47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
There are two forms of unbelief in verses 47 and 48:
—those who hear Jesus’ words but do not embrace them, 47
—those who reject categorically His words, 48
12:47
And if anyone hears My words [audible] and does not believe, I do not judge him;
The word “hears” means to hear with approval. There are those who have apparent approval to the message of Christ, but they do not embrace it as their own. The Father, not Jesus, will deal with them.
for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
The purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was not to judge but to “save” (Jn 3:16-17). People judge themselves by rejecting the message of Christ (Jn 3:18-19). Jesus did not come to judge in His first coming, but He will judge at His Second Coming. At the Second Coming, He will become King Jesus, King of the world.
12:48
He who rejects Me,
The other side of Jesus’ point is that those who outright reject His words do indeed have a judge; it is the judge of His words.
and does not receive My words,
Jesus is the Father’s revelation; He is the light of the world. To discard His words is to disregard the Father’s words.
has that which judges him—
The Father already has the role of judgment; the Son does not need to do it in this situation.
the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
Even though the Father is the judge, Jesus’ words will judge those refuse to believe on Him. God’s judgment is not caprice but eternal justice. The Father’s message in Christ is what gives eternal life to those who embrace it.
God’s judgment will be based on the content made available to each person. Their judgment began with rejection and ends with condemnation at the “last day.” God will use the words that were to save people to instead judge them.
The “last day” is the final boundary of history. This is a day of judgment and vindication, a day when God Himself will be vindicated. This is a time when God shall be all in all. The standard for judgment at this time are the words of Christ.
PRINCIPLE:
Unbelief is not simple unwillingness to assert a fact but refusal to accept truth.
APPLICATION:
The primary purpose of Christ’s first coming was not to bring judgment but salvation. Jesus did not come into the world with the express purpose to condemn the world (Jn 3:17, 36). However, indirectly those who reject His words bring condemnation on themselves. People who hear what Jesus has to say yet reject His words bring judgment on themselves.
Jesus is the light of the world; He is the Father’s Word to people. God spoke finally and decisively in Him (He 1:1-3). The Father’s purpose of God’s revelation in Jesus is to shed light on eternal things.
There is no escaping the coming judgment of unbelievers in the last day. The same message that offers salvation will bring condemnation for those who do not believe it. They will stand before the great white throne judgment where they will formally be pronounced lost forever (Re 20:11-15). Unbelief lies not in the faculty to believe but in willful rejection to believe (Jn 3:18).
Is the last day a period of time or a 24 hour day? In John 6 Jesus said that believers will be raised up on the last day. But here in John 12:48 He said that the wicked will be judged. How is that possible if there is a millennium between the resurrection of believers and the white throne judgment?
JROCK, the Bible often uses both “day” and “last day” for more than a 24 hour period. The term “last day” is taken primarily from the OT where it is used extensively for a general time period where God does something.
I was going to ask the same question as JROCK. But now, I ask a follow-up question. What about this Scripture in Matt. 25 and we see that Jesus will be separating the goats and the sheep right after he comes. I don’t see where the 1,000 years comes in. This looks like the last day or the day of the Lord. It seems to me that this text should say something about Christ setting up his millennial kingdom instead of going to the judgment right away.
31 But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory,
32 and all the nations shall be gathered before him; and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
33 and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left.
34 Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from world’s foundation:35 for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;36 naked, and ye clothed me; I was ill, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, and nourished thee; or thirsting, and gave thee to drink? 38 And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee? 39 And when saw we thee ill, or in prison, and came to thee? 40 And the King answering shall say to them, Verily, I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me. 41 Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me not to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, and ye did not visit me.
Matthew, I answered that question in my studies on Mathew: https://versebyversecommentary.com/2009/04/01/matthew-2531f/
You wrote this in your comment for Matthew 25:31f.
“This judgment is not the same as the Great White Throne judgment where He casts the lost into eternal judgment (Re 20:11-15).
The judgment here takes place on earth before entrance into the Millennial kingdom.
There will be two different judgments in relation to the Millennial kingdom: one before the kingdom (Jews and Gentiles alive at the end of the Tribulation), which involves both sheep and goats; and the one at the end of the Millennium, which involves strictly unbelievers (20:13-15).
First of all, the Bible states that God has “set a day” when he will judge the world. Not two different days.
Acts 17:31
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Secondly, you wrote this.
This judgment is not the same as the Great White Throne judgment where He casts the lost into eternal judgment (Re 20:11-15).
But in this Scripture in Matt. 25, it specifically states this.
Matt. 25:41
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
So what do you mean: “This judgment is not the same as the Great White Throne judgment where He casts the lost into eternal judgment (Re 20:11-15).” ?!!?
Matthew, I think there are more judgments than you realize. See this summary: https://versebyversecommentary.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=69841&action=edit
I could not access this: https://versebyversecommentary.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=69841&action=edit
In any case, I only see biblical evidence that there will be one day of judgment. It will be the “Great Day” according to Jude 1:6. And as for the judgment seat of Christ and the Great White Throne, the Bible doesn’t say when these judgments will occur. There is no mention of any day. But by looking at the Scripture below, all of this evidence points to just one day. That will be the day of the Lord. I don’t see where are you getting the different days from.
What verses are you getting this from?
Here is the evidence which shows that there will be ONE DAY.
Acts 17:31
For he has “set a day” when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
1 John 4:17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the “day of judgment” Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of “the great day.”
Mt 11:24But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.
Mt 12:36But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
Rom. 2:6-7 and 16
6 God “will repay each person according to what he has done”— 7 eternal life to those who seek glory, honor, and immortality by persisting in doing what is good, 8 but furious anger to those who out of selfish ambition are disobeying what is true and obeying what is wrong.
16 This will happen on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge people’s secrets through Jesus Christ.
Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
Revelation 11:18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
.
Matthew, here is the content of the link I sent you:
SEVEN FUTURE JUDGMENTS
Judgment of the church at the Bema Seat in heaven after the Rapture.
Judgment of tribulation saints (Re 20:4) immediately after the 2nd Advent (Re 20:4-6)
Judgment of Old Testament saints in connection with the 2nd advent (Zech 14:4)
Judgment of Gentiles living in the world at the time of the 2nd Advent (righteous separated from wicked living on earth) immediately following the judgment of Israel (Mt 25:31-46).
Judgment of living Israel living in the world at the time of the 2nd Advent who are regathered and judged relative to their place in the millennial reign of Christ (Ezek 20:33-38; Mt 24-25).
Judgment of the angels and Satan after the Millennium but prior to the Great White Throne Judgment (Re 20:10)
Judgment of the wicked dead at the Great White Throne after the Millennium (Re 20:5, 12-13)
THE SEQUENCE OF FUTURE EVENTS
The judgment of believers after the rapture and before the Tribulation (Ro 14:10; 2 Co 5:10)
The Tribulation period (Mt 24:4-26)
The 2nd Advent (Mt 24:47-30) of the Messiah to the earth.
Regathering of Israel (Mt 24:31) before setting up of the Millennial Kingdom
Judgment of Israel (Mt 25:1-30) before setting up of the Millennial Kingdom
Judgment on Gentiles (Mt 25:31-46) before setting up of the Millennial Kingdom
The Kingdom of 1000 years
The Eternal State