Last Judgment
Final divine judgment of all humanity in Abrahamic faiths.
The Last Judgment, also known as Judgment Day, is a key event in Abrahamic religions where God is believed to reward the good and punish the wicked. In Christianity, this event involves the return of Jesus Christ, who will judge all people—both those still alive and those who have been resurrected from the dead. According to biblical apocalyptic writings, Christ will sit on a "great white throne" and deliver a final verdict based on a person’s faith, words, and actions. This divine assessment leads to a permanent split: the righteous receive eternal life in God’s presence, while the wicked face everlasting punishment. The event is seen as the ultimate display of God’s justice and victory over evil and death.
In Islam, the Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Qiyamah) is a fundamental belief that includes the physical resurrection of all humanity. The Quran states that every person will be held accountable before Allah, with their deeds weighed on a divine scale. Both traditions describe this as a final separation: the righteous enter eternal paradise (Jannah), and the wicked suffer eternal punishment (Jahannam). Numerous Shia and Sunni hadiths detail events before Judgment Day, such as the rise of the Mahdi, the appearance of the Masih ad-Dajjal, and the descent of Isa (Jesus), who will join the Mahdi to defeat the Antichrist. This is followed by signs like the sun rising from the west, leading to the beginning of Qiyāmah. The Last Judgment has inspired many artworks, including paintings, sculptures, and evangelical works.
In Christianity, the doctrine and imagery of the Last Judgment come from several biblical passages, especially Jesus’ teachings about the narrow gate in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Three main beliefs exist about who will be saved or damned. Some Christians who believe in universal salvation think most people and angels will go to heaven. Others who believe in double predestination think most will go to hell. Still others, who reject both views, say the number of saved and damned is unknown.
In Catholicism, a distinction is made between a particular judgment right after death and the general Last Judgment at the end of history. According to Catholic teaching, each soul appears before Christ’s tribunal for an immediate sentence based on faith and works. This leads to one of three outcomes: immediate entry into heaven’s beatific vision, a period
- Religion
- Abrahamic (Christianity, Islam)
- Key Figure in Christianity
- Jesus Christ
- Key Figure in Islam
- Allah (with Isa/Jesus and the Mahdi)
- Biblical Basis
- Matthew 25:31–46, Revelation 20:11, John 5:28–29
- Quranic Basis
- Mizan (divine scale)
- Outcome for Righteous
- Eternal life in Heaven or Jannah
- Outcome for Wicked
- Eternal punishment in Hell or Jahannam
Lore & Background
In Islam, the Day of Judgment is a fundamental article of faith. Every individual is held accountable before Allah, with deeds weighed on a divine scale (Mizan). Numerous Shia and Sunni hadiths describe preceding events, including the emergence of the Mahdi, the appearance of the Masih ad-Dajjal, and the descent of Isa (Jesus), who will accompany the Mahdi and defeat the Antichrist. This is followed by the sun rising from the west and the beginning of Qiyamah. The Last Judgment has inspired numerous artistic depictions, including painting, sculpture, and evangelical work.
Reader's Guide
The Last Judgment serves as the supreme manifestation of God's justice and His definitive triumph over evil and death in both Christianity and Islam. In Christianity, three main beliefs exist about who will be saved or damned: universal salvation (most go to heaven), double predestination (most go to hell), or an unknown number. Catholic theology emphasizes that the exact timing remains a divine mystery known only to God the Father. Eastern Orthodoxy teaches that salvation is a free gift of grace, but deeds affect judgment, and the fate of those outside the Church is left to God's mercy. Lutheranism rejects an earthly millennial kingdom and holds that all dead will be resurrected and judged by Christ. Anglican and Methodist theology posits an intermediate state (Hades) between death and resurrection, with souls in happiness or misery until the Last Judgment. The event is viewed as the consummation of creation and redemption, where God's mercy and justice reach their ultimate fulfillment.
Did You Know?
- In Catholicism, the Last Judgment follows the general resurrection, when all dead rise with their bodies reunited to their souls.
- In Islam, the Day of Judgment is preceded by the emergence of the Mahdi and the descent of Isa (Jesus).
- The parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25) is used to illustrate the separation of the righteous from the wicked.
- Lutherans believe that on the last day, the bodies of the wicked will be changed to a state of everlasting shame and torment.
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