Previews of Judgment Day

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the
righteous. (Psalm 1:5 NIV)

Judgement and Heaven

What will judgment day be like? This may not be as common a question as “what will heaven be
like,” but thankfully we take our queues not from the commonness of questions but from the
often-repeated themes of scripture. Scripture gives us previews of judgment day that shape our
understanding in nearly every biblical book.
● Noah warned and saw judgment in his day.
● Joseph’s brothers worried about vengeance when their father Jacob died.
● Moses and his generation were witnesses to judgment upon Pharaoh.
● Joshua’s conquest of Canaan points to a triumph of God over all His enemies.
● The cycle of continual judgment and subjection to foreign powers in Judges.
● The rise and fall of generations of kings of Judah and Israel preview God’s cosmic
judgment day.
● The exile of ancient Israel warns of a final deadline where reversing course is no longer
possible.
● The prophets (major and minor) give poetic expressions and prophetic warnings of the
need for repentance in light of coming judgment.
● The gospels and Acts give repeated parables and teachings from Jesus and the
Apostles on the coming day of judgment.
● The epistles speak at length of the coming wrath of God in judgment on the last day.
● Revelation always juxtaposes God’s mercy, favor, and redemption of his people, with the
total judgment of the wicked.

Meeting Deadlines

If you’ve ever had a deadline, then you know something of what Judgment will be like. You’ve
been given a glimpse, that there is a time coming when the Lord in justice condemns the wicked
(Psalm 1:4-6) and pardons the righteous.