Judgment

An action taken against a wrongdoing. In the Old Testament judgment often meant God’s punishment of a person or a nation for disobeying Him. During the time of the judges, God often judged the Israelites by letting an enemy country conquer them or treat them harshly. Later, prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Zephaniah, and many others preached about God’s judgment of Israel and other nations.

In the New Testament, judgment also means to criticize or condemn someone. Jesus said Christians are not to judge each other. Judgment also refers to the end of the world as we know it, when God will judge (or punish) sin and reward those who have lived for God. Old Testament prophets like Joel and Obadiah described this time as the day of judgment or the “day of the Lord.”