Look, the Lord is ready to devastate the earth and leave it in ruins; he will mar its surface and scatter its inhabitants…The earth will be completely devastated and thoroughly ransacked.  For the Lord has decreed this judgment.^[1]

As I understand the words this would be condemnation rather than judgment.  This is an adverse sentence.  The time for judgment has passed and the time of punishment has begun.  There is no attempt here to distinguish, or make distinctions, or judge; for, Everyone will suffer – the priest as well as the people, the master as well as the servant, the elegant lady as well as the female attendant, the seller as well as the buyer, the borrower as well as the lender, the creditor as well as the debtor.^[2]

So, I thought, if there was a strong connection between the Hebrew word translated judgment in Isaiah 24:3 and the Greek word κρίσεως, I would have some justification for translating κρίσεως condemnation in John 5:28 and 29 where the ones who have done what is evil hear Jesus’ voice and come out of their tombs to the resurrection resulting in condemnation (κρίσεως, a form of κρίσις).^[3]  But the Hebrew word dâbâr^[4] is the much more neutral word.  The translators acknowledged that in a footnote: “Heb ‘for the Lord has spoken this word.’”  The translators of the Septuagint simply used this, κυρίου ἐλάλησεν ταῦτα (“the Lord has spoken this”).

If I intend to walk away from my naïve assumption that “more bearable meant less condemned, a more bearable place in hell, less heat, less torture or something,” I need to come to some conclusion about what Jesus meant by ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, translated on the day of judgment.^[5]  I tell you, Jesus said, that on the day of judgment (ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως), people will give an account (λόγον, a form of λόγος)^[6] for every worthless word (πᾶν^[7] ρῆμα^[8] ἀργὸν^[9]) they speak (λαλήσουσιν, a form of λαλέω).^[10]  I assume here that every worthless word they speak referred back to the Pharisees’ assertion that Jesus does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!^[11]  For Jesus said (Matthew 12:30-32 NET):

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.  For this reason I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven [Table].  Whoever speaks a word (εἴπῃ^[12] λόγον) against (κατὰ)^[13] the Son of Man will be forgiven.  But whoever speaks against (εἴπῃ κατὰ) the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

Whoever speaks a word against (εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ) the Son of Man, seems to refer to, people will give an account (λόγον, a form of λόγος) for every worthless word (πᾶν ρῆμα ἀργὸν) they speak (λαλήσουσιν).  The worthless (or, lazy) word spoken against (εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ) Jesus is an ill-considered account (λόγον, a form of λόγος) of Jesus, contrary to his own; for instance, He does not cast out demons except by the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons!  This can be forgiven, but be careful, Jesus warned, if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has already overtaken you,^[14] and whoever speaks against (εἴπῃ κατὰ) the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

I think the implication here is that one has used this account, this word against the Son of Man, as justification for disregarding Him.  To that one who comes into judgment, who is called upon on the day of judgment to give an account for every worthless word he has spoken against the Son of Man, Jesus said, For by your words (λόγων, another form of λόγος) you will be justified (δικαιωθήσῃ, a form of δικαιόω),^[15] and by your words (λόγων, another form of λόγος) you will be condemned (καταδικασθήσῃ, a form of καταδικάζω).^[16]

Translating ἐκ γὰρ τῶν λόγων σου For by your words makes it seem as if Jesus meant the account already given in the past (πᾶν ρῆμα ἀργὸν, translated every worthless word), rather than the account (λόγον, a form of λόγος) this person has been called upon to give in that present moment on the day of judgment, as if that account is a mere formality.  But to translate ἐκ γὰρ τῶν λόγων σου For by your [account] you will be justified, and by your [account] you will be condemned, would contradict the teaching of our religion that one’s eternal fate is determined long before any account can be given on the day of judgment.  And granted, if one attempts to justify himself with more worthless words, the outcome of that judgment is foreordained, and that account will be little more than a mere formality.

The only account that matters at that moment (or this one, for that matter) is, God, be merciful (ἱλάσθητι, a form of ἱλάσκομαι)^[17] to me, sinner that I am!^[18]  He had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, the writer of Hebrews said of Jesus, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement (ἱλάσκεσθαι, another form of ἱλάσκομαι) for the sins of the people.^[19]  And of the one who prayed—God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am— Jesus said, I tell you that this man went down to his home justified (δεδικαιωμένος, another form of δικαιόω),^[20] because the mercy (ἱλάσθητι, a form of ἱλάσκομαι) the self-professed sinner requested was nothing less than the atonement (ἱλάσκεσθαι, another form of ἱλάσκομαι) Jesus was sent to make…for the sins of the people.

If I am safe assuming that ἐν τῇ κρίσει [a form of κρίσις], translated at the judgment, is equivalent to ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως [a form of κρίσις], translated on the day of judgment, than I can glean something of the anachronism of that time.  The people of Nineveh, Jesus said, will stand up at the judgment (ἐν τῇ κρίσει) with this generation and condemn (κατακρινοῦσιν, a form of κατακρίνω)^[21] it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them – and now, something greater than Jonah is here!^[22]  Here are two peoples from different times and places together in the same time and place.  The queen of the South, Jesus continued, will rise up at the judgment (ἐν τῇ κρίσει) with this generation and condemn (κατακρινεῖ, another form of κατακρίνω) it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon – and now, something greater than Solomon is here!^[23]

I think it’s worth mentioning that neither the people of Ninevah nor the Queen of the South have the authority to condemn the people of Israel to hell.  Nor do I think that was Jesus’ point.  The discourse ends with Jesus’ saying, whoever does (ποιήσῃ, a form of ποιέω)^[24] the will (θέλημα)^[25] of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.^[26]  When asked, “What must we do (ποιῶμεν, another form of ποιέω) to accomplish the deeds God requires (ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ; literally, “that we work God’s works”)?”  Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires (τοῦτο ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ; literally, “this is God’s work”) – to believe in the one whom he sent.”^[27]  “For this is the will (θέλημα) of my Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”^[28]  John related this faith to the love that is the fulfillment of the law and confidence in the day of judgment (1 John 4:15-19 NET).

If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.  And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us.  God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table].  By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment (ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως), because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.  We love because he loved us first.

And if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your message,^[29] Jesus told his disciples as He sent them to the lost sheep of the house of Israel…^[30] it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment (ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως) than for that town!^[31]  Here I see a potential meaning for more bearable.  Perhaps fewer people will rise up to condemn the wicked inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah than will rise up to speak their worthless words against those who saw the sick healed, the dead raised, and lepers cleansed but rejected the message, The kingdom of heaven is near!^[32]