Judgment: judgment of the Church, white throne and nations

The Bible speaks of various judgments which will occur at different times and places. Furthermore, the individuals who will be judged form different groups. In this chapter, we will examine three different judgments and their time of occurrence. The judgment of the nations is particularly crucial for part two, as it occurs shortly after His Second Coming.

The Judgment of the Church

The Church is shielded from God's wrath and judgments on Earth. However, Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be evaluated. One significant difference between the judgment of the Church and other judgments is that the believers appearing before this judgment cannot be lost. Rather than judgment, I prefer to call it evaluation. The Lord Jesus examines our works on Earth, distinguishing between our good and bad deeds. This does not pertain to the sins for which we have sought forgiveness; God has forgiven those sins, and He no longer holds them against us.

"He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:9-12)

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

When the Bible speaks of forgiveness, it uses the Greek word ‘Ap-hiēmi,’ which literally means to send away or let go. When God forgives us, He has washed away our sins. He will not use them against us again. Nevertheless, we will stand before His judgment seat.

"Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Paul wrote this text to the believers in Corinth. He stated that believers would appear before the judgment seat of Christ, and thus, he desired to be well pleasing to the Lord Jesus during his life. If Paul was well pleasing to Jesus, it means He looked at Paul and said, 'I am pleased with Paul.' Let's explore a few examples of how our lives can be well pleasing to Jesus.

"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret." (Ephesians 5:6-13)

Paul urges us to walk in the light and not in darkness. Darkness is filled with hatred, unfruitful works, and terrible deeds. We must determine what is acceptable to the Lord. This involves continually seeking God’s will in every situation and putting it into practice. The greatest commandment is to love God and your brethren. Walk in the light, in love, and in accordance with God's will; only then will you be pleasing to Jesus. In the following scriptures, Paul provides more exhortations, primarily concerning relationships among men. He talks about women, men, children, fathers, and servants (Who can be regarded as modern-day employees). Paul admonishes that every act done to a brethren should be done for the Lord Jesus.

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." (Colossians 3:18-25)

Being well pleasing to the Lord Jesus does not require competition among the believers. God doesn’t keep a scorecard, tallying how many people we've led to faith or how much money we've given to the poor, and then judges our favor with Him based on these criteria.

"Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

We should live according to God’s will. We can find His will in the Bible; however, God can also reveal His will to us. This book does not delve into the communication of God’s will. Let's examine 2 Corinthians 5.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

Every believer will receive a reward from God, and what we receive depends on what we have done on Earth. It is not possible to lose eternity in this evaluation. Every believer will enter heaven and be in the presence of God. However, there are different levels of rewards in heaven. Some receive greater wealth and treasure than others. I don’t have a clear picture of this reward system, but it is a biblical concept.

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." (Matthew 6:1-4)

When we give our tithes or offerings, we should do so in secret. We should not broadcast how much we have given or whether we contribute to charitable causes. Oftentimes, when an individual wins a large sum of money and he’s asked, "What will you do with it?" most people will reply by saying, "A portion will go to charity." Jesus says, "Do not do this; do not let anyone know, and do not trumpet it to others." We must abstain from broadcasting our good deeds because we receive our reward from others when we do so. By keeping it secret, we receive our reward from God. This reward can be received (partially) on Earth but will be most evident during the evaluation at the judgment seat of Christ. In the Bible, Matthew 6 discusses various instances where God rewards the believer.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

Paul explains that Jesus is our foundation, and it is our responsibility to build upon this foundation. Some were built with wood, hay, or straw, as in the example from Matthew, where an individual gave money to a charitable cause and took pride in it. Or consider a person who performs an act without love. Others are built with gold, silver, or precious stones. Such individuals may secretly give to charity and perform actions with love for the Lord Jesus. Every believer is saved, but some may suffer loss during this evaluation, while others will receive a reward.

"However, what do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way." (Romans 14:10-13)

Paul advises us not to judge other brothers and sisters. Everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We should examine our own lives and live in purity because everyone will be accountable to the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the judge of all, and we should not meddle in the affairs of our brethren. However, it is good to lovingly admonish and warn fellow believers about sin.

The judgment seat of Christ will likely take place when He comes to gather the believers, which is the Rapture of the Church. In Revelation, Jesus said:

"And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work." (Revelation 22:12)

The Judgment of the Nations

In Chapter 4, we read about God judging the earth and its inhabitants with plagues during the Great Tribulation. After the Great Tribulation, Jesus will return and judge the survivals. Most inhabitants of the Earth will engage in war against the Lord Jesus and perish during this war. This is part of God’s judgment on the nations. Those who do not engage in war will be judged later on Earth, and the Lord Jesus will decide whether they will enter into the Millennial Kingdom or be cast into hell. The judgment of the nations is one of the most challenging topics in this book, and there are diverse controversies about it. This paragraph is written for your consideration because it is an important part of God's Word. Let's study the first text.

"For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land." (Joel 3:1-2)

In this scripture, Joel is speaking about the end of the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem. During the Great Tribulation, Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles. God decides that the season of captivity for Jerusalem is over and intervenes on behalf of His people against the Gentiles, resulting in a great war. The Kingdom of God triumphed in this war. During that time, God will gather all the nations in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat means "The Lord Judges" or "The Lord Decides." This valley is still unknown, but God will gather all the nations there. The judgment will be based on how the nations treated the Israelites. Did they participate in the scattering of the Jews, or did they assist the Jews during their difficult times?

God calls the nations together, summoning them with weapons to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This is likely referring to the same war as described in Revelation 19.

"Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Stir up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD!" (Joel 4:9-11)

After this proclamation, we expect a great war, which is revealed in Revelation 19. However, we will discover a change of tone in this chapter. Instead of speaking about war, it shifts back to the imagery of a trial.

"Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations." (Joel 4:12)

God gathers the nations in the Valley of Jehoshaphat to judge them. He stands in defense of the Israelites, and the nations receive God's wrath and judgment. This judgment begins with the Lord Jesus overcoming the armies of the enemy. Subsequently, the surviving nations will be judged. In the scripture, Revelation 19 revealed the war led by the Lord Jesus against the nations. In Revelation 20, the judgment that occurred immediately after this war and His return were revealed.

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. (…)" (Revelation 20:4)

Could this refer to the judgment of the nations? It's possible. The descriptions in Revelation 20:4 are similar to the text in Daniel.

"I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:9-10)

The Lord Jesus begins His trial, and the books are opened. The court pronounces judgment upon the Antichrist and his earthly kingdom, as described in the following verse:

"But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his (the Antichrist's) dominion, to consume and destroy it forever." (Daniel 7:26)

The dominion of the Antichrist will be taken away through the war led by the Lord Jesus in Revelation 19. Subsequently, Jesus will return, and a new trial will be held on Earth, with the same purpose as the trials in Joel and Daniel. In Daniel, we see that the trial comes first, followed by the judgment of the kingdom of the Antichrist. It’s possible that the judgment of the nation spans multiple trials or extends beyond a single day, starting before the war and concluding afterward. Let's read the prophecy in Zephaniah to see the nations that will be judged.

"I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, with none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. I said, 'Surely you will fear Me, you will receive instruction'—so that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds. Therefore wait for Me,' says the LORD, 'Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy." (Zephaniah 3:6-8)

In the Book of Zephaniah, it appears that the judgment of the nations will be served on every nation on Earth. No one from a nation will be spared; everyone will be judged based on their actions toward the Israelites, both good and evil. Let's examine the parable of Jesus in the New Testament regarding the judgment of the nations.

"When the son of man comes in his Glory, and all the Holy Angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of Glory." (Matthew 25:31)

The Lord Jesus states that He is the one who will judge the nations. God the Father has given the authority to the Son to judge all people. This occurs when He returns, accompanied by His angels, to sit on the throne of David on Earth.

"All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." (Matthew 25:32-33)

All the nations on Earth are gathered together. Jesus will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates sheep from goats. There is no middle ground; the sheep are the righteous nations, and the goats are the unrighteous nations. I believe that Jesus judges entire nations in this context. Here, Jesus is not judging believers; they have been raptured into heaven, martyred during the Great Tribulation, or gathered by angels at His return.

"And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matthew 24:31)

This judgment is pronounced upon non-believers who are alive at the time of the Second Coming. The Lord Jesus does not examine each person's individual life; rather, He assesses the actions of nations or lands. The righteous nations are placed at His right hand, while the unrighteous nations are placed at His left hand.

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me." (Matthew 25:34-36)

The righteous nations are invited to enter the Millennial Kingdom, as described in Chapter 13. They will enjoy an earthly existence with the Lord Jesus as their king because of their kind treatment of Him.

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?"" (Matthew 25:37-39)

The righteous nations express surprise. They recognize the great King seated on His throne in all His glory. If they had done a favor for Him, it surely would have been noticed. It's not about just any person, beggar, prisoner, sick person, or stranger; it's about the great King!

"And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)

The Lord Jesus explains to the righteous nations that whatever they did for the least of His brethren, they did it for Him. I believe this refers to the people of Israel because Joel prophesied this. How the nations treated Israel is the standard for this judgment. It's possible that Jesus, in addition to Israel, is speaking about believers, and nations that treated Christians well may also be spared. Which countries would be considered righteous nations today?

"Then He will also say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me." Then they also will answer Him, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?" Then He will answer them, saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." (Matthew 25:41-45)

After Jesus promised that the righteous nations would gain entrance into the Millennial Kingdom, He turned to the unrighteous nations. The nations that lived in unrighteousness will not be allowed to enter this kingdom; rather, they will be thrown into eternal fire. This means they will be killed and will await the Great White Throne Judgment, where their final punishment will be decided. According to the scripture, they will be thrown into the lake of fire. What a dreadful state! This judgment will be placed on them because they failed to care for the least of Jesus' brethren, which refers to the Israelites and perhaps the Christians.

"And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46)

In verse 46, the Lord Jesus summarized the judgment of the nations. The righteous nations will enter the Millennial Kingdom and have eternal life, while the unrighteous will face eternal punishment. I find this text challenging. Does He mean that the righteous nations already possess eternal life? Is it not possible for them to lose this eternal life during the Millennial Kingdom? After all, the judgment of the nations involves the people who are still alive and have not received glorified bodies. Perhaps the Lord Jesus is pleased with the nations that cared for His followers and the Israelites during the Great Tribulation, which is equivalent to choosing Him. It remains remarkable that entire nations will either be saved or condemned. In any case, no one in these nations will have taken the mark of the beast. They are under God's judgment and wrath, with no way back to God. Perhaps they have all died during the Great Tribulation or are among the ‘goats’ (Revelation 14:9-11 and 16:2). The judgment of the nations is a complex subject, but I hope you gained a clear understanding of this subject in this paragraph.

The Great White Throne

The final judgment of God is the judgment pronounced at the Great White Throne. This is revealed in Revelation 20.

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them." (Revelation 20:11)

Most believers fear this White Throne Judgment. They believe it's the moment when their salvation will be determined. They hope that the sacrifice of Jesus and their faith is sufficient to secure their salvation. Fortunately, the believer will not appear before this White Throne Judgment. They have already ruled with Christ for a thousand years during the Millennium and have been taken to heaven before the Great Tribulation. It would be odd for believers who have experienced these events to be condemned at the White Throne Judgment. Jesus assured us that we would not come under this judgment and that we would not be condemned.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1)

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." (John 5:24)

When an individual comes to faith, they have passed from being spiritually dead to being spiritually alive. This doesn't refer to a physically dead or living body but to a dead or living spirit. A man who is spiritually alive has a relationship with God, while an individual who is spiritually dead does not.

The Great White Throne is meant for the judgment of unbelievers. When this throne appears, heaven and earth will disappear, and the old will pass away. Suddenly, God will create a new heaven and a new earth.

"And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:12-15)

John saw the dead standing before God. This does not refer to the believers because they are alive in Christ. Unbelievers have no relationship with God, and thus, they remain spiritually dead during their journey on Earth. Believers will participate in the first resurrection, which will happen before the Millennial Kingdom. During that time, the dead must wait for a thousand years for the Great White Throne's judgment.

"(...) and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4-6)

Believers will partake in the first resurrection, making them immune to the second death. The first death is physical death, which every man will experience. The second death is spiritual death, which entails eternal separation from God. This fate awaits the spiritually dead, including the great and small, kings and servants, the rich and the poor, and also employers and employees.

John saw the dead standing before God. This is remarkable because how can a dead man stand? This is because God will allow every man to rise from the dead. John speaks of the dead, but in reality, they are alive. Their spirit and relationship with God are dead, but they have received new bodies.

"Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:28-29)

Believers rise to the resurrection of life, which is the first resurrection. Unbelievers rise to the resurrection of condemnation, which is the second death. This applies to all the dead; no one is exempt. Whether such person died at sea or on land, whether they were buried or cremated, everyone will stand before the Great White Throne. Suddenly, the Book of Life will be opened, and it contains the names of living individuals like Moses, Abraham, David, Daniel, and hopefully many more who lived for Christ. I hope this is the thickest book we will ever see. The Book of Life lists those who belong to Jesus and are allowed to enter heaven, escaping condemnation.

"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Revelation 3:5)

During this judgment, the dead will realize that their names are not written in this book. This will be the most dreadful moment in human history, and it is the duty of every believer to reach out to people with God's gospel to make the book thicker and reduce the number of souls standing before the Great White Throne. Then, their works are examined, and new books are opened. It will become apparent that no one is good enough to enter heaven by their own merit. The evidence is complete; everyone has received a fair trial, and all have been justly judged. Jesus gives His judgment, casting death and the realm of death into the lake of fire. Every soul waiting in the realm of the dead for the Great White Throne Judgment will be found guilty and transferred from the realm of the dead to hell. The realm of the dead will no longer serve any purpose and will cease to exist. The realm of the dead is essentially a waiting room where the dead await their final judgment. Only those whose names are in the Book of Life will escape the lake of fire. The dead will be thrown into the lake, proving that their work isn’t good or righteous before God.

Summary

The Bible speaks of various judgments. The Church of Christ will not be condemned but evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ. God will assess the believers who are well-pleasing in His eyes. Those who do good works are saved and rewarded, while those who perform wrong deeds are saved but suffer loss. This judgment likely occurs at the Rapture of the Church. During and after the Second Coming of Christ, the judgment of the nations will happen. The nations that treated Israel and Jesus' followers well are allowed to participate in the Millennial Kingdom, while those who lived in unrighteousness will be condemned. This judgment will occur on Earth in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Finally, the last judgment will be held at the Great White Throne. All the dead will be judged according to their works and cast into the lake of fire, except for Christians. This judgment will not take place on Earth, as it will have passed away with the heavens, and afterward, God will create a new heaven and a new Earth.

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