Perhaps you are thinking of one of these texts:
Matthew 24:40-42, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
Luke 17:34-36, “I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
The Matthew and Luke scriptures seem to link a judgment of the godly to the return of our Lord, rather than specifically to a judgment day. (Some use these in support of a “rapture,” but a full review shows otherwise. Please see Additional Resources below for more.)
John 5:24-30, “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. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the son also to have life in himself; and He gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 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.”
Two groups of people are talked are referenced here:
- Those who are already judged now – his true followers. They achieved a heavenly reward, as promised.
- Those who have yet to be judged. This second class will comprise the majority of mankind. They will be awakened from their graves to a period of future, on-going judgment where they will have an opportunity to learn righteousness and achieve life everlasting on earth.
There are many other scriptures and pictures which further illustrate this same separation of the godly into two groups: Elijah separated from Elisha by a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2); the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25); Gideon and the 300 (Judges 7); the called, chose, and faithful (Revelation 17). All of these texts indicate a judgment of the godly. 1 Peter 4:17 tells us that judgment begins at the house of God.
2 Peter 2:9, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”
2 Peter 3:7, “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
These scriptures in 2 Peter seem to identify another day of judgment for the unjust and ungodly. In 2 Peter 3:8, we are told a day with the Lord is one thousand years, so we can conclude this judgment day is a 1,000-year period of time.
This may raise additional questions: If there is a 1,000-year judgment day, what is the purpose of such a long period of time? If when people die, they go to either heaven or hell, aren’t they already judged? Why is a future day of judgment required when the decision of heaven or hell has already been made?
1 Timothy 2:3,4, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Note the order: all men to be saved and THEN come unto a knowledge of the truth. The Greek word for “knowledge” there means a full discernment.
It is God’s will that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth, and what better way to do that then provide mankind with 1,000 years to remove blindness and impart His light? Satan, the great deceiver, will be bound during this time (Revelation 20:2) so that God’s light and truth can be taught to mankind with temptation or distraction. Although 2 Peter 2:9 talks about punishment, the thought of the Greek word used here (kolazo) is that of “pruning.” One does not prune a tree to torture it; but rather, to cut out the unhealthy and extra parts in order to produce more fruit.
We have several scriptures that mention this pruning concept, including John 15:1,2, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
God’s day of judgment is ultimately for mankind to be rehabilitated, healed and RECONCILED back to Him.
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #934: “Will Sinners Be Happy on Judgment Day?”
Understanding the events and purposes of Judgment Day
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1259: “Do I Suffer From Rapture Anxiety? (Part I)”
Questioning the rapture in the light of careful scriptural analysis
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1174: “Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity’s Destiny? (Part I)”
Uncovering who goes to heaven and what happens to planet Earth
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
