If our performance in life were the only basis for judgment, every single person who ever lived would be consigned to the lake of fire…Without Christ, no one is righteous in God’s sight. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious righteous standard…On that glorious day when Jesus returns as the Son of Man, it will be too late. On that day, every knee will be forced to bow and every tongue confess who he is. No longer will there be an option.

Jesus’ fourth ministry or role is the glorious Son of Man who will return to the earth to raise the dead and judge every person who ever lived.

This event was prophesied by our Lord himself and is found in the prophecies of Daniel. Christ’s first three roles – Lamb of God, Son of God, and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit – have already been fulfilled in history and are available to every person to experience, but our Lord’s last role still waits for its fulfillment in the future.

We can know him now as the Resurrection and the Life (John 14:6) and our justifier (Romans 5:1), both of which will be more fully revealed at the Second Coming.

Here are John the Baptist’s words.

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11–12 (NASB95)

Even though John did not specifically call Jesus the “Son of Man,” the above passage fully describes his role as the Judge of all the earth.

Jesus’ death as God’s Lamb is fundamental to our salvation, and acknowledging his lordship is the gate Paul says we must pass through to obtain the benefits of that death and resurrection. (Romans 10:9-10)

When we confess that Jesus is Lord, we acknowledge and voluntarily choose to come under his rule, which is the fundamental act of repentance.

For the last two thousand years or so, we have been in the Great Commission phase of God’s plan, which the Bible calls the “last days.” During this time Jesus is functioning as Lord of the harvest and Baptizer in the Spirit. Eventually this time of mercy will end, followed by our Lord’s glorious appearance in the clouds of heaven as the Judge. 

When Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin the evening before his crucifixion, their purpose was the culmination of that nation’s rejection of their Messiah. They condemned him to death after he freely admitted that not only is he the Messiah but he will also come again in glory as the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. 

But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” 64  Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:63-64 (NLT)

Daniel’s prophecy described a glorious heavenly being who will judge everyone who ever lived.

I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13–14 (NASB95)

When the Sanhedrin heard our Lord apply these verses to himself, they accused him of blasphemy and condemned him to death.

At this point in time, Israel’s rejection of God’s rule was complete, fulfilling Christ’s own words. They would be given other chances to repent before their catastrophic destruction in 70 AD, when Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed by Titus.

Jesus warned the Jewish leaders that their rejection of him was a rejection of God’s rule that would result in their utter destruction.

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us’… 27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:14, 27 (NASB95)

Jesus taught that in his role as the Son of Man he has been given authority to judge. One day he will return to judge those who condemned him, unless, of course, at some point they repented and asked forgiveness for their treachery.

For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:26–29 (NASB95)

Jesus was given authority to judge us since he also lived as a human, but without sin (Hebrews 4:15). For those who reject

Christ’s lordship, the last judgment will be terrifying, but for us who voluntarily bow the knee to him before his glorious return, it will be a triumphantly glorious conclusion to history.

Our Lord, the judge, will also act as our defense lawyer.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Romans 8:32–34 (NASB95)

The one who will judge us has promised that we will never be condemned, if we put our trust in him.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB95)

According to the terrifying vision in Daniel 7:10, we will be judged according to record books God keeps.

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