Judgment

A Complex Study

 Special Note: Please note the subtitle "A Complex Study"; I may as well begin this report with the truth.  Satan through the hearts and minds of mankind has corrupted language so that clarity is difficult.   This study will focus on the theological definition, but I will use the definition of men to bring in certain points as this develops. 

Therefore, I will begin by providing criteria/conclusions for this study.

1.This is a multi-task project because theologically speaking the judgment of God involves so many doctrines i.e.:

            H Eschatology

            H Holiness of God

            H Introduction of a new species: the Church

            H The Abrahamic Covenant

            H The Law

            H The Davidic Covenant

            H Death

            H The Day of the Lord

            H The Day of Christ

            H Time: eternity past, man's history, present, millenial, eternity

            H Millenium

            H Middle Eastern traditions

            H The Next Coming, Second or ?????

            H Matter: Immaterial and Material

 

2.The GodHead consisting of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are One in Essence and the Holy Bible which is God's Word to Man revealing Himself is Truth.

3. As the revealed member of the GodHead:

3.1. Jesus came to reveal God to men. Matt 11:27, John 1:18

By incarnation the incomprehensible God is translated into terms of human understanding.

3.2. He came to reveal God.  He is God's ideal man and an example for us to follow. 1 Peter 2:21

3.3. He came to provide a sacrifice for sin. Heb 10:1-10

3.4. He came in the flesh that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. Heb 2:16-17, 8:1, 9:11-12,24

3.5. He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets so that Grace could be provided without compromising God's integrity.

3.6. He came in the flesh that He might fulfill the Davidic Covenant. 2 Sam 7:16, Luke 1:31-33, Acts 2:20,31,36 and Rom 15:8

3.7. As incarnate, He becomes Head over all things to the church, which is the new creation, the new humanity. Eph 1:22, Phil 2:5,6,9, Rom 5:8 and John 1:18.

4. God always reveals to man what He is going to do; this keeps His integrity intact and dis-allows a stronghold for Satan to hold over man.

5. The whole world revolves around who Jesus is, time as well as life itself.

 

Websters definition of the word "judgment:"

This is a Middle English word introduced between 1250-1300

1. An act or instance of judging.

2. The ability to judge, make a decision or forming an opinion objectively or wisely, especially in matters affecting action; good sense; discernment.

3. The demonstration or exercise of such capacity.

4. The forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind.

5.The opinion formed.

6.a. A judicial decision given by a judge or court.

  b. The obligation, esp. a debt arising from a judicial decision

  c.The certificate embodying such a decision.

7. A misfortune regarded as inflicted by divine, sentence, as for sin.

8. The Last Judgment.

 Special Note: Definitions 7 and 8 above will be the primary focus.

As the Creator of all things visible and invisible, God is infinitely above His creation( it is immeasurable).  We know from our Bible study that the spirit world was created before the material world and that angelic spirits were created a higher form than man.  We also know that the highest of these creatures was Lucifer (Satan), the guardian angel.  Lucifer attacked the character and government of God and was judged along with 1/3 of the angels.  The Bible employs many names for Lucifer according to the many evil traits that were found in him; however, for simplicity, I am going to use the name Satan or devil only.  We also know that Adam was created and placed in a perfect world needing only to obey in order to assure his salvation.  We are all familiar with the Fall in the Garden so I am going to skip that and state directly that Adam chose to disobey.  His choice proved that:

     HOnly faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the operating fuel

     HBeing able to see the Lord is insufficient, the Jews proved   this to be true, also.

     HHaving the word, but being unable to apply it is insufficient.

     HA perfect environment is insufficient. 

Satan, having already been judged, has now satisfied the lust in the Garden with temptation. (These temptations are further clarified in 1 John 2:16 and given to our Lord in Matthew 4). We also know that all believers in Christ are now considered the children of God and even though we are inferior to angels metaphysically, we are superior spiritually.  As Satan was trafficking to his angels, he corrupted God's patience to the angels and used it to trick them.  A special consideration here is that as man, we often corrupt God's patience, mercy and love to harden our hearts just as Satan did.  In other words, God invented time for his creation (man)  and judgment is already recorded, God allows “time” for His chosen to receive blessings and this is often misunderstood by some to think that He is not aware or not coming.

The Old Testament

 The revealed judgments in the Old Testament were divinely influenced by the Mystery Doctrine.  Therefore, we think of them differently from the Last Judgment.  We know from studying the Word: 

Ë That man, the descendants of Adam was judged with his federal  sin

Ë Noah and his family were judged as righteous finding grace

Ë The world at Noah's time was condemned

Ë Abraham was found to be righteous, Isaac, Jacob and all in faith received the blessings from this judgment. Many promises were given by God including an earthly reign.

Ë The children of Jacob were chosen for the earthly kingdom and the messianic line.

Ë Gentile nations were chosen to judge the children of Jacob for idolatry. 

There are many stories in the O.T. describing the judgment of God; however, the Bible teaches that God's chosen are never allowed to suffer His wrath.  This is one of the principles in the story of Noah and Sodom and Gomorra.  It is true that God disciplines His, but He is a God of Mercy and Love and His are under His protection.  Many of the O.T. prophets were allowed to see the end concerning the Jews i.e. Joel, Zechariah, Zephaniah, Amos, Ezekiel, Isaac, Daniel to name a few of the better known, but they were not allowed to see the Church Age which was hidden in God focusing on Jesus Christ.

The Day of the Lord

 Isaiah 2:2

For the Day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low. 

This is the first of 20 occurrences in the Bible.  In 16 of those, it is simply Yom Jehovah i.e. Is 13:6,9; Ezekiel 13:5; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11; 3:4; Hebrew 4:14; Amos 5:18,20; Obadiah 15; Zephaniah 1:7; 14:14; Mal 4:5.  In four passages it is with Lamed Ezekiel 30:2; Is 2:12; Zechariah 14:1, 17, a day known to Jehovah.  In other places it is combined with the words such as wrath, vengeance.  In the NT, it occurs 4 times i.e. 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10 and Revelations 1:10.  Thus the expression is stamped with the number "4" for on this day man will be brought low, humbled.

Source: The Companion Bible

Perfection/Perfect

 (Hebrew: Shalem, tamin; Greek teleios, teleiotes)

God alone, Who lacks nothing in terms of Goodness or Excellence, is truly perfect.  Everything He is, thinks and does has the character of perfection (Deut. 32:4; 2 Sam 22:31; Job 37:16; Ps 18:30; 19:7; Matt 5:48). 

When human beings are called perfect in the Old Testament, it means that they are "upright or blameless" (Gen 6:9; Job 1:1; Ps 37:37).  Sacrificial animals were deemed perfect if they were without spot or blemish and thus wholesome or sound (Lev 3:16; 4:3; 14:10).

 

The Greek word teleios conveys the idea of reaching the point of full growth or maturity(1 Cor 2:6; 14:20; Eph 4:13; Phil 3:15; Col 1:28; 4:12; Heb 5:14).

Eschatology

(Greek word eschatos = last and logos = ordered statement).

This is the study of the last things to happen on this earth in this present age.  This includes the 2nd coming (parousia) of Christ, the judgment of the world, resurrection of the dead and the creation of the new heaven and earth.  Personal note: millenium, intermediate state, eternity.  We must understand we have two types of salvation: partially experienced and wholly experienced. 

This new age (of Grace) began when Christ rose from the dead, but the new age has not fully replaced the old.  The Holy Spirit brings into this age the life of the age to come so what He makes available is "firstfruits" (Rom 8:23) guaranteeing the fullness of life to come (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14).  We are people from thee new age(regarding time, not the New Age religion) living in the old world as the Body of Christ for mission and evangelism (Matt 24:14; 28:19-20) until Christ's return. 

There are three words that are used of the personal visible and glorious return of Jesus: (Matt 24:30; Acts 1:11; 3:19-21; Phil 3:20):

     Parousia - presence - 1 Thessalonians 3:13

     Apokalypsis- Revelation - 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8

     Epiphaneia - appearance - 2 Thessalonians 2:8 

Every person who has ever lived will rise from the dead (Dan 12:2; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15) but the resurrection of the wicked will be the beginning of God's judgment on them, while the resurrection of the righteous will be the beginning of their life with Christ. 

There are 2 ways that the Bible scholars views judgment:

1. A future judgment where Jesus Christ will judge the nations and everyone that has ever lived.  This judgment is an examination of the motives and deeds of everyone, believer and unbeliever together with judgment based on this evidence and on the human response to the known will of God.  there are spiritual rewards in the age to come for those in this life that have faithfully served the Lord (Lk 19:12-27; 1 Cor 3:10-15; Matt 5:11-12; 16:19-21). 

2. Basically the same as above except that their will be several judgment seatings:

     Of the unbelievers at Calvary

     Of the works of the believers at the Rapture

     Of individual Gentiles, before the millennium

     Of Israel before the Millennium

     Of the wicked after the millennium

 

Those with resurrected bodies will dwell with God in a regenerated universe, from which heaven, as God's place and sphere is not separated but is present. 

Humans were created for immortality to receive and enjoy God's life; this is given to the righteous at the resurrection of the dead, in and through the gift of the imperishable and immortal new body (1 Cor 15:53-55).  The New Testament definition of immortality denotes immunity from death and decay that results from sharing in the divine life, the unrighteous are never said to exist eternally in immortal bodies

Judgment

(Hebrew - dhin, mishpat; Greek - krina, krisis) 

Relative to human history, the first recorded judgments were those on Adam and Eve, the serpent, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah and the confusion of the tongues.  The history of Israel is a record of judgments on the enemies of God's people and on His covenant nation when they flouted His will.  The Day of the Lord becomes a day of punishment for all of the unjust (Is 2:12; Hos 5:8; Amos 5:18). 

The New Testament shows that judgment is related to the human and divine perspective.  Also in the New Testament , judgment is one of the aspects of the coming of the Kingdom of God.  God's judgment will fall on those who do not make ready the way of the Lord (Lk 3:9).  Jesus will come to judge both the living and the dead (Matt 25:31). Judgment, when God will overthrow every resistance, both among evil spiritual powers (1 Cor 6:2-3) and also among the people (Matt 25:31-46) will affect all people, because all are responsible to God according to the grace that has been granted them (Matt 11:20-24; Lk 12:17; Rom 2:12-16).  This present world will be shaken and destroyed (Matt 24:29,35) and a new world will replace the present one (2 Peter 3:13; Rev 21:1).