By Dr. Billye Brim

Judgment is associated with all that is encompassed in terms such as "the last days," "the Rapture," "the Second Coming," "the Day of the Lord," and so on.  

Strong's Concordance defines the Hebrew word for judgment as "a verdict (favorable or unfavorable)" coming from a root word meaning "to judge, that is pronounce sentence (for or against)."

We use "harvest" to name churches, or speak of revival, but "harvest" also implies judgment. Any harvest calls for a judgment, a separation. Natural harvests serve as examples of spiritual harvests in biblical usage.

The good fruit is separated from the bad. The wheat from the chaff. The wheat from the tares. The sheep from the goats.

The Great White Throne Judgment
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Many are confused about biblical judgments. Some think there is going to be just one big "Judgment Day." I recently heard a minister, who is good at teaching the Word of Faith, say to a congregation made up of Christians, "Well, if you don't get that out of you now, you'll have to answer for it at the Great White Throne Judgment."

Christians will not be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. That judgment will not occur until after the Millennium.

When Satan, after having been bound during the 1,000 years of the Millennium, is loosed a little season will to gather a huge army from the nations to encompass earthly Jerusalem in an attempt to destroy the Jews.  

He thus serves God's purpose in gathering evil into one place. Evil, in this last separation or judgment of it, is consumed by fire coming down out of heaven to consume those caught up in it. The devil is cast into the lake of fire.

After all this there is a resurrection of the dead who have not before been raised. Then there is a judgment before the Great White Throne of God. (See Revelation Chapter 20.)

Three Groups of Peoples
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A necessary key to understanding biblical judgments is the same one we need to unlock Bible prophecy—the knowledge that God sees and deals with three groups of peoples: The Jews, the Nations, and the Church (1 Cor. 10:32).

God has plans for, futures for, and therefore, judgments for each of these three people groups.

(Of course, God deals with us as individuals. But certain things have to do with the people group one is in. For example, an individual Christian receives rewards based on the deeds done in his or her body. But there is also a glorious future associated with the place of the church during the Millennium and throughout eternity.)

People from each of the three people groups will make it past upcoming judgments, much more imminent than the White Throne Judgment, to be part of the Seventh Day Millennial population either on earth or in heaven.

A short recap of judgments—greatly oversimplified and by no means all-inclusive—marked for the three groups is as follows:

‍The Jews:
The Jews have long known judgment, especially beginning with the Babylonian exile. The fulfillment of the decision of the "Judge of all the earth" that the Jews would return to their Promised Land has begun in our time.

Eventually, after great tribulation, they will be rescued by their Messiah from the efforts of Satan to destroy them at Jerusalem, and reestablished as the top of the earthly nations whose job it is during the Millennium to teach the sheep nations about God (Zech. 12 and14).

The Church:
Those who make up the body of Christ have accepted His undergoing judgment for mankind's sins. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 10:21).  

By God's doing we are in Christ Jesus who became to us "wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30).

After the Rapture, the church will appear before "the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad..." (2 Cor. 5:10).  

Rewards for our works will follow us. And the Bible even intimates that future job assignments will depend upon our following Him in this life (Rev. 27:12.)

The Judgment of the Nations:
This is the one I want to elaborate on in a little more detail. For I believe we are in the beginnings at least of the final judgments of nations as nations.

The origin of the nations is given in Genesis 10 as descending from the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The Lord's instruction to them was "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Gen. 9:1).Some 340 years after the flood, the nations had not moved to replenish the earth. In fact, they found a plain in the land of Shinar (Iraq), and proceeded to build the tower of Babel "lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4).  

The first recorded activity of the nations was rebellion against the plan of God. Satan, whose very existence depends on thwarting the plans of God, was surely there to tempt the nations at Babel.  But God already had a plan to reveal Himself to the rebellious nations. He separated a nation unto Himself for that purpose (Gen. 12:1-4).

Judgment for the nations became dependent on their blessing or cursing the nation God set aside for the revelation of Himself.

History testifies that once powerful empires and nations, which cursed the Jews, have passed into oblivion. Yet the Jews are still here. Yes and have even come back to their biblical homeland as God said they would.

Now the nations of the world are required to recognize God's plan for Israel and to bless them in their return. To do so is to know blessing. Not to do so is to know cursing.

The Sheep Goat Judgment
Eventually, immediately after the tribulation period, the nations will be judged as to who goes into the Millennium with blessings, i.e., the sheep nations (Please read Matthew 25:31-46).

This sheep goat judgment is a judgment of the nations—not the Jews, not the church—immediately after the great tribulation.

(Some things to note: This is a works judgment. It is based on how these nations treated His brethren the Jews during that tribulation period. See how the Lord calls the Jews His brethren in Micah 5:2-3.)

There is no mention of a resurrection here. These gentiles have lived through that terrible seven years. Those who blessed the Jews will be judged righteous according to this judgment. They will go into kingdoms prepared for them.

These are millennial people who will have longevity restored to them in their earthly bodies.  Perhaps their bodies will be like the first Adam's. They will live on this earth. They will bear children.

They are not born again. They do not have glorious bodies like His glorious body. They are not going to the Father (John 14:6).

And it is from the progeny of these, as difficult as it is to imagine, that Satan 1,000 years later when he is loosed a little season from the pit is able to amass his army (Rev. 20:7-9).

Meanwhile...
But what about now? What about some of the things we see happening now? Can the war in Iraq be a judgment? What about hurricanes?

God, the Judge of all, has already pronounced judgments such as: the wages of sin is death...one reaps what one sows, positive or negative...those who bless Israel are blessed, those who curse Israel are cursed...and we could list so many more.

Now, however, concerning the judgment of nations, lets take the last one. Here are a just a few of the many scriptures which more than establish that nations as nations will know judgment based upon how they treat Israel and God's plan for that holy nation: Gen. 12:1-3; Ps. 83; Isa. 41:11,12; Jer. 30:3, 10, 11, 16, 20; 50:7, 11; Joel 3:1-3; Zech. 1:15; 12:1-3; 14:3; and Matt. 25:31-46.

Jeremiah 50 and 51, as well as Isaiah 13, describe a judgment of Babylon, which present-day Iraq may be enduring. These verses tell why it came, My people (Israel) hath been lost sheep...All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD....

And Chaldea shall be a spoil...Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of Mine heritage (Israel).... (Jer. 50:6-7,10-11)

© Billye Brim Ministries