Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given, or lost, depending on how one has conducted his life for the Lord. John 5:22 states, "the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." When we also consider that Christ Jesus is God, we must conclude there is no conflict between this passage and other biblical scriptures which say that Christ will judge believers at His Appearing.Īlthough it is tremendously serious with eternal ramifications, the judgment seat of Christ is not a place or time when the Lord will mete out punishment for sins committed by the child of God. Who will Judge the Believer, and What is the Purpose of this Judgment? For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality." 1 Corinthians 15:51-53. "Behold, I shew you a mystery We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18. "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: 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. So the order of events will be (a) the rapture which includes our glorification or resurrection bodies, (b) exaltation into the heavens with the Lord, (c) examination before the Bema, and (d) compensation or rewards. Again, for the church this means the event of the rapture. In 2 Timothy 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 4:5, rewards are associated with "that day" and with the Lord's coming.Her reward is described as fine linen, the righteous acts of the saints undoubtedly the result of rewards. In Revelation 19:8, when the Lord returns with His bride at the end of the tribulation, she is seen already rewarded.In Luke 14:12-14, reward is associated with the resurrection and the rapture is when the church is resurrected.The timing of the Judgment Seat of Christ is given in the following scriptures: The rapture is a future event, an imminent event, when all born again believers will be caught up in the air by Jesus and taken home, by Him, to Heaven. The Judgment of believers will occur immediately following the rapture.
When will the Judgment Seat of Christ Occur? The Judgment Seat of Christ, therefore, involves believers giving an account of their lives to Christ. In the context of both Scriptures, it is clear that those judged at the Bema seat are Christians, not unbelievers. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." In addition, Romans 14:10-12 reads, "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. As already mentioned, 2 Corinthians 5:10 tell us "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in hisbody, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." If a person is unsaved and dies in sin, he will be judged at the great white throne judgment, following Christ's millennial reign on earth. The Judgment Seat of Christ, is reserved for the judgment of Christians only. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." 2 Corinthians 5:9-11. 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. "Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. This seat was also what Paul referred to in 2 Corinthians 5:9-11 as the "judgment seat of Christ." In this context, Paul explains to us that this is where the Christian will receive an evaluation for works done in the body, whether good or bad. This is where he was brought before Gallio, who was the proconsul of Achaia at the Bema seat (Acts 18:12). The great Apostle Paul was quite familiar with this seat. The seat was used to give out awards to athletes for their competitive performances (usually a crown wreath of leaves), but also to address legal charges brought against individuals. Bema is a Greek term meaning "judgment seat." In the city of Corinth, a stone platform was constructed to support the Bema seat (judgment seat) of the local officials.