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WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN
After the Saints are "caught out" they are to be judged. This judgment takes place at the "Judgment Seat of Christ." The scriptures speak of five separate Judgments. They differ in five general aspects. The judgment of the Believer is threefold. At the Cross as a "sinner" for sin; this is Past. John 5:24. As a "Son;" this is Present, and consists of "self-judgment" and confession, or else the punishment of chastisement. I Cor. 11:31,32. As a "Servant;" this is future, and is a Judgment for "Works at the
"JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST” “We must all appear before the ‘Judgment Seat of Christ,’ that every one may receive the things ‘done in the body’ according to that he hath done, whether it be ‘good’ or ‘bad’ (worthless).” II Cor. 5:10. The pronoun “We” occurs 26 times in the chapter, and in every instance it means the Believer, and the Epistle is addressed to the “Church” and “Saints” at Corinth, so the Judgment here spoken of is for Believers “only.” The “Time” of this Judgment is when the Lord comes (I Cor. 4:5), and the “Place” is “in the air” (I Thess. 4:17) and before the Judgment Seat of Christ. It will not be a Judgment in the sense of a “trial” to see whether the judged are innocent (saved) or guilty (lost), for it is a Judgment of the “saved only.” It will be like the Judges’ stand at a Fair, or Race Track, where rewards are distributed to the successful contestants. Paul describes such a scene in I Cor. 9:24-27. It is not a Judgment for sin, but for “works.” This Judgment is described in I Cor. 3:11-15. “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones (valuable building stones, as marble, etc.), wood, hay stubble; every man’s ‘Work’ shall be made manifest; for the ‘Day’ (Judgment 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. If any man’s work ‘abide’ which he hath built there upon he shall receive a ‘reward.’ If any man’s work shall be ‘burned’ he shall suffer ‘loss;’ but ‘he himself shall be saved;’ yet so as by fire.” The result of this Judgment is “reward” or “loss.” All our “bad” and “dead works,” represented by the wood, hay and stubble, will be consumed, and only our “good works” shall remain. There is much which passes for Christian service which is merely human and secular, and does not count in our eternal reward. For those who deserve a “reward” it will be After the Grecian games were all over the runners, wrestlers, and successful contestants assembled before the “Bema,” or Judges’ stand, which was an elevated seat on which the Umpire sat, and the winners received a “corruptible crown” of “laurel leaves.” Some had no reward, they had lost the “Victor’s Crown.” But while there was no reward there was no punishment, they were not cast out. The New Testament speaks of Five Crowns. 1. The Crown of “LIFE.” This is the “Martyr’s” crown, and is mentioned twice. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (testing), for when he is ‘tried’ (at the Judgment Seat of Christ), he shall receive the ’Crown of Life’ which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.” James 1:12. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; behold, the Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried (tested) and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful ‘unto death,’ and I will give thee a 'Crown of Life.’” Rev. 2:10. Notice it does not say “until” death, but “unto” death. They were not to recant, but to remain faithful unto a martyr’s death. To recant was to lose the crown. This refers to the martyrs of the Tribulation Period. 2. The Crown of “Glory.” This is the “Elder’s” or “Pastor’s” crown, given by the Chief Shepherd when He shall appear. But it is not for those who serve for “filthy lucre” or “lord it over God’s heritage.” I Pet. 5:2-4. 3. The Crown of “REJOICING.” This is the “Soul Winner’s” crown. Those brought to Jesus by us will be our “crown of rejoicing” at His Coming. I Thess. 2:19,20. Phil. 4:1. 4. The Crown of “RIGHTEOUSNESS.” This is the crown of those who “love His appearing and will be given in ‘that day’” – the Day of His Appearing. II Tim. 4:8. 5. The “INCORRUPTIBLE” Crown. This is the “Victor’s” crown, and is for those who “keep under their body.” I Cor. 9:25-27. Who do not yield to their fleshly lusts. Who do not permit themselves to be diverted from the work for the Master by worldly amusements and pleasure, nor saturate their body with drugs. If we do not want to be "ashamed at His Coming,” I John 2:28, let us see to it that we keep our body “under” and so live that we shall secure a crown. |
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THE ROYAL WEDDING
The “Marriage” of the Church is prophetically referred to by Jesus in the Parable of the “Marriage of the King’s Son” (Matt. 22: 1-14), and is consummated in Rev. 19: 7-9. “Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him: for the is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints. And he saith unto me, write, Blessed are they which are called unto the MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB.” Notice that it does not say the “Marriage of the Bride,” but the “Marriage of the LAMB.” That grand event will be not so much the consummation of the hopes of the Bride, as it will be the consummation of the plan of God for His Son, arranged for before the foundation of the World. Eph. 1:4. The “Marriage of the Lamb” is the consummation of the joy of Christ as a MAN It would not have been possible if Christ had not been born in the flesh. Otherwise it would have been the union of “dissimilar natures,” for the “Bride” is of “human origin.” This is why Jesus took His “human nature” back with Him to Heaven, and today we have in Heaven the MAN Christ Jesus. I Tim. 2:5. While the “Bride” was chosen for Christ “before the foundation of the world,” the “espousal” could not take place until Christ assumed humanity and ascended to Heaven as the Man Christ Jesus. There have been many long betrothals but Christ’s has been the longest on record. He has been waiting for His Bride nearly 1900 years, but He will not have to wait much longer. Soon Heaven shall resound with the cry - “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him, for the Marriage of the Lamb is Come.” Rev. 19:7. There have been many royal weddings of international interest, where the invited guests and spectators witnessed a spectacle magnificent in its appointments, and rejoiced in a union that bound together different nations. But the wedding of the Lamb and His Bride the Church will surpass them all, for it shall unite Heaven and Earth in a bond that shall never be broken, for what God (the Father) shall join together, no man shall ever put asunder, and that union no divorce shall ever break. The Bride shall be “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints.” Rev. 19:7,8. The word “righteousness” is plural, and should read “righteousnesses.” Not the imputed righteousness of Christ, but the “righteous acts and works” of the saints themselves, that shall remain after they have passed through the “fiery test” of the “Judgment for Works” at the “Judgment Seat of Christ.” I Cor 3:11-15. What a contrast there will be between the purple and scarlet colored dress, and jewel bedecked person, of he “Harlot Wife” of Antichrist (Rev. 17:3,4), and the spotless white robe of fine linen of the Bride of the Lamb. During the time occupied by the “Judgment of Believers” and the Marriage of the Lamb in the Heavenlies, there will be awful times on the earth. The Jews will have, in large numbers, been gathered back to their own land, Palestine. About this time ten of the Nations occupying the territory of the old Roman Empire will enter into a Federation of Nations. Among the “Ten Kings” of those nations will arise the “Antichrist.” He will soon prove himself to be a "great Ruler” and will be made PRESIDENT. The Government will be a Democratic Monarchy.” The President will make a "Covenant” with the Jewish people. It may be a Covenant restoring to them their own land and recognizing their national existence. Whatever its character, the Prophet Isaiah speaks of it as a "Covenant with DEATH and HELL.” Isa. 28:15. For 3 ½ years the President of the Federation will keep the Covenant. Then he will break it. For the balance of his reign 3 ½ years he will cause an awful persecution of the Jews, called by Jesus “The Great Tribulation.” Matt 24:21,22. For a description of this period see my larger work. In the Middle of this period, or at the time when Antichrist shall break the Covenant, there will be and Satan will be cast out into the earth and he will incarnate himself in Antichrist. Rev 12:7-9. The Antichrist will then become known as “THE BEAST,” and a second Beast will arise (Rev. 13:11-17) called the “FALSE PROPHET.” Rev 16:13;19:20. These three will make up the “Satanic Trinity.” The dragon (Satan) will be the “Anti-God.” The Beast will be the “Anti-Christ,” and the False Prophet will be the “Anti-Spirit.” The “Tribulation Period” of 3 ½ years will be the “Judgment of the Jews.” As all of God’s promises to the Jews are earthly, their Judgment must be earthly. This Judgment is a “National Judgment.” For all their national sins God is going to make them Pass Under the Rod.” Ez. 20:34-38. He is going to cast them into his “MELTING POT.” Ez. 22:19-22. Malachi 3:1-3. In the midst of their “fiery trials” in this time of “Jacob’s Trouble” (Jer. 30:4-7; Dan. 12:1), they will cry to the Lord as they did amid the brick-kilns of Egypt and God will send them Him of whom Moses was a type, even the Lord Jesus, who shall then come “with” His Saints in the “Second Stage” of His Coming, the Revelation, and as He shall descend upon the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4), they shall look upon Him whom they “pierced” and a nation, the Jewish Nation, will be re-born in a day. Ezek. 36:24-27. Isa. 66:8. When Christ comes for the Saints at the Rapture, He will be the “Morning Star.” Rev. 22:16. When He comes with His Saints at the Revelation He will be the “Sun of Righteousness.” Malachi 4:2. When Christ shall come back at the Revelation He shall find the armies of Antichrist gathered together at Armageddon (Rev. 16:13-16), and He shall destroy them with the “Sword of His Mouth” (Rev. 19:15,20,21), and the “Beast” and the “False Prophet” shall be cast alive into the “Lake of Fire.” Then all the Gentile Nations will be summoned to the Valley of Jehoshaphat for judgment, and the “Son of Man” shall sit upon the a throne erected on the earth, and He shall judge the Nations for their treatment of His brethren - the JEWS, during the “Great Tribulation,” and those nations that fed and clothed them and visited them when in prison will be known at the “Sheep Nations,” and He will say to them – “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” That Kingdom is the “Millennial Kingdom.” But to the “Goat Nations,” the nations that neglected the Jews during the Tribulation, He will say – “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels,” and “these shall go away into everlasting punishment.” Matt. 25:41-46. That is, the “Goat Nations” as nations will be destroyed, not one of them shall exist as a nation during the Millennium, and the wicked individuals that compose them will perish and be eternally lost. For a more full treatment see my book on “Dispensational Truth.”
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