ESCHATOLOGICAL BIBLE STUDY (Part 4)
By Bola Akin-John
THE ’BEMA’ SEAT JUDGEMENT OF CHRIST
INTRODUCTION
Revelation 22:10 ”And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”
Revelation 22:11 ”He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
Revelation 22:12 ”And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Revelation 22:13 ”I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last”.
After the rapture, the saints will face the bema seat judgment of Christ in the heavenlies, to give account of their works while on earth and to receive Indescribable rewards from the LORD. While man gives awards, God gives eternal rewards to those who sincerely serves Him. Now, the truth is this, even if you are not an accountant while on earth, you will surely become an accountant when you get to heaven, for you will give account of your works here!
1. There are three major events in the eschatological studies that thrill every child of God with hope and joy. They are:
(i).Rapture
(ii)Receiving of rewards at the judgement seat of Christ and
(iii).The marriage supper of the Lamb, I Thess. 4:16, 17.
After the Rapture, believers of all categories will be brought to the judgment seat of Christ.
This is referred to as “appearing before the judgment seat of Christ”. II Cor. 5:10. Paul says,
“we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ”. Rom. 14:10.
This “tribunal” is not to consider our salvation as to whether we are free from sin and worthy to stand before God.
(Rom. 8:1; John 5:24; I John 4:17.) because our sins have been judged at Calvary. John 1:29. God
has vowed concerning our sin before conversion by saying, “And their sins and iniquities will
I remember no more”. Heb. 10:17. In fact, a sinner will never be raptured, only those who have be saved, cleansed, forgiven and living righteous lives down here will be raptured and get to the reward seat of Christ in heaven.
2. SUBJECTS TO BE JUDGED.
All believers without a single sinner. Luke 14:14; Rom. 14:10;
Those who stand in this judgment scene have been glorified. I Cor. 15:51,52. ‘For we shall
Stand before the judgment seat of Christ’.
For we must. II Cor. 5:10. it is proper, fit, and neccessary that we should all appear there. This is the reason why it is necessary to live a holy
life. There is a necessity or a fitness that we should appear there to give account of our lives down here on earth, for we
are here on trial. We are responsible moral agents. We are placed here to form characters
for eternity. Before we receive our eternal allotment, it is proper that we should render our
account of the manner in which we have lived, and of the manner in which we have
improved our talents and privileges. In the nature of things, it is proper that we should
undergo a trail before we receive our reward, or before we are punished; and God has
made it necessary and certain, by His direct and positive appointment, that we should stand
at the bar of the final judge. Rom. 14:10; I Cor. 4:5. ‘Will make manifest the counsels of the
hearts’.
3. TIME.
This is going to be after the rapture and the second coming. “Thou shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just”. Luke 14:12-15; II Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12. ‘My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work’.
Raptured believers are going to spend 7 years with the Lord in the sky. While the great tribulation will be going on down here earth for 7 years, the believers who have been raptured will be with the Lord in the sky for those seven years. The first 3 1/2 years after the rapture will be for the bema seat judgment. The second 3 1/2 years will be for the marriage supper of the Lamb for those that have been rewarded
4. THE JUDGE.
The Lord Jesus Christ will preside at the judgment, and this is why it is called “judgment seat of Christ”. The Greek word ‘bema’, translated ‘judgment seat’ means ‘reward
seat’; Rev. 2:7, 17, 25-28; Rev. 3:12, 21; 22:12-16; John 5:22. Rom. 14:10; II Cor. 5:10.
This word means, to make apparent, manifest, known; to show openly, etc. we
must be manifest, or openly shown; that is, we must be seen there, and be publicly tried.
We must not only stand there, but our character will be seen, our wasteland will be known,
our trial will be public. All dead believers will be brought from their graves, and from their
places of concealment, and will be seen at the judgment-seat. The secret things of the heart
and the life will all be made manifest and known. Paul and his fellow-labourers devoted
themselves to untiring diligence and fidelity that they might be accepted in that great day.
We should do the same for the Lord.
5. PLACE OF JUDGMENT.
The judgment scene is “in the air” before the presence of the
Lord. This will be in the sphere of the heavenlies. I Thess. 4:17; II Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10. ‘we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ’.
6. BASIS OF JUDGMENT.
Believers will be judged for all services rendered after salvation. All our works whether good or bad will be judged. All believers will be judged concerning the
followings: I Cor. 3:6-15; II Cor. 5:1-9; I Cor. 9:24-29; II Cor. 5:10.
All, both Jews and Gentiles; old and young; bond and free; rich and poor; all of every class, and every age, and
every nation. None shall escape by being unknown; none by virtue of their rank or wealth;
none because they have a character too pure to be judged. All shall be arraigned in one
vast assemblage, and with reference to their eternal rewards.
7. THINGS DONE IN THE BODY
The appropriate reward of the actions of this life.
(1).The works done in or through the body.
(2).Deeds of this life; not for what is done after death. Men are not to be brought into
judgment for what they do after they die. All beyond the grave is either reward or punishment; it is not probation. The destiny is to be settled forever by what is done in this world of probation.
(3).All the deeds done in the body; for all the thoughts, plans, purposes, words, as well as for all the outward actions of the man. All that has been thought or done must come into
review, and man must give account for all, such as;
*Doctrines. Your believe and mindset that inform your actions will be judged.Rom. 14; 2:14-16.
*Lifestyle. How you lived, what you lived for and the choices you make will be judged
*Misused Talents. Believers will be judged for all neglected opportunities, wasted talents,
loose living and lack of spirituality. Heb. 2:1-4; Gal. 6:1-10.
*Other Things. We cannot speculate too much on what God is going to judge. The best thing to do is walk worthy of our vocation or calling. Eph. 4:1.
The overriding truth here is that if you are saved, and maintain that salvation in holy living, you will get to heaven, but salvation will not reward you in heaven, but it’s your work of righteousness here that will determine your reward in heaven. So, if you are saved, but you fail to evangelize, preach the gospel, give, pray, serve sincerely or faithfully, counsel, care, nurture or help others for Christ with your gifts and graces and privileges, you will not be rewarded in heaven and you will be as nothing there.
8. HOW WILL GOD JUDGE AT THE BEMA?
I Cor. 3:9-13. the test will be by fire. “For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is” I Cor. 3:13. There will be an open and impartial public display of justice. There will not be any tribalism, status, class, nepotism or favouritism of any
kind. ‘Be not deceived, mocked, for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. Gal. 6:7.
Records of each life will be shown and in open display, since He knows everything. Psalm 139.
9. PASSING THE TEST OF FIRE.
Any work that withstood the fire test will be rewarded
and for the work that burns, the individual will suffer loss. Such person may not be driven out of heaven, but will miss all the glorious rewards and be tantamount to nothing in heaven.
“Now if any man builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble; every man’s work shall be made manifest”. I Cor. 3:12, 13, 14.
The work of each will be made manifest.
There is no escape from this final testing. It is revealed in fire. Apparently “the day” is the subject of the verb, not the work, not the
Lord. II Thess. 1:8; 2:8. this metaphor of fire was employed in the O.T. Dan 7:9; Mal.
4:1, and by John the Baptist Mt. 3:12; Lk. 3:16. It is a metaphor that must not be understood as purgatorial, but simply testing as every fire tests the quality of the
material used in the building, of what sort it is. Men today find, alas, that some of the fireproof buildings are not fireproof when the true fire actually comes. The image here is of a building laid on a solid foundation, but composed partially of durable materials and partially of perishable ones. These materials will be tested by fire as to their value. The gold, silver, and jewels represent teachings and behaviour, which can survive testing, whereas the sticks, hay, and straw represent fleshly, carnal living of no lasting value.
10. BUILDING MATERIALS ARE OF TWO CLASSES.
In building a Christian life on Christ’s foundation, the Christian may use various kinds of materials.
1).Fireproof materials. These are gold, silver and precious stones, meaning godly, righteous motives, Spirit-guided living and prayerful works.
2). Combustible materials. These are wood, hay and stuble- meaning carnal, fleshly, prideful, lucre and unholy motives. Each material represents the quality of the believer’s spiritually in conduct and behaviour.
Each material could be interpreted from Old testament symbols. Gold. Gold appears prominently in the tabernacles. Exod 25:28, 29; the lampstand. Exod. 25 : 31; the altar of license. Exod. 30:3. Silver. Moses was to collect at least one half shekel of silver from Israelite who was twenty years and above as the “atonement money” Exod. 30: 14. Jesus Christ paid the price of our redemption. I Peter 1:18. Precious Stones. A scared vestment worn by high priest was called ephod attached to the ephod by chain of pure gold was a breastplate containing twelve precious stones with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel engraved on the Exod. 28: 6-29. the breastplate containing the precious stones typified God’s redeemed people in the beauty of holiness, II Cor 3:7; I Pet.2:5; Rev.2 :17.
11. SAVED AS THROUGH FIRE.
All those who appear at the judgement seat of Christ are saved already. A man will suffer loss if his works are burned. He himself will be saved, if he is in Christ, regardless of what happens to his works, I Cor. 3 : 13 -15
12. SIX KINDS OF CROWNS FOR THE FAITHFUL
The faithful believers will received their rewards.
1.Crown of life -for tried and triumphant saint who were loyal unto death. “Fear none of those things……. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of lifeRev2:10; Jam.1: 12. It is also called Martyr’s crown.
2.Crown of Glory – for faithful shepherd. This award will be given to believer’s who faithfully, willingly, and sacrificially minister the word to God’s flock in all humility and exemplary godliness, “and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive crown of glory that fadeth not away.”1Peter 5;4
3.Crown of Rejoicing -otherwise called Soul winner’s crown, “ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? (glorying)”. I Thess.2 : 19, 20; Dan. 12:3. For those who win souls to the kingdom.
4.Crown of Righteousness -for loving his appearance by living in the light of the blessed hope. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, only, but unto all them also that love his appearing,” II Tim. 4:8; Tit. 2:13.
5.Overcomer’s Crown. -This is an “incorruptible Crown” for victorious living. This is a reward for believers who are very spiritual in living a life of temperance and self-control. They walk in the Spirit. They overcome all the challenges, temptations, trials and persecutions of the enemy while down here on earth.
Am very sure that the rewards are much more than these five or six crowns, because the scripture says that “What eyes hath not seen, ears heard, nor entered into the heart of men, hath God prepared for those who love Him.” Isaiah 64.4.
So, get ready for your indescribable rewards from God, once you make the rapture! Hebrews 6;10.
