A. H. Burton
What could be of greater importance than the subject of coming judgment. Yet strange to say, there is nothing so little understood and about which there is greater confusion of thought. The first of the four judgments is past and the remaining three are future.
1. There is the judgment of sin. This first one took place at the cross.
2. The judgment seat (or throne), at which all believers shall appear. This second will be in heaven.
3. The throne of His glory, at which all the living nations shall appear. This third will be on earth.
4. The great white throne, before which all the wicked dead shall appear. The fourth will be in space.
It is of the utmost importance to be clear about these judgments in their order, for if we are not clear about the first, it is impossible to be clear about the others.
The Judgment of Sin
That God's severe and righteous judgment for sin fell on Christ at the cross, the following scriptures show: "He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21).
These scriptures in the New Testament may suffice to show that the blessed Lord bore our sins and the judgment for them on the cross. Then in the Old Testament we will only refer to Psa. 22 and 69, and Isa. 53.
The result of our blessed Lord bearing the judgment for our sins sets us free from it all. In seeing this we can then understand the following scriptures.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life.”
It is important, therefore, to remember that, for the child of God, judgment is past. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation [judgment]; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24).
If the reader will open his Bible to John 5, he will find the words "condemnation" (v. 24), "judgment" (v. 27), and "damnation" (v. 29). It will greatly help him to understand the teaching of this most weighty passage if he remembers that in each case the word means "judgment.”
Before we proceed further in our inquiry, we are anxious that the Christian reader should lay firm hold of this deeply important truth, that not only does the believer in Christ now possess eternal life ("hath eternal life"), but that also, on the authority of Christ's own word, he "shall not come into [judgment]." The same unerring Word that assures him of the first great truth, likewise assures him of the second.
It may be asked, Are we not told that "it is appointed unto [all] men once to die, and after this the judgment"? Certainly not. Let the reader open his Bible to Heb. 9:26-2826For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:26‑28) and he will see that the word "all" is not in the passage. In verse 27 we are told what is the common lot of mankind, namely, death and judgment. But in verse 28 we find the believer's portion: instead of looking for death, he is looking for Christ's appearing. Instead of waiting for Christ as his judge, he is looking for Him as his Savior, who shall change his body of humiliation and fashion it like His own body of glory (Phil. 3:20, 2120For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20‑21)).
The blessed Savior appeared once in the end of the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He came over 1900 years ago about the question of sin, to put away sin, to bear the sins of many. Having done the work on the cross which has settled that question on the believer's behalf forever, He will appear the second time without sin, that is, apart from the question of sin altogether. If that question was settled at His first coming, it could not possibly be raised again at His second coming.
For the unbeliever, of course, His coming must be for judgment, but for the believer it will be "unto salvation." In other words, the full results of the work which He accomplished at His first coming will be reaped by the believer at His second coming. He will then not only possess the salvation of his soul that through grace he enjoys now, but then salvation will be completed in the glorifying of his body.
What peace it gives to the soul when once we see that God can never in justice raise the question of our sins with us! Has not Christ once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God?
(1 Peter 3:1818For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18).) Did He not His own self bear our sins in His own body on the tree? (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).) And has He not, after having offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God? (Heb. 10:1212But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; (Hebrews 10:12).) Surely the believer will never have to suffer for sins for which Christ has already once suffered! Surely he will never have to bear sins which Christ bore on the cross! Surely he will never have to be judged for sins for which Christ has already offered Himself as a sacrifice!
It is clear, then, beloved Christian reader, that God will never enter into judgment with you as regards your sins, seeing that the Lord Jesus has already borne the judgment that was due to them.
What then does it mean when it says, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ"? Let us now consider the other three judgments.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
While it is perfectly true that the believer will never have to be judged for his sins, yet it is equally true that he will have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. See 2 Cor. 5. The word "appear" in verse 10 is the same as made "manifest" in the next, and so we may read it thus: "We must all be made manifest.”
It is important to observe that the Spirit of God carefully avoids saying, "We must all be judged." Had it been said in verse 10, "We must all be judged," it would have been a direct contradiction of John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24) which says that we "shall not come into judgment," and we may rest assured that one verse of the Word of God could never contradict another. But it says, "We must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ." That is, everything that we have done here will be brought to light there, and we shall receive reward or suffer loss, according to what we have done, whether it be good or bad.
What, then, is the judgment seat of Christ for? As we have shown, it cannot be to judge whether we are to be in heaven or not, for we shall be there already. Being there with Christ and in glorified bodies like Him, we shall review, in company with Himself, our whole history in this world. We shall retrace every step, we shall recall every circumstance, and in the unsullied light of His blessed presence we shall weigh every act and deed of our lives in the balance of the sanctuary. We shall see them as He saw them, and judge of them as He judged of them.
He will then show us where and how we failed. Instead of this making us afraid of Him, it will only deepen in our souls the sense of His unchanging love. Such grace it was that He should so long have borne with such failing, erring creatures.
He will also delight to bring to our remembrance every little act of service for Himself. The smallest thing we may have done for Him, a word spoken for Him, or even a cup of cold water given in His name will not be forgotten. Then "every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor." 1 Cor. 3:88Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8).
“Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide... he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved.... If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy." 1 Cot 3:13-17.
Here we have three distinct thoughts in three different workmen. A real Christian whose work is good will receive a reward (v. 14). A real Christian whose work is bad will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved (v. 15). A wicked man, being evil himself and with evil intent can only do evil work, will be destroyed (v. 17).
The Judgment of the Living Nations
We will now consider the well-known passage in Matt. 25:3131When 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: (Matthew 25:31) to the end-the judgment of the sheep and the goats. "When the Son of man shall come in His glory... then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations." It is very clear that Christ here comes in glory to the earth. But when He so comes, we shall come with Him; for "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Col. 3:44When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4).
It is equally clear that He is here seen coming to judge the nations. When He so comes we shall come pith Him (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). Now if at this period we come with Him, He must previously have come for us, and further, He does not here come to judge us, but we believers come with Him to judge the nations. 'Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" 1 Cor. 6:22Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (1 Corinthians 6:2).
Who then are these nations? They are the Gentile lotions, or heathen alive on the earth when Christ comes in judgment. They are the very nations to whom the Jewish remnant have preached the gospel of the kingdom after the Church has been taken 'way. If you study these verses carefully, you will see that the nations are judged according to the way n which they have treated these godly Jews, here called "these My brethren." vv. 40,45.
They are divided into two companies—the sheep are those who have received these messengers of the coming King, and to them are addressed the gracious words, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." v. 34. That is, they enter the millennium to enjoy all the blessings of Christ's earthly kingdom.
The goats, on the other hand, are those who have rejected these messengers and refused the mercy offered through them. To them are uttered the awful words, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." v. 41. This judgment of the living nations being over, the millennium will commence, and for 1000 years we (the glorified saints) shall live and reign with Christ (Rev. 20:44And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)).
Carefully observe that in this passage none but the living nations are judged. All here are alive; none of them have passed through death. This in itself is sufficient to show that a general judgment is out of the question.
The Great White Throne
The subject now before us is a deeply solemn one, and we would earnestly entreat you to sit down as in the very presence of God, Bible in hand, and study carefully Rev. 20.
“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 lead 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 ire. This is the SECOND DEATH. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:11-1511And 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. 12And 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. 13And 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. 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11‑15).
In the first place, Christ does not here come to the earth at all. Instead, we read, "From whose face the earth and the heaven fled away." How different this s from Matt. 25:31, 3231When 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: 32And 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) when He comes to the earth! "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 hem one from another.”
In the second place, the dead only are here judged, and this again is quite different from Mathew 25 where the living only are judged. But what ghastly throng this will be! They rise from their graves; there sits the Judge and before Him they stand; a guilty conscience loudly accuses them within. The earth they loved so well, the scene of all heir pleasures and their sins, the scene too of their rejection of the Savior so often offered to them, this earth has fled away forever. And they stand already n an endless but a lost eternity.
What records! Every thought, every word and feed of the misspent life will then be brought out, exposed in the light of that dazzling glory "And the dead were judged... according to their works." How different from the judgment seat of Christ, where the redeemed will appear to receive reward or suffer loss according to what their works have been!
Here the wicked dead are judged according to their works, and if the writer or reader of these pages were judged according to his works, he would certainly be cast into the lake of fire. If the salvation of the most devoted Christian that ever lived were to depend on his works, he must inevitably be lost, for whose life would stand the scrutiny of His all-piercing eye? "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified." Psa. 143:22And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. (Psalm 143:2).
It is most important to see that the believer is never said to be judged according to his works. His works are judged, but not his person, and he receives reward accordingly. But at the great white throne, the wicked dead are themselves judged according to their works. With what result? "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." v. 15.
"Peace I leave with you,
My peace I give unto you: not as the
world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid”