What Will Be Done to the Wicked at the Day of Judgment?: Westminster Larger Catechism 89

The question of what happens after the resurrection leaves us with two directions. What follows goes a little bit deeper in both directions, starting with the destination of the wicked. Question 89 asks, “What will be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?”

The answer is straight to the point: “At the day of judgment, the wicked will be set on Christ’s left hand, and, upon clear evidence and the full conviction of their own consciences, they will have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them. Then they will be cast out from the favoring presence of God and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, and they will go into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels, forever.”

This is a hard subject, but it is one we need. Scripture speaks plainly about the day of judgment so that sinners would flee to Christ and believers would live with sober gratitude.

The Day of Judgment Will Reveal the Wicked

The day of judgment will be a day of perfect clarity. Jesus says in Matthew 25:33 that He “will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.” What is mixed together in this life will not remain mixed forever. On that day, the righteous and the wicked will be openly separated.

Right now, the wicked may look secure. Some reject Christ openly. Others hide unbelief behind morality, respectability, or religion. But the day of judgment will uncover all of it. No mask will remain. No secret sin will stay hidden. No false profession will stand.

The wicked will not simply vanish. They will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ. The One they ignored will be the One who judges them. That is what makes the day of judgment so dreadful for all who are outside of Christ.

The Day of Judgment Will Bring Clear Evidence

The catechism says the wicked will be condemned “upon clear evidence and the full conviction of their own consciences.” That reflects Romans 2:15–16, where Paul says that conscience bears witness and that God will judge the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. The day of judgment will be undeniably just. No one will be able to accuse God of unfairness. Every sinful deed will be exposed. Every rebellious motive will be brought to light. Every careless word and every rejection of the truth will be known. The wicked will not be judged by appearances. They will be judged by truth.

Even their own consciences will testify against them. In this life, conscience can be ignored, dulled, or excused. Men justify themselves. They compare themselves to others. They persuade themselves that sin is not serious. But on that day, conscience will speak clearly. It will agree with God’s verdict.

That is a warning for us now. Sin is never truly hidden. We may cover it for others, but never for God. He sees what we do, why we do it, and what we have done with the light He has given.

The Day of Judgment Will End in Just Condemnation

Jesus gives the sentence in Matthew 25:41: “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” He also points to the evidence of the wicked’s guilt in the fruitless pattern of their lives (Matt. 25:41–43). Their condemnation is fearful, but it is not unfair. It is just.

That matters. God does not judge with cruelty. He judges with perfect righteousness. The wicked will not receive more than they deserve, and they will not receive less than justice requires. The Judge of all the earth will do right.

Many people resist this doctrine because they take sin too lightly. Sin is not merely weakness. It is not just a flaw or a bad habit. Sin is rebellion against a holy Creator. It is a refusal to love Him, honor Him, thank Him, and obey Him. So the day of judgment will not be the day God becomes severe. It will be the day His justice is fully revealed.

The Day of Judgment Will Mean Separation from God’s Favor

One of the most sobering parts of the catechism is what the wicked lose. They will be “cast out from the favoring presence of God and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels.” Second Thessalonians 1:8–9 says that those who do not obey the gospel “will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”

This does not mean they escape God’s rule. No one can ever be outside His power. It means they are shut out from His favorable presence, His peace, and His joy. Every good gift enjoyed in this life comes from God’s kindness. Every moment of laughter, every good meal, every friendship, every earthly comfort is a mercy from His hand. On the day of judgment, all of that common mercy will be gone.

Luke 16:26 says there is a “great chasm fixed.” Once judgment is final, it is final. There is no second chance beyond the grave. No later opportunity to repent. The sentence stands forever.

The Day of Judgment Will End in Eternal Punishment

The catechism does not soften the Bible’s language, and neither should we. The wicked will go into hell and be punished with unspeakable torments both of body and soul, forever. Hell is real. It is not a symbol for regret or loss. It is the place of God’s final judgment. And because the resurrection includes the body, punishment will be experienced by both body and soul. Just as believers will enjoy everlasting life in the presence of Christ, so the wicked will endure everlasting punishment under the just wrath of God.

That truth should humble us. It should strip away our casual views of sin. And it should remind us that the gospel is not advice for a better life. It is the good news of rescue from the wrath to come.

The Day of Judgment Should Drive Us to Christ

This doctrine is painful, but it is also merciful. God warns sinners because He calls them to repent. The Judge is also the Savior. The Christ who will condemn the wicked on the last day is the same Christ who now receives all who come to Him in faith.

That is the great dividing line on the day of judgment. Not success. Not family background. Not outward religion. The question is whether we belong to Jesus Christ. Those who remain in their sins will bear their own condemnation. Those who trust in Christ will never hear that condemning sentence, because Christ bore the curse for them at the cross.

So this question should do more than inform us. It should make us sober, thankful, and urgent. The day of judgment is coming. But today, mercy is still held out in the gospel. Come to Christ while the gospel is preached. Turn from sin while there is time. And if you are already in Christ, let this truth deepen your gratitude, strengthen your witness, and stir you to pray for those who are not ready for that great day.

Soli Deo Gloria