5 Things That Will Happen on Judgment Day

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Many Christians wonder what will happen on Judgment Day. The first and most important thing to understand about the final judgment is that it can’t be avoided. Regardless of how we may choose to interpret prophecy of the end times, we are told that “it is appointed to me once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). We all have a divine appointment with our Creator. The apostle John recorded some details of the final judgment. The Bible tells us, “And I saw a great white throne, and Him sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And a place was not found for them. And I saw the dead, the small and the great, stand before God. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…” (Revelation 20:11-12). This passage from Revelation introduces us to the final judgment – the end of human history and the beginning of the eternal state. We know from Scripture that God will be just and fair (Acts 10:34) and that God can’t be deceived (Galatians 6:7). We can be sure of this: no mistakes will be made in our hearings because we will be judged by a perfect God. Here are five things that will happen on Judgment Day.

All Christians Will Stand Before Christ as Judge

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We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Not just unbelievers, but “we.” And not some of us, but “all of us.” The Bible teaches clearly that all men, living and dead, saved and unsaved, must give an account to Christ. The Apostle Peter, in his great sermon in the house of Cornelius, said “that it is He which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:42). Later in his first Epistle, Peter wrote that the saints “shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick (the living) and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5). Those who were dead, those who have died since or will have died, and the living must give account to Jesus Christ who is ready to judge all men.

The Opening of the Books

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In Revelation 20:11-15, the Book of Life is referenced. We know from this passage that the dead are judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. God’s accounts are so carefully kept that, as Jesus said, we must even give account for every idle word. Each of us writes a book with our life. Everything we do is recorded. Imagine what it will be like when God begins to page through our memories. If we have sinned, we have the opportunity while in this life to repent and give forgiveness. Then God wipes it away, never to be remembered again. Then when the books are opened, we will only have to give accounts for good works.

Reward in Accord with Deeds

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There is teaching both in Paul’s writings and in the words of Jesus that believers will receive differing rewards in accord with the degree that their faith expresses itself in acts of service and love and righteousness. For example, in 1 Corinthians 3:8, Paul says “He who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” And in Ephesians 6:8, Paul says, “Whatever good thing each one days, this he will receive back from the Lord.” There are varying degrees of reward for the faithfulness of our lives. But it also moves beyond that and also teaches that there is a loss not only of reward but of eternity for those who claim to be faithful but do nothing to show that they prize God’s gifts and love the Giver.

Salvation Demonstrated By Deeds

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The first purpose of the judgment was to make a public demonstration of the varying degrees of reward that Christians receive for the exercise of their faith in obedience. The second purpose of the judgment is to declare openly the reality of the faith and the salvation of God’s people by the evidence of their deeds. Salvation is owned by faith. Salvation is shown by deeds. So when Paul says we “will be recompensed…according to what we have done,” he not only means that our rewards will accord with our deeds, but also our salvation will accord with our deeds. Jesus put it like this – and He used exactly the same words for good and evil deeds in 2 Corinthians 5:10. In John 5:28-29, He said, “An hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

Accounts Are Settled

The Bible tells us, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, and anyone not written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15). No wonder Jesus said that we should rejoice because our names are written in the Book of Life. Then the accounts will have been settled, and everything put in its rightful place. Sin and death are finally gone forever. Out of all the affliction and misery, and in spite of the enemy’s deceptive power, God, by His wisdom and might, has finished His work for all who have been gathered to Jesus’ right hand. These are the ones who are written in the Book of Life and will live eternally with the Father and the Son in the new heaven and the new earth.