Now is the Judgment of This World! Now or 33 AD?
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
We've always understood this to mean the judgment that would occur at the cross in 33 AD.
However, according to other verses, the judgment of Satan at the cross wasn't the final judgment but rather a reserving unto the final judgment:
2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be RESERVED UNTO JUDGMENT;
And not only but the unjust as well:
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to RESERVE THE UNJUST UNTO THE DAY OF JUDGMENT to be punished:
Furthermore, the world itself is said to be reserved for judgment:
2 Peter 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, RESERVED UNTO FIRE AGAINST THE DAY OF JUDGMENT and perdition of ungodly men.
This means Satan. The unjust (unsaved people). And the world are all reserved unto the day of judgment that came at the time of the end of the world (our time).
Why then does John 12:31 say, "Now is the judgment of this world" And, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out"?
A little later on in John 12, Jesus said that He came not to judge the world but to save the world:
John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Perhaps when John 12:31 is declaring "now is the judgment of this world," that it’s pointing to the time of the end of the world and the actual final judgment of mankind.
If so, take a look at the next verse:
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
The Greek word "lifted up" is also translated as "exalted". I won't try to explain this at this time. For now, let's just consider the idea that verse 31 is referring to Judgment Day at the end of the world (our day) and not at the cross. It would follow then that the exaltation of Christ (lifted up) along with the DRAWING of all men to Himself, would also take place at the time of the final judgment.
By the way, the word "drawing" is the same Greek word as found in John 6:44 (no man can come to Me, except the Father which sent Me draw him) and the same Greek word that's found in John 21 concerning the great catch of fish:
John 21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and DREW the net to land full of great fishes, ...
Another thing that ties this passage in John 12 to John 21's account of the drawing of the great catch of fish and to the whole idea of feeding sheep, etc. is the next verse. Here's all three verses together:
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
In verse 33 the word "signifying" is the same word as used of Peter (a type of the elect) in John 21 right after the threefold stanza between the Lord and Peter and feeding sheep:
John 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.