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The story of God’s judgment on the human race, for most, is a terrible plot turn.  A story where so many apparently perish and so few are rescued does not seem fair or just.  Many of us want a better story, one that has a happy ending for most.  But wanting something does not automatically preclude what we do not want.  In fact, such a want may be a way of hiding from the truth.  Philosophically, though, the biblical plot line of judgment is rational and in keeping with what we know about life and our sense of justice.  Judgment, when properly understood, is a time not only when the bad receive their just penalty but a time when the good are delivered and vindicated.

Moreover, we have all read good stories that, upon coming to the end of them, wished they could keep on going.  In fact, we normally seek absorbing and uplifting stories with good endings that we can dwell on long after we finish the story.  We rarely seek out tragic stories with bad endings.  They just do not sell, either in books or in the movies.

When we come to the end of God’s story, as recorded in Revelation, we are just beginning.  It is the good news that goes on forever.  It is the gift that gives far more than it takes.

The season finale of God’s story is in an unparalleled, epic event without comparison, well beyond our wildest imaginations.  It is the final judgment of the human race.  It is when the wicked will be separated from the righteous.  It is when the oppression on those who want to live for Jesus will be lifted forever and they shall inherit the earth, the home of righteousness.  It is a day when God will certainly set all things right.  He will dry every tear and remove all suffering, evil, and death.  It is a good day, a great day.  God desires that all people be ready for that day, to enter into eternity.

Your life is not a mere blip nor an accident in the pointless stream of history.  History began with God and will end with God, and the same is true for you.  He knit you together in your mother’s womb.  You have a purpose.  You are here on earth for a reason.  That reason is God, and you are moving toward that day, too, when you will be brought before him.  He wants you to be ready for that, with great hope, so that you can enter eternity with Jesus in unspeakable joy.

How have you been accustomed to understanding the idea of God’s judgment?  Can you see the rationale behind it?  How does the prospect of standing before God affect you?