We read in the Gospel of Luke that these signs will precede the Last Judgment:
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)
From the book of Revelation we know that the Last Judgment will be preceded by the imposter, the antichrist, who will try to deceive mankind in four ways. First, by a false interpretation of the scripture trying to prove that he is the promised messiah. Second, by the working of miracles. Third, by the distribution of gifts and fourth by the infliction of tortures.
The Last Judgment will be preceded by a violent fire lit by God Himself, to renew the world and to punish the reprobate. The Judge will come in the valley of Jehoshaphat and place the good on His right and the evil ones on His left. “I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.” (Joel 3:2) Note that in Hebrew, Jehoshaphat means “God has judged”.
We read in the Gospel of Matthew:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’
“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)
When the final judgment comes there are four categories in which people will be divided: two for the reprobates and two for the elect. The reprobates will be those who will be condemned and those who were already condemned, those who were previously judged by the elect sitting alongside the Judge.
The Judge will be inflexibly severe. He will bend neither from fear because He is Almighty, nor from gifts because He is Richness Himself, nor from hatred because He is Goodness itself, nor from love because He is Justice itself, nor from error because He is Wisdom itself; and against this wisdom neither the allegations of lawyers, nor the phrases of orators, nor the ruses of hypocrites will prevail. The Judge will be as severe as the prosecutor will be implacable.
In other words, the sinner will face three prosecutors: the devil, sin and the entire world. On that day, sky and earth, water, sun and moon, day and night, the whole world will raise against us before God in testimony of our sins. Three witnesses will also testify against us, all three infallible. First God, Who said to us through the prophet Jeremiah, “I am at the same time Judge and Witness.” Second, our conscience and third our guardian angel, for we read in the book of Job that the heavens (that is, the Angels) will reveal this iniquity. Finally the sentence will be irrevocable for three reasons: The excellence of the Judge, the evidence of the crime and the impossibility of reversing the chastisement. In the Last Judgment there will be no king, no emperor, no priest or pope to whom we can appeal the judgment pronounced against us.
This can be very frightening to those who are far from God, to those who are unsure of where they stand before God and to those who deny God.
The fact that we don’t know the day or hour is all the more reason to take heed. We read in the Gospel of Matthew:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Matthew 24:36-44)
Brothers and sisters, if you are away from God and others have tried to help you to know Christ, to help you to know His laws, His standards, His kingdom and you’ve rejected, the Scriptures say “Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Psalm 95:7-8)
You still have a chance while there is still time. We don’t know how much time, but while there is time, you can repent. We know that it is the last hour. We are heading into very very awful times and the number one thing for you to do NOW is turn to Christ with all your heart to be saved.
God sent His Son Jesus Christ to grant you the wonderful gift of salvation. Accept His hand of salvation NOW before it is too late.
Do not delay!
Remember that the Final Judgment is IRREVOCABLE!
God loves you.
Do you love God?
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