THE DOCTRINES OF FINAL JUDGMENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT 

Final Judgment and Eternal Punishment 

Who will be judged?
Final Judgment is a doctrine associated with the biblical teachings of the eternality of humanity in creation, Heaven, Hell, and the Lake of Fire. What is Hell? Jesus spoke more about Hell and the Lake of Fire than anyone else in Scripture. According to Jesus, hell is a place of eternal, conscious torment. Divine judgment will be exacted against the devil, the anti-Christ, the False Prophet, everyone who owed the judged their allegiance, and everyone whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

The biblical understanding of Final Judgment
There is strong Scriptural evidence for the final judgment.

• Then I saw a great white throne and Him who 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, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

Final Judgment is required following the revelation of the grace God provides through the gift of eternal life through His son, Jesus Christ.

• Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man He ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31)

God’s Final Judgment is just, as it is a response to the hardness of man and fallen angels against God and the lack of repentance from those who refuse God’s grace. The Final Judgment is also known as the Day of Wrath; God’s wrath is stored until the Final Judgment.

• But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart,you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. (Romans 2:5)

God’s Final Judgment culminates following precursors with God rewarding righteousness or punishing unrighteousness throughout history. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,and especiallythose who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority.They arepresumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries. (2 Peter 2:9-10)

God has consistently brought blessing and deliverance from extreme danger and His immanent judgment to His faithful servants. The biblical examples include Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David. The judgments of God against the earth’s inhabitants are seen in the Noetic flood, Babel, Sodom, and Gomorrah, and multiple instances with Israel.

Will there be more than one judgment?
Scripturally, there have been multiple judgments, but there will only be one Final Judgment. 

The Final Judgment will include:
The “Judgment of the Nations.” The nations’ judgment is based exclusively on the treatment of God’s people. 

• When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 25:31-34) 

The “Judgment of Believers’ Works,” the Bēma Seat Judgment, is where Christians are rewarded for their works of righteousness. 

• For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

The “Great White Throne Judgment,” where eternal punishments will be issued for the enemies of God and all who opposed His Son, Jesus Christ. 

• Then I saw a great white throne and Him who 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, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15) 

All three passages speak of the same Final Judgment. The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the passages to use different synonyms and descriptors as they explained the visions they were privileged to see.

The Time of the Final Judgment 
God’s Final Judgment will transpire following the return of Christ and Armageddon. 

• They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.(Revelation 20:7-11)
  

Final Judgment’s Details
Jesus Christ is the judge who will preside over the time of the Final Judgment.

• I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:1)

God the Father has committed the Final Judgment’s responsibility to his son, Jesus Christ. 

• And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is He (Jesus) who God ordained to be Judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42)

Jesus’ duties in judgment are reflective of God the Father. Both are givers of life, and both retain the ability to extinguish life through divine judgment.

• For as the Father has life in Himself so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also because He is the Son of Man. (John 5:26-27) 

Final Judgment Is Where Unbelievers Are Judged 

Final Judgment is righteous judgment, as God is righteous, and His judgments are true. Immortality is the consequence of God’s Judgement. 

• But by your hardness and your unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds,” eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality. (Romans 2:5-7) 

Judgment includes punishment. Righteous punishment includes varying degrees of inflicted judgment imposed by Jesus, the righteous judge. 

• And that servant who knew his master’s will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:47-48)

All believers will be judged, giving an account for their infractions.

• But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So, then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10, 12)
• For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

The Believers Judgment evaluates and bestows degrees of reward based on works deemed or judged righteous. Believers are no longer subject to eternal condemnation and consequence. Being judged by God is not a thing that should invoke fear; rather, being judged by God should be embraced. Final Judgment is where the believer passes from death to life.

• Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. (John 5:24) 
• There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
  

The Day of Judgment can be seen as when unbelievers receive their eternal punishment. The nations wereangry, and Yourwrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great, and should destroy those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)

• On The Great Day of God’s Righteous Judgment, every word spoken in secret, every deed and action, and all sin of every believer be eliminated on that final day. Each judged person receiving commendation (ἔπαινος, “praise”) demonstrates that the Day of God’s Righteous Judgment is not a day of terror for the believer. It is a day of commendation. Receiving praise does not refer to sin as believers receive their reward.
  But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. (Colossians 3:25; 1 Corinthians 4:5)

Following the Final Judgment, God will never recall our sins. Our sins will no longer be remembered. 

• He will again have compassion on us and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (Micah 7:19; Psalms 103:12; Hebrews 8:12)
  

Scripture affirms there will be differing degrees of rewards bestowed upon believers.

• Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10) 

Angels will be judged at the Final Judgment.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment. And the angels who did not keep their ^[a]proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; 1 Corinthians 6:3)

Believers will assist in the work of the Final Judgment. 

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³ Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)

Scripture affirms that Christ relegates varying aspects of judging for others who belong to Him. 

• And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. So, Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Revelation 20:4; Matthew 19:28)
  

The Necessity of the Final Judgment
The Final Judgment “will serve the purpose rather 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. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that the judgment on the last day will differ from that of the death of everyone in more than one respect. It will not be secret but public; it will not pertain to the soul only, but also to the body; it will not reference a single individual but all men.” Louis Berkhof

The Justice of God will be fully displayed during the Final Judgment. 

• Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. After these things, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.(Romans 3:19; Revelation 19:1-2)
  The Moral Aspect of Final Judgment
• The doctrine of Final Judgment is just. Humanity understands that the world is not just. The doctrine of final judgment satisfies the inward desire for justice in the world. 
• Bondservants, obey in all things your master’s according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. (Colossians 3:22, 25) 

Final Judgment enables forgiveness to be freely distributed to others.

• Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. “Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.” (Romans 12:19; 1 Peter 2:22-23)
  Final Judgment incentivizes righteous living.
• Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:20)

The doctrine of final judgment provides an excellent motive for evangelism.

• Say to them: As I live, says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel? The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (Ezekiel 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9)