1:9; 2:9, 10). He said to the judges, Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you when you render judgment. Though believers are saved and justified by faith in Christ as the crucified Saviour, the Scriptures assume that Christians will battle with sin and will not always be victorious. This vision of the Great White Throne describes the last and final judgment of history. Rather, the Judgment Seat of Christ is for the body of Christ, the church. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then why do we have to confess sin in this life? All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Awards are handed out to every Christian. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. These are: (1) The Promise of Crowns. In all of these passages, Paul was picturing the believer as a competitor in a spiritual contest. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Teach me good discernment and knowledge,For I believe in Your commandments. 10 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. The Lord performs righteous deedsAnd judgments for all who are oppressed. Unfortunately, this condition had continued because some of these believers had failed to examine their hearts and judge their sin by honest confession followed by a commitment to deal with it in the power of the Spirit (11:28, 31). This crown is a reward given for faithfulness to use our gifts and opportunities in the service of the Lord and for loving His appearing. From this passage in Hebrews and others like 1 Corinthians 11:27-32, God disciplines His children for the following reasons: (1) To bring a wayward child who refuses to judge himself back into fellowship (1 Cor. Carnality causes broken relationships and pain to those around usour families, friends, associates, and co-workers in the body of Christ (Gal. Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. Biblically, the word tribulation comes from the Greek word thlipsis which means affliction, distress. In the Bible it is used (1) in general of any kind of testing or affliction or distress which people experience throughout life, and especially of the church and her problems in this world (John 16:33; Rom. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. 25:21; Lk. (2) It is a time of Gods wrath or indignation and the vindication of Gods holinessZeph. They are described in terms of generalities. 7:18, 22, 27. 6:20; 1 Pet. The text reads: Acts 24:15-16 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 27:19; John 19:13), its use in the epistles by Paul, because of his many allusions to the Greek athletic contests, is more in keeping with its original use among the Greeks. So, much as we see in Romans 1:18f, God turns the world over to the consequences of its choices. 15:24-26). A few verses after Phil 1:6, Paul mentions the day of Jesus Christ again. This means we must each come to God the same wayas a sinner who recognizes his sinfulness, repudiates any form of human works for salvation, and relies totally on Christ alone by faith alone for our salvation. Rewards become one of the great motives of the Christians life or should. But these were not the only consequences of failing to judge sin in their lives. 20:12b, 13b, 15a). But those who are not killed by these judgments will be gathered, judged, and the rebels removed with only believers going into the millennial kingdom. In one sense, the Thessalonians will be Pauls crown, and the effect at the Bema and throughout eternity will be rejoicing or exultation over their presence in heaven. After the fall of Adam and Eve, and as a judgment for mankinds disobedience regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17), certain curses or judgments were placed upon Satan (the promise of his final doom), upon Adam and Eve, and upon the earth. 14:7, 10; 19:2). For instance, Matthew 7 which tells us not to judge, is immediately followed with the command, Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces (Matt. 6:1-5; 2 Thess. 1 Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. Do Those Who Commit Suicide Go To Hell? This is seen in those passages where a reward is administered in the form of something like well done thou good and faithful servant (cf. Sin calls for judgment and the cross of Jesus Christ became that place of judgment. (2) Death, a reference to all those who were buried in graves in the ground, cremated, or destroyed in any other way on earth. 11:30). But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. In other words, God has removed Satan and his demons, the False Prophet and the Beast, and is about to judge the rest of the unbelieving dead. 3:14-15). John 12:48 is very pertinent here: He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 6:10-12; 1 Pet. Revelation 7:14 shows us that salvation in the Tribulation (as in the church age) is through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. As the victorious Grecian athlete appeared before the Bema to receive his perishable award, so the Christian will appear before Christs Bema to receive his imperishable award. (1) Christs judgment for sin, dying in the place of the sinner, bearing his sin and judgment on the cross as the sinners substitute. 1:13), that all have sinned and come short of Gods glory (Rom. Zane Hodges has some good thoughts on this concept: Scripture does not teach us to be uninterested in our own happiness or well-being. This always results in moral devolution and degeneration. But this will only be momentary or short-lived at best in view of passages like Revelation 7:17; 21:4 and Isaiah 65:17. Note that the text says and the books (plural) were opened, and another book (singular) was opened, which is the Book of Life. We have two sets, the books and the book which is mentioned again in verse 15a. 15:23); (2) the resurrection of the church age saints at the rapture (1 Thess. (7) Loss of Physical Health and Vitality. Because of this, He cannot have fellowship with anyone who does not have perfect righteousness (Hab. 18); militarily (Joel 3:2, 9-14; Rev. The dead, great and small emphasizes that no one is exempt. But what did Paul mean by this? 3:7, 10-12). (5) It yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Heb. This is the basis of rewards or the cause of their loss, the abiding, Christ-dependent life. Therefore, as the Scripture says, And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Romans 4:1-5: What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,And their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord. 2:19-20; 1 Tim. Without the abiding life, the life of faith and obedience to the Savior, we can do nothing (John 15:1-7). But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. Romans 5:19 For as through the one mans disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 26:19).5. This crown is a reward promised to Elders for faithfulness in the discharge of their responsibilities in shepherding the people. 5:16f). In these passages we read such things as give account of himself, suffer loss, shrink away from Him in shame, and recompense for his deeds whether good or bad.. I believe we have two books here. Our rewards may be likened to our spiritual gifts. Scripture also teaches us that no amount of human goodness or human works or human morality or religious activity can gain acceptance with God or get anyone into heaven. (2) Diadem. Soon, however, 144,000 will come to Christ from the nation of Israel and will evidently become the evangelists of the world who lead people to Christ from every tongue, tribe, and nation (Rev. To overdo the sorrow aspect of the judgment seat of Christ is to make heaven hell. 9:1f; 13:2-3, 11f; Dan. A Christian believes in a God they have never seen through faith. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. When Adam and Eve chose to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they acted in self-centered independence which was idolatry and sin. Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing. Scripture teaches that all sins, both confessed and unconfessed, have been forgiven and taken care of by the work of Christ on the Cross so the Christian will never face those sins again at the judgment. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. Hoyt has a good summary of what this passage is talking about and involves: The Bible suggests that there will be shame at the judgment seat of Christ to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the measure of unfaithfulness of each individual believer. Though believers are under no condemnation in respect to their sins, having been justified by faith (John 3:18; 5:24; Rom. 4:4-6, 22). 5:2). 1 Cor. It is so important to note the emphasis here. And now little children. John is writing to believers. Physical death became a certainty for their future because they took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. How many times is the word judgment mentioned in the Bible? 17). The word throne is used more than 30 times in Revelation, but this throne, the great white one, is to be distinguished from all others as the most significant one of all. The subject receives the action, that is, he is made to feel shame. He did not whip the losers.8 We might add, neither did he sentence them to hard labor. 14:10-11; 1 Cor. If God were to punish the believer judicially for his sins for which Christ has already rendered payment, He would be requiring two payments for sin and would therefore be unjust. But Israel is first gathered at the borders, outside the land of Israel, called in Ezekiel 20:35 the wilderness of the peoples, for judgment, face to face, one by one as sheep pass under the shepherds rod. 9:24-25). Copy. It will begin with an apparent time of prosperity and peace created by this one world government under the deceptions of the man of lawlessness. But we shall rejoice also as we realize that the rewards given will be another example of the grace of our Lord; for at best we are unprofitable servants (E. Schuyler English, The Church At the Tribunal, in Prophetic Truth Unfolding Today, ed. Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. It is an awesome and solemn scene and one which should cause everyone to stop and think about the eternal implications of this future event. This is clear from both the context of 5:4-8 and by the fact he changed the words he used for sleep. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The refusal to accept the truth destroys the power to discriminate between truth and error.1. This is caused by (1) the removal of the church and (2) increase in demonic activity. 8:13; 1 Cor. 12:6, 8). 25:31-46). It is discipline designed to train and bring believers back to a walk with God. 18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (14) It is a time of unprecedented evangelism (Rev. For those ideas Paul would have most likely used kalos, good, and kakos, evil. For good works, those valuable like good fruit, we will receive back rewards, but for bad works, those rotten and worthless, we will receive no rewards or the loss of rewards. Two important questions must be asked and answered: According to Romans 5:8, God demonstrated His love for us through the death of His Son. This in no way suggests a permanent condition. But the point of Scripture is that even this is a part of Gods judgment upon a world that has sought its answers apart from the true God. This is what his work deserves. So the order of events will be (a) the rapture which includes our glorification or resurrection bodies, (b) exaltation into the heavens with the Lord, (c) examination before the Bema, and (d) compensation or rewards. A great deal of confusion exists with respect to the subject of Gods judgments and particularly regarding the final judgment. See Appendix C for an overview of the Tribulation. There are a number of passages that refer to the negative aspects of the Bema which need to be mentioned and explained. It contrasts our crowns with the temporal and temporary treasure of this life. 9:27). 27:29; Mk. Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;For He is coming to judge the earth. When they enjoyed each other and the fruit trees and blessings of the garden, they acted in their self-interest but they did so in dependence on and in obedience to the Lord. 2 Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. They were assembling themselves with other believers and partaking of the Lords supper, but they were out of fellowship with the Lord and were controlled by the sinful nature, the flesh, rather than by the Holy Spirit. This judgment affected all of creation (Genesis 3:1718; Romans 8:2022). Abide in Him. Abide is a synonym for fellowship which is the subject of the book (1:3-7). It is particularly a time of judgment on those who dwell upon the earth which seems to be a technical term in Revelation meaning earth dweller, a reference to those who have no interest in the things of God (cf. 3 Samuel Hoyt, The Judgment Seat of Christ in Theological Perspective, Part 1, Bibliotheca Sacra, January-March, 1980, electronic media. Eph. For the Christian, the future reality of this event should cause deep concern because of the many (including some of our friends and relatives) who will face this throne of judgment because they never received the Savior by faith. 24:31-46). Other Bible teachers espouse a mediating position. Ungodliness is always the source of unrighteousness; ungodliness (turning away from God) leads to idolatry (man worshipping the products of his own mind and hands), and idolatry leads to unchained sensuality. In other words, it was a reward seat and portrayed a time of rewards or loss of rewards following examination. Undoubtedly, then, the Scripture will be used to demonstrate the clearness of the plan of God and that man is without excuse. It is not punitive. Regarding the coming of the Spirit and His ministry in the world after the resurrection and ascension to Gods right hand, Christ made the following promise: John 16:8-11 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor? 24:9, 21, 29; Mark 13:19, 24; Rev. If you prayed this prayer and truly trusted in the person of Jesus Christ and His death for your sin, then you have been born anew into the family of God. They teach us the basic cause of discipline is failure to examine and confess known sins because that hinders our fellowship with God. Two things: (a) This describes all the crowns. We should not think of discipline as punishment. (2) Divine Discipline From the Lord Here in Time. 2:7), of evil deeds (Col. 1:21; 2 John 11), of dead works (Heb. A God of faithfulness and without injustice. The phrase Son of Man occurs 195 times in the Old and New Testaments. Elimination of the curse, pain and death will also remove sorrow, tears and crying (Rev. See Appendix B for more on the Judgment Seat (Bema) of Christ. But this happens as a judgment from God against mans arrogant independence. 19:2, 5). 20:5-6). (4) That dispensing of rewards is in view is also evident from the Greek words in 2 Corinthians 5:10 translated good (agathosvaluable like good fruit) and bad (phaulosunacceptable like rotten or spoiled fruit). God is perfect righteousness. 25:41; Isa. He wanted to walk blamelessly, to keep short accounts with God, and to stay in close communion with the Lord lest he should become disqualified for rewards at the Bema (cf. Also, Matthew 25:21, 23 and Luke 19:17-19 show us our rewards consist of authority over either many things or many cities. All who have scoffed at God, denied His being, rebelled at His rule, or rejected His sovereigntyand in the process, also rejected His Son, the Lord Jesus Christmust at this time stand before this throne to be condemned to eternal judgment. 2:12-14 [note the emphasis on good works]). This word was taken from Isthmian games where the contestants would compete for the prize under the careful scrutiny of judges who would make sure that every rule of the contest was obeyed (cf. Since the events mentioned in Daniel 9:26 (the cutting off of Messiah and the destruction of city and sanctuary) had to occur after the 69 weeks of years had run their course but before the seventieth week begins, there has to be a space of time, the parenthesis of the church age, between the conclusion of the sixty-ninth week and the beginning of the seventieth. For example, Moses lived forty years in Egypt and forty years in the desert. 1 Cor. 15:17; Jn. Matt. And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. Will the Lord reject forever?And will He never be favorable again? 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