First a Trial, Then a Sentence

The Day of Judgment
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Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless he reveals his secret counsel to His servants the prophets.—Amos 3:7¹

Aaron Kuehmichel

Old Testament prophecies primarily concerned the nation of Israel, either the northern kingdom of ten tribes, the southern two-tribe kingdom of Judah, or both. Occasionally the messages of the prophets were directed to other nations. Jonah and his prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh is an example. Or they were for other nations as well as Israel and/or Judah. Isaiah’s message is like that.

Often God’s words conveyed through the prophets were of judgment, a judgment brought on because of evil conduct. Israel’s evil conduct took many forms: idolatry, harlotry, pride, unbelief, and the like. In the case of heathen nations, their evil conduct was often their oppression of Israel.

Though the reaction to the message varied, the words were always understood at the time to mean exactly what was said, that a judgment was being handed down by God. On rare occasions a prophecy was received as a warning of coming judgment and repentance took place. More often than not the message was ignored, and it was the prophet—the messenger—who was persecuted, if not killed.

Prophetic judgment was usually executed swiftly, in the “day” of the hearers. For them, it was their day of judgment. Now we realize there was more to these messages than met the eye. There is a deeper and far more encompassing aspect to the Day of Judgment, which is why these words have been preserved by God over such a long period of time.

We are told that God “has established His throne for judgment. And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Psalm 9:7, 8). We are also told that, “God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30,31). Jesus tells us that God gave him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man. He states that an hour is coming in the which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come forth either to a resurrection of life or to a resurrection of judgment (John 5:27-29). Lazarus’s sister, Martha, said she knew her brother “will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24). The resurrection will occur in the “last day,” the day of Christ’s reign and judgment. It will be the time for redemption and restoration of the human race from sin and death. Although it is God’s work, he has given his son the responsibility to carry out this work.

Speaking of “the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men,” Peter wrote, “Do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:7,8).

This future day will be more than a time when the righteous are rewarded and the wicked are punished. It will be a probationary period when all will have an opportunity, based upon full knowledge, to choose either to serve the Lord in righteousness or disobey him by unrighteous behavior.

The Coming Day of Judgment

The world’s judgment day will be an entire age, a thousand-year period during which Christ will reign over earth as both judge and king. The faithful followers of Jesus, joined with him in heaven, will participate with him in judging the world (Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 20:4,6).

The Scriptures teach these important facts about the Day of Judgment:

     1. This judgment is righteous and equitable;

     2. Christ and his faithful followers do the judging;

     3. The Day of Judgment requires a thousand years, not twenty-four hours;

     4. This judgment concerns all.

God does not determine the eternal destiny of every human being at the moment of death. Jesus said those who do not accept his teachings are not being judged now: “If any man hears my sayings, and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world … the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:47,48; cf., John 3:17).

This future day is for those who do not “know” Jesus now. Because those who do not believe now are not judged now, it is reasonable that those who do believe now do come into judgment now (Luke 12:46,47). “Judgment,” according to the Scriptures, means more than just handing down a sentence; it also includes the thought of a trial which culminates in a sentence. Peter said we should not be surprised at “the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, … but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of his glory, you may rejoice with exaltation” (1 Peter 4:12, 13). He continued: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (vs. 17). Peter clearly believed that now is the time for judgment of those who consider themselves a part of the “household of God.”

Only those who have unreservedly committed (consecrated) their lives to Christ (Romans 12:1,2) are now on trial for eternal life. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). By faith, believers now pass from death unto life (Romans 5:18; 6:22; 8:1); their judgment or trial day is now, not in the future (see Hebrews 6:4-6).

While there is no future trial period for consecrated believers, it is unscriptural to conclude there is no trial period for anyone else except this present life. Paul wrote concerning father Adam’s sin, “So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men” (Romans 5:18; see also 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22). The Garden of Eden was the first judgment day of Adam and, in a prospective sense, all mankind. The world’s future thousand-year Day of Judgment will be their second judgment day.

Paul wrote God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:4-6). According to Paul mankind will come to a knowledge of the truth. What is truth? Jesus said he was the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). This truth is that Jesus is the only way of salvation; all must learn and accept this truth to have everlasting life. Since so many have died without knowing Christ, we can be sure they will eventually come to know it during the world’s future Day of Judgment when all are awakened from death and come to a knowledge of Christ (Acts 4:12).

Did the prophets know their message had an application far beyond the immediate context of their own time and circumstances? We cannot say with certainty what they understood concerning the details about which they spoke (1 Peter 1:10-12). Usually the record makes explicitly clear that the message came from God and the prophet was merely God’s mouthpiece. However, we do know the prophets did expect a future Messiah, and they may have perceived that the culmination of a prophecy would be in the distant future, not in their own immediate era (Daniel 12:8,9).

Prophetic Examples

Sometimes several prophets lived at the same time and knew their fellow prophets and their prophecies. Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Isaiah were contemporaries. These were followed by years with no prophet. Then Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel came on the scene. Although each of these warned Israel and/or Judah of God’s judgment, they also spoke of God’s future plans. Prophetically, they spoke of a future day, often by using the phrase, “in that day” referring to the Day of Judgment.

Hosea’s message was for Israel’s northern kingdom to return from sin and worship God. Just as Hosea went after his unfaithful wife, God sought his unfaithful people. Even in the midst of Israel’s immorality, God was merciful and expressed his love for his people (chapter 11) and told them their repentance would bring a future blessing (chapter 14).

Amos condemned the surrounding nations for their sins against Israel and God. Then he told the Israelites that God also condemned them and why he did so. After all of the judgments, there is a message of hope: God will restore his people sometime in the future (Amos 9:11-15).

Like a lawyer, Micah stated God’s case against the nation’s institutions, leaders, and people. Even during the pronouncement of judgment, God said he would deliver the remnant who followed him: “Their king goes on before them and the LORD at their head” (Micah 2:13). This king is Jesus and Micah said he will be from Bethlehem (5:2). This deliverance is still future; it will occur during the Day of Judgment.

Isaiah first pronounced judgment against Israel and the surrounding nations. Then he delivered a message of comfort, forgiveness, and hope because of a future Messiah. Isaiah had more to say about the Messiah than any other Old Testament prophet. He wrote: “They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). Again, “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9, KJV).

As a result of this change of heart through a knowledge of God, mankind will no longer pursue hatred and war; even the implements of war will be eliminated (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Zephaniah warned Judah that if they did not repent and turn from sin, Jerusalem and their nation would be destroyed. This punishment was both for chastisement and purifying; ultimately it would end in blessing. At the end of his prophecy Zephaniah spoke of the time following God’s severe judgments when there will be joy because of the restoration of Israel and all mankind.

Jeremiah, God’s prophet under Judah’s last five kings, warned of the destruction and capture of Judah by Babylon. He warned if the nation would submit and go to Babylon, God would save them; if they resisted, they would perish. Speaking of a future probationary period, he stated that each would be accountable for his own decision and choice: “In those days they will not say again, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge, but everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge” (Jeremiah 31:29, 30). He prophesied that God will make a new covenant and will enable them to keep it by changing their heart condition: “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put my law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the LORD, for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:33,34). Jeremiah lived to see his own words literally fulfilled against the nation, but he looked for a future time of judgment as well.

Daniel and Ezekiel prophesied from captivity in Babylon and spoke about the events to come and the future restoration of Israel’s national hopes. Ezekiel’s prophecy tells us of a future rebuilding of Israel using the illustration of the restoration of a man as from the grave, first the bones, then the sinews, muscles, tissues and finally life (see chapter 37). Then it tells us how God will use Israel to draw all nations into a fight and punish those that come against her (see chapters 38 and 39). We are told how God will restore Israel and, using the illustration of a temple, how the true worship of God will be restored to all mankind during the judgment day (chapters 36, 40 to 48).

Habakkuk knew of the wickedness of Judah and asked why God didn’t punish them. God told Habakkuk that he would use Babylon to accomplish his purposes (then later punish Babylon as well). He had a plan and his purposes would be carried out. While the Habakkuk prophecies may be literal, chapter 3 hints of the Lord’s future judgments and salvation of his people.

While the prophets probably did not understand the full import of everything they said, they did look for a Messiah and for the restoration of Israel. They knew of a future day wherein dwelleth righteousness and they longed for it deeply. Yes, these truths were there all along, waiting for the time to be revealed even as the apostle James said after Jesus’ resurrection: “Simeon has related how God first concerned himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, in order that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the LORD, who makes these things known from of old” (Acts 15:14-18).

We look forward to the Day of Judgment even as did God’s faithful men and women of old. Yes, it will be a time for judgment. But after a period of distress, the Lord God “will ... turn to the people a pure language [message or understanding], that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent” (Zephaniah 3:9, KJV). It will also be a period of great joy and enlightenment about God, his plan, his purposes, and his son. It truly will be a time when the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the sea, providing all with an opportunity to obey and live (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14; Ezekiel 18:23,32). It will surely be a time to rejoice!

 “Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth: the world also is established that it cannot be moved: he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; let the field exult, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy before Jehovah; for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.”—Psalm 96:10-13, ASV

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1. All Scripture quotations are from the NASB unless otherwise specified.