Judgments Taken from Footsteps of the Messiah, by Arnold Fruchtenbaum
C. The Judgment Seat of the Messiah pgs 155-158
The second major element in the eschatology of the invisible church involves the judgment seat of the Messiah. As indicated by Luke 21:34-36, the result of the rapture is that believers will stand before the Son of Man. Hence, this is a judgment that will take place in heaven after the rapture of the church. What will be judged is not the believer’s sins, but his works.
1. The Judgment
Three passages deal with this particular judgment. In the first passage, Romans 14:10-12, Paul simply stated the fact that such a judgment will take place:
silver, and precious stones or of wood, hay, and stubble. If a believer is doing the will of the Lord, obeys His commandments, and fulfills the ministry for which he received his spiritual gifts, then he is building on the foundation with gold, silver, and precious stones. But where he falls short of these things, he is building with wood, hay, and stubble. While the believer’s sins themselves are not brought out in this judgment, they do play an indirect role in this judgment. When the believer is living in a state of unconfessed sin, he is building with wood, hay, and stubble, and not with gold, silver, and precious stones. Thus, there are severe consequences for a believer living in sin, consequences that will last for one thousand years.
In verse 13, the means of testing is said to be fire. When fire is applied to wood, hay, or stubble, these materials are burned up and only ashes remain. But if fire is applied to gold, silver, or precious stones, these elements are refined and become purer. Again, the means of testing shows that the judgment pertains to quality, not quantity. Regardless of how little or how much wood, hay, or stubble there may be, fire will burn it all up. Regardless of how much gold, silver, or precious stones there may be, fire refines them all. So, some believers will find all their works burned up, and others will see them refined.
Finally, in verses 14-15, the results of the judgment are given. In verse 14, those who build with gold, silver, and precious stones will find their works still remaining, but purified after the fire has been applied. Thus, these will receive a reward. In verse 15, those who have built with wood, hay, and stubble will see their works being burned up. Hence, they will suffer loss. But the loss is merely one of rewards and authority, nothing more. They will not be punished for their sins any more than a runner in a race is punished for not coming in first. Still, they will lose out on rewards. Lest anyone conclude that these people lose their salvation, the text states: but he himself shall be saved. The works of those who built with wood, hay, and stubble do not determine their salvation. Their salvation is assured, for they trusted the Messiah, and salvation is by grace through faith apart from works. But they will spend the kingdom period with nothing to show for their spiritual lives.
E. The Judgment of the Gentiles pgs 364-367
Though a great many Gentiles will be killed through the course of the tribulation and Gentile armies will suffer slaughter in the Campaign of Armageddon, a number will still be alive during the seventy-five-day interval. They will now be gathered for a judgment described in two passages of Scripture. The first passage is in Joel 3:1-3:
1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will execute judgment upon them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: and they have parted my land, 3 and have cast lots for my people, and have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
The timing of this judgment is given as being in conjunction with the final restoration of Israel (v. 1). All the Gentiles will be gathered into the Valley of Jehoshaphat for the judgment (v. 2a). The very place where the Campaign of Armageddon will end is the site where the Gentiles will be judged. A judgment of this nature, resulting in a destiny of eternal life or eternal hell, cannot be taken as a national judgment, but as an individual one. The word translated “nations” also means “Gentiles,” and this is the way it should be rendered here. The basis for this judgment will be anti-Semitism or pro-Semitism (vv. 2b-3). The Gentiles will be judged based on their treatment of the Jews during the tribulation. The sins committed against Israel listed in this indictment are as follows: first, scattering the Jews (in the middle of the tribulation); second, parting the land (Campaign of Armageddon); and third, selling the Jews into slavery (Zech. 14:1-2). Each Gentile living at that time will be judged based on his involvement in or his refusal to participate in these deeds.
The results of the judgment are given in the second passage, Matthew 25:31-46. The judge, the judgment, and those judged are identified in 25:31-33:
31 But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: 32 and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
The judge (v. 31) will be none other than the Messiah, who will sit on a throne encompassed by His glory in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. All the Gentiles still living will be gathered before Him (v. 32). Again, the Greek word translated as “nations” is also the common word for “Gentiles,” which is the way it should be taken, for this is an individual judgment on the basis of anti-Semitism or pro-Semitism. In this judgment, the Gentiles will be divided into two camps: the pro-Semitic sheep camp and the anti-Semitic goat camp (v. 33).
Matthew 25:34-40 concerns the pro-Semitic sheep:
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; 36 naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungry, and fed you? or athirst, and gave you drink? 38 And when saw we you a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you? 39 And when saw we you sick, or in prison, and came unto you? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.
The pro-Semites are those who will provide help for Yeshua’s brethren, the Jews, during the tribulation, a time when it will be very dangerous to do so. The Jews who will have to flee into the wilderness without taking any of their belongings will often receive food, clothing, and shelter from the sheep Gentiles. These Gentiles will identify themselves with the Jews by visiting them in prison and will perform other acts of kindness to the Jewish people. Because of these acts, they will be allowed to enter the Messianic kingdom (v. 34). It is the sheep Gentiles who will be involved in the destruction of Babylon (Isa. 13:1-5). They will attain the 1,335th day and will be the ones who will populate Gentile nations in the Messianic kingdom.
As for the anti-Semitic goat Gentiles, Matthew 25:41-45 states:
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand. Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we you hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto you? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.
The anti-Semites, who will aid the Antichrist in the program of Jewish destruction, will be killed and sent to hell (v. 41). They are the ones who will fail to attain the 1,335th day and, consequently, lose out on the millennial blessing. The basis of the judgment will not be salvation or lack of it, but anti-Semitism or pro-Semitism. This fact stirs up a question when compared with Matthew 25:46: And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life. The goats will be sent to hell, while the sheep will not only enter the kingdom (v. 34), but they will also inherit eternal life. Is their salvation, then, based on their works, be they anti-Semitic or pro-Semitic? Not at all. The Scriptures make it quite clear that salvation is always by grace through faith totally apart from works. During the tribulation, the Jews will become the dividing line for those who are believers and for those who are not. Only believers will dare to violate the rules of the Antichrist and aid the Jews. Their pro-Semitic acts will be the result of their saved state. As James would say it, they will show their faith by their works (Jas. 2:18). But the unbelievers will demonstrate their unbelief by their anti-Semitic acts. The judgment of the Gentiles, then, will determine who among the Gentiles will be permitted to enter the Messianic kingdom. Only believing Gentiles will be allowed in, and the evidence of their faith will be their pro-Semitic works.[54]
B. The Great White Throne Judgment pgs 513-516
The Great White Throne Judgment, described in Revelation 20:11-12, will come after the end of the millennium and in preparation for the establishment of the eternal order:
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
This prophecy begins with a vision of one sitting on a great white throne (v. 11a). Although the person is not named, in all probability it is Yeshua the Messiah, for it is to Him that all judgment has been given (Jn. 5:22). A passing away of the old order will occur at the time of the judgment. The present heavens and earth, in existence since Genesis 1, will be done away with (v. 11b). That which was renovated for the millennium, but polluted all over again with man’s last revolt, will now be removed forever. This will leave all things ready for the judgment itself (v. 12). The judgment will pertain to all unbelievers of all time. The purpose of this judgment will not be to determine whether a person is saved, for that has been settled forever one way or the other at death. The purpose of this judgment will be to determine the degree of punishment.
There is a principle in Scripture that does teach degrees of punishment based upon degrees of sinfulness and upon greater or lesser light or knowledge and the response or lack of it to that light. In Matthew 11:20-24, Yeshua spoke of things being more tolerable for some than for others in the day of judgment:
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not. 21 Woe unto you, Chorazin! woe unto you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, shall you be exalted unto heaven? you shall go down unto Hades: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom which were done in you, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.
In Luke 12:47-48, Yeshua spoke of few stripes and many stripes:
47 And that servant, who knew his lord’s will, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes; 48 but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.
In John 19:11b, Yeshua quantified sin, saying, he that delivered me unto you has greater sin.
One’s appearance at the Great White Throne Judgment will be a direct result of failing to believe on Yeshua as Savior. However, the degree of punishment will be based on one’s works. In determining the degrees of punishment, Revelation 20:12 mentions books in addition to the Book of Life. A distinction should be made between the Book of Life, the Lamb’s Book of Life, and the other books mentioned in verse 12. According to Psalm 139:16, the Book of Life contains the names of every person who was ever born: Your eyes did see my unformed substance; And in your book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. Those who believe have their names retained in the Book of Life, according to Revelation 3:5: He that overcomes shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. However, in Psalm 69:28, the unsaved have their names blotted out of the Book of Life: Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. So then, during the judgment at the Great White Throne, those whose names are not found in the Book of Life are unsaved. Therefore, they are worthy of partaking in this particular judgment. It is at that point that the other books mentioned in verse 12 are used. These other books contain accounts of one’s deeds and responses. It is on the basis of what is written in these books that the degrees of punishment will be determined. The third book mentioned in the Scriptures is the Lamb’s Book of Life. This book contains the names of every individual who is born again. According to Revelation 13:8, their names were written in this book before the earth was ever created: And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that has been slain. This book is mentioned again in Revelation 17:8b: And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, they whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. In Psalm 69:28, the Lamb’s Book of Life is known as the Book of the Righteous: Let them be blotted out of the book of life, And not be written with the righteous. Based on God’s election and foreknowledge, this book contains the names of only those who are born again. And because salvation is eternally sure, it is impossible to be blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life.
