HOW WILL HISTORY JUDGE YOU?
Actually it won't! People today freely use the phrases: "on the right side of history," "on the wrong side of history," "the bar of history," and how "history will judge..." this or that person or country. Nelson Mandela is one of those who said, "History will judge us..." But, how can history think? It can't! They mean historians and what they will write. What does it even mean to be on the "right side" or "wrong side" of history? What is the standard used, and who decides or decrees which is which?
Truthfully, the whole concept is fundamentally flawed. History (especially that which is written by humans) does not, will not and cannot judge anyone! There is no "bar of history." It matters little what historians or societies say about people or movements. It has often been observed that history in large part is written by conquerors, and they put things as they wish.
There is also the judgment of the majority, which is one of the fundamental flaws of democracy – the will of the people. Laodicea is the type of church it produces, causing divine disgust (Rev. 3:14-21). "The people" think we should accept certain behaviors or values which God condemns. They want "the right" to do this or that, and are not concerned to do God's will or accept His judgments.
But there is One who is the Judge of the living and the dead, but from Heaven and in righteousness. Mankind rejects His judgment on practically all matters, and then seeks to occupy His seat in the Tribunal. However, that seat is forever taken by God.
Abraham called Him, “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen. 18:25). There are hundreds of Scripture texts that speak of judging, judgment and the judge. Here are just a few:
"But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness" (Psa. 9:7-8).
"the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself" (Psa. 50:6).
"But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Psa. 75:7).
"Arise, O God, judge the earth" (Psa. 82:8).
"Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth" (Psa. 96:13).
Psalm 110 prophesies the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ, and promises that in His coming and earthly reign,"He shall judge among the heathen" (v. 6).
Christ takes up this theme in Matthew 25:31-46 when He speaks of the judgment of the nations which He will execute when He comes. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" (Matt. 25:31-32). Nations and peoples are judged by how they treated His brethren, the nation of Israel. It matters not what "history" thinks, but it matters very much what the Lord thinks! Those who are on the "wrong side" of His judgment will go away into everlasting punishment, whether human historians thought they were right or not!
The prophet Isaiah declared: "when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9).
So, "history" is not the judge. God is! And in His Word, the Bible, He tells us how He judges, and when and where He will do so.
Jude in his epistle quotes the prophecy of Enoch, seventh from Adam, who foretold the Lord's coming and judgment. "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince [convict] all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage" (Jude 14-16). Here we see the kinds of people who will be judged, not by history but by God.
"True and righteous are his judgments" (Rev. 19:2). Therefore, to know the right and wrong side of any issue, we should not think of how people, society or "history" will judge a matter, but how God will judge it. Not how we think He should judge it, but what He actually says in Scripture – for there the unchanging divine standard is declared. "Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psa. 119:89), means it is not subject to appeal or alteration. God’s verdict is perfect, righteous, holy and final.
The apostle Peter preached to Cornelius the Roman centurion and his household and friends that Jesus Christ “was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:42). The apostle Paul declared to the Athenians that God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31), and warned them that this had been signified by the resurrection of Christ. Christ Himself declared that the Father “hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (Jn. 5:22).
Revelation 20:11-15 foretells the great final divine judgment of all who reject Christ and the gospel, and do not receive the love of truth so that they might be saved. The great white throne is a truly awesome scene – not like people carelessly use the word “awesome”. The true definition of that word is: “causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear”. The scene of God’s judgment throne is truly terrifying and awe-inspiring.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15).
Our concern is, and yours should be, not the bar of history, but the bar of heaven. Don’t be found on the wrong side of God’s Word.
Truthfully, the whole concept is fundamentally flawed. History (especially that which is written by humans) does not, will not and cannot judge anyone! There is no "bar of history." It matters little what historians or societies say about people or movements. It has often been observed that history in large part is written by conquerors, and they put things as they wish.
There is also the judgment of the majority, which is one of the fundamental flaws of democracy – the will of the people. Laodicea is the type of church it produces, causing divine disgust (Rev. 3:14-21). "The people" think we should accept certain behaviors or values which God condemns. They want "the right" to do this or that, and are not concerned to do God's will or accept His judgments.
But there is One who is the Judge of the living and the dead, but from Heaven and in righteousness. Mankind rejects His judgment on practically all matters, and then seeks to occupy His seat in the Tribunal. However, that seat is forever taken by God.
Abraham called Him, “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen. 18:25). There are hundreds of Scripture texts that speak of judging, judgment and the judge. Here are just a few:
"But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness" (Psa. 9:7-8).
"the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself" (Psa. 50:6).
"But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Psa. 75:7).
"Arise, O God, judge the earth" (Psa. 82:8).
"Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth" (Psa. 96:13).
Psalm 110 prophesies the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ, and promises that in His coming and earthly reign,"He shall judge among the heathen" (v. 6).
Christ takes up this theme in Matthew 25:31-46 when He speaks of the judgment of the nations which He will execute when He comes. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats" (Matt. 25:31-32). Nations and peoples are judged by how they treated His brethren, the nation of Israel. It matters not what "history" thinks, but it matters very much what the Lord thinks! Those who are on the "wrong side" of His judgment will go away into everlasting punishment, whether human historians thought they were right or not!
The prophet Isaiah declared: "when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9).
So, "history" is not the judge. God is! And in His Word, the Bible, He tells us how He judges, and when and where He will do so.
Jude in his epistle quotes the prophecy of Enoch, seventh from Adam, who foretold the Lord's coming and judgment. "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince [convict] all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage" (Jude 14-16). Here we see the kinds of people who will be judged, not by history but by God.
"True and righteous are his judgments" (Rev. 19:2). Therefore, to know the right and wrong side of any issue, we should not think of how people, society or "history" will judge a matter, but how God will judge it. Not how we think He should judge it, but what He actually says in Scripture – for there the unchanging divine standard is declared. "Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven" (Psa. 119:89), means it is not subject to appeal or alteration. God’s verdict is perfect, righteous, holy and final.
The apostle Peter preached to Cornelius the Roman centurion and his household and friends that Jesus Christ “was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:42). The apostle Paul declared to the Athenians that God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ (Acts 17:31), and warned them that this had been signified by the resurrection of Christ. Christ Himself declared that the Father “hath committed all judgment unto the Son” (Jn. 5:22).
Revelation 20:11-15 foretells the great final divine judgment of all who reject Christ and the gospel, and do not receive the love of truth so that they might be saved. The great white throne is a truly awesome scene – not like people carelessly use the word “awesome”. The true definition of that word is: “causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear”. The scene of God’s judgment throne is truly terrifying and awe-inspiring.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15).
Our concern is, and yours should be, not the bar of history, but the bar of heaven. Don’t be found on the wrong side of God’s Word.
Carl Knott
