Last week I talked about the Rewards and Crowns that born-again believers will receive in Heaven. Now, the question is, WHEN will this happen? Plus, did you know the Bible says that EVERYONE will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ? There are actually 4 judgments in the New Testament. However, to really understand the End Times Judgments, we need to go back to the beginning. Let’s dig in…
Paul Wrote Regarding Judgment…
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT
Why Does Everybody Need to be Judged?
Well, it all started in Genesis when God created a beautiful world and humans to take care of it. He gave them one rule and they broke it…
- Temptation and the Fall of Man
- Then we have the first murder
- We then have such an evil world that God regrets creating humans! So much so, that He sends the Great Flood and only spares 8 godly people.
- After the flood, humans try to become godlike by creating a tower to the heavens.
- Later on, the Hebrew people are enslaved in Egypt. Thus, God sends plagues as judgment to Pharaoh. The final plague marks the DAY — the First Passover.
- When God frees the Israelites, He lays down the laws telling them what they are to do and most importantly NOT do.
- Unfortunately, the people don’t listen and they end up wandering in the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land. These stories are laid out in the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
- Time after time, God tells the Israelites through godly Hebrew leaders and prophets how they are to behave and live. Yet, over and over again, like a vicious circle they disobey God. Eventually, they face His judgment by being exiled to Babylon for 70 years.
- Once they return to Jerusalem, they have to rebuild the destroyed temple, city, and walls. God again sends prophets to read the Word of God to them — the Bible to us — so they would follow God rather than the fake gods of the idolatrous pagans.
- Then we have the period of 400 years between Malachi and Matthew when God left Israel to fend for themselves — or did He?
Enter Jesus and the Judgment of the Cross
Then God sent Jesus — Yeshua Hamashiach — the Messiah — to take on all His judgment meant for us humans once and for all time. You can read this story in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
That’s the 1st judgment in the New Testament. Where are the other 3?
Three Future Judgments
Again we turn to Paul…
10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” (Isaiah 45:23)12 Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.
Romans 14:10-12
As Amir Tsarfati describes in his video, “The Bema Seat” (it’s at the bottom of this post)…
- The first judgment is the Bema seat for the born-again believers who are raptured. Obviously, that one will take place in Heaven.
- Then there will be the judgment of the nations — the sheep and goats — as told in Matthew 25. That one is for non-believers and it takes place on earth after the 7-year tribulation. That’s when Jesus returns in victory with His believers to start the Millennial Kingdom.
- Lastly, is the Great White Throne Judgment, which takes place on earth after the 1000 years, when He releases Satan from the pit. At that point, there is no more mercy. This is all explained in the Book of Revelation.
What does “Bema” mean?
Amir explains it very well in the video. Nevertheless, it refers to a tribunal for rewards. We born-again Christians “run the race”, like I talked about last week. We do our work for the Kingdom with the gifts, talents, skills and opportunities God gave us. That’s where we’ll get our crowns and our rewards based on our good works. Now, works don’t save you! We are saved to do good works. PLEASE get that straight!
This judgment happens right after the rapture. We will be whisked away and saved from the coming wrath of God and then all us believers will stand before the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
There probably will be Christian believers who won’t get rewards. For instance, someone who on their deathbed, becomes a believer. That person didn’t have time to do anything. He or she can’t feel shame, but they don’t get a reward. Likewise, there will be born-again Christian believers who were lazy and didn’t do anything to further the Kingdom or serve the Lord. They are saved, but have nothing to show for it. They’ll be ashamed. Finally, there will be believers who did things but not for the glory of God. They did things with the wrong motives — for their own glory, for boasting, for pride, and vanity. Those folks will feel the most shame.
Like Jesus told the Church of Sardis in Revelation…
10 “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. 11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. 12 All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.
13 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Revelation 3:10-13 NLT
Are YOU listening to the Spirit?
You have a choice as to which Judgment you will face. Furthermore, it’s a choice you must make now before it’s too late!
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
