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Last Updated on : November 23, 2014

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EditThe Judgment Seat of Christ
Part 1 of 2

 


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Its Reality

The Judgment Seat of Christ is a theme upon which the mind can be exercised with the greatest profit. The Apostle taught:

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27).

Again:

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Pet. 4:17).

The Apostles therefore taught that judgment is as inevitable as death: and further: in the principle set forth by Peter they revealed that it will be the first work of Christ following the resurrection.

Thus, when we think of the imminence of Christ's return, we should align thought of the Judgment Seat with it.

Unfortunatly, concept of it is usually somewhat vague and unreal, so much so that some have even reasoned themselves out of it, claiming that we are judged from day to day, and that this Constitutes the judgment Seat of Christ.

In previous supplements, however, we have advanced Scripture to show that the Judgment Seat will be set up at Sinai, and at the set time already determined of God. The Psalmist declared:

"At the set time that I appoint, I will judge with equity" (Ps. 75:4 - RSV).

Again:

"He (God) shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice" (Ps. 50:4-5).

When will this be? Paul wrote:

"We beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him" (2 Thess. 2:1).

These words imply that believers will be brought together to a common locality at Christ's coming, that he might gather them unto himself. Paul wrote to the Ecclesia in Rome:

"God will render to every man according to his deeds: to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life; but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of 'the Gentile" (Rom. 2:7- 9).

In passing, we might note that three classes are referred to by Paul in this comment:

(1) - Those who by patient continuance in well doing receive eternal life;

(2) - The contentious who refuse to "obey the truth," and who receive indignation and wrath;

(3) - The habitually evil who will receive tribulation and wrath.

Class No. 2 above, relates to those who know the Truth but refuse to obey it, rejecting the divine offer of mercy associated with baptism. Their stubborn attitude decides their own judgment. There is no need of a formal investigation of their character and doings, for their repudiation of baptism is sufficient to secure their condemnation. They receive wrath and indignation (R.V.) or "thumos" and "orge" as the Greek expresses it. The former signifies the sudden blazing forth of anger from inward feelings: the latter relates to the more settled, lasting emotion that finds its expression in punishment which in this case, will be rejection from the presence of Christ.

Class No. 3, however, refers to those who "doeth (Gr. practises) evil" by disobeying the Law of God, and among this group are found both Jews and Gentiles. It, therefore, relates to those who are in covenant relationship with God by either circumcision or baptism, but who live inconsistently with their high calling. They will be subjected to a personal scrutiny, of motives, habits and character, and will experience tribulation and anguish as their shocking inconsistencies are brought into the open.

When will this judgment take place?

Paul declared: "At the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" (Rom. 2:5). The context shows that both righteous and wicked are judged at the one time, and brought together for the same purpose. It is "the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ" (Rom. 2:16).

Other references of the Apostle concerning this judgment confirm the exposition above, and are as follows:

"Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of God" (1 Cor. 4:5).

"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 (2 Tim. 4:1).

"Why doest thou judge thy brother? Or why doest thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ..... Every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:10-12).

These are the doctrinal facts, but it is difficult to transmit them into reality. This is a difficulty with many in regard to the whole theme of Christ's second coming. It is quite easy to conjure up the steps that will bring Russia down into the Middle East, and before Jerusalem to battle, for they are obvious to us, not only from Bible prophecy, but from the daily .

But as soon as we attempt to picture Christ's return, and our gathering to him, the whole subject seems divorced from reality. Whilst acknowledging the doctrinal truth of Christ's second coming, the mind finds a difficulty in accepting it as a concrete reality. The Return, the Resurrection, the Gathering to Christ, the Judgment Seat - - all are difficult to conjure up. Will we literally be taken to the Judgment Seat? How will we be conveyed there? What will happen to young children? What arrangements will be made for our accommodation and care at the place of Judgment? How long will it take?

Our minds, largely dominated by the symbols of material security and permanence with which we are familiar (homes, motor-cars, businesses, buildings, cities, bank-balances) find it difficult to focus upon such impractical subjects as the Return, the Resurrection, the Judgment, and so forth.

Yet it has an historical basis in that it happened before when two million people were suddenly drawn from Egypt, to make their way to the Red Sea, and on to Sinai for a meeting with their God.

But there was a difference in that. They knew what they were doing. They willingly left of their own accord, on their own two feet, and with the connivance of Egypt.

Granted! That is true, and the call to Christ will not be like that.

It will be more in the nature of Enoch's experience.

He was removed from his normal place of abode by God that he might not see death (Heb. 11:5). The mysterious and sudden removal of so prominent a person made a tremendous impact upon his neighbours, particularly in view of his preaching. There was a search made for him (as there was later for Elijah) but to no avail: "they found him not" (Heb. 11:5).

Gathered To Christ

So it will be at Christ's return. Those responsible to judgment will be gathered to him, as Paul taught. Their homes will be left empty, their businesses unattended, their meeting places closed, their bills unpaid!

We can imagine the impact of this upon their friends, relatives and neighbours! It will be startling, to say the least! As in the case of Enoch, a search will be made, but they will not be found. Perhaps some will then recall what has been proclaimed from platform, by booklet distribution, or by word of mouth, and will begin to seek the signs of Christ's parousia. Certainly they will view the increasing troubles of the times with greater wonder and awe.

Perhaps the modern day witness for the Truth will have its greatest impact after the saints have been gathered to the Judgment Seat!

Consider the circumstances in a city such as Adelaide (pop. 700,000). There are well over 1,000 Christadelphians in the metropolitan area, plus their families. Suddenly they are not to be found! A search is made by astonished friends and relatives, but it reveals nothing. At first it might be thought that there is a convention somewhere in the country, but nothing is known of it. As time goes by, an investigation will probably be ordered by worried bank-managers and creditors, as mortgages and loans become due, and as this reveals nothing, wonder and speculation will become rife.

Conversations will be recalled, booklets will be found, stacks of the Herald Of The Coming Age will probably be found in Ecclesial cupboards (where they have been stored instead of being distributed as they should have been!), and these will reveal that a basic doctrine of Christadelphians is the second coming of Christ.

The disappearance of this community ,will become top-line in the Press of the English-speaking world, and may be an element in causing Tarshish to be among the first to ultimately submit to the reign of Christ.

How grand a testimony it will be if Christ's coming interrupts us in vigorously proclaiming that doctrine. Let us not be discouraged in the preaching of the Word, but do so "in season and in out of season" (2 Tim. 4:2), realising that our "labour is not in vain in the Lord- (1 Cor. 15:58).

Moreover, let us "think upon these things," acknowledging that notwithstanding how incredible and remote the return of Christ might appear, it will one day take place with a reality that will be startling both for us and for the world.

Who And How Conveyed To The Place Of Judgment

Christ will return with an innumerable company of angels who will assist him in the work of Judgment:

"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" (Matt. 16:27).

These angels will gather the elect together for that purpose (Psalm 50:5).

The details of how this will be accomplished are not revealed. It may well be that angels personally will announce to the living saints that the time of judgment has arrived. Alternatively, the fact might well be made obvious by the presence of resurrected saints appearing to the living, somewhat similar to the occasion following Christ's resurrection.

Households being gathered together in communities, they will be instantly and swiftly conveyed to Sinai. There will be no feeling of motion or distance, but an instantaneous removal from one place to another by a means of locomotion known only to Yahweh.

A little thought will reveal that this is not so remarkable as may once have been thought. Even man, with his clumsy contrivances, such as rockets, can span the distance that divides him from Sinai in a very short time: how much more rapidly could the angels do it under divine power! This power has created the speed of light, and even faster speeds, so that the conveyance of the responsible to the place of Judgment presents no problem.

Have we any Scriptural basis for these statements? Certainly we have. Consider the first point made above, that households will be conveyed together to Sinai. Paul makes the point that the elect shall be conveyed "in clouds" (the definite article is missing in the Greek), or companies, for a meeting with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17), and Isaiah, referring to Israel after the flesh states concerning their restoration: "for they are the seed of the blessed of Yahweh, and their offspring with them" (Isa. 65:23).

If they are restored because they are the "seed of the blessed of Yahweh" and "their offspring" are taken with them, surely the same will apply to the true Israel of God. Support for this is found in Ezekiel 47:22-23 to which reference will be made later.

We believe, therefore, that the Iittle ones will be taken with their parents. This was the conclusion of Brother Roberts who commented as follows:

"As to children who may be alive when the Lord returns and sends for the members of his household . . . the question is, will no provision be made for the household of the faithful? If we are to judge from the Deity's operations in the past, we are justified in expecting that this will be so. Respect has always been shown to the kindred of those who have been the objects of divine regard. Noah's family is one instance; Lot's family is another. His sons-in-law were, by command of the angels, invited to escape the impending judgment, but laughed the invitation to scorn. Rahab's family were spared from the destruction that befell Jericho. Is it not possible that similar favour will be shown when the greatest judgment of all arrives? Is it not possible that households may be invited to accompany the saints eastward? As a matter of course, the saints alone are called to judgment, and they alone enter the Kingdom of God, in the sense of obtaining the life, honour, and glory of it; but mortal subjects will have to be provided for as well as kings and priests; and is it not possible the saints may have a commission to secure among these a place for such of their kindred as shall have to leave home and country for the seat of the New Power, there to shelter in the King's refuge until the judgment is overpast, and afterward to settle among the tribes of Israel as strangers sojourning in the Land, to whom a portion will be divided? (Ezek. 47:22). If so, all difficulty about the children would be at an end" (Ambassador, vol. 3, p.185).

Households will thus be conveyed to the precincts of Sinai. But what of accommodation? And food? And clothing? And how long will they be there?

The provision of adequate food, shelter and clothing will present no problem to the Lord Jesus, who will be in possession of that power that enabled the nation of Israel to be fed and clothed without lacking any need for forty years in the wilderness, and who, in the days of his flesh, fed some five thousand men, plus women and children, with a few loaves and fishes. Parents, of course, will be required to care for their children as the judgment proceeds, for some time will be spent at Sinai.

Children At The Judgment Seat

He who has invited us to look upon Him as a Father, is not indifferent to the thoughts and feelings of parents towards their offspring. In fact, children are accounted as "an heritage of Yahweh; and the fruit of the womb as His reward" (Ps. 127:3).

The Lord Jesus was never indifferent to the feelings of parents. He manifested deep compassion for the father whose only son was a lunatic, and extended himself to cure him (Luke 9:37-41). On another occasion, he rebuked his Apostles because of their thoughtless action towards a mother whose hospitality they had enjoyed. She had brought her young children to the Lord, that he might lay his hands on them and pray for them; but this had interrupted a discussion that the apostles were having with him, and therefore they rebuked her.

Their action "much displeased" the Lord. Turning to them, he declared:

"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such (i.e. those with a childlike disposition as far as faith is concerned) is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14).

Consider also the significant and thought-provoking reference from Ezekiel's prophecy, quoted in the extract above from "The Ambassador". It relates to the division of the Land of Promise among the twelve tribes in the Age to come, and it directs:

"And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord Yahweh" (Ezek. 47:22-23).

The reference is to strangers, that is to foreigners, or to Gentiles. But they are not ordinary Gentiles, for whereas all such, in a general sense, will be excluded from the land in favour of the restored twelve tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 48) these not only shall be permitted to remain therein, but shall do so under special privilege, for "they shall be unto you (Israelites) as born in the country among the children of Israel." Thus, though Gentiles by birth, they will be accounted as the Israel of God by privilege. So much so, indeed, that they receive inheritance within the tribe with whom they sojourn.

Who are these who will occupy such privileged status?

I believe that they constitute the children of Christadelphian parents who had not reached the age of responsibility at Christ's return.

They will occupy a position of privilege, and will justly be associated with Israel, for their parents will constitute part of the true Israel of God. Brought up under the guidance of immortal parents, they will find an inheritance in the Land of Promise.

But they will not be allowed to presume upon their position. It will be required of them that they grow up in understanding, and that they accept the covenant with Yahweh in order to retain their standing and inheritance. This is clearly stated in another comment relating to this prophecy of the Millenial Temple. Ezekiel records:

"Thus saith the Lord Yahweh; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel" (Ezek. 44:9).

Once again it should be noted that this statement relates to a privileged class of mortal Gentiles found among the children of Israel, and therefore identified with those more specifically defined in the reference previously quoted.

It suggests that more rigorous demands will be made on them than on other mortals. They must be "circumcised in heart" as well as "circumcised in flesh"; in other words, their lives must conform to the external forms required by the King at that time for covenant- relationship.

If they do not, they will be turned away from the Temple, completely disowned and disfellowshipped by the Lord, as well as by their own parents (Zech 13:3).

There thus will be the need to carefully educate them in the Truth, and supervise their spiritual development; and their experience at the Judgment Seat of Christ will help in that direction. Certainly, it would make a profound impression upon them such as they are never likely to forget, and which is bound to mould their lives. The reference in Ezekiel's prophecy, of course, relates to the period of life when they have grown to adulthood, for the implication is that the Temple will not be opened for service until fifty years after Christ's return. A child of four years of age when taken to the Judgment Seat, would by then have grown up, married and had children, so that the expressions of Ezekiel relate to adults. How important that we should now commence the education of our children, and so conduct ourselves, and guide them, as to provide for their future salvation. What a glorious time it will be if we, as family groups, are able to rejoice before Yahweh under such circumstances. Home study and care, family prayers, encouragement in the work of the Sunday School, healthy companionship with other young people associated with the truth, will then be seen as a most valuable investment for the future,

The care and education of children by parents, will continue after Christ's return, both at the precincts of the Judgment Seat as well as afterwards. But what of the children of those parents who will be rejected? If they have neglected the spiritual education of their children so that the latter are following their example, they will doubtless be driven from the presence of Christ in company with their parents, even as the children of the Canaanites were involved in the punishment poured out upon the nation, because Yahweh could see that they would inevitably manifest the same evil characteristics revealed therein as they physically developed.

However, there may well be cases, in which the parents may be rejected, but the children will have manifested qualities that are commendable. For example, a child might be impressed with Sunday School and other studies in spite of the attitude of his parents, and as in the case of Samuel, at a very early age, manifest a childlike reverence for the things of God even before the full knowledge of the truth has dawned (1 Sam. 3:7). The Judge of all the earth will do right in such cases (Gen. 18:25). An example of this is provided in the circumstances of Korah and his family, in the great rebellion against Moses. Though he and his companions died in divine judgment, and in the case of the latter, their families with them (Num. 16:31-35), the children of Korah were spared, doubtless because they disassociated themselves from his action in some way (Num. 26:11). This may well provide a precedence at the Judgment Seat. Where children have manifested a reverential attitude to the Word in contrast to their parents, the grace of Yahweh will ensure that they receive just treatment for their action. Did He not do so in regard to the children of those who came out of Egypt? They entered the land, though their parents died in the wilderness. The same principle of grace may well be manifested in the future; in which case, the care of the orphaned children that remain will be undertaken by adults who find acceptance, and who will occupy the positions of foster-parents.

How Long At The Judgment Seat?

The period spent at Sinai will not be hurried. The indications of Scripture are that several years will be spent in its vicinity during which the world will be left to its own resources, and the invasion of the Middle East will take place. Time is necessary for all that must be done at the Judgment Seat, as this will constitute the most important period in the mortal existence of all taken to it. Yahweh will not hurry over these matters.

We suggest that some ten years will be occupied in judging the responsible, in fraternisation at Sinai, and in outpouring judgment at Armageddon. The latter is symbolised in the Revelation as the antitypical national day of Atonement; and under the Mosaic constitution, that Day was preceded by ten days of preparation, answering to the ten years suggested above.

On the first day of the seventh month there was "a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation." In other words, the strident note of the trumpet reminded Israel that the day of Judgment was at hand, and called them together in a "holy convocation." This "blowing of trumpets" suggests the description of Christ's coming by Paul: "The Lord himself shall descend . . . with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first" (1 Thess. 4:16).

On the tenth day of the same month, the Day of Atonement, or Coverings was celebrated; and sins were officially blotted out. The ten days represented to the Jews, ten days of repentance. One Jewish commentator has written:

"The sound of the Shofar, consisting, as handed down by tradition, of three distinctive Shofar-notes - tekiah, shevarim, teruah - has been looked upon from time immemorial as a call to contrition and penitence, as a reminder of the Shofar-sound of Sinai; and the Day of Memorial, the beginning of the ten days of Repentance, which culminate in the Day of Atonement, as a time of self-examination and humble petition for forgiveness. The Scriptural injunction of the Shofar for the New Year's Day has a profound meaning. It says, "Awake, ye sleepers, and ponder over your deeds; remember your Creator and go back to Him in penitence. Be not of those who miss realities in their pursuit of shadows, and waste their years in seeking after vain things which cannot profit or deliver. Look well to your lives and consider your acts; forsake each of you his evil ways and thoughts, and return to God so that He may have mercy upon you'."

The reference to the New Year's Day in the comment above, is occasioned through this day being celebrated on the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish religious year. The Jews have two years: a religious and a civil year. The religious year commences at Abib, and was so appointed when Israel left Egypt (Exod. 12:2). It is the fifth month of the Jewish civil year, which thus commences at the seventh month of the religious year, and appropriately points to the Millenium.

The ten year period at Sinai is also suggested by a comparison of time periods supplied by Ezekiel and Micah. The former dates the giving of the Temple prophecy on the day of Passover in a Jubilee year (Ezek. 40:1), and from this, as well as from the fact that the prophecy shows the sacrifices as about to be offered, it is assumed that the Temple will be opened for its initial meeting on the Jubilee year after Christ's return. Certainly that would be a most appropriate time for such an occasion, and it is obvious that the dating of the prophecy has some such significance.

Granting that this implication is accepted, how is that period of fifty years divided up? Micah suggests that forty of them will be occupied in the restoration of Israel, and the subjugation of the nations subsequent to Armageddon (Micah 7:15-16), which would leave the remainder of ten years for individual and national judgment.

It is accepted that there is nothing direct in Bible prophecy to sustain these periods beyond all doubt, but the implications are strong, and the appropriateness of them to the work in hand is obvious.

Accepting that ten years will be occupied from the time of calling the responsible to Sinai for Judgment, and the pouring out of judgment upon the nations gathered at Armageddon, will the whole of that period be spent in meditation, contrition and penitence, as the Jews are called to do on the ten days preceding the Day of Atonement? The answer is surely in the negative, for it would impose an intolerable and unnecessary strain upon mortals if they had to wait under conditions of such uncertainty for so long a period. No, the ten years are years of judgment, but not exclusively for the saints. In fact, Christ's return will immediately introduce them to the antitypical Day of Atonement as far as they are concerned. This is the teaching of Paul, who declared:

"So 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" (Heb. 9:28).

This is exactly what the high priest did on the Day of Atonement, for he took the token (the blood) of the offering into the Most Holy Place before Yahweh to receive covering for sins committed, and then returned to the people -without sin" (i.e. with their sins forgiven and blotted out) to prepare for the rejoicing that followed during the Feast of Tabernacles which foreshadowed the Millenium (Rev. 7:9).

We can, therefore, conclude that whilst ten years may elapse between Christ's coming and Armageddon, the judgment of the household will proceed as quickly as possible.

Why The Period Of Judgment Will Be Short

Many have criticised the idea of personal judgment as time- consuming, awkward, and unnecessary. We desire to show that these criticisms are wrong in every way. Far from being time-consuming it will be conducted speedily, and with the minimum of delay; far from being awkward, it will elevate the dignity of the Judge and the justness of the decison: far from being unnecessary, it will be seen as the final act of mercy in purging character and preparing for the Kingdom of God.

We will show that Christ returns with an innumerable company of angels who will conduct the individual investigation of the Household, which, afterwards, will be separated into two groups to receive the final decision from the lips of Christ.

These angels (Matt. 16:27, Mark 8:38) will assist in the judgment, for they are described as "the reapers" (Matt. 13:39), who "sever" the wicked from among the just (v.49).

How shall they do this? Though we are not specifically told, we may, perhaps, be able to reconstruct what shall take place, if we gather together the Scripture references relating to this subject. In any case, the exercise will be helpful, causing us to concentrate upon our responsibilities in regard to judgment.

Firstly, then, we are instructed as to the general purpose of the coming Judgment: it is to make manifest the reason why one is granted life and the other is denied it. Paul taught:

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).

Let us analyse this important verse. Firstly consider the word "appear." It is a translation of the Greek word "phaneroo", to publicly reveal or make manifest. It does not indicate the action of being brought before the Judgment Seat, but the purpose of so doing: that we might be publicly revealed for what we are. The Judgment Seat of Christ, therefore, will strip us of all sham and pretence, and reveal us in our true light.

Secondly, there are words in italics that should be eliminated from the verse: done, his, it be. Remove them, and give the above meaning to the word "appear," and the verse now reads:

"For we must all be publicly revealed (for what we are) before the Judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things in (Gr. dia - through) body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad."

This teaches that first our characters will be publicly made manifest for what they are, and then we will receive through the body either good (eternal life) or bad (death) according to our past actions.

In determining the reward, certain things will be brought into the open. The following are some relevant passages:

"The Lord will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts" (1 Cor. 4:5).

"Every man's work shall be made manifest" (1 Cor. 3:4).

"Every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12).

"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" (Rev. 20:12).

The responsible will be judged according to their works, not what they claim to be, or how they speak, but what they are and what they have done.

The Scriptures throughout emphasise this:

"Unto Thee, 0 Yahweh, belongeth mercy: for Thou renderest to every man according to his work" (Ps. 62:12).

"If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works?" (Prov. 24:12).

"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him" (Isa. 3:10-11).

"He shall reward every man according to his works" (Matt. 16:27).

"Not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified" (Rom. 2:13).

"By works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:24).

Similar expressions are found in 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:5-9; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 2:23; 11:18; 20:12-15; 22:12, etc.

The Judgment Seat will reveal things that have been kept secret:

"For there is nothing covered; that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore, whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops" (Luke 12:2-3).

In other words, one's character will be openly revealed for all to see. The secret good will be then made manifest as well as the secret evil:

"Thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:4).

Moreover, sins of ignorance will be brought to our attention, for it is a feature of human nature, to which Christ drew attention, that whilst it can plainly see faults in others, it does not always recognise them in oneself. We are usually excellent physcians when it comes to prescribing what others should do to correct their spiritual ills, but we frequently fail to apply the remedy to ourselves. Christ drew attention to the symbolic beam that shut out all vision from the Pharisees, though they could plainly see the splinter in the eyes of others. They were not unique in that; and we all probably are guilty of the same failing, more or less. Again, we find it easy to justify a course of action that others might criticise, for there are "none so blind as those who will not see."

All such hidden sins of omission and commission will be brought to our notice with infallible wisdom and irrefutable evidence. The revelation of these things, at present hidden from our eyes, will make it completely obvious, that despite all our works, we are not worthy of the Kingdom of God. But how our hearts will fill with love to the Father and His Son when we learn that, in spite of our shortcomings, their joint compassion has made it possible for us to attain unto it.

How will these things be brought to our attention? and what will we be required to do in consequence? These questions must await our next supplement. [see next article] -H.P.M.

 

 

 

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