The Bible says that every person is appointed to die once and face God’s judgment (see Hebrews 9:27). However, there are two distinct judgments in Scripture: the judgment seat of Christ and the great white throne judgment.
The Judgment Seat of Christ: The judgment seat of Christ is reserved exclusively for born-again Christians. During this futuristic event, believers will not be judged for their sins because Jesus’ blood cleansed them thoroughly. However, they will be held accountable for their earthly works and spiritual gifts entrusted to them.
During this judgment, Jesus will test each believer’s deeds and motives by fire to determine their authenticity. He will reward each believer for the works that survive His test but will withhold rewards for the deeds that fail.
2 Corinthians 5:10 says, “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.”
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 says, “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Matthew 19:29 says, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”
Matthew 6:1 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.”
Salvation is never in jeopardy of revocation during the judgment seat of Christ (i.e., “losing a reward”) because redemption was God’s gift imparted to believers when they trusted Jesus by faith for forgiveness and salvation. Additionally, Jesus clothed believers in His righteousness and sealed them with the Holy Spirit at redemption, guaranteeing their eternal life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
John 5:24 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Romans 3:22 says, “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
The timing of the judgment seat of Christ is not specified in Scripture. Some speculate it will transpire immediately after death. Others think it will occur in stages. Still, others surmise it will happen promptly after the Millennium, allowing for the full measure of each one’s works to come to fruition. Regardless, believers will stand before God to give a full account of their lives, which should motivate us to be faithful while it is still called “today.”
The Great White Throne Judgment: The great white throne judgment is reserved exclusively for unbelievers. During this terrifying judgment, Jesus will open various books containing a written record of each one’s sinful words, actions, attitudes, choices, motives, and thoughts. He will judge each unbeliever for their sins, unbelief, and rejection of the salvation He freely offered.
Jesus will also open the Book of Life during the great white throne judgment. After “verifiying” that each unbeliever’s name is excluded or blotted out, He will cast them into the Lake of Fire to serve out their eternal sentence.
Revelation 20:11-15 says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 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 from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Hebrews 10:26-31 says, “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
The great white throne judgment's timing is at the end of the Millennium to allow for the full measure of unbelievers’ wicked works to come to fruition (see Revelation 20:7-15). One reason might be that death did not stop the impact of their ungodly acts and decisions. For example, Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, died in 1844 but led millions of people astray with his false gospel before and since his demise. Likewise, Charles Darwin, who developed the fabricated theory of evolution, deceived millions of people before and after his death in 1882. Similarly, Hugh Heffner, the founder of Playboy magazine, turned his pornographic publication into a network of parallel enterprises that continue to corrupt and exploit men and women despite his death in 2017. The list of unbelievers whose evil practices outlive their earthly existence goes on and on. Therefore, God waits to render final judgment upon them until Planet Earth comes to an end.
I hope this information was useful and provided insight into these future judgments.
