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The questions/Trail: Jesus Christ

What is the final judgment, and who will be there?

On the last day every person will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and the Judge on the throne is Jesus. The books are opened: what each person has done, and whether that name is written in the book of life. For those in Christ, judgment is not condemnation but the revealing of redeemed lives and their reward; for the rest, it is the just sentence of the King. Everyone will be there, and everyone will be fully known.

This question arose from studying Is the Son of Man title about judgment or mercy? and What is hell?.

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What the Scripture says

Everyone will stand before the Judge

Paul writes that 'we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ,' and to the Romans: 'we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ... each one of us will give account of himself to God.' Revelation sees 'the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne,' with the sea, Death, and Hades giving up their dead. No one is exempt, no one is forgotten, and no one can change the record.

For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’” So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.
Romans 14:10-12
I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
Revelation 20:12-13
Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,
Hebrews 9:27

The Judge is Jesus Christ

The Father 'has given all judgment to the Son,' and gave Him authority 'to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.' Paul told Athens that God 'has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.' The One who was judged for sinners is the One who judges: the Shepherd-King of Matthew 25 sits on the throne of His glory with all the nations gathered before Him.

For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him. “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. He also gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man.
John 5:22-27
because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
Acts 17:31
I command 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
“But 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. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25:31-32

The books are opened

Daniel saw 'the judgment was set, and the books were opened,' and John sees the same: 'they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.' The works are read because deeds reveal what a life actually was; the book of life is read because salvation is a gift, not a wage. Both books are open, and God misses nothing.

A fiery stream issued and came out from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
Daniel 7:10
I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works.
Revelation 20:12-13

For those in Christ: judgment without condemnation

Jesus said plainly that whoever hears His word and believes the Father 'has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.' For believers the judgment seat is still real: Paul says each man's work will be tested by fire, and though it may be burned up, 'he himself will be saved, but as through fire.' There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus; the question at the judgment seat is not whether we are His, but how His grace was spent.

“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
John 5:24
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15

The sentence is just, and it reveals the heart

The King separates the sheep from the goats by what was done 'to one of the least of these my brothers': the love that faith produced. Paul says God will pay back everyone according to their works, and James insists that faith without works is dead. Judgment is not a surprise test; it is the exposure of what was truly loved. That is why the summons is urgent: now God 'commands that all people everywhere should repent,' because He has fixed the day and has given the assurance of it in the resurrection of Christ.

Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?’ “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’ “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Matthew 25:34-46
But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:”
Romans 2:5-6
What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
James 2:14-17
The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.”
Acts 17:30-31

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Verses to meditate on

For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10
For the Father judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son,
John 5:22
I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:12
So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.
Romans 14:12
Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25:32

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