The Bible references several different types of judgment that God executes. Here is an overview of the major judgments described in Scripture:
1. Judgment of Sin
All people are judged for their own personal sins. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Every person is held accountable for the sins they have committed during their lifetime. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).
The penalty for sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This death sentence applies to every human who has ever lived, except for Jesus Christ. Thankfully, Christ paid the penalty for our sins through His death on the cross, so that everyone who believes in Him can be forgiven and escape final judgment for their sins. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
2. Judgment for Believers’ Works
In addition to having their sins forgiven, believers in Christ will also be judged for their works and service to God after they die. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
This judgment, often called the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” is not about salvation, but about rewards. Based on how faithfully Christians served Christ on earth, they will receive rewards and positions of authority in heaven. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).
3. Judgment of Israel
In addition to being judged individually for sin, the nation of Israel is also judged collectively throughout the Old Testament. God judged the wickedness in Israel again and again by allowing foreign invaders to conquer them. “The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: ‘Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets’” (2 Kings 17:13).
But God also promised future restoration and deliverance for Israel. One day God will purge all evil from the land and save His people. “‘In that day,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. I will make the lame my remnant, those driven away a strong nation.’ Then the Lord will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever” (Micah 4:6-7).
4. Tribulation Judgments
The book of Revelation describes a series of devastating judgments that will take place during a future seven-year period called the Tribulation. These judgments include seven seal judgments, seven trumpet judgments and seven bowl judgments. The intensity of these judgments increases as each set is poured out by God. Their purpose is to punish evil and wickedness on the earth as the Antichrist rises to power.
“I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals… Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’” (Revelation 6:1, 15-17).
5. Judgment of the Nations
When Christ returns, He will judge all the nations based on how they treated God’s chosen people, the Jews. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats… Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink…” (Matthew 25:31-33, 41).
The sheep, who cared for the Jews, will inherit the kingdom, while the goat nations who ignored them will be cast into hell. This judgment determines who enters the Millennial Kingdom on earth after Christ’s Second Coming. Only sheep nations will be allowed in God’s Kingdom.
6. Great White Throne Judgment
At the very end of the age, after Christ has reigned for 1,000 years on earth, there will be a final judgment before God’s throne. “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books” (Revelation 20:11-12).
This is the judgment of all unbelievers from all time. Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire. “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). This final judgment ushers in the eternal state.
7. Judgment in the Eternal State
The eternal state begins after the Millennial Kingdom and Great White Throne Judgment are completed. Those who trusted in Christ will spend eternity with God in the New Heavens and New Earth. Unbelievers will spend eternity separated from God in the lake of fire. This final, eternal state involves a judgment of everlasting rewards or punishment.
For believers, the eternal state means receiving glorified bodies, reigning with Christ, and living in God’s presence forever. “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:3-4).
For unbelievers, the eternal state means eternal misery and separation from God. “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). Once this final judgment occurs, there will be no more death or suffering ever again (Revelation 21:4).
Judgment is a major theme throughout Scripture. As Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” Thankfully, those who trust in Christ’s death for their sins will not be condemned at the final judgment. For believers, judgment is an opportunity to be rewarded and receive their eternal inheritance. For unbelievers, however, judgment means eternal punishment in separation from God.
