Eternal judgment (1st century historical fulfillment and beyond?)
Summary
It is written in Hebrews about "eternal judgment" (Hebrews 6:2).
One understanding of it can be that it refers to an eternal verdict of judgment that can happen after someone dies, as such person would end up standing before the throne in heaven. There, the person would need to give an account for the works that they did on earth, whether good or evil, and receive rewards as a result. Depending on the result of the judgment, one could then end up in a certain place: the righteous ones could end up in the kingdom of the heavens to go into eternal life, and the unrighteous ones could end up in eternal fire to go into eternal punishment.
Jesus said that when He would come from heaven with His angels, He would raise the dead ones and also then proceed to judge people according to their works. In the 1st century around AD 66, before the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 as a consequence of the First Jewish-Roman War, armies of glittering appearance were seen in the sky near the start of that war, and events were recorded in which what appeared to have been souls were seen as rising from the earth at the sound of a trumpet.
The war would have started the same year around AD 66 leading to the destruction of Jerusalem around AD 70. In the Bible, the expression "day of judgment" can be used in the context of the destruction of a city and Jesus said that people will give an account for their deeds on the "day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36). The meaning of a "coming" ("parousia" in Greek) can indicate that one could come for a short stay in a city but also then proceed to come back where they came from. The armies of glittering appearance were seen in the sky around AD 66 and may have stayed until around AD 70 when the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed. Around that time, they may have went back where they came from (heaven) with what appeared to have been souls raised from the earth, probably ending up before the throne in heaven, which is where the judgment of the dead ones could be described to happen.
There may also be evidence that the eternal judgment can also happen beyond the 1st century to those who die after that point.
You can find below evidences for that.
What eternal judgment can be
It is written in Hebrews about "eternal judgment" (Hebrews 6:2).
One understanding of it can be that it refers to an eternal verdict of judgment that can happen after someone dies, as such person would end up standing before the throne in heaven. There, the person would need to give an account for the works that they did on earth, whether good or evil, and receive rewards as a result. Depending on the result of the judgment, one could then end up in a certain place: the righteous ones could end up in the kingdom of the heavens to go into eternal life, and the unrighteous ones could end up in eternal fire to go into eternal punishment.
For more details:
Eternal judgment (what can it be?)
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Timing for judgment: 1st century imminence?
The judgment of the living and the dead could have been apprehended as imminent in the 1st century according to the Bible.
For more details:
1st century imminence in the Bible of the judgment of the living and the dead?
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Furthermore, James in the 1st century wrote to His 1st century audience to "speak and so do as (ones) ABOUT [melló 3195 in Greek] TO-BE-JUDGED by (the) law (of) liberty" (James 2:12). The Greek word for "ABOUT" [melló 3195 in Greek] is a verb that can be translated as "IS-ABOUT-TO".
Timing for judgment linked to the Lord coming: 1st century imminence?
It is written in Hebrews about "ETERNAL judgment" (Hebrews 6:2).
The only explicit example of an "ETERNAL" verdict of judgment in the entire New Testament (following a trial) can be found in Matthew 25:31-46 in which it is written that "when the Son (of) Man COMES in His glory, and all the angels with Him, AT-THAT-TIME He-will-sit on (the) throne (of) His glory, and all the nations will-be-gathered before Him. And He-will-separate them from one-another" (Matthew 25:31-32) and as a verdict "the righteous (ones will go) to ETERNAL life" (Matthew 25:46) and the unrighteous ones "will-go into ETERNAL punishment" (Matthew 25:46).
This is mentioned to happen "when the Son (of) Man COMES in His glory, and all the angels with Him, AT-THAT-TIME He-will-sit on (the) THRONE (of) His glory" (Matthew 25:31).
The mentions of the Lord COMING and bringing judgment in several biblical passages could have been apprehended as imminent in the 1st century.
Jesus said early in the 1st century: "For the Son (of) Man IS-ABOUT TO-COME in the glory (of) His Father with His angels. And AT-THAT-TIME HE-WILL-GIVE-BACK (to) each (one) ACCORDING-TO HIS PRACTICE" (Matthew 16:27).
It was written later in the 1st century: "I-AM-COMING QUICKLY. And My reward (is) WITH ME, TO-GIVE-BACK (to) each (one) AS HIS WORK IS" (Revelation 22:12).
For more mentions of the Lord COMING that could have been apprehended as imminent in the 1st century:
1st century imminence in the Bible of the Lord coming?
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Timing for judgment linked to the day of the Lord: 1st century imminence?
Paul wrote: "we-will all stand-before the judgment-seat" (Romans 14:10), "So then, each (of) us will-give (an) account for himself" (Romans 14:12). Jesus said that this giving of account would happen on the day of judgment: "I-say (to) you that every idle word which people will-speak — they-will-give-back (an) account for it ON (THE) DAY (OF) JUDGMENT" (Matthew 12:36).
The "DAY (OF) JUDGMENT" (Matthew 12:36) can used interchangeable with the DAY of the LORD, as for example Peter wrote: "(by) the same word the present heavens and earth have-been-stored-up (for) fire, being-reserved for (the) DAY (OF) JUDGMENT" (2 Peter 3:7) as "(the) DAY (OF THE) LORD will-come like (a) thief — in which the heavens will-pass-away with-a-roar" (2 Peter 3:10).
The mentions of the DAY of the LORD in several biblical passages could have been apprehended as imminent in the 1st century:
1st century imminence in the Bible of the day of the Lord?
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Timing for judgment: after the coming of the Lord and the resurrection?
It is written in Hebrews about "ETERNAL judgment" (Hebrews 6:2).
The only explicit example of an "ETERNAL" verdict of judgment in the entire New Testament (following a trial) can be found in Matthew 25:31-46.
FIRST, the coming of Jesus is described, as it is written: "when the Son (of) Man COMES in His glory, and all the angels with Him, at-that-time He-will-sit on (the) throne (of) His glory, and all the nations will-be-gathered before Him" (Matthew 25:31-32).
Then in SECOND, a language of resurrection may be used, as it is written: "And HE-WILL-MAKE-TO-STAND the sheep on His right (side), and the goats on (the) left (side)" (Matthew 25:33). One word used in the language of the resurrection is for example "TO-STAND-UP" [anistémi 450 in Greek, verb], which comes in part from the Greek word for "TO-STAND" [histémi 2476 in Greek, verb] used in Matthew 25:33.
For more details:
Resurrection from the dead (1st century historical fulfillment?)
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Then in THIRD, a judgment in accordance with works takes place in which the verdict is that "the righteous (ones will go) to ETERNAL life" (Matthew 25:46) and the unrighteous ones "will-go into ETERNAL punishment" (Matthew 25:46). This is an example of a verdict that is an "ETERNAL judgment" (Hebrews 6:2).
FIRST there would be the coming, SECOND the resurrection, and THIRD eternal judgment.
There may be other passages to show FIRST the coming and then judgment:
"the Son (of) Man is-about TO-COME in the glory (of) His Father with His angels. AND THEN He-will-give-back (to) each (one) according-to his practice" (Matthew 16:27).
"I-AM-COMING quickly. AND My reward (is) with Me, to-give-back (to) each (one) as his work is" (Revelation 22:12).
There may also be passages to show the resurrection around the time or just BEFORE the judgment:
"(The) Queen (of the) South WILL-BE-RAISED at the judgment with this generation, AND she-will-condemn it" (Matthew 12:42).
"HADES GAVE the dead (ones) in them, AND they-were-judged — each (one) — according-to their works" (Revelation 20:13).
1st century events
Jesus said: "when the Son (of) Man COMES in His glory, and all the ANGELS with Him, AT-THAT-TIME He-will-sit on (the) throne (of) His glory, and all the nations will-be-gathered before Him. And He-will-separate them from one-another" (Matthew 25:31-32).
In the 1st century, before the temple of Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70 as a consequence of the First Jewish-Roman War, armies of glittering appearance were seen in the sky near the start of that war, and events were recorded in which what appeared to have been souls were seen as rising from the earth at the sound of a trumpet.
For more details:
Resurrection from the dead (1st century historical fulfillment?)
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The First Jewish-Roman War then started, which ended up in the destruction of the city of Jerusalem around AD 70. Josephus for example wrote about that.
The 1st century historian Josephus wrote in "The Wars of the Jews":
(6.10:1): "And thus was Jerusalem taken, in the second year of the reign of Vespasian, on the eight day of the month Gorpieus [Elu]. It had been taken five times before, though this was the second time of its desolation".
In the Bible, the expression for the "DAY OF JUDGMENT" can be used in the context of the destruction of a city.
For example, in the context of the destruction of Edom (by the Babylonians) in the sixth century B.C it was written: "My sword was made drunk in heaven; behold, it will come down upon Edom, and with JUDGMENT [krisis 2920 in Greek, noun] upon the people of the destruction" (Isaiah 34:5 (LXX)), "For (it is the) DAY OF JUDGMENT [krisis 2920 in Greek, noun] of the LORD" (Isaiah 34:8 (LXX)).
Could it be that after coming with his angels and raising what appeared to have been souls from the ground, the Son of Man could have then gone back into heaven with those souls around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, in order to sit on the throne of His glory and proceed with the eternal judgment? This could be consistent with the literal meaning of a "coming" ("parousia" in Greek), which can mean to stay in a city to then leave at some point to go back where one came from.
For more details about the term "coming" ("parousia" in Greek):
Matthew 24:27 - Coming like the lightning (1st century historical fulfillment?):
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If the eternal judgment would have happened in the 1st century AD, would those who die after that still be judged?
There may be evidence that people today may still be judged in heaven according to their works done on earth.
The lake of fire present in Revelation 21?
The "lake of fire" would still be described as being present even after the judgment in Revelation 20 happened. Who would judge who goes there or not if there would be no judgment anymore to determine that?
When describing the New Jerusalem, it is written that "its gates will never be-shut (by) day [...] and the (one) doing abomination and falsehood, will never enter into it, but only the (ones) having-been-written in the Lamb’s book (of) life" (Revelation 21:25-27). The judgment in Revelation 20 described that people were to be judged in accordance to what is written "IN THE BOOK (OF) LIFE" (Revelation 20:15), which could imply that the ones after Revelation 20 could still be judged in accordance with that as it may be implied in Revelation 21, as it reads: "the (one) doing abomination and falsehood, will never enter into it, BUT ONLY THE (ONES) HAVING-BEEN-WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK (OF) LIFE" (Revelation 21:27).
Where would these ones go if not found written in the book of life? In Revelation 20 it reads that "if anyone was not found having-been-written in the book (of) life, he-was-thrown into the lake (of) fire" (Revelation 20:15). The "gates will never be-shut" (Revelation 21:25) of the New Jerusalem, but "the (one) doing abomination and falsehood, will never enter into it" (Revelation 21:27). Those who are "doing abomination and falsehood" in Revelation 21:27 were said earlier in that same chapter to end up in the lake of fire, as it read that the "(ones) having-been-abominable [...] and all the false — their part (will be) in the lake burning (with) fire" (Revelation 21:8).
Judge by the eternal kingdom?
Furthermore, Paul wrote in the 1st century about "Christ Jesus, the (One) about-to JUDGE (the ones) living and (the) dead (ones), and (BY) His appearance AND HIS KINGDOM" (2 Timothy 4:1). Jesus is said to judge by His appearance, but not only: also by "HIS KINGDOM" (2 Timothy 4:1). The kingdom of Jesus is eternal, as Peter wrote about "the entrance into the ETERNAL KINGDOM (of) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:11). Because a judgment may have taken place in the 1st century to determine that the righteous ones could "inherit the KINGDOM" (Matthew 25:34), it may stand to reason that today a judgment could also take place before the righteous ones could have their "entrance into the ETERNAL KINGDOM" (2 Peter 1:11).
Judges beyond the 1st century according to a 1st century Exodus pattern?
To have judges going beyond the 1st century generation can also match a 1st century Exodus pattern.
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Judgment happening to those declared clinically dead who later resuscitated?
Moreover, many people around the world were declared clinically dead after their heart would have stopped beating. In the cases in which the heart has stopped beating, a resuscitation can be performed by a doctor in order to try to make the heart beat again. Many people have reported after being resuscitated that they would still have been conscious in some sense after the time in which they were declared clinically dead and before their resuscitation. Similar reports are given across cultures and across different generations of people. These people reported several things as a result. For example, a common report is that people would experience a life review, that is, many people report experiencing a panoramic review of their lives, including both positive and negative events.
For more details:
What can happen after we die?
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