Judgement and Reward

[Caretaker]

The Roman Catholic Church has strongly influenced much of faith and practice. She teaches one judgment. I submit for your study the Catholic Catechism in regards to eschatology:

V. THE LAST JUDGMENT

1038 The resurrection of all the dead, "of both the just and the unjust,"623 will precede the Last Judgment. This will be "the hour when all who are in the tombs will hear [the Son of man's] voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment."624 Then Christ will come "in his glory, and all the angels with him. . . . Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. . . . And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."625

1039 In the presence of Christ, who is Truth itself, the truth of each man's relationship with God will be laid bare.626 The Last Judgment will reveal even to its furthest consequences the good each person has done or failed to do during his earthly life:

All that the wicked do is recorded, and they do not know. When "our God comes, he does not keep silence.". . . he will turn towards those at his left hand: . . . "I placed my poor little ones on earth for you. I as their head was seated in heaven at the right hand of my Father - but on earth my members were suffering, my members on earth were in need. If you gave anything to my members, what you gave would reach their Head. Would that you had known that my little ones were in need when I placed them on earth for you and appointed them your stewards to bring your good works into my treasury. But you have placed nothing in their hands; therefore you have found nothing in my presence."627

1040 The Last Judgment will come when Christ returns in glory. Only the Father knows the day and the hour; only he determines the moment of its coming. Then through his Son Jesus Christ he will pronounce the final word on all history. We shall know the ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and understand the marvelous ways by which his Providence led everything towards its final end. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices committed by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death.628

1041 The message of the Last Judgment calls men to conversion while God is still giving them "the acceptable time, . . . the day of salvation."629 It inspires a holy fear of God and commits them to the justice of the Kingdom of God. It proclaims the "blessed hope" of the Lord's return, when he will come "to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed."630

*VI. THE HOPE OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

1042 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. The universe itself will be renewed:

The Church . . . will receive her perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things. At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly re-established in Christ.631

1043 Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, "new heavens and a new earth."632 It will be the definitive realization of God's plan to bring under a single head "all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth."633

1044 In this new universe, the heavenly Jerusalem, God will have his dwelling among men.634 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away."635

1045 For man, this consummation will be the final realization of the unity of the human race, which God willed from creation and of which the pilgrim Church has been "in the nature of sacrament."636 Those who are united with Christ will form the community of the redeemed, "the holy city" of God, "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb."637 She will not be wounded any longer by sin, stains, self-love, that destroy or wound the earthly community.638 The beatific vision, in which God opens himself in an inexhaustible way to the elect, will be the ever-flowing well-spring of happiness, peace, and mutual communion.

1046 For the cosmos, Revelation affirms the profound common destiny of the material world and man:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God . . . in hope because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay. . . . We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.639

1047 The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, "so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just," sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ.640

1048 "We know neither the moment of the consummation of the earth and of man, nor the way in which the universe will be transformed. The form of this world, distorted by sin, is passing away, and we are taught that God is preparing a new dwelling and a new earth in which righteousness dwells, in which happiness will fill and surpass all the desires of peace arising in the hearts of men."641

1049 "Far from diminishing our concern to develop this earth, the expectancy of a new earth should spur us on, for it is here that the body of a new human family grows, foreshadowing in some way the age which is to come. That is why, although we must be careful to distinguish earthly progress clearly from the increase of the kingdom of Christ, such progress is of vital concern to the kingdom of God, insofar as it can contribute to the better ordering of human society."642

1050 "When we have spread on earth the fruits of our nature and our enterprise . . . according to the command of the Lord and in his Spirit, we will find them once again, cleansed this time from the stain of sin, illuminated and transfigured, when Christ presents to his Father an eternal and universal kingdom."643 God will then be "all in all" in eternal life:644

True and subsistent life consists in this: the Father, through the Son and in the Holy Spirit, pouring out his heavenly gifts on all things without exception. Thanks to his mercy, we too, men that we are, have received the inalienable promise of eternal life.645

IN BRIEF

1051 Every man receives his eternal recompense in his immortal soul from the moment of his death in a particular judgment by Christ, the judge of the living and the dead.

1052 "We believe that the souls of all who die in Christ's grace . . . are the People of God beyond death. On the day of resurrection, death will be definitively conquered, when these souls will be reunited with their bodies" (Paul VI, CPG § 28).

1053 "We believe that the multitude of those gathered around Jesus and Mary in Paradise forms the Church of heaven, where in eternal blessedness they see God as he is and where they are also, to various degrees, associated with the holy angels in the divine governance exercised by Christ in glory, by interceding for us and helping our weakness by their fraternal concern" (Paul VI, CPG § 29).

1054 Those who die in God's grace and friendship imperfectly purified, although they are assured of their eternal salvation, undergo a purification after death, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of God.

1055 By virtue of the "communion of saints," the Church commends the dead to God's mercy and offers her prayers, especially the holy sacrifice of the Eucharist, on their behalf.

1056 Following the example of Christ, the Church warns the faithful of the "sad and lamentable reality of eternal death" (GCD 69), also called "hell."

1057 Hell's principal punishment consists of eternal separation from God in whom alone man can have the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

1058 The Church prays that no one should be lost: "Lord, let me never be parted from you." If it is true that no one can save himself, it is also true that God "desires all men to be saved" (1 Tim 2:4), and that for him "all things are possible" (Mt 19:26).

1059 "The holy Roman Church firmly believes and confesses that on the Day of Judgment all men will appear in their own bodies before Christ's tribunal to render an account of their own deeds" (Council of Lyons II [1274]Big grinS 859; cf. DS 1549).

1060 At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. Then the just will reign with Christ for ever, glorified in body and soul, and the material universe itself will be transformed. God will then be "all in all" (1 Cor 15:28), in eternal life.

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The Roman Catholic Church adheres to the Amillenialist perspective, and has a strong influence on much of Protestant Eschatology.


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amillennialism

Amillennialism (Latin: a- "not" + mille "thousand" + annum "year") is a view in Christian eschatology named for its denial of a future, thousand-year, physical reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, as espoused in the premillennial and some postmillennial views of the Book of Revelation, chapter 20. By contrast, the amillennial view holds that the number of years in Revelation 20 is a symbolic number, not a literal description; that the millennium has already begun and is identical with the church age (or more rarely, that it ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70); and that while Christ's reign is spiritual in nature during the millennium, at the end of the church age, Christ will return in final judgment and establish permanent physical reign.

Amillennialism teaches that the Kingdom of God will not be physically established on earth throughout the "millennium", but rather

* that Jesus is presently reigning from heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father,
* that Jesus also is and will remain with the church until the end of the world, as he promised at the Ascension,
* that at Pentecost, the millennium began, as is shown by Peter using the prophecies of Joel, about the coming of the kingdom, to explain what was happening,
* and that, therefore the church and its spread of the good news is Christ's kingdom.

Amillennialists cite scripture references to the kingdom not being a physical realm: Matthew 12:28, where Jesus cites his driving out of demons as evidence that the kingdom of God had come upon them; Luke 17:20-21, where Jesus warns that the coming of the kingdom of God can not be observed, and that it is among them; and Romans 14:17, where Paul speaks of the kingdom of God being in terms of the Christians' actions.

In particular, they regard the thousand year period as a figurative expression of Christ's reign being perfectly completed, as the "thousand hills" referred to in Psalm 50:10, the hills on which God owns the cattle, are all hills, and the "thousand generations" in 1 Chronicles 16:15, the generations for which God will be faithful, refer to all generations. (Some postmillennialists and nearly all premillennialists hold that the word millennium should be taken to refer to a literal thousand-year period.)

Amillennialism also teaches that the binding of satan described in Revelation has already occurred; he has been prevented from "deceiving the nations" by preventing the spread of the gospel. This is the only binding he will suffer in history: the forces of satan will not be gradually pushed back by the Kingdom of God as history progresses but will remain just as active as always up until the second coming of Christ, and therefore good and evil will remain mixed in strength throughout history and even in the church, according to the amillennial understanding of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares.

Amillennialism is sometimes associated with Idealism as both teach a symbolic interpretation of many of the prophecies of the Bible and especially the Book of Revelation. However, many amillennialists do believe in the literal fulfillment of Biblical prophecies; they simply disagree with Millennialists about how or when these prophecies will be fulfilled.

[Caretaker]

God bless you;

The Westminster Catechism seems to have retained certain aspects of its Roman Catholic roots in its interpretation of eschatology.

Westminster Catechism:

Question 86: What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death ?

Answer: The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united to their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

Question 87: What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?

Answer: We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the selfsame bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls forever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonor by him, as an offended judge.

Question 88: What shall immediately follow after the resurrection?

Answer: Immediately after the resurrection shall follow the general and final judgment of angels and men; the day and hour whereof no man knows, that all may watch and pray, and be ever ready for the coming of the Lord.

Question 89: What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?

Answer: At the day of judgment, the wicked shall be set on Christ's left hand, and, upon clear evidence, and full conviction of their own consciences, shall have the fearful but just sentence of condemnation pronounced against them; and thereupon shall be cast out from the favorable presence of God, and the glorious fellowship with Christ, his saints, and all his holy angels, into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels forever.

Question 90: What shall be done to the righteous at the day of judgment?

Answer: At the day of judgment, the righteous, being caught up to Christ in the clouds, shall be set on his right hand, and there openly acknowledged and acquitted, shall join with him in the judging of reprobate angels and men, and shall be received into heaven, where they shall be fully and forever freed from all sin and misery; filled with inconceivable joys, made perfectly holy and happy both in body and soul, in the company of innumerable saints and holy angels, but especially in the immediate vision and fruition of God the Father, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, to all eternity. And this is the perfect and full communion, which the members of the invisible church shall enjoy with Christ in glory, at the resurrection and day of judgment.


The Cathechism appears to be different than what the Word declares.


Rev. 20:
4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

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.
13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

I do not think that Matt 25 is descriptive of the Great White Throne Judgment.

Matt. 25 is the judgment of the nations, and the separation of the sheep from the goats:

Matt. 25:
31: When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:


This is the judgment which will begin the Righteous Reign, at the start of the thousand years:

Rev. 20:
4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

It is the unrighteous dead who will stand before the Great White Throne, which is the second resurrection:

Rev. 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.
13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.


The righteous are a part of the First resurrection, and appear before the judgment seat of Christ, for rewards/crowns.

The unrighteous are the second resurrection, and appear before the Great White Throne, and cast into the Lake of Fire.

www.livingbiblestudies.org/study/JT3/005.html

We have discussed the Judgment of the Nations as it is described in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 25. We found from the Word of God that at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the nations of the world will be gathered together before Him for judgment relative to the manner in which they treat the nation of Israel--specifically, during the Tribulation. We mentioned the Judgment of the Angels as it is described in the Epistle of Jude and the Second Epistle of Peter, and we learned from I Corinthians, chapter 6, that you and I as believers are going to have some part in the Judgment of Angels. We discussed the judgment of believers' works at the Judgment Seat of Christ. We mention these judgments not in the order in which they occur, but in the order in which they came to mind in this brief review.

The judgment at which we are going to look now is perhaps the most familiar of all the judgments in the Scriptures and is referred to in a number of different ways. So that we might all be thinking along the same line, we are going to read from Revelation, chapter 20, and then we will look at another passage of Scripture that refers to this judgment. In Revelation, chapter 20, verse 11, John says:

REVELATION 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.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

RESERVING THE UNJUST FOR JUDGMENT

Keep a marker in Revelation 20; we'll be back before long. Turn with me, please, to II Peter, chapter 2, and notice in verse 9 a reference to the judgment of which we speak:

II PETER 2

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Notice the phrase, "reserve the unjust to the day of judgment." In this verse this day is referred to simply as the day of judgment. We are told that the unjust are reserved unto this day for judgment. That is the reason why God does not go about striking the unjust dead in the Age of Grace. There is no question but that the ungodly are to be dealt with; only eternity will reveal what their judgment will be. But basically, the unjust are reserved unto the day of judgment. Glance across the page to chapter 3, verse 7, where we read:

II PETER 3

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Here is another reference to the day of which we speak--the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. Notice in chapter 2 the word "unjust" and in chapter 3 the word "ungodly." Fix those words in your mind, for they will help you to see the relation of this judgment to the human race.

[Caretaker]

1 Thess 4:
13: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18: Wherefore comfort one another with these words.



Rev. 19:
7: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8: And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9: And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

14: And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15: And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17: And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18: That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
19: And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20: And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21: And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Are the dead in Christ with Him at His return?

Are we which are alive and remain with Christ at His return?


Rev. 20:
4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:

and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.


5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.



Have the dead in Christ been resurrected?

Are we which are alive and remain with the Lord?

Please note that it is the DEAD who are brought before the great White Throne.

Either we who are alive and remain must be killed and then resurrected, and those who have been resurrected, killed and the resurrected or the Believer does not have a part in the second resurrection.

Please note that when satan is loosed and deceives, after the Thousand years, all those who he deceives are destroyed by God, and become part of the unrighteous dead:

Rev. 20:
7: And when the thousand years are expired, satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8: And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9: And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

It is the dead who are brought forth in the second resurrection to stand before the Great White Throne:

Rev. 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.
13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

This is the summary statement, the watermark between the first and second resurrection:

15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

For NONE of the unrighteous dead are found in the Lamb's Book of Life.


www.livingbiblestudies.org/study/JT3/005.html

THE PEOPLE BEING JUDGED

The third thing we want to say about this judgment is related to the people. Who are the people who will be judged at the Great White Throne? Various passages of Scripture plainly state that only the unjust will be at this judgment--not the just, not the born-again believer.

We refer to Revelation, chapter 20, verses 4 and 5, where we are told that the just--the believer--has his part in the first resurrection. He has part in the resurrection of the just, not in the resurrection of the unjust. May I remind you of what is recorded in Romans, chapter 8, verse 1:

ROMANS 8

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus...

We will stop here, though my King James version goes on to say, "who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." That phrase is not in the original manuscript. The verse reads, "There is therefore now no judgment to them who are in Christ Jesus." The words"condemnation" and "judgment" are used interchangeably. If you are in the Lord Jesus Christ--that is, if you are trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior--then you will not stand at the judgment of which we speak.

ONLY THE UNSAVED

As we think about the people who are to be judged, emphasizing that only the ungodly will be there, let me suggest to you that they will be there only in a resurrected form of life. For if you will glance at verse 12, we notice:

REVELATION 20

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.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it...

Who is going to be judged at this Great White Throne Judgment? The dead, all of those who have died without the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, those who have died in Christ will already have been raised at the time when the Lord Jesus Christ comes in the air for His Church (I Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15). According to Revelation, chapter 20, verses 4 and 5, the rest of the dead (those not raised in the first resurrection) remain dead until this Great White Throne Judgment. Then they, small and great, will be raised and the sea will give up its dead also. In Revelation, chapter 20, not only is reference made to the small and the great, by way of distinction, but we read in verse 13 of another distinction:

REVELATION 20

13 ...death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:...

Death is what holds the body captive. Hell is what holds the spirit captive. So, those dead spirits will be united with dead bodies; body and spirit will be raised to stand before the Great White Throne Judgment.

[Caretaker]

Church tradition has taught that all must stand before the Great White Throne. The Word declares otherwise.

www.livingbiblestudies.org/study/JT3/003.html

NO GENERAL JUDGMENT

I repeat: Matthew, chapter 25, and Revelation, chapter 20, are used together by those who proclaim what is commonly known as a general judgment. Even some of our hymnology has been based upon this error in teaching. You sing, in some churches, "There's a great day coming, there's a great day coming by and by, when the saints and sinners shall be parted right and left. Are you ready for that day to come?" There is no such day coming when the saints and sinners shall be parted right and left. There is no judgment day when saints and sinners shall stand at the judgment bar of God waiting with fear and trembling to find out whether they are going to Heaven or to Hell. Beloved, your eternal destiny was settled at the Cross. It is settled personally for you the very moment you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior so that you can rest upon the promise found in Romans, chapter 8, verse 1:

ROMANS 8

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So, settle whether you are in the Lord Jesus Christ or out of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're in Him, then there is no judgment for you. If you're out of Him, then there is judgment, for the Bible very plainly declares it.

DIFFERENCES IN THE TWO JUDGMENTS

Having said that, I would suggest, from the brief emphasis we have placed upon these two passages of Scripture up to this point, that you notice the differences. In Matthew, chapter 25, the living are judged; in Revelation, chapter 20, the dead are judged. In Matthew, chapter 25, the judgment is upon the earth; in Revelation, chapter 20, both the heavens and the earth have already passed out of existence. In Revelation, chapter 20, there are books and "the book"; in Matthew, chapter 25, there is no mention of a book or books. In Revelation, chapter 20, everything above the earth and under the earth, etc. is being judged; in Matthew, chapter 25, only those who are then walking on the earth. These are enough differences, I think, to tell you that not by the farthest stretch of poor preaching could you confuse these two passages. But if Matthew, chapter 25, and Revelation, chapter 20, are not speaking about the same thing, of what are they speaking?

May I suggest that Matthew, chapter 25, is describing the Judgment of the Nations and Revelation, chapter 20, is describing the Judgment of Wicked Dead. Let us go back to Matthew, chapter 25, following the little outline we have suggested, and notice verse 32:

MATTHEW 25

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

BETWEEN THE TRIBULATION AND THE MILLENNIUM

To learn the period in which this judgment will occur, let us read Matthew 25, verse 31:

MATTHEW 25

31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

This judgment will occur when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth. If we should take time to notice the timetable which is included in Matthew 24 and 25, in order to be more specific about the period of time, we would simply say that it will occur after the Tribulation and before the Millennium begins. It occurs after the Tribulation because it is related to something that happens during the Tribulation, and it occurs before the Millennium because it determines which of those nations will be represented on the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. So you see, it is scheduled to coincide with the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

OCCURRING IN THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT

Where is the place where this judgment will occur? We know from reading the above passage of Scripture that it will be on the earth, for the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth; so it is not going to occur in Heaven. It will not occur in Hell. It is going to occur on this earth.

Turn with me, please, to the book of Joel, chapter 3, in the Old Testament, to see if we can be even a bit more specific about the location of this judgment. As we look at this passage of Scripture in the book of Joel, I think we will be able to pinpoint almost the exact geographical location of this judgment.

JOEL 3

1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem [that is, when all of Israel has been gathered back to the land] ,
2 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.

Now, look down at verse 11:

JOEL 3

11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

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I only provide a portion, as an example. I would recommend taking the time to study the 5 Judgments, and note the differences between Matt. 25, and Rev. 20. Dr. Temple lays-out what I have garnered from the Word for many years, and far better than this old greybeard.

www.livingbiblestudies.org/study/JT3/index.html

Five Judgments Related to Prophecy
Dr. Joe Temple
1 The Judgment Seat of Christ
2 The Judgment of Israel
3 The Judgment of the Nations
4 The Judgment of the Angels
5 Great White Throne Judgment

[Caretaker]

Here is an article I found authored by Dr. Walter Martin:

The Judgments of God
by Dr. Walter Martin
From the From The Founder column of the Christian Research Newsletter, Volume 5: Number 2, 1992.

Of all the doctrines taught in the Bible, none is declared with more consistency and fervor than the doctrine of divine judgment.

But how many judgments are there? And who will be judged? Though there are a number of judgments that may be found in the pages of Scripture, there are five that I believe are particularly important. Let us briefly examine these.

The first judgment I want to mention will take place at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:27; 1 Cor. 4:4-5; Rev. 22:12), and will be a judgment of the works of believers. Whatever the Christian has built upon the foundation (Christ) -- whether it be gold, silver, precious stones, or else wood, hay, and stubble -- it must be tried by the fire of divine judgment. The work of some believers will stand the test while that of others will be burned away. But even though a man's works may be consumed, his faith in the imperishable foundation will remain and his salvation rests secure (1 Cor. 3:11-15).

It should be noted that Paul's counsel is directed here to Christians, for only the Christian will appear before the judgment seat (Greek: Bema) of Christ. This Bema judgment has nothing whatever to do with the unsaved, for they are never mentioned in connection with it.

One of the greatest errors ever perpetrated in Christian theology is the idea that one great judgment will take place at the end of the age, at which all men will be gathered before the Great White Throne. There is absolutely no basis in the Word of God for such an idea.

A second divine judgment concerns the righteous judgment of all nations. Scripture declares that this judgment will also take place at the return of Jesus Christ (Matt. 25:32). It should be distinguished from the final judgment of the wicked -- which takes place at the Great White Throne -- since three distinct groups of individuals are represented: sheep, goats, and brethren. And, according to verse 31, the setting of this judgment is the earth (i.e., not a Great White Throne).

A third judgment in Scripture concerns the nation Israel. Bible scholars may disagree about the nature and extent of this judgment, but they are fairly well agreed that such a judgment must take place. Such passages as Ezekiel 20:37-38, Isaiah 1:24-26, and Malachi 3:2-5 definitely teach such a judgment.

Certainly, as Paul puts it in Romans 11:2, "God hath not cast away his people" (Israel). But it will be necessary for them to pass through great tribulation so that a godly remnant may be saved out of the wrath that is to come.

A fourth judgment is that of satan, the beast, the false prophet, and satan's multitudinous emissaries -- the fallen angels. Jesus once declared, "Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out" (John 12:31). In that statement satan's doom was sealed. Although sentence was pronounced upon him at the Cross, it is not until Revelation 20:10 that the sentence is executed: "And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

A fifth judgment in the Word of God concerns that of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15). In this judgment the saints will be seated with Christ, and the wicked -- those "not found in the book of life" -- will be judged. The fate of those who endure this judgment is the second death, everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord (Rev. 21:Cool.

The wonder of the doctrine of divine judgment is the fact that the Christ of Calvary's cross will be the Judge of the Great White Throne. What a comfort it is for the believer to realize that he has passed from death to life and will not be judged in the final Great White Throne judgment.

These facts should cause us as believers to judge ourselves (1 Cor. 11:31). Indeed, since Peter tells us that "judgment must begin at the house of God" (1 Pet. 4:17), we ought to examine ourselves closely.

The Christian has nothing to fear from these judgments. He need only see that his works be composed of the gold, silver, and precious gems that will endure the fire of God's holiness.

www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-nwsl/web/crn0050a.html

[Caretaker]

The "Bema seat" (or judgment seat) was an elevated seat, located in Corinth. At this seat in the square, Roman magistrates would sit and administer justice. Athletes may also have appeared here and received rewards for having distinguished themselves.

If a person is unsaved and dies in their sin, they will be judged at the "great white throne judgment" following the Millennium. If a person is a born-again believer in Jesus, they will be judged at the "judgment seat of Christ." Salvation is not an issue at this judgment. Their sins have already been forgiven. A person might then ask, how will we be judged? and for what will we be judged?

At this judgment, we must give an account of our life and what we did or did not do for the Lord. The believer's service to God will be reviewed and rewarded. For his lack of service or doing certain things, he will suffer loss. We will be held responsible for the things we did in our body. Every hidden thing will be made known. Every secret thing we said will be proclaimed; nothing will be hid. All believers must appear before this judgment seat.


2 Cor. 5:
10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat 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.

Romans 14:
10: But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat 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 shall give account of himself to God.


Some people will receive crowns in heaven as a special kind of reward for their sacrificial living while on earth.

The twenty-four elders seated around God's throne wear golden crowns and white garments (Revelation 4:4).

While we don't know the identity of these individuals or even exactly what the crowns represent, we do know these people overcame intense difficulties. The Greek word used for "crown" in this passage is stephanos: a victor's crown.

Five different crowns are mentioned in Scripture:

The imperishable crown for those who exhibit disciplined lives (1 Corinthians 9:2527).

The crown of rejoicing for those who lead others to Christ (1 Thessalonians 2:1920, Philippians 4:1).

The crown of righteousness for those who love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:Cool.

The crown of glory for those who faithfully shepherd the flock (1 Peter 5:24).

The crown of life for those who overcome spiritual battles (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10).

The above list is probably more suggestive than it is exhaustive. God may hand out crowns to many other faithful believers and for many other purposes. These crowns won't be awarded so we can show off our earthly accomplishments. Nor will they be for the purpose of making a fashion statement. I believe that these crowns signify different positions and assignments throughout eternity.


1 Thess. 4:
14: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15: For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16: For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18: Wherefore comfort one another with these words.


Rev. 20:
4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them:

and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

John saw thrones and they sat upon them, AND HE SAW the souls of them who had been beheaded and they lived and reigned.

The dead in Christ whom the Lord brings with Him, and we which are alive and remain caught-up to EVER be with the Lord!!!!!

5: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

THE SECOND RESURRECTION:

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.
13: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14: And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

There are no LIVING before the Great White Throne!!!!!!

None of the Righteous Dead in Christ before the Great White Throne!!!!

John 14:
2: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

[Keith]

Excellent information Drew. And here's another good resource, the entire Catholic Catechism[/url] with every section clickable. This is direct via the The Vatican[/url] website. If you compare Catholic doctrine against the Bible, you'll see it does not line up with the Word of God.

[Caretaker]

Oct 26, 2008 8:26:43 GMT -6 Keith said:

Excellent information Drew. And here's another good resource, the entire Catholic Catechism

[/url] with every section clickable. This is direct via the The Vatican[/url] website. If you compare Catholic doctrine against the Bible, you'll see it does not line up with the Word of God.[/quote]

Amen Bro!!!!

This is the on line catechism which I referenced:

www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

Here is a source for the Westminster Catechism:

www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/larger1.html

The presentation "Judgment and Rewards" grew out of a discussion/debate I had with several post-trib/preterists with strong RCC and Greek Orthodox ties.

The presentation was originally in reverse order. I thought it best to return to the root foundation of error beginning in the RCC and to show how the RCC eschatology/theology has influenced much of Protestant understanding, contrary to the Word.

The Bible, the Word of God must be our source for what is True, and our yardstick by which we compare our own and others faith and practice.

In apologetics it is critical to be able to source the foundations of error of such cults as the RCC, JWS, the LDS, from their own writings and then be able to say,"But this is what God hath said".

[Keith]

Oct 26, 2008 10:16:39 GMT -6 Caretaker said:

This is the on line catechism which I referenced:

www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc.htm

Excellent searchable reference...

[Caretaker]

God bless you;

I am reminded of Sgt. Joe Friday from the old Dragnet TV show, and how he would say, "Just the facts, Maam".

It is critical to have the facts from credible sources when entering into cult discussions.

A source which has provided much insight into the RCC for me, is:

www.justforcatholics.org/

[Caretaker]

A truly powerful message:

churchwebs.tv/video/95/the-last-day

[Keith]

May 27, 2009 11:53:24 GMT -6 Caretaker said:

A truly powerful message:

churchwebs.tv/video/95/the-last-day

Wow Drew! He reminded me of listening to Dwight Thompson. Awesome, awesome, awesome!

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22-23)

"For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." (Matthew 12:50)

"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." (John 6:40)

If you're reading this, do you know Jesus? Have you received Him as your Savior? Terrible things are happening in the world which tell us He's coming. Trust in Him before it's too late. Go here[/url] to find out how...