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Angelic Judgment in Biblical Eschatology

Angelic judgment in biblical eschatology refers to the role of angels in God's divine judgments and, conversely, the judgment that angels themselves will face. The term "angel" generally signifies a "messenger" or an agent sent by God to execute his purposes [2]. This can include ordinary human messengers, prophets, priests, or even impersonal agents like pestilence or wind, but its primary application is to heavenly intelligences [2]. The concept of judgment itself encompasses God's secret decisions, revelations of his will, and the infliction of punishment upon the wicked [1].

Scripture indicates that angels were involved in the giving of the law, which carried with it consequences for transgression. Hebrews 2:2 states, "For if the worde spoken by Angels was stedfast, and euery transgression, and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward" [3]. This suggests that angels were instrumental in mediating God's law, and thus, in a sense, were associated with the judgment that followed its violation.

The New Testament also speaks of a future judgment involving angels. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:3, asks, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" This passage is often interpreted to mean that believers will participate in approving the final sentence passed upon fallen angels [11]. This judgment is understood to apply specifically to "bad angels" or "dignities" who have fallen from their original state [5, 7, 11]. Jude 1:6 mentions "angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day." This implies a future reckoning for these supernatural beings.

Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, addresses whether angels will be judged. He distinguishes between a "judgment of discussion" and a "judgment of retribution." The judgment of discussion, which involves discerning good and evil, does not apply to either good or wicked angels, as good angels have no evil and wicked angels have no good subject to such judgment. However, the "judgment of retribution" applies to both, corresponding to their personal merits [4]. Aquinas further argues that Christ's judiciary power extends to angels, not only in His divine nature but also in His human nature, as indicated by Hebrews 2:16, which states that Christ "nowhere doth He take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold" [10]. This suggests a unique relationship between Christ's humanity and the judgment of angels.

While angels are agents of God's judgment, they themselves are subject to it. Even Michael, described as an Archangel, refrains from bringing a "railing accusation" against the devil, instead stating, "The Lord rebuke you" (Jude 1:9). This is interpreted by some as angels abstaining from judgment in the presence of the Lord, recognizing that judgment belongs to God [5]. This highlights the distinction between angels as executors of divine will and God as the ultimate judge.

The concept of "elect angels" is also mentioned in 1 Timothy 5:21, where Paul charges Timothy "before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels" [9]. This phrase signifies angels who are the objects of divine electing love and are distinct from those who fell [9]. These elect angels are understood to be present as witnesses to solemn charges and are part of the divine assembly [9].

The historical development of this doctrine has seen various interpretations. The Sadducees, for instance, held that angels were merely movements or manifestations of God's power, a view that John Calvin strongly refutes as being contradicted by numerous scriptural passages [8]. Calvin emphasizes the real existence and active role of angels in distributing God's favors and executing His works [8]. The idea of angels having free will, which led to the fall of some, is also a significant theological point. Aquinas posits that angels act from a free judgment, unlike irrational animals whose judgments are implanted by nature [6]. This free will allowed for the possibility of some angels choosing to rebel, leading to their eventual judgment.

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Judgments of God — (1.) The secret decisions of God's will (Ps. 110:5; 36:6). (2.) The revelations of his will (Ex. 21:1; Deut. 6:20; Ps. 119:7-175). (3.) The infliction of punishment on the wicked (Ex. 6:6; 12:12; Ezek. 25:11; Rev. 16:7), such as is mentioned in Gen. 7; 19:24, 25; Judg. 1:6, 7; Acts 5:1-10, etc.”
  2. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Angel — A word signifying, both in the Hebrew and Greek, a "messenger," and hence employed to denote any agent God sends forth to execute his purposes. It is used of an ordinary messenger (Job 1:14: 1 Sam. 11:3; Luke 7:24; 9:52), of prophets (Isa. 42:19; Hag. 1:13), of priests (Mal. 2:7), and ministers of the New Testament (Rev. 1:20). It is also applied to such impersonal agents as the pestilence (2 Sam. 24:16, 17; 2 Kings 19:35), the wind (Ps. 104:4). But its distinctive application is to certain heavenly intelligences whom God employs in carrying on his government”
  3. Hebrews “Hebrews 2:2 (Geneva1599) — For if the worde spoken by Angels was stedfast, and euery transgression, and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward,”
  4. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of Those Who Will Judge and of Those Who Will Be Judged at the General Judgment, Art. 8: Article: Whether at the coming judgment the angels will be judged? I answer that, The judgment of discussion nowise concerns either the good or the wicked angels, since neither is any evil to be found in the good angels, nor is any good liable to judgment to be found in the wicked angels. But if we speak of the judgment of retribution, we must distinguish a twofold retribution. One corresponds to the angels' personal merits and was made to both from the”
  5. 2 Peter (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Peter 2:11: which are--though they are. greater--than these blasphemers. Jude instances Michael (Jde 1:9). railing accusation--Greek, "blaspheming judgment" (Jde 1:9). against them--against "dignities," as for instance, the fallen angels: once exalted, and still retaining traces of their former power and glory. before the Lord--In the presence of the Lord, the Judge, in reverence, they abstain from judgment [BENGEL]. Judgment belongs to God, not the angels. How great is the dignity of the saints who, as Christ's assessors, shall hereafter judge angels! Me”
  6. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, First Part (Prima Pars), The Will of the Angels, Art. 3: Article: Whether there is free-will in the angels? I answer that, Some things there are which act, not from any previous judgment, but, as it were, moved and made to act by others; just as the arrow is directed to the target by the archer. Others act from some kind of judgment; but not from free-will, such as irrational animals; for the sheep flies from the wolf by a kind of judgment whereby it esteems it to be hurtful to itself: such a judgment is not a free one, but implanted by nature. Only an agent endowed ”
  7. Jude (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Jude 1:8: 1:8 supernatural beings: Literally glorious ones, which are probably evil angels. In the Old Testament and in Judaism, angels were given a prominent role in the judgment. The false teachers might have been downplaying the reality of a judgment to come (see 1:18; 2 Pet 3:3-4) or denying the glorious origin of these fallen angels (cp. 2 Pet 2:10).”
  8. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 30: his people, and by whose means he distributes his favours among men, and also executes other works. The Sadducees of old maintained, that by angels nothing more was meant 148 than the movements which God impresses on men, or manifestations which he gives of his own power ( Acts 23:8 ). But this dream is contradicted by so many passages of Scriptures that it seems strange how such gross ignorance could have had any countenance among the Jews. To say nothing of the passages I have already quoted, passages which refer to thousands and”
  9. 1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 5:21: I charge thee--rather as Greek, "I adjure thee"; so it ought to be translated (Ti2 4:1). before--"in the presence of God." Lord--omitted in the oldest manuscripts God the Father, and Christ the Son, will testify against thee, if thou disregardest my injunction. He vividly sets before Timothy the last judgment, in which God shall be revealed, and Christ seen face to face with His angels elect angels--an epithet of reverence. The objects of divine electing love (Pe1 2:6). Not only "elect" (according to the everlasting purpose of God) in contradi”
  10. theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of Christ's Judiciary Prayer, Art. 6: Article: Whether Christ's judiciary power extends to the angels? I answer that, The angels are subjects of Christ's judiciary power, not only with regard to His Divine Nature, as He is the Word of God, but also with regard to His human nature. And this is evident from three considerations. First of all, from the closeness of His assumed nature to God; because, according to Heb. 2:16: "For nowhere doth He take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold." Consequently, Christ's soul is ”
  11. 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 6:3: judge angels--namely, bad angels. We who are now "a spectacle to angels" shall then "judge angels." The saints shall join in approving the final sentence of the Judge on them (Jde 1:6). Believers shall, as administrators of the kingdom under Jesus, put down all rule that is hostile to God. Perhaps, too, good angels shall then receive from the Judge, with the approval of the saints, higher honors.”
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