What does the Bible say about when God will judge us?

All this is impossible to enlarge on now. But it needs to be seen in order to get rightly hold of two very different epochs of judgment which, if confounded, confuse the whole subject of the prophetic future. There is a judgment of the quick, and a judgment of the dead; and these are quite distinct from one another. The judgment of the living is at the coming of the Lord, and before the millennium. The judgment of the dead is after it, not when the Lord comes to the earth, but when the earth and the heavens flee away (Rev. 19, 20). The judgment of the living is the purification of the earth in order to its blessing, and that the meek may inherit it, as we have partly seen. The judgment of the dead is the final award at the close of all, when the object, is finally to give every one not a sharer in the "first resurrection" his discriminate award.

The more familiar a believer may be with God's final revelation of things to come unto eternity itself, the more he will see the exact agreement of this early disclosure of resurrection with the resurrection of the unjust. It is man, the prey of sorrow, decay and death, without one ray of divine light till all ends in utter gloom, but not of actual extinction. Yet it is a “sleep” only broken when “the heavens are no more.” How striking the agreement with Revelation 20:11! This resurrection is not only after the resurrection of the blessed and holy to reign with Christ, but when the thousand years of their reigning are over, after the last insurrection of released-Satan's deceit has ended in total destruction. Then comes the Great White Throne for the judgment of guilty unbelieving man. The portion of men is to die, and after this judgment; in contrast with the believers' portion which is Christ, once offered to bear the sins of many, appearing a second time apart from sin to those who look for Him unto salvation. He is the Saviour of the body also.

"WE all," says the apostle, "must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ." (2 Cor. 5:10.) He includes in this statement, undoubtedly, both believers and unbelievers, though, as will be seen in the course of these papers, there is a long intervening period between the judgment of the two classes; for there is not the least foundation in the word of God for the common idea that saints and sinners will appear at the same time before the judgment-seat. But it is with believers that we are now concerned, and their appearance before the tribunal of Christ will take place between His coming and His appearing. Caught up, as we saw in our last paper, to meet the Lord in the air, they are then like Christ, will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2), and will be with Him for ever. (1 Thess. 4:17.) The place to which they are translated, and in which they will be with the Lord, is the Father's house. This we know from the Lord's own words, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3.) There the blessed Lord will conduct all His own, and, if we way adapt the words, will present them faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24); and with what overflowing joy will He and the children God has given Him appear before His Father and their Father, and His God and their God! And with what joy will God. Himself behold the fruit and perfection of His own counsels, the redeemed all conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren! (Rom. 8:29.)

It is evident, as rewards are connected with the kingdom, that believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ before they come with Him from heaven to reign with Him. There is no actual account of the moment when it will take place; which shows, I judge, that it will be before the Lord alone, in heaven, and before He is manifested with His Saints in glory.

We will now briefly consider the manifestation of believ­ers before the judgment seat of Christ, which is spoken of in Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10. So great and solemn a subject, however, demands more than a few passing words, and we hope elsewhere to look at it more fully in its practical bearing on the Christian walk. It seems probable for several reasons that the manifestation of believers will take place after the rapture of the saints, and before the public return of Christ, when every eye shall see Him. In the first place, it cannot be before the rapture, for it evidently takes place in heaven; and Paul distinctly speaks of it as future, and as consisting of a review of all deeds done in the body. Second, inasmuch as it forms the only means of which we read of determining our places in the coming glory, according to our faithfulness down here, it will surely be all over before we are publicly displayed with Christ according to Revelation 19, when He comes in His glory to usher in the kingdom. We cannot, however, go further than this, and positively fix a time which has been left indefinite in Scripture, but can only say we believe that the saints will be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, when they are in heaven after the rapture, and before the Lord's public second coming or ap­pearing in power and glory on the Mount of Olives.

This is, of course, but the coming of the Lord in one aspect: as it bears upon the condition of the sleeping saints. The apostle goes on now to what is most closely connected with it, but yet not synonymous, as many take it. The "day of the Lord" is, in fact, ushered in by the coming of the Lord: it cannot be before Christ has risen from where He is now seated, on the Father's throne, to take that which is His as Son of man. In this character it is that all judgment is committed to Him (John 5:22, 27); and thus it is that as the Son of man He comes in the clouds of heaven and sits upon the throne of His glory. But before He thus appears, He has first of all to gather His associates upon the throne of His Kingdom; and this it is which we have been just looking at. When He appears, we shall appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4); and when He reigns we shall reign with Him over the earth. But for this we must be either raised or changed; and more than this, we must "appear," or better, "be manifested," before the judgment-seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). As to acceptance of our persons, that is already accomplished; we are "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6). Thus, personally, as He Himself has told us, he that has heard His word, and believed on Him who sent slim shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24). But the appraisal of our works is another thing, and that there shall be this we are as definitely assured. "We shall be manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ." It is the triumph of divine grace that everything can be brought out thus, and we can "give account of ourselves to God," without the least sullying of divine holiness; even under the scrutiny of the light of God, "made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12). Yet so "shall every one receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." The appraisal is for reward; and we receive reward or suffer loss accordingly. This therefore must be settled before His saints can come forth with their Lord, each in his apportioned place according to the judgment of divine holiness, as well as in manifestation of divine grace.

Though believers will never be judged on account of sin, all must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. Thus the apostle writes: "We are confident [I say] and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour (or, it is our earnest desire), that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him (or, acceptable to Him). 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. 5:8-10). No statement could be plainer to the effect that all, "we all," and therefore believers, must also appear before the judgment-seat of Christ. We ask them these two questions: first, When will this be for believers? and secondly, For what purpose will they be there?

(a) When will believers appear before the judgment-seat of Christ? It has been seen in the previous chapter that the hope of the believer is the coming of Christ; and that at His coming the dead in Christ will be raised, that those who are living will be changed, and that both will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:16-18). This applies to believers alone, and is "the resurrection of life" of which our Lord speaks in the gospel of John. If we cite the whole passage the reference will be better understood. He says, "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (judgment, kriseos) (John 5:28-29). In verse 24, He proclaims everlasting life to every one that heareth His word, and believeth on Him that sent Him; and declares that all such shall not come into judgment, but are passed from death unto life. He then proceeds, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." He grounds this assurance upon the fact that "as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man" (John 5:25-27). Then comes our passage, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming," etc. (v. 28).

But while all this is blessedly and divinely true, we must not forget the fact that there is a judgment at which all believers must appear. For we must all appear [be manifested] 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). This is when He comes. It is "the time" referred to by the apostle in a verse already quoted. It is a manifestation. "We must all be manifested." The examining judge "both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." It is for Christians only. No sinner will be there. And persons are not judged, but works. Christ will sit in His judgment-seat, but not as a judge in a criminal court. It will be more like a judge at a fair, or in a contest, or over a school examination where prizes and rewards are given. The eternal destiny of those whose works are being examined is not determined by or at this judgment, but their worthiness or unworthiness to receive crowns of "righteousness," "glory," or "life," is decided.

First of all, then, we must remember, that this passage has the character of a general divine principle, with all its force intended for the conscience of the Christian. Neither the time, nor the place of the judgment is mentioned. It has the force and meaning of a general principle of truth. It refers neither to the judgment of the quick, in Matthew's gospel (Matt. 25:31), "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him," when "he shall sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations;" that is, at at the beginning of His millennial reign; nor to the second resurrection, that is, at the end of the thousand years, when He, as the Judge of the dead, shall sit on the great white throne. But "we all,'' i.e., His saints too, "must appear before His tribunal. When? or Where? is not said. Of course, it is not before the great white throne; that is for the unbelievers. But whether as to saints, it is to be during the time of our being with Him in the Father's house (before Christ's public appearing), as some think, or at His public appearing, as others suppose, is no matter here. Enough, that that solemn, yet blessed and happy moment will appear. I say, solemn, yet blessed and happy: For whilst one would fear to utter one word that might lead to weaken in the least the solemn effect upon our consciences,which the Spirit of God intended by such words at these, yet at the same time, for a heart that knows what grace and peace with God mean; those words, notwithstanding their solemn weight for every honest Christian's conscience, afford the best assurance and comfort to his heart.

Only believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, where their works will be evaluated. All unbelievers will stand before Christ at the great white throne, where their works will condemn them (Rev. 20:11-15). A millennium (1000 years) stands between these two events. It will not be decided at the judgment seat of Christ whether or not the one who believes in Jesus will be welcomed into heaven. This matter is settled on earth the moment we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. At that instant our sins are forever forgiven and eternal life begins in our hearts, since we have responded to the love of God and have become a child of God, a sheep of Christ.