If you or I were to seriously harm another person (hypothetically speaking), in the Western world we would be brought before a judge and jury to receive an appropriate punishment. The prosecuting attorney would emphasize the tragic condition of the innocent victim, and the defense lawyer would point out any extenuating circumstances in a plea for the perpetrator. Motive would be argued by these two lawyers.
Any witnesses would be called to testify either for or against the accused. The judge would disallow inappropriate testimony. Finally the jury would retire to consider the case in private. In due time, if they had been convinced by the prosecutor's arguments, they would return to court with a guilty verdict. The sentence would be handed out by the judge on a later date.
This oversimplified fictional scenario pretty much sums up the way in which many conceive of the subject of judgment—usually with undue emphasis on the final verdict and sentencing. The popular concept runs very negatively.
But what does God's inspired Word teach? The rendering of “eternal judgment” in the Bible is a far more serious matter than, say, ruling on the petty misdemeanors that normally characterize a
Judge Judy courtroom. Our final destiny is seriously at stake! Just what does Scripture say regarding God's judgment of the world?
God is the Judge
In pleading for any righteous individuals in wicked Sodom, the patriarch Abraham asked God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (
Genesis 18:25). There were not even 10 righteous persons in Sodom, but God spared “righteous Lot” (
2 Peter 2:7) and his two daughters from the catastrophe that followed.
The New Testament also tells us that “God [is] the judge of all” (
Hebrews 12:23). Jesus Christ revealed that God the Father is “Lord of heaven and earth” (
Matthew 11:25). As always, He remains the ultimate authority, presiding over the entire universe and everything in it, visible and invisible. Our eternal destiny is in His capable hands.
Yet the Father delegates the awesome responsibility of judging human beings to His beloved Son: “For the Father judges no one,
but has committed all judgment to the Son”(
John 5:22, emphasis added throughout). This is because Jesus actually lived as a human being Himself (verse 27), showing God's eminent fairness. Of course, Jesus is of the same mind as the Father, declaring, “I and My Father are one” (
John 10:30).
The context of this passage shows that the resurrection from the dead intersects with Christ's coming judgment: “Most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (verse 25). Everyone who has died will hear Christ's voice (verse 28).
Humanity will be resurrected from the dead. We have Christ's absolute guarantee preserved in His inspired Word to mankind. The resurrection
will occur! And numerous passages link this with a time of coming judgment.
The plan of salvation
God planned His whole creation. He thought things out well in advance. Human beings figure prominently in the awesome future God is working toward. He made men and women in His own image (
Genesis 1:26-27) with the ultimate goal of bringing them into His divine family. People have sinned, but God's purpose is to redeem and save them.
The Bible reveals God's master plan of salvation. It begins and ends with Jesus Christ. Notice what the apostle Paul stated: “He [the Father] raised Him [Jesus] up from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (
Ephesians 1:20-21).
Earlier in this chapter Paul told the Christians at Ephesus, “He [the Father] made known to us his secret purpose,
in accordance with the plan which he determined beforehand in Christ,
to be put into effect when the time was ripe; namely that the universe, everything in heaven and earth, might be brought into a unity with Christ” (verses 9-10, Revised English Bible).
Judgment is a major part of that divine plan. “Eternal judgment” follows the “resurrection from the dead” in the listing of six major biblical doctrines that lay a foundation for going on to perfection in
Hebrews 6:1-2. It begins with those whom the Bible calls the firstfruits of God (
Romans 8:23;
James 1:18;
Hebrews 12:22-23).
These relative few are privileged to be made aware of God's plan of salvation well in advance of the vast majority of mankind. They will be in the first and better resurrection (
1 Corinthians 15:23;
Hebrews 11:35). God the Father and Christ the Son are laboring to bring the firstfruits to eternal glory (
Hebrews 2:10). As we will see, judgment plays a major role in that work of salvation.
Judgment begins with the Church of God
The apostle Peter firmly stated:
“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us
first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (
1 Peter 4:17). Then Peter asks, “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and sinner appear?” (verse 18).
Does this passage then mean that truly converted Christians will just barely make the first resurrection into God's family? Not at all!
The word “scarcely” is translated from the Greek adverb
molis, meaning “with difficulty” (Strong's no. 3433). In fact, the few other uses of this word in the New Testament indicate the meaning to more specifically be “with such difficulty as to seem that success would be unlikely.” Indeed, Christ said that the way to salvation is a narrow and difficult path (
Matthew 7:14). Yet even what is impossible for men is possible with God (
Matthew 19:26).
One of the overriding principles of sound biblical study is that we search out all the relevant scriptures bearing on a particular subject. In his second letter Peter points out a number of Christian attributes that we should all be developing: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.
He then concludes: “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election
sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (
2 Peter 1:10-11). This majestic event occurs at the time of the first resurrection when Christ returns to planet earth (
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17;
1 Corinthians 15:51-54).
In the meantime, the Church is going through a period of judgment—which means a time of evaluation and of disciplinary consequences for disobedience. Such helpful chastening is part of the difficulties a Christian must endure (
Hebrews 12:7). In stating what he did in
1 Peter 4:18, Peter was referring to
Proverbs 11:31: “If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner?”
Awaiting a future judgment
Indeed, what about the ungodly and the sinner in today's world—including those who cavalierly cast aside the Ten Commandments with little regard for the hurt and destruction they cause themselves and others? Clearly such rebellion carries grave consequences. But are such people—most of humanity, in fact—lost forever with no hope of salvation?
The apostle Paul was inspired to write in the Bible of converted Christians: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that
while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(
Romans 5:8). Would not our just and merciful God also demonstrate His love to other sinners in desperate need of real repentance and His merciful forgiveness? God gave His Son because He loved the whole world (
John 3:16).
Peter points out, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (
2 Peter 3:9). This is the loving nature of our God who is filled with mercy. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.
Paul writes of “God our Saviour,
whose will it is that all should find salvation and come to know the truth”(
1 Timothy 2:3-4,
REB). A false, satanic gospel has denied many people access to the truth of God.
Jesus Christ said: “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth [crucified],
will draw all peoples to Myself”(
John 12:32). Christ is going to straighten out this world in His coming reign on earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the assistance of the resurrected and transformed saints (
Revelation 20:4).
That is why God is calling them as the “firstfruits” of His divine family during this age of man: “Of his own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (
James 1:18).
Many more will be called to salvation during Christ's millennial reign and just on beyond. A future second resurrection to judgment will occur just after the Millennium (
Revelation 20:5, 11-12). For the most part, this future judgment will
not be to condemnation or damnation. Other scriptural passages strongly indicate that the majority of all those who have ever lived will be given the opportunity for salvation—and most will gladly accept it.
Read
Ezekiel 37:1-14, which describes this time. The resurrected Israelites described in this passage think their hope is lost—that they are cut off from God (verse 11). But their Creator
will give them hope. They will have their opportunity for salvation, and most will receive the Holy Spirit and be saved (verse 14). Centuries after Ezekiel wrote this prophecy, the apostle Paul firmly stated, “All Israel will be saved” (
Romans 11:26).
This is true judgment—godly evaluation of human existence with righteous discernment and great mercy (see
Isaiah 11:3-4;
James 2:13). Unlike a human judge of this world,
our Judge loves us! He gave His life for us!
As we might expect, there will be a stubborn few who simply will not repent and turn from sin even after God has given them every opportunity. Even then, however, the permanent penalty will
not be everlasting punishing in the fires of hell. The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is
death (
Romans 6:23)—the diametric opposite of life.
After burning up in the lake of fire (
Revelation 20:14), they will simply cease to exist. This is the second death (
Revelation 20:14). You can learn much more by reading our free booklet
Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?
God's magnificent purpose for humanity
The awesome result of our Creator's activities on this earth lies “in
bringing many sons to glory”(
Hebrews 2:10)—the Greek term here includes daughters as well. As the apostle Paul explains in
1 Corinthians 15:22-23, God accomplishes His plan in stages: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
But each one in his own order.”
God is enlarging His family in His own way and according to His own timetable. Many assume that today is the only day of salvation and that the ultimate judgment for humanity at large is determined solely by what happens in this life.
The Bible, however, reveals something far different. The first resurrection represents the
first fruits of God's salvation. Judgment for them occurs in this life. But a much larger group, representing the greater part of all who have ever lived, will be offered salvation
some 1,000 years later. They will go through their judgment period then. For only then, in that great later harvest of mankind, will they receive their opportunity for everlasting life in the Kingdom of God.
GN 
