concerning this subject is worth studying. This one was written by Wayne Jackson. It appeared in the March 1983 Christian Courier. Jackson was also the editor of the paper and it was published by the East Main Street Church of Christ in Stockton, California.
In these days of modern, scientific sophistication, the idea of a coming judgment day is about as fashionable as button shoes. Many religious movements have long since outgrown the notion of a final judgment. Several years ago, a dust jacket on one of the editions of Charles Darwin's Descent of Man announced that the naturalist's writings had made a "joke" of the concept of coming judgment. If it is a joke, God intends to have the last laugh as indeed the Psalmist noted: "Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against Jehovah and against His annointed, saying, 'Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us.' He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh; the Lord shall hold them in derision." (Psalm 2:1-4) The point is, no one is able to frustrate the purposes of Almighty God. It is a laughable matter to suggest otherwise and this includes the idea of final judgment.
If the righteous God of the Bible exists (and the evidence for such is absolutely overwhelming) then the concept of judgment is both reasonable and certain for it is clear that there are numerous inequities in this present life which, if representative of man's final state of affairs, would certainly appear to reflect upon the benevolence of our Maker.
From time immemorial, men have struggled with the seeming injustices of earth life and thus have been forced to conclude that there must be vindication in the future. For example, the suffering patriarch Job cried out in anguish because of what he felt was a lack of justice in earthly circumstances (cf. Job 19:7-12) yet subsequently, in a blinding burst of confident faith, Job believes that even after his flesh is destroyed, he will see God, "and not as a stranger" (i.e., they will be on friendly terms). The patriarch will be vindicated! (cf. 19:25-27) Similarly, the Psalmist once despaired when he observed the apparent injustice of the, "prosperity of the wicked." Such a matter was, "too painful" for him until he, "went into the sanctuary of God" (the place of revealed truth) and, "considered their latter end." (Psalm 73) He was forced to conclude that there is a judgment bar where seeming injustices are finally made right.
The fuller revelation of the New Testament record makes it quite clear that there will be judgment in response to human conduct. Man is not on this earth to aimlessly wander through life doing as he pleases. He was created to serve God (Isaiah 43:7) and obeying the Creator is the sum of man's duty (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Though the doctrine of judgment is pre-figured in the Old Testament (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14; Daniel 12:2-3), it comes into full bloom in the New Testament. In several of His parables, Christ underscored the reality of eventual judgment (cf. Matthew 13:30, 39ff; 13:47-49; 22:1-14; 25:1-12; Luke 18:7; 19:11-27) and He plainly declared that He would return, in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then shall He render unto every man according to his deeds" (Matthew 16:27). The Savior graphically paints a portrait of the coming judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. Moreover, the balance of the New Testament is filled with allusions to God's day of judgment (cf. Romans 14:10; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; II Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 6:2; II Peter 2:4, 9; I John 4:17; Jude 6, 15; Revelation 20:10ff).
In his magnificent address on Mars hill, the inspired Paul argues for the absolute certainty of the coming judgment on the grounds of the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ! He affirms that God, "has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordanined. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). The judgment of the future is as certain to occur as the fact that the Lord's resurrection occurred in the past; the two stand or fall together. And in this connection, may we observe that the evidence for Christ's resurrection is, as Professor Thomas Arnold (1795-1842) of Oxford declared, the, "best attested fact in human history."
In light of the foregoing, let us direct our attention to some of the Biblical facts regarding the judgment.
1. The Judge - Though the Bible teaches that god is the judge of all (Hebrews 12:23), it also affirms that we are to be made manifest before the, "judgment seat of Christ" (II Corinthians 5:10). There is no contradiction, for the Father judges by means of the Son (cf. John 5:22, 27). The former judges indirectly, the latter directly.
2. The Scope of the Judgment - The Bible teaches that there will be a single, final judgment that is universal in scope. (Note: Scripture knows nothing of two judgments separated by an earthly thousand year reign of Christ as alleged by millennialists.) Consider these facts. (a) The judgment will assemble men of all ages of history. For example, the citizens of ancient Nineveh will be judged along side that generation contemporary with the Lord (Matthew 12:41-42). The past and present will be brought together. (b) Similarly, those who are alive at the time of the Savior's return will be judged with those who have preceded them in death (cf. Acts 10:42; II Timothy 4:1). (c) The judgment will involve men of all stations in life; the great and the small (Revelation 20:12). (d) The judgment will include people of all shades of character, generally divided into the "good" and the "evil" (cf. John 5:28-29. II Corinthians 5:10). (e) Finally, angels as well as men will be included in the judgment (II Peter 2:4; Jude 6).
3. The Time of the Judgment - The Lord made it clear that the judgment would occur at the time of His second coming (Matthew 25:31ff). In fact, the judgment day is frequently called the, "day of the Lord" (cf. I Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 1:6, 10; 2:16; I Thessalonians 5:2; II Thessalonians 2:2; II Peter 3:10). Now since it is obvious that no man on earth knows when the Lord will return (cf. Matthew 24:36), it is equally clear that no one knows when the judgment will occur! Yet amazingly, the history of "Christendom" has been repeatedly disgraced by notorious date setters who fancied they had deciphered the divine calendar! We are constantly warned in the holy writings to always be prepared, for we simply do not know when the judgment will be upon us!
4. The Purpose of the Judgment - Many are confused as to what the actual design of the judgment will be. Here is an important truth that we need to learn. The purpose of the judgment will not be determinative (i.e., to decide anyone's fate), for one's destiny is determined by the way he dies (or meets the Lord). At the time of death, man enters a state of either comfort or torment depending upon his spiritual condition at the time of his demise (cf. Luke 16:22-25; II Peter 2:9). No one will need to wait until the judgment day to know what their eternal assignment will be. Rather, the purpose of the judgment day will be revelatory, i.e., it will be designed to universally make known some important truths. Consider these points:
First, the real character of all men will be illuminated. Every hidded work, whether evil or good will be revealed (Eccelesiastes 12:14). There is nothing hidden that shall not be made manifest (Luke 8:17).
Secondly, God's righteous activity in the world will be vindicated. Significantly, the judgment is called, "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" (Romans 2:5). Much of Jehovah's providential operation has been veiled to humanity. Those who have walked by sight and not by faith have thus frequently criticized the Lord but those critics will be silenced! At the judgment, God will assemble all His rational creatures and so vindicate His operations.
Finally, at the judgment the glory and sovereignty of God and His Son Jesus, will be powerfully demonstrated so that every knee shall bow to them and every tongue shall confess to them (Romans 14:11). Note the "shall" of this passage in contrast with the "should" of Philippians 2:10-11. No one will be skeptical in hell!
The day of judgment will be awesome. May we each so live as to glory in it.
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