"He will come again to judge the living..."

[rfk]

I am a little confused on the “particular judgment” versus the “general resurrection”.

I believe that when we die we are judged immediately after death, and sent to Heaven, Purgatory, or Hell. The Particular Judgment.

I also believe that the Second Coming will be the time for “the resurrection of the dead”, where our souls will be reunited with our bodies. The General Resurrection.

But my question has to do with Matthew 25:32-34

32 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

If we have already been judged at death, what is happening at the Second Coming? Are we getting judged the second time? Are we simply returning to heaven/purgatory/hell, but with our bodies this time? It is a little confusing to me.

Thanks for being here to answer questions.

 

[Jan_Wakelin]

You are correct about the Particular Judgment. It will occur immediately after death and it is very personal, just Christ and the individual soul. One’s ultimate destiny will become know to him. The options at this point are heaven, purgatory or hell. Those who attained the perfection of love here on earth will be welcomed immediately into heaven. Some may not yet be perfected in love and need purification, but they will know that they will ultimately enjoy heaven for all eternity. Those souls condemned to hell be there for all eternity.

“Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven-through a purification or immediately,–or immediate and everlasting damnation” Catechism of the Catholic Church 1022 ).

The Last Judgment will take place at the Second Coming of Christ, and it will quite public. Both those living at the time and the dead will be with their bodies. The dead will have resurrected bodies. It’s purpose is to show how everything is interconnected and, ultimately, to show God’s justice and mercy to all.

After this judgment, only two options will remain: heaven or hell.

“The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God’s justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God’s love is stronger than death” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1040).

"The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving them ‘the acceptable time, . . . the day of salvation.’ It inspires a holy fear of God and commits them to the justice of the Kingdom of God. It proclaims the ‘blessed hope’ of the Lord’s return, when he will come “to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1041).