e bodies which were committed to the graves shall be
raised; for, if new bodies were to be produced, and united to their
souls, they could not, with truth, be said to come out of their
graves. The Apostle Paul affirms, that the same body shall be raised
which is sown in corruption, and declares: "This corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality;"
pointing, as it were, to that corruptible and mortal body which he
then carried about. But, though the bodies of the saints will be the
same in all essentials as to substance, they will be vastly changed
as to qualities. "Flesh and blood" in their present state of
grossness and frailty, "cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither
does corruption inherit incorruption." The resurrection-body,
therefore, shall be wonderfully changed, in respect to qualities,
that it may be fitted for the employments and felicities of the
heavenly state. "It is sown in corruption, it is raised in
incorruption; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is
sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body,
it is raised a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:42–44. With regard
to the wicked, the Scriptures give us no specific information with
respect to the state and qualities of their bodies. All that we
learn is, that they shall rise "to shame and everlasting contempt;"
from which it is evident that they shall be raised to dishonor.

How solicitous should we be to obtain the resurrection of the just!
This was Paul's great desire, and the object of his earnest
pursuit.—Philippians 3:11. If we would attain to a blessed
resurrection, let it be our concern to be "found in Christ." United
to him by the inhabitation of his Spirit and by a living faith, we
need not be slavishly afraid of death or of the grave; for Christ is
"the resurrection and the life, and he who believes in him, though
he were dead, yet shall he live; and whoever lives and believes in
him shall never die."



33. Of the Last Judgment

SECTION 1. God has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world
in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment is
given of the Father. In which day, not only the apostate angels
shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon earth
shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of
their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what
they have done in the body, whether good or evil.

SECTION 2. The end of God's appointing this day is for the
manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal salvation of
the elect, and of his justice in the damnation of the reprobate, who
are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into
everlasting life, and receive that fullness of joy and refreshing
which shall come from the presence of the Lord; but the wicked, who
know not God, and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ, shall be cast
into eternal torments, and be punished with everlasting destruction
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

Exposition of 33.1–33.2

There is a particular judgment which passes upon every individual
immediately after death; for "it is appointed unto men once to die,
but after this the judgement." Hebrews 9:27. There is also a general
judgment, which shall take place after the resurrection of the dead,
at the last day. The present sections—1. Declare the certainty of a
future judgment; 2. Affirm that the administration of this judgment
is committed to Jesus Christ; 3. Point out the parties who shall
appear before his tribunal; 4. The matters to be tried; and, 5. The
sentence to be pronounced.

I. The certainty of a future judgment. We are told that Paul
reasoned before Felix of judgment to come.—Acts 24:25. He proved
this truth by arguments drawn from the nature and reason of things;
and such arguments are not to be overlooked by us, though our faith
stands upon a more sure foundation.

1. The certainty of a future judgment appears from the dictates of
conscience. Men, even when destitute of supernatural revelation,
apprehend an essential difference between good and evil. When they
do what is right, their conscience approves and commends their
conduct; and when they do what is wrong, their conscience reproaches
and condemns them. If they have committed some atrocious crime,
conscience stings them with remorse; and this it does although the
crime be secret, and concealed from every human eye. Whence does
this arise, but from an awful foreboding of future retribution? The
Apostle Paul, accordingly, shows that all mankind have a witness in
themselves that there shall be a future judgment.—Romans 2:15.

2. Reason infers a future judgment from the state of things in this
world. Here we take for granted these two fundamental principles of
religion—the being of God, and his providence in the government of
the world. All who acknowledge these truths must, and do, believe
that God is infinitely just and righteous, infinitely wise and holy,
infinitely good and merciful; and that he cannot be otherwise. From
this it necessarily results that it must be well with the righteous,
and ill with the wicked. But the most superficial view of the
present state of things is sufficient to convince us that God does
not, in this world, dispense prosperity only to the good, and
adversity only to the evil: "There be just men, unto whom it happen
according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to
whom it happen according to the work of the righteous." Ecclesiastes
8:14. The promiscuous dispensations of Providence have perplexed the
minds of men in every age, and tried the faith of the children of
God.—Psalm 73:4–17; Jeremiah 12:1, 2; Habakkuk 1:13. But reason
rightly exercised would lead us to the conclusion that, upon the
supposition of the being and providence of God, there must be a day
coming when these things will be brought under review, and when a
wide and visible difference shall be made between him that serves
God and him that serves him not.

3. God has given testimony to this truth in all the extraordinary
judgments which he has executed since the beginning of the world.
Though much wickedness remains unpunished and undiscerned in this
world, yet God sometimes executes judgment upon daring offenders,
show that he judges in the earth, and to give warning to men of a
judgment to come. In signal judgments, "the wrath of God is revealed
from Heaven against the ungodliness of men;" and an intimation is
given of what he will further do hereafter.—2 Peter 2:5, 6; 3:5, 7.

4. That there is a judgment to come is confirmed by the most
explicit testimonies of scripture. Enoch predicted the approach of
this day of universal decision as a beneficial admonition to that
profligate age in which he lived.—Jude 14, 15. Solomon addressed
this solemn warning to the voluptuous: "Know that for all these
things God will bring you into judgment." Ecclesiastes 11:9. Job put
his friends in mind that there is a judgment; and the Psalmist
frequently represents it in very solemn language.—Job 19:29; Psalm
50:3–6; 98:9. Our Lord, during his personal ministry, frequently
foretold his coming to judgment; and the testimonies to this truth
in the writings of his apostles are numerous.—Matthew 25:31–46;
Romans 14:10, 12; 2 Corinthians 5:10.

5. This truth is confirmed by the resurrection of Christ. The
Apostle Paul, having affirmed that "God will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he has ordained," adds, "whereof he
has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the
dead." Acts 17:31. The resurrection of Christ is a specimen and
pledge of a general resurrection—that grand preparative for the
judgment. It is an incontestable proof of our Lord's divine mission,
and is, therefore, an authentic attestation of all his claims. In
the days of his humiliation, when he was accused and condemned
before the tribunal of men, he plainly warned them of a future
judgment, and declared that he himself would be the judge:
"Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of
power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:64. Now,
since God has raised him from the dead, although be was condemned as
a blasphemer for this very declaration, is not this an undeniable
proof from Heaven of the truth of what he then asserted?

II. The administration of the future judgment is committed to Jesus
Christ: "He is ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead."
Acts 10:42. It is, indeed, frequently said, that "God shall judge
the world;" and the Psalmist declares, "None else is judge but God."
Psalm 50:6. How are these declarations to be reconciled? The words
of Paul enable us to solve the difficulty. He has told us that "God
will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has
ordained." Acts 17:31. It thus appears that God the Father judges
the world by the Son. The supreme judiciary power is in the Godhead,
and the exercise of that power is committed to Christ, as
mediator—John 5:22.

There is a peculiar fitness and propriety in this constitution—1. It
is fit that this high office should be conferred upon Christ, as an
honorary reward for his extreme abasement and ignominious
sufferings. 2. Inasmuch as men are to be judged after the
resurrection in an embodied state, it is fit they should have a
visible judge. 3. It is also fit that Christ should be the supreme
judge, as it must contribute greatly to the consolation of the
saints that they shall be judged by him who is a partaker of their
nature, who redeemed them to God by his blood, and who is their
advocate with the Father. 4. It may be added, that hereby the
condemnation of the wicked will be rendered more conspicuously just;
for if a Mediator—a Savior—the Friend of sinners—condemns them, they
must be worthy of condemnation indeed.

III. We are next to consider the parties who shall appear before the
tribunal of Christ. The Scripture says nothing of the judgment of
good angels, but it clearly teaches that the apostate angels will be
judged.—Jude 4; 2 Peter 2:4. That men universally shall stand before
the judgment-seat of Christ is expressly declared.—2 Corinthians
5:10. We are told that Christ "shall judge the quick and the dead at
his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:1. This expression, "the quick and the
dead," comprehends all mankind. By the dead, are to be understood
all who died before the period of Christ's coming to judgment; and
by the quick, such as shall then be found alive.

IV. The matter to be tried. This is expressed in the most
comprehensive terms: "God shall bring every world into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Ecclesiastes 12:14. All the works of the sons of men will be tried,
and they shall receive according to what they have done in the body,
whether good or evil. Not only the actions of the life, but also the
words of men shall be judged; for our Savior has assured us that
"for every idle word which men shall speak, they shall give an
account in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36. And not only the
actions and words, but also the very thoughts of men shall be
brought into judgment; for we are told "God shall judge the secrets
of men by Jesus Christ." Romans 2:16.

V. The sentence to be pronounced will be answerable to the several
states in which mankind shall be found. They shall receive their
doom according to their works.—Rev. 20:13. It is to be remarked,
that the good works of the righteous will be produced in that day,
not as the grounds of their acquittal, and of their being adjudged
to eternal life, but as the evidences of their gracious state, as
being interested in the righteousness of Christ. But the evil deeds
of the wicked will be brought forward, not only as evidences of
their being strangers to Christ, but also as the grounds of their
condemnation. To the glorious company on his right hand the King
will say: "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world." How different
the sentence that will be passed on the guilty crowd on his left
hand! To them he will say: "Depart from me, you cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." The
sentence shall no sooner be passed than it shall be executed. While
fallen angels and wicked men shall be driven from the presence of
the Judge into the pit of eternal perdition, the righteous shall be
conducted into heavenly mansions, and "shall go no more out." "These
shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into
life eternal." The same expression being applied to the happiness of
the righteous and the punishment of the wicked, we may conclude that
both will be of equal duration.

SECTION 3. As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that
there shall be a day of judgment, both to deter all men from sin,
and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity; so
will he have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all
carnal security, and be always watchful, because they know not at
what hour the Lord will come; and may be ever prepared to say, Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.

Exposition of 33.3

The day of the eternal judgment is fixed in the counsels of God;
but, that we may be kept habitually watchful, the knowledge of that
day is wisely concealed from us. Though a long series of ages may
elapse before Christ shall come in the clouds of Heaven to judge the
world, let every one remember that the day of his own death is
equally important to him as the day of the universal judgment; for
where death leaves him, judgment will find him. Let him, therefore,
"be diligent, that he may be found of God in peace, without spot and
blameless." Let every reader study to improve the talents with which
he is entrusted, and be solicitous to obtain the approbation of his
Master in Heaven. How highly will he commend all those who have been
diligent and faithful in his service! He will bestow upon them that
best of plaudits: "Well done, good and faithful servant;" and will
introduce them into "the joy of their Lord." Well may the genuine
believer "love the appearing" of Christ; for when Christ shall
appear, he also shall appear with him in glory. And since Christ
proclaims in his Word, "Surely I come quickly," let every Christian
joyfully respond, "Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus."