The Purpose of Judgment

Biblical eschatology—the doctrine of last things—tells us that all those who die before the return of Christ receive an initial judgment by God and that their souls pass into an intermediate state of heaven or hell (Heb. 9:27; see Luke 12:5; 2 Cor. 5:8). Yet that is not the only judgment that will occur. Scripture teaches also that there will be a final judgment on the last day, when Jesus returns (Rev. 20:7–15). As Christians have confessed in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed for more than 1,600 years, Christ “shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead.”

Explaining the Bible’s teaching on the last judgment will take a few days. Today we will consider the purpose of the final judgment. First, God’s judgment of rational creatures including human beings and angels must occur because of the Lord’s perfectly righteous character. If human judges who justify the wicked without imposing a penalty on their transgressions and condemn the righteous are an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 17:15), how could He possibly be true to Himself if He did the same?

Second, God must judge human beings and angels because He is merciful. “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” (2 Peter 2:9), and a final judgment that glorifies His servants and banishes their impenitent enemies is mercy to His people. Furthermore, a final judgment that makes clear that God admits people to eternal life based not on their own merit but on the merit of Christ will prove His graciousness beyond all doubt (Rom. 3:21–31; 2 Cor. 5:21). Louis Berkhof writes that the final judgment is for the sake of “displaying before all rational creatures the declarative glory of God in a formal, forensic act, which magnifies on the one hand His holiness and righteousness, and on the other hand His grace and mercy.”

Finally, God must judge human beings and angels because He desires to vindicate those who have trusted in Him. He promises that He will “vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants” (Ps. 135:14). The Lord is pleased to demonstrate that those who left vengeance to Him, who trusted that He would mete out perfect justice on the last day, were right to do so (see Rom. 12:19). He has promised to reward those who have suffered unjustly for His sake, and He always keeps His promises (Matt. 5:11–12).