Divine Judgment: Who Speaks For God?

The concept of divine judgment is one that is often loosely used by many of today’s religious and sometimes secular leaders. Whenever disaster or tragedy occurs in some unsettling part of the world, there is always an inclination to interpret it as evidence of God’s retribution on mankind for bad behavior. This view naturally leads people to believe that God is constantly policing the entire world intent on punishing and destroying the wicked. But what does the Bible say about the concept of divine judgment for our times? Are the pronouncements of secular and religious leaders valid and accurate? Do they speak for the judgments of a just divine being?

Divine judgment is a concept that modern day theologians have attempted to explain in order to better understand God’s involvement in human affairs. While God wants us to understand His role in human affairs, the problem is that many explanations have emerged from an attempt to explain divine judgment from the standpoint of short sighted human judgment. The idea of divine judgment is one that is above and beyond our limited and often clouded perception of justice. Divine judgment is the dealing with the problem of sin. It is dealing with the problem of transgression of both natural and moral laws. What human being can possibly have the supreme authority to deal with sin and immorality? What human being can claim to be so innocent and free from transgression so as to bring people under condemnation? The answer is clear and obvious- no one. Divine judgment is clearly the work of someone who can claim righteousness and divinity. So where does this lead us? Is there anyone who can truthfully claim this authority? Only one has proven to meet the standards of righteousness and innocence- Jesus Christ. No other person in history has had the moral impact on the human race that Christ has. No other person has ever claimed divinity as Christ did while maintaining clarity of reason and a sound mind. This is the starting point of understanding divine judgment. It begins with Christ. He is the only one who can truly speak for God’s judgments. So what does the Bible tell us of Christ’s role as judge? Let us explore this exciting issue in depth.