The Sentence

According to The Consolidated Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary, the English word "sentence" originated from a Latin word, sententia, which means to perceive (the English word "sense" originated from the same Latin word). "Sentence" has developed a number of meanings, ranging from "a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language" to "a final judgment of guilty in a criminal case and the punishment that is imposed" (WordWeb Dictionary by Princeton University).

Although "sent," meaning to cause to go somewhere, is not verbally related to sentence ("sent" is actually derived from "send," an old Anglo-Saxon word, sendan, meaning to cause to go - sedan is merely a variant form), a sentence by a judge (i.e. the words that express a judgment) usually causes someone to go somewhere - either free, or to prison. God's coming Judgment is going to produce the same result.

For those who have come to live repentant lives, truly following and obeying the commands of the LORD (see Friends Of Jesus), this is the "sentence" that awaits them:

"^25:34 ... Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34 KJV)

On the other hand, those who rejected or ignored what the LORD actually told them to do (see The By-The-Book Messiah) in their due time, have this "sentence" awaiting them:

"^7:23 ... I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:23 KJV)

The Messiah has been given the right to Judge everyone in that way because He also faced a "sentence," not for any wrong that He ever did, but for all of the right that He has forever done. It was for all of the evil that everyone else has committed that our own sentence was delivered unto Him, by all of humanity (even His being killed by His "own people" was representative of all humans killing one of our own - Christ the human). Ironically, it was stated, not by Pontius Pilate or Herod (both of whom declared Him innocent of any crime - but ordered Him executed anyway, thereby making themselves murderers), but by those who, although most of them didn't realize it (see Was Paul Among Them?), in their Satanic frenzy were nevertheless actually declaring Him to be the Saviour - speaking for all of humanity when they did it i.e. "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children":

"^27:25 ... His blood be on us, and on our children." (Matthew 27:25 KJV)

"God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain"

When Christ returns (see Worthy Is The Lamb), He is bringing with Him a "sentence" that each person is going to hear, and deserve - of salvation, or of condemnation. God's Justice is going to prevail; man's reign of injustice, based upon nothing more than the arrogant, self-righteous power to do evil, will be over forever.

"^19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: ^19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication [see also Lethal Lust], and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. ^19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever." (Revelation 19:1-3 KJV)

"^19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war [see The Coming World Dictator]. ^19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ^19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ^19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ^19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ^19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

^19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven [see Are We In Heaven Now?], Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; ^19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

^19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ^19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone [see The Lake Of Fire Into An Ocean Of Fire - When?]. ^19:21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." (Revelation 19:11-21 KJV)

The place where those who will receive the sentence of "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" will be sent:

"^21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. ^21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ^21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. ^21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

^21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

^21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. ^21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." (Revelation 21:1-7 KJV)

The place where those who will receive the sentence of "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" will be sent:

"^21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8 KJV)

Fact Finder: What "law" misguided the lawyers who murdered the Messiah?
See Why Did The Lawyers Hate The Messiah?

This Day In History, May 20

363: The Roman emperor Julian had given Jews permission to begin construction of another Temple; he even provided funds and building materials. The day before construction was to begin, a powerful earthquake struck Jerusalem and destroyed the preparations site (it wasn't yet time for the last Temple to be rebuilt - see Abomination of Desolation - Where?).

526: An earthquake killed 250,000 people in Antioch, Syria (see Earthquake!).

1303: The Treaty of Paris restored Gascony to the British in the Hundred Years War.

1347: In Rome, Cola di Rienza took the title of Tribune and assumed dictatorial powers in his drive to revive the city as the capital of Italy.

1498: Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut, India, after sailing from Europe.

1506: Christopher Columbus, Italian explorer, died in poverty at age 55. His four voyages of discovery led to European colonization of the "new world," but at the time of his death, he still believed that he had sailed to the coast of Asia (the reason that the native people of the continents of North and South America were erroneously called "Indians").

1536: King Henry VIII, 45, married Jane Seymour, 27.

1674: John Sobieski became the first king of Poland.

1690: England passed the Act of Grace, forgiving followers of James II.

1798: Admiral Alexander Ball saved Lord Nelson's flagship from running ashore after being dismasted in a storm.

1813: The Battle of Bautzen during the Napoleonic Wars (while Britain was fighting the U.S. during the War of 1812, most of the British military was in Europe fighting Napoleon). French troops under Napoleon defeated a Russo-Prussian army in east Germany.

1874: Levi Strauss began marketing "blue jeans" with copper rivets. 120 years later, millions of them are still being sold.

1927: Britain signed the Treaty of Jeddah with King Ibn Saud, granting independence to Saudi Arabia.

1939: Transatlantic airmail service began.

1941: First large-scale military paratrooper drop in history - Germans into Crete.

1956: The first hydrogen bomb to be dropped from the air was detonated by the U.S. over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

1980: A referendum by the people of Quebec rejected separation from Canada.

1983: The first published medical reports of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS.