| The Judgment The enemy of God has pictured the Judgment as a legalistic trial which God presides over as a stern judge. Jesus said, “Neither I nor my Father judge anyone.”[510] He went on to explain: “This is how the Judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.”[511] “I have come into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. If anyone hears my message and does not obey it, I will not judge him. I came, not to judge the world, but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my message has one who will judge him. The words I have spoken will be his judge on the last day!”[512] We are free to reject the truth. This is what will determine our eternal destiny. Jesus gave his description of the final Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations. And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” Notice that he does not make some into sheep and some into goats; he does not decide who he wants to let into the kingdom. He merely looks out and sees that some are sheep and some are goats. They are separated by what they are. If we contrast the nature of sheep and goats, it’s easy to see what he meant. What are sheep known for? Do they want to hurt anyone?[513] On the other hand, if you turn your back on a goat, you run the risk of being rammed from behind. They tend to be mean and unpredictable. Again, this is a description of how everyone has made a final choice of who they want to be like. The End of Sin Then “the LORD shall rise up... [to] do his work—his strange work; and bring to pass his act—his strange act.”[514] The natural thing for God to do is to protect his children—even his rebellious ones[515]. Had God not protected Adam and Eve, their exchange with the Devil would have been a lethal experience. After 6,000 years of protecting sinners from the result of sin, God says, “No more.” He will simply step back and let nature take its course. God’s love for man is so great and death so foreign to his nature, that even his finally letting go and allowing man to receive his own choice is called his “strange act.” Those who choose sin will be destroyed by sin. Those who choose love will be glorified by love. And all those watching the final death of Satan and all those who chose his path will understand that God did all he could. They will be 100% clear that it is a suicide long delayed by the Father, not an execution. Earth—Capital of the Universe God will then re-create our world in its original perfection and beauty. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth... wherein dwelleth righteousness.”[516] “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.”[517] Peace and harmony will again reign in God’s universe, never to be interrupted by sin[518]. No one will ever be sad, no one will ever feel uncomfortable or unloved, because everyone seeks the happiness of everyone else. “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’ for they shall all know me.”[519] The city of God, the capital of the universe, will be moved from Heaven to earth[520]. God himself will live among us, and our small world, once so darkened by sorrow, will become the center of the universe. We will enjoy for all eternity that which love has taught us to treasure: God and each other. ~END |
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| 510 John 5:22, John 8:15 511 John 3:19 GNB 512 John 12:46-48 513 Jesus often referred to his followers as sheep—not because they are to be gullible (John 10:5, 14), but because of their gentle nature. “Be wise as serpents, but gentle as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) 514 Isaiah 28:21 515 See Genesis 4:1-16, especially verse 15 516 Isaiah 65:17, 2 Peter 3:13 517 Revelation 21:4 518 Nahum 1:9 519 Isaiah 11:9, Jeremiah 31:34 520 Revelation 21 and 22 |
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