JUDGMENT
All judgment is in the hands of Jesus Christ (John 5:21–22). There are different judgments, and one is for believers: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body” (2 Corinthians 5:10; see also Romans 14:10). When Paul said “we” in this passage it shows it was for Christians, and this judgment is for rewards. All our punishment for our sins was put on Jesus, who died for our debt, but at the “judgment seat of Christ” it is for rewards. However, there will not only be praise at this judgment seat (Luke 19:16–27), but there will be lack of praise, there will be rewards and there will be lack of rewards (1 Corinthians 3:11–15); there will also be those with “confidence” and those who will have “shame” (1 John 2:28).
There is also the “great white throne” judgment for the lost in Revelation 20:11–15: “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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (see SIN).
There is a judgment of the nations: “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: 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” (Matthew 25:31–32). The time is at the second coming of Christ, and believed to be here on earth at the end of the great tribulation but before the millennial 1,000-year reign of Christ. Here the lost will be separated from the saved, with the saved entering into the Millennium. Those who are still alive at the end of the great tribulation will not be raptured or have to die in order to enter the 1,000-year reign of Christ here on earth (Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43, 47–50; see END TIMES; see MILLENNIUM; see RAPTURE).
We are told not to judge: “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1–5). Those who have done wrong or are hypocrites will be shown in front of others when Christ comes. “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come” (1 Corinthians 4:5; see also Romans 14:10). If someone is sick or has problems, we should not judge the person as being chastised by the Lord for his sin, because we do not know (John 9:1–2). There are many factors that we do not know, including motives. However, Jesus also said, “Judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Today if you tell someone that according to the Bible what they are doing is wrong, they may respond, “You’re not to judge.” I am not their judge, nor am I judging them, but saying what is wrong according to God’s Word. If someone sees his neighbor who is rich and thinks to himself, He must have done something dishonest to have all that money, that would be judging. For we do not know how he received his money, perhaps he inherited it or worked hard for it. But if someone sees a man rob a bank and says, “He stole and that is wrong,” that is a fact, or “righteous judgment.”
All judgment is in the hands of Jesus Christ (John 5:21–22). There are different judgments, and one is for believers: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body” (2 Corinthians 5:10; see also Romans 14:10). When Paul said “we” in this passage it shows it was for Christians, and this judgment is for rewards. All our punishment for our sins was put on Jesus, who died for our debt, but at the “judgment seat of Christ” it is for rewards. However, there will not only be praise at this judgment seat (Luke 19:16–27), but there will be lack of praise, there will be rewards and there will be lack of rewards (1 Corinthians 3:11–15); there will also be those with “confidence” and those who will have “shame” (1 John 2:28).
There is also the “great white throne” judgment for the lost in Revelation 20:11–15: “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. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (see SIN).
There is a judgment of the nations: “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: 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” (Matthew 25:31–32). The time is at the second coming of Christ, and believed to be here on earth at the end of the great tribulation but before the millennial 1,000-year reign of Christ. Here the lost will be separated from the saved, with the saved entering into the Millennium. Those who are still alive at the end of the great tribulation will not be raptured or have to die in order to enter the 1,000-year reign of Christ here on earth (Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43, 47–50; see END TIMES; see MILLENNIUM; see RAPTURE).
We are told not to judge: “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1–5). Those who have done wrong or are hypocrites will be shown in front of others when Christ comes. “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come” (1 Corinthians 4:5; see also Romans 14:10). If someone is sick or has problems, we should not judge the person as being chastised by the Lord for his sin, because we do not know (John 9:1–2). There are many factors that we do not know, including motives. However, Jesus also said, “Judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). Today if you tell someone that according to the Bible what they are doing is wrong, they may respond, “You’re not to judge.” I am not their judge, nor am I judging them, but saying what is wrong according to God’s Word. If someone sees his neighbor who is rich and thinks to himself, He must have done something dishonest to have all that money, that would be judging. For we do not know how he received his money, perhaps he inherited it or worked hard for it. But if someone sees a man rob a bank and says, “He stole and that is wrong,” that is a fact, or “righteous judgment.”
