Chapter 32 in your copy of the Confession. Chapter 32 of the Last Judgment. Chapter 31 is of the state of man after death and of the resurrection of the dead. We typically refer to the things going on in Chapter 31 as the intermediate state, obviously foreshadowing or looking ahead to what does come on the Day of Judgment.

But as chapter 32 says, it is the last judgment that is central and is the focus of this particular chapter. So I'll read the paragraphs and then we'll look at it.

Confession Study

So

God as Author, Christ as Agent

God hath appointed a day wherein He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ,

Christ's Mediatorial Authority

to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. in which day not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil." The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of His mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect and of His justice in the eternal damnation of the reprobate who are wicked and disobedient. For then shall the righteous go into everlasting life and receive that fullness of joy and glory with everlasting reward in the presence of the Lord. But the wicked who know not God and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be cast into everlasting torments and punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. As Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a day of judgment both to deter all men from sin And for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity, so will He have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Amen.

Introduction

So again, a good comprehensive summary statement with reference to the last judgment and the biblical doctrine therein. And essentially what you have in this particular chapter is the nature of the Day of Judgment in paragraph 1, the purpose of the Day of Judgment in paragraph 2, and then the practical relevance of the Day of Judgment in paragraph 3. So it's pretty straightforward, pretty simple to follow just at a bare reading of it. But when we come to chapters 31 and 32, we're discussing what's called eschatology, and that simply comes from the meaning or from the word eschaton, which means last.

And so eschatology is the study or doctrine of last things. And there is a distinction with reference to eschatology. There's individual and then there's cosmic. Individual has to do specifically with, as it might be suggested, the individual.

And it relates to death, the intermediate state, and then the resurrection. Cosmic eschatology has to do with the rule of Christ, the resurrection, the final judgment, and the eternal state. And it's intriguing that the thing that typically shapes our doctrine of eschatology or our discussion with reference to eschatology now is the millennium, that thousand years referred to in Revelation 20. But you'll notice here in chapter 32, that's never mentioned.

And I'm not going to not say anything about it, but that's not the emphasis here in chapter 32. Now, in terms of the significance of eschatology, why should we understand what the Bible says concerning the end? Well, because there's a lot of data in the Bible that points us to consider that. In other words, it's not some made-up doctrine foisted on us by the fathers and by the medieval theologians and by the reformers, but the scripture speaks concerning this last judgment, the Lord Jesus, the apostles, and certainly the Old Testament as well.

In fact, in many ways, this particular lesson is preparatory for what we're going to have in Psalm 21. Not only do we have the exaltation of the king, but we see the future triumph of the king with a specific emphasis on the judgment and punishment of his enemies. So there's a lot of data in the Bible. As well, it impacts how we live.

The Apostle John says everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure in 1 John 3. So in other words, when we have that understanding that we will see Jesus Christ, that should affect us in the present to live for Jesus Christ. As well, eschatology affords great hope and comfort for the people of God. It's good for us, especially we tend to go there when everything is going poorly for us, or when there's affliction, or when there's hardship, or when there's persecution, we tend to look beyond hopefully this present evil age, to that exceeding weight of glory that awaits for us when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead.

Not the bad, he judges the living and the dead. So hope for believers, but as well, terror for unbelievers. The Apostle Paul says, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, We persuade men, he says that in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, it was always in his mind, it was always in his head and heart, the reality of God's blessing for the people of God, but God's curse upon those who remain impenitent and those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. And then finally, I think it does summarize or help us to understand the overarching plan of God.

We talked about this yesterday in our theology class, that it's good for us to understand the beginning as a help to us to understand the end. The Bible is a closed book. When you see paradise lost in Genesis 1 to 3, you see paradise restored in Revelation 21 and 22. You see this movement and trajectory in terms of scripture to bring things to completion, to bring things to realization.

What was promised and what was anticipated is fulfilled and realized in the last Adam, our Lord Jesus Christ. So there's lots of reasons why we should see eschatology as important. the particular debates that we oftentimes find ourselves in, again, focusing on the Millennium, focusing on who is the Antichrist, who is the Beast of Revelation. I'm not suggesting those are always edifying debates and discussions, but for the most part, with reference to this doctrine of the Last Judgment, the Christians should find great hope, encouragement, and comfort. the non-Christian should be terrorized into understanding, not terrorized like with C4 charges, but terrorized at the thought that he's going to stand before Jesus to give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good or evil. So

The Nature of the Day of Judgment

let's look first at paragraph 1. And if anybody has any questions or comments along the way, just raise your hand or call out and we will stop and speak to those things. But in terms of the nature of the Day of Judgment, as is often the case in the Confession, you get a general overarching statement, and then the rest of the paragraphs sort of flesh it out. So notice that overarching statement in paragraph 1, God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ.

So God has appointed a day. So God is the author. God is the primary or efficient causer or specific emphasis in terms of who brings this to completion. And then the agent by which he does this is our Lord Jesus.

Notice God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ. Now, there's a man by the name of John Webster, and he speaks concerning creation. God is obviously the author in creation, but it's the agency or instrumentality of our Lord Jesus Christ with reference to the actual work of creation. And I think what Webster says here concerning creation applies with reference to the judgment.

He says, nor is the Son a mere instrument through whom the Father works. Father and son act by the same principle, the simple divine essence. So it's not just that there was this Jesus who showed himself absolutely holy and right, and God said, hey, he's the one that I'm gonna appoint for this particular task. The language of scripture is appointed.

The language of scripture, it certainly suggests ordination. It does highlight instrumentality and agency, but it's not as if Jesus is like a typewriter in carrying out the particular goal of the author. As Webster says, father and son act by the same principle, the simple divine essence. And if you turn with me to John chapter 5, you'll see the emphasis on Christ as the agent in terms of judgment.

John chapter 5. Notice specifically in verse 28, Cyril calls this a God-befitting task. In other words, it underscores the divinity of the Son of God because he has God-befitting tasks handed to him. And remember that in the context of John 5, the emphasis of verse 23 ought not to be lost, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. This is all preparatory. We see Jesus combating the notions of the unbelieving Jews, and he tells them that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. This is what leads us into John 15 when Jesus says, if you hate me, you hate the one who sent me.

In other words, you can't say you honor the father if you're not honoring the son whom the father had sent. And then notice specifically in verse 28, do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. and then turn to Acts chapter 17. Again, an emphasis on the agency or the instrumentality of Jesus Christ in terms of this appointment by the Father. Notice in Acts chapter 17, specifically at verse 31, because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained.

He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. So the confession highlights the author and the agent. It describes, or rather identifies, his person. He is Jesus Christ.

But then notice the qualifications endowed upon him by the Father in the next section, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. Now, this is not according to the divine nature of our Savior. The divine nature of our Savior, which He has in common with the Father, He's always had all authority. He's always had all power.

There's never been a time where Christ, the Son of God, did not have absolute universal sovereignty and absolute universal judgment over all men. It's speaking of Christ as mediator. It's speaking of Christ in the language of covenant as the covenant mediator of the new covenant, to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father. It's similar to Matthew 28, 18 to 20, when Jesus says, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

He's not speaking there according to his divinity. Again, you cannot deprive or deny the sovereign power and glory of the Divine One. You can't add to it, you can't decrease it, you can't take away from it. But in the blessed economy of God Most High, the Father gives this to the Son.

The Son reigns and rules at the right hand of the Father over this mediatorial kingdom, and the Son exercises judgment. The Son then offers up the kingdom to the Father, according to 1 Corinthians 15, and then God is all in all. So when we read that in 1 Corinthians 15, again, it's not a derivation or rather a denial of the divinity of our Lord Jesus, but rather an emphasis upon Christ as mediator, the one person in two natures. So all this power and judgment is given him by the Father.

And then notice the particular activities involved on that Day of Judgment, in which not only the apostate angels shall be judged, but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil. So

Universal Accountability at the Tribunal

the judgment of apostate angels, you see that in 1 Corinthians 6, 2 Peter 2, and Jude 6. But in terms of the judgment of all men, they will give an account. In other words, man is always a responsible creature before the God who made him. There's never a man who's lived in any time or age that is somehow immune from or not affected by the fact that God is his creator.

This is Paul's argument in Romans 1. They know that God is because of the effects. They know the Creator is because of what He has created. They are rendered without an excuse.

They have no apologetic. They can't make a defense on that final day and say, well, I just didn't know. How could you look outside today and not know? The scripture tells us when you look outside today, you know God is.

God is glorious. God is wondrous. Man is always accountable before God. And notice that accountability extends from thoughts to words and deeds.

We never want the civil government to judge our thoughts. We shouldn't want the civil government to punish the sin of covetousness. But saying that doesn't mean that we're not accountable for our thoughts. We certainly are with reference to our Lord.

The thoughts that we have, the words that we say, the deeds that we engage in, we're going to give an account for those things done in the body, whether good or evil. And again, the particular emphasis here is from 2 Corinthians 5. We're gonna stand before the just judge of all the earth, and we're gonna have to give an account for those things thought, for those things said, and for those things done. Now, thanks be to God, as the people of God, we have our advocate with the Father, we have the surety of a better covenant, and we have the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, the judge himself.

So it will go well with us on that particular day, but for the wicked it won't go well with them. So notice, to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil. So again, the idea being is that man is always accountable to God. that history is not cyclical. It's not just this continuing sort of cycle wherein things happen and then things stop happening.

The Bible presents a linear view of history. There's a beginning, there's a middle, and there's an end. In fact, if you turn to Romans chapter 11, I think that's exactly what Paul is indicating in this doxology of praise to God. 1136, for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory forever. For of him creation, through him providence, and to him eschatology.

In other words, there's purpose, there's a telos, there's a reason, there's a rationale as to why God made the universe, and there's a rationale as to why we will stand before Christ on that day of judgment to give an account of deeds done in the body, whether good or evil. Now then,

The Purpose of the Day of Judgment

notice secondly, if we ask the question, what is that telos? What is that purpose? What is that reason? What is that rationale? Well, paragraph 2 tells us.

God's Glory in Mercy and Justice

Notice in the first place, the goal with reference to God. The goal with reference to God. I think that's very important that we understand that more often than not, Well, always, the Bible is theocentric, not first and foremost man-centered, but it's God-centered. In other words, we should approach texts and ask, how does this have relation to God, before we come to texts and say, well, how does this affect me, or what does this mean for me?

Not that that's bad, but it's secondary. Primarily, notice in paragraph 2, The end of God's appointing this day is for the manifestation of the glory of his mercy in the eternal salvation of the elect and of his justice in the eternal damnation of the reprobate who are wicked and disobedient. If you're still in Romans 11, you can turn back to Romans chapter 9. Romans chapter 9.

Notice specifically in verse 22, Paul countering these objections that there is unrighteousness with God. Verse 14, what shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not.

For he who says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion. So then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to the Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show my power in you, and that my name may be declared in all the earth. Therefore he has mercy on whom he wills, and whom he wills he hardens." That's pretty hardcore.

That's pretty solid. That's pretty much a refutation of the idea that man, with his own free will, unaided by the power of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God, can just choose for Jesus. Notice in verse 16, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. And as a living example of that, check out Pharaoh back in the book of Exodus.

Right? I mean, doesn't God say that that's why I raised Pharaoh up? Was to make sure that his dreams and aspirations were all realized? To make sure that Pharaoh was the renowned one of all?

No, no, no, no, no, no. So that God could show his mercy and so that God could show his justice. Now, Paul knows what kind of an effect this will produce on the reader or the hearer, probably because Paul had heard it in the back of synagogues when he preached these sorts of things. So notice in verse 19, you will say to me then, why does he still find fault for who has resisted his will?

Kind of makes sense, doesn't it, at some earthly level? Well, you know, if he's absolutely sovereign, he's in charge of all things, he's the all-powerful one, and it doesn't depend on him who wills or runs, but on God who shows mercy, how can he then still hold us accountable? How can he then still find fault with us? So instead of backing off, Instead of shrinking back and instead of Paul saying, you know, you're right, that's a tough one, that's a melon scratcher, I'm going to have to go think about that and pray about it, and then I'll try and come back to you to satisfy your vain curiosities.

No, no, he doubles down. Notice in verse 20, but indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God? He's not winning friends when he's saying this in terms of unconverted people. He's not winning friends when he's saying this in terms of converted people that struggle and stumble on this doctrine of God's comprehensive and absolute sovereignty.

But indeed, oh man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay? From the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor.

Notice that, from the same lump. It's not like there was a good lump and a bad lump. He chooses out of the good lump, those are the ones he predestines and elects. It's that bad lump.

Those are the ones that he's going to reprobate or pass by in preterition. No, it's the same lump. God, according to His good pleasure, does His holy will. And then note, specifically in verse 22, what if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath, notice, prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.

So he never backs down. He never relaxes. He never shrinks back. He never says, you know, I know these are tough things.

Similar to Jesus in John chapter 6. He feeds them. They follow him. He starts talking about God's sovereignty.

They say, Lord, this is tough. We don't like this. This is hard sayings. Well, you know, I'm sorry.

Let me coddle you. Let me, you know, tend to your delicate psyches. Let me just bring this back down to a place that is palatable. No, no.

He doubles down even more. He doesn't shrink back. Brethren, it doesn't do anybody any favor when we shave off the rough edges, the perceived rough edges of God's truth. Man needs to be humbled.

Man needs to see himself before God. Man needs to realize that he's not the captain of his own ship. Man needs to understand that he is at the mercy of the good God who does what is right. Notice that Paul continues, verse 25, he confirms all that he's saying in the Old Testament, I will call them my people who were not my people and her beloved who was not beloved.

Hosea 2, and it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there they shall be called the sons of the living God. In other words, Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises made to Israel. This ain't new, Paul saying. Now making this up, it was always foreknown, it was always foretold that there would be Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God.

Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel, though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth. And as Isaiah said before, unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah. I think what he's saying is that your own history demonstrates that I'm not teaching anything new here.

I haven't taken a different tactic than the prophets before me had taken." And then turn again to Romans chapter 11. This is where he's summarizing all that he has said prior to this particular, these concluding verses. We have already read verse 36, but just back up to verse 33. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

How unsearchable are his judgments in his ways past finding out. That should silence any uprising in the heart of the Confederate center to say, why has he made me like this? Why is he disposing of things like this? No, he says how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out.

And it's good for us to remind the sinner, perhaps, to whom we are talking to, to say, you know, the fact that God saves anybody is a glorious display of his sovereign grace and mercy. He's beholden to none. He owes no man anything. He's not a debtor.

It's not that, you know, we have done so well that we ought to be rewarded with so great a salvation. Again, he goes back to the prophets to confirm this. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counselor?

Or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him? In other words, you're dipping in to the high and glorious truths of how God works. And you can't peer behind the scenes of what God has revealed. You need to be content in that revelation and understand the God with whom we have to do ain't like us.

He's not like our neighbor. He's not beholden or bound to anybody. There's no necessity outside of God that constrains him on how he's supposed to function and act in order to make sure his creatures are always pleased with his wise disposition. No.

That's the culmination then, for of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

The Destiny of the Righteous and Wicked

So in terms of the goal with reference to God, the manifestation of His mercy and the manifestation of His justice. That's what the confession grabs for us there. But then notice with reference to man. So after that first statement up to the colon, it then goes on to say, for then the righteous go or shall the righteous go into everlasting life and receive that fullness of joy and glory with everlasting reward in the presence of the Lord.

It's beautiful. What the Lord has obtained through His kept covenant of works vis-à-vis the mission of the Son of God, the incarnation, the act of obedience, the passive obedience of our blessed Savior, what He has won described in Psalm 16 at the end, described in Psalm 21 at the beginning and teased out toward the end, All that Jesus has achieved by His obedience and by His sufferings on our behalf is conveyed then and given to all of His people. It's a blessed reality. So notice again, for then shall the righteous go into everlasting life and receive that fullness of joy and glory with everlasting reward in the presence of the Lord.

In other words, the body and the head connection. Jesus, the head, doesn't die for the body so that the body can end up in hell, suffering those pangs of fire and weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. No, the head and the body, there is unity. And what the head has accomplished, the body enjoys.

And we are blessed beyond measure as a result. But then notice the wicked, but the wicked who know not God and obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be cast into everlasting torments and punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. That's the reality. That's the Romans 9, 22 and 23, a demonstration of God's mercy to the elect and a demonstration of God's justice with reference to the reprobate.

And so brethren, we need to understand there is a purpose in this world. There is a purpose far greater than what we see on a Monday or a Tuesday. We need to look beyond that and let eschatology affect the way that we live. We understand that we're heaven bound.

We understand that we're going to be with Christ. We understand that we are already the possessors of eternal life, but it's not yet been fully realized as it's going to be when Christ comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Let us live in light of those truths. Let us pursue those things that are pleasing in His sight as the blood-bought children of God who are en route to everlasting life and receiving that fullness of glory with everlasting reward.

Let us live consistently with what we have in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Practical Relevance of the Judgment

And then finally, the practical relevance of the Day of Judgment in paragraph 3. Notice again the assertion, the certainty of the Day of Judgment. It's not up for negotiation. They're not spitballing here.

You know, there might be this Day of Judgment that's coming. And again, the scriptures are everywhere insistent upon this. Jesus talks about the sheep and the goats in Matthew's Gospel in chapter 25. Jesus talks about eternal punishment.

Jesus talks about eternal bliss. The apostles picked that up. These scripture references, or what we call proof texts, they're all valid. They all work.

They're all consistent and they're all legitimate. In other words, there's a wealth of biblical data concerning this. And again, not just in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament as well. The latter half of Psalm 21 takes up the punishment of the wicked.

The latter half of Psalm 21 is all about the punishment of the wicked. I mean, you think, wow, David, I can't believe you're talking about these sorts of things. The brethren in the Old Testament rejoiced in the reality that God is going to punish his enemies. Not sure why we stumble at that in this new covenant era, especially in light of the New Testament and especially in light of the New Testament use of the Old Testament.

This is paradigmatic. The people of God rejoice at the justice of God. They rejoice in the mercy of God displayed in their lives. Sinner that I am, I'm saved by sovereign grace.

Praise God. They also rejoice that 2 Thessalonians is in the Bible. Turn to 2 Thessalonians 1 and you'll see where some of the language from this paragraph in the Confession comes from. Second Thessalonians 1.3, we are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith and all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you." If it's a righteous thing with God to do that, then it ought to be a righteous thing with the people of God to celebrate that.

Not in a vindictive and petty sort of a way, but comprehensively, brethren, there's a day coming when the enemies of God will be cut off. There's a fourfold hallelujah in Revelation 19 when the whore and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. Why is that? Because it's just and righteous with God.

In fact, I would go so far as to say the believer who doesn't rejoice in the righteousness of God in the visitation of his wrath upon the enemies of God is deficient and needs to repent. and needs to start singing the Psalms of David, and needs to start appreciating the emphases that we find in passages that set before us the day of judgment. Notice that he goes on. Since it is a righteous thing, again verse 6, with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you. And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe because our testimony among you was believed. Imagine if you were, you know, involved in a crime, somebody perpetrated a crime against you, and the judge sentenced your, you know, the one who criminalized you, the one who victimized you, he sentenced him to death or life in prison. Oh, I'm so sorry. No, you'd rejoice.

Consider if your wife got mugged or your wife got raped and the judge actually did his job and sentenced him to execution. Would you apologize to the man? No, you'd praise God for the judge that actually navigated the case, examined the evidence, did the inquiry, and they came back with a guilty verdict. If we're going to appreciate the earthly judge in the exclusion of our enemies in this present evil age, then why not with reference to that age to come?

And again, this ought not to be high-minded. It ought not to be proud. We're better than you or anything like that. No, we're justified freely by God's grace.

I deserve God's wrath and curse both in this life and that which is to come. I deserve the lake of fire. I deserve all that, but Praise be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ. Again, if we take the fangs out of the day of judgment, the sinner's never gonna see their need for Jesus.

If we soft pedal it, if we talk it down or we explain it away, then why would a sinner ever see the necessity to flee to Christ? Perhaps some of these judgment passages are calculated for that very reason, to send sinners into the arms of the Savior, believing on him and confessing him as Lord and Savior. Maybe it's that we haven't known the terror of the Lord and so therefore we don't persuade man. Maybe it's that we don't sing the Psalms of David that we therefore don't know the terror of the Lord so we don't preach the gospel.

I'm going to argue this morning in Psalm 21 that oftentimes I think the health of a church can be measured by the songs that it sings. If it's only a feminacy, if it's only Jesus is my boyfriend type songs, that's going to characterize the entirety of the church. The Psalms of the true David are the Psalms of the church of the true David, and the Psalms ought to be praised and sung and preached. Why?

Because they set forth Christ. Not only Christ as Savior and Lord, but Christ as judge, the way that our confession is doing here. So it rehearses, again, the certainty of the Day of Judgment, and then the purpose for this, this relevance, rather, and for the, excuse me, back to the first statement, is Christ would have us to be certainly persuaded that there shall be a Day of Judgment. Notice,

Deterrence, Consolation, and Watchfulness

both to deter all men from sin. If you know punishment or judgment is coming, you should probably live in light of that. If the sentence against a wicked man isn't executed speedily, the hearts of the sons of men are given wholly to do evil, Ecclesiastes 8.11. If you're a criminal in a modern city and you know there's no punishment for your criminal activity, is it going to stop you from committing criminal activity?

No, it's going to embolden you. You're going to become that more brazen. Well, there's no punishment for me. There's no cops.

There's no judge. There's no nothing. I'm going to go out and steal with impunity. I'm going to go out and rob with impunity.

I'm going to go out and murder and commit rape and all sorts of vile and evil things because there's no judgment. So again, one of the practical realities that if we defang the coming judgment of God, we're not being honest with the sinner, we're not being consistent with the scripture, and we're not telling them something that Paul saw as a motive for the church to persuade men, and for sinners to flee to the Lord Jesus Christ. So to deter all men from sin, and for the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity. Beautiful.

I'm going to argue as well that Psalm 22 is just like Psalm 20 and 21. Psalm 20, sufferings of Christ. Psalm 21, exaltation of Christ. Psalm 22, first half, sufferings of Christ.

Psalm 22, last half, the exaltation of Christ. I think Psalm 23, I don't want to take it from the church, the church is because it's Jesus, but it's Jesus' first How does Jesus deal in his human nature with the activities of a Psalm 22? Because he never took his eyes off of his father. He never took his eyes off the Lord who was his shepherd.

And then Psalm 24 brings us right back to that mountain of glory and the Son of Man entering into the presence of God Almighty. These themes are replete. They're all over scripture. So to console the godly in adversity, we should be students of eschatology.

Again, not so we can best all the weirdos on the internet. Not so we can say Henry Kissinger really wasn't the Antichrist, but that we can indeed find consolation and comfort and encouragement and hope. This world is a veil of tears. There are hardships.

There are sorrows. Think of Peter. I hope to think that Peter often reflects upon the glory that is to come. I can't even imagine being Peter.

That's why I think it's imperative, come to prayer meeting, hear about Peter, hear about the orphans, hear about Peter's family, hear about the death of the two young men that we've been praying for. Why? Because they suffer in a way that we know nothing of, and I'd like to think that Peter finds great encouragement at the thought of what chapter 32 teaches us concerning the judgment to come. Consolation, encouragement.

Yeah, there's difficulty, there's hardship, there's trial, there's sorrows. I know that my Redeemer lives, and I know that I shall see him on that day, and I know that he's going to come again to judge the living and the dead. That's what buoys the soul of the believer. Notice as well, after the greater consolation of the godly in their adversity.

So, will he have that day unknown to men that they may shake off all carnal security and be always watchful? In other words, he doesn't tell you, you know, Jesus is coming on May 21st, 2027. Do not get that in your head and call me on May 22nd, 2027. He didn't come, I'm using May 21st, because that was Harold Camping's, and I think it was in 2012.

It's also my beloved's birthday. That'd be a great birthday present, if Jesus did come and usher in the eschaton, that'd be great. But if we knew that, what would we do? We'd probably live like the devil till May 20th, 2027, and then we'd get religion, right?

You're looking at me puzzled. Am I the only one in here that might possibly think that this could be a reality among sinful people? No. He will have that day unknown to men, that they may shake off all carnal security and be always watchful, because they know not at what hour the Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Well, in terms of the confession in this particular chapter as a whole, it highlights man's accountability to God. At the beginning, when we're created, throughout, in Providence, and at the end, in eschatology. Man is always the creature of God, man is always responsible to God, and man cannot escape the inevitability of judgment by God. It's going to happen.

It's appointed for man to die once, and then what? Judgment. It's a common saying, the only two inevitabilities are death and taxes. You cannot pay your taxes.

I don't recommend it because you're going to go to prison, but you cannot pay your taxes. Death and judgment are certainties. The only way to prepare for the day of judgment is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to look to Him and live, to understand the glory of the gospel, that He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father, that He died as a sacrifice and a substitute on the cross to satisfy divine justice, and then He was raised again the third day, such that everyone who looks to Him in faith receives forgiveness and they receive that righteousness. It's given to them.

It's received by faith alone. It's a blessed and beautiful thing, and that's why we call it the Christian gospel. That's preparation. That's how we watch and pray, by keeping an eye of faith always and constantly upon our Lord Jesus Christ. in terms, secondly, of the usefulness of the doctrine of eschatology.

Again, to deter all men from sin, to provide consolation for the godly in their adversity, to shake off all carnal security, and to look forward to that day with expectation and joy. Right? I mean, if we are going to enter in to the fullness of joy, Boy, if I knew I was going somewhere great on May 21st, 2027, I'd think about it. It would be an encouraging thing.

I would live in light of that blessed fact and I'd be happy. You can be happy about the judgment to come. If you are safely covered in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, You ought to be the happiest, you know, person on earth in terms of the spiritual realities involved, even all the while suffering difficulties, hardships, and trials. Again, I'd like to think that Peter, you know, on the one hand, yeah, this is a miserable place to be here in old Myanmar, but on the other hand, I'm a citizen of God's eternal kingdom, and I'm going to enter into an exceeding weight of glory.

I hope that gives him spring in his step and hope to get out of bed in the morning.

Millennial Positions Overview

In terms of millennialism, I'm surprised nobody's asked you, what about the millennium? There are different positions with reference to what is called the millennium. Has everybody heard the millennium? You can raise your hand or not.

It's based on Revelation 20 in the reference to 1,000 years. And again, that's where the focus on eschatology typically is when it comes to the study of eschatology. Interestingly and curiously, not a mention of it in chapter 32. I would suggest that chapter 32, along with chapters 31 to 31, is a consensus document and allowed for persons of different persuasions to be Reformed Baptists and to be confessional while holding different positions with reference to the millennium.

I would imagine that's exactly it. When you're a premillennialist, you can't be in our club. You're an amillennialist or a postmillennialist, you can't be in our club. Let's not separate over that.

Let's not divide over that. I mean, I think there's some big problems in a couple of the systems, but I don't wanna not have a Christian brother, because I'm right and you're not. If our study of eschatology promotes and produces pride and arrogance and spiking the ball on Facebook, I think we've missed something in chapter 32. I think we're off the beaten path in terms of why chapter 32 is in the confession.

But quickly, premillennialism is the eschatological view that Christ will return to earth and then set up a period of his earthly reign for 1,000 years. So premillennium, most people interpret the 20, or Revelation 20 and the 1,000 years as being a reference to the reign of Christ. That thousand-year period. Millennium is the reign of Christ.

So pre-millennialism, as the name suggests, Christ comes, then millennium. Pre-millennium. Everybody see that? You don't even have to use the board.

Oh, the board didn't make the renovations. Pre-millennium. Now within premillennialism, you've got two different varieties. Just when you think you have something figured out, there's always distinctions, and there's always variations, and there's always curveballs.

Well, there's a historic premillennialism. that goes back to the early church. In fact, you'll sometimes hear that, well, all the church fathers taught premillennialism. That's overstating the case, but premillennialism was extant in the early church. So there's no beef with that.

There's no gripe with that. There's a beef or gripe to suggest that they all taught premillennialism, but some certainly did. So no problem. But then after what I call historic premillennialism, you have what's called dispensational premillennialism.

So here's the rub. If you say to me that all of the church fathers or most of the church fathers taught premillennialism, on that I can't agree. But I will not agree that they taught the dispensational variety of it. Dispensationalism comes along in about the 1800s for various reasons that I won't bore you with here.

But dispensationalism is premillennial, pre, then millennium. It's just how they get into the, everything that happens here is utterly bizarre, and it's all predicated specifically on what they herald as the interpretative key by which they go to scripture, a distinction between Jews and Gentiles. If there's a distinction between Jews and Gentiles in someone's eschatology, that person is a dispensationalist. Wherever they might be, they might be a progressive dispensationalist, they might be a better-than-the-old-school dispensationalist, they may not be as weird in some places here, but if there's a Jew-Gentile distinction, they're dispensationalists.

And basically what drives that is what they call a literal interpretation of scripture. So in other words, all the Old Testament prophecies made to ethnic Israel have to be fulfilled. They are fulfilled. but not to the ethnostate of Israel that is living in the Middle East. Jesus is the Israel of God.

The church in union with Jesus is the Israel of God. So all of the promises made to the prophets are fulfilled in Jesus and for the benefit of his people, the church, the true Israel of God. So this idea of premillennialism, again, I think there's some challenges with it. It pains me at times that John Gill was a pre-millennialist, but I'm okay with that.

He's a great guy, a great man, probably my favorite of men. But anyways, the historic is a reality. It goes back to the early church. The dispensationalism is a twist on it that wasn't extant then.

There's what's called postmillennialism. So if pre means pre before the millennial kingdom, then post means after. In other words, we have this reign of Christ, and then Christ comes after. Pre before, post after.

With millenniums, it's pretty easy. It's not, wow, I can't understand. It's easy. Do you know before and after?

If the thousand years refers to the reign of Jesus, he either comes before that reign or he comes after that reign. So at this point, it really then becomes a matter of Christology. What is Jesus doing right now at the right hand of the Father? He's reigning.

He's ruling. He's governing. He's subjugating the nations. When he comes, when does he come?

After that kingdom, and he presents it up to the father, according to 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28. If there was no 1 Corinthians 15, 20 to 28 in my Bible, I might, no, I wouldn't be tempted to go to premillennialism, but it's just, it's unprecedented. Conscionable, I just don't get how you evade a clear narrative passage which describes the specific events that are in our future and you come to a very highly symbolic charged passage and make that the arbitrator? The Revelation 20 starts off with, you know, a spirit being being bound by a physical chain and being thrown into a bottomless pit.

And then we've got this reference to a thousand years that then becomes the interpretative grid by which we start shoving into other scriptures. My contention is, let the clear, the obvious, The narratival help us with the highly charged symbolism of Revelation. And there's absolute consistency with the highly charged symbolism of Revelation 20 with all the straight narrative passages that exist. Jesus in John 14.

You want simple eschatology? It's right there. I'm going to prepare a place for you. In my father's house are many mansions.

I'm gonna go prepare a place for you. And then when I come back, I'm gonna get you. Okay, where's the millennium? Where's the this?

Where's the that? Where's the, you know, the Antichrist, the B of R? It's very simple. He returned to heaven.

He's going to come again in glory. He's going to judge the living and the dead. He's going to bring the saints up into heaven and give them those many mansions. It really is that simple, honestly.

And then there's what's called, well, there's a distinction within postmillennialism, too. I don't want to get too far afield. You have historic postmillennialism, and then what's called theonomic postmillennialism, or Christian reconstructionism. And essentially, again, some differences between adherence with reference to postmillennialism.

And then there's amillennialism. Now, amillennialism and postmillennialism are very much similar. Amillennialism literally means no millennium. But amillennialists don't teach no millennial, no millennium, lots of different ways to end the word millennia.

But they would say it's realized millennial, realized millennialism. In other words, we're in the 1,000 years and they would see the time between the first and the second advent of our Lord as being the millennium, that time of his reign, that time of his rule. And I would suggest that post-millennialism holds essentially the same position. that Jesus, after he governs the universe, after he finishes the mediatorial reign, he comes back and he offers up the kingdom to the Father. So great similarities between post and awe.

So I know that most Reformed people typically fall into amillennial positions. Practically, post and awe are very similar. In fact, sometimes you'll hear amillennialists say, I'm an optimistic amill. And I like to say, well, welcome to post-millennialism, because that's what optimistic amillennialism is.

It's post-millennialism. And I think, historically, the latest comer on the field is amillennialism. If you ask the simple question, does Jesus come before or after the millennial? There's only one of two answers.

He either comes before or after. It's either pre or post. So Ahl was a relative latecomer to the game, and not in a way of foisting something new, but explaining and understanding and interpreting things in a way that does differ a bit from post-millennialism. But nevertheless, if the simple question is asked, either it comes before or it comes after.

I really, if I'm in, you know, certain debates or discussions, I really like to get in the weeds to show people that, you know what, these categories aren't ultimately the most helpful way to speak about biblical eschatology. It's either pre or post. But what about amillennialism? Exactly.

What about amillennialism? It's either pre or post. Does Jesus come before or comes after? Well, he comes after.

OK, you're post. No, I'm not. I'm off. OK.

So then amillennialism, again, probably the majority report among the Reformed churches. And then there's a whole bunch of ways to interpret Revelation, but we won't have time for that. You can ask Cam about that. What's that?

Okay, so basically there's four main approaches to the book of Revelation. What's called a historicist view, and the historicist, as it might suggest, is concerned with history. And basically, in the book of Revelation, a historicist surveys the whole of church history. the people of God at all ages, and it's a method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which associates biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identifies symbolic beings with historical persons or societies. So basically, you're going to see Charlemagne, you're going to see, you know, Cromwell, maybe not Cromwell, but you're going to see significant features or significant players in world history in a historicist's reading of the Book of Revelation.

The next is called the futurist view. Basically, everything after chapter 3 awaits fulfillment in the future. This is typically associated with dispensationalism. Their system necessitates that much of revelation be in the future.

The next is preterism. Preterism simply means past tense. If futurism means future things, preterism means past things. And within preterism there's an unorthodox or a heretical variety, and then there's a partial preterism or an orthodox variety.

And partial preterism basically teaches that the bulk of revelation is completed. It has been fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The partial preterist understands John's revelation the way that Matthew, Mark, and Luke described the Olivet Discourse. John has no Olivet Discourse in his gospel, but he has an extended big apocalypse in the book of Revelation.

So that's preterism. And then idealist or spiritual view. There is no single fulfillment of events in Revelation, only transcendent principles and recurrent themes. In the idealist interpretation, the symbols in Revelation are not normally thought to refer to specific individuals and historic events, but to typical individuals and events.

Now, that's probably not altogether accurate. I would suggest that Beale, who represents the best, in my opinion, of this particular view, does see historical references or personages, is sympathetic to some of the claims of Preterism, and I'm not sure where he's at with reference to Futurism. But that's the way that people read the Book of Revelation. And unfortunately, dispensationalism has had a stronghold on evangelicals since its inception.

And I think a lot of people just expect, with Revelation, that it's only doom and gloom in our future. That's not the emphasis in Revelation. That probably exceeded 60 seconds. Any questions?

Or I'll pray and then actually there's no time for questions. Sorry.

Closing Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank you that there is a day appointed that you will judge the earth, the world by your son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you for clothing us in his righteousness, for cleansing us in his blood. And we pray God for your blessing upon our children, our young people, the babies, the babies in the womb. We thank you for them.

We pray, God, that you would get a hold of them in their early youth. We pray that they would remember their creator in their youth and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Bless the Sunday school. We pray that the doctrine, the catechism, the scripture references would be implanted in their minds, that they would be received into the heart, that they, by grace, would confess Jesus as Lord and Savior.

And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Scripture References

• Genesis 1:1-3:24
• Ecclesiastes 8:11
• Psalm 16:11; 20:1; 21:1; 22:1; 23:1; 24:1
• Hosea 2:23
• Matthew 25:31-46; 28:18-20
• John 5:23; 5:28-29; 14:2-3; 15:23
• Acts 17:31
• Romans 1:19-20; 9:14-23; 9:25; 11:33-36
• 1 Corinthians 6:3; 15:20-28
• 2 Corinthians 5:10-11
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10
• 2 Peter 2:4
• 1 John 3:3
• Jude 6
• Revelation 19:1-4; 20:1-6; 21:1-22:21