What are all the different judgments in the
Bible?"
There are several judgments mentioned in the Bible.
There are several judgments mentioned in the Bible.
Our
God is a God of justice, as the psalmist says, “A scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom” (Psalm 45:6).
It
is the Lord Jesus Himself who is the Judge of all the earth: “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted
all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).
Jesus
alone is worthy to open the scroll (Revelation 5:5).
Here
is a list of significant judgments in their likely chronological sequence:
Judgments that have already occurred:
The judgment of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:14-24).
Judgments that have already occurred:
The judgment of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:14-24).
God
banished the first couple from the Garden of Eden for violating His clear
command not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This
judgment affected all of creation (Genesis 3:17-18; Romans 8:20-22).
The
judgment of the antediluvian world (Genesis 7:17-24).
God
sent a worldwide flood in
judgment of mankind’s sin in Noah’s time. The flood destroyed all of mankind
and the animal world, except for Noah and his family, whose faith led them to
obey God’s command to build the ark.
The
judgment at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:5-9).
Noah’s post-flood descendants remained in
one location in defiance of God’s command, so God confused their language, causing them
to disperse over the earth.
The
judgment of Egypt and their gods (Exodus 7-12).
The ten plagues against Egypt at the
time of the exodus were “mighty acts of
judgment” (Exodus
7:4) against a stubborn, cruel king and an idolatrous
people and their gods (Exodus
12:12).
The
judgment of believers’ sins (Isaiah 53:4-8).
Jesus
took this judgment upon Himself by His crucifixion and death. “He suffered death, so that by the grace of
God he might taste death for everyone”
(Hebrews
2:9).
Because
our sin was judged at the cross, “There
is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
It
was also at the cross that God pronounced judgment on the unbelieving world and
on the enemy of our souls, Satan. As Jesus said shortly before His arrest, “Now is the time for judgment on this world;
now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John 12:31).
Judgments occurring now in the church age:
Self-evaluation (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Self-evaluation (1 Corinthians 11:28).
Believers
practice self-examination, prayerfully and honestly assessing their own
spiritual condition. The church helps in this endeavor to purify the Body of
Christ (Matthew
18:15-17).
Self-judgment requires each believer to be
spiritually discerning, with a goal
of being more like Christ (Ephesians 4:21-23).
Divine
discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11).
As
a father lovingly corrects his children, so the
Lord disciplines His own; that is, He brings His followers to a
place of repentance and restoration when they sin.
In
so doing, He makes a distinction between us and the world: “When we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined
so that we will not be finally condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:32).
Whom
Christ loves, He chastens (Revelation 3:19).
Judgments to
occur in the future:
The judgments of the tribulation period (Revelation 6-16).
The judgments of the tribulation period (Revelation 6-16).
These
terrible judgments are pictured as seven
seals opened, seven trumpets blown, and seven bowls poured out.
God’s
judgment against the wicked will leave no doubt as to His wrath against sin.
Besides punishing sin, these judgments will
have the effect of bringing the nation of Israel to repentance.
The judgment seat of Christ (Bema) (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Resurrected
(and raptured) believers in heaven will be judged for their works.
Sin
is not in view at this judgment, as that was paid for by Christ, but only
faithfulness in Christian service.
Selfish
works or those done with wrong motives will be burned up (the “wood, hay, and stubble” (1 Corinthians 3:12).
Works
of lasting value to the Lord will survive (the “gold, silver, and precious stones”).
Rewards,
which the Bible calls “crowns” (Revelation 3:11)
will be given by the One who is “not
unjust; he will not forget your work
and the love you have shown him” (Hebrews 6:10).
The judgment
of the nations (Matthew 25:31-46).
After
the tribulation, the Lord Jesus will sit in judgment over the Gentile nations.
They will be judged according to their treatment of Israel during the
tribulation.
This
judgment is also called the judgment of the sheep and the goats because
of the imagery Jesus uses in the Olivet Discourse.
Those
who showed faith in God by treating Israel favorably (giving them aid and
comfort during the tribulation) are the “sheep” who will enter into the
Millennial Kingdom.
Those
who followed the Antichrist’s lead and persecuted Israel are the “goats” who will
be consigned to hell.
The
judgment of angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3).
Paul
says that Christians will judge angels. We are not exactly sure what this
means, but the angels facing judgment would have to be the fallen angels.
It
seems that Satan’s hordes of demons will be judged by the redeemed ones of the
Lamb. Some of these demons are already imprisoned in darkness and awaiting
judgment, according Jude 1:6, due
to their leaving their proper dwelling place.
The Great White
Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15).
This
final judgment of unbelievers for their sins occurs at the end of the
Millennium, before the creation of the new heaven and earth. At this judgment,
unbelievers from all the ages are judged for their sins and consigned to the
lake of fire.
In Job 8:3, Bildad, one of Job’s friends,
asks, “Does God pervert justice? Does the
Almighty pervert what is right?”
The
answer, of course, is “no.” “He is the
Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
God’s
judgments will make His perfection shine forth in all its glory.
One
of the Holy Spirit’s tasks in this world is to convict the world of coming
judgment (John
16:8-11).
When
a person truly understands his sin, he will acknowledge his guilty position
before a Holy God. The surety of judgment should cause the sinner to turn to
the Savior and cast himself on the mercy of God in Christ.
Praise
the Lord that, in Christ, “mercy triumphs
over judgment” (James
2:13).
Are you struggling
with a big decision or wondering how your eternal future will play out?
Why not talk to the
God of the universe and let Him work in your behalf?
He says, “I will instruct you and teach you the way
you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" (Psalm 32:8).
Ask God to show you
what to do. Pray the following prayer:
“Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a
sinner and my sins have separated me from You. I now want to turn away from my
past sinful life and begin a new life with You.
Please forgive me. I
now receive your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior, my Master and my Lord. I
believe and confess that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose
from the dead.
I want to receive all
that Jesus Christ has provided for me as my Savior. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10:13).
I believe and confess
that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto
the Father, but by Him.
Lord Jesus, I pray and
ask You, to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I thank You that you
have given me eternal life, and according to Your Word, I am born again.
Heavenly Father, thank
You for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who is in me now. I surrender my life to You.
I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
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