ascertains that he has Jehovah’s backing (6:25-40)

2. Israelite force of 32,000 encamps at well of Harod; 22,000 fearful ones dismissed and, by submitting remainder to test, army finally reduced to 300 men (7:1-8)

3. Gideon surveys enemy camp and afterward he and his men blow horns, smash jars, hold torches aloft and shout war cry; Jehovah throws enemy into confusion, causing Amalekites, Midianites and Easterners to turn against one another (7:9-22)

4. Other tribes of Israel summoned to share in battle; Ephraimites capture Midianite princes Oreb end Zeeb but later try to pick a quarrel with Gideon for not having been called earlier; Gideon tactfully averts clash (7:23–8:3)

5. Gideon continues in pursuit of enemy; on victorious return punishes men of Succoth and kills men of Penuel for failure to render aid; also executes Midian’s two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna (8:4-21)

6. He refuses kingship but makes ephod from spoils of war, which ephod later becomes object of idolatrous veneration (8:22-28)

F. Gideon fathers large family but after his death nearly all his sons are killed and Abimelech becomes king (8:30–9:5)

1. Abimelech, Gideon’s son by concubine of Shechem, murders all his half brothers, with exception of Jotham the youngest, and becomes king of Shechem (8:31, 9:1-21)

2. Friction develops between Shechemites and Abimelech; finally Abimelech destroys Shechem and, afterward, while laying siege to Thebez, has his skull smashed and therefore orders attendant to kill him (9:22-57)

G. Tola and Jair judge Israel for twenty-three and twenty-two years respectively (10:1-5)

H. Israel again turns to false worship and comes under Philistine and Ammonite oppression; Judge Jephthah used as deliverer (10:6–12:7)

1. Jephthah leads fight against Ammonites, is blessed with victory and therefore carries out vow respecting his daughter (11:1-40)

2. Ephraimites feel slighted, wrongly accuse Jephthah of not having solicited their aid; fighting erupts as a result and Ephraimites suffer defeat (12:1-6)

3. Jephthah judges Israel for six years (12:7)

I. Ibzan, Elon and Abdon serve as judges a combined total of twenty-flve years (12:8-15)

J. Israel subjected to Philistine control for forty years; Samson is savior (13:1–16:31)

1. Jehovah designates Samson, son to be borne by wife of Danite Manoah, as savior (13:2-25)

2. Samson, empowered by Jehovah’s spirit, performs great exploits during twenty years of his judgeship; betrayed by Delilah, the object of his love, Samson is imprisoned by Philistines but finally puts more Philistines to death in his own death than during entire lifetime (14:1–16:31)

III. Additional historical information depicting conditions during time of judges (17:1–21:25)

A. Ephraimite Micah engages in idolatry and employs services of young Levite, “Jonathan the son of Gershom” (17:1-13; 18:30)

B. Certain Danites steal Micah’s idols and also take Levite along to Laish; they capture Laish and Levite begins serving as priest for them (18:1-31)

C. Mass sex crime of men in Gibeah of Benjamin precipitates civil war when Benjamites refuse to turn over guilty ones; tribe of Benjamin almost annihilated (19:1–21:25)

See the book “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” pp. 46-50.

JUDGMENT DAY

A specific “day” or period when particular groups, nations or mankind in general are called to account by God. It may be a time when those already judged to be deserving of death are executed, or the judgment may afford opportunity for some to be delivered, even to everlasting life. Jesus Christ and his apostles pointed to a future “Judgment [Greek, Kriʹse·os] Day” involving, not only the living, but also those who had died in the past.—Matt. 10:15; 11:21-24; 12:41, 42; 2 Tim. 4:1, 2.

PAST TIMES OF JUDGMENT

At various times in the past Jehovah called peoples and nations to account for their actions and executed his judgments by bringing destruction. Such executional judgments were not arbitrary demonstrations of brute force or overwhelming power. In some instances the word translated “judgment [mish·patʹ]” is also rendered “justice.” (Ezra 7:10) The Bible emphasizes that Jehovah “is a lover of righteousness and justice,” so his executional judgments involve both of those qualities.—Ps. 33:5.

Sometimes the executional judgments came as a result of the wicked conduct of people in their daily lives. Sodom and Gomorrah are an example of this. Jehovah inspected the cities and determined that the sin of the inhabitants was very heavy; he decided to bring the cities to ruin. (Gen. 18:20, 21; 19:14) Later Jude wrote that those cities underwent “the judicial punishment [Greek, diʹken; “judgment,” Da; “justice,” Yg; “retributive justice,” ED] of everlasting fire.” (Jude 7) So those cities experienced a “day” of judgment.

Jehovah conducted a legal case against ancient Babylon, the longtime enemy of God and his people. Because of being unnecessarily cruel to the Jews, not intending to release them after the seventy-year captivity and crediting Marduk with the victory over God’s people, Babylon was in line for an executional judgment. (Jer. 51:36; Isa. 14:3-6, 17; Dan. 5:1-4) That came to Babylon in 539 B.C.E. when it was overthrown by the Medes and Persians. Because the judgment to be executed was Jehovah’s, such a period could be referred to as “the day of Jehovah.”—Isa. 13:1, 6, 9.

Similarly, Jeremiah prophesied that God would “put himself in judgment” with Edom, among others (Jer. 25:17-31), hence that nation that had shown hatred for Jehovah and his people experienced destructive judgment in the “day of Jehovah.”—Obad. 1, 15, 16.

When Judah and Jerusalem became unfaithful and merited God’s disapproval, he promised to “execute in the midst of [her] judicial decisions.” (Ezek. 5:8) In 607 B.C.E. “the day of Jehovah’s fury” came with an execution of his destructive judgment. (Ezek. 7:19) However, another “day” or time of judgment on Jerusalem was foretold. Joel prophesied an outpouring of spirit before the “great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah.” (Joel 2:28-31) Under inspiration Peter on the day of Pentecost 33 C.E. explained that they were then experiencing a fulfillment of that prophecy. (Acts 2:16-20) The destructive “day of Jehovah” came in 70 C.E. when the Roman armies executed divine judgment upon the Jews. As Jesus foretold, those were “days for meting out justice.”—Luke 21:22.

FUTURE TIMES OF EXECUTIONAL JUDGMENT

Aside from Hebrew Scripture prophecies, the Bible definitely mentions a number of future judgment days that are executional. Revelation points to the time when “Babylon the Great” will be completely burned with fire. This judicial punishment is because of her fornication with the nations and her being drunk with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. (Rev. 17:1-6; 18:8, 20; 19:1, 2) Mentioning another executional judgment, Peter drew upon what occurred in Noah’s day and foretold a “day of judgment and of destruction of the ungodly men.” (2 Pet. 3:7) Revelation speaks of such a destruction as being executed by “The Word of God,” who will strike the nations with a long sword. (Rev. 19:11-16; compare Jude 14, 15.) Also, in the first century the Devil already had judgment passed on him, and the demons he leads knew that they would be put into the abyss, as will Satan. (1 Tim. 3:6; Luke 8:31; Rev. 20:1-3) Thus it follows that the judgment awaiting them is simply the execution of a judgment that has already been decided upon.—Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4; 1 Cor. 6:3.

“JUDGMENT” MAY OR MAY NOT BE CONDEMNATORY

Most of the uses of “judgment” in the Christian Greek Scriptures clearly carry the force of condemnatory or adverse judgment. In John 5:24, 29 “judgment” is set in contrast with “life” and “everlasting life,” plainly implying a condemnatory judgment that means utter loss of life—death. (2 Pet. 2:9; 3:7; John 3:18, 19) However, not all adverse judgment leads inevitably to destruction. Illustrating this are Paul’s remarks at 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 about celebrating the Lord’s Evening Meal. If one did not discern properly what he was doing he could eat or drink “judgment against himself.” Then Paul adds: “When we are judged, we are disciplined by Jehovah, that we may not become condemned with the world.” Thus one might receive adverse judgment but because of repenting not be destroyed forever.

Furthermore, the possibility of a judgment that is not condemnatory is apparent from 2 Corinthians 5:10. About those manifest before the judgment seat it says: “Each one [will] get his award . . . according to the things he has practiced, whether it is good or vile.” The judging mentioned in Revelation 20:13 evidently results in a favorable outcome for many. Of the dead judged, those receiving an adverse judgment are hurled into the “lake of fire.” The rest, though, come through the judgment, being “found written in the book of life.”—Rev. 20:15.

JUDGMENT DAY OF PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Pre-Christian Hebrews were acquainted with the idea that God would hold them personally accountable for their conduct. (Eccl. 11:9; 12:14) The Christian Greek Scriptures explain that there will be a specific future period or “day” when mankind, both the living and those who died in the past, will individually be judged.—2 Tim. 4:1, 2.

Identity of the Judges

In the Hebrew Scriptures Jehovah was identified as the “Judge of all the earth.” (Gen. 18:25) Similarly, in the Christian Greek Scriptures he is called “the Judge of all.” (Heb. 12:23) He has, though, deputized his Son to do judging for him. (John 5:22) The Bible speaks of Jesus as “appointed,” “decreed” and “destined” to do judging. (Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1) That Jesus is thus authorized by God resolves any seeming contradiction between the text that says that individuals will “stand before the judgment seat of God” and the verse that says they will “be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ.”—Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10.

Jesus also told his apostles that when he would sit down on his throne in the “re-creation” they would “sit upon twelve thrones” to do judging. (Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:28-30) Paul indicated that Christians who had been “called to be holy ones” will judge the world. (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:2) Also, the apostle John saw in vision the time when some received “power of judging.” (Rev. 20:4) In view of the above texts, this evidently includes the apostles and the other holy ones. Such a conclusion is borne out by the remainder of the verse, which speaks of those who rule with Christ for the millennium. These then will be royal judges with Jesus.

The fine quality of the judging that will take place on Judgment Day is assured, for Jehovah’s “judgments are true and righteous.” (Rev. 19:1, 2) The kind of judging that he authorizes is also righteous and true. (John 5:30; 8:16; Rev. 1:1; 2:23) There will be no perverting of justice or hiding of the facts.

Resurrection is involved

When using the expression Judgment Day, Jesus brought into the picture a resurrection of the dead. He mentioned that a city might reject the apostles and their message, and said: “It will be more endurable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than for that city.” (Matt. 10:15) This projected the matter into the future and naturally suggested that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah would then be alive by means of resurrection. (Compare Matthew 11:21-24; Luke 10:13-15.) Even clearer are Jesus’ statements that the “men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment” and “the queen of the south will be raised up in the judgment.” (Matt. 12:41, 42; Luke 11:31, 32) The Biblical statements about Jesus’ judging “the living and the dead” can be viewed in the light of the fact that resurrection is involved in Judgment Day.—Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1.

A final indication that many being examined on Judgment Day will be resurrected ones is the information in Revelation 20:12, 13. Individuals are seen “standing before the throne.” The dead are mentioned and the fact that death and Hades gave up those dead in them. Such ones are judged.

Time for Judgment Day

In John 12:48 Christ linked the judging of persons with “the last day.” Revelation 11:17, 18 locates a judging of the dead as occurring after God takes his great power and begins ruling in a special way as king. Additional light on the matter comes from the sequence of events recorded in Revelation chapters 19 and 20. There one reads of a war in which the “King of kings” kills “the kings of the earth and their armies.” (Earlier in Revelation [16:14] this is called “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”) Next Satan is bound for a thousand years. During that thousand years royal judges serve with Christ. In the same context resurrection and the judging of the dead are mentioned. This, then, is an indication of the time when Judgment Day comes. And it is not impossible from a Scriptural standpoint for a thousand-year period to be viewed as a “day,” for such an equation is stated in the Bible.—2 Pet. 3:8; Ps. 90:4.

Basis for judgment

In describing what will take place during the time of judgment Revelation 20:12 says that the resurrected dead will then be “judged out of those things written in the scrolls according to their deeds.” Those resurrected will not be judged on the basis of the works done in their former life, because the rule at Romans 6:7 says: “He who has died has been acquitted from his sin.”

However, Jesus said that unwillingness to take note of his powerful works and repent or unresponsiveness to God’s message would make it hard for some to endure Judgment Day.—Matt. 10:14, 15; 11:21-24.

JUDGMENTS

See JUDICIAL DECISIONS.

JUDGMENT SEAT

Usually a raised outdoor platform, approached by steps, from which seated officials could address the crowds and announce their decisions. (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 12:21; 25:6, 10, 17) What is thought by some to have been the judgment seat (called the “Bema”) at Corinth, where Paul appeared before Gallio, was built of white and blue marble. (Acts 18:1, 12, 16, 17) Alongside it were two waiting rooms with mosaic floors and marble benches.

Jehovah God has committed all judging to his Son (John 5:22, 27) and therefore all must appear before the ‘judgment seat of Christ.’ (2 Cor. 5:10) This is also rightly called the “judgment seat of God” in that Jehovah is the Originator of the arrangement and judges by means of his Son.—Rom. 14:10.

JUDICIAL DECISIONS

Judgment rendered by one(s) in authority. (2 Sam. 8:15; 1 Ki. 3:16-28; 10:9; 2 Ki. 25:6; 2 Chron. 19:8-10) Jehovah God, as Judge, Statute-giver and King (Isa. 33:22) gave to the nation of Israel an extensive code of laws. His decisions on matters of law furnished guidelines for deciding matters involving individuals and the nation’s internal and external affairs.—See COURT, JUDICIAL; LAW; LEGAL CASE.

Many of these judicial decisions were given to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai. (Neh. 9:13) But at times certain situations called for a special judicial decision. For example, when Manassite Zelophehad was survived by daughters only, a question arose as to whether they should receive an inheritance. Jehovah then rendered a decision that covered the case and afterward served as a statute for handling like situations. (Num. 27:1-11; 36:1-12; see also Leviticus 24:10-16.) Similarly, a judicial decision made by David about the distribution of spoils of war set a legal precedent.—1 Sam. 30:23-25.

By designating certain common but extremely harmful acts as capital offenses, the divinely given judicial decisions stood out as unique among the laws of contemporary nations. Surrounding peoples engaged in bestiality, sodomy, incest and other degraded practices that were injurious to mental, physical and spiritual well-being. (Lev. 18:6-30; 20:10-23) Therefore, Jehovah’s judicial decisions, if obeyed, would have elevated the nation of Israel. With Jehovah’s blessing, Israel’s strict adherence to his commands would have resulted in observable benefits, causing other nations to say: “This great nation is undoubtedly a wise and understanding people.” (Deut. 4:4-6) Since these were really a blessing to Israel (Lev. 25:18, 19; Deut. 4:1; 7:12-15; 30:16), it is not surprising that the psalmist prayed that he might be taught Jehovah’s judicial decisions. (Ps. 119:108) He so much appreciated them that he praised Jehovah for his judicial decisions seven times a day (Ps. 119:164), even getting up at midnight to thank God for them.—Ps. 119:62.

However, although good, righteous and holy, the judicial decisions of the Law merely served as a tutor leading to Christ and were replaced by the new covenant. (Rom. 7:12; Gal. 3:24; Heb. 8:7-13) So it is to be expected that obedience to the commands or judicial decisions associated with the new covenant would result in far grander blessings than those natural Israel experienced under the Law.—John 13:34, 35; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Pet. 1:14, 15, 22, 23; 2:9, 10; 1 John 5:3.

JUDITH

(Juʹdith) [Jew, praiseworthy].

A wife of Esau; daughter of Beeri the Hittite and a constant source of bitterness to Isaac and Rebekah. (Gen. 26:34, 35) She is perhaps the same as Oholibamah at Genesis 36:2.

JULIA

(Juʹli·a).

A member of the congregation at Rome to whom Paul sent greetings. (Rom. 16:15) Julia may have been the wife or sister of Philologus.

JULIUS

(Juʹli·us).

A Roman army officer or centurion of the band of Augustus in whose custody Paul traveled to Rome. (Acts 27:1; see AUGUSTUS, BAND OF; CENTURION [Army Officer].) From the beginning of the voyage, Julius apparently appreciated that Paul was not an ordinary prisoner and showed him kindness, for example, letting him go ashore to visit friends at Sidon. However, when Paul later suggested that for the time being their continuing on would be perilous, Julius listened to the contrary opinion of the pilot and the shipowner. Later Julius’ soldiers prevented the escape of the sailors, in keeping with Paul’s words: “Unless these men remain in the boat, you cannot be saved.” When shipwreck occurred, Julius, by not letting the soldiers kill the prisoners, saved Paul’s life.—Acts 27:1-44.

JUNIAS

(Juʹni·as).

A recipient of special greetings in Paul’s letter to the Romans (16:7). Andronicus and Junias were his “relatives.” While the Greek word used here can mean “fellow-countryman,” the primary meaning is “blood relative of the same generation.” The two were Paul’s “fellow captives,” possibly having been in prison with him somewhere. Paul calls them both “men of note among the apostles,” perhaps recalling their fine reputation with the apostles. They were ‘in union with Christ longer than Paul himself was,’ indicating early discipleship.

JUNIPER

1. [Heb., b^erohshʹ].

The Hebrew name for this tree has been translated in different ways, as “fir,” “cypress,” and so forth; however, some authorities recommend the juniper tree on good basis. (See Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, page 148; The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Volume 2, page 293.) Since the tree was imported from Lebanon by King Solomon (1 Ki. 5:8-10; 9:11; 2 Chron. 2:8), it may be identified with the Juniperus excelsa, a tall, robust evergreen growing up to sixty-five feet (19.8 meters) in height, with spreading branches, small scalelike leaves, and dark, small, globular fruit. It is highly fragrant. The timber from this juniper tree is greatly valued for its durability.

The Juniperus excelsa is a native of Lebanon and is regularly associated with that land, being included with other trees as the “glory of Lebanon.” (2 Ki. 19:23; Isa. 14:8; 37:24; 60:13) The psalmist spoke of the juniper trees as the “house” or nesting place of storks. (Ps. 104:17) Juniper wood was used extensively in the temple built by Solomon. (2 Chron. 3:5) The leaves of the main doors were made of juniper wood (1 Ki. 6:34), and the floor was overlaid with it. (1 Ki. 6:15) It is elsewhere spoken of as being used for rafters (Song of Sol. 1:17), planking for ships (Ezek. 27:5), spear shafts (Nah. 2:3) and musical instruments. (2 Sam. 6:5) As a “luxuriant tree” it is used in the restoration prophecies to describe the beauty and fruitful fertility to be brought to the land of God’s people.—Isa. 41:19; 55:13; 60:13.

2. [Heb., ʽaroh·ʽerʹ or ʽar·ʽarʹ]. The Arabic word ʽarʽar aids in identifying this tree as probably the Juniperus phoenicia, a shrublike tree to be found in the Sinai region and also in the area of the Desert of Edom. The root word in the Hebrew from which the tree’s name is drawn has the idea of “nakedness” or being “stripped” (compare Psalm 102:17), and this dwarf juniper is correspondingly described as of rather gloomy appearance, growing in rocky parts of the desert and on crags. It is fittingly used in the book of Jeremiah when comparing the man whose heart turns away from Jehovah with a “solitary tree [ʽar·ʽarʹ] in the desert plain,” and also in warning the Moabites to take flight and become “like a juniper tree [ʽaroh·ʽerʹ] in the wilderness.”—Jer. 17:5, 6; 48:1, 6.