“The Word of God,” who will strike the nations with a long sword. (Rev. 19:11-16; compare Jude 14, 15.) Also, in the first century the Devil already had judgment passed on him, and the demons he leads knew that they would be put into the abyss, as will Satan. (1 Tim. 3:6; Luke 8:31; Rev. 20:1-3) Thus it follows that the judgment awaiting them is simply the execution of a judgment that has already been decided upon.—Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4; 1 Cor. 6:3.

“JUDGMENT” MAY OR MAY NOT BE CONDEMNATORY

Most of the uses of “judgment” in the Christian Greek Scriptures clearly carry the force of condemnatory or adverse judgment. In John 5:24, 29 “judgment” is set in contrast with “life” and “everlasting life,” plainly implying a condemnatory judgment that means utter loss of life—death. (2 Pet. 2:9; 3:7; John 3:18, 19) However, not all adverse judgment leads inevitably to destruction. Illustrating this are Paul’s remarks at 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 about celebrating the Lord’s Evening Meal. If one did not discern properly what he was doing he could eat or drink “judgment against himself.” Then Paul adds: “When we are judged, we are disciplined by Jehovah, that we may not become condemned with the world.” Thus one might receive adverse judgment but because of repenting not be destroyed forever.

Furthermore, the possibility of a judgment that is not condemnatory is apparent from 2 Corinthians 5:10. About those manifest before the judgment seat it says: “Each one [will] get his award . . . according to the things he has practiced, whether it is good or vile.” The judging mentioned in Revelation 20:13 evidently results in a favorable outcome for many. Of the dead judged, those receiving an adverse judgment are hurled into the “lake of fire.” The rest, though, come through the judgment, being “found written in the book of life.”—Rev. 20:15.

JUDGMENT DAY OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Pre-Christian Hebrews were acquainted with the idea that God would hold them personally accountable for their conduct. (Eccl. 11:9; 12:14) The Christian Greek Scriptures explain that there will be a specific future period or “day” when mankind, both the living and those who died in the past, will individually be judged.—2 Tim. 4:1, 2.

Identity of the Judges

In the Hebrew Scriptures Jehovah was identified as the “Judge of all the earth.” (Gen. 18:25) Similarly, in the Christian Greek Scriptures he is called “the Judge of all.” (Heb. 12:23) He has, though, deputized his Son to do judging for him. (John 5:22) The Bible speaks of Jesus as “appointed,” “decreed” and “destined” to do judging. (Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1) That Jesus is thus authorized by God resolves any seeming contradiction between the text that says that individuals will “stand before the judgment seat of God” and the verse that says they will “be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ.”—Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10.

Jesus also told his apostles that when he would sit down on his throne in the “re-creation” they would “sit upon twelve thrones” to do judging. (Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:28-30) Paul indicated that Christians who had been “called to be holy ones” will judge the world. (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:2) Also, the apostle John saw in vision the time when some received “power of judging.” (Rev. 20:4) In view of the above texts, this evidently includes the apostles and the other holy ones. Such a conclusion is borne out by the remainder of the verse, which speaks of those who rule with Christ for the millennium. These then will be royal judges with Jesus.

The fine quality of the judging that will take place on Judgment Day is assured, for Jehovah’s “judgments are true and righteous.” (Rev. 19:1, 2) The kind of judging that he authorizes is also righteous and true. (John 5:30; 8:16; Rev. 1:1; 2:23) There will be no perverting of justice or hiding of the facts.

Resurrection is involved

When using the expression Judgment Day, Jesus brought into the picture a resurrection of the dead. He mentioned that a city might reject the apostles and their message, and said: “It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that city.” (Matt. 10:15) This projected the matter into the future and naturally suggested that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would then be alive by means of resurrection. (Compare Matthew 11:21-24; Luke 10:13-15.) Even clearer are Jesus’ statements that the “men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment” and “the queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment.” (Matt. 12:41, 42; Luke 11:31, 32) The Biblical statements about Jesus’ judging “the living and the dead” can be viewed in the light of the fact that resurrection is involved in Judgment Day.—Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1.

A final indication that many being examined on Judgment Day will be resurrected ones is the information in Revelation 20:12, 13. Individuals are seen “standing before the throne.” The dead are mentioned and the fact that death and Hades gave up those dead in them. Such ones are judged.

Time for Judgment Day

In John 12:48 Christ linked the judging of persons with “the last day.” Revelation 11:17, 18 locates a judging of the dead as occurring after God takes his great power and begins ruling in a special way as king. Additional light on the matter comes from the sequence of events recorded in Revelation chapters 19 and 20. There one reads of a war in which the “King of kings” kills “the kings of the earth and their armies.” (Earlier in Revelation [16:14] this is called “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”) Next Satan is bound for a thousand years. During that thousand years royal judges serve with Christ. In the same context resurrection and the judging of the dead are mentioned. This, then, is an indication of the time when Judgment Day comes. And it is not impossible from a Scriptural standpoint for a thousand-year period to be viewed as a “day,” for such an equation is stated in the Bible.—2 Pet. 3:8; Ps. 90:4.

Basis for judgment

In describing what will take place during the time of judgment Revelation 20:12 says that the resurrected dead will then be “judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds.” Those resurrected will not be judged on the basis of the works done in their former life, because the rule at Romans 6:7 says: “He who has died has been acquitted from his sin.”

However, Jesus said that unwillingness to take note of his powerful works and repent or unresponsiveness to God’s message would make it hard for some to endure Judgment Day.—Matt. 10:14, 15; 11:21-24.

JUDGMENTS

See JUDICIAL DECISIONS.

JUDGMENT SEAT

Usually a raised outdoor platform, approached by steps, from which seated officials could address the crowds and announce their decisions. (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 12:21; 25:6, 10, 17) What is thought by some to have been the judgment seat (called the “Bema”) at Corinth, where Paul appeared before Gallio, was built of white and blue marble. (Acts 18:1, 12, 16, 17) Alongside it were two waiting rooms with mosaic floors and marble benches.

Jehovah God has committed all judging to his Son (John 5:22, 27) and therefore all must appear before the ‘judgment seat of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 5:10) This is also rightly called the “judgment seat of God” in that