how many times is judgment mentioned in the bible
1 Cor. In Romans 14:10 the Apostle called this examining time the Bema of God while in 2 Corinthians 5:10 he called it the Bema of Christ. A great deal of confusion exists with respect to the subject of Gods judgments and particularly regarding the final judgment. The dead, great and small emphasizes that no one is exempt. As a child of God, you are, however, a babe in Christ and you need to grow and be spiritually nourished and built up in the things of Christ. 19:2, 5). Chafer and Walvoord have an excellent word on this view: With reference to sin, Scripture teaches that the child of God under grace shall not come into judgment (John 3:18; 5:24; 6:37; Rom. This book also reveals that even when men do not have the written Word, they have the law of God written in their hearts (Rom. They insist that the tribulation is not the judgment of God, but comes from man and Satan bringing persecution to all. Following are those six judgments: The judgment of the cross Jesus said in John 12:31-33, "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Gods discipline is patterned after the principles of Proverbs 13:24 which read: He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently. Discipline is an evidence of love. However, this is not the picture that the New Testament gives of heaven. We may have confidence. Confidence is parrhesia and means courage, boldness to speak. Point: Though none of us are perfect or ever will be, still, faithfulness to abide and obey the Lord will give confidence of rewards. In the King James versionthe word - judgment - appears 294 timesthe word - Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? 3:24; 5:15-17; 6:23; Eph. Speaks of Christs work on the cross and stands for His victory over sin, Satan, and death. 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. After our glorification, there will be no sinful nature to produce envy, or jealousy, or resentment, or feelings of dissatisfaction. Colossians 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; These verses state the complete results or conclusion: Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Discipline from God is the gracious work of a Father to train and develop His children. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. This is why earlier the Apostle called them fleshly (the Greek sarkikos, adapted to, controlled by the flesh) (3:3). 28:13). Therefore, at the judgment seat of Christ forensic punishment will not be meted out for the believers sins.15. 2:12). 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. All believers will live in the millennium and in eternity with the Lord. Evident is phaneros which means known, plain, visible, revealed as to it nature. The day refers to a day well known and refers to the day of the Bema after the rapture of the church. Because Christ has born our judgment by being made a curse in our place: Romans 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. the word - 1:13), that all have sinned and come short of Gods glory (Rom. Before God, we all stand naked, helpless, and hopeless in ourselves. The very desire to escape eternal damnation is a legitimate and urgent self-interest. 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. Some Bible teachers view the judgment seat as a place of intense sorrow, a place of terror, and a place where Christ display all the believers sins (or at least those unconfessed) before the entire resurrected and raptured church. 12:5-11). (3) It is an expression and a proof of Gods love (Heb. Again, for the church this means the event of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Matt. The believer is seen by the Father as clothed in the righteousness of Christ. 1 James M. Stifler, The Epistle To The Romans, Moody Press, Chicago, 1960, p. 31. See answer (1) Best Answer. 15:23); (2) the resurrection of the church age saints at the rapture (1 Thess. Large portions of the populations of the earth will be wiped out suddenly, both human and animal. This is the second death, the lake of fire. (Rev 20:11-13) The people at the White Throne Judgment have rejected Christ's Sin Atonement & are judged according to the Law. The visible return of Jesus Christ (Matt. What follows below is a fuller explanation of both terms. Without the abiding life, the life of faith and obedience to the Savior, we can do nothing (John 15:1-7). We turn to our personal bag of tricks by which we seek to handle life (Gal. When He appears. The when points to the imminency of the return of the Lord. The world seeks to find answers to its problems through the one world movement of the last days and apart from the true God as He has revealed Himself in Christ. 9:24-25). We are not to judge others in the sense of condemning them or passing judgment on the opinions of others on doubtful matters as discussed in Romans 14. For instance, many do not understand that instead of one final judgment, the Bible teaches that there are a series of five to seven future judgments (depending on how they are categorized) that differ in respect to time, purpose, subjects, and circumstances. Will the Lord reject forever?And will He never be favorable again? 5 Dwight Pentecost, Things to Come, Dunham Publishing Co., Findlay, OH, 1958, p. 411. What we know about rewards is given in terms that are more general than specific. As Paul declares in Romans 5:1-2: Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.. 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. 2:15). In actuality, the New Testament reveals six distinct judgments which will impact current and It will occur somewhere in the heavenlies in the presence of the Lord. 2 One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 2 Lewis Sperry Chafer Systematic Theology, Vol. Or, to put it another way, it is a record of those who have not rejected Gods plan of salvation and have responded to Christ in faith; for these their faith is reckoned for righteousness and their sins have not been imputed to them (Rom. The abundant in years may not be wise,Nor may elders understand justice. His work is perfect,For all His ways are just;A God of faithfulness and without injustice,Righteous and upright is He. Actually an evaluation is going on every day by the Lord (cf. 9:24-25). 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. A common misconception which arises from this English translation is that God will mete out a just retribution for sins in the believers life, and some measure of retributive punishment for sins will result.7. The emotional condition of the redeemed is that of complete and unending happiness. There are a number of passages that refer to the negative aspects of the Bema which need to be mentioned and explained. 1:30; Eph. Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. At the other end of the spectrum another group, which holds to the same eschatological chronology, views this event as an awards ceremony. When the Bible speaks of the last judgment, it is not similar to taking a final test to see whether we pass or fail. That type of judgment has already taken place. This last judgment is the public recognition of decisions long-since made. The last judgment is also known as the Great White Throne judgment. (2) Resurrection is viewed in Scripture as an event that terminates one program and initiates another, and one would not expect Israels resurrection could come until God had finished the seventy years decreed for His people, the Jews, according to Daniel 9:24-27. While people are saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come as birth pains upon a woman in travail. So that points us to the purpose, the return of the Savior and what it will mean. This evidently takes place after the resurrection of the unbelieving dead from the grave and Hades. Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Eph. This is a serious matter with consequences both for time and eternity since the failure to do so leads not only to the loss of rewards, but the judgment of Gods discipline of His believing children as a loving Father and as the Vine Dresser who must prune the vine for production (Heb. Therefore do not pronounce 1:6; Col. 2:10; Heb. 19:12). 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. The number forty symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation. 12:11). How do we know who falls into the category of swine, those incapable of appreciating the truth, if we do not make certain judgments? The Bible describes one judgment that takes place at the return of Jesus and two judgments that people will face after death. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world. (4) The Crown of Life (Jam. (3) A Graduate at Commencement. 25:1-30; Ezek. and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 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. This seems to be used as a symbol of victory, authority, and responsibility. 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. 4:4-6, 22). Daniel 9:24-27 shows us that the Tribulation, Daniels Seventieth week, is seven years. 17 Fritz Rienecker, Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, Cleon L. Rogers, Jr., editor, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 1980, p. 468. 20:35b-38). Everything about this time will be unprecedented (Zeph. For a summary of three major views, let me quote Samuel L. Hoyt from Bibliotheca Sacra. 24:14). (b) It is also a special crown given for faithfulness in running the race and exercising self-control in order to serve the Lord and finish the race. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Such would be inconsistent with the finished work of Christ on the Cross because He totally paid the penalty for our sins. The details of this will be developed in a summarized fashion in the material that follows. Matthew 24-25 set the chronology and thus the time. Though ones primary focus might be on the future judgments, this study will also cover the judgments of the past and the present because they are related and form a part of the total picture revealed in Scripture. Any young man who loves baseball would probably be thrilled to be a bat boy in the World Series, but he would not be jealous or resentful because he was not one of the stars of the game. In order to be accepted by God, we must be as good as God is. 12:5f and 1 Cor. (1) The Crown of Thorns (Matt. Rom. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 20:10). 6-19). Carnal believers have no vision other than their own personal agendas and selfish goals (cf. 59:2). 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. The graduates do not leave the auditorium weeping because they did not earn better grades. Paul shows us in Romans that all categories of peoplethe good, the bad, and the uglyare really in the same boat and on their way to eternal separation from God. (6) Israel is the earthly kingdom and will undoubtedly have authority over portions and sections of the millennial kingdom and the eternal kingdom as emphasized in Matt. Though, in this passage the Apostle does not say he would receive a crown, this is suggested, if not here certainly in other passages. Key Scriptures: Heb. Because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, the Bible states that He that has the Son has life and we can receive the Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior by personal faith, by trusting in the person of Christ and His death for our sins. Emphasis is placed on the fact that each Christian must give an account of his life before the omniscient and holy Christ. 4:8). 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. 2:12-13), but the decision to serve, and the diligence employed in doing so, are our responsibility and our contribution and God sees this as rewardable. 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. 4 Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye? The context suggests that Paul has in mind the return of Christ for the churchthe rapture (1 Thess. 1 Cor. Rom. God cannot exact payment for sins twice since payment has been fully and forever paid. 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. The use of the term judgment seat in most translations, ignorance of the historical and cultural background concerning the Bema, and foggy theology regarding the finished work of Christ have all contributed to several common misconceptions which, in one way or another, see God as giving out just retribution to believers for sin, or at least for our unconfessed sin. Bring to light is photizo, to bring to light, make visible. Disclose is phaneroo, to manifest, reveal. The issue should be extremely clear from these two verses: The Lord will evaluate the quality and nature of every persons work. Dan. Part of this removal occurs through the Tribulation judgments themselves (Rev. 12:2; Isa. Teach me good discernment and knowledge,For I believe in Your commandments. Revelation 21 Seems To Be After The Millennium Where It Says There Will Be No Pain Or Tears. Perhaps this is a good place to discuss the concept of selfishness and rewards for some see an appeal to rewards as selfish and therefore carnal. John 3:18 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. 19:28; 24:45-47; 25:21, 23; Lk. 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. 2:26). At the Judgment Seat of Christ believers works will be evaluated to demonstrate whether they are good or bad, and rewards will be conferred (2 Cor. 2:9; 5:3; 8:35; 12:12; 1 Thess. 3:14-15). Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. The crown is not eternal life which is a gift through faith alone in Christ alone (Jn. All of mankind without distinction are under the curse of sin and judged as sinful and separated from God apart from the saving grace of God in Christ. The judgment of the Nation of Israel (Matt. 11:31-32; Ps. (11) It is a time of unprecedented apostasy and blasphemy against God (Rev. Wiki User. This indication is also clear that it does occur in the new heavens and earth which are not created until after this event (cf. Selfishness ought not to be defined simply as the pursuit of our own self-interest. The idea is not good in the sense of righteousness versus bad in the sense of evil or sinfulness. But what did Paul mean by this? The judgment of the antediluvian world (Genesis 7:1724). It is significant that among the final words of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, we find these words of the Lord: Rev. The Rock! The Tribulation will witness Satans wrath and the persecutions of his man, the Beast (Rev. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. 4:8; Rev. 3:12f; 2 Cor. 3:9). The expression the judgment seat of Christ in the English Bible has tended to cause some to draw the wrong conclusion about the nature and purpose of this evaluation. (7) The Casting of Crowns (Rev. (NIV). 9:27). 26:10; Mark 14:6; Rom. God has resolved that problem through the person of Jesus Christ. This may indicate something of our authority. 5:8). (1) Though the Tribulation begins as a time of peace, it soon becomes a time of unprecedented troubleJoel 2:2; Matt. This is the good news of the Bible, the message of the gospel. The awesome fact is that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Though katheudo was used of physical sleep and even death, it was also commonly used of spiritual apathy or carnal indifference to spiritual matters, and this is clearly the context of chapter 5. 14:4), but Ezekiel 20:34-35 shows God brings Israel out from the nations where she has been scattered throughout the times of the Gentiles (gathers her to the last person, Ezek. 19:8 with Dan. 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? Our tendency is to rationalize and excuse our sins, but God says we are to judge them as sin to God. 8:1, 13-17), they are subject to judgment at the Judgment seat of Christ in relation to their works. gimp add alpha channel to selection. 5:11), of ungodly deeds (Jude 15), of deeds of darkness (Rom. This verse undoubtedly refers to the Bema and shows there will be both boldness as a result of abiding, and shame before the Lord as a result of failing to abide. Study now. The judgment of Genesis 3 included the loss of the perfect Edenic conditions and in its place, the curse of the earth with its often extreme weather conditions, disease, thorns, and the warfare with Satan and his hosts (cf. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or lost depending on how one has used his or her life for the Lord. The Archangel* Gabriel is mentioned in 8:24f). (12) It is a time of martyrdom of believers (Rev. A similar judgment will occur for resurrected Old Testament and Tribulation saints, but probably not until after the Tribulation (cf. I believe Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the grave. (9) It is a time of internationalism: religiously (Rev. Added to this are the declarations of the following verses of Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. The following is a short presentation of the good news of how God has provided that men might know Him and experience eternal life. 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. 10 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. But when men reject the knowledge of God and His plan of salvation, they in essence determine to stand on their own merit, or in their own righteousness. 1:13; Isa. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. The Bible declares, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory (the perfect holiness) of God. 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