Part X7.1 - ..Day Of Judgment

The Day Of Judgment

Coming into the Reign of the Heavens is a privilege and an honor for God’s people who have been faithful in Christ Jesus while in the body and who have loved our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity (Ephesians 1:1; Ephesians 6:24NKJ). As we have seen, the Reign of the Heavens is something that a born-again child of God is to strive to enter. Believers are to be counted worthy of the Kingdom, and that means that they must follow a certain path in their lives, a path that ultimately will lead them to an abundant entrance into the coming Kingdom of the Son and to receive a full reward (2 Peter 1:10-11; 2 John 1:8). We are to continue in the faith, contending earnestly for the faith, and to walk in the truth, the mature knowledge of Christ and His Kingdom, for if we do, the reward is great. As Paul wrote: Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve (Colossians 3:24).

Understanding the reward of the inheritance is vital to our understanding of the Reign of the Heavens; however, to understand the matter of reward, we first must understand the matter of judgment. Who will be judged? When will they be judged? What is the general nature of judgment? For the Christian, the determination of reward or loss of reward comes forth from the judgment seat of Christ. The details related to what the Lord will be looking for in His people and the various outcomes of the judgment seat are taken up in the next chapter.

God Is The Judge

God is the Judge and all judgment has been given to the Son of Man. The One who took away the sin of the world by dying on the cross is the One who will execute judgment according to every man’s works.

"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22)

"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is {the} Son of Man." (John 5:26-27)

It is hardly necessary to stress the point that God is the Judge and He will judge the living and the dead. God is no debtor to any man. He will justly compensate all for their work. When the Day of God comes, all accounts with man and even the angels (2 Peter 2:4) will have been settled and God will declare: "Behold, I am making all things new." "It is done" (Revelation 21:5-6). Thank God for such a great promise.

Even a very cursory search of the Scriptures will reveal that a righteous and holy God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7). He must judge and He will judge through His Son. This is a guarantee.

Abraham first called the Lord the Judge: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" (Genesis 18:25). Job spoke of the Lord as His Judge (Job 23:7). The Psalmists proclaimed: But God is the Judge; He puts down one, and exalts another (Psalms 75:7). Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render recompense to the proud (Psalms 94:2). While he was preaching in the house of Cornelius, Peter testified that Christ has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). Paul exhorted his beloved Timothy: I solemnly charge {you} in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season {and} out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2). As his journey through life in the body was about to end, Paul declared that he had finished the race of the faith and that the crown of righteousness awaited him, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to him on that day (in reference to His appearing) (2 Timothy 4:7-8). The writer of the letter to the Hebrews declared: And thereis no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13). God is the Judge of all (Hebrews 12:23). James declared that the coming of the Lord is at hand and the Judge is standing right at the door (James 5:8-9). Jude declared the prophecy of Enoch: "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him" (Jude 1:14-15NKJ). Finally, the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ begins with a description of the Judge as He judges His Church (Revelation 1:12-16; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22), followed by His judgment of Israel and the Gentile nations (Revelation 6:1-17; Revelation 7:1-17; Revelation 8:1-13; Revelation 9:1-21; Revelation 10:1-11; Revelation 11:1-19; Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-8; Revelation 16:1-21; Revelation 17:1-18; Revelation 18:1-24; Revelation 19:1-21). The Judgment Of Sin-The Finished Work

Vital to our understanding of judgment is an understanding of God’s unchangeable principle-a wage or a payment must be received for work performed. However, there is one work that has been judged already, a work that condemned mankind when Adam disobeyed God’s command: "In the day that you eat from it (disobey My command) you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:17{ea}). As presented in chapter 9, sin itself is a work. According to the Word of God, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), which means that sin is likened to a work and the wage (payment or compensation) for this work is death. When he sinned against God, Adam brought sin and death upon the entire human race. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12).

Thank God; at the cross of Calvary, the Lamb of God took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, paid the full wages of sin when He died on the cross as a sinless, perfect sacrifice for the sin of the world, even being made sin itself (2 Corinthians 5:21). Consequently, the payment for the work of sin is finished. Therefore, there is no longer a judgment for sin and there is no longer a sentence of death upon those who believe on Jesus, God’s remedy for the sinner.

Today, unredeemed man is separated from God because his spirit is in a place of death. If he is in this condition when he dies a physical death, he will be separated forever from God’s presence throughout the eternal ages. His abode for eternity will be the lake of fire that is reserved for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-13). However, today, the redeemed man is no longer separated from God because his spirit has been born again, he has a new life-the eternal life-dwelling in him, and he is able to communicate with God in the spirit. When a person believes on Jesus and His finished work, he passes from death (separation from God) to life (eternal presence with God).

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life" (John 5:24)

Believers will never have to face the judgment for which Christ paid the full price. This is confirmed by our Lord’s words: "He who believes in Him (Jesus) 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" (John 3:18{ea}). Because the judgment of sin was fully accomplished on the cross, if a person does not accept this judgment he is already judged. In other words, as long as he remains in unbelief, not availing himself of Christ’s finished work, he is judged and his future abode is the lake of fire. Once a person dies a physical death, there is no opportunity to change his position.

We must have a clear understanding that the coming day of judgment is not for determining if a person has believed on Christ or not, or if a person is saved or lost, or if a person will "go to heaven" or "go to hell." In the Day of Judgment, this determination will not be made because, according to the Lord’s own words, he who does not believe has been judged already. Man’s place in eternity is based on what he has believed while in the body. An unbeliever cannot and will not be able to appear before the Judge and declare that he believes on Christ; he will not be judged on this basis for he has been judged already. It will be too late. The judgment for the work of sin is a past judgment; however, there is a day of judgment coming based on work of a different kind for every single human who ever walked this earth. The Jews believe that the just and the unjust (wicked) will be raised at the same time and judged accordingly-the just to eternal life and the unjust to eternal damnation. However, as previously shown in chapter 11, the saved and the lost are not raised at the same time. Likewise, they are not judged at the same time, either. God has set an order to His judgment of all men, and those who died in faith will be the first to be judged because they are the ones who will be placed in the Kingdom of His Son. The judgment of those of faith will occur separate and distinct from the judgment of the lost. The former will be judged at the end of Man’s Day, preceding the Kingdom Age. The latter will be judged at the end of the Kingdom Age, preceding the eternal ages. We could say that there is a first judgment (Judgment Seat of Christ, or of God) and a second judgment (Great White Throne), separated by 1,000 years. The First Judgment

Just as there will be a first resurrection at the end of Man’s Day, preceding the Kingdom Age, there will be a first judgment. Although the Scriptures do not call it a first judgment, it nevertheless is such, for it coincides with the resurrection of those who will be raised in the first resurrection. As the Scriptures state: The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5). Further, just as there will be several resurrections that make up the first resurrection, there will be several judgments that make up the first judgment. All of these judgments are in reference to the millennial Kingdom, not the eternal ages, and as such, all of this must transpire before the commencement of the Kingdom Age. At the end of the 1,000-year reign of Christ, preceding the eternal ages, there will be a second resurrection of all the dead that were not part of the first resurrection, a second judgment and a second death.

There are three groups in the world [see chapter 8], and it is important to realize that within this first judgment, each will have their day of judgment. God operates in a very ordered and deliberate fashion and each group will be judged in their respective order. Peter wrote: For {it is} time for judgment to begin with the household of God (1 Peter 4:17). As such, the Church of God (Christians) will be judged first; followed by Israel, including the saints of old, such as those who are recorded in Hebrews 11:1-40 and finally the Gentile nations on the earth at the end of the Great Tribulation. The result of this judgment will determine what position a person will occupy in the Kingdom of God’s Son and, depending on the group, placement will be in either the heavenly or the earthly portion of the Kingdom.

Another fact to keep in mind is that judgment will not be only for those who are raised from the dead but also for those who are alive and remain when the Lord comes. All three groups will have people on the earth when He comes. However, it must be noted that only the Gentile nations on the earth when the Son of Man steps foot on the earth will be judged. Lost Gentiles who are in the grave will not be raised and judged until the second resurrection after the Kingdom Age.

These are important points because Christians generally view God’s work entirely from their own perspective, which is legitimate (to a degree). According to Paul’s gospel, the manifold wisdom of God is made known through the Church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:8-10). The Church has an unbelievable, on-high calling. However, God has a great purpose and plan, and He will work it out, not only through the Church but also through the Jews and the Gentiles. For this reason, there will be judgment for each group in relation to the Kingdom Age.

Now, let us begin with the first group that will be judged in the first judgment. The Judgment Of The Church Of God When the Lord Jesus returns to this earth, He will remove the Church, the Body of Christ, from the earth into the air. Those believers who have fallen asleep in Jesus will be raised from the dead, resurrected, and those believers who are alive and remain on the earth at His parousia will be caught up with the resurrected believers (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). At this time, all of the Lord’s people will be judged, and this will occur in the air, not on the earth. The on-high calling of the Church is heavenly; therefore, all things associated with her judgment will be in relation to the Heavenly Kingdom, as well. In the Scriptures, the judgment of the Church is referred to as taking place at the judgment seat of Christ. Paul was the one who wrote of the judgment seat of Christ; however, the apostles only taught what their Master had taught first. The principle of judgment is found in many of the Kingdom parables that the Lord Jesus spoke. The Kingdom divides (Matthew 10:34-39; Luke 12:51-53) and judgment will bring about the proper division of the Lord’s people. [For more detail on these parables, the reader is referred to the author’s book titled Watch!.] When The Master Returns To Settle Accounts With His Servants The Lord spoke two similar parables that most clearly depict the judgment of His people-the parable of the talents and the parable of the minas. Some people believe that when the Lord’s people fall asleep in Jesus, they are judged and given rewards. However, according to these parables, this is not so. All of the Lord’s people will be judged together when He comes to receive His Kingdom.

"For {it is} just like a man {about} to go on a journey, who called his own slaves, and entrusted his possessions to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey." (Matthew 25:14-15) "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them." (Matthew 25:19)

He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and {then} return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business {with this} until I come {back.}’" (Luke 19:12-13)

"And it came about that when he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him in order that he might know what business they had done." (Luke 19:15) The Master and Nobleman is the Lord and the slaves are His people, bondservants of Christ. There are three steps presented: the Master gives His goods to His servants and commands them to do business until He returns; He goes away to the throne of God (a distant country) to receive the Kingdom; He will return after receiving the Kingdom and will call His servants together at one time to give an account of what they have done in His long absence. This is exactly how it will occur at the end of Man’s Day when the Son of Man returns to take the scepter of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is only when He returns after a long absence and receives the Kingdom that He will settle accounts, that is, make determinations about reward or loss of reward for work rendered. It is at this time that He will call all of His people to Himself and set up His judgment seat. This is in perfect harmony with the Lord’s promise that His reward is with Him and it is given when He comes.

"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds." (Matthew 16:27)

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward {is} with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done." (Revelation 22:12)

Reward is based on the determinations made at the judgment seat when He returns to take the scepter of the Kingdom of Heaven. All of His people will be called to Him in order to know what business they have done while in the body. The firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, "The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Timothy 2:19); He will judge them according to their deeds or works. As discussed in the next chapter, the deeds are more about being than doing. Christ is looking for spiritual character in His people, and out from this character come forth good works that are pleasing to Him. Today, it seems that Christians have the order in reverse. They run around doing many things "in the name of the Lord," and yet, the spiritual character is missing. The Day Will Show It This is most clearly seen as we turn to Paul’s writing on the judgment seat. Paul was having difficulties with the believers in Corinth and he wrote them several letters, two of which are found in the Bible. Some of the Corinthians, who were called to be saints, were living as carnal men rather than spiritual men (1 Corinthians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1NKJ), so Paul exhorted and encouraged them as a father, trying to get them to clean up their lives and live the Spirit-filled life and not the soul-filled, carnal life.

Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is {to be} revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) The fire of judgment will test every man’s (believer’s) work; and if it is burned up, he will be saved (eternal life) but he will suffer loss (loss in the Kingdom Age). The day will show it speaks of the Day of Judgment. Every man’s work will pass through fire in that day, and if it survives, it means that it had the quality of Christ. It was of His character and it brought glory to Him. Was it of value to the Lord-gold, silver, precious stones-or was it of no value to the Lord-wood, hay, straw? What remains will result in reward. Can this matter be explained any clearer than Paul’s words?

Whether Good Or Bad In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul continued to exhort and encourage them. He wrote of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the treasure in earthen vessels, the glorious hope of the resurrection, the eternal weight of glory that awaits all in the resurrection, the heavenly habitation which one day will clothe the believers, and the need to walk by faith, not by sight, until that Day. As long as we are at home in these physical bodies, we are absent from the Lord, so Paul groaned and was burdened that he would rather be absent from the body and present with the Lord. What a heart of love for the Master! Paul’s sole desire was to shed his earthly tent and be with the Lord (2 Corinthians 4:1-18; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8). (Is this your desire, as well?) It is with this desire that Paul revealed the truth of the judgment seat of Christ.

Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)

Let us be very clear that Paul wrote these words to believers. In fact, the entire context surrounding these words deals with Christians, for only believers walk by faith and know the fear of the Lord. The lost have no faith and no fear of the Lord and are not in view in this portion of Scripture. The we are Christians.

Paul also mentioned the judgment seat in his letter to the believers in Rome. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12)

Although Paul used the term the judgment seat of God (rather than, of Christ), there is no conflict, for the Father has given all judgment to His Son (John 5:22) who is the Second Person of the Godhead. Also, please take note of the fact that Paul’s emphasis was on character-do not regard your brother with contempt, for we shall give account of such behavior.

Through Paul’s teaching on the judgment seat of Christ, we can draw several conclusions.

First, we ALL must appear before the judgment seat to give account of ourselves. This means that every Christian will be judged. For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:30-31).

Second, the judgment seat is a judicial seat from which determinations will be made. Some people believe that the judgment seat of Christ is comparable to Olympic races in which only prizes (crowns) are awarded. In other words, only prizes are awarded and there are no repercussions for failure to finish the race or to run it according to the rules. Some liken it to an awards banquet. However, as presented in the Scriptures, the judgment seat is always judicial in nature, which means that determinations are made based on facts and which may or may not end in a positive manner for the one being judged. Both Jesus and Paul were forced to stand before unrighteous judgment seats to be unjustly accused and convicted (Matthew 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 18:12). Christ’s judgment seat will manifest perfect righteousness.

Third, the judgment seat is based on what has been done. This phrase has done is from the Greek word prasso, which means "practice, or to perform repeatedly or habitually." In other words, what will be judged are not so much single acts but those things that were habitually done while in the body. The implication is: What was practiced daily in the life of the believer? Another way of stating this is: What kind of life was lived?

Fourth, the purpose is to give to each according to the deeds done while in the body. Once physical death or "the seizing" (rapture) comes, the time and opportunity will be up; there will be no more opportunity to do deeds. The dead in Christ await the resurrection followed by the judgment seat.

Fifth, the daily practice of the believer while in the body will be judged on whether it was good or bad. Contrary to common teaching on this subject, it is not a judgment where there are only good rewards merely because one is a Christian. It cannot be this way because Paul clearly stated good or bad. In other words, the bad will not be overlooked. Paul wrote that the bad we (Christians) might do in the body will be judged. In the Greek, the word translated bad is phaulos, which has the meaning of something foul, worthless, even something wicked or evil. Foul gives the sense of something that is rotten and stinks. Simply stated, they are objectionable because they stink and that which stinks has no value (worthless). It is similar to the condition of the lukewarm church of the Laodiceans whom the Lord will vomit out of His mouth (Revelation 3:16). Doing bad deeds and being lukewarm are worthless and undesirable.

Part of the leaven or corruption of the Word of the Kingdom comes in when Christians are taught that when they "go to heaven," they automatically will receive rewards because they are Christians. It is as if by definition Christians only do good. The Word is perverted further when it is taught that those who fall into the category of those doing wicked or evil works while in the body either have fallen out of eternal salvation or were not saved in the first place. This is impossible according to the Scriptures because the lost never appear before the judgment seat of Christ; they appear before the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11) at the end of the Kingdom Age. Christians must guard themselves from the smelly, stinky deeds. As the writer of the Hebrews letter stated: And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Hebrews 4:13). Christians will have to give an account, for our Judge knows our deeds. Have Confidence In The Day Of Judgment-Abide In Love This leads us to the last description of the judgment of the Church given to us in the Scriptures. John the abiding apostle was caught up to the Day of the Lord (the Lord’s Day) and his eyes were opened to some of the greatest revelation in all of Scripture. John heard a voice and turned, and when he turned to see who was speaking, he saw the Son of Man standing as the Judge in the midst of His Church. And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet {were} like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice {was} like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. (Revelation 1:12-16)

John saw the Lord Jesus Christ dressed in all His regal splendor when He comes as the Son of Man and judges His Church. Everything about this description, from His head to His feet, speaks of judgment. The One who was marred more than any man (Isaiah 52:14), upon whose head was thrust a crown of thorns and through whose hands and feet were thrust nails to hold Him to the cross, stood in the midst of His prized possession which was purchased with His shed blood. He stood in the glory of His splendor and majesty. Here He is not seen as the High Priest ministering in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 8:1-2). We should thank God for our High Priest who intercedes for us. His blood is sprinkled on the mercy seat and He is able to save all who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). Today, if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father who is faithful and just to forgive all confessed sin (1 John 2:1; 1 John 1:9). However, a day is coming soon when His priestly work will be over and He will walk amongst His Church as the Judge who discerns the works of His people. To His seven churches, which represent the entirety of Church history, He says, "I know your works" (Revelation 2:2; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 2:19; Revelation 3:1; Revelation 3:8; Revelation 3:15). The Judge knows the heart of His people; and in His righteousness, He will judge and reward.

Judgment will be a fearful event for some Christians, but it is John himself who gives us the encouragement, even the boldness to appear before the Lord at His judgment seat.

John, who was the disciple whom the Lord loved and who leaned on the breast of His Lord (John 13:23; John 13:25; John 21:20), could do only one thing as he saw who was speaking-he fell at His feet as a dead man. The breast upon which John had reclined was now girded with a golden girdle, a girdle of divine love. The love of John’s life was robed not merely as a judge but as the compassionate, loving Judge. The breast speaks of the heart; and although He must judge in righteousness, He is the One who knows the heart of His people and who loves them with a love that surpasses knowledge (Romans 8:35-39; Ephesians 3:19). He is the Judge who will say, "I have loved you" (Revelation 3:9). He touched John with His love at the moment he most needed it. The Lord laid His right hand on John to raise him up. Oh, what love we see in this picture. Although He is the Judge, the Lord is the compassionate Savior who raises up His loved ones. The eyes that were like a flame of fire were also the same lovely eyes that looked down from the cross as Jesus spoke to the disciple whom He loved and who was grieving at the foot of the cross. To His mother, Jesus said, "Woman, behold your son!" To John the disciple, He said, "Behold, you mother!" From that hour, John took Mary into his own home (John 19:26-27). The eyes of flame discerned the love in John’s heart and Jesus could entrust Mary into his care. This speaks of relationship and John was intimately related to his Lord. The judgment seat will be frightening to some; but to those who have loved the Lord and have known His love, it will be a judgment of love. John knew the secret of a disciple’s walk with the Lord.

"Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love." (John 15:9-10{ea}) And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:16-19{ea})

What was John’s secret? It was abiding in His love! Abiding, which could be defined as "remaining in relationship," is vital to our understanding of the judgment seat of Christ. It is love that will allow us to stand in His presence. It is love that casts out all fear, even at the judgment seat. But we must abide in this love today. If we abide in Him and in His love in this life, then we will not shrink back at His coming and His judgment seat. If we have abided in His love, we will be counted worthy to stand in His presence and reign with Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (1 John 2:28) This was John’s secret and it is to be ours, as well. Love will cause us to run to our one true love and not fear Him. He might have to raise us up with His right hand when we first see Him, but we can be assured that His gracious hand of love will touch all who have loved Him and have received His love. Let us abide in the One who is love. The Judgment Of Daniel’s People The next group to be judged during the first judgment is the Jews, and it is Daniel who wrote of this fact. Daniel the prophet was given revelation of the end-times similar to John the apostle’s revelation. In fact, the book of Daniel is essential to understanding the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as well as Matthew 24:1-51. To Daniel, it was revealed that there would be an end-time resurrection of his people, the Hebrews (later called Jews).

"Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands {guard} over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace {and} everlasting contempt. And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:1-3) The first thing to be noted in these verses is that Michael is the angel who guards the nation of Israel. He is referred to as their angel. This is clearly seen in Revelation 12:1-17 when the woman (Israel) is about to give birth to a male-child [144,000 Jewish, virgin men who will be sealed on their foreheads (Revelation 7:3-8; Revelation 14:1-5) and who will preach the gospel of the Kingdom in all the world (Matthew 24:14)]. After the woman gives birth to a son, war breaks out in heaven between Michael and his angels and the dragon, Satan, and his angels (Revelation 12:1-9). Michael prevails and Satan is cast out of heaven, at which point he seeks to devour the woman as she flees into the wilderness (Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:13-17). There she is protected for 1,260 days. Satan then will turn to her offspring who are scattered throughout the earth. The time of distress of which Daniel wrote is Jacob’s distress (Jeremiah 30:7) which is the Great Tribulation that is coming upon the whole world and which will last for 3½ years. The tribulation of that day will be so great that it will seem like no one will survive; but for the sake of the elect (the Jewish people who are found written in the book), God will shorten those days and His elect will be rescued (compare Daniel 12:1-3 with Matthew 24:4-22). At the end of the Great Tribulation, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Matthew 24:29). It is when all seems to be lost that Israel’s Messiah, their Deliverer, will come from an opened heaven, shining in all His glory, and will step foot on this earth once again. It is at this time that Daniel’s people who are recorded in the book will be resurrected and be judged along with Daniel’s people who are alive and remain on the earth. Ezekiel prophesied of their judgment.

"And I shall bring you out from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out; and I shall bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I shall enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you," declares the Lord GOD. And I shall make you pass under the rod, and I shall bring you into the bond of the covenant; and I shall purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I shall bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus you will know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 20:34-38)

Israel will pass under the rod of judgment. When He came the first time, Messiah came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:6; Matthew 15:24), not only to be their King but to be their Shepherd. When He comes the second time, Messiah will be the Shepherd of the sheep of Israel. He will gather them together from all over the earth and they will pass under the rod of the Shepherd (Psalms 23:4). All who are found worthy will dwell in the house of the Lord as He sits upon the throne of David (Luke 1:32). What a beautiful picture of redemptive love and mercy!

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Now I shall restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I shall be jealous for My holy name. And they shall forget their disgrace and all their treachery which they perpetrated against Me, when they live securely on their {own} land with no one to make them afraid. When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them {again} to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. And I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel," declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 39:25-29{ea}) In that day, Israel will be restored to the land and those who have been approved to enter the land will reign on the earth in the Kingdom of God’s Son.

[A footnote needs to be added to this judgment. In Hebrews 11:1-40 a record has been left to us of the saints of old who died in faith without receiving the promises. They confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth, for they desired a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them. The city is the Heavenly Jerusalem. In other words, some saints of old also will enter the Reign of the Heavens (in the heavenly places). {See Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 8:10-12; Hebrews 11:1-39; Hebrews 12:18-29; Hebrews 13:14.}] The Judgment Of The Sheep And The Goats The last group to be judged at the end of Man’s Day is the Gentile nations. At this point, the Lord Jesus will have taken the scepter and judged the Church of God and the Jews to determine who will reign in His Kingdom and what position of power and authority they will assume. His Bride will be seated in the heavenly places, having taken up her position as His ruling Queen (Psalms 45:9). Israel will be on the land (married to it), ready to assume her role as the head of the nations. As He sits on His throne of glory, the Son of Man will turn to the third group of people on the earth, the Gentile nations, which He will divide as the sheep and the goats based on one type of work-the treatment of the elect.

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. And 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; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left." (Matthew 25:31-33)

"Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’" (Matthew 25:34)

"Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’" (Matthew 25:41) The first thing that needs to be noted is that the nations, not the Church of God or the Jews, will be gathered before Him. Some people view this section of Scripture as a picture of the judgment of the saved (Christians) and the lost. This cannot be so because it is clearly the nations on the earth; and, as we have seen, the Church, which is to be judged in the air, will have been judged prior to this point, as well as Israel. The last group to be judged is the first group that God brought forth on the earth. God’s principle is that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last (Matthew 20:16). The second thing that must be noted is that this judgment occurs after the Great Tribulation and the shaking of the heavens and the earth, a time in which over half the world population will die. The nations that remain are the ones that will have survived the wrath of the Lamb (Revelation 6:16-17). All those who will have died during this time and will not have been resurrected at the end of Man’s Day will remain in the grave until the end of the Kingdom Age. They will be raised 1,000 years later to appear before the Great White Throne Judgment.

It is apparent that the Lord must judge all that are alive on the earth that are not counted amongst the Church and the Jews. The Kingdom of the Son is a kingdom of righteousness and justice (Psalms 33:5; Psalms 89:14; Psalms 97:2) and all lawlessness must be removed. In fact, we are told this in the parables of the mysteries of the Kingdom. In explaining the tares, the sons of disobedience (of the evil one), the Lord Jesus said, "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 13:41-43).

During His reign, Christ will take the world from chaos to order, from unrighteousness to righteousness, from injustice to justice. He will put all things under His feet until He truly is all and in all (1 Corinthians 15:27; Colossians 3:11). He must purge His Kingdom of all that is not worthy.

It appears that judgment will be based on how the nations will have treated His elect (the Jews) during the Tribulation. This makes perfect sense because it is through Israel that the Gentile nations will be blessed (Genesis 22:18). Those who treated them kindly [gave them food, drink and clothing, cared for their sickness, and visited them in prison (Matthew 25:35-40)] will be rewarded by inheriting (having a part in) the earthly portion of the Kingdom. Those who did not treat Israel in a kindly manner will be ordered to depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41-45). These nations will have chosen their lot with the devil during the Tribulation, so they will go to the devil’s abode that he will occupy later. The Second Judgment-The Great White Throne

Finally, there is one last judgment to occur, and that is the Great White Throne Judgment which brings the Kingdom Age to an end and precedes the Day of God, the glorious eternal ages. Satan, who will have been bound in the abyss for the 1,000-year reign of Christ (Revelation 20:2-3), will be released to deceive the nations. His efforts will be futile and God will put an end to his deception. He will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented day and night forever.

After Satan is cast into the lake of fire, the Great White Throne comes into view, and the rest of the dead who did not come to life in the first resurrection will be released from the place of the dead (Revelation 20:5). 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. 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. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15{ea}) As revealed previously, according to the Lord’s word, all the dead who die in unbelief will have been judged already. Their destiny will be the lake of fire. However, they will be judged for their deeds while in the body. Books will be opened that contain all their deeds and they will judged based on the record. In the mercy of God, one last check of the Book of Life will confirm if any appearing at the Great White Throne will be saved for the eternal ages. The second resurrection and the second death will come and God will have settled all accounts. All the books will be balanced and the 7,000 years determined by God for the present earth and heaven will come to an end.

It is at this point that all things will be summed up in God’s Son (Ephesians 1:10). All rule and all authority and power will have been put to an end (1 Corinthians 15:24). The last enemy of man, death, will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26) when Death and Hades (the abode of the dead) will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). In that glorious day, God will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28). God Himself shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be {any} death; there shall no longer be {any} mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away (Revelation 21:4). Hallelujah!

Judgment will be finished. All accounts will be settled, even for those who suffered loss during the Kingdom Age, for they will be restored. All that is not of Christ will have been purged by fire. Truly, all things will be new. The declaration of God will be: "It is done!" (Revelation 21:6).

Dear brethren, the judgment of God speaks of His love and mercy. All that is not of the life of Christ will be purged by fire, for our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). Why would we want to go into eternity carrying the many encumbrances and entanglements with which we suffer in this day? Thank God for the cleansing fire that will release us from all that has hindered us while in this body of death (Romans 7:24NKJ). This is the love and mercy of God.

Judgment will be a fearful thing for those who reject God’s answer for mankind-the Lamb who took away the sin of the world. However, for some Christians, the judgment seat of Christ also will be a fearful thing. The good news is that this does not have to be so for any Christian. Those who know the Lamb also must know that He is gentle and meek and His love continually woos them to follow Him. He is gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:28-30). The heart speaks of love. Those who are in love seek to please the object of their love. Is our beloved Lord Jesus the object of your love? He should be because you are the object of His love.

Let us love Him with sincerity and we will not fear the judgment seat of Christ, for love casts out all fear.