The Judgment of The
Wicked
17 He put on righteousness as armor and the helmet of salvation on his head. He clothed himself with robes of vengeance and of godly fury. 18 He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds—fury for his foes in distant lands.[1] (Isaiah59:17–18)
The Wicked Will Face the Judgment of God
I. Note the dramatic scene of God's coming judgment. Like a well-armed soldier, the Lord will prepare Himself to execute judgment on the earth. He will put on righteousness for a breastplate and salvation for a helmet. The breastplate of righteousness protects the heart. God's heart is set on justice. Thus, when He comes to judge, the basis of His judgment will be righteousness. If people have lived righteously, they will not bear the judgment of God; but if they have lived unrighteously, they will suffer judgment. The helmet of salvation signifies that God will deliver the righteous before judgment falls on the earth. The helmet of salvation protects the head and the mind. In God's case, His mind is focused on salvation, the deliverance of His people, and the world from wickedness. Therefore, He will save His people before His judgment falls upon the wicked.
II. God will also put on the clothing of vengeance and wrap Himself in a cloak of zeal in executing justice and judgment on the earth. Throughout history, the Lord has insisted that vengeance belongs to Him. When He is ready, He will execute just retribution against all the wicked who have defied, denied, and rejected Him as well as those who have cursed His holy name and persecuted His people. And He will do so with righteous fury. On the Day of Judgment, on a set day, God will execute perfect justice (v. 18). All people will receive exactly what is due them—nothing more and nothing less. No one will escape. All foes, even the islands (the distant lands of the earth), will receive full payment for their sinful behavior. All the earth will face God's wrath and judgment.
V "He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the
wrath of God abideth on him" (Jn.
3:36).
V "For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth
in unrighteousness" (Ro.
1:18).
V "But unto them that are contentious, and
do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation, and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew
first, and also of the Gentile" (Ro. 2:8–9).
V "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation
worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope
maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the
Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in
due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Ro. 5:3–6).
V "For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Co. 5:10).
V "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his
saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of
all their hard speeches which ungodly
sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 1:14–15).
V "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and
them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent
of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches
shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give
unto every one of you according to your works" (Re. 2:22–23).
V "And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there
was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their
works. And the sea gave up the dead which was in it, and death and hell
delivered up the dead which was in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of
life was cast into the lake of fire" (Re. 20:11–15).
V "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye
perish from the way when his wrath is
kindled, but a little. Blessed are
all they that put their trust in him" (Ps. 2:12).
V "I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings" (Je. 17:10).[2]
The Consequences of God's Judgment
What Happens to Those Under God's Judgment?
I.
Bible Reading: Obadiah 1:1–21
Key Bible Verse:
The day is near when I, the Lord, will
judge the godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to
you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. (Obadiah 1:15)
People In Unrepentant Rebellion Toward God Will Be Destroyed. Edom
is an example to all the nations that are hostile toward God. Nothing can break
God's promise to protect his people from complete destruction. In the book of Obadiah,
we see four aspects of God's message of judgment: (1) evil will undoubtedly be
punished; (2) those faithful to God have hope for a new future; (3) God is
sovereign in human history; and (4) God's ultimate purpose is to establish his
eternal kingdom. The Edomites had been cruel to God's people. They were
arrogant and proud and took advantage of others' misfortunes. Any nation that
mistreats people who obey God will be punished, regardless of how invincible
they appear. Similarly, we, as individuals, cannot allow ourselves to feel so
comfortable with our wealth or security that we fail to help God's people; this
is sin, and because God is just, sin will be punished.
II. Bible Reading: Matthew 16:21–28
Key Bible Verse:
I, the Son of Man, will come in the Glory
of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their
deeds. (Matthew 16:27)
Christians Will Be Judged by How They Used God's Gifts. Jesus
Christ has been given the authority to judge all the earth (Romans 14:9–11;
Philippians 2:9–11). Although his judgment is already working in our lives,
there is a future, final judgment when Christ returns (25:31–46) and
everyone's life is reviewed and evaluated. This will not be confined to
unbelievers; Christians, too, will face judgment. Their eternal destiny is
secure, but Jesus will look at how they handled gifts, opportunities, and
responsibilities to determine their heavenly rewards. God will deliver the
righteous and condemn the wicked at the time of judgment. We should not judge
others' salvation; that is God's work.
III. Bible Reading: Matthew 25:31–46
Key Bible Verse:
They will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. (Matthew 25:46)
The Final Judgment for Unbelievers Is
Eternal. Eternal punishment takes place in hell (the lake of fire, or
Gehenna), the place of punishment after death for all those who refuse to
repent. In the Bible, three words are used in connection with eternal
punishment.
1.
Sheol
or "the grave" is used in the Old Testament to mean the place
of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth. (See Job 24:19;
Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 38:10)
2.
Hades
is the Greek Word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It
is the Word used in the New Testament for Sheol. (See Matthew
16:18; Revelation 1:18; 20:13–14)
3.
Gehenna, or hell, was named after the
Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem, where children were sacrificed by fire to the
pagan gods (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3). This is the place of eternal fire (Matthew 5:22; 10:28; Mark 9:43; Luke
12:5; James 3:6; Revelation 19:20) prepared for the devil, his angels, and
all those who do not believe in God (Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:9–10).
This is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the Resurrection and
the Last Judgment.
When Jesus warns against
unbelief, he is trying to save us from agonizing eternal punishment.
IV. Bible Reading: Revelation 20:11–15
Key Bible Verse:
I saw the dead, both great and small,
standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of
Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books,
according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:12)
God's Judgment Is Complete. At the
judgment, the books are opened. They represent God's verdict, and in them are
recorded the deeds of everyone, good or evil. Deeds do not save us, but deeds
are seen as clear evidence of a person's actual relationship with God. The Book
of Life contains the names of those who have put their trust in Christ to save
them.
God's Judgment Is Final. Death and hades are thrown into the lake
of fire. God's judgment is finished. The lake of fire is the ultimate
destination of everything wicked—Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the
demons, death, hades, and all those whose names are not recorded in the Book of
Life because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. John's vision does
not permit any gray areas in God's judgment. If by faith we have not identified
with Christ, confessing him as Lord, there will be no hope, no second chance,
no other appeal.
Related Topics: Forgiveness, Grace, Hell[3]
Prayer: The Judgment
of The Wicked
Father God, we recognize that once we were your enemies, deserving of
judgment. We thank you, Father God, that we can now say we are your children. You
adopted us into your family through our faith in what Christ Jesus, our Lord,
and Savior, did on the Cross at Calvary for us, and for that Lord, we are
eternally grateful. We know, Lord, that you are going to judge your enemies,
and again, we do not have to fear your judgment because of your mercy toward
us. Father God, we know what it is to have anger in our hearts and mind because
of injustices in this life and the desire to seek vengeance. However, Father God,
we do look forward to you defending us when the time is right according to your
plans. We know you will repay our enemies for the evil they have caused, the
hatred, and the murderous behaviors that so richly deserve your judgment. Thank
you, Father God, that you are working all things out for our good for your
Glory. What we ask of your Lord is that you continue to protect our hearts with
your breastplate of righteousness through the regular reading of your Word in
and through our daily habits. We also ask, Lord, that your helmet of salvation
continue to protect our minds from the evil, ungodly influences in this world.
We know that the best way to do this is through the study of your Word, prayer,
and fellowship with other members of the body of Christ. Help us, Lord, not to
forsake any of these as we look to you for our protection and salvation.
We ask these things to come to fruition in our lives by the name of
Christ, our Lord, and Savior.
Amen
God's Judgment Is Final, and If by Faith We Have Not Identified with Christ,
Confessing Him as Lord, There Will Be No Hope, No Second Chance, No Other Appeal.
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters
36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible.
Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[3] Wilson, Neil S. 2000. In The Handbook of
Bible Application, 357–59. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.
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