September 9: ANGUISH!
…saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgement has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” Revelation 14:7
Looking beyond the first phase of judgement and into the second, we are told that the saints will judge the world: 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? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, the things that pertain to this life? (1 Corinthians 6:2-3)
The saved of all the ages will have been taken to heaven all together in joyous procession (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; Hebrews 11:13,39-40). Now they will participate in the second phase of judgement. It will not be rushed; a thousand years are allotted for every question to be answered. The life of each lost person and angel will be reviewed by the saved. It will be unquestionably clear that divine judgement is no arbitrary matter. Rather, it is an affirmation of the choices they had already made for themselves. Jesus’ decision in every case regarding their eternal fate will ultimately be agreed upon. His judgements are true, just, and altogether righteous. The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:9).
Scripture provides us with “visuals” of the proceedings. All three phases of the final judgement are presided over by the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9). In our learning of eternal matters, you and I are to remember the words of Jesus: “the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God” (John 16:27). Satan is the accuser (Zechariah 1:3; Revelation 12:10). The Lord Jesus is attorney, judge, and witness. Daniel saw the heavenly court render a verdict in favor of the saints (Daniel 7:22). That favorable judgement occurs in the first phase, the pre-advent phase that leads up to the Savior’s coming. He is coming to gather His people from all over the world and take them to the heavenly Jerusalem in fulfillment of the second phase of judgement (during the millennium).
In the third (executive) phase of judgement, the heavenly city will descend near the earth. Fire will fall upon the earth, and the earth’s surface will become a huge lake of fire (Revelation 20:9; 14-15). Its purpose: to eradicate sin and those who cherish it from the universe. This will be a time of great sadness for each saved person and for God’s angels. Most everyone will have a loved one or friend in the fire. Christ will undoubtedly weep over all of them. The anguish of our loving heavenly Father at that awful time will defy description. It is foreign—strange—to His nature to destroy life (see Isaiah 28:21 KJV; Lamentations 3:33). After the fire has finished its work, earth will be the eternal home of the capital city of the entire Universe: The New Jerusalem! The redeemed will witness Jesus re-creating this world and its atmosphere (see Genesis 1:1). He says, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5; see also Job 19:25-29)
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:3-4