342. Judgment Given to Saints
Daniel 7:22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.
In addition to possessing the kingdom and ruling with Christ in the heavenly places, both now and hereafter, the believers also receive from the Father God the wisdom, ability and authority to judge. Thrones are set up and the saints will sit on the thrones. Revelation 20:4: “Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed.”
Why are we given judgment? What will we judge? Why is such authority given to human beings? How is this a good promise? How do we reign with Christ in the heavenly places? Judgment raises questions. Jesus gives the oft-quoted command: “Judge not!” Yet we will be given judgment. Think about it: we sinful human beings will be so redeemed and changed that we will be given authority to judge sin, death, the devil, and all evil. God judges, of course, and we do not have the right to judge people, Never. But we do have the right and authority to judge evil: this is sin, that is sin, I shouldn’t do this or that, I make distinctions between right and wrong (according to the Word of God), and so on, We must learn to judge the sin and love the sinner. We have to account a word or deed as evil, while at the same time regarding the person as redeemed, forgiven and loved. We don’t have the supernatural wisdom or ability to do this, but the Holy Spirit does. We aren’t smart enough to use God’s Standard to judge all things. For this reason we need to know and believe the revealed Word and be taught by the Spirit. We use the Law to violently club the sin, and we use the Gospel to tenderly caress the sinner,
Presently, we use the authority to judge and repent of the sin in our own lives. We do not judge other people, but allow the Word to convict others of their sin. In eternity, we sit on thrones to judge all sin and evil, for we will have the wisdom to judge righteously. We will forever guard against any kind of sin, evil or rebellion to enter Paradise; and we will succeed. We shall all exercise the authority and dominion that was given to Adam. After the Fall we are too stupid and selfish to judge rightly. After salvation, sanity begins to return to our minds and we are able with God’s help make better decisions. And after Judgment Day we will be entrusted with ruling, judging, guarding and keeping, for we shall be perfected in the Image of God once again.