This is an excerpt from a much larger exposition on Judges Chapters 4&5, that provides new significant insights on what we can expect on Judgment Day
Introduction
We are told in many different ways, through many different examples, that Jesus Christ will be coming down from Heaven on the clouds of Glory on Judgment Day, accompanied by His Army of Saints.
In Judges 4:14, we read the following, “¶And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this [is] the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.“
In that “Historical Parable“, as God provides us in Judges 4&5, it has been shown in a previous detailed exposition that Barak, which in the original Hebrew (בָּרָק (bārāq))H1300 means both “Lightning” and “Glittering Sword“, is unequivocally representative of the Lord Jesus Christ as He will come down from Heaven (typified by Mt. Tabor) on Judgment Day to the earth (as typified by the Valley of Megiddo, which is also known as “Armageddon”).
The 10,000 men, who come down from mount Tabor following Barak, allegorically represent all of the “saints” (also known as the “believers”, the “saved”, the “elect“, the “sons of God”) who will come down from Heaven with Jesus on Judgment Day execute Judgment, Justice, and Vengeance (we know this, because it is entirely consistent with what we find in Jude 14&15, regarding Judgment Day “…Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints. To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.“). Please that the “saints” will accompany “the Lord” (Jesus Christ) to “execute judgment”.
NOTE: The number “Ten Thousand” is used by God in the Bible to spiritually represent ALL of the believers throughout ALL time, because it can be broken down as follows: 10X10X10X10 (or ten to the fourth power). In the Bible, the number ten spiritually represents “completeness” or “totality”, while the number four spiritually represents “universality”.
If we turn to Psalm 149:4-9, we read some VERY significant collaborating verses, “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. [Let] the high [praises] of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, [and] punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.”
Vengeance Belongs to God, but He Honors His Saints in Executing It With Jesus on the Last Day
Deuteronomy 32:35, “To me (God) [belongeth] vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in [due] time: for the day of their calamity [is] at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.“
Psalm 94:1, “¶ O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.“
Romans 12:19, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
In this earthly realm we are not to repay evil for evil but rather follow Jesus’s instruction as found in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” But once the believers leave this earthly realm and join Jesus in Heaven, things will be completely different on Judgment Day.
And please also note three things from these verses:
- On Judgment Day, the saints will executing the just Judgment that is “written“. The Bible is where the Law of God, and the punishments for disobedience to the Law, are “written.” Remember what we read in Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.“
- All of Jesus’ Saints, the Believers, will have been given that honor of being participants with Jesus in executing Judgment.
- We see a link between the mouths of the Saints bringing praises to God while handling the “twoedged sword“, which is Word of God! [Please see below, just before the Conclusion, for an explanation of God’s use of the spiritual “twoedged sword” in bringing Judgment.]
And note in particular what God tells us within the context of the Coming of Jesus Christ on Judgment Day described in Revelation 19:11-21 in Revelation 19:14, “And the armies [which were] in heaven (the saints) followed him (Jesus Christ) upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
Also please note the consistency with what God tells us in Isaiah 40:10, “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong [hand], and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.” Jesus is coming on Judgment Day with His “reward“, the “saints“, for whom He bought and paid for with His Atoning Sacrifice. Remember that the saints are indeed Jesus’ “reward”, as they are given to Him by God the Father. That is what we read in John 6:37, where Jesus said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Note also the harmony of this understanding given the context as is shown in the very next verse in Isaiah 40:11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.” Jesus’ is the Good Shepherd and the flock is His Church, the body of believers, the saints. (For more please see this study on The 23rd Psalm.)
Revelation 2:26-28, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.” The “he” is the believer in Christ.
We see similar language that helps to corroborate the above in Isaiah 62:11&12, “Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.“
Ephesians 1:18, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,“
It is the eternal Church, the body of believers, the saints, of which Jesus Is The Eternal Head, who will come with Jesus to “execute judgment” on Judgment Day. And looking back again at Judges chapter 4, it is clear that the physical destruction of the host of Sisera was by the “physical sword“, and, in the historical account, the slaughter was not done by Barak alone, but rather the Judgment by the “physical sword” would have had to have also been done by those who came with Barak. And that battle was intended by God to be a physical prefigurement of the final Judgment Day, at which time the “Spiritual Sword” (the “Word of God“) will slay all of the unsaved in the world. That great slaughter (the so-called Battle of Armageddon) is also the remaining “work” before Jesus, which will be finished on Judgment Day.
Additional Biblical Historical Precedents
A Sample of Old Testament Proof Texts and Previews: God provides us some additional previews of Judgment Day back in Exodus, in Joshua, in Isaiah, and in Joel (similar to what was mentioned previously regarding Judges 4&5), where God describes how the believers/the saints, as the army of His wrath, will accompany Jesus in bringing Judgment on the unsaved on Judgment Day. Here are just five examples:
1) In Exodus 14:26-31, God destroyed Pharaoh and his Egyptian Army in the Red Sea, which typified the devil along with his host made up of unbelievers who will all be destroyed on Judgment Day: “¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, [and] all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry [land] in the midst of the sea; and the waters [were] a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. ¶Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.” Note also the description of this historical account in Psalm 106:8-11, “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness. And he saved them from the hand of him that hated [them], and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.“
2) In Exodus 32:25-28 the believers are typified by the Levites who stand with Moses (who in this case is a “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ). There we read, “¶And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? [let him come] unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, [and] go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.“ And the 3000 represents the unsaved of the world, by which we see the number 3 (the purpose of God) X 10 (completeness) X 10 (completeness) X 10 (completeness). Please see also Numbers 16:28-35.
3) In Joshua 6:1-21, we have the detailed account of the destruction of the walled city of Jericho under Joshua’s direction (Joshua is an unequivocal “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, particularly since Joshua in Hebrew is Jesus in Greek meaning “Savior“). The Israelites participated in the Judgment Day for Jericho by shouting at Joshua’s command as we read in the last two verses of this portion of the account in Joshua 6:20&21, “¶So the people shouted when [the priests] blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.“
4) In Joshua 10:7-15 the believers are typified by “the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour“, and they accompany Joshua (who, as was pointed out above, is an unequivocal “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, particularly since Joshua in Hebrew is Jesus in Greek meaning “Savior“). There we read, “¶So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour. (reminiscent of Judges 4:10) And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee (reminiscent of Judges 4:16). Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly (reminiscent of 1 Thessalonians 5:3), [and] went up from Gilgal all night. And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah. And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, [and] were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven (reminiscent of Rev 16:21) upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than [they] whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. ¶Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed (reminiscent of Hab 3:11, and the “glittering spear” there is Barak בָּרָק (bārāq)H1300, which points us again to Judgment Day!), until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. [Is] not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.” For more on the meaning of Gilgal please see: “Gilgal: Rolling Away the Reproach of Egypt“
5) In the Book of Isaiah 13:2-13, God provides yet another picture of Judgment Day in which the saints are being prepared and gathered together (“mustereth“) from the mountains (“from the end of Heaven“) for the destruction of this sinful world, “Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, [even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be as] flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.” (NOTE: There are additional warnings of Judgment Day in Isaiah 2:19-21 which compares with Revelation 6:12-17 )
5) In the Book of Joel 2:1-11, we see another very clear warning and depiction of Judgment Day, coming at the sound of a trumpet blowing, whereupon God with His mighty army (His Saints, the believers), brings Judgment upon the heathen. “¶Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for [it is] nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, [even] to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land [is] as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them [is] as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and [when] they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for [he is] strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” (NOTE: There are additional warnings of Judgment Day in Joel 3:11-17)
Repeating what was said earlier…concerning the last words of Moses in blessing Israel just before his death in Deuteronomy 33:2&3, “And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand [went] a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints [are] in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; [every one] shall receive of thy words.” Similarly, in blessing the offspring of Joseph (who serves as a “Type” for the Lord Jesus Christ), we read where Moses said in Deuteronomy 33:17, “His glory [is like] the firstling of his bullock, and his horns [are like] the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they [are] the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they [are] the thousands of Manasseh.“
Remembering also that just previously in Judges 4:10, we read how Barak “called” Zebulun and Naphtali (the believers from out of the Gentile nations) and he “went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went with him.“
Note: The phrase “at his feet” can more readily be understood to mean “to follow after”
Again, we must remember that Barak is used of God to provide a clear and unequivocal “Type” of the LORD Jesus Christ!
Remember also what we find in the clearly Messianic verses of Zechariah 14:4&5, where the verses end by declaring that on Judgment Day, Jesus will come with all of His saints with Him, “and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee.”
It is also interesting what we read in Hannah’s prophetic prayer/song regarding Judgment Day in 1Sa 2:10, “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (Please note that the “king” is pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that Jesus is God’s Anointed, but then, in Christ, so too are all of His saints.)
God’s Holy “Angels” Will Be His Elect, His Saints (the Kings and Priests) on Judgment Day
In Matthew 16:27, we read “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels (ἄγγελος (angelos))G32; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.“; and in Matthew 24:31, “And he shall send his angels (ἄγγελος (angelos))G32with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”; and Matthew 25:31&32, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels (ἄγγελος (angelos))G32with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:“
Note: Jesus makes all believers “kings” and “priests”, as we read in Revelation 1:5&6, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” This is reiterated in Revelation 5:10, where we see from the preceding verses that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, has redeemed the believers by His shed blood, “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” And we must conclude that God is not referring us to this sin-cursed earth (wherein the believers are merely pilgrims and sojourners), but rather to the “New” Earth to come…“wherein dwelleth righteousness” according to 2 Peter 3:13.
The word translated as “angels” is from the original Greek word, ἄγγελος (angelos)G32, which means “a messenger”, “envoy”, “one who is sent”, “an angel”, “a messenger from God.” And we know that all of the saints, the believers, are messengers sent by God to evangelize the world.
We see similar wording in Mark 8:38, we read “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels (ἄγγελος (angelos))G32.“
This is stated again in 1 Thessalonians 3:13, “To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” Also in 1 Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”
Daniel 7:22, “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.“
Psalm 7:6 is particularly noteworthy as it involves the use of both “awake” and “arise” in the same verse, but, most importantly, the words are found within a verse that is entirely focusing on Judgment Day! “Arise,(קוּם (qûm)) H6965 O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake (עוּר (ʿûr))H5782 for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded.” which is followed immediately by Psalm 7:7, “So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.“
And although it is easy to see Jesus in the first instance, we can also see how this applies to the saints, Psalm 91:7&8, “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; [but] it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.”
Proverbs 21:15, “[It is] joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction [shall be] to the workers of iniquity.“
Note to the Reader: Such language, while clearly pointing to Judgment Day, can also be viewed as referring to both Jesus’ Atonement on the cross as well as to the entire New Testament era, when the saints go forth, spiritually slaying the wicked with the Word and subduing the Elect with the Gospel. Note also this admonition from God to those appointed to be judges (both to the saints, as well as earthly judges): 2 Chronicles 19:6&7, “And (Jehoshaphat) said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who [is] with you in the judgment. Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do [it]: for [there is] no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” However, in our day, the situation is as we read in Romans 3:18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Proverbs 20:10, “Divers weights, [and] divers measures, both of them [are] alike abomination to the LORD.” Corruption, and justice unequally served, are both an abomination to the Lord!
We should also remember how this is entirely consistent what God told His people, National Israel, as a prefigurement of Judgment Day where we read what was written in Deuteronomy 7:2, “And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:“
Finally we read in Matthew 25:31-34, “¶When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels (ἄγγελος (angelos))G32, hence”messengers”, the “saints”) with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:, And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Please see also The Great Division)
The Idea of Having “Joy” in Bringing Judgment Unmercifully on the Unsaved is Unsavory to Anyone Still Living
Given that we are all still frail human beings, who are still physically alive in our temporal carnal fleshly bodies, it is extremely difficult for anyone to fathom, and disturbingly hard, even abhorrent, to imagine and/or look forward to, being active participants in the complete destruction of anyone without mercy. In fact, it is the exact opposite of what we are told to do in this life, wherein we are to be obedient to our God as Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:44, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” and in Luke 6:35, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil.” We need to remember that in this life we are by nature the enemies of God and yet He loved His Elect sheep enough to die and go to Hell for them. But on Judgment Day, at the end of the world, those who were not saved will be reserved for Judgment as we read in Judges 5:31 (and throughout the Book of Revelation), “So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but [let] them that love him [be] as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.“
The Believers Will Be Changed
The stark contrast that exists between these two perspectives is because, on Judgment Day, the saints will have become like Jesus in their new glorified spiritual bodies at the resurrection, and then the saints, “the sons of God”, will see things perfectly as Jesus always has. We know this because of what we find in 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.“
Also, as we saw in Jude14&15, in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, we read, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.“
All Things Will Be Made New, and the Former Things Will Not Be Remembered
We are also told by God the following in Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. ¶And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.“
And Ecclesiastes 1:11, “[There is] no remembrance of former [things]; neither shall there be [any] remembrance of [things] that are to come with [those] that shall come after.“
Bearing in mind what God also says in regards to the wicked who will come under Judgment in Psalm 73:20, “As a dream when [one] awaketh; [so], O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.” And in Job 20:8, “He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.“
An Honor Bestowed By God Upon the Saints
Moreover, as noted above, God makes clear in Psalm 149:9 us that He graciously grants this participation in the Judgment as an “honor” to His Saints. “To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.“
It is also noteworthy how Jesus worded this statement in Matthew 12:42, which referred to the Queen of Sheba (who we read about in 1 Kings 10:1-13), “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon [is] here.” The Queen of Sheba/queen of the south is an allegorical “Type”, who represents all of the saints/believers throughout time who “shall rise up in the judgment” with Jesus Christ, Who Is The “Greater than Solomon“, on the Last Day, Judgment Day.
Additional corroboration can be found in these prophetic verses, in 1 Corinthians 6:2&3, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?“ and Revelation 20:4-6, “¶And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.“
And remember when Jesus spoke to His disciples (who, in effect, represent all believers) in Matthew 19:28, “¶And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.“
Isaiah 32:1, “¶Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.” And we know that Jesus Is The King Who Reigns in Righteousness, and that the believers are the princes.
Malachi 4:2&3, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts.“
Please note the harmony that we find with this verse in Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you. Amen.” The word “bruise” in the original Greek is συντρίβω (syntribō)G4937, meaning “break”, “to break in pieces, shiver” and “to tread down“.
Malachi 3:16-18, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.“
2 Chronicles 19:6, “And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who [is] with you in the judgment.“
Psalm 107:42, “The righteous shall see [it], and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.”
Moreover, Psalm 47:3 tells us that, “He shall subdue (דָּבַר (dāḇar))H1696, the people under us, and the nations under our feet.” The word translated from the original Hebrew into English means “speak” or “declare”, which suggests that God will simply speak into being (by His Word Who is Jesus) the placing of the unsaved under the feet of the children of God, His Saints.
Revelation 14:10, “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he (the devil and the unsaved) shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels (the saints), and in the presence of the Lamb (The Lord Jesus Christ):
And remember what was discussed above earlier regarding the destruction of the Egyptians in the Red Sea in Exodus 14:30, “¶Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.” Given that we are told that Israelites “saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore“, we have another indication that the believers will be observing the death of the wicked on Judgment Day.
Please also see again 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¶For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (not go before) them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.“
Somber Words of Admonition
In Psalm 2:7-12, we read of Jesus coming on Judgment Day, “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish [from] the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all they that put their trust in him.” The Lord Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God and He will destroy the potter’s vessels of dishonor. Please see: “God Is The Potter“.
The “Twoedged Sword” Is a Spiritual Weapon of God’s Judgment
And what is the “twoedged sword”?… It is the Word of God!…and therefore it is a “Spiritual Sword”! The Bible tells us so here in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Also in Revelation 1:16 where we read about the twoedged sword coming out of the mouth of Jesus (“the Son of man“), “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shineth in his strength.” Everyone who is unsaved will be judged on the basis of God’s Word, Who is Jesus, and it is the saved believers who are the attendant messengers and witnesses of that Word, both now and forever.
And most notably, we know from John 12:48 where Jesus said, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.“
Please note the parallels with Isaiah 11:4, “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”
A final reference to a sword out of the Mouth of Jesus can be found in Revelation 19:15&16, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” While not specifically saying “twoedged”, by implication, it is the same “sharp sword”. Note also the consistency with what God tells us back in Isaiah 49:2, “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;” [Please also note the reference to an “arrow” (the polished shaft in the God’s quiver) which is another reference to a weapon of war that God associates with Judgment. This is another study in itself that has been elaborated here: “Lightning, Swords, and Arrows“]
The Word of God (Jesus is both The Word, as well as the Bringer of the Word) is also the Spiritual “Twoedged Sword” by which God will both Judge and Destroy all of the unbelievers on Judgment Day.
But why is the “Word of God” specifically identified with a “twoedged” sword? It is because the Word of God brings about two different results. The Word of God is a bringer of both life and death, both salvation or condemnation, both “comfort” and “vengeance” (Please see: The Book of Nahum) . We read in 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who [is] sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.“
Conclusion
Judgment Day will be the last event in temporal history when the Lord Jesus Christ will come back in the clouds of Glory to destroy all wickedness, and send all of the unsaved of the world to an eternity in Hell, and put an end to this entire creation, which is under the curse of sin and death. It will mark the end of time and the beginning of eternity wherein righteousness will dwell in new heavens and a new earth forever. In 2 Peter 3:10 we read, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”
But thankfully in 2 Peter 3:13 we read, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.“ And please also note that this is not something that is an isolated verse. Peter is reiterating what can be found in these three verses:
- Isaiah 66:22, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.”
- Isaiah 65:17, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
- Revelation 21:1, “¶And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.“
Barak is an allegorical “Type” of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who will be the Ultimate Judge at a battle that perfectly typifies the Ultimate Judgment that definitely will come on the Last Day, Judgment Day.
And in closing, it is obvious to the reader that this post and most of the Bereansearching.com website is dripping with Judgment. This is not be design on the teacher’s part, but simply a recognition of the fact that this is a key message from God from the Bible. Judgment from God for sin is inevitable and unwavering. Either The LORD Jesus Christ was judged for a person’s sins, or that person will be judged and sent to Hell for eternity for his or her sins. Ecclesiastes 8:5&6, “Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man’s heart discerneth both time and judgment. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man [is] great upon him.”
In 2 Corinthians 5:11, we are admonished, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” Given that God has recorded such a clear and unequivocal prophetic warning of the final judgment that is so assuredly coming; it is incumbent on everyone to search his or her own conscience (and heart) and ask himself or herself the big question: Am I ready to meet God? It is my sincere prayer that whosoever reads this review will undergo that self-examination and be able to answer in the affirmative. If not, it is still possible to cry out to God for mercy, for it is still the day of salvation. (Please also remember that Barak was just a pre-figuring “shadow” of Jesus Christ, not the “substance.” Only through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ is there any hope of salvation. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.“)
Today’s Application: Are You Ready?
Jesus is the only Way of escape from the just penalty for our sins. All other ways that man can devise will lead only to Hell come Judgment Day. You are either with God or against God. Have you, dear reader, made peace with God through Jesus Christ? Please pray to God for mercy through Jesus Christ and He will show you mercy. Judgment Day is for any individual only a heart beat away, but for the world, it is coming very soon, given all of the signs of the times that we are currently all living in. Judge for yourselves if these things are true or not?
For more on what is meant by “being ready”, please see the “Parable of the Ten Virgins“.
Postscript:
Malachi 3:16-18, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.“
Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the] book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.“
Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.“
You must be logged in to post a comment.