If one is to believe the Bible, there is a great day coming. Jude 6 states, "And the angels which

kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” The world will be judged in that day. Paul informs us in Acts 17:31, "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” 

What about those of us that will die prior to that day? Hebrews 9:27 states, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” All will appear before the judgment seat to give account for what we have done in this life. 2 Corinthians 5:10 states, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” What is going to happen on that day? In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 we are told "…the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” 

By what will we be judged? Jesus said in John 12:48, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” There is nothing vague here. We are going to be judged by His word. 

What happens to those of us who fail? Jesus gives us a clear description in Mark 9:45-46 when He described hell as "…the fire that never will be quenched: 46Where their worm diet. not…” A place of outer darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30). If Jesus is to be believed in Matthew 25:46, the punishment is to be everlasting. In that same verse Jesus tells us that the righteous will go into life eternal. We can only conclude from this verse that if the reward is eternal, then the punishment will be eternal. The length of the punishment and the reward is described the same way. This is why in Hebrews 10:31 we find that "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23.) In 2 Peter 3:9 we find, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God is longsuffering, but in verse 10 it states, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Will you be ready for that great day? 

Charles Royal, Decatur AL