The Judgment Seat of Christ—is it past?
We read the following:
2Co 5:10
For we (the elect of God) must all appear before the judgment seat <968> of Christ; that every one may receive the
things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it
be good or bad.
The verse above is speaking to the
future of the time when the Book of Corinthians was written and it appears in
the following context:
2Co
5:1 ¶ For we know that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For
in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is
from heaven: 3 If so be that being
clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For
we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we
would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us
for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest
of the Spirit. 6 Therefore we are always confident,
knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or
absent, we may be accepted of him.
This context is definitely the
translation of the saints on the last day of this earth’s existence (a future event,
which there is strong evidence that this may be as close as 2011!) when they
will obtain their eternal house from heaven which is made without hands:
Heb
11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not
found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased
God.
Joh
6:39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent
me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise
it up again at the last day.
Joh
6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me,
that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh
6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father
which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh
6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood,
hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh
11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall
rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
1Cor
15: 51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall
sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality. 54
So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave,
where is thy victory?
So the judgment seat of Christ before which every elect must stand for the things done in the body is yet future and is not a past concluded event. Well, is there further proof of this future examination for believers?
Let us examine the passage
below:
Ro 14:10
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy
brother? for we (the elect of God) shall all stand before the judgment seat <968> of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the
Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us (the elect of God) shall give account of himself to God.
Please note that the usage of “shall” clearly indicates
that this judgment seat of Christ is future that is some time after the Book of
Romans was penned and since we know that Romans was written in the first
century but after the crucifixion in 33 AD then we also know that the judgment
seat of Christ is still future to our day because it definitely has not
occurred so far in the approximately two millenniums since the time of the Book
of Romans.
Now let us look at the circumstances when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God at the judgment seat of Christ:
Isa 45: 23 I
have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness,
and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall
swear.
24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have
I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him
shall be ashamed <0954> (8799).
25 In the LORD shall all the seed of
It is definitely the time when those folks that are
incensed against Christ will be ashamed!
But we know that none of the elect will be put to shame:
Ps 25:3
Yea, let none that wait
on thee be ashamed <0954> (8799): let them be ashamed <0954> (8799) which transgress without cause.
Ps 37: 18 The LORD knoweth the days of the
upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. 19 They shall not be ashamed <0954> (8799) in the
evil time: and in the days of
famine they shall be satisfied.
Joe 2:26
And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the
LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never
be ashamed <0954> (8799).
Joe 2:27
And ye shall know that I am in the midst of
But when therefore are the
elect not going to be put to shame:
1Jo 2:28
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we
may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.
At Jesus’ coming back to this earth! Yes, that is when the
judgment seat of Christ will occur and the believers will be tried but not put
to shame even as displayed by Barabbas:
Mt
27: 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called
Barabbas. 17 Therefore when they
were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto
you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18
For he knew that for envy they had delivered
him. 19 When he was set down on
the judgment seat <968>, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with
that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of
him. 20 But the chief priests and
elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy
Jesus. 21 The governor answered and
said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They
said, Barabbas. 22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then
with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be
crucified. 23 And the governor
said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him
be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing,
but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his
hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just
person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His
blood be on us, and on our children. 26
¶ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when
he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
So even as Barabbas was brought before the judgment seat
being a guilty wicked sinner (Mark 15:7) and was not put to shame because Jesus
took his turn upon the cross (the shadow of the eternal substance), so it is that
the elect will stand before the judgment seat of Christ at His return and not
be put to shame because Christ, as the lamb of God, paid for their sins by
being slain by God (Christ’s slaying by God constituting the eternal substance
that wrought salvation) from the foundation of the world:
Re 13:8
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world.
But stand they, the elect, will before the judgment seat of
Christ and that on the last day at the very end of this world even as everyone
else whose names are not written in the book of life at the time of the final
judgment:
Re 20: 11 ¶ And
I saw a great white throne,
and him that sat on it,
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them.
12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works.
Re 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
cast into the lake of fire.
Then, after standing at the judgment seat by every elect to
give account thereof for himself unto God, we see dramatic transformation that
occurs and the compassion of the Savior upon His elect:
Rev 21:1 ¶ And
I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth
were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And
I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is
with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God
himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And
God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And
he that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these
words are true and faithful.
He then wipes away all the tears from their eyes and causes the former things that were committed in this life by them to be eternally passed away and never more to be contemplated! And, please take note, that God is still seated on the judgment throne in verse 5, the very place where He was seated in Revelation 20:11, but then that judgment seat was for the unsaved while this in Revelation 21:5 is for the saved.
AN ADDENDUM BY T. GOLDA:
Paul,
You may also want to include Daniel 7:9-11, as this is what Revelation 20:11-15
is looking back to....the books are opened in Daniel 7, as they are opened in
Rev 20.
"I beheld till the thrones were CAST DOWN, and the Ancient of days
did SIT, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like
the pure wool: HIS THRONE was like the fiery flame, and his
wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand
thousands MINISTERED UNTO HIM and ten thousand times ten thousand STOOD BEFORE
HIM: the JUDG MENT WAS
SET, and the BOOKS WERE OPENED. I
beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I
beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the
burning flame." Daniel 7:9-11
Christ "sits" on the judgment throne when the thrones of the world
are "cast down." That happens at the end of the world.
Thousands thousands "ministered unto Him" and ten thousand times ten
thousands "stood before Him." The judgment was set and the
books were opened.....those in the book of life, the elect, as Rev 20 states,
are the elect....they have their sins paid for. For those who are
unsaved, the books are opened, and the Word of God judges them the Last Day -
John 12:48
Tom
THE END