HEAVENLY JUDGMENTS - The Judgment Seat of Christ in the heavenlies - The ‘Bema’ seat of Christ occurs at the time immediately following the Rapture, the translation of the Church to heaven.

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WHAT IS THE ‘BEMA’ SEAT OF CHRIST? 

Dr. Elmer Towns 

The Judgment Seat of Christ

The ‘Bema’ seat of Christ occurs at the time immediately following the translation of the Church (“Rapture”–See 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

The place of the Bema seat of Christ is placed in the sphere of the heavenlies.

There are two primary passages for interpreting the Judgment Seat of Christ: Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10.

The two Greek terms translated Judgment Seat in these passages are: bemati and bematos.

In THAYER’S GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, we find the following definition for Bema:

(1) a step, pace,

(2) a raised place mounted by steps; a platform, tribune: used of the official seat of a judge (see Matthew 27:19; John 19:13; Acts 18:12,16); of the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10).

In the two passages (Romans 14 and 2 Corinthians 5) the term “judgment seat” is used of the Divine tribunal before which all believers are hereafter to stand.

In Romans 14:10, it is called “The judgment-seat of Christ,” A.V. (R.V., “of God”), according to the most authentic manuscripts.

The same tribunal is called “the judgment-seat of Christ” in 2 Corinthians 5:10, to whom the Father has given all judgment (see John 5:22,27).

At this ‘bema’ believers are to be made manifest, that each may “receive the things done in (or through) the body,” according to what he has done, “whether it be good or bad.” 
There they will receive rewards for their faithfulness to the Lord.

For all that has been contrary in their lives to His will they will suffer loss of rewards (1 Corinthians 3:15). (VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS)

From 2 Corinthians 5:10, John 5:22 and Romans 14:10, we are told that the judge at the ‘Bema’ seat of Christ is Christ Himself.

One day all the dead will be raised to stand before Christ

- the saved through the rapture to the ‘Bema’ Judgment, and

- the unsaved through the final resurrection to the Great White Throne Judgment (see John 5:29; Romans 14:10-12; Revelation 20:11-151).

The Judgment of Believers

Only those who are born-again believers will stand before the ‘Bema’ seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:1-19).

The purpose of the ‘Bema’ seat is to make a public manifestation of the essential character and motives of the individual Christian.

The believer’s works are brought into judgment, called “the things done in his body” (2 Corinthians 5:10), in order that it may be determined whether they are good or bad.

This judgment is not to determine what is ethically good or evil, but rather that which is acceptable and that which is worthless or unprofitable to the work of Christ.

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).

While it is possible to hide the true quality of one’s service for Christ in this life, there will be a tie of reckoning for the Christian. 
There is coming a time when all will be openly displayed for what

one’s true motives were.
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Results of Christ’s Judgment

The results of the Bema judgment are two-fold:

(1) a reward received or

(2) a reward lost.

If a man’s work remains undamaged by the fire, accordingly, he receives rewards (Greek misthos) … If a man’s work does not endure, and is consumed in the fire, then he shall “suffer loss.”

Everything he has devoted himself to in this life (those things done in his own strength and for his own glory) shall be burnt up suddenly.

“But he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).

It is important to notice that such a man does not suffer the loss of his salvation, but the loss of reward. The stress is not on a man’s relationship to Christ, but upon service to Christ. (Liberty Bible Commentary, Volume II, pp. 421-422.)

Dr. Elmer Towns is a college and seminary professor, an author of popular and scholarly works (the editor of two encyclopedias), a popular seminar lecturer, and dedicated worker in Sunday school, and has developed over 20 resource packets for leadership education.His personal education includes a B.S. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.He is co-founder of Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell, in 1971, and was the only full-time teacher in the first year of Liberty’s existence. Today, the University has over 11,400 students on campus with 39,000 in the Distance Learning Program (now Liberty University Online), and he is the Dean of the School of Religion.Dr. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. He holds visiting professorship rank in five seminaries. He has written over 2,000 reference and/or popular articles and received six honorary doctoral degrees. Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious education and evangelism.

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