20061217

The Bible has many references to judgment. While the Bible speaks of judgments such as the judgment of Israel (Ezek. 20:30-44) and the judgment of angels ((Jude 6), there will be two judgments which are personal to us. One of them is the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) and the other is the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11, 12).

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, He will reward us according to how we lived as Christians.  We must give an account of our actions.  It is not a judgment to decide the fate of the saved or unsaved.  Believers will be judged for their works and there will be the test  of each person’s works (1 Cor. 3:13).

The Great White Throne judgment will take place after the millennial period. Those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15).  Acts 10:42 makes reference to our Lord Jesus Christ being appointed as judge over the living and the dead.  No one will escape judgment and it is inevitable that all who have ever lived on earth will be judged.  During the judgment at the Great White Throne, it is not a time for defence and there will be no room for pleading leniency.  The judgment taking place at the Great White Throne is not a process of determining whether an individual is guilty.  Whether or not a person is condemned is already determined based on whether he believed in our Lord Jesus while he was alive.  This judgment at the Great White Throne is just a proclamation of the verdict.

In Acts 10:42, we are also commanded to preach and testify that our Lord Jesus Christ is the one God has appointed as judge over the living and the dead.  Our Lord gave this command because it is His desire that none should perish (2 Pet. 3:9) and He wants all to be aware of the judgment and fate that befalls them if their names are not found in the Book of Life.  Given the certainty of judgment that awaits everyone and the command given by our Lord Jesus Christ, let us act with a sense of urgency in spreading the gospel of salvation to our loved ones and to all whom God brings across our path in our life on earth.  Let us make every effort to: “Preach and testify of our Lord”.