Well after His resurrection, the meaning behind Jesus' words, "all judgment has been given to the Son"
(John 5:22), becomes clearer in the last book of the Bible in Revelation, in which
He has five exclusive roles.
With the authority bestowed by His death and resurrection, Jesus' first exclusive role was the banishment of Satan
and his angelic followers from the heavenly realm of God (Rev 12:7-11). This signals
to Satan that "he has only a short time" (Rev 12:12).
In His second exclusive role in judgment (Rev 5:1-3),
only Jesus Christ can take the scroll out of His Father's hand and break its seals (Rev 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12;
8:1). This unleashes His Father's wrathful judgment at the appointed time
(Rev 9:13-16). God's unfolding plan of judgment is orderly, over a period of time,
and with a progression of magnitude in devastation and lethality.
After the last bowl of God's wrath, Jesus Christ's third exclusive role in judgment occurs at His Second Coming
(Rev 19:11-16) when the beast, false prophet and the kings of the earth are arrayed
to make war at Armageddon in an attempt to deny Him of His kingdom (Rev 15:13-16;
19:17-19). The beast and the false prophet are seized and "thrown alive into the lake
of fire" (Rev 19:20).
Jesus Christ's fourth exclusive role in judgment is implied but not entirely certain. At the end of Jesus Christ's
one thousand year reign, Satan is released, and he deceives and gathers the nations for a final battle with Israel
(Rev 20:7-10). In the end, Satan is tossed into the lake of fire
(Rev 20:10).
Jesus Christ's fifth role in judgment is when He sits upon the great white throne
(Rev 20:11-15; 2 Cor 5:10). Here
the dead, who were not in the first resurrection (Rev 20:4-5), are resurrected and
come before Jesus Christ and are judged for their deeds. If one's name was not in the Book of Life, the consequence was the lake of fire
along with death and Hades (Rev 20:14-15).
Jesus Christ's sixth and final role in judgment is to cast death and Hades into the lake of fire
(Rev 20:14). The last enemy of God, death, is finally abolished.
Understanding Jesus Christ's role in judgment is fundamental in understanding His role as King. The purpose of Jesus Christ's reign
is to abolish all rule, authority, and power; He must put all enemies under His feet and abolish death itself
(Rev 20:14-15). When all things are subjugated, then Jesus Christ Himself subjects
Himself under the authority of His Father by handing back the kingdom (1 Cor 15:22-28).