30 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30–31 (ESV)
What do the Scriptures say regarding hell being the final judgment of, and from, God? Remember, salvation is not only deliverance by God, but also deliverance from God. God is not only love (John 3:16; I John 4:7-11), but He is also just (Romans 3:21-26; I John 1:9). He must punish sin.
The final judgment by the LORD is predicted in the Old Testament (1 Chron. 16:33; Ps. 9:7; 96:13; Eccles. 3:17), and is also a first principle of the gospel (Heb. 6:1-2). God has appointed a day for it (Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16), which is unknown to us (Mark 13:32).
Other names for the final judgment include Day of Calamity (Job 21:30), Day of Judgment and destruction of the ungodly (2 Pet. 3:7), Day of Wrath (Job 21:30; Rom. 2:5; Rev. 6:17), Judgment of the great day (Jude 6) and the Revelation of God’s righteous judgment (Rom. 2:1-5).
The final judgment involves the Lord Jesus Christ. It shall be administered by Christ (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42; Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10), will include believers in Christ (1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:4), and will take place at the coming of Christ (Matt. 25:31; 2 Tim. 4:1).
The final judgment will be based on objective laws and standards. These will include the law of conscience (Rom. 2:12, 14–15), by the Law of Moses (Rom. 2:12) and the Gospel (James 2:12). The judgment will involve all nations (Matt. 25:32), all kinds of individuals (Heb. 9:27; 12:23; Rev. 20:12), the righteous and wicked (Eccles. 3:17), along with the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5).
The final judgment shall be done in righteousness (Ps. 98:9; Acts 17:31), and the books shall be opened (Dan. 7:10). This will encompass all acts (Eccles. 11:9; 12:14; Rev. 20:13), words (Matt. 12:36–37; Jude 15), thoughts (Eccles. 12:14; 1 Cor. 4:5).
None, by their fallen nature, can stand in the judgment (Ps. 1:5-6; 103:3; 143:1-2; Rom. 3:19). Believers shall, through Christ, be enabled to stand in the judgment (Rom. 8:33–34). Christ will acknowledge believers at the judgment (Matt. 25:34–40; Rev. 3:5), and God’s perfect love will give believers in Christ confidence in the judgment (1 John 4:17).
Believers shall be rewarded at the final judgment (2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 11:18), while the wicked will be condemned (Matt. 7:22–23; 13:40–42; 25:41, 46) by the word of Christ (John 12:48).
The certainty of the final judgment is a motive for repentance (Acts 17:30–31), faith (Isa. 28:16–17), holiness (2 Cor. 5:9–10; 2 Pet. 3:11, 14), prayer and watchfulness (Mark 13:33). The wicked dread the final judgment (Acts 24:25; 2 Cor. 5:11; Heb. 10:27), neglected blessings will increase condemnation (Matt. 11:20–24; Luke 11:31–32) and demons will also be condemned at the final judgment (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6).
“One of the most important things we can do in our proclamation of the gospel is to remind people that a day of judgment is coming and that they will be condemned for all eternity on that day if they do not rest in Christ alone for salvation. God will not overlook sin forever, but many people are counting on Him to do so. Let us remind them of God’s righteousness and call them to trust in Christ alone,” concludes Dr. R. C. Sproul.
Soli deo Gloria!
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