4. God's Judgment of the World

Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the people in his faithfulness. —Psalm 96:13 NIV [p 82] [p 83] Rejoicing in God's judgment? The idea of a coming day of judgment is not always greeted with great enthusiasm. Yet in the poetry of the Hebrew Psalms, that day is described as a prospect to be looked forward to with great joy, a day to be welcomed by all of creation with jubilation and gratitude: Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the people in his faithfulness. (Ps 96:11-13 NIV) Why, then, this rejoicing in the prospect of God's judgment? It is not the raw desire for revenge on enemies. It is that people are confident that justice is going to be done. Evil shall be eliminated. Creation herself shall be delivered from her bondage to corruption, from her groans and her tears. Earth in harmony with heaven shall ful...