Meaning of JUDGMENT

(a) Criminal trial.
It can be administered on earth in the government that God exercises over men or over his people, according to the principles of the economy then in force (see DISPENSATION); or in the hereafter for eternity, in accordance with the decrees of God.

God's four burdensome judgments on the living fell on Jerusalem and have fallen on humanity in general. They will still fall upon the earth in the future, as shown in Revelation (see REVELATION [BOOK OF]):

(A) War, death by sword, whether from a foreign enemy, or in civil war.

(B) Famine, which may come from scarcity in the land or from a siege.

(C) Animal pests, which may include the devastations of locusts, because they ravage the land, destroying its fruits.

(D) Pestilence, which has often caused death in large proportions of the populations (Ez. 14:13-21).

Apart from these, conflagrations occur in various parts of the earth:
earthquakes,
rashes,
cyclones,
avalanches,
floods,
frost,
shipwrecks,
tidal waves, etc.,

that occur frequently. All of this takes place in the providential judgments of God, and through them He continually makes Himself heard, manifesting His power (cf. Jb. 37:13).

But, in addition to this providential government, there are often direct judgments, and that is why the prophet said: "After your judgments are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9).

However, such judgments are very often considered natural phenomena, mere accidents or calamities, without any recognition from God, and are soon forgotten.

They should serve to warn men; Just as light rains often fall before a storm, these frequent judgments are only the heralds of the great storm of God's wrath that will certainly fall upon this guilty world when the vials of its indignation are poured out (cf. Rev. 6-20).

All judgment, that is, the act of judging (Gr. "krisis"), whether of the dead or the living, has been given to the Lord Jesus. He is presented as coming from Edom, with garments dyed in Bozrah, when He will trample the nations in his anger, and their blood will stain all his clothes (Is. 63:1-3).

His judgments will fall on the living nations; likewise, before Israel is restored to blessing, God's judgment will fall upon them as well (see TRIBULATION [GREAT]). God will also execute judgments on professing Christianity (see BABYLON-b).

The eternal punishment of the wicked is called “eternal judgment” (Heb. 6:2). Fallen angels are reserved for judgment (2 Pet. 2:4), and eternal fire is prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt. 25:41).

(b) Trial in formal session.
The common expression "Last Judgment" is not found in the Scriptures. By this expression it is generally understood that all humanity on "the day of Judgment" will appear before God, the Lord Jesus, to be judged by his works and to hear each one's decision regarding his eternal destiny. .

But this is not according to the Scriptures. In all passages (except 1 John 4:17 where the Christian is said to have confidence "in the day of judgment"), the term is "day of judgment"; and not "the day of judgment" as referring to a specific day.

In addition to the sessional judgment of empires in Dn. 7:9-14, there are two more of these judgments in the Scriptures, revealed in greater or lesser detail, and which are not to be confused, not taking place at the same time or with respect to the same category of people.

The Lord Jesus has been appointed the judge of both the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). In Mt. 25 the judgment of the living is given, while in Rev. 20 the dead are judged.

The contrast can be expressed like this: in Mt. 25 it is about the living nations, without mention of the dead; The scene where it takes place is on this earth, to which the Son of Man comes. In Rev. 20 it deals with the dead, without mention of the living; the earth has disappeared from before Him who sits upon the Great White Throne.

In Mt. 25, some are saved and others are lost. In Rev. 20 no saved one is mentioned: all are lost. In Mt. 25 the judgment refers to the treatment given to the Lord's brothers, without mention of general sins.

In Rev. 20 the judgment is based on general sins, without any mention of his treatment of the saints.

It is evident that these are different judgments separated in time and space. The judgment of the "living" will be at the beginning of the reign of the Lord.

After the Church is gathered to glory, Christ will nevertheless have his servants doing his will on earth, like his two witnesses in Rev. 11:3 (cf. also Mt. 10:23) .

When he reigns again, the nations will be judged based on the treatment of those he calls his "brothers." The judgment of the wicked "dead" will take place after the millennium, and will encompass all those who have died in their sins; all the secrets of men will then be judged.


The question thus arises as to those believers who may still be alive at the coming of the Lord and the multitude of those who have already died. They cannot be included either in the judgment of Mt. 25 or in that of Rev. 20.

Regarding his personal fate, as far as his salvation is concerned, we have the clear statement of Jn. 5:24, about such not coming to judgment at all.

«He who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life; and he will not come to condemnation (Gr. "krisis": judgment), but he has passed from death to life. Cf. the use of "krisis" in vv. 22, 27, 30, and cf. v. 29, where it should be "resurrection of judgment."

The same word also appears in Heb. 9:27: "...it is appointed for men to die once, and after this the judgment...Christ...will appear a second time, without regard to sin, to save those who wait for him." ».

(c) The judgment seat of Christ.
Everything will be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive according to what he has done while he was in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:10).

This does not conflict with the previous statement that the believer "will not come to judgment." The Lord Jesus will sit at the judgment seat. It is He who died for the sins of believers and rose again for their justification; and He is the righteousness of the believer: He will not judge his own work.

Believers, having been justified by God himself, cannot be judged. In Jn. 5:24 it is stated categorically that He does not come to judgment at all.

But it will be manifested: the things carried out in the body will be reviewed, everything will be examined by Him in the true light of it, both good and bad, and this will bring out the grace of Him who has given salvation.

The believer will then be required to give an account of how he has served the Lord. Has he used the talent entrusted to him? There will be those who will have worked with improper materials, and such work will be burned, whereupon the worker will lose his reward, although the worker himself will be saved, but as through fire. For others, his work will remain, and such will get a reward for his work (1 Cor. 3:14).

Each one will receive a reward according to the work done (v. 8). The apostle John exhorted believers to remain in Christ so that he himself, as a worker, would not have to be ashamed before the Lord at his coming (1 Jn. 2:28; cf. 2 Jn. 8).

These passages are related to the service of Christians, who receive one or more talents.