The Last Things --
The Final Judgment
Introduction:
What thoughts or feelings does the final judgment arouse within you? Fear? Apprehension, an uneasiness of mind? Sorrow? Expectation? Joy? Adoration?
How do you picture the final judgment? What do you think it will be like? Long and drawn out? Short and quickly finished? Chaotic with people wondering where they should go, wandering about, screaming, or chattering noisily? Organized and disciplined?
How should we feel and what should we expect with regards to Judgment Day? We do not have to wonder. Unlike the rest in this world who do not have the Scriptures, we Christians can be well informed about the final judgment, because we have the Word of God to inform us what will take place.
Focus:
Our aim in this lesson is to discover what the Scriptures teach us about the final judgment, what meaning this has for us, and what hope the final judgment holds out to us.
Searching the Scriptures:
Section 1.
In this first section of this study we will discover who will do the judging.
The following verses tell us God will do the judging.
The following verses state that Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, will do the judging.
To summarize what we have learned in this first section of this Bible study, the Lord God will do the judging, and particularly the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, to whom God has entrusted all judgment.
Section 2.
In this second section of this study we will discover when the final judgment will take place.
Matthew 25:31,32 inform us the final judgment will occur in connection with, and when, Christ returns.
The following verses tell us the final judgment will occur in connection with the resurrection of the dead at the last day.
To summarize what we have learned in this second section of this Bible study, the final judgment will occur in connection with Christ’s return in glory and the resurrection of the dead on the last day.
Section 3.
In this third section of this study we will discover what the standard will be by which all people will be judged.
John 12:48 clarifies the standard of judgment will be the Word of God which Christ spoke.
Romans 2:16 makes it clear that the standard of judgment will particularly be according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The following verses teach us that those who believed the gospel of forgiveness and salvation in Christ will be saved; those who did not believe the gospel will be condemned.
To summarize what we have learned in this third section of this Bible study, the standard by which all people will be judged is the Word of God, particularly the gospel. Those who believed in Christ will be saved; those who did not believe will be condemned.
Section 4.
In this fourth section of this study we will discover according to what the people of this world will be judged.
Revelation 20:12,13 inform us people will be judged out of books according to their deeds.
The following verses teach us that people will be judged by whether they did good or evil deeds, and by their sins of omission--that is the good they had failed to do.
To summarize what we have learned in this fourth section of this Bible study, people will be judged according to their deeds, which are recorded in books. Those who did good will be saved; those who did evil will be condemned.
Section 5.
In this fifth section of this study we will discover why people will be judged according to their deeds when the standard of judgment is faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
James 2:14-18 states people’s deeds are a proof of their faith in the gospel of Christ or their lack of such faith.
Matthew 7:16-23 teaches us that believers are good trees who produce good works as the fruits of their faith; unbelievers are bad, decayed trees who produce evil works contrary to God’s will as the fruits of their unbelief.
1 John 3:5-10 informs us that the Christian believer lives in Christ and does not intentionally keep on sinning. He lives righteously as Christ and God are righteous, which proves he is a child of God. The unconverted unbeliever, however, keeps on sinning and his sins prove he is a child of the devil.
To summarize what we have learned in this fifth section of this Bible study, people’s deeds, or works, are proof that they are a believing child of God or an unbelieving child of the devil. Their deeds are the fruits of their faith or unbelief. Their deeds show that either they are a believer who is saved by faith in the gospel of Christ or an unbeliever who is condemned for his unbelief.
Section 6.
In this sixth section of this study we will discover why God will judge Christian believers as having done good and grant them salvation, when in fact they remained sinners who committed many sins during their lives.
Psalm 103:8-11 reveals the Lord is gracious and does not accuse the Christians of their sins nor harbor his anger against them. The reason being, in Christ God has removed the Christians’ transgressions from them.
Jeremiah 31:34 declares that because of the covenant of the gospel that God has established in Christ, he forgives the believers their wickedness and does not remember their sins.
Micah 7:19 states the Lord in his mercy treads the believers’ sins under his feet and has thrown them into the depths of the sea.
Acts 22:16 informs us that through baptism the Lord has washed away the believers’ sins.
Since the Lord in Christ has graciously removed the believers’ transgressions, thrown them into the depths of the sea, washed away their sins, and does not remember them any longer, in the final judgment the Lord will not charge any sins against the believers. The believers in Jesus look holy, perfect, and righteous to the Lord at the time of the final judgment. The following verses clarify the believers are holy and righteous in God’s sight.
Having been justified through faith in Christ, that is declared righteous and forgiven, in the final judgment the evil deeds of the believers will never be mentioned or brought up. The Lord will see only the believers’ good fruits of faith. The following verses reveal this.
In Jeremiah 31:34 the Lord declares that he forgives the believers’ sins and remembers them no more. Certainly, then, the Lord will not bring up or mention the believers’ sins in the final judgment.
The devil will not be able to bring up the believers’ sins and accuse them of their sins, because the devil was defeated and, as Revelation 12:10 states, he was hurled out of heaven when Christ Jesus died for the sins of the world. In the final judgment the devil cannot accuse what God for the sake of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross has already forgiven.
Matthew 25:34-40 reveals that in the final judgment when Jesus, the King, judges the believers who are righteous through faith in him, he will not see any of their sins and evil deeds but only the good things they did as the fruits of their faith.
The standard by which the believers will be judged is the gospel of God’s grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, not the law that threatens punishment. The law must be separated from the gospel when considering the believers’ final judgment. Christ is the end of the law for all believers, as stated in Romans 10:4 below, because Christ has fulfilled all the law’s demands. In the final judgment, then, the law, which threatens eternal punishment, does not apply to the believers. Only the gospel of God’s forgiveness and imputed righteousness through faith in Jesus applies to them. So in their final judgment, as during their lives, they are under grace, not law, as stated in Romans 6:14. Not being under the law, they are not subject to condemnation, as stated in John 5:24 and Romans 8:1 below.
To summarize what we have learned in this sixth section of the Bible study, in the final judgment Christians will be judged as having done good even though they were sinners guilty of evil deeds. This will be so because they are not under law but under grace, and through their faith in Jesus they are justified. All their sins are forgiven. Their sins will therefore not be mentioned. God will see only their fruits of faith, the good deeds they have done by faith.
Section 7.
In this seventh section of this study we will discover what the Scriptures mean when they speak of the believers’ being judged in the final judgment.
The following verses clarify that the believers’ judgment is not a condemnatory judgment.
The following verses reveal that the believers’ judgment is a judgment of being acknowledged as belonging to Christ as a believing child of God and being received into heaven and eternal glory.
Matthew 25:31-33 gives additional evidence that the believers’ judgment is not a condemnatory one but one of being acknowledged as a child of God. For Jesus, the King, will separate his believing sheep from the wicked, unbelieving goats before the judgment of condemnation begins. Then after he has separated his sheep from the goats, he will welcome his sheep into heaven but will condemn the goats to hell. The judgment of condemnation does not apply to his sheep.
Martin Luther is quoted as having stated: “The Judgment pertains to the believers as little as it does to the holy angels. All believers enter out of this life into the kingdom of heaven without judgment and are even the judges of others.” (John Theodore Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1934, p.631)
To summarize what we have learned in this seventh section of this Bible study, the Scriptures speak of the Christians being judged, not in the sense of a condemnatory judgment, but in the sense of being acknowledged as a believing child of God through faith in Jesus Christ and being received into heavenly life and glory.
Section 8.
In this eighth section of this study we will discover that having faith in Jesus is essential for being prepared for the final judgment.
To summarize what we have learned in this eighth section from the preceding passages, faith in Jesus is essential for the final judgment. It is not sin but unbelief that brings condemnation.
Section 9.
In this ninth section of this study we will discover that we speak of a final judgment because there are three times of judgment.
John 3:18 reveals the first judgment takes place already during one’s life on earth.
The following verses reveal there is a second judgment at the time of a person’s death. If he was a believer his soul is carried by the holy angels into heaven. If he was an unbeliever his soul is condemned into hell.
The following verses speak of the third judgment. It is the final judgment. When Christ returns in glory and the dead are raised on the last day, there will be the final judgment of all people, at which time body and soul they are received into heaven or condemned to hell.
The final judgment on the last day will be a public proclamation before all nations. At that time the judgment that had applied to the soul upon death will also be applied to the body upon its resurrection from the dead.
To summarize what we have learned in this ninth section of this Bible study, we speak of a final judgment because there are three times of judgment. The first is during one’s life on earth. The second at death. The third and final judgment will be at the last day when all people are judged. Then the judgment meted out to the soul at death will also be applied to the body forever.
Section 10.
In this tenth section of this study we will discover who will be judged.
The following verses clarify that all must stand before the judgment seat of God.
The following verses reveal the living and the dead will be judged.
1 Peter 4:17 states that the judgment begins with the household of God.
The following verses reveal the evil angels will also be judged.
So it will be that people can ignore the Lord’s call to faith, but they cannot ignore his call to judgment.
To summarize what we have learned in this tenth section of this Bible study, everyone will be judged, the living and the dead, even the evil angels. We Christians will also be judged.
Section 11.
In this eleventh section of this study we will discover how the judgment will proceed.
Christ will return.
All the dead will be raised, both the believers and the unbelievers, at the last day. The people of the earth will mourn, for they will know their judgment is at hand.
All people will be gathered before Christ Jesus by the holy angels.
Before the judgment begins the believers and unbelievers, the righteous and the wicked, will be separated by the Lord’s holy angels.
All will then be judged by their deeds, both the living and the dead.
The believers’ judgment will consist of being acknowledged as the Lord’s people and being gathered by the angels to join him in glory for eternal life in heaven.
The unbelievers will be gathered by the holy angels, who will be the Lord’s executioners to carry out his judgment and wrath. They will cast the unbelievers into hell to be tormented forever.
The believers will join the Lord in judging the fallen angels and the unbelievers, who persecuted them, agreeing with the Lord’s judgment and supporting it.
To summarize what we have learned in this eleventh section of this Bible study: In connection with Christ’s return and the resurrection of the dead, both the living and the dead will be gathered before the Lord and separated by his holy angels before the judgment begins and any sentence is pronounced. The believers will be gathered into heaven by the angels to be with the Lord. The unbelievers will be gathered by the holy angels and thrown into hell with the evil angels to be tormented forever. The believers will participate in the judgment by agreeing and supporting the Lord’s decision to punish the wicked.
Section 12.
In this twelfth section of this study we will discover how long the judgment will take.
The verses below reveal the Lord knows who his believers are. This being true, the length of time necessary to carry out the judgment will be relatively short.
Matthew 25:31,32, which we have read before, clarifies that the believers and unbelievers will be separated even before the actual judgment begins. This is another reason the length of time necessary to carry out the judgment will be relatively short.
The dead must be raised and the living changed before the judgment begins. 1 Corinthians 15:51,52 reveals this will be done instantaneously, literally in the twinkling, or the blinking, of an eye.
All people must be gathered up from all over the world by the angels in preparation for the judgment. In the judgment the believers will be taken to heaven; the evil and wicked will be cast into hell. According to the following verses the holy angels number in the millions and they move like the lightning. So the time needed for the millions of angels to gather up all people and to take the believers to heaven and to cast the unbelievers into hell will be relatively short.
To summarize what we have learned in this twelfth section of this Bible study, the judgment will not be a long, drawn out, lingering trial and process. Instead it will be over rather quickly.
Section 13.
In this thirteenth section of this study we will discover what the people of the earth will desire to do when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead.
The following verses of Revelation state that when Christ returns, the people of the earth will mourn because the time of their judgment has come. They will then desire to escape from it, because they are afraid of the Lord’s wrath against their sins and his punishment.
Section 14.
In this last section of this study we will discover what the final judgment glorifies.
Based on the following verses it is clear the final judgment will glorify God’s righteous justice.
Based on the following verses it is clear the final judgment will glorify God’s truthfulness and faithfulness to his Word.
Based on the following verses it is clear the final judgment will glorify God’s power.
To summarize what we have learned in this last section of this Bible study, the final judgment will glorify God’s righteous judgment, truthfulness, faithfulness to his Word, and his power.
Applying the Scriptures:
1. Why will those who are condemned perish in hell?
a. Because Jesus did not die to save them? See 2 Peter 2:1 & 1 John 2:2 for a clue.
b. Because they did not believe the gospel? See Mark 16:16.
2. Evaluate the belief of the universalists, who believe everyone will be saved. Is their belief true or false? Why or why not? See Mark 16:16 again.
3. There are two possible attitudes or desires when Christ comes to carry out the final judgment. What are they? Who will have one desire and who will have the other? Why? See Revelation 1:7, 6:15-17, and Luke 21:27,28.
4. The doctrine of the final judgment is a teaching of hope for us believers in Jesus. Consider why.
a. Now we see and suffer injustice and the ravages of evil in many ways.
5. Applying the doctrine of the final judgment as the law to ourselves, how would we live if we knew this were our last day and then came the judgment? See 2 Peter 3:11,12; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-11; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10.
What thoughts or feelings does the final judgment arouse within you? Fear? Apprehension, an uneasiness of mind? Sorrow? Expectation? Joy? Adoration?
How do you picture the final judgment? What do you think it will be like? Long and drawn out? Short and quickly finished? Chaotic with people wondering where they should go, wandering about, screaming, or chattering noisily? Organized and disciplined?
How should we feel and what should we expect with regards to Judgment Day? We do not have to wonder. Unlike the rest in this world who do not have the Scriptures, we Christians can be well informed about the final judgment, because we have the Word of God to inform us what will take place.
Focus:
Our aim in this lesson is to discover what the Scriptures teach us about the final judgment, what meaning this has for us, and what hope the final judgment holds out to us.
Searching the Scriptures:
Section 1.
In this first section of this study we will discover who will do the judging.
The following verses tell us God will do the judging.
- Psalm 50:6 And the heavens declare his righteousness, Because God himself is judge.
- Psalm 94:1-3 O Lord, God of vengeance, God of vengeance shine forth. 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Repay the deeds upon the proud. 3 How long will the wicked, O Lord, How long will the wicked exult?
The following verses state that Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, will do the judging.
- Acts 10:39-43 “And we are witnesses of all the things that he did both in the countryside of the Jews and in Jerusalem; whom they also killed by hanging him upon a cross. 40 This man God raised on the third day and caused him to become visible, 41 not to all the people but to the witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness that this man is the One who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets bear witness about this man, that all who believe in him receive forgiveness of sins through his name.
- John 5:22,27 For not even the Father judges anyone, but has given all judgment to the Son, . . . And he has granted him authority to carry out judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
- Matthew 25:31,32 Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, . . .”
To summarize what we have learned in this first section of this Bible study, the Lord God will do the judging, and particularly the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, to whom God has entrusted all judgment.
Section 2.
In this second section of this study we will discover when the final judgment will take place.
Matthew 25:31,32 inform us the final judgment will occur in connection with, and when, Christ returns.
- Matthew 25:31,32 Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, . . .
The following verses tell us the final judgment will occur in connection with the resurrection of the dead at the last day.
- John 5:28,29 Stop being astonished at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 “and will come out; those who practiced the good things into a resurrection of life, but those who committed the evil things into a resurrection of condemnation.
- John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
To summarize what we have learned in this second section of this Bible study, the final judgment will occur in connection with Christ’s return in glory and the resurrection of the dead on the last day.
Section 3.
In this third section of this study we will discover what the standard will be by which all people will be judged.
John 12:48 clarifies the standard of judgment will be the Word of God which Christ spoke.
- John 12:48 “The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has one who condemns him; the word which I spoke – that condemns him on the last day!”
Romans 2:16 makes it clear that the standard of judgment will particularly be according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Romans 2:16 The doers of law will be declared righteous on the day when God judges the secrets of men by means of Christ Jesus according to my gospel.
The following verses teach us that those who believed the gospel of forgiveness and salvation in Christ will be saved; those who did not believe the gospel will be condemned.
- Mark 16:16 The one who believed and was baptized will be saved; but the one who did not believe will be condemned.
- Romans 10:9-11 . . . because, if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart one believes, which results in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, which results in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “EVERYONE WHO PLACES FAITH ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.”
- Acts 16:31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household!”
- 1 Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins first with us, what is the end for those who refuse to believe the gospel of God?
To summarize what we have learned in this third section of this Bible study, the standard by which all people will be judged is the Word of God, particularly the gospel. Those who believed in Christ will be saved; those who did not believe will be condemned.
Section 4.
In this fourth section of this study we will discover according to what the people of this world will be judged.
Revelation 20:12,13 inform us people will be judged out of books according to their deeds.
- Revelation 20:12,13 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things that were written in the books according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged, each one according to their deeds.
The following verses teach us that people will be judged by whether they did good or evil deeds, and by their sins of omission--that is the good they had failed to do.
- John 5:29 . . . and will come out; those who practiced the good things into a resurrection of life, but those who committed the evil things into a resurrection of condemnation.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one might receive back according to the things which he did by means of his body whether good or bad.
- Matthew 12:36 “Moreover, I say to you that for every careless utterance that people will say, they will give an account for it on the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.
- Matthew 25:34-36,41-43 At that time the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me as a guest; 36 ‘I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me . . . 41 Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 ‘For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you did not give me a drink; 43 ‘I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest; I was naked and you did not clothe me; I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
To summarize what we have learned in this fourth section of this Bible study, people will be judged according to their deeds, which are recorded in books. Those who did good will be saved; those who did evil will be condemned.
Section 5.
In this fifth section of this study we will discover why people will be judged according to their deeds when the standard of judgment is faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
James 2:14-18 states people’s deeds are a proof of their faith in the gospel of Christ or their lack of such faith.
- James 2:14-18 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Such faith cannot save him, can it? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and in need of daily nourishment, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep yourselves warm and eat your fill,” but you do not give them the necessities of life for the body, what good is it? 17 In the same way also faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone says, “As for you, you have faith, and as for me, I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I myself will show you my faith from my works.
Matthew 7:16-23 teaches us that believers are good trees who produce good works as the fruits of their faith; unbelievers are bad, decayed trees who produce evil works contrary to God’s will as the fruits of their unbelief.
- Matthew 7:16-23 By their fruits you will recognize them. Surely people do not gather grapes from brier bushes or figs from thistle plants, do they? 17 In the same way every good tree produces morally good fruits, but a rotten tree produces wicked fruits. 18 A good tree is not able to produce wicked fruits, nor is a rotten tree able to produce morally good fruits. 19 Every tree not producing morally good fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire. 20 So by their fruits you will recognize them.” 21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?’ 23 And then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you! Depart from me you who practice lawlessness!’ ”
1 John 3:5-10 informs us that the Christian believer lives in Christ and does not intentionally keep on sinning. He lives righteously as Christ and God are righteous, which proves he is a child of God. The unconverted unbeliever, however, keeps on sinning and his sins prove he is a child of the devil.
- 1 John 3:5-10 And you know that he appeared in order to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in him keeps on sinning; everyone who keeps on sinning has neither seen him nor known him. 7 Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because his seed remains in him; and he is not able to go on sinning, because he has been begotten of God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are plainly seen; everyone who does not practice righteousness does not belong to God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
To summarize what we have learned in this fifth section of this Bible study, people’s deeds, or works, are proof that they are a believing child of God or an unbelieving child of the devil. Their deeds are the fruits of their faith or unbelief. Their deeds show that either they are a believer who is saved by faith in the gospel of Christ or an unbeliever who is condemned for his unbelief.
Section 6.
In this sixth section of this study we will discover why God will judge Christian believers as having done good and grant them salvation, when in fact they remained sinners who committed many sins during their lives.
Psalm 103:8-11 reveals the Lord is gracious and does not accuse the Christians of their sins nor harbor his anger against them. The reason being, in Christ God has removed the Christians’ transgressions from them.
- Psalm 103:8-11 The Lord is merciful and gracious; Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always contend with us; Nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins; Nor has he repaid us according to our perversities. 11 For like the height of the heavens over the earth, His lovingkindness prevails over those who fear him.
Jeremiah 31:34 declares that because of the covenant of the gospel that God has established in Christ, he forgives the believers their wickedness and does not remember their sins.
- Jeremiah 31:34 “And they will not repeatedly teach, each man his friend and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all will know me from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their perversity and their sin I will remember no more.”
Micah 7:19 states the Lord in his mercy treads the believers’ sins under his feet and has thrown them into the depths of the sea.
- Micah 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our perversities under foot; And you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Acts 22:16 informs us that through baptism the Lord has washed away the believers’ sins.
- Acts 22:16 And now why do you delay? Get up, get yourself baptized and get your sins washed away, calling on his name.
Since the Lord in Christ has graciously removed the believers’ transgressions, thrown them into the depths of the sea, washed away their sins, and does not remember them any longer, in the final judgment the Lord will not charge any sins against the believers. The believers in Jesus look holy, perfect, and righteous to the Lord at the time of the final judgment. The following verses clarify the believers are holy and righteous in God’s sight.
- Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, continue to love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 in order that he may sanctify her by cleansing her in the washing of the water by means of the word, 27 in order that he may present to himself the church as being glorious, not having a spot or a wrinkle or any such things, but that she be holy and blameless.
- 1 Corinthians 1:2 . . . To the church of God that is in Corinth, who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints (literally holy ones), together with all in every place who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours . . .
- Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus; to all the saints (literally holy ones) in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the overseers and deacons: . . .
- Revelation 7:14 Then I said to him, “My lord, surely you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Having been justified through faith in Christ, that is declared righteous and forgiven, in the final judgment the evil deeds of the believers will never be mentioned or brought up. The Lord will see only the believers’ good fruits of faith. The following verses reveal this.
In Jeremiah 31:34 the Lord declares that he forgives the believers’ sins and remembers them no more. Certainly, then, the Lord will not bring up or mention the believers’ sins in the final judgment.
- Jeremiah 31:34 I will forgive their perversity and their sin I will remember no more.
The devil will not be able to bring up the believers’ sins and accuse them of their sins, because the devil was defeated and, as Revelation 12:10 states, he was hurled out of heaven when Christ Jesus died for the sins of the world. In the final judgment the devil cannot accuse what God for the sake of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross has already forgiven.
- Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now have come the salvation and the power And the kingdom of our God And the authority of his Christ, For the Accuser of our brothers was cast out, Who accuses them before our God day and night.
Matthew 25:34-40 reveals that in the final judgment when Jesus, the King, judges the believers who are righteous through faith in him, he will not see any of their sins and evil deeds but only the good things they did as the fruits of their faith.
- Matthew 25:34-40 “At that time the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me as a guest; 36 ‘I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you being hungry and we fed you, or being thirsty and we gave you a drink? 38 ‘And when did we see you a stranger and we received you as a guest, or naked and we clothed you? 39 ‘And when did we see you being sick or in prison and we came to you?’ 40 And the king will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, as much as you did it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it for me.’ ”
The standard by which the believers will be judged is the gospel of God’s grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, not the law that threatens punishment. The law must be separated from the gospel when considering the believers’ final judgment. Christ is the end of the law for all believers, as stated in Romans 10:4 below, because Christ has fulfilled all the law’s demands. In the final judgment, then, the law, which threatens eternal punishment, does not apply to the believers. Only the gospel of God’s forgiveness and imputed righteousness through faith in Jesus applies to them. So in their final judgment, as during their lives, they are under grace, not law, as stated in Romans 6:14. Not being under the law, they are not subject to condemnation, as stated in John 5:24 and Romans 8:1 below.
- Romans 10:4 Christ is the end of law for righteousness for everyone who believes.
- Romans 6:14 . . . for sin will not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
- John 5:24 “Truly, truly I say to you, that the one who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life, and he does not come into condemnation, rather he has passed out of death into life.”
- Romans 8:1 Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
To summarize what we have learned in this sixth section of the Bible study, in the final judgment Christians will be judged as having done good even though they were sinners guilty of evil deeds. This will be so because they are not under law but under grace, and through their faith in Jesus they are justified. All their sins are forgiven. Their sins will therefore not be mentioned. God will see only their fruits of faith, the good deeds they have done by faith.
Section 7.
In this seventh section of this study we will discover what the Scriptures mean when they speak of the believers’ being judged in the final judgment.
The following verses clarify that the believers’ judgment is not a condemnatory judgment.
- Genesis 18:23,25 Then Abraham drew near (to the Lord) and said, “Will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 25 Far be it from you to do according to this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous will be like the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do that which is just?”
- Romans 8:1,34 Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. . . 34 Who is he who will condemn? Christ Jesus is he who died, and what is more who was raised to life, who is also at the right hand of God, who is also interceding for us.
- Note: The answer to the question in verse 34 is that no one condemns the believer in Christ Jesus. The reason being, Jesus is the Redeemer who died for their sins; their sins are therefore forgiven. What is more, Jesus will be the judge. He certainly will not condemn those who believe in him, because he is the very one who died for their sins to save them, was raised to life as the proof of their forgiveness, and is now at the right hand of God pleading their case as their defense attorney.
- John 5:24 “Truly, truly I say to you, that the one who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life, and he does not come into condemnation, rather he has passed out of death into life.”
The following verses reveal that the believers’ judgment is a judgment of being acknowledged as belonging to Christ as a believing child of God and being received into heaven and eternal glory.
- Matthew 10:32 “Therefore everyone who will confess me before men, indeed I will confess him before my Father who is in heaven.”
- Matthew 25:34 “At that time the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the beginning of the world.’ ”
Matthew 25:31-33 gives additional evidence that the believers’ judgment is not a condemnatory one but one of being acknowledged as a child of God. For Jesus, the King, will separate his believing sheep from the wicked, unbelieving goats before the judgment of condemnation begins. Then after he has separated his sheep from the goats, he will welcome his sheep into heaven but will condemn the goats to hell. The judgment of condemnation does not apply to his sheep.
- Matthew 25:31-33 “Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.”
Martin Luther is quoted as having stated: “The Judgment pertains to the believers as little as it does to the holy angels. All believers enter out of this life into the kingdom of heaven without judgment and are even the judges of others.” (John Theodore Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, 1934, p.631)
To summarize what we have learned in this seventh section of this Bible study, the Scriptures speak of the Christians being judged, not in the sense of a condemnatory judgment, but in the sense of being acknowledged as a believing child of God through faith in Jesus Christ and being received into heavenly life and glory.
Section 8.
In this eighth section of this study we will discover that having faith in Jesus is essential for being prepared for the final judgment.
- John 3:16,18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, in order that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. . . 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned; but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
- John 5:24 “Truly, truly I say to you, that the one who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life, and he does not come into condemnation, rather he has passed out of death into life.”
- John 11:25,26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will in no way die eternally. Do you believe this?”
- Mark 16:16 “The one who believed and was baptized will be saved; but the one who did not believe will be condemned.”
- Romans 3:28 We are of the opinion, therefore, that a person is declared righteous by faith without works of law.
- Romans 8:1 Consequently, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
To summarize what we have learned in this eighth section from the preceding passages, faith in Jesus is essential for the final judgment. It is not sin but unbelief that brings condemnation.
Section 9.
In this ninth section of this study we will discover that we speak of a final judgment because there are three times of judgment.
John 3:18 reveals the first judgment takes place already during one’s life on earth.
- John 3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned; but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The following verses reveal there is a second judgment at the time of a person’s death. If he was a believer his soul is carried by the holy angels into heaven. If he was an unbeliever his soul is condemned into hell.
- Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is destined for people once to die, and after that to face judgment . . .
- Ecclesiastes 12:7: Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
- Luke 23:43 And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
- 1 Peter 3:19,20 . . . in which also he went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who at one time were unbelieving when the patience of God continued to wait expectantly in the days of Noah while the ark was being built, in which a few, that is eight persons, were brought safely through by means of the water, . . .
- Luke 16:22,23 Now it happened that the beggar died, and he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; then the rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in hell when he lifted up his eyes, while being in acute pains, he sees Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
The following verses speak of the third judgment. It is the final judgment. When Christ returns in glory and the dead are raised on the last day, there will be the final judgment of all people, at which time body and soul they are received into heaven or condemned to hell.
- Matthew 25:31-33 “Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.”
- John 5:28,29 Stop being astonished at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out; those who practiced the good things into a resurrection of life, but those who committed the evil things into a resurrection of condemnation.
The final judgment on the last day will be a public proclamation before all nations. At that time the judgment that had applied to the soul upon death will also be applied to the body upon its resurrection from the dead.
To summarize what we have learned in this ninth section of this Bible study, we speak of a final judgment because there are three times of judgment. The first is during one’s life on earth. The second at death. The third and final judgment will be at the last day when all people are judged. Then the judgment meted out to the soul at death will also be applied to the body forever.
Section 10.
In this tenth section of this study we will discover who will be judged.
The following verses clarify that all must stand before the judgment seat of God.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one might receive back according to the things which he did by means of his body whether good or bad.
- Romans 14:10-12 Now as for you, why do you keep judging your brother? Or why do you also go on utterly despising your brother? For we all will stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “AS SURELY AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” 12 Consequently each of us will give an account of himself to God.
- Matthew 25:31,32 “Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.”
The following verses reveal the living and the dead will be judged.
- Acts 10:42: “And he commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness that this man is the One who has been appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.”
- 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, the One who will judge the living and the dead, in relation to his appearing and his kingdom; . . .
- Revelation 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne and him who sits on it, from whose presence the earth and the heaven fled away, and a place was not found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things that were written in the books according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged, each one according to their deeds.
1 Peter 4:17 states that the judgment begins with the household of God.
- 1 Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins first with us, what is the end for those who refuse to believe the gospel of God?
The following verses reveal the evil angels will also be judged.
- 2 Peter 2:4: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but casting them down into hell in chains of blackness, handed them over to be kept for judgment, . . .
- Jude 6: . . . and angels who did not keep their sphere of authority but deserted their own habitation, he has kept in everlasting bonds under the blackness of hell for judgment on the Great Day; . . .
- 1 Corinthians 6:3: Do you not know that we will judge angels?
So it will be that people can ignore the Lord’s call to faith, but they cannot ignore his call to judgment.
To summarize what we have learned in this tenth section of this Bible study, everyone will be judged, the living and the dead, even the evil angels. We Christians will also be judged.
Section 11.
In this eleventh section of this study we will discover how the judgment will proceed.
Christ will return.
- Matthew 25:31 “Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory; . . .”
All the dead will be raised, both the believers and the unbelievers, at the last day. The people of the earth will mourn, for they will know their judgment is at hand.
- Acts 24:15 . . . having a hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there shall be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
- John 6:40 “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
- Revelation 1:7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, And every eye will see him, Even those who pierced him, And all the nations of the earth will mourn because of him. Yes, so it will be!
All people will be gathered before Christ Jesus by the holy angels.
- Matthew 25:32 . . . And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, . . .
- Matthew 24:31 “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Before the judgment begins the believers and unbelievers, the righteous and the wicked, will be separated by the Lord’s holy angels.
- Matthew 25:33 . . . and he will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left.
- Matthew 13:39,49,50 “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels . . . It will be in the same way at the end of the age; the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 24:31 “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other.”
All will then be judged by their deeds, both the living and the dead.
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one might receive back according to the things which he did by means of his body whether good or bad.
- Revelation 20:11-13 And I saw a great white throne and him who sits on it, from whose presence the earth and the heaven fled away, and a place was not found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things that were written in the books according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them, and they were judged, each one according to their deeds.
- John 5:28-30 Stop being astonished at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and will come out; those who practiced the good things into a resurrection of life, but those who committed the evil things into a resurrection of condemnation. 30 I am not able to do anything on my own authority; just as I hear I judge, and my judgment is just, for I do not seek my will but the will of him who sent me.”
The believers’ judgment will consist of being acknowledged as the Lord’s people and being gathered by the angels to join him in glory for eternal life in heaven.
- Matthew 24:31 “And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds from one end of the heavens to the other.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 For the Lord himself in connection with a shouted command, with a voice of an archangel and with a trumpet call of God, will come down from heaven, and so the dead in Christ will arise first, 17 afterwards we who are living, who are remaining, at that time will be carried off with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and in this manner we will always be with the Lord.
- Matthew 25:46 “And these will depart into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”
The unbelievers will be gathered by the holy angels, who will be the Lord’s executioners to carry out his judgment and wrath. They will cast the unbelievers into hell to be tormented forever.
- Matthew 13:49,50 “It will be in the same way at the end of the age; the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous 50 and throw them into the furnace of fire. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9,10 . . . These will undergo the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, 10 when he comes to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
The believers will join the Lord in judging the fallen angels and the unbelievers, who persecuted them, agreeing with the Lord’s judgment and supporting it.
- 1 Corinthians 6:2,3 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you incompetent of the most trivial kind of court? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels, not to mention the matters of this life?
To summarize what we have learned in this eleventh section of this Bible study: In connection with Christ’s return and the resurrection of the dead, both the living and the dead will be gathered before the Lord and separated by his holy angels before the judgment begins and any sentence is pronounced. The believers will be gathered into heaven by the angels to be with the Lord. The unbelievers will be gathered by the holy angels and thrown into hell with the evil angels to be tormented forever. The believers will participate in the judgment by agreeing and supporting the Lord’s decision to punish the wicked.
Section 12.
In this twelfth section of this study we will discover how long the judgment will take.
The verses below reveal the Lord knows who his believers are. This being true, the length of time necessary to carry out the judgment will be relatively short.
- John 6:64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning who they are who do not believe and who is the one who would betray him.
- 2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal: “THE LORD KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS,” and “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness,” . . .
Matthew 25:31,32, which we have read before, clarifies that the believers and unbelievers will be separated even before the actual judgment begins. This is another reason the length of time necessary to carry out the judgment will be relatively short.
- Matthew 25:31,32 “Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,” . . .
The dead must be raised and the living changed before the judgment begins. 1 Corinthians 15:51,52 reveals this will be done instantaneously, literally in the twinkling, or the blinking, of an eye.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51,52 Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we all will be changed, 52 in a moment, in a blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised as ones who never decay, and we will be changed.
All people must be gathered up from all over the world by the angels in preparation for the judgment. In the judgment the believers will be taken to heaven; the evil and wicked will be cast into hell. According to the following verses the holy angels number in the millions and they move like the lightning. So the time needed for the millions of angels to gather up all people and to take the believers to heaven and to cast the unbelievers into hell will be relatively short.
- Revelation 5:11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, and their number was ten thousands upon ten thousands and thousands times thousands.
- Ezekiel 1:14 And the living creatures (angels) ran back and forth like the appearance of a flash of lightning.
To summarize what we have learned in this twelfth section of this Bible study, the judgment will not be a long, drawn out, lingering trial and process. Instead it will be over rather quickly.
Section 13.
In this thirteenth section of this study we will discover what the people of the earth will desire to do when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead.
The following verses of Revelation state that when Christ returns, the people of the earth will mourn because the time of their judgment has come. They will then desire to escape from it, because they are afraid of the Lord’s wrath against their sins and his punishment.
- Revelation 1:7 Look! He is coming with the clouds, And every eye will see him, Even those who pierced him, And all the nations of the earth will mourn because of him. Yes, so it will be!
- Revelation 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the military commanders and the rich and the mighty and every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 and they keep on saying to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
Section 14.
In this last section of this study we will discover what the final judgment glorifies.
Based on the following verses it is clear the final judgment will glorify God’s righteous justice.
- Job 8:3 Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right?
- Genesis 18:25 “Far be it from you to do according to this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous will be like the wicked. Far be it from you! Shall the Judge of all the earth not do that which is just?”
- Psalm 7:9,11 O let, now, the wickedness of the wicked be ended, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God searches the hearts and minds. . .11 God is a righteous judge, And a God who pours out anger every day.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 This is a plain indication of the righteous judgment of God, to consider you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering, 6 since it is a righteous judgment with God to repay those who are afflicting you with affliction 7 and to give to you who are being afflicted rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels 8 in a flaming fire, inflicting punishment on those who do not know God and do not listen to the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will undergo the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, 10 when he comes to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
- Romans 12:19 never take your own revenge, dear friends, but give a place for God’s wrath, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
- Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we continue sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, a sacrifice for sins no longer remains, 27 just a certain frightful expectation of condemnation and a blazing fire that will keep consuming the adversaries. 28 Anyone who set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy in the presence of two or three witnesses; 29 so how much more severely do you think the one who has trampled the Son of God underfoot will be considered worthy of punishment, and has regarded the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified unclean, and has treated with contempt the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY;” and again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” 31 It is a frightful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
- Psalm 1:5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Based on the following verses it is clear the final judgment will glorify God’s truthfulness and faithfulness to his Word.
- Matthew 24:35 “The heaven and the earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”
- John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
- Revelation 21:5-8 And he who sits upon the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And he says, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 6 And he said to me, “They are done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give free of charge to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and fornicators and magicians and idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Based on the following verses it is clear the final judgment will glorify God’s power.
- Psalm 21:1,8-13 O Lord, in your strength the king will rejoice, And in your salvation how greatly he will shout with joy! . . 8 Your hand will find your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate you. 9 You will make them as a fiery furnace at the time of your anger; The Lord in his anger will devour them, And fire will consume them. 10 Their offspring you will destroy from the earth, And their descendants from among the sons of men. 11 For they unfolded evil against you, They plotted an evil plan: They will not prevail. 12 For you will make them turn their backs; You will take aim with your bow strings against their faces. 13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; We will sing and praise your power.
- Psalm 66:7 He who rules by his power forever; His eyes observe the nations attentively; Let not the rebellious exalt themselves.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9 . . . These will undergo the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, . . .
To summarize what we have learned in this last section of this Bible study, the final judgment will glorify God’s righteous judgment, truthfulness, faithfulness to his Word, and his power.
Applying the Scriptures:
1. Why will those who are condemned perish in hell?
a. Because Jesus did not die to save them? See 2 Peter 2:1 & 1 John 2:2 for a clue.
b. Because they did not believe the gospel? See Mark 16:16.
2. Evaluate the belief of the universalists, who believe everyone will be saved. Is their belief true or false? Why or why not? See Mark 16:16 again.
3. There are two possible attitudes or desires when Christ comes to carry out the final judgment. What are they? Who will have one desire and who will have the other? Why? See Revelation 1:7, 6:15-17, and Luke 21:27,28.
4. The doctrine of the final judgment is a teaching of hope for us believers in Jesus. Consider why.
a. Now we see and suffer injustice and the ravages of evil in many ways.
- 1) From ungodly governments, the affluent, and the wicked who pervert justice to serve their own ends.
- 2) In the legalized abortion, which murders unborn children in their mother’s wombs, which should be their haven of safety and protection.
- 3) In the treatment of the elderly who are taken advantage of, robbed, beaten, raped, and slain.
- 4) In the racial and ethnic hatreds.
- 5) In the persecution of Christians for their faith.
- When will these wrongs be righted? When will justice finally prevail? Our question can be that of the martyrs. See Revelation 6:9-11. What is the answer to these questions? Why is the final judgment a teaching of our last, only great hope?
5. Applying the doctrine of the final judgment as the law to ourselves, how would we live if we knew this were our last day and then came the judgment? See 2 Peter 3:11,12; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-11; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10.
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