The Final Judgment and Hell
In the forthcoming book Life's Biggest Questions: What the Bible Says About Things That Matter Most, author Eric Thoennes briefly addresses what the Bible says about final judgment and hell:
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God expresses both personal (Rom. 1:18–32) and national judgment (Isaiah 13–23), and his judgments have taken place throughout history and in the heavenly realm (2 Pet. 2:4).
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But after the millennium (or, according to amillennialists, after the present age) Christ will judge the whole world once and for all (Matt. 25:31–33; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 20:11–15).
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At this time the righteous wrath of a holy God will be unleashed on a rebellious world (Rom. 2:5; 3:19). Jesus often warned that he would usher in the day of wrath (Matt. 10:15; 11:22, 24; 12:36; 25:31–46), and other New Testament writers repeated this idea (1 Cor. 4:5; Heb. 6:2; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6).
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Unbelievers will be judged, and the result will be punishment for even careless words that were spoken (Matt. 12:36). Those who refuse God’s gracious offer of forgiveness in Christ will suffer eternal conscious punishment in hell, a condition of torment cut off from the presence of God (Matt. 25:30, 41, 46; Mark 9:43, 48; Rev. 14:9–11).
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Christian believers, who understand the holiness and justice of God and the depth of human sin, should be able to relate to the martyrs in heaven who long for the day of judgment (Rev. 6:10).
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However, in this age, the church is primarily called to warn people everywhere to repent and flee the wrath that will come when Christ returns as Judge: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30–31).
Life's Biggest Questions
K. Erik Thoennes
Tackling fifteen of life’s biggest questions relating to God and his relationship to humanity by presenting biblical answers, this is an excellent crash course on Christianity for believers and seekers alike.
Life's Biggest Questions, releasing in July 2011, will serve as a great intro to Christianity or discipleship resource, especially for newer Christians.
Life's Biggest Questions will also address:
- Does God Exist?
- What Does It Mean to Know and Love God?
- How Does God Reveal Himself?
- How Well Can You Know God?
- What Is God Like?
- How Do You Explain the Trinity?
- Who Is Jesus Christ?
- Who Is the Holy Spirit?
- What Did Jesus Christ Accomplish?
- What Is a Human Being?
- How Does God Relate to His Creation?
- What Is Sin?
- How Does God Save Sinners?
- What Is the Church?
- How Will It All End?
