General judgment

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General judgment is the Christian theological concept of a judgment of the souls of the dead by nation and as a whole. It is related closely to Judgment day but is not necessarily part of any eschatology. It is generally contrasted with particular judgment.

The position is hinted several places in the Old Testament and fewer places in the New, although the Catholic Encyclopedia says "Few truths are more often or more clearly proclaimed in Scripture than that of the general judgment".^[1] When the individual dies, general judgment holds that the person's final dispensation will await the general judgment of the dead at the end of the world, rather than be judged immediately. Additionally, "general judgment" may refer not only to the judging of each person, but also to the judgment of nations and peoples.

The concept of Last Judgment is similar but unique. Various Last Judgment scenarios represent different forms of a general judgment, such as a global last judgment or a national last judgment. It is more concerned with the depictions and descriptions of particular versions.