The article below is a small portion from my manuscript, Waiting for The Day and Hour:
After the Body of Christ is taken into the heavenly realm, clothed with glorified bodies and transformed into immortal beings; it will be judged. This thought scares a lot of Christians. This might be one of the many reasons many believers don’t want the rapture to happen. But the bema seat, or the judgment seat of Christ, is nothing to fear because it is not like the great white throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). The latter judgment is for all whose names are not written in τῆ βίβλου ζωῆς (tí vívlou zoís) “the book of life” [mGNT] (Rev. 20:15; Jn. 3:3, 36b). The book of life is also called τοῦ ἀρνίου βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς (toú arníou vivlío tís zoís) “the Lamb's book of life” (Rev. 21:27d, mGNT). Those whose names are not written in the book of life will be judged according to their sins, deeds, and actions during their lifetime (Rev. 20:12-13)—I will mention the great white throne judgment some more at the end of this section. Whereas the former judgment will be for those whose names are written in the book of life (Rev. 3:5; Phil. 4:3; Lk. 10:20). Every person appointed to eternal life has their name written in the book of life (Acts 13:48; Jn. 3:14-16, 36a; 5:24; 6:40, 47). The bema seat of Christ is not to judge the church for its sins because the believer’s sins were judged by God and put on Jesus while he was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:13-14). Jesus became sin so that man could be made right in God’s sight (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus carried the sins of man in his own body so that he could be forgiven and be made righteous (1 Pet. 2:24a). The church must think carefully that it is dead to sin and made alive to God through Jesus (Rom. 6:11).
The bema seat is a Greek term (bema
κάθισμα – bema káthisma). It refers to a raised platform mounted by steps,
usually with a throne or an official’s chair at the top. It is seen as a place
of power, and is used by a king or a high-ranking official. This seat was used
to present rewards or crowns to those that achieved victory in ancient Greece.
English Bibles translate bema káthisma as judgment seat (Matt. 27:19; Acts
18:12; 25:10). In 2 Corinthians 5:10, the judgment seat of Christ reads like
this in the Greek: το βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ (to vímatos toú Christoú) “the
footsteps of Christ” or “the step of Christ” (mGNT). In Romans 14:10, the
judgment seat of God reads like this in Greek: τῷ βήματι τοῦ θεοῦ
(tó vímati toú theoú) “at the foot of God” or “the Tribune of God” or “the step
of God” (mGNT). The bema seat describes the judge's chair in the ancient Greek
Olympics. Because Paul wrote primarily to the Gentile church, he used Greek
sports imagery and metaphors to help Gentiles understand his message more
clearly (1 Cor. 9:24-24; 2 Tim. 4:7).
God plans to judge every believer
for their deeds, actions, and even their attitude; whether good or bad. The actions
and attitude of every believer in the body of Christ will be judged (2 Cor. 5:10).
Every believer will have to give a record of their conduct and attitude before
God (Rom. 14:12). This is why the believer should not look down on or judge the
weak (Rom. 14:1-3). Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church; therefore, the believer
should not pass judgment on the Lord’s servants (Rom. 14:4-11).
Every believer is assigned
different assignments within the body of Christ. Each one will be rewarded for
their labor (1 Cor. 3:8)—at the bema seat of Christ. The body of Christ is to
build on the foundation the apostles laid (1 Cor. 3:10a, Eph. 2:20a). Paul said the foundation, or cornerstone, is Jesus Christ
(1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20b). So, every believer must be careful how they build on
the foundation of Jesus Christ as they interact with the household of God and
the world (1 Cor. 10b; Eph. 2:19). Every believer will be rewarded according to
the labor assigned to them by the Lord. Their rewards will be determined by their
record. The way the believer approaches their assigned duties and how they complete
them is how they will be rewarded. After the rapture each one will have his
work tested to see if it holds up under examination (1 Cor. 3:12-13a). Every believer’s
effort and labor on the foundation the apostles laid will be tested by fire to
see what kind of work they have done (1 Cor. 13b). The believer who put a
genuine effort building upon the foundation the apostles laid will receive a
reward (1 Cor. 3:14)—the testing fire will not destroy their labor. But if the believer
did not put a genuine effort forth in building on the foundation of Jesus
Christ, he will suffer loss, his labor will be burned up by fire (1 Cor. 15a).
Likewise, when Christians do their works to be seen by men their reward will
only be earthly (Matt. 6:1-6, 16-18, 19-21). However, the believer who has his labor destroyed
will not have his salvation destroyed, because it was given by grace (Eph.
2:8-9). They will still have eternal life in their heavenly body with Jesus. The
believer whose labor is destroyed, σωθήσεται οὕτως ὡς διὰ πυρός (sothísetai
oútos os diá pyrós) “will be saved so as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15b, mGNT). This
statement may mean that what the believer could have had in the way of rewards
in eternity will be burned up like a bonfire. His eternal life will be intact
but his treasures in heaven will be set ablaze before him. Therefore, every believer
should make a sincere effort to put forth a genuine effort in building on the
foundation of Jesus Christ, so they get a full reward in eternity (2 Jn. 1:8).
Every believer should always μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ (ménete en aftó) “abide in him
[Christ]” (1 Jn. 2:28a, mGNT), so that he is not ashamed of his conduct when
the rapture suddenly happens (1 Jn. 2:28b).
Paul wrote that believers may be given a στέφανος (stéfanos) wreath or crown as a reward for being faithful in their deeds, action, and attitude.
There are five crowns:[1]
1) The Imperishable Crown (1
Corinthians 9:24-25). This crown is indestructible, not defiled or tainted, and
its beauty will never diminish (1 Pet. 1:4). This crown will be given to every
Christian that does not give up as they press forward to the completion of
their salvation.
2) The Crown of Rejoicing (1
Thessalonians 2:19). This crown will be presented to every Christian who sincerely
loves their brothers and sisters in the Lord (1 Thess. 2:17-18). At the bema
seat of Christ, there will be those who will receive a crown of rejoicing
because they had true and genuine love for the church; the body of Christ. Not
just their chosen friends and family but the entire church, no matter how poor
and weak they may be.
3) The Crown of Righteousness (2
Timothy 4:8). This crown will be presented to every believer who is watching, and
waiting, with an eager heart for the rapture to happen. Paul wrote earlier that
an athlete is not crowned if he cheats, he must compete by the rules (2 Tim.
2:5). A believer cannot expect to receive the crown of righteousness if they
are not watching and ready when Jesus comes for his church (Matt. 24:42, 44;
25:13). The church is to wait eagerly for its salvation to be completed (Rom.
8:23; 2 Cor. 5:2). Jesus is coming for the believer that is anxiously (ardently
or earnestly wishing[2])
waiting for him to appear in the clouds to rapture the body of Christ (Heb.
9:28).
4) The Crown of Glory (1 Peter
5:4). At the bema seat of Christ this crown will be presented to the πρεσβυτέρους
(presvytérous) elders, or pastors, who shepherd God’s people without force, or
overbearing control, not for personal gain, but overseeing the church
voluntarily being an example to those they over see (1 Pet. 5:1-3). Paul likely
had in mind the stéfanos (wreath) produced from the amaranth plant.[3] It
is a pinkish or rosy red flower (it is not a rose). This flower never fades
away. The crown of glory presented to the faithful pastors will never lose its
importance. The crown of glory is a testimony of the pastor's
faithfulness to his congregation; God’s people.
5) The Crown of Life (Revelation
2:10). The crown of life (τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς – tón stéfanon tís zoís) is a
crown that everyone in the body of Christ will be presented with at the bema
seat of Christ. It is essentially the crown of eternal life (Rev. 3:11). This
crown will be important especially to the Christian who suffered much
tribulation in their life (James 1:12)—God has promised this crown to those who
truly love him. Some members in the church of Smyrna suffered persecution at
the hands of Caesar Domitianus Augustus (September 14, 81 – September 18, 96). Domitian
was likely the διάβολος (diávolos) devil, that Jesus was referring to. Jesus
has promised his people the crown of life to those who do not give up even when
being faced with torture and death.
The great white throne judgment I
mentioned above, will happen after the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ is
over—the millennial reign (Rev. 20:1-6). At the great white throne, people that
died without Jesus as their Lord before the 1000-year reign of Jesus Christ
began, and the people that live during the thousand-year reign and rebel
against Christ’s earthly kingdom by joining with Satan to conquer the
millennial saints (Rev. 20:7-9) will be judged. It does not matter how or where
the enemies of God have died, because the sea will give up the dead that are in
it, and θάνατος καὶ ὁ ᾅδης (thánatos kaí o ádis) “death and hell” will give up
the dead in them and they all will be judged (Rev. 20:13).
The dead that did not rise at the
first resurrection are the people that rejected God’s warning to repent during Israel’s
70th week (Rev. 20:5). The people dead and in hell likely refers to those
who lived during the church age but refused to receive Jesus as their savior.
They may also be those who rejected the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob before
Christ’s 1st appearance. This would include those who worshiped the
fallen angels and the spirits of their offspring as gods.
Picture:
Free for use under the Pixabay
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[1] What are the five
heavenly crowns that believers can receive in heaven?
https://www.gotquestions.org/heavenly-crowns.html
(Accessed
3/4/25)
