The judge presides over the court. He represents the law of the land. In him is vested the knowledge of the law and the power to see it administered. He is a man and is there to judge men. In the solemnity of the court room, sitting on his ornate seat on a raised dais, he looks down on the accused. By the processes of law, the hearing and sifting of evidence, the question and cross-question, he will come to his assessment of the guilt or innocence of the man on trial.
In some countries rich in experience over hundreds of years, the judge is assisted in major cases by the services of the jury: twelve good men and true. They are not learned in the complexities of the law, only the judge is so equipped, and he will advise the jury accordingly. But the twelve men and women know what men are like, and they are there to look and listen, and to decide whether in all the circumstances the man on trial appears to be guilty or otherwise.
Sometimes mistakes are made. An appeal court can put that right. Sometimes (although not often in countries where fairmindedness and integrity hold fast in court) an innocent man is pronounced guilty. Sometimes an innocent man has died for a murder he never committed. There are occasions, too, when the law is “wrong” and a man has to be convicted, even though common sense would lead us all to let him go. The man who is truly found guilty has to be punished. In most countries the punishment is made to fit the crime; in some countries the guilty go free and the innocent are harshly treated.
Imagine then a perfect Judge: one who never makes a mistake and never needs a jury to assist Him in coming to the right verdict. Imagine, too, a perfect law, who could complain? If there were mercy with justice, the process would be complete and beyond criticism. None of us would need fear to be judged (if we were innocent) because we would always be set free. Even the guilty would have no cause for complaint; their punishment would be just.
Supposing that such a Judge could work, not only in a courtroom, to decide the verdict on one man but could stand among the nations (for example at the general assembly of the United Nations) and could give an unerring, clear and immediate judgment on the rights and wrongs of nations, the small as well as the great. What an asset that would be! It would require one thing more, the authority and power to execute the judgment found. To punish or restrain the offending nation, to deliver the oppressed and weak, the innocent and offended—such a power would bring sanity and solution to world problems and remove some of the great hindrances among nations.
This is not a dream, a vain hope which has no chance of fulfillment. It is the very basis of the promises of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s appointed Judge and 1-k will do just those things we have been thinking about, but with infinitely greater grace and certainty than anything we can conceive in our own minds. Listen to what God has said about this:
“Because he hath appointed a day, in 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” (Acts 17:31).
If we ask, “When will this be? What day is this which God has appointed?”, we have the answer in the clear terms of the Apostle Paul:
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick (living) and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (2nd Timothy 4:1).
The day when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be on earth is the day of His second coming, the day when His kingdom will be established on earth. There is no doubt at all that He will judge the nations as certainly as if He were to stand in the great council chamber of the United Nations. He will make known the law of
God and call for obedience to it. He will brook no permanent violation and will bring the offenders to obedience in mercy and in unfailing righteousness. This is what the Bible tells us about it:
” . . . for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke among many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2: 3,4).
Here is the solution to the problems with which the world has been struggling for centuries. All the contesting politics and selfishness which have hidden under the cloak of patriotism will disappear like snow before the summer sun. No one will be able to deceive Him, even should they dare to attempt to do so.
” . . . he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:3,4).
The mighty nations will be forced to be obedient, no nation will be too small to be heard. The poor, the peaceful will find their cause fully protected by this infallible and righteous Judge. No nation will be outside His jurisdiction, none will be able to claim self-rule and independence for nationalist ends, for the world will be one wide empire under the universal and gracious rule of Christ, the King and Judge.
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen (nations) for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, 0 ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:8-11).
Jesus will exercise the authority of God over all the earth and all the inequities and injustices of men will be abolished.
He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, And shall break in pieces the oppressor For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also, and him that hath no helper He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy (Psalms 72 4, 12,13).
The world will be like an open book to Him The secret services of the nations and the work of spies will be at an end None will succeed against Him and He will need no one to tell Him anything in any part of His kingdom Everything will be known to Him and He will judge all in every place No nation will escape the surveillance of His powerful eye Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him all nations shall serve Him. (Psalms 72:11)
And what will be the result of this wonderful exercise of law and perfect judgment?
In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth His name shall endure forever his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him all nations shall call him blessed’ (Psalms 72 7, 17).
This is the glorious prospect before the world The Son of God shall be Judge of all the earth
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One