The Appointed Day - Part 8

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man who He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:30).

If you've been with us through this series, you can probably guess that the day God has appointed is the Day of the Lord. It is during Christ's 1,000-year reign over the earth that He will judge the world. The criterion for this judgment is righteousness--the right standing we have with God through Christ.

Jesus will be the last God-appointed judge, as foreshadowed in the Old Testament judges. He will begin this rule by treading down the enemy--the counterfeit one-world order. Revelation 11:16 declares: And there were loud voices in Heaven saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever."

As we saw in the last blog, Christ and His Bride rule over the earth with a rod of iron, bringing true justice and order to the nations. Near the end of the Appointed Day, Satan will be released from the Pit. Nearly 1,000 years of jail time have done the devil no good. He is still just as prideful and deceitful as ever. He somehow manages to lure some to his side to come against the Jewish nation (Rev. 20:7-9).

The battle is over before it really begins. Fire falls from Heaven and incinerates the hostile army. And then comes the part where we all get to cheer wildly. The devil is cast into the Lake of Fire to be tormented day and night forever (Rev. 20:10).

It is then time for the final harvest of the earth--what Jesus called the separation of the tares (unbelievers) and the wheat (believers). That is when the final judgment is rendered. It is called the great white throne judgment of God. The only criterion is whether or not a person's name is in the Book of Life because he or she has accepted Jesus as the Savior.

If you think this is unfair, consider the millions of people who have been slaughtered over the centuries because of their ethnic group. Think of the countless murders, rapes, and atrocities that have been committed by people who have chosen to know evil.

Today our society cries out for justice. Only the One who is purely just can bring true justice at the appointed time. We always have a choice. And choices always have consequences.