WHAT WILL JUDGMENT DAY BE LIKE?

by Ester yusufu | 26 September 2019 08:46 pm09

Shalom, beloved! Today we reflect on a vital truth from Scripture—what will happen on Judgment Day, and how it involves not only Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge, but also the saints, who will share in the work of judgment.

The Bible instructs us to constantly remind ourselves of God’s truths so that we don’t forget what we’ve already learned and give the devil a chance to steal it from us:

“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things… I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you.”
— 2 Peter 1:12–13

“But I want to remind you, though you once knew this…”
— Jude 1:5

Let us revisit what the Bible says about how this world will be judged—and how the lives of believers today are preparing to stand as witnesses in that judgment.

1. The Saints Are a Preservation for the World

God’s mercy often lingers on the wicked not because of their own goodness, but because of the presence of the righteous in their midst.

“If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.”
— Genesis 18:26

This principle reveals something profound: even a small number of holy people can preserve a generation from immediate destruction. Just as God spared Lot before destroying Sodom (Genesis 19:15–22), He will remove His saints before He pours out His final wrath on the earth:

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:9

This act is what theologians call the rapture, the catching away of the church before the Great Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

2. The Saints Will Judge the World

A mystery not well understood by many is this: those same saints who today uphold the world through their prayers and obedience will one day participate in judging it.

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”
— 1 Corinthians 6:2

This does not mean saints will replace Christ as Judge (see John 5:22), but rather they will share in His judgment as witnesses and participants. Their lives will serve as testimonies of God’s righteousness and fairness.

3. An Illustration of Judgment

Imagine a teacher with ten students. After a year of teaching, he gives them a test. Two pass excellently; eight fail miserably. The failed students complain:

“The test was unfair!”
“The environment was bad!”
“The food distracted us!”

So, the teacher calls one of the students who passed and asks:

“Did you have the same food, classroom, and resources?”
— “Yes.”
“Did you complain or give up?”
— “No. I endured and focused.”

The teacher turns to the rest and says:
“You all had the same chance. You failed, not because you were disadvantaged, but because you didn’t take responsibility.”

The same will happen at the judgment seat of Christ:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened… And the dead were judged according to their works…”
— Revelation 20:12

4. Excuses Will Not Stand

People will offer many excuses on that day—but God will bring witnesses (righteous people from their generation) whose lives prove those excuses invalid:

Excuse: “Sexual sin was too tempting!”

God will bring up Joseph, who resisted adultery even under pressure (Genesis 39:7–12).
“How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” — Genesis 39:9

Excuse: “I was too attractive; everyone tempted me!”

God will bring women like Sarah or others who, despite beauty, lived in purity.

“For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves… as Sarah obeyed Abraham.”
— 1 Peter 3:5–6

Excuse: “I feared leaving my religion!”

The people of Nineveh repented quickly when Jonah preached to them, and Jesus said:

“The men of Nineveh will rise in the judgment… and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.”
— Matthew 12:41

Excuse: “I was too busy or too important!”

The Queen of Sheba (South) traveled far to seek God’s wisdom.

“The queen of the South will rise up… and condemn it, for she came… to hear the wisdom of Solomon.”
— Matthew 12:42

5. Righteous Examples Will Be Evidence

The righteous lives you see today will become part of your judgment tomorrow if you ignore their example.

If you see someone choosing modesty over worldly fashion, you won’t be able to say it was impossible.
If you see people dedicating themselves to God while facing hardship, you won’t be able to say life was too hard.
If you see people abandoning sin, religion, or culture to follow Christ, you won’t be able to claim it was too costly.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”
— 2 Corinthians 5:10

6. The Door of Grace Is Still Open

Right now, Jesus is still offering salvation freely. But soon, that door will close.

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
— 2 Corinthians 6:2

When the saints are raptured, the earth will enter the Great Tribulation, a time of great suffering and judgment (Matthew 24:21–22). If you remain lukewarm or worldly, you risk being left behind.

7. What Should You Do?

The gospel message remains the same:

Repent of your sins (turn completely to God).
Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Be baptized by immersion in water in the name of Jesus Christ.

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
— Acts 2:38

This is the only way to enter into the covenant of salvation.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let the holy lives of others stand as evidence against you. Instead, let them inspire you to walk in truth. If you’ve not yet given your life to Christ, do so now.

The Day of Judgment is not a fantasy—it is a future reality. Will your life be a witness for grace—or evidence of rebellion?

“And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
— Revelation 20:15

May the Lord bless you and give you the courage to live for Him.

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