An Interlude on Judgement Day

Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash

On Judgment Day, we will witness two distinct classes of judgment — not two different standards, but two different purposes: Retributive Justice and Restorative Justice.

The first two verdicts we explored are primary examples of each. The judgment on Sin is an expression of retributive justice, where God’s wrath is poured out without restraint upon the very root and cause of evil. Conversely, the declaration of a harvest is God’s compassion poured out, also without restraint, upon the potential that Sin had delayed while it reigned.

In Matthew 13:40–43, Jesus interprets the “Master Parable” — the key that unlocks the meaning of the others — by showing us both classes of judgment in a single moment:

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Jesus makes a critical distinction here:

• Retribution: The purging and punishment of “everything that causes sin” and “all who do evil.”
• Restoration: The unveiling of the “righteous,” who will finally “shine like the sun.”

Without a doubt, Matthew 13 is a chronological lineup of the various verdicts God delivers at the end of the age. While these are parables of the Kingdom, we must recognize that Judgment precedes the Kingdom. The Kingdom is a sinless, faultless, and timeless dispensation; nothing impure or imperfect is permitted entry. Therefore, God’s judgment is the final purging and perfecting act before we enter the fullness of His reign.

However, this raises several vital questions:

• If Sin is only finally removed on Judgment Day, what was accomplished on the Cross?
• If the final victory over Sin is reserved for the end of the age, can we truly overcome Sin today?
• If full restoration is deferred until Judgment Day, what measure of restoration is available to us now?

Thankfully, the Scriptures do not leave us wandering. Let’s walk through the remainder of this series to find the answers.

Let’s get back into the courtroom…

More in “The Judgement” Series

1. What’s Behind the Cards?
2. Is God’s Judgement Fair?
3. Two Systems of Judgement
4. The Six Cases before the Court
5. The First Judgement: The Trial of Iniquity
6. The Second Verdict: The Decree of Harvest
7. An Interlude: Let Revisit Why? [You’re Here]
8. The Third Verdict: The Decree of Knowledge
9. The Fourth Verdict: The Decree of Worth
10. The Fifth Verdict: The Decree of Compensation
11. The Final Verdict: Judgement on Evil
12. Getting on the Restoration List
13. Heaven on Earth [Coming Soon]