The Judgments

Is it self that judges the sinner?

No, not self, but the law of God that judges the sinner. The judgment of self refers to believers only, who are no longer under law as a rule of life, but under the Spirit (see Rom. 8; Gal. 2 and 3). The Spirit convicts the believer of sin, — the law convicts the unbeliever, although conviction of the special sin of unbelief in Christ is produced in the sinner by the Spirit (John 16:8, 9). When the believer is convicted, his remedy is self-judgment and confession, followed by cleansing, which is God’s act (1 Cor. 11:31, 82; 2 Cor. 5:10, 11; 1 John 1:9, 10). When the sinner is convicted, his remedy is the blood of Jesus.

How can nations be judged, as indicated in Matthew 25?

The judgment of the nations of which Matthew 25 :31-46 is the prophecy, is shown by the detail of that passage to be a judgment of the persons composing the nations. Their doom is final. The force of the word “nations” is to limit the scope of the judgment to the nations within the sphere of the ancient Roman empire, 7. e., Gentiles. In the prophetic word “nations” are distinguished from “kindreds, people, tribes and tongues.” The people of Africa, for example, are not a “nation.’’ Nations are only found within the limits of the ancient Roman Empire. To take another example, Russia is not a nation. Politically, Russia is a power, otherwise Russia is a congeries of non-homogeneous tribes, peoples and tongues.

The “nations” are judged according to works, for all judgment is according to works. Even the believer will be judged — as will also the unbeliever — according to works (1 Cor. 8:11-15; Rev. 20:12). But “‘works” are not “sins.” The believer’s sins are blotted out.

Upon what ground are the nations to be judged at the second coming of our Lord?

The basis of that judgment is treatment accorded the Jewish remnant; that is, the remnant of believing Jews who will have turned to Christ after the removal of the Church. This body of believers will be the evangelists of the great tribulation. They will preach again the gospel of the kingdom. Individuals among the nations will be judged according to their treatment of these messengers of the kingdom, for that treatment, good or bad, will be an expression of faith or of unbelief and hatred toward the King Himself.

Is the judgment of Acts 17:31 the beginning of “the day of the Lord,’’ or is the judgment of the nations described in Matthew 25?

“The day” of Acts 17:31 is “the day of the Lord,” which begins with the rapture of the Church and ends with the judgment of the great white throne. It is a long “day” during which are many judgments, as the seal, trumpet, and vial judgments of the Apocalypse; the destruction of Antichrist, followed by the judgment of the nations at the glorious appearing of the Lord; the destruction of Satan’s army at the end of the thousand years, and the final judgment of ‘“‘the wicked dead” before the great white throne.

Are Christians to be judged at the great white
throne for their forgiven sins?

No; not only are Christians not to be judged for forgiven sins (and that means all their sins), but it is impossible even to bring a charge against them before God (Rom, 8:33, 34). The notion that all humanity will be brought into judgment before the great white throne is simply a theological invention, without a syllable of Scripture support. The saved have been raised from the dead one thousand years before the judgment of the great white throne and have been reigning with Christ (Rev. 20:5, 6). It is only “the dead’ who come into that judgment. The works of the Christian, must, however, pass the scrutiny of the Lord at His coming (1 Cor. 8:11-15; 4:5; Rev. 22:12). (The whole subject is made clear in the author’s “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth,” paper, 15 cents; cloth, 30 cents.)