Joel 3: The Final Judgement

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgement with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it."

Joel 3:1-3

I was sitting with a group of other mums at a child's birthday party the other day.  The children had gone off to play and somehow the conversation turned to a recent prominent child abuse story that had devastatingly lead to a child's death.  Amongst the others there, the view was unanimous: they desired the perpetrators to receive full punishment for what they have done.  They were glad to hear that they would probably face abuse from fellow prisoners as those guilty of crimes against children usually do, and felt nothing would enough to atone for what they had done.

I, on the other hand, felt unable to judge the individuals.  I am duly horrified by what they have done, but my greatest desire for the actual individuals was that they come to repentance and eternal life in Christ.  If that were so, there would be great rejoicing in heaven (see the parable of the Prodigal Son).

But reading this passage about God judging all nations (all peoples - demonstrating he is Lord of all, not just over a certain region or nation, as pagan religions of Joel's time understood their gods to be), made me wonder whether I am too apathetic about judgement.  Should I not desire that justice should be done more?  I will admit it's sometimes hard to get my head around God as judge.

Having reflected, I stand by my view with regards to my own reaction to those who have done terrible things.  The reason: I am a sinner too.  If I wish for them to receive what they deserve in full then I would have to wish it on myself too: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  I am a great Agatha Christie fan, and Miss Marple's friend Rev. Leonard Clement of St Mary Mead puts it admirably:

“I was thinking, that when my time comes, I should be sorry if the only plea I had to offer was that of justice. Because it might mean that only justice would be meted out to me.”  (Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie)

But God is not a sinner like me - he can judge, and should judge.  The judgement of God is just and true.  There is a standard of love against which we all can be compared, and love does not let injustice go unpunished.  Like my fellow mums, many of whom had been moved to tears at the voice of that suffering child because of the love they feel for children and the sense of righteousness that is written on their hearts (Romans 2:14-16), he rages against cruelty and injustice.

Joel describes this judgement in ways relevant to his original hearers.  He talks of Tyre and Siddon, and the particular things that they have done to Israel.  But the passage starts with God gathering all nations.  It is a picture of the last days, when God sits in judgement over all the earth.  The Valley of Jehoshephat is a real place, but Jehoshephat also means the Lord has Judged - so the use of it in this image would have further strengthened the message.

What is interesting and maybe slightly confusing is that God talks about judging the nations on behalf of my people.  The sins of which he accuses the nations are those committed against his people.  Why are these particularly bad - is that not God failing to be just and impartial?  We can understand this more when we look at passages such as Matthew 25:31-46 (commonly known as the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats) and Jesus says: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40).  The church is Christ's body and the Temple of the Holy Spirit - both of these things meaning that it is where God dwells on earth (for this is what a temple is - an earthly dwelling place for a god).  

One of the commentaries I've read on this commented that this would have been a reassuring message to Joel's original hearers.  They had suffered hugely and yet saw the surrounding nations, who had subjected them to cruelty, get off free.  This was God telling them: I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged (Joel 3:21) - reassuring them that justice would be done.  And to those who are outraged by evil and cruelty in our world, this will probably be a reassuring passage as well.  But what about us - will we be judged too?

If we turn to Revelation, we learn that we will all be judged according to what we have done.  Read the following from Revelation 20:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:11-15

But if you're looking carefully, you'll notice that there are two 'books' in the above passage (or at least two sets of books).  There are the books, which record the deeds of every human being - and against the records in these all are judged.  We are all measured up against God's standard.  This is the verdict.

But when we come to the latter part of the passage, when we read of the lake of fire (i.e. the punishment) we see a different book being mentioned - the book of life.  Whilst we are all judged according to the books, it is a different record - the book of life which determines who is saved.  Of course it is clear from almost every page of the New Testament what and who this refers to - it is Jesus Christ.  Although Jesus the incarnate is not explicitly referenced in Joel, he is there too: But the Lord is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel. (Joel 3:16).  Why is Jesus the criteria for salvation - because in his death he took on the punishment himself.  He died in our place and offers all to come and trust in him.

Judgement makes sense, but we have a choice - justice or mercy.  We can choose to be judged according to our own merits, or to those of Jesus.  I know which one I choose.

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