20. Who will be the just judge on the judgement day?

In Christian teaching we read that Jesus is the just Judge on the Judgement Day. John 5 verses 21-22 states: ‘For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition the Father judges no one. Instead he has given the Son absolute authority to Judge, so everyone will honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son is not honouring the Father who sent him.’ Jesus Christ is the Judge. But He has sent the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) to all who trusted in His saving and sacrificial death on the cross to save us from the punishment of our sin and judgement. When we trust in Jesus Christ and invite Him into our lives we receive the Holy Spirit who is our Advocate testifying to our trust and faith in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 12 verse 36 Jesus taught that ‘you must give an account on the judgement day for every idle word you speak. The words you say either acquit you or condemn you.’ The words you say about your trust in Jesus Christ as your Saviour will save you in the Judgement Day. The Holy Spirit will attest to your faith in Christ.

The time of the return of Jesus Christ to earth is unknown to Christians. Jesus said He would provide many signs of His return so those who are His followers would be aware of the seasons around the return of the Son of Man. In Matthew 24 verses 36 – 44 Jesus is recorded as saying: ‘However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son Himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of man returns it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered the boat. People did not realise what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of man comes. Two men will be working together in the field and one will be taken and other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill and the one taken and other left. So you must keep watch. For you don’t know when the Lord is coming. Understand this, if a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must keep ready all the time, for the Son of man will come when least expected.’

One sign that Jesus did describe about His return is contained in Matthew 24 verse 14: ‘And the Good News about the Kingdom of God will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all ethnicities will hear it, and then the end will come.’

In Islâm, Yawm al-Qiyāmah (Arabic: يوم القيامة‎ ‘the Day of Resurrection’) or Yawm ad-Din (Arabic: يوم الدين‎ ‘the Day of Judgment’) is believed to be God’s final assessment of humanity. Allâh will weigh your good and bad deeds in the balances and if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds then you may receive mercy and entrance into paradise. The importance of the ‘last judgment’ in the Islâmic belief system is underlined by the many references to it in the Qur’an and its many names. For example, it is also called ‘the Day of Reckoning’, ‘the Hour’, ‘the Last Day’, and ‘Day of Judgment’. Refer to questions 19 and 21 for more details about who will be the Just Judge according to Islâmic scholars’ research.