Lesson 7B - OPENING THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL JUDGMENT

The Father has given "all judgment to the Son." The Son did not come as a man to judge, but to save.. By rejecting His grace in this life, we already judge ourselves, receive according to our works, and can condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love. Those who have rejected Jesus as Savior have already condemned themselves. Jesus in His role as Davidic King and Son of God will judge all humankind in all the nations of the earth.

God comes to deliver justice and judgment to His people Israel was judged and disciplined according to how she lived the law of the covenant. Each individual throughout salvation history, in the good or evil acts of their lives, receives God's guidance and judgment as they make their journey through this life to eternity.

Man is destined to face two judgments before the throne of God Almighty. The first comes the moment the soul departs the body and is called the Individual or particular Judgment. The second, known as the Final, General or Last Judgement takes place at the definitive moment in salvation history, the end of the world as we know it.

Just prior to the Final Judgment two things occur. Just before Christ returns the dead shall all be resurrected. All souls are united with their bodies, a union which will prepare each man and woman and child for the final judgment for all eternity. It will be the resurrection of both the just and the unjust. Then Christ will come in his glory, and all the angels with him and he will separate them one from another and the unjust will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life

Matthew says of the Final Judgement:  The judgment on any community or nation who rejects God's chosen ministers will be greater than that fiery judgment which fell upon Sodom and Gomorrah.  Humanity will be answerable for their works which includes the good or bad words they speak  The Twelve Apostles will judge the 12 Tribes of Old Covenant Israel  The people and communities of past generations will testify against peoples and generations who rejected God's gift of salvation

Judgment is based upon how one lived the Law of Love by loving God with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength and loving one's neighbor as oneself. In the Final Judgment our love of neighbor will disclose our acceptance of refusal of God's grace and divine love.

St. Paul urges continual repentance in preparation for the final day. God's just verdicts will repay everyone as their deeds deserve.

Lesson 7B - OPENING THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL JUDGMENT

The Final or Last Judgment is necessary for God to demonstrate to the entire family of man both His justice and mercy. The Baltimore Catechism offers good instruction on this demonstration for mankind of the providence of God.

Sometimes a good man is unsuccessful in all his undertakings, while his neighbor, who is a very bad man, is wealthy, prosperous, and seems to have every pleasure. God's reason will be made known to us on the Day of Judgment. Sometimes the wicked do good actions on earth, and as God, due to their wickedness, cannot reward them in the next world, He rewards them in this world by temporal goods and pleasures. For all their good deeds, the wicked get their reward in this world; and for their evil, their punishment in the next. The good man who suffers here and unites his suffering to Christ gets all his reward in the next world.

A second reason is to show the crimes of sinners and the justice of their punishment to all humanity; and also so the saints may have their good works made known to all and receive the glory they deserve. But the final judgment is for the honor and glory of Our Lord. At His first coming He was poor and weak; many would not believe Him. Now He will appear as their Lord and Master, their Creator and Judge. How they will tremble to look upon Him whom they have crucified! All who have denied Him, will fear when they see Him there as Judge!

The Final Judgment fully establishes the New Covenant. Instruction in the faith will no longer be necessary because everything will be revealed in the brilliant light of truth and justice.

At the Final Judgement the Devil, Death and the place of final purification called Hades/Sheol/Purgatory are destroyed by being thrown into the lake of fire which is Hell/Gehenna along with any human being whose name could not be found in the Book of Life.

LESSON 7B – CLOSING THOUHGTS ON THE LAST JUDGEMENT.

We say in the Nicene Creed: “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead”.

The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then, through His Son Jesus Christ, he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall see and know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation. We shall understand the marvelous ways by which His Providence has led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death.

The Gospel reminds us that closeness and tenderness are the rule of life for us and on this basis we will be judged. The starting point of salvation is the imitation of Jesus’ works of mercy through which he brought about his kingdom. The one who accomplishes these same works shows that he has welcomed Christ’s sovereignty, because he has opened his heart to God’s charity and grace.

In the twilight of life we will be judged on our love for, closeness to and tenderness towards our brothers and sisters. This will determine our entry into, or exclusion from, the kingdom of God. Through his victory, Jesus has opened to us his kingdom. But it is for us to enter into it, beginning with our life now, by being close in concrete ways to our brothers and sisters who ask for bread, clothing, acceptance, solidarity. If we truly love them, we will be willing to share with them what is most precious to us, Jesus himself and his Gospel.

The Knowledge that this Day is coming should call all humanity to conversion and repentance in accepting God's gift of salvation. Now is the acceptable day. Now is the acceptable time. Be eager to do good deeds performed according to the "Law of Love", for the good you do will be recorded in the Books of Works and will be counted on the Day of Final Judgment!

All humanity, body and soul reunited will stand before God. Those condemned to Hell, those saved who were being purified in Purgatory, and the Heavenly Host of Saints are all assembled before the Judgment throne of God.

This Last Judgment does not change the previous Individual or Particular Judgment; it only affirms that judgment for those who have already been judged and it is the Son's final word on the meaning and worth of all humanity. It demonstrates the exact and definitive meaning of divine mercy and justice.

Every word and every deed man has done or has failed to do will be revealed for all humanity to view. Truth and goodness are the last word. Everyone who has lived the Law of Love will receive a reward for deeds of goodness and mercy when they are LESSON 7B – CLOSING THOUHGTS ON THE LAST JUDGEMENT. taken into the eternal heavenly Kingdom. The wicked, selfish and the unloving will receive eternal punishment and separation from all that is love.

St. John’s vision in Revelation on the Final Judgement says:  Immediately after the resurrection of the dead all human beings must face the judgment throne of God.  Hades (the place of purification) will be emptied of the dead  The Books will be opened: the Book of Life and the Book of Works or Deeds. Every person will be judged according to what is written down in the Books  There will no longer be any need for death and Hades and they will be destroyed in the Lake of Fire.

Pope Francis reflected that the reality of the Final Judgment allows us to trust in God even if we are afraid, emphasizing that our judgment begins each day through the way we live.

“At Christ’s coming in glory, as judge of the living and the dead, we will be held accountable before God for the good we have done or failed to do in this life. Tthe Church invites us to see it as a source of consolation and joyful hope.”

“Be comforted because the Individual and Final judgment starts now, through the way which we live, through our existence. God’s judgment takes place in our lives each day, by the way in which we respond to Christ’s teaching and imitate him in serving our brothers and sisters.”

“Jesus constantly gives us grace, so we have the responsibility to open ourselves up to that grace or, on the contrary, be closed and exclude ourselves from communion with God. Let us prepare then, to meet our judge with confidence and joyful trust in his promises.”

“for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of his voice: those who did good will come forth to life; and those who did evil will come forth to judgment.” John 5:26-29