Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #40 - Hope in the Day of Judgment

This is our last study on the Hebrew synonyms for "hope" as found in the Old Testament Scriptures.  In our last several posts we have been looking at the words "hasa" and "mahseh" which describe the believer's hope in God as a refuge from danger.  In our last study we considered the meaning of Proverbs 14:32 - "The righteous hath hope in his death."  There we concluded that those declared righteous by God will be sheltered from the everlasting destruction of what the Bible calls "the second death" in which those who are outside of Christ and His "book of life" will be cast into the "lake of fire" to suffer forever in hell (Revelation 20:14,15).  The Bible makes it clear that all of mankind is not only appointed to face death (with the exception of those who are taken up in the Rapture of the Church - II Thessalonians 4:17) but to face God's Judgment as well:  "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment ..." (Hebrews 9:27).  The verdict of a man's eternal destiny (heaven or hell) is sealed immediately after his death; there are no second chances!  The announcement and execution of that verdict will be declared by God in the day of judgment as all the wicked dead shall stand before His throne to be judged by Him (Revelation 20:11-15).  Only the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ will escape death's final penalty of everlasting suffering and separation from God, for God declares that "on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6).  The righteous will be sheltered in the day of judgment!  But prior to this "Great White Throne Judgment" the Bible speaks of a coming judgment of the nations after a period of "Great Tribulation" and prior to the establishment of Christ's Millennial Kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46).  It is in this context that the prophet Joel spoke of the LORD as being the "mahseh" hope of His people:  "The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel" (Joel 3:16). The Pulpit Commentary states, "To his people he stands in the double relation of a Place of refuge (machseh) and a Place of strength (ma'oz), that is, not only a place to which they may flee for safety, but a place in which, as a stronghold, they shall be kept safe" (emphasis mine). Joel here prophesied of the great and terrible Day of the LORD in which all the nations that oppose God and His people will be gathered into the valley of Jehoshaphat (the valley of God's judgment) outside of Jerusalem to face His wrath and judgment.  The "harvest of the earth" will take place in that day and the "wine press" of God's wrath will execute justice upon the fullness of man's wickedness (Joel 3:12,13; Revelation 14:14-20).  Joel describes this scene as "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision" (Joel 3:14).  While some modern evangelists have used this text to urge the unsaved to "make a decision for Christ", the context makes it clear that it is God's decision, not man's, that will be exercised in that day!  The Hebrew word here speaks of a "cutting"  or "concision" (KJV margin) that will take place.  The Theological Wordbook notes: "The word is used metaphorically of a strict decision in the sense that something which is cut or incised cannot be altered" (emphasis mine).  No, any commitment to Christ must be made before that day, for God's decision will be final!  Charles Feinberg describes that day:  "As far as the eye can possibly see, the hosts of the peoples of the earth are drawn up in array - a great sea of surging humanity... There the words of decision: 'Come, ye blessed of my Father' and 'Depart, ye cursed' ... will be uttered with the voice of the mighty Son of God ... Creation will resound at the voice of Him who in that hour will be the refuge of His people and a stronghold to the children of Israel."  The remainder of Joel's prophesy relates to the blessings of the Millennial Reign of Christ, but it is in Isaiah that we learn that God's Sheltering Presence will form a Protective Canopy over those dwelling in the New Jerusalem:  "And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge (hasa), and for a covert from storm and from rain" (Isaiah 4:5,6).  How wonderful to know that our God who will be our Shelter of Hope in the coming day of judgment, will continue to be our Refuge in His coming Kingdom and throughout all eternity!