Ques. 148. At the "Bema" or judgment seat of Christ for the saints, is it before others, or to ourselves alone, that we are manifested?
Ans. The judgment seat of Christ is to show to each of us the true character of our walk and ways as it appears in the sight of the Lord. Thoughts of what others may think of us, cannot come in there. Each one will be filled with praise and thanksgiving for the grace that bore with us through all our wandering and changeful ways, and led us on. God's grace will be realized as never before, and the Lord will speak to us approvingly of all that He can, and disapprovingly of what was contrary to His mind and will. The thought of this was meant to exercise the saints at Corinth to walk in His ways. May it exercise us too.
Ques. 149. Is the meeting for remembering the Lord really the worship meeting?
T. N. L.
Ans. Yes, it is characteristically the "worship" meeting. We speak of the "prayer" meeting, and the "reading" meeting. At each of these the exercises may be varied; instruction and worship might be at the prayer meeting, but we come together for prayer. And at the meeting for reading or instruction, prayer and worship are not out of place. So in the Lord's day morning meeting we might have ministry and prayer at the end; but our one thought should be that we have come to meet the Lord in the midst of His gathered saints, and to remember Him in His death; this is worship and calls from our hearts increased adoration as we thus ponder His wonderful love that gave Himself to glorify God and to bear His righteous judgment for us. If we are indeed subject to the Spirit's guidance, our hymns, or scriptures read, before the breaking of bread, will tend to lead our thoughts thus out to Him.
There is room after the breaking of bread, if the Lord should give a word of ministry, but we do not come especially for that, but to give to the Lord our heart's adoration, and this is expressed in our act of remembering Him in the bread and wine.
Ques. 150. After the Lord comes and has taken up His saints-changed the living and raised the dead saints, and they are caught up to Him, to be forever with the Lord, as in 1 Thess. 4-who are to be saved into the kingdom that is to be set up on earth?
Ans. There will be three classes of people on earth after the Lord has taken away His heavenly saints. Jews or Israel; Gentiles or nations or heathen, and the apostate church, the tares of Matt. 13, or the foolish virgins of Matt. 25.
The Jews, that is the two tribes, and the ten tribes afterward, will be brought to know Jehovah, and He will make His new covenant with them. (Heb. 8:8-128For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 8:8‑12).) The nations will be brought to own and fear Jehovah also. (Ezek. 36:36; 37:28; 38:2336Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. (Ezekiel 36:36)
28And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore. (Ezekiel 37:28)
23Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 38:23); and many other passages.)
There is nothing but judgment for the apostate church, and for those who have not obeyed the gospel. When the Lord comes with His saints, He will judge all such. (Jude 1414And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (Jude 14), 15; Rev. 2:21-23; 3:3, 1621And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:21‑23)
3Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3)
16So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:16):2 Thess. 1:8; 2:10-128In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12).)
The judgment of the great white throne is at the end, and is for the dead only. (Rev. 20:1212And 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. (Revelation 20:12).) The Jew will be judged by the law; the Gentile will perish without law, (Rom. 2:1212For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (Romans 2:12)); and the Christless professor because he has not put on the wedding garment. (Matt. 22:11-1311And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:11‑13).)
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