21. The Judgments

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

THE JUDGMENTS

“There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2).
A judgment is defined as a disaster or affliction, and is regarded as a punishment for sin. Seven judgments, as recorded in the Bible, are shown on the Art Chart (www.BibleSupport.com/a/gppc.png). They are named at the bottom of the Chart and are located by number.

The Holy Spirit reveals to the believer, as he studies the Word of God, that there is more than one resurrection from the dead, and that there are several judgments which are entirely different from each other as to time, place, purpose, and outcome.

Many preachers and teachers try to explain, however, that there is one general resurrection followed by one general judgment.

The seven judgments herein described are:

The judgment of the believer’s sins by Jesus Christ Himself on the cross, the result of which is salvation;
The judgment of the be­liever’s self by himself here on earth, the result of which is sanctification;
The judgment of the believer’s works by Christ, the result of which is compensation;
The judgment of the Jewish people here on earth by the Lord God, the result of which is restoration;
The judgment of the nations on earth by the Son of Man, the result of which is separation;
The judgment of the Fallen Angels in the air by the Saints, the result of which is condemnation;
The judgment of the wicked dead in heaven before God, the result of which is damnation.

These judgments happen, as you will notice, in different places. Some are on the earth, some are in the air, and one is in heaven. There are also three different thrones men­tioned.

One throne is called the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” where Christ will be the judge of the believer’s works (Romans 14:10).

Another throne on earth is called the “Throne of His Glory,” where will take place the “Judgment of the Nations" (Matthew 25:31-32).

Another throne is called the “Great White Throne,” where will be held before God the “Judgment of the Wicked Dead" (Revelation 20:11-12).

Judgment No. 1-For the Believer’s Sins This judgment took place at the “Cross of Jesus Christ,” where Christ paid the penalty of the broken law for us as sinners. This judgment is past. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). He took upon Himself on the cross the guilt of our sins. So great was His love for us that He voluntarily gave His life that we might escape the supreme penalty of the law, which is death.

Let us rejoice and be glad and praise Jesus Christ, who hath redeemed us from this judgment and hath given us, who are His, Eternal Life.

Paul said: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house"

Jesus said: “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

Judgment No. 2-For the Believer’s Self This judgment is for the believer’s self. The judge is the believer himself. The believer, as a child of God, has accepted the atonement of Jesus Christ, has been born again, and has received a spiritual nature. This nature does not take the place of his “Old Adamic Nature,” but has been added to it as a new nature. Therefore the believer possesses a dual nature. These two natures strive the one against the other.

In this judgment, the Christian must judge himself each day and be guided by the Holy Spirit.

That part of the dual nature of a Christian that is fed most predominates (Read 1 Corinthians 11:28-34, and Romans 14:13). Self-judgment is more the believer’s moral condemnation of himself for allowing his own ways and habits, than it is his condemna­tion of those ways and habits.

If self-judgment is neglected, then the Lord judges, and the result is chastisement, but not condemnation. “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world"

The Spiritual nature grows when it is freely led by the Holy Spirit. Growth is sustained by the study of the Word of God, by obedience to God, by Christian service and fellowship, and by prayer and praise.

The fleshly nature predominates when man is more con­cerned about what people think of him than he is about what God thinks of him.

By striving to please people, he becomes proud and selfish, and thereby sinful. God can and does punish those who sin (Hebrews 12:3-12). No dis­obedience, however small, goes unpunished. “If we con­fess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

When we judge ourselves aright, the Spiritual nature be­comes master of the fleshly nature. “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in the thing that he alloweth" (Romans 14:22).

Judgment No. 3-For the Believer’s Works This judgment and all the remaining four judgments are in the future. This judgment is for the saved ones only, for the Church of Jesus Christ, and it follows the Church Age. It takes place in the air at the “Judgment Seat of Christ,” where Christ is the judge (1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 4:5).

It is pictured at the top of the Art Chart (www.BibleSupport.com/a/gppc.png), following the Rapture. It is not a judgment for sin, but it is a judg­ment for the believer’s works.

We, the believers, must all appear before the “Judgment Seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:8-14; Matthew 10:42; Matthew 16:27; Luke 19:17; 1 Corinthians 9:24-25;2 Timothy 4:8; Revelation 22:12).

All of our works will be tried as by fire. All of the “dead works” of the believer are represented at the “Judgment Seat of Christ” as “wood, hay and stubble,” and all these will be burned and lost. Our opinions are worthless, for without Christ we can do nothing. Some people who now hold high positions in the church on earth may be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The test will be made on how we have used our opportunities to witness for Christ and to win others for Him here on earth, according to our ability, position, wealth and sacrifice. God and the individual can determine what to do, and how to do it.

This judgment of the believer’s works brings to the be­liever either “loss” or “reward.” The believer’s rewards are described in the next chapter.

Judgment No. 4-For the Jews This judgment is called “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble" (Jeremiah 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1). It takes place on the earth after the Jews have returned to Palestine, and after the “Fullness of the Gentiles"

The cause of this judgment is very evi­dent. The Jews, as a people:

- Have disobeyed God.
- Have rejected Him (1 Samuel 8:7);
- Have rejected Jesus Christ (Luke 23:18);
- Have rejected the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51; Acts 7:54-60).
- Therefore, they have refused to accept the “Trinity of the Godhead.”

As a punishment, the Jews have been scattered among all nations. They are now going back to their own land unconverted. They are to be judged after the close of the Age of Grace and during the Tribulation Period, when the Antichrist is on earth. They will be cast into God’s “melting pot.” At the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Nation will be restored (Isaiah 56:8).

Judgment No. 5-For the Nations At the time of this judgment, the Church will have been judged in the air, and the Jews will have been judged on the earth. The “Times of the Gentiles” will have ceased. The Nations are now at the Revelation of Jesus Christ at the end of the tribulation period, to be judged for their treat­ment of “His Brethren,” the Jews (Joel 3:2). Christ with His Church will be the judge. No “books” will be opened at this judgment.

As a result of this judgment, the “Sheep Nations” will inherit a kingdom, the Millennium Kingdom, and they will be among the Saved Nations of the New Earth (Revelation 21:24). The “Goat Nations” will be cast into everlasting fire, and they will be destroyed as nations. This judgment is not for individuals, it is for nations.

“For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land".

Judgment No. 6-For the Fallen Angels

“And the angels which kept not their own estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day" (Jude 1:6).

This is the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 2:9-22).

Satan will meet his doom after the one thousand years of the Kingdom Age, preceding the Judgment of the Great White Throne of Revelation 20:11-15. At this time other fallen angels are to be judged (2 Peter 2:4).

“God spared not the fallen angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment"

Michael, the archangel, said when contending with the Devil, “The Lord rebuke thee" (Jude 1:9). In Revelation 20:10 we find these words, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever".

Judgment No. 7-For the Wicked Dead

“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished"

These dead are the wicked dead, who were not a part of the First Resurrection, but whose bodies wait in the grave and whose souls remain in hades, the place appointed for the souls of the wicked dead, until the Second Resurrection.

“And I saw a Great White Throne and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away, and there was found no place for them"

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were open; and another book was open 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"

We find, therefore, that there is a resurrection of the wicked dead, which is the Second Resurrection, when the wicked dead will appear before the Great White Throne to be judged for their works. The judge is God. Then the earth will be renovated by fire.

- “And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:11-15).
- “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death"
- “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the First Resurrection, on such the Second Death hath no power" (Revelation 20:5-6).