Information Related to "God's Judgment: Condemnation or Hope?"
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The good news is that the judgment of God on man has a better ending than most people think. This good news is revealed in the festivals of God.
by Bill Bradford
t has been said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. But there's one more thing we can be sure of-the judgment. The idea that somehow we are accountable to God for what we do in this life is fervently believed by some, intuitively felt by others and disregarded by most. Perhaps our many jokes about it reveal that most people don't take seriously the idea of the judgment of God.
But judgment is something we ought to take seriously. Felix trembled when Paul detailed for him "the judgment to come" (Acts 24:25). The Bible also tells us that eternal judgment is one of the basic principles of Christ (Hebrews 6:1-2).
What is this judgment? Perhaps the most familiar picture of the judgment is our arrival at the "pearly gates" immediately after we die and then our receiving either our reward or punishment. Another popular idea is that all humanity will appear at one time on Judgment Day, at which time rewards will be handed out or sentencing will take place. There are, of course, also many variations of these ideas.
The Bible shows, however, that God's judgment is not what most people assume.
"It is appointed for men to die once, but after this (comes) the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). Since judgment is something we all must face, shouldn't we try to understand what it is?
Revealed in the Holy Days
Does the judgment of God mean condemnation, or does it mean hope for you and your loved ones? If a person doesn't live up to God's standards in this life, is he or she lost forever? Is God's judgment on humans harsh and final?
There are answers to these questions, but few know what they are. Most lack this understanding, not realizing that judgment as described in the Bible is a series of events rather than a one-time occurrence.
The events surrounding the judgment of man are revealed in the Bible as occurring in a precise order. God helps us better understand these events through His seven annual Holy Days, which are listed in Leviticus 23. Many Jewish people still follow the instructions listed here to determine the times of their observance (see also Exodus 12:2; 13:4).
In the seventh month of this calendar, God instructs His people to observe four Holy Days: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day (see Leviticus 23:24,27,34,36).
The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (verses 5-8) occur earlier in the year, in the first month, and reveal what each person must do to receive salvation. The next festival, Pentecost, or the Feast of Firstfruits (verses 15-17,21), pictures the calling of the first harvest of people in God's plan of salvation - His "firstfruits." The firstfruits are the first ones to whom God is offering salvation in His great plan before offering it to everyone.
The last four festivals explain in their meaning God's plan for the rest of mankind. The time they picture is yet future, when the judgment of God will be complete.
Let's see how the events of the final judgment unfold in the revealed meaning of these four festivals.
The judgment of man's world
The blowing of trumpets in the Bible is associated with the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is a time yet future when God will intervene in man's affairs. Most people don't realize that God is not the god of this world. After Adam and Eve rejected God's revealed knowledge in the Garden of Eden, God allowed man an age during which to form his own governments and civilizations. The Bible speaks of this time as "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4). Jesus spoke of His coming and "the end of the age" (Matthew 24:3).
The end of this age of man is marked by a period known as the Day of the Lord. As this present time is man's day, the future is the Lord's day-the time during which He will dramatically make His presence and power known to the world. Revelation 8 and 9 describe the blowing of six prophetic trumpets, each of which introduces massive upheavals in society and the world that signal the end of the age and the beginning of another. These events culminate in Revelation 11:15-18, which depicts the time of the seventh trumpet and "the kingdoms of this world (becoming) the kingdoms of our Lord."
Revelation 6:16-17 tells of the judgment that takes place on the Day of the Lord, when people will want to hide from God's wrath: "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Paul speaks of this time in Romans 2:5. "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."
On this Day of the Lord, God says, "I will also gather all nations, . . . and I will enter into judgment with them . . ." (Joel 3:2). Isaiah 66:16 adds, "For by fire and by His sword the LORD will judge all flesh; and the slain of the LORD shall be many."
The entire era of man's rule of the earth will be brought into judgment by the One who is worthy to judge (Revelation 19:2,11). Revelation 19 describes the final battle between Christ and the nations that will violently oppose His return to His rightful place as ruler of the world.
The wrath of God is His judgment on the age of man. Man has rejected his Creator and chosen his own ways. God has permitted man his own allotted time to rule himself and write the tragic lesson throughout history that human rule, apart from God, brings suffering, destruction and death.
Jesus Christ, while returning in wrathful judgment of man's deeds, will in reality save mankind from the destruction that man is about to bring on himself. Prophesying of this very time, He said, "If that time of troubles were not cut short, no living thing could survive" (Matthew 24:22, New English Bible).
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God has always existed as judge over His creation. But we need to understand how He judges, when He judges and why He judges. Knowing how, when and why He judges helps us understand the kinds of judgment described in the Bible. When God determined to punish Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins, Abraham recognized that God is the judge of men's actions (Genesis 18:20-25). In this case God passed judgment, issued a verdict and carried out the sentence. Psalm 75:7 declares, "But God is the Judge; He puts down one, and exalts another.' Nebuchadnezzar came to understand this (Daniel 4:37), and Daniel passed on this truth to the blasphemous Belshazzar (Daniel 5:21-22). In these cases God is not judging people to determine their suitability to receive salvation, nor is God making right every injustice. These instances show that God will intervene, however, to deal with injustices or sin for the benefit of mankind and to further His purposes. Judgment is not passed on the majority of people now in this age for the purpose of eternal salvation. This kind of judgment will occur later. Jude tells us that "the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment on all" (Jude 14-15). God's ultimate purpose for man is that he will enjoy eternal life in the family of God. Since God is not calling everyone now (John 6:65), He is not judging every person now to grant or deny him eternal life (John 12:47-48). God reserves this kind of judgment for humans until later, when they will fully grasp God's truth as it is presented to them. Only then can they be fairly judged on the basis of that truth. God will not hold people accountable for what they don't know. Sin, however, is always judged to be worthy of death (Romans 6:23), and therefore the whole world is guilty before God (Romans 3:19), and death is upon all because of their sin (Romans 5:12). Hebrews 8:8-12 speaks of a time yet future during which people who are unaware of God's truth will be brought into a new covenant with God, and then they will all know God, and their sins will be forgiven. The judgment of God is also described in the Bible as a process, not strictly the rendering of a verdict or passing of a sentence. For example, Peter tells us that "the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God" (1Peter 4:17). From this we can see that judgment is an evaluation process that has already begun for those who are a part of God's Church - "the house of God." This evaluation ultimately leads to a rendering of a decision or verdict. Some of Jesus' parables illustrate that judgment is a process that eventually leads to a decision and a reward or lack thereof. The parables of the pounds (Luke 19:12-27), talents (Matthew 25:14-30), laborers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) and 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) all help to clarify that judgment is a process after which comes a reckoning. During the Millennium, God will judge people on how they live during that time; the 1,000 years will be a period during which God holds all people accountable (Revelation 20:4). After this evaluation process, we will be judged according to our works (Revelation 22:12). There will be a reckoning only after a fair and ample process is complete (Matthew 25:31-34,46). When you really turn to God, you can confidently ask Him to step into your life in a powerful way. How God deals with you to fulfill His purpose in you is described in the Bible as a form of His "judgments." When God is intimately involved in your life, He makes decisions about you daily. His decisions about us have to do with answers to our prayers, bestowing His blessings on us, protecting us and even allowing us to endure trials. God is deeply interested in us and how we are progressing toward fulfilling His purpose. David saw God's judgments in all His works and recognized that they were apparent throughout the creation (Psalm 105:5,7). David knew all God's decisions regarding him were right and in his best interest. Therefore David praised God continually for His faithful judgments in his life (Psalm 119:20,62,75). God, the Judge over all creation, makes decisions. It is in His power to decide-and carry out-righteous and merciful judgments. We can be confident that God is a righteous judge (Psalm 7:11; 2Timothy 4:8). GN |
At the same trumpet that signals Christ's return to earth, those who have been judged faithful to Him in this life will be resurrected to immortal life, receiving salvation. "For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1Corinthians 15:52). This event is called "the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5-6).
The judgment of Satan
Jude tells us in his epistle (Jude 6) that "the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day."
Although the Day of Trumpets signifies a day of judgment upon man, the Day of Atonement depicts God's judgment of Satan and the fallen angels. They are banished to a place from which they can no longer continue to influence humanity.
Judgment is Christ's righteous rule
Paul confirms that those who are faithful to Christ will play a part during this judgment period. He says to the Church, "Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1Corinthians 6:2).
The judgment to take place during the Millennium is not to be confused with the wrath of God at the end of man's age. The judgment of the Day of the Lord will forcefully reveal the true God and deal wrathfully with man's wrongs and the evil world he has built. The judgment by Christ and His saints during the 1,000 years, however, is a judgment of loving rule.
This righteous millennial rule of Christ is described in Isaiah 11:3-4: Jesus "shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth."
During this time God will judge people for the purpose of salvation. Just as judgment in this sense is upon the Church of God now, in this age (1Peter 4:17), so will people who live in the Millennium be accountable for making a decision as to whether they will come under Christ's physical and spiritual rule. With Christ Himself ruling the earth, all its inhabitants will be judged for salvation.
At that time "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). With Satan and his demons bound, as depicted by the Day of Atonement, humankind will not be deceived and influenced by the devil to sin.
All will have the opportunity to learn God's way of life. "Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.'" Many will be judged and given salvation during this time.
Judgment of the dead
This judgment is not a time of sentencing, but a period for these newly resurrected to be considered "according to their works" (verse 12). Those in this resurrection had no previous opportunity to be called by God; thus they were never eternally accountable for their actions.
Remember, in the previous evil age God called only the firstfruits for His Kingdom. The vast majority of people have been deceived by the devil (Revelation 12:9) and never knew the truth of God, so they are not eternally accountable until God's truth is revealed to them in this resurrection, which is their time of salvation. They will be resurrected to physical, human life, and only then will they be given the truth of God and evaluated according to their works.
The festival period of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day (John 7:37) pictures the latter harvest of people who will be given the opportunity to be saved during the millennial period as well as the time of this second resurrection after the Millennium.
God's judgment of man is just. He will judge all humans for their reward of eternal life only after they have received a full and fair opportunity to know the true God. The meaning of the Bible will be opened to people, and they will be judged according to their works by what is written in the Bible (Revelation 20:12).
How will we be judged?
Their judgment in the sense of reward or sentencing will come only after they have a chance to know and live by the Word of God. God makes it clear that every person will be judged by the same standard: the Word of God. Judgment in this case is not a sentencing, but a time period over which a person is judged according to his works after having received the knowledge of God.
Only after each person has had a full opportunity to know and obey God will he or she be judged. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2Corinthians 5:10).
Those who experience their opportunity for salvation in this present age will receive their reward at the first resurrection and Christ's return to this earth. Those who gain their opportunity for salvation in the Millennium, as well as those resurrected to the judgment after the 1,000 years, will receive their reward later.
Will some fail?
There is a final sad, but necessary, chapter to the judgment of God. Revelation 20:14-15 speaks of a final resurrection, sometimes called a third resurrection, after which some will be cast into the lake of fire and burned up. That this "second death" can occur implies that these people enjoyed a full and fair opportunity to receive the salvation of God in a previous life. The final punishment described here is an eternal death from which no one can be resurrected. The reality of this second death contradicts the commonly held belief that people who prove to be incorrigible will exist forever in the torment of an ever-burning hell.
Thus the judgment of God on every human being will end. All will have experienced a legitimate, equitable and even favorable time in which to be judged, and all will receive their due reward or the consequences of their failure to repent.
These Holy Days indeed hold the key of the knowledge of the judgment of God upon man. Those who observe these days as God commanded rejoice each year in God's great plan for man's salvation. GN
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