108. Chapter 102: Concerning the Last Judgment and the End of the World
------------ CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED-TWO ------------ Concerning the Last Judgment and the End of the World When all men who are to be born according to God’s decree have come into existence and become the recipients of life, and the elect will have been converted and gathered in, the Lord, upon a day designated by Him, will summon all men before His judgment seat and publicly judge them. God has dominion and reigns over all men who live upon earth. Already in this life He punishes the ungodly and chastises His children; this is also denominated a judgment: “My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy judgments” (Psalms 119:120). God also judges every man who by death is translated from time to eternity, sending them to their destination. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There will come a moment, however, when God will cause all men to appear before Him collectively, and this is preeminently referred to as the eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:2).
Scripture’s Testimony Concerning the Last Judgment That there will be such a public and general judgment cannot be ascertained from nature. It can only be ascertained from Scripture and be confirmed by faith. The human conscience also convinces the heathen that they must anticipate the judgment of God after this life, culminating in either glory or damnation (Romans 2:15). It is also common knowledge that God is a righteous Judge who will cause it to be well with the righteous and ill with the wicked. That which Solomon says is also in some measure imprinted upon man’s nature: “Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before Him: but it shall not be well with the wicked” (Ecclesiastes 8:12-13). This does not always happen in this life, however, and therefore one can conclude that it will occur after this life. However, the general and public nature of this judgment and procedure are only revealed in Scripture. That there will be such a judgment is evident from these texts and many others: “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; “But know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment” (Ecclesiastes 11:9); “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14); “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36); “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 Corinthians 5:10); “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:1).
These suffice to convince a believer of the Word of God of the truth of these matters. Additional texts will be presented as we proceed. The Final Judgment Executed by God in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ. The Judge is God who created heaven and earth. Abraham calls him “the Judge of all the earth” (Genesis 18:25); David and Paul call Him “the righteous Judge” (2 Timothy 4:8); and this judgment is “the righteous judgment of God” Romans 2:5, executed by “God the Judge of all” (Hebrews 12:23).
However, this judgment will be executed by the Lord Jesus in a visible manner. “And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man” (John 5:27). The reason for this is that He, as the Son of God, has assumed the human nature, has been obedient to the Father unto the death of the cross, and has executed the great work of redemption for the elect, in consequence of which the good pleasure of God would prosper in His hand (Isaiah 53:10). This is what the Lord Jesus says, “For the Father judgeth no man, (that is, separate from the Son and in such a visible manner) but hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). This is also to be observed in the following passage, “Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). The Lord Jesus will come from heaven as Judge. He will not come to earth to reign a thousand years, as the premillennialists are dreaming; they misinterpret Revelation 20:1-15. Rather, He will come upon a great cloud -- not clothed with humility, but in power and glory, the greatness of which far exceeds one’s imagination. Once already Christ has been transfigured on the holy mountain before the eyes of His three disciples, who were witnesses of His majesty and glory which He received from God (cf. Matthew 17:5; 2 Peter 1:17-18). His glorious appearance will, however, also infinitely exceed that event when He will come in His essential glory and in the glory of His Father, together with the holy angels who will accompany Him as His servants. Observe this in the following passages: “He (the Son of man) shall come in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26); “And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27). The manifestation of this glory will be all the more awesome due to:
(1) The great sound of the last trumpet: “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
(2) The splendor of the throne which will be placed in the clouds upon which He as Judge will be seated. The splendor of this throne is shown to Daniel in a vision. “His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire” (Daniel 7:9). Of this throne the Lord Jesus says that He will “sit upon the throne of His glory” (Matthew 25:31).
(3) The innumerable multitude of holy angels who will be present there as His servants, “when the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him” (Matthew 25:31). Oh, how awesome and majestic will the appearance of that great Judge be!
It is also written that the saints will judge: “Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28); “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). They will, however, not judge with legal authority and power; rather, as members of Christ they will enhance the glory and the work of their Head -- particularly approving of the judgment of Christ, as is written of an angel, “And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments” (Revelation 16:7). They will also do so with their deeds which will become manifest there, and with their godly presence they will condemn the ungodly, as Noah did the first world (Hebrews 11:7). The Objects of This Judgment: The Devils and All Men
Those who will be judged are: (1) The devils whom God will cast down to hell, and deliver into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment
2 Peter 2:4, having reserved them in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day Jude 1:6. “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3).
(2) All men without exception: great, small, young, old, rich, poor, kings, and beggars. No qualifications will come into consideration here. He who is a human being will be judged: “And before Him shall be gathered all nations” (Matthew 25:34); “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10); “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10); “... who shall judge the quick and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1); “Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31). The ungodly, even though they “shall not stand in the judgment” Psalms 1:5, will nevertheless be there. Believers will also be present at this general judgment Matthew 25:34 -- even though they will not go into perdition, but instead will be translated from death to life. The Execution of this Judgment In the execution of this judgment we shall consider all that belongs to a righteous judgment, such as citation, appearance, cross-examination, the pronouncement of sentence, and execution.
First, the citation or the issuance of a subpoena will occur by the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God 1 Thessalonians 4:16, and the great sound of a trumpet (Matthew 24:31). The contents of this will be: “Arise ye dead and come to the judgment.”
Secondly, the appearance of the defendants will follow immediately upon this. No one will be able to turn aside as if the Lord were not his lawful judge, nor will anyone be able to plead extenuating circumstances. No one will be able to hide himself, nor avoid this judgment. No one will be forgotten, for the omniscient and omnipotent God will cause everyone to appear, and the angels will gather them before the throne. The Lord Jesus will separate the good from the evil, placing the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left hand. The good will be taken to meet Christ in the clouds, whereas the wicked will remain standing upon the earth. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Concerning this separation we read: “... and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left” (Matthew 25:32-33). The angels will also be used to that end: “And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31); “The angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just” (Matthew 13:49).
Thirdly, subsequent to this, the examination will be conducted meticulously. All the sins of every person will be made manifest there. These include:
(1) All thoughts which everyone has ever thought, and thus also the most intimate frame of soul: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men” (Romans 2:16); “... until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts” (1 Corinthians 4:5).
(2) All words which everyone has ever spoken: “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36-37); “To execute judgment upon all ... of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him” Jude 1:15.
(3) All deeds which have been committed, either secretly or publicly, or have been committed in conjunction with others; and all the motions of the members of the body, as well as what has been done with each member -- with eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet, etc. It will be manifest how we have obtained our belongings and how we have used them -- our clothing, homes, furnishings, gardens, food and drink -- as well as how we have engaged in our profession and what our conduct has been. It will be revealed how we have used the means of grace -- every sermon, every conviction, and the Word of God which we have had in our homes. It will pertain to the duration of our life and what we have done every year, month, day, and hour. In one word, everything will be considered -- small and great, good and evil. This will not only be true in a general sense, but for every individual matter. It will not only occur in the conscience of every man, but it will be made manifest to all. “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). The standard by which this examination will occur is the law, which God has written upon the heart of every man (Romans 2:14-15), and which He has declared more plainly to the church by way of the Scriptures. According to this law men will be judged as to their status. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” (Romans 2:16). When the apostle says, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” Romans 2:16, he does not mean to say that the gospel will be the rule by which this examination will be conducted, and whereby the quick and the dead will be judged, for the gospel will never have been proclaimed to most of them. Instead he is saying that in proclaiming the gospel, he also declared at the same time that there would be such a general judgment and that, by the terror of the Lord, he had sought to persuade men (2 Corinthians 5:11). The gospel will magnify the sins of the unconverted and make their damnation all the more severe, for “it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you” (Matthew 11:22). Believers will be acquitted by reason of the gospel, however, since they are partakers of the satisfaction and holiness of the Lord Jesus and thus have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in them (Romans 8:4). The law is therefore the standard whereby man’s disposition, thoughts, words, and deeds will be judged. This is the opening of the books -- the book of everyone’s conscience, the book of God’s omniscience, as well as the book of God’s eternal decree. “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” (Revelation 20:12).
Question: Will the sins of believers also be made manifest in this judgment?
Answer: Some answer negatively, and others in the affirmative. It is not a fundamental doctrine of faith, and we therefore need not render each other suspect about this. We maintain that the sins of believers will be made manifest in the judgment -- however, not as being unforgiven. This is evident:
(1) From general statements which are all-inclusive and do not make the sins of believers an exception. “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12; cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14; Acts 17:31). Whenever Scripture makes no exception, we also may make none.
(2) From the fact that both believers and the ungodly will appear before the judgment seat of God, He being their Judge as well as of the ungodly. Since a righteous judge will most carefully examine what is both for and against the defendant, it thus follows that the judgeship of the Lord Jesus demands that He also examine the deeds of the godly. “The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:12).
(3) From the express statement that those faithful ministers who watch over souls “must give account” (Hebrews 13:17). An account cannot be given, however, except by a careful disclosure of one’s entire conduct, and thus the imperfections and failures of the faithful will of necessity also be made public.
(4) When considering that the justice of God can only become manifest in the acquittal of believers if guilt and satisfaction are contrasted with each other.
(5) When considering that the satisfaction of Christ can only be viewed in its magnitude and efficacy when the sins for which He has made satisfaction are made manifest.
(6) When considering that the goal of salvation is the praise of God’s glorious grace and mercy, and this cannot be perceived except by manifestation of the guilt incurred by the vessels of mercy.
(7) When considering that the godly have committed sins in conjunction with the ungodly. Thus, if the sin of an ungodly person committed in conjunction with a godly person is made manifest, then the sin of the godly person must become manifest likewise.
Objection #1: The Judge Himself has made satisfaction for all their sins. Why would He then bring all their sins to the foreground again and accuse them of those sins once more?
Answer: They will not be accused of those sins, nor will those sins be brought to the foreground as being unforgiven. Rather, they will be presented as having been committed indeed, but also as having been atoned for by the Surety.
Objection #2: God has already forgiven all their sins; He remembers them no more. He has cast them behind His back into the depth of the sea. They are covered Psalms 32:1, and thus they can no longer come to the fore.
Answer: “Not to remember” means “not to be punished,” “not to be treated as a sinner” -- for with God there is no forgetfulness. To cover does not mean “to hide,” for God, the angels, other godly persons, and also the ungodly have seen them. Rather, it means that He does not punish them.
Objection #3: It would be to the grief and shame of the godly if all their sins would be held before them again.
Answer: They will indeed be willing to own that they have been such sinners, since this manifestation will be to the glory of God’s mercy and justice as well as of the satisfaction of Christ on their behalf. Neither shame nor grief will be an issue, since they have been reconciled.
Objection #4: Only the good deeds will be mentioned in the judgment -- and not the evil deeds. “For I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me” (Matthew 25:35-36).
Answer: These words neither belong to the judicial sentence nor to the examination, both of which are under discussion here. In pronouncing the sentence, the Judge will advance the fact that they have loved, have been redeemed by Christ, and have been believers (as being the reason and evidence that they are elect); for love is the fruit of faith Galatians 5:6, and is evidence of the love of God toward them (1 John 4:19; 1 Corinthians 8:3). These deeds will not be mentioned as the meriting causes of salvation (for they receive heaven as an inheritance), but as a proof that they are partakers of the righteousness of Christ. Justification and sanctification are linked together and can never be separated from each other.
Fourthly, we are also to consider the sentence of the defendants in this judgment, which will be pronounced separately toward the godly and the ungodly. “Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” Matthew 25:34
Fifthly, this will finally be followed by the execution of the sentence. The ungodly will be cast away into hell to be tormented there forever. Subsequent thereto, however, the godly will be ushered into the third heaven -- the paradise of God -- by the King, in order to have the eternal satisfaction of joy in immediate fellowship with God. “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:46).
Place, Time, and Duration of the Final Judgment The place where the judgment will be executed is not the valley of Jehoshaphat, as some of the Papists maintain by misinterpretation of the following text: “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there. ... Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about” (Joel 3:2
Even though the Lord has concealed the precise moment from us, He has nevertheless given us several signs in His Word which must precede Christ’s coming unto judgment. Some of these have already been fulfilled to a large extent, such as powerful delusion by way of many heresies and false prophets, apostasy, terrifying wars, earthquakes, floods, famines, dreadful persecution and oppression of the church, prevailing carelessness and ungodliness, the proclamation of the gospel throughout the entire world, and the revelation of the antichrist. There are yet matters, however, which are to be fulfilled prior to Christ’s coming to judgment. There must yet be the destruction of the city of Rome, the throne of the beast (Revelation 16:13); the undressing, forsaking, and contemptuous rejection of the harlot of Babylon (Revelation 17:16); the eradication of her empire Revelation 18:1-24; (Revelation 19:2); the conversion of the entire Jewish nation to the acknowledgment that Jesus is the Messiah (Romans 11:15); the glorious millennial state of the church upon earth; the rebellion of Gog and Magog which will follow this Revelation 20:1-15, and the time when they will encompass the camp of the saints and oppress them in an extraordinary manner. It is then that the Lord Jesus will suddenly come to execute judgment. From these things we can deduce that the day of judgment is not that near as yet. This day is near for every individual person, however, and the day of judgment will find a man in the state in which he was at the time of his death. There is another sign which will accompany the coming of Christ, such as the sign of the Son of man which will then appear in heaven (Matthew 24:30). No mention is made of the nature of the sign, and this can therefore not be determined at all. Some are of the opinion that it will be the coming of Christ Himself, others believe it to be the erection of His glorious throne Matthew 25:31, others an extraordinary and glorious radiance, and again others believe it to be the great noise of the last trumpet. The superstitious papists believe that it will be a great and glorious cross. Whatever it may be, however, it will be something whereby the living will acknowledge and say, “Now the Judge is coming unto judgment, and the end is here.” The duration of this judgment is also unknown. From that which has been said it can indeed be deduced that it will neither be a silent proceeding, nor only last one or several hours, or even for a day, as some imagine. Instead, it may last a very long time, and were it to last -- give or take -- two thousand years, there will be no haste if this task were to require that much time. Believers will then be in glory and in a state of bliss already, and the ungodly will suffer anxiety which is so unbearable that they would wish that they could escape the presence of Christ. However, the duration of it is not to be determined. The Final Judgment to be Greatly Feared by the Ungodly
Consider all the above collectively and bring it vividly to your attention. Christ will come to judgment; He will appear in a very conspicuous manner and every eye will see Him; He will come with great glory and as Judge to execute judgment; He will summon all men before Him and separate the good from the evil; He will examine everyone painstakingly and make all their deeds manifest; He will pronounce the sentence of life or death upon everyone’s work. Thereupon He will execute the sentence and cast the ungodly into hell and usher the godly into heaven.
How this should cause the hair of the ungodly to stand on end for fear, for it will be a dreadful day for them! It is “that great and notable day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20). “For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch” (Malachi 4:1). Then they will experience what is written: “The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?” (Isaiah 33:14). Then they shall say “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:16-17). It is amazing that people who are so desirous to know future things and so careful to make provision for their own old age as well as for their children and grandchildren -- and if possible gather treasures -- are nevertheless so careless about this great and terrible day. Their conscience convinces them of sin, and if they would but give a little heed to their conscience, they would be fearful of wrath. This day makes no impression in the hearts of many, however; they neither wish to think of it nor reflect upon what it will be like. They ignore it, as if the likelihood of this day would be less if they do not think about it. The devils tremble for this day and Felix became very fearful when he heard Paul speak of the impending judgment. Who is, however, presently persuaded by the terror of the Lord to believe? It is a grievous sign when someone who lives in sin nevertheless does not tremble for this great judgment.
You who are careless, insensitive, comfortable in your sin, carnal, worldly-minded, of the earth earthy, immoral, fornicators, adulterers, proud boasters, gamblers, drunkards, liars, backbiters, hypocrites, and disobedient rejecters of the gospel -- hear and take notice. How do you think you will fare? I assure you that you will be summoned to judgment just as you are. You will see the Lord Jesus in glory, sitting as your Judge upon the throne of His glory. The call will go out to you, “Adam, where art thou? What have you done?” You will then tremblingly appear, and there the history of your life, together with a review of all your private and public sins will be read to you. This will silence you and the Judge will look upon you in wrath, and in anger will address you as a cursed one. The godly will behold you with contempt and approve of your condemnation. All this you will have to endure for a long time with utmost anxiety. It will be unbearable to you that those whom you now despise will then be in glory and will judge you. Upon this will follow the eternal casting away into the pool which burns with sulphur and where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There the smoke of your torment will arise to all eternity, and there the worm of your conscience, which will bite you furiously, will never die. There you will seek death but not find it, and in unbearable despair you will bite your tongue for grief. All this will come upon you. Where will you then flee? All grace will then be withheld from you; all hiding places will have been removed, and all refreshment, change of condition, and relief will then cease. Only your sorrows according to soul and body will have no end. Oh, that by the terror of the Lord we could persuade you and that we could save you through fear! Now the wrath of God can still be escaped, since Christ as the way, the truth, and the life is yet offered to you in the gospel. Therefore, repent now and believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. May the almighty God now cause you to come tremblingly to the Lord and His goodness, so that you may stand in that day before the Son of man with great liberty and joy when He will come in His glory. The Final Judgment to be Joyously Anticipated by the Godly
Believers, you who seek Jesus unto justification and sanctification, do not fear the coming of the Lord. Instead, long for it and anticipate it with great joy; love His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8). Comfort each other with the promise of His coming 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing nigh (Luke 21:28). Ought you not to do so?
First, our Lord Jesus will then be glorified before the eyes of all men, angels, and devils. He who has been humbled so deeply while upon earth; who then was a Man of sorrows, tempted in all miseries, and abhorred and despised by the people; who died upon the cross while experiencing the wrath of God and the mockery of the people; and who presently is so little acknowledged, revered, and feared wherever He is preached, but instead is contemptuously rejected by the world and is still mocked and persecuted in His members -- that Jesus will then be seen in His glory, sitting on the throne of His glory as the Judge of all. Therefore, rejoice ye lovers of the Lord Jesus, and long for that day, for then your Jesus will be glorified in all His saints and “be admired in all them that believe” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).
Secondly, this day will be a day of great refreshment for you, for it will be the time of refreshing Acts 3:19, a day of deliverance from all your misery Luke 21:28, a day of being received at the marriage feast Matthew 25:6, and a day of crowning (2 Timothy 4:8).
Thirdly, the good and the evil will then be separated from each other. Presently -- to your grief -- they are intermixed in the church, but then you will “discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not” (Malachi 3:18). All the godly will then stand as a single assembly together at the right hand of Christ. Not one ungodly person or hypocrite will be able to find a place among them. Rather, they will all be placed together at the left hand of the Judge.
Fourthly, you will then observe the execution of righteous wrath upon all the ungodly and the oppressors of the church. Then He will come, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
Fifthly, He will then confess before the angels and all men that He loves you, that, as your Surety, He has atoned for all your sins, and that you are an heir of eternal life. Oh, how great will your glory then be when you will be acknowledged by that great Judge as His bride, and when He will usher you into the house of His Father where there will be nothing but light, glory, holiness, and joy! Therefore, lift up your head out of all your sorrows and rejoice. “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
Believers Rebuked and Exhorted
It is a deplorable situation that believers rejoice so little over the coming of Christ unto judgment and are unable to comfort themselves with this in their current spiritual and temporal tribulations. If you ask what the reason for this is, then I answer:
(1) It proceeds from a misconception that it would be more glorious for the Lord Jesus, the church, and you if it were to occur presently in this life, as if it would not be such a great thing in the day of judgment.
(2) It proceeds from unbelief, because you fear that you are not a child of God and that you would yet find yourself at the left hand. Oh, why this continual doubting about one’s state, since there are so many reasons to acknowledge grace? It is so harmful if the believer, in essence believing that he has been translated from death and is a possessor of life, nevertheless does not function as being in this state and as being an heir with Christ, and does not rejoice in this.
(3) It proceeds from the weakness of historical faith. One secretly believes that the Lord Jesus will come to judgment. If, however, historical faith were stronger, you would focus upon this day and deem it to be a present reality. You would then be conscious of the principle from which your present motions would proceed.
(4) It proceeds from carelessness. In your mind you remain too attached to the earthly and, with Peter, you would wish to erect tabernacles here to find pleasure for soul and body. Therefore, you reflect so little about the future -- as if that were not desirable. If you do not reflect much upon that great and glorious day, nor deem this to be to your comfort, joy, and glory; if you do not comfort others with those words, then it is no wonder that you neither have high thoughts of it nor much desire for it.
(5) It proceeds from a lack of love for Christ. If you had more of a desire for Christ’s glory, and if you were more desirous of seeing Jesus in His glory and to be with your Bridegroom, your heart would reflect more upon it and long more for it.
Since the Lord Jesus will come to judgment: (1) Review your account, examine your debts, and place the satisfaction of Christ over against it. Endeavor by faith to have this account signed with the blood of the Lord Jesus.
(2) Adorn yourself for such a time with the glorious wedding garment -- the righteousness of the Lord Jesus -- so that you, being clothed with the garments of salvation and having put on the robe of righteousness, may see yourself as perfect in Him, as the righteousness of God, and thus anticipate that day with liberty.
(3) Be watchful, so that this day may not come upon you unawares. Furnish your lamps with oil, keep your loins girded and your candle burning Luke 12:35, and prayerfully anticipate the coming of the Bridegroom: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). You must now work and be abundant in the exercise of virtue: “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing” (Matthew 24:46). You must now be doing, if you then wish to hear: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungered, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me” (Matthew 25:34-36). The End of the World
Once the ungodly will have been incarcerated in hell forever and the Judge will have entered heaven with His elect, the world shall perish. At the time of Noah, the first world, after having existed approximately 1656 years, did perish by water -- the history of which has been recorded in Genesis 38:1-30. The Lord has promised and sworn that the world will no more perish by water, and, as a confirmation, has appointed the rainbow to be the sign thereof (cf. Genesis 8:21-22; Genesis 9:9-17; Isaiah 54:9). Even though the world will no more perish by water, it will perish once more with all that is in it. “Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed” (Psalms 102:25-26). The heavens and the earth will perish by fire. “But the heavens and the earth ... are ... reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men ... in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up ... wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” 2 Peter 3:7
Heaven and Earth to be Purged and Restored Rather than Annihilated
Question: Will the structural edifice of heaven and earth be annihilated, or will they be purified by fire and be restored to their original purity, beauty, and glory?
Answer: There are differences of opinion about this. Some maintain the first, and some the second. It is not a point worthy of dispute. We are of the opinion that the heavens and the earth will be purified and be restored in their original luster. The reasons are as follows:
Proof #1: “Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things” (Acts 3:21). This time is none other than the coming of Christ to judgment. Prior to that day we do not expect Christ from heaven. In the millennium all things will not be restituted. Corruption and sin will remain as long as the world stands. This time of Christ’s coming unto judgment is called “the times of restitution of all things.” “All things” does not refer to people; rather, as we have observed earlier from Peter’s epistle, heaven and earth and all that is in it will, according to the apostle, be fully restored. They will thus continue as far as their substance is concerned and will only be changed as far as their characteristics are concerned.
Proof #2: “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:19-23). The “creature” and “the whole creation” cannot refer to believers, and much less to the apostles being contrasted with other believers. For not only did the apostles have the firstfruits of the Spirit, but also all believers have it, and they are all “firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:18). That “creation” and “creature” are not to be understood to refer to believers is evident as follows:
(1) There is a distinct contrast between creature and believers, for the creature anticipates the revelation of the children of God. The creature is not subject to vanity due to his own doings and to inherent guilt, but that of another, namely, the guilt of man -- for which reason God has cursed the earth (Genesis 3:17; Genesis 5:29). Believers, together with all men, are subject to vanity due to their own doings. We repeat Romans 8:23 : “And not only they, but ourselves also.” Thus, there is an immediate contrast between the creature and believers. Believers are therefore not the creature, nor were the apostles, for the apostles were also subject to vanity -- not due to the guilt of believers, but, as is true for all believers, due to their own guilt.
(2) Neither the apostles nor believers are ever referred to as “the creature” or as “the whole creation”; but every believer is indeed called a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). However, this pertains to themselves; that is, relative to who they were previously, for nowhere are they in themselves, or in comparison to others, denominated as either the creature, or “the whole creation.” Others are, however, called creatures in contrast to believers. “... that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:18; cf. Mark 13:19; Romans 8:39; Hebrews 4:13). Thus, creature or creation does not refer to believers but to the edifice of heaven and earth. This creation, contrary to its nature, is subject to vanity and must be subservient to sinful man. This creation will be delivered from bondage. Of this creation it is said (figuratively speaking) that it groans and hopes (as it is said to rejoice and clap hands), to be freed and restored to liberty, consistent with its mode of existence -- just as the children of God will then be placed in glorious liberty.
Therefore, the substance of heaven and earth will not be destroyed, but will remain.
Thirdly, “They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed” (Hebrews 1:11-12). That which waxes old, is folded up, and is changed continues to exist in essence. Furthermore, perishing also does not mean annihilation, but rather a change in state and characteristics. We thus say that people perish when they drown in the sea. Likewise the apostle Peter did say that the first world perished, whereas it nevertheless remained as far as its substance was concerned.
Fourthly, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now ... reserved unto fire ... shall pass away with a great noise ... shall be burned up ... be dissolved ... melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” 2 (Pet 3:6-7,10-13); “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).
(1) All these expressions are indicative of a wondrous change, but not of annihilation. All that perishes, burns, and melts in the world, remains the same as far as substance is concerned. Its condition and characteristics are changed. It is dissolved into its elements, but it is not annihilated as far as substance is concerned. From these expressions one can therefore not conclude that heaven and earth will be annihilated.
(2) The first world perished, but was not annihilated. After the world perishes, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. We know, however, that whatever is renewed is also said to be new (John 13:34; Galatians 6:15). There will be a new heaven and a new earth; this cannot be denied. How will this take place? Will this be by way of a new creation? Such a statement is not found in the Bible. Thus, the heaven and earth which now exist will remain as far as substance is concerned and be renewed as far as condition and characteristics are concerned. Only as far as the sea is concerned do we read a different expression: It will be no more. Whether this refers to substance or characteristics, we shall leave unanswered. Whatever may be advanced contrary to that are but figures of speech which have been mentioned before, and upon which we have commented.
Man in his curiosity asks many questions about this, such as, “Shall God create new persons, animals, trees, etc. Will those persons fare better than Adam did and not sin, since it is stated that righteousness will dwell in that earth? Will there be animals? Will death among animals and vegetation also take place there? Will animals procreate?” etc. We have no desire to answer these and similar foolish questions. It is certain that the continuation of heaven and earth will not be purposeless. They will exist to the glory of the Creator, and for angels and men who may possibly (due to the mobility of their bodies) be able to travel from heaven to earth and from the earth to heaven. As angels currently do not miss heaven when they are upon earth, so will glorified believers also not miss heaven and communion with God if they were to come upon earth to observe the works of God there. They would thereby be able to glorify God as the angels did when God created heaven and earth Job 38:1-41.
We ought to aspire to be an heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ -- to be quickened to a godly walk by the hope of inheritance, and leave the earth with all that is in it for the ungodly as their portion. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” 1 (John 2:15