9. Eternal Judgement

Introduction

As Christians, we make much of the fact that God is love (1 John 4:8,16), and rightly so, but we must always bear in mind that love is not limited to kindness, gentleness, mercy, and compassion.

Love is about wanting the best for everyone, and so love is also concerned with truth, righteousness, and justice.

Justice is about fairness, and every parent knows that is necessary to treat our children fairly, and to teach our children to treat each other, and everyone else, fairly.

At the heart of EVIL is INJUSTICE.

Evil is all about doing what I want to do in order to promote my own agenda and further that which is, in my view, advantageous for me, despite the fact that this is probably disadvantageous for someone else.

With justice, everyone gets what they deserve. With injustice, some who deserve nothing get everything, and some who deserve something get nothing; those who deserve to be punished get rewarded, and those who deserve to be rewarded get punished.

It has been suggested that since God created everything that exists, and that evil exists, then God must have created evil, therefore God Himself must, at least to some extent, be evil.

The Bible does tell us that God created all things (e.g. John 1:3), but does that mean that God created, for example, the pyramids of Egypt and the Sphinx? Did God create the Statue of Liberty? Did God create democracy? Did God create atheism?

All of these things exist, but is it true to say that God created them?

Now, it is true to say that God created the conditions that are necessary for these things to exist, because God created Man and gave Man the wherewithal to create them, the most important of these abilities being the faculty of FREE WILL.

Free Will means that a man can choose whether he will do what is right in the eyes of God or not, and that God will neither force him to do what is good and right nor prevent him from doing what is wrong and evil.

The result of this policy is, of course, that men choose evil rather than good, and evil people prosper while innocent people suffer because of it.

Is God happy with this state of affairs?

The answer is a definite ‘NO’!

So, what is He going to do about it?

The answer is that God is going to judge all men and re-establish true justice on the earth.

In fact, He is already doing it, for there are, if you like, two phases of God’s judgement. There is what we might call TEMPORAL JUDGEMENT, where God judges individuals, groups, and nations in the here and now. This is exemplified throughout the Bible, from the likes of Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham, to Egypt in the days of Moses, to Israel and Judah themselves at the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

In our own culture we see this happening, for example, in the exposure of historic systemic paedophilia and other forms of abuse in both religious and secular organisations.

The second phase of God’s judgement is what the Bible calls ETERNAL JUDGEMENT. This differs from Temporal Judgement in that it will deal conclusively with evil, both in the heavens and on the earth, once and for all.

When God’s Eternal Judgement is enforced, evil will be a thing of the past. Everything that is tainted by evil will be burned up in what the Book of Revelation calls ‘the Lake of Fire’, and new heavens and a new earth will come into being where those who are righteous, holy, true, and just will spend eternity in the glory of God’s presence and blessing.

But, does God have the right to sit as judge upon mankind?

Of course He does. In fact, it goes farther than that. Since God created the universe and gave sentience and free will to both men and angels, creating the conditions wherein it was possible for evil to exist, God has a MORAL DUTY to judge all sentient beings and enforce the restoration of justice.

If He did not, He Himself would be guilty of collusion with evil.

Now, before we go on to see what we can learn from the Bible about Eternal Judgement, let’s take a moment to think about a related subject ...

What Happens to Us when We Die?

Is death the end? Does the light go out and that’s it over? Do we all go to heaven? Do we get reincarnated and come back to earth as a gnat or a goat or a guru?

The Bible does not have a great deal to say on this subject, but it tells us as much as we need to know.

The Hebrews, along with the Greeks, the Romans, and just about every other ancient culture, believed that a human being did not cease to be whenever the physical body stopped working. They believed in a life after death.

Most pagan cultures developed a fairly elaborate mythology around the after-life, with the place where the dead “resided” and the deity who governed it having the same name. For the Romans it was Pluto; for the Greeks it was Hades; for the Scandinavians it was Hel.

In the Bible, however, we do not find any elaborate description of the after-world or its ruler. In the Old Testament we find references to Sheol and in the New Testament to Hades. So what do they tell us?

Sheol

The Hebrew word ‘sheol’ is number H7585 in Strong’s Concordance. It comes from ‘shawal’ (H7592) which means to inquire, but can also mean to demand. We get the sense from this that Sheol is very demanding and does not take “no” for an answer (e.g. Proverbs 30:15-16; Habakkuk 2:5).

The King James translators used three different words to render ‘sheol’: grave, hell, and pit. In most cases it is used simply to indicate that the person is no longer alive on earth and has gone to wherever people go when they die (e.g. Genesis 37:35; 42:38; 1 Samuel 2:6; Job 7:9; Psalm 6:5; 16:10; 86:13; 88:3; Isaiah 14:15; 38:10, 18; Ezekiel 32:21,27; Jonah 2:2).

It is also characterised as a place of darkness, of sorrow, of hopelessness:

In Psalm 73:24-26, Asaph the priest expresses a definite hope, which is closer to the hope that is shared by those whose faith is in Christ, that death is not something to be dreaded because of the uncertainty of what awaits on the other side (Hebrews 2:14-15), but is seen rather as a doorway into a new and fresh phase of our walk with God – something actually to be desired (Philippians 1:21-23)

Hades

The Greek word ‘Hades’ is number G86 in Strong’s Concordance, and its basic meaning is ‘unseen’ or ‘unknown’. It is the unseen place where departed spirits go; a place unknown by any living soul.

Greek mythology has much to say about it (e.g. see this Wikipedia article ), but, as with Sheol, the Bible does not go into detail about it – except in one place, which we will look at presently.

When the Old Testament is quoted in the New, ‘Sheol’ is referred to as ‘Hades’ (Acts 2:27,31). Death and Hades are mentioned together, as inseparable twins (Hosea 13:14, quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:55; Revelation 1:18; 6:8; 20:13-14).

Jesus contrasted Hades with Heaven (Matthew 11:23; Luke 10:15), and on one occasion used the term ‘the gates of Hades’ to refer to the kingdom of Satan (Matthew 16:18).

The one place where Jesus gives us a bit of insight into what Hades is like is in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.

Note: When reading this we must remember that Jesus’s purpose in telling this parable is not to give us a description of Hades but to warn the Pharisees, to whom he is addressing the parable, and anyone else who might be like-minded, that if they try to serve both God and money (Luke 16:13-14) they will end up rejecting God, and being rejected by Him as a result, and losing all of their worldly wealth anyway.

So what can we learn about Hades, and therefore about Sheol, from this story?

• There is a stark contrast between the conditions enjoyed, or endured, by these two men during their time on earth and in the after-life. We are told that the angels carried Lazarus to ‘Abraham’s bosom’ (v22) – a place of rest and comfort (v25) – and that the rich man found himself in Hades, in a place of torment (v23) and “anguish in this flame” (v24).

• We are not told whether or not ‘Abraham’s bosom’ is an area within Hades. All we can say is that wherever Abraham is, that is where Lazarus also ended up.

• On earth, the rich man lived in luxury (v19) and showed no interest in or concern for the poor man at his gate (v21-22). No doubt his funeral was a magnificent affair, with hundreds of mourners, a great bonfire, eloquent eulogies, and an impressive tomb carved out of the solid rock. His fate in Hades was the exact opposite – torment for luxury, abandonment for popularity, destitution for wealth, and anguish for his arrogant hard-heartedness.

• Lazarus, on the other hand, had nothing on the earth but misery, pain, and rejection. After his death, his body was probably dumped into an unmarked pauper’s grave. The angels show him mercy and carry him to a place of acceptance and contentment (v22,25).

• So the first lesson that we learn is that the conditions that await us after our life on earth is over will be determined by our experiences and our conduct while we were here. We have to note that there is no reference anywhere in this parable to Lazarus’s standing with God. We are not told that he was righteous, or that he was a believer. We are told simply that he was poor, sick, and suffering (v20-21).

• In verse 26 Abraham informs us that there is “a great chasm” between where he is and where the suffering rich man is, and that it is impossible for anyone to cross from the one place to the other. This tells us that whatever condition awaits us after death is the one in which we will remain until the Day of Judgement. Those in comfort have no fear of torment, and those in torment have no hope of comfort.

• The final few verses of the parable (27-31) let us know that, as far as Abraham is concerned, having someone rise from the dead should not be a problem. It was certainly not a problem to Jesus, who raised a number of people from the dead (including one also called Lazarus – John 11:43-44).

• However, the point is that anyone who pays no attention to Moses and the prophets (v29,31) is not going to be impressed by anyone rising from the dead and telling them that they need to repent of their sinful lifestyle. This was borne out, as we know, after Jesus’s own resurrection, when the religious authorities in Jerusalem persecuted the fledgling church, with the accusation that “you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us” (Acts 5:27-28 RSV).

We can summarise what we learn from this parable about Hades/Sheol as follows:

1. After death there is a continuation of consciousness and also a memory of our previous life on earth (v25, 27-28).

2. Our state after death is determined by our conditions and our conduct before death (Galatians 6:7 (ESVuk) "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap").

3. Whatever state we find ourselves in after death, therein we shall remain until the Day of Judgement.

4. God expects people to make rational decisions about their lifestyle based on what they have been taught from the Bible without having to rely on miracles to convince them that God means business. (The question of those who do not have the Bible will be addressed later.)

Heaven

Even less is said in the Bible about heaven than about hell. Paul talks about being “with Christ” after death, going so far as to say that “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21-23). Elsewhere he tells us that we have already died and that our “lives are hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-4).

The most famous reference to being taken to Heaven after death is found in Luke 23:43 where Jesus promises to the repentant criminal languishing on the cross beside him, “today you will be with me in paradise” (NIV).

Paul had the experience of being transported to paradise during his life (2 Corinthians 12:1-4), but all that he is able to tell us about it is that he “heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter” (NKJV). He refers to paradise also as “the third heaven” (v2).

In John 3:11-15, Jesus tells Nicodemus that “no-one has ascended into heaven, except the Son of Man, who is in heaven”, so Paul was one of the first people to see heaven and get an inkling of what it might be like.

But Jesus also says, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” (v12 KJV), which underscores Paul’s contention that it is not permissible to disclose what is found there. In all probability there are no words in any human language to express it, since it is totally beyond our experience and therefore not “like” anything that we know here on the earth.

It would be easier to describe a rainbow to a man born blind than to describe the fabric of heaven to one who has only ever known the earth.

The closest that we come to such a description in the Bible is in the book of Revelation, where the apostle John finds himself caught up in the spirit and presented with a vision that has fascinated and baffled the saints from that day to this. But among the angels, the elders, and the living creatures, he also meets many of the saints who were born on the earth but have passed from this vale of sorrows and found “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8 KJV) in the presence of God and of the Lamb.

• Revelation 6:9-11 - the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for their testimony

• Revelation 7:9-10,14-17 - a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues

• Revelation 14:1-5 - one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads

However, there is one thing which the Bible makes very clear to us about what will happen to us after death, irrespective of whether we spend time 'on remand' in Sheol/Hades or even 'on vacation' in Heaven:

Why is Eternal Judgement Necessary?

The subject of judgement is addressed in both Old and New Testaments, and the reasons for God to sit in judgement upon mankind are clearly given.

Firstly: it is a matter of the character of God Himself

When Moses asked God to reveal to him His glory, God was pleased to do so (Exodus 33:18-19). And when He did so, He also made a proclamation in Moses’ hearing of who He is:

Here we are clearly presented with two complementary sides to the Divine character, namely MERCY and JUSTICE.

(See also Deuteronomy 5:8-10.)

We might paraphrase these two scriptures by saying that God will work with anyone who is prepared to work with Him on His terms, but will deal very harshly with anyone who refuses to do so.

If anyone has any doubts about the mercy of God, they have only to read through the Old Testament to see how time and time again Israel turned her back on God, and how time and time again God reached out to her and gave her yet one more opportunity to put things right.

We see God working with Rahab the harlot, who put her faith in the God of Israel while everyone else in Jericho was preparing to resist Him (Joshua 2:1-21), and with Ruth the Moabitess, who turned her back on her own country, her own people, and her own gods to support her bereaved mother-in-law and to come under the wing of the God of Israel (Ruth 1:15-17; 2:10-12).

By contrast, we see God dealing just punishment to both individuals and nations; for example:

• Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 13:13; 18:16-32; 19:1-29)
• Egypt (Exodus chapters 7-12)
• Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Exodus chapter 16)
• Belshazzar and Babylon (Daniel chapter 5)
• Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)
• Elymas the magician (Acts 13:6-12)
• Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:20-23)
• Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Timothy 1:19b-20)

Secondly: it is a matter of the reality of good and evil.

We live in a world where good and evil live side by side with each other.

In the Garden of Eden God planted two trees side by side. One was the Tree of Life and the other was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:8-9). We know that evil was already in the world, because the serpent, the tempter, was there (Genesis 3:1-4; Revelation 12:9). God gave man a choice – to know only that which is good (Genesis 1:31), or to know both good and evil.

Of course, Adam and Eve did not understand what “evil” meant, because they had no experience of it; and when God said to them, “On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17), they had no idea what “to die” might mean, for they had no experience of death.

Today, things are very different. We know about evil and we know about death, because we have to deal with them in various ways continuously throughout our lives.

But the problem is that on this earth justice is seldom done. Evil men go from bad to worse and are buried with great pomp, leaving behind a trail of misery and destruction which is overlooked or even justified by others, while good men who have given their lives in sacrificial service are forgotten, or even vilified.

It is imperative that God, in His flawless righteousness and perfect knowledge, undertakes to right these wrongs by seeing that the good are appropriately rewarded and the that the evil are justly punished.

Every human being intuitively understands the difference between good and evil, right and wrong, so none of us has any excuse for our bad behaviour (Romans 2:19-21), which leads on to the third reason:

Thirdly: it is a matter of our personal choice.

God has given each one of us the power of personal choice – whether to do what is good or to do what is evil, to do what is right or to do what is wrong. The term that is normally used for this is ‘moral agency’. Each one of us is a moral agent, with the ability, the right, and the responsibility of moral choice.

We all know that on a daily basis we have to deal with the issue of temptation. Time and again throughout the day we must decide whether or not we are going to “say ‘no’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12 NIV).

While debating with the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus was asked, and answered, a very important question:

This is what is commonly referred to as the Great Command, and it shows us clearly what God’s priorities for us are. There is nowhere in the Bible where God reveals His ultimate purpose in creating us, but whatever that purpose might be, we know that this is how He wants us to live here and now – caring about God and caring about other people.

Paul expresses the same thing in different words in Romans 13:8-10 and Galatians 5:22-23.

So there is good in the world and there is evil in the world, and God is looking for a people who are eager to embrace the good and determined to reject the evil.

Moses set a clear choice before the Israelites in the desert, as recorded in Deuteronomy 30:11-20.

Paul puts it more succinctly in his letter to his young colleague Titus:

The message to us is the same, whether through the Law or through Grace – that God is looking for a people who will love Him, obey Him, honour Him, and give themselves over to the things that please Him. Doing so will bring them life; refusing to do so will result in death and destruction.

For the Israelites of Moses’ day this meant a long and enjoyable life of blessing in the Promised Land – a land flowing with milk and honey – or disease, defeat, and an untimely death (Deuteronomy 28:1-68; 29:18-30:10).

The New Testament lifts our eyes beyond the horizon of time and causes us to think about eternity and what kind of harvest we will reap there and then as a result of the seed which we have sown here and now (Romans 2:5-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10; 1 John 4:14-18).

The present heavens and earth are destined to be destroyed and new heavens and a new earth will be created, which will be home to only those who are righteous and whose hearts are at one with God. No-one else, whether angel or human, will be allowed to set foot in that new creation.

This future “promised land” has been promised to those who have loved God with all their heart and want only to serve Him (2 Peter 3:3-14; 1 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 4:1,11; Acts 26:6-8).

Who Will Be Judged?

There are two reasons why every moral being – that is to say, every being who is capable of either committing sin or performing righteousness, whether angels or humans – should appear before God to be judged:

1. Everyone is a potential candidate for citizenship in the new creation, and so everyone has to be assessed to determine their fitness to be accepted;

2. Everyone has committed acts, spoken words, and harboured attitudes that have not received either a just reward or a just punishment. Everyone passes from this scene of time with loose ends that need to be tied up. Some have committed sins for which they have not paid the penalty, and others have performed acts of mercy and blessing for which they have received no reward.

The psalmist looks ahead to the day when God will judge the world in righteousness:

The prophet Daniel is told of the day when God will deal with his people, raising them from the dead so that they can stand before Him for judgement:

(NB. The King James translation of verse 2, “Many of them that sleep …”, is better rendered by the NIV as “Multitudes who sleep …”. I.e. the sense is not “Many will, but others will not”, but “The number of those that will is vast”. The Hebrew word is rab – 'abundant in quantity' – number H7227 in Strong’s Concordance.)

However, when we turn over into the New Testament we are given a clearer indication of who will appear before the throne of judgement:

From these scriptures it seems clear that every single one of us is going to have to stand before that Judgement Throne. So, what is going to happen on that day? What can we expect the Day of Judgement to hold in store for us?