General judgment
Encyclopedia
General judgment is the Christian
theological
concept of a judgment of the dead by nation and as a whole. It is related closely to Judgment day and often is just another phrase for the Last judgment
, but is not necessarily part of any eschatology
. It is generally contrasted with a particular judgment
right after death.
The position is hinted at in several places in the Old Testament
and in the New, and the Catholic Encyclopedia
says (here referring to the Last Judgment) "Few truths are more often or more clearly proclaimed in Scripture than that of the general judgment". When the individual dies, general judgment holds that the person's final dispensation will await the general judgment of the dead at the end of the world, rather than be judged immediately. Additionally, "general judgment" may refer not only to the judging of each person, but also to the judgment of nations and peoples.{refneeded}
The concept of Last Judgment
is similar but unique. Various Last Judgment scenarios represent different forms of a general judgment, such as a global last judgment or a national last judgment. It is more concerned with the depictions and descriptions of particular versions.
Jesus
provided examples and illustrations of judgments against cities and generations. Jesus warned his contemporaries that the men of Nineveh
, who repented at the preaching of Jonah
, and the Queen of the South would testify against them in the judgment. In the context of dispatching emissaries, Jesus asked them to shake off the dust of cities that would not receive them. In the same speech, Jesus declared woes upon the cities of Chorazin
and Bethsaida
declaring that the cities of Sodom
, Tyre, and Sidon
would have a more tolerable outcome in the judgement.
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
concept of a judgment of the dead by nation and as a whole. It is related closely to Judgment day and often is just another phrase for the Last judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
, but is not necessarily part of any eschatology
Eschatology
Eschatology is a part of theology, philosophy, and futurology concerned with what are believed to be the final events in history, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world or the World to Come...
. It is generally contrasted with a particular judgment
Particular judgment
Particular judgment, according to Christian eschatology, is the judgment given by God that a departed person undergoes immediately after death, in contradistinction to the General judgment of all people at the end of the world....
right after death.
The position is hinted at in several places in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and in the New, and the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
says (here referring to the Last Judgment) "Few truths are more often or more clearly proclaimed in Scripture than that of the general judgment". When the individual dies, general judgment holds that the person's final dispensation will await the general judgment of the dead at the end of the world, rather than be judged immediately. Additionally, "general judgment" may refer not only to the judging of each person, but also to the judgment of nations and peoples.{refneeded}
The concept of Last Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
is similar but unique. Various Last Judgment scenarios represent different forms of a general judgment, such as a global last judgment or a national last judgment. It is more concerned with the depictions and descriptions of particular versions.
Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
provided examples and illustrations of judgments against cities and generations. Jesus warned his contemporaries that the men of Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
, who repented at the preaching of Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
, and the Queen of the South would testify against them in the judgment. In the context of dispatching emissaries, Jesus asked them to shake off the dust of cities that would not receive them. In the same speech, Jesus declared woes upon the cities of Chorazin
Chorazin
Chorazin was a village in northern Galilee, two and a half miles from Capernaum on a hill above the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.-Biblical references:...
and Bethsaida
Bethsaida
Bethsaida is a place mentioned in the New Testament.- Bethsaida Julias :...
declaring that the cities of Sodom
Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
, Tyre, and Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
would have a more tolerable outcome in the judgement.
See also
- Last judgmentLast JudgmentThe Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
- Particular judgmentParticular judgmentParticular judgment, according to Christian eschatology, is the judgment given by God that a departed person undergoes immediately after death, in contradistinction to the General judgment of all people at the end of the world....
- Pre-advent judgmentPre-advent judgmentIn Christian theology, the pre-advent judgment is a belief that the final judgment will occur before the Second Coming of Jesus....