The Judgement Seat of Christ vs. The Great White Throne Judgement


Answer Request:
What is the difference between "The Judgement Seat of Christ" in 2Cor.5:10, Rom.14:10, and "Judgement at the Great White Throne" in Rev.20:11-15, or are these references to one and the same event?


The judgement seat of Christ (also called the Bema Seat) is part of the FIRST resurrection (which is for the righteous in God, Revelation 20:5-6). This judgement is not a judgement for sins or wrongdoings, but rather, it’s an assessment for rewards. The actual “Bema Seat” in the 1st century was a place where athletes received their rewards from the event judges after winning in a race or whichever event. Similarly, Jesus will reward you for how faithful you were in what you did with the truth you learned and knew in this life. This event is naturally only effective for members of the Body of Christ, (ie: people who are saved by the grace gospel in this age) and will (IMHO) happen shortly after the rapture of the Body of Christ into heaven.

1 Cor.3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 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. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

On the other hand, and on a MUCH LARGER scale, the Great White Throne judgement is part of the SECOND resurrection (which is the resurrection of the unrighteous, Revelation 20:5a)

(This resurrection type occurs only once at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. Participants of this resurrection are sentenced to DEATH. At that judgment, called the Great White Throne judgment, Jesus will judge all who have rejected Him and His salvation.)

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

This massive judgment concerns every dead soul in the grave (Hades (Grk.) or Sheol (Heb.)) after the thousand-year reign of Christ on this earth, which means it involves every unredeemed person throughout history.

The event which divides the first and second resurrection types is the Millennial Kingdom. All the righteous (excluding the Body of Christ who have already been raptured) are "raised to reign with Christ for a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4), but the "rest of the dead [that is, the wicked (cursed)] lived not again until the thousand years were finished" (Revelation 20:5).



Comments