Judgement

Question: Do the Scriptures teach that there will be one general judgment or several judgments?

The Scriptures plainly teach that there will be several judgments. There will be, first of all, the judgment of the believer when he is caught up to meet the Lord in the air. This will NOT be a judgment regarding his salvation - for that is settled the moment he accepts Christ (John 5:24) - but a judgment regarding his reward (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:8).  Then there will be the judgment of the nations living on this earth at the time the Lord comes to earth with His saints, described in Matthew 25:31-46). But those who do not have a part in the first resurrection will not be raised for their judgment for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-5). At the end of the thousand years, the Millennium, the rest of the dead will be raised and will appear before God at the judgment of the Great White Throne (vv. 11-15).

Question: Does God soften the final judgment of those who sin ignorantly? 

Certainly, God does not deal with those who sin ignorantly as He does with those who sin by deliberate and willful choice (1 Timothy 1:13; compare Hebrews 10:26). But every person on this earth has sinned knowingly (Romans 3:10-12, 23), and therefore there is no hope for anyone outside the atoning work of Jesus Christ (vv. 24-26). Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ receives eternal life, and all who reject Him will not see life but will perish forever (John 3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

~R. A. Torrey~