| The Judgment Seat Of Christ |
The judgment seat of Christ is when believers will receive their reward. Generally Pre-tribbers claim that the judgment seat of Christ will take place in heaven during the tribulation period, though I believe the evidence is lacking for this claim. It is my intention to guide you into the correct timing of this event.
Matthew 16:27
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. (KJV)
Here Jesus told His disciples that when He comes in the glory of His Father with His angels that He will then reward every person according to their works. The following passage from Matthew gives us more detail of what this will be like.
Matthew 25:31-46
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:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)
This end time passage is at the end of His famous teaching to His disciples in answer to their questions about His second coming and the end of the world. We see that when Jesus shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of his glory where all nations shall be gathered before Him and He separates the people like sheep and goats according to their works.
Looking further into Jesus’ answer to His disciples we’ll turn to Luke’s account where He tells the twelve the following.
Luke 19:15-27
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. (KJV)
The disciples were told in this parable that He will return to the earth when He receives the kingdom. At this time He will call His servants to Him to judge them. The apostle Paul even shows us the same.
2 Timothy 4:1; 8
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (KJV)
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (KJV)
Paul writes Timothy that Jesus will judge the living and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom even as Jesus taught His disciples as shown earlier. Paul goes on to tell Timothy that a crown of righteousness is awaiting all who love Jesus’ appearing when He, as the righteous judge, will judge the living and the dead. Revelation likewise is in agreement.
Revelation 11: 15-18
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (KJV)
When the seventh angel sounds the trumpet the kingdoms of this will become the kingdoms of our Lord as shown previously. At this time we also see that the dead shall be judged as will the servants of God receive their reward. At this time thee wicked will be destroyed from the earth. This lines up perfectly with Jesus’ discourse with His disciples in Matthew 25 and Luke 19.
Nowhere do we find in Scripture that the rewards are given in heaven, but rather on the earth. The Scriptures show us that Jesus returns with rewards to be given on earth when He will sit upon His throne of glory. The claim that the judgment and rewarding of believers takes place in heaven, or during the tribulation period is not something I believe the Scriptures suggest. Do you?
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