Treasure in Earthen Vessels

What is the Doctrine of God’s Judgments?

The judgments of God are not a new subject as a doctrine coined by the apostles. It is a doctrine that goes back to the time of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, when God called them to account for their actions.

It is part of the very evolution of man. Even non-religious people are aware of the existence of God’s judgments; this idea is clearly expressed in the account of Jonah fleeing from his call to Nineveh; in the ship, tossed by the storm of the sea, the crew members ask themselves: “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know by whom this evil has come upon us” (Jonah 1:7).

God has judged the nations and visited them on several occasions; some cultures have disappeared precisely because God’s judgment on them determined that they should no longer exist.

God’s judgments are for salvation and restoration, not necessarily for punishment. This principle is clear in the words of God given through the prophet Jeremiah when he said: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11). The moment before these words, the prophet had already warned that Jerusalem would be destroyed.

However, the Bible speaks of an extraordinary judgment, a unique judgment, a judgment of greater magnitude than any that have ever taken place; the Bible speaks of the Eternal Judgment, in which it will be decided where people will spend eternity, a judgment based on the righteousness of God, in which each person’s actions will be judged primarily on their decision to accept or reject the Lordship of Jesus. This judgment determines that some will be cast into the burning lake of fire and brimstone, while others will live forever in the presence of the Lord.