The saints will judge the world
The New Testament teaches, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?” (1 Corinthians 6:2). This is a reference to a period following the second advent of Christ. For the Lord promised that He will come again, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1–3).
At His second coming, “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
Judgement of the sinners and evil angels
The saints will ascend to heaven with Christ at His second advent. And they will be seated on thrones to share with Jesus His authority and power to judge and execute judgment. John declares, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4). The Old Testament also refers to that event. “Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (Daniel 7:22).
Thus, the saints will judge the unrepentant people who have not made peace with the Father through Jesus Christ. And they will also judge the fallen angels. “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). These are the evil angels that rebelled and later were cast out of heaven along with Satan (Revelation 12:7–9; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)
When will that event take place?
The judgement will happen during the millennium, that is, the thousand years after the second coming of Christ and before He comes back the third time to destroy the wicked. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4, 6).
How will God judge the wicked?
The judgment of the wicked will be an examination of the accounts of their lives, and the allocating of the punishment. Their destruction has already been established by their willful rejection of God’s offer of salvation, by which rejection they have intentionally chosen eternal death. The examination of the life accounts of the sinners will help the saints to see the justice of God and the correctness of His dealings with those who continue to be rebellious to the end.
After seeing God’s fairness in judging the wicked, the saints will “sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
