by Dorcas Kulwa | 25 January 2020 08:46 am01
The Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great White Throne
Shalom! Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is wise and spiritually healthy to remind ourselves of truths we have learned before—whether through personal study of the Scriptures or from faithful teaching by others.
In the Old Testament, the Lord commanded the Israelites not to eat animals that did not chew the cud or have a split hoof (Leviticus 11:3–8). “Chewing the cud” does not mean belching or vomiting, but refers to the unique process certain animals have of regurgitating food they have already swallowed, chewing it again thoroughly, and then swallowing it once more for proper digestion.
This dietary law was not only about physical health or ritual purity—it also illustrated a spiritual principle. An animal like the pig, which does not chew the cud, was considered ceremonially unclean. Spiritually speaking, this points to people who hear the Word of God once but never meditate on it again, never reflect upon it deeply, and never revisit the lessons God has taught them. They “swallow” spiritual truth in the moment but never “chew” on it again. As a result, they quickly forget God’s past works and promises.
Yet Scripture calls us to the opposite—to meditate continually on the Word of God. Psalm 1:2 says of the blessed person: “…his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Like clean animals that chew the cud, we must keep bringing God’s truth back into our hearts and minds until it becomes part of our very being.
When we cultivate this habit, we strengthen our spiritual resilience against the enemy (Psalm 119:11) and remain “clean” in God’s sight.
Today, I want us to reflect on the coming Day of Judgment—because how we live now will be directly evaluated then.
Our Lord Jesus was accused by the Jews (Israelites) but crucified by the Romans (Gentiles). This reveals that both Jews and Gentiles share the guilt of His death. Therefore, redemption and forgiveness are offered to all, because all have sinned.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Just as Jesus stood before the judgment seat of Pilate and was condemned before both Jews and Gentiles (John 19:13), so on the last day, all nations will stand before Him—this time with Him as Judge, not the accused.
There are two main judgments revealed in the New Testament:
The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat) – This is for believers, to receive rewards or loss of rewards based on faithfulness (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10).
The Great White Throne Judgment – This is for all unbelievers, to be judged according to their works and condemned if their names are not found in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:11–15).
Revelation 20:11–15 (ESV) says:
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done… And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
At this judgment, there will be no escape, no hiding place. Every deed, every hidden thought, and every unrepented sin will be brought into the open.
Ecclesiastes 12:14 warns: “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
For believers, the judgment will be about faithfulness, not salvation—salvation is already secured through Christ (John 5:24). Yet, rewards or losses will be based on how we served Him.
2 Corinthians 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
This is illustrated in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14–30), where the faithful servants were commended and rewarded, while the lazy servant suffered loss.
Hebrews 9:27 –
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.”
Once death comes, your eternal destiny is sealed. No prayer, ritual, or offering can transfer a soul from hell to heaven. Ecclesiastes 11:3 reminds us: “…in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.” In other words, the spiritual state you die in is the state you will remain in forever.
If our perfect and sinless Lord stood before Herod’s judgment seat, who are we to think we can avoid the judgment of God? The question is not whether you will stand before Him—it is whether you will stand there as a redeemed child or as a condemned sinner.
Are you ready? If Christ were to come today, would you be found faithful?
Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Receive Him, live for Him, and meditate daily on His Word. Then, on that great day, you will hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:21).
The Lord bless you.
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