Divine Judgment

Biblija se isto toliko naširoko bavi sudom kao i spasenjem. Sud i spasenje dva su predmeta blizanca koji se kao niti međusobno isprepliću od Postanka do Otkrivenja. To se događa zato što sud i spasenje odsjajuju milost i pravednost, dvije međusobno povezane značajke božanske naravi. Upravo zato se teme spasenja i suda, koje održavaju božansko milosrđe i pravednost, ne mogu i ne smiju razdvajati; u protivnom obje gube svoju puninu i uzajamnu nadopunjenost. Sud zaslužuje našu posebnu pozornost jer bez njega ne bismo mogli pravilno shvatiti važna pitanja kao što su: (a) božanska pravednost u nepravednom svijetu (teodicija), (b) odmazda za učinjeno zlo, (c) patnje nevinih, (d) rješenje sukoba između dobra i zla te (e) kraj grijeha i patnji. Ali iznad svega, posljednji sud će opravdati Stvoritelja – Njegov karakter, Zakon i vladavinu – u umovima svih stvorenih bića, bilo odanih, bilo izgubljenih, i tako donijeti vječnu sigurnost i mir u svemiru. Upravo zato je sud u Bibliji opisan kao bitan dio "neprolazne radosne vijesti" (Otk 14,6.7).The judgment theme is as pervasive in the Bible as the theme of salvation. Judgment and salvation are the twin topics that weave themselves like threads from Genesis to Revelation. This is because salvation and judgment reflect the twin characteristics of mercy and justice in the nature of God. Therefore, the double themes of salvation and judgment, refecting divine mercy and justice, cannot and rust not be separated; otherwise both lose their fullness and mutual complementarity. Judgment deserves careful attention, since it is involved in the issues of (a) divine justice in an unjust world (theodicy), (b) retribution for wrong done, (c) the suffering of the innocent, (d) the resolution of the conflict of good and evil, and (e) the end of sin and suffering. But above all, final judgment vindicates the Creator—His character, law, and governance— in the minds of all created intelligences, whether loyal or lost, thereby obtaining eternal security and peace for the universe. Judgment is thus portrayed in Scripture as an essential part of the “eternal gospel” (Rev. 14:6, 7)