2 Tim 3.16-17
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

The Final Sequence

Comparing the Judgment of the Nations and the Great White Throne Judgment

In the previous chapters on the Judgment of the Nations and the Great White Throne Judgment, I showed from the Scripture the details of each. The purpose of this short chapter is to compare and contrast those details.

 


In what ways do these two great judgments agree in their details?

The main detail is that the Lord Christ is the Judge in both cases, as the following texts make clear:

Mat 25.31
But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
[There can be no doubt that the Lord Christ is referring to Himself here.]

Note how the Apostle John refers to the Father here:

Rev 1.8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

and in the same manner to the Lord Christ here:

Rev 22.13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

But note especially these words of the Lord Christ about the topic of the responsibility of judgment:

Joh 5.22,26-27
For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son … For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man
[“All judgment” must include the last judgment of Rev 20, or words cease to have meaning.]

That One who is the Alpha and Omega, that One who is the Son of Man, is the One who will sit in judgment of all mankind, the living and the dead!

A second detail in which the two judgments are the same is that both consign those condemned to the Outer Darkness permanently.

 


In what ways do the judgments differ in their details?

In all other ways, these judgments are very different:

Detail
Judgment of the Nations
Great White Throne Judgment
When
At the Lord’s return to rule on earth.
After the Lord’s rule on earth of 1000 years duration (the Millennium).
Where
In Jerusalem.
The entire cosmos (including heaven!) has passed away; the only “where” that can be specified is that it is a place that is before the throne of the Lord Christ.
Who
All those living at the time of the Lord’s return to earth.
All the lost dead; basically, the remainder of all people and (fallen) angels not judged during the Judgment of the Nations, excluding Christians who were judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Criterion
How did the person being judged treat the Lord Christ, as demonstrated by the proxy treatment of His people?
Was the name of the person being judged found in the scroll of life?
Final?
No. It will be followed by the Great White Throne Judgment.
Yes. It is the final judgment forever. Even the sea, death and Hades are delivered into the power of the Lake of Fire.

 

There can be no conclusion other than the fact that the Judgment of the Nations and the Great White Throne Judgment are two very different events that have the same result: those condemned are consigned to the Outer Darkness for eternity.

Finally, the following summary statements complete this chapter:

In the Judgment of the Nations, the Lord Christ is the Judge of the Living.
In the Great White Throne Judgment, the Lord Christ is the Judge of the Dead.

As the Scripture says:

1 Pet 4.5
but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

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