Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

those sectarians who hold that the righteous will not be called into judgment. When
Jesus says in John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and
believeth Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and cometh not into judgment, but
hath passed out of death into life,” he clearly means in view of the context, that the
believer cometh not into condemnatory judgment. But it is sometimes objected that the
sins of believers, which are pardoned, certainly will not be published at that time; but
Scripture leads us to expect that they will be, though they will, of course, be revealed as
pardoned sins. Men will be judged for “every idle word,” Matt. 12:36, and for “every
secret thing,” Rom. 2:16; I Cor. 4:5, and there is no indication whatsoever that this will
be limited to the wicked. Moreover, it is perfectly evident from such passages as Matt.
13:30,40-43,49; 25:14-23,34-40,46, that the righteous will appear before the judgment seat
of Christ. It is more difficult to determine, whether the good angels will be subject to the
final judgment in any sense of the word. Dr. Bavinck is inclined to infer from I Cor. 6:3
that they will be; but this passage does not prove the point. It might do this, if the word
aggelous were preceded by the article, which is not the case. We simply read, “Know ye
not that we shall judge angels?” Because of the uncertainty connected with this matter,
it is better to be silent. The more so, since the angels are clearly represented only as
ministers of Christ in connection with the work of judgment, Matt. 13:30,41; 25:31; II
Thess. 1:7,8.
F. THE TIME OF THE JUDGMENT.
Though the time of the future judgment cannot be determined absolutely, it can be
fixed relatively, that is, relative to other eschatological events. It will clearly be at the
end of the present world, for it will be a judgment passed on the whole life of every
man, Matt. 13:40-43; II Pet. 3:7. Moreover, it will be a concomitant of the coming
(parousia) of Jesus Christ, Matt. 25:19-46; II Thess. 1:7-10; II Pet. 3:9,10, and will follow
immediately after the resurrection of the dead, Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; Rev. 20:12,13. The
question whether it will immediately precede, be coincident with, or immediately
follow, the renewal of heaven and earth, cannot be settled conclusively on the basis of
Scripture. Rev. 20:11 would seem to indicate that the transformation of the universe will
take place when the judgment begins; II Pet. 3:7, that the two will synchronize; and Rev.
21:1, that the renewal of heaven and earth will follow the judgment. We can only speak
of them in a general way as concomitants. It is equally impossible to determine the
exact duration of the judgment. Scripture speaks of “the day of judgment,” Matt. 11:22;
12:36, “that day,” Matt. 7:22; II Thess. 1:10; II Tim. 1:12, and “the day of wrath,” Rom.
2:5; Rev. 11:8. We need not infer from these and similar passages that it will be a day of
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