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14. Eternal Judgment

A. Introduction

Eternal judgment and the resurrection of the dead are truths that inform us of the events of the last days, the consumation of the age, ending with the ushering in of the new heaven and the new age - Rev. 21.

Heb. 12:22-24	God the Father is the *Judge of all. He is the Sovereign Supreme Authority over all; heaven, earth, angels and people. He is the source of all justice and is absolutely righteous and just - Ps. 145:17. Along with God being loving and compassionate, He is a just* God.

Ezek. 18:4, 20	*The soul who sins, is the one who will die. We are all judged guilty* because of our sin. *Rom. 3:23…..for all have sinned…..***

Joh. 5:22-30	Even though the Father is the supreme *Judge of all, He has committed all* judgment to Jesus. For Jesus bore our sin on the cross and was judged guilty in our place - Mk. 15:33, 34, Gal. 3: 10-14.

B. There are three judgments:

The first

For those in Christ we have been declared not guilty and are free of the penalty of death, for Christ has been judged guilty in our place, when He died on the cross for us - Col.1: 21-23, Is. 43:25. On an ongoing process we live in His forgiveness - 1Jhn. 1:9.

The next two judgments occur at the end of the age at the Great White Throne Judgment - Rev. 20, Rom. 14:10-13.

*The second*	The *works* of those *in Christ. This is the judgment of all believers for rewards - 1Cor. 3:11-15. Note, the soul* is not judged, but the *works. Quality, and not quantity, is emphasized. The testing and judging will be done by fire (vv. 14, 15). The purpose of this judgment is for the giving of rewards* (v. 14), and not to determinate the eternal destiny of the individual: *he himself will be saved* (v. 15). The *wood, hay and stubble* represent dead and futile works, those not according to God’s will. The *gold, silver and costly stones* represent works, that stand the test, works according to God’s will and purpose for our lives.
	See also the Parable of the Talents - Matt.25:14-30.

*The third*	The judgment of the *ungodly. This is the judgment of all unbelievers, fallen angels, the anti-Christ and false prophet at the Final* Judgment - Rev. 20:11-15.
	This is the last of the judgments chronologically, and is listed as the last great historical event before *the* *new heaven and the new earth* - Rev. 21:1. All those judged at this judgment are thrown into the *lake of fire, or the second death* - Rev. 20: 7-10, 15.
	See also the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats - Matt. 25: 31-46.

C. How will God judge?

Matt. 20:1-16

He will judge fairly , taking into consideration opportunities we were given, gifts and abilities bestowed upon us, the training we received, and the revelation He’s given us. God will not give us more or less than we are capable of using to the full. Each man and woman will receive a different amount according to their abilities.

We must be careful not to:

 wallow in past failures;

 come into condemnation or feel inferior through comparing ourselves with others who have been given different abilities and opportunities.

Phil. 3:13, 14	Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Heb. 4:12, 13	He will judge the motives with which we serve. Everything is open to Him.
Jhn. 14: 21-24	He will judge us according to our obedience to His commandments.
2Pet. 1: 3, 4	He will judge us according to the degree we have drawn from, and lived and served by, the resources He has provided for us (of power, the Divine nature and the promises [i.e. the Word of God]).

D. What will be the rewards?

There will be the general reward for every one of God’s servants who has been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.

Luke 12: 32	we will inherit the *Kingdom* in all its fullness;
Rev. 2:7	we will eat of the *tree of life*;
Rev. 2:11	we will be untouched by the *second death*;
Rev. 2:17	we will receive *hidden manna, a new name on a white stone*;
Rev. 2: 26-28	we will receive the authority and responsibility to *rule other nations, and also we will receive the morning star*;
Rev. 3: 21, 20:6	we will sit with Jesus and the Father in his throne, shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev. 3: 4, 5	we will receive *white* *garments, have our names confessed before the Father and angels, and will not be removed from the Book of Life*;
Rev. 3:12	we will become *pillars in the temple of God; God will not go out* from it anymore, and we will have the *Names of God, the* *New Jerusalem* and *Jesus’ new Name* written on us;
Rev. 21:4	*tears, mourning, crying* and *pain* will be gone;
Rev. 22: 3, 4	we shall *see His Face* and serve Him;
1Cor.13:12	we shall know things fully and understand the reasons why;
Eph. 5: 27	we shall be *holy* and *blameless*.

The Word does not tell us much about specific rewards that individuals will receive for the various degrees of faithfulness they have exercised here on earth. However, judging by what we know of the love and resourcefulness of our Lord, we can anticipate that they will be wonderful, exciting and beyond anything we can imagine. Here are some of them mentioned for us:

Jas. 1:12	a *crown of life* for enduring temptation;
2Tim. 4:8	a *crown of righteousness* for those who love His appearing;
1Pet. 5: 1-4	a *crown of glory* for all shepherds that have tended His flock.

Furthermore we know, that responsibilities and privileges of reigning and serving in eternity will be linked to the degree of faithfulness to God’s will in this life.

Note: The matter of assembling all the last events of history mentioned in the prophecies of the Bible into a chronological sequence is extremely difficult and complicated. The Bible does not give us such a clear sequence. Many great minds and men of God have written books and drawn charts in an attempt to solve the problem. There are a number of different theories and views regarding last things. One must adopt a correct attitude to this subject, or else much confusion, argument and even division will result amongst the Lord’s people. Here are certain suggestions which will help us:

 whatever view you may hold, do not become dogmatic about its accuracy; no one really knows all the details;

 don’t get frustrated if you cannot put it all together, because the main message of the Second Coming is not so much how it all fits together, but rather be ready - it can take place any time;

 the best approach is to become familiar with all the main events clearly prophesied in the Word of God; they are given, and will occur! When knowing them becomes critical, God will reveal them to us by His Spirit.