What Happened after Jesus' Resurrection?
The second coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and judgement of the world are very important themes of Holy Scriptures. The Bible quite clearly teaches us that Jesus Christ will come to earth again, and at His coming certain events will take place, one of which will be the resurrection of the righteous dead, or, the first resurrection, as it is also called in the Holy Scriptures. Why do we call the coming coming of Jesus Christ to earth the Second Coming? Because it is written about him in the New Testament:
Heb.9:27-28 “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”
But, before starting to speak of the Second Coming of Christ, we must first turn our attention to the events that took place after His resurrection from the dead. This will help us lay the groundwork for our study of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth. What happened after Jesus rose from the dead? After his resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples many times, taught them about the Kingdom of God, gave instructions, and even ate with them. This happened for forty days, from His resurrection to His ascension to heaven. There are many Scriptures that talk about this. Let's read one of them.
Acts 1:1-3 “The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom.”
Ascention of Jesus Christ
Forty days after the resurrection of Jesus, another important event took place - the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, to God the Father. Let's see how the Evangelist Luke described it to us in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and what happened.
Acts 1:6-12 “Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”
Prophesies About Second Coming of Christ
Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that He would come to earth again as King to judge the world. Also, His Apostles repeatedly spoke and taught about His second coming. And, as we have already read above, in the description of the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:6-12), the angels announced to the disciples, immediately after the ascension of Jesus, that He would come to earth again. He will come in the same way that the disciples saw Him go up into heaven. And now let's read a few prophecies of Jesus Christ himself, about His Second Coming.
John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.”
Matt.24:27-31 “For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together. But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Matt.25:31-34 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’.”
Matt.25:41-43 “Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me’.”
How Will the Second Coming of Jesus Happen?
Scripture says that Jesus will come to earth again! Naturally, we have the question of how it will be, and how it will happen. Let's remember how the ascension of Jesus Christ took place, which we read about in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:6-12). Jesus will come to earth again in the same way that he has ascended into heaven. So the angels told the disciples. How will the Second Coming of Christ be like His ascension to heaven?
1) First, Scripture tells us that His feet will stand again on the Mount of Olives from which He ascended. This will happen when all the nations gather to fight against Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of the prophet Zechariah.
Zechariah 14:2-5 “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in two, from east to west, making a very great valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. You shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel; yes, you shall flee, just like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. The LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with you.”
2) Secondly, When Jesus ascended into heaven, it is said that "a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). When He comes the second time, He will come with the clouds of heaven, and in the clouds.
Rev.1:7 “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.”
Mark 13:26 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”
3) Thirdly, When Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples were gathered together to see Him ascending, and angels appeared to them. When He comes to earth again, His disciples will be gathered by angels to meet Him on the clouds of heaven.
1 Thess. 4:15-17 “For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.”
Mark 13:26-27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.”
So, we see that at the coming of Jesus Christ, first the dead in Christ will be resurrected, then the living righteous will be raptured and gathered by angels to meet Him. At the same time, the living righteous will be changed in the twinkling of an eye so that their bodies will become incorruptible, similar to the bodies of the resurrected righteous. The apostle Paul described this in detail in 1 Corinthians 15.
1 Cor. 15:20-23 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming.”
1 Cor. 15:42-44, 51-55 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.
Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?”
In What Bodies Will the Righteous be Resurrected
Let's take a closer look at the bodies in which the dead righteous will be resurrected, and what changed bodies the righteous will receive at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
1) It is sown perishable, it is raised imperishable. The body we have now is a perishable body. It gets old, gets worse year after year, and finally dies. After dying, our body begins to decompose and eventually turns into dust. The body that the righteous will receive at the first resurrection will never grow old and die. It will be imperishable. It will always be young and beautiful!
2) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. The body we have now is in dishonor. It is limited in its capabilities. It needs constant care and support - clothes, food and drink, rest, bathing, exercise. We are in a lowly body. But in the resurrection of the dead, our bodies will become like the resurrected glorious body of Jesus Christ, if we are worthy to be among the resurrected righteous.
The Bible says that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). At the first resurrection of the dead, the lost glory will be returned to the people who are worthy of this resurrection. What is the glory of God, which sinned people were deprived of? Perhaps it was a special radiance or cloud that covered their bodies like a garment, which is why they were naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). But when they sinned, they saw that they were naked, because the glory of God left them (Gen. 3:7-11). We can guess this by examining a number of Scriptures that speak of the glory of God, or the glory of the Lord (Ex. 16:10, 24:16, 40:34, 1 Kings 8:11, Luke 2:9). All these scriptures describe the glory of God, and its appearance, either, as the appearance of a cloud or as a special radiance. Sometimes the glory of God is described both as a cloud and as a radiance (Ezek. 1:4, 2:1, 10:3-4).
3) It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. The bodies we have now are very weak. After a certain time of work or physical activity, we get tired and need to rest. Every day we need time to sleep. Even young and healthy people get tired. As we age, we become weaker and need more rest. Many older people become so infirm that they are unable to do anything. The bodies that the righteous will receive in the first resurrection of the dead will be very strong. They will never be tired, exhausted or in need of rest. And, as we have learned a little earlier, they will never age.
4) A natural body is sown, a spiritual body is raised. The body we have now is called the natural body. This means that it is under the direct influence of our soul, and does what the soul wants. Recall that the sphere of the soul includes our emotions, will and mind. Our soul does not always want what is pleasing to God. Therefore, in our bodies, we do not always do what God wants. The resurrected body will be spiritual. First, it will possess the qualities of the spirit. For example, Jesus after His resurrection could move in His body at an instantaneous speed. He could suddenly appear in a room where the doors were locked, and just as suddenly disappear. But at the same time, it was a body that could be felt, and in which He could eat ordinary food with His disciples (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:26-27).
At the resurrection of the dead, our body will become like the glorified body of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the expression "spiritual body" can mean that this body will be controlled by our spirit, which is reborn by God. In that body we would never sin. In that body, we will always do what pleases God. So, the righteous will be resurrected at the last trumpet, at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. They will be resurrected in a changed body. That body will be like the body that Jesus had after His resurrection from the dead. Moreover, the believers who will live at that moment will also change. Their bodies will become like the bodies of resurrected people. It will all happen in an instant. Then, the righteous, resurrected from the dead, and also the living righteous in changed bodies, will be raptured by the angels to meet the Lord Jesus Christ descending from heaven (Mark 13:24-27, 1 Thess. 4:16-17). After that, both the resurrected and the living changed righteous will always be with the Lord in their new bodies. The apostle Paul also wrote about this in his Epistle to the Philippians.
Phil.3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.”
Jesus Christ will come to earth again. For those who serve Him and wait for Him, this will be a very joyful event. For unbelievers, this will be a time of vengeance and punishment. Let's read another passage in the Bible describing to us the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
2Thess.1:6-10 “Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”
The book of Revelation describes for us the Second Coming of Christ in even greater detail. It tells what will happen in heaven, right before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and how Jesus and His angels will prepare to come down to earth. In this book it is revealed to us that Jesus and His angels will be on white horses. Jesus will appear as the King of kings on a white horse, along with His army.
Rev.19:11-16 “I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
When Will Second Coming of Jesus Happen?
We do not and cannot know exactly when the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will take place. But at the same time, Jesus himself gave us some signs of His coming, and by observing them we can know that it is close.
Mark 13:32 “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Luke 21:24-28 “They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
The Apostle Paul in the 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians wrote about another important sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ and our congregation to Him - the apostasy and appearance of the man of sin, the son of destruction.
2 Thess.2:1-12 “Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken in your mind, and not be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. Don’t you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
What Will We Do Together With Jesus?
What will happen next after the coming of Jesus Christ? What will happen to us believers after His coming? We have read in Scripture that we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). But what are we going to do with Him? Here is the answer that Scripture gives us.
2 Tim. 2:11-12 “This saying is trustworthy: “For if we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.”
Rev. 5:9-10 “They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on the earth.”
Rev. 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.”
Life in Anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus
How should we live while waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth? Jesus repeatedly warned His disciples to be ready for His Second Coming and explained to them what that meant.
Matt. 24:44 “Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Mark 13:32-37 “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is. “It is like a man, traveling to another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping. What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.”
Luke 21:34 “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.”
The Apostle Peter in his Second Epistle also describes the Second Coming of Christ and explains to us what it means to be awake and ready for it.
2 Peter 3:10-14 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.”
The Apostle Peter instructs us that, first, we must live a holy life and have godliness. Next, we must be looking for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God (that is, the coming of Jesus Christ). We also need to strive to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.
God is the Righteous Judge
In the previous topic, we considered the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, or the first resurrection, that will take place at the coming of Christ. But Scripture teaches us that there will be a resurrection not only of the righteous, but also of the unrighteous.
Acts 24:14-15 “But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets; having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
The righteous will rise to reign with Christ. Unrighteous people will also be resurrected in due time to be judged at the great white throne. After this judgment, they will be thrown into eternal fire, into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. God is a righteous Judge. If someone does not turn to Him from their sins, and does not believe in His Son Jesus Christ, then for such a person God will be a righteous Judge. The Lord will judge each such person and punish him for all his sins.
Ps.7:12-13 “If a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow. He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows.”
2 Tim. 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.”
Judgement Seat of Christ
The Bible teaches us that God will judge believers and unbelievers separately. All believing people will need to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Rom. 14:10-12 “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’” So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.”
2 Cor. 5:10 “For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
When will this judgment before the Judgment Seat of Christ take place? John wrote about this judgment on believers before the Judgment Seat of Christ in the book of Revelation. He described this judgment in the 11th chapter of Revelation, while the judgment of the rest of the people, or the judgment at the great white throne, is described by him much later, in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation. From this 11th chapter, we see that the judgment of the believers for their reward will take place immediately after the last seventh angel blows his trumpet. But we also know that at the last trumpet there will be a resurrection of the dead and a change of the living righteous, and their rapture to meet Jesus Christ descending from heaven.
Rev. 11:15-18 “The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
1 Cor. 15:51-53 “Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
1 Thess. 4:15-17 “For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.”
This judgment of believers before the Judgment Seat of Christ will take place after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the first resurrection of the righteous dead. They will stand before this judgment to receive according to what they did while living in the body, good or bad. If the deeds of a believing person are recognized as good and valuable before Christ, then such a person will receive a reward. If the deeds of a believing person are recognized as bad, do not stand the test and burn, then the person will suffer loss. He will not receive any reward, but he himself will be saved, as if from fire.
1 Cor. 3:9-15 “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.”
But it should be noted that in 2 Corinthians 5:10, bad deeds do not mean sinful deeds. They simply mean having no value before God, empty, vain, useless, unnecessary things. This is the meaning of the Greek word translated into English as “bad”. It has the meaning of uselessness or unfitness, but not of sinfulness. And it's not talking about obedience to God's commandments in your personal life, but rather about doing things in the church and using your gifts for that ministry. This is how the judgment of those who believe in Jesus Christ, or the judgment before the Judgment Seat of Christ, will take place.
Perhaps someone will ask: “What will happen to those people who called themselves believers and Christians, but lived a sinful life and did not serve God in holiness?” Those people who, although they were called believers, but did not live a holy life, sinned and never repented, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. They will not be resurrected in the first resurrection of the righteous, nor will they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. They will be resurrected along with other sinners to be judged at the great white throne and then thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). Everyone who is not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. The Lord warns believing people in His Word that if they sin and do not repent, and if they will not be victorious over sin, their names will be blotted out from the book of life.
Ex.32:31-33 “Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold. Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.” The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, him I will blot out of my book.”
Rev.3:5 “He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
The Apostle Paul often warned believers that if they sin, they would not inherit the Kingdom of God. The only alternative to the Kingdom of God is punishment in the lake of fire. There is no middle ground. At the end of the present history of mankind, each person will either be saved in the Kingdom of God, or perished forever in the lake of fire.
1 Cor. 6:9-10 “Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.”
Gal.5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.”
He Who Believes in Him is not Judged
Some Christians argue, based on two sayings of Jesus Christ, that believers will never be judged by anyone. How can this be reconciled with other passages of Scripture that we have read which clearly say that all Christians will have to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10, 2 Cor. 5:10)? To answer this question, we need to carefully consider these sayings of Jesus Christ. This will help us see what Jesus meant when he said those.
John 3:18 “He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”
John 5:24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Since the Holy Scriptures cannot contradict themselves, these statements of Jesus Christ must be considered in the light of other Scriptures that speak of the judgment of believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10, 2 Cor. 5:10). They clearly state that believers will be judged and stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. But Holy Scriptures also clearly state that believing Christians will not be judged together with unbelievers, in the judgment of the nations (Matt. 25:31-46, 1 Cor. 6:2), and at the last judgment at the great white throne (Rev. 20: 11-15). Therefore, the words of Jesus must be applied to these two judgments, and not to the judgment before the Judgment Seat of Christ, where the question of the salvation of believers will not be decided, but their rewards or losses. The words of Jesus simply mean that no person who truly believes in Him, who proves his faith by acts of obedience to God, will come into judgment with unbelievers, and will not come into judgment, the end of which will be condemnation.
Bible verses for memorization:
“Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”(Hebrews 9:27-28)
The second coming of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and judgement of the world are very important themes of Holy Scriptures. The Bible quite clearly teaches us that Jesus Christ will come to earth again, and at His coming certain events will take place, one of which will be the resurrection of the righteous dead, or, the first resurrection, as it is also called in the Holy Scriptures. Why do we call the coming coming of Jesus Christ to earth the Second Coming? Because it is written about him in the New Testament:
Heb.9:27-28 “Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”
But, before starting to speak of the Second Coming of Christ, we must first turn our attention to the events that took place after His resurrection from the dead. This will help us lay the groundwork for our study of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth. What happened after Jesus rose from the dead? After his resurrection, Jesus Christ appeared to His disciples many times, taught them about the Kingdom of God, gave instructions, and even ate with them. This happened for forty days, from His resurrection to His ascension to heaven. There are many Scriptures that talk about this. Let's read one of them.
Acts 1:1-3 “The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God’s Kingdom.”
Ascention of Jesus Christ
Forty days after the resurrection of Jesus, another important event took place - the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, to God the Father. Let's see how the Evangelist Luke described it to us in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, and what happened.
Acts 1:6-12 “Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.”
Prophesies About Second Coming of Christ
Jesus repeatedly told His disciples that He would come to earth again as King to judge the world. Also, His Apostles repeatedly spoke and taught about His second coming. And, as we have already read above, in the description of the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:6-12), the angels announced to the disciples, immediately after the ascension of Jesus, that He would come to earth again. He will come in the same way that the disciples saw Him go up into heaven. And now let's read a few prophecies of Jesus Christ himself, about His Second Coming.
John 14:1-3 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.”
Matt.24:27-31 “For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For wherever the carcass is, that is where the vultures gather together. But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Matt.25:31-34 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’.”
Matt.25:41-43 “Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me’.”
How Will the Second Coming of Jesus Happen?
Scripture says that Jesus will come to earth again! Naturally, we have the question of how it will be, and how it will happen. Let's remember how the ascension of Jesus Christ took place, which we read about in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:6-12). Jesus will come to earth again in the same way that he has ascended into heaven. So the angels told the disciples. How will the Second Coming of Christ be like His ascension to heaven?
1) First, Scripture tells us that His feet will stand again on the Mount of Olives from which He ascended. This will happen when all the nations gather to fight against Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of the prophet Zechariah.
Zechariah 14:2-5 “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city will be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city will go out into captivity, and the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in two, from east to west, making a very great valley. Half of the mountain will move toward the north, and half of it toward the south. You shall flee by the valley of my mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azel; yes, you shall flee, just like you fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. The LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with you.”
2) Secondly, When Jesus ascended into heaven, it is said that "a cloud took him out of their sight" (Acts 1:9). When He comes the second time, He will come with the clouds of heaven, and in the clouds.
Rev.1:7 “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.”
Mark 13:26 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”
3) Thirdly, When Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples were gathered together to see Him ascending, and angels appeared to them. When He comes to earth again, His disciples will be gathered by angels to meet Him on the clouds of heaven.
1 Thess. 4:15-17 “For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.”
Mark 13:26-27 “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky.”
So, we see that at the coming of Jesus Christ, first the dead in Christ will be resurrected, then the living righteous will be raptured and gathered by angels to meet Him. At the same time, the living righteous will be changed in the twinkling of an eye so that their bodies will become incorruptible, similar to the bodies of the resurrected righteous. The apostle Paul described this in detail in 1 Corinthians 15.
1 Cor. 15:20-23 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then those who are Christ’s, at his coming.”
1 Cor. 15:42-44, 51-55 “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body.
Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable body will have become imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then what is written will happen: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?”
In What Bodies Will the Righteous be Resurrected
Let's take a closer look at the bodies in which the dead righteous will be resurrected, and what changed bodies the righteous will receive at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
1) It is sown perishable, it is raised imperishable. The body we have now is a perishable body. It gets old, gets worse year after year, and finally dies. After dying, our body begins to decompose and eventually turns into dust. The body that the righteous will receive at the first resurrection will never grow old and die. It will be imperishable. It will always be young and beautiful!
2) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. The body we have now is in dishonor. It is limited in its capabilities. It needs constant care and support - clothes, food and drink, rest, bathing, exercise. We are in a lowly body. But in the resurrection of the dead, our bodies will become like the resurrected glorious body of Jesus Christ, if we are worthy to be among the resurrected righteous.
The Bible says that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). At the first resurrection of the dead, the lost glory will be returned to the people who are worthy of this resurrection. What is the glory of God, which sinned people were deprived of? Perhaps it was a special radiance or cloud that covered their bodies like a garment, which is why they were naked and not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). But when they sinned, they saw that they were naked, because the glory of God left them (Gen. 3:7-11). We can guess this by examining a number of Scriptures that speak of the glory of God, or the glory of the Lord (Ex. 16:10, 24:16, 40:34, 1 Kings 8:11, Luke 2:9). All these scriptures describe the glory of God, and its appearance, either, as the appearance of a cloud or as a special radiance. Sometimes the glory of God is described both as a cloud and as a radiance (Ezek. 1:4, 2:1, 10:3-4).
3) It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. The bodies we have now are very weak. After a certain time of work or physical activity, we get tired and need to rest. Every day we need time to sleep. Even young and healthy people get tired. As we age, we become weaker and need more rest. Many older people become so infirm that they are unable to do anything. The bodies that the righteous will receive in the first resurrection of the dead will be very strong. They will never be tired, exhausted or in need of rest. And, as we have learned a little earlier, they will never age.
4) A natural body is sown, a spiritual body is raised. The body we have now is called the natural body. This means that it is under the direct influence of our soul, and does what the soul wants. Recall that the sphere of the soul includes our emotions, will and mind. Our soul does not always want what is pleasing to God. Therefore, in our bodies, we do not always do what God wants. The resurrected body will be spiritual. First, it will possess the qualities of the spirit. For example, Jesus after His resurrection could move in His body at an instantaneous speed. He could suddenly appear in a room where the doors were locked, and just as suddenly disappear. But at the same time, it was a body that could be felt, and in which He could eat ordinary food with His disciples (Luke 24:36-43, John 20:26-27).
At the resurrection of the dead, our body will become like the glorified body of Jesus Christ. Secondly, the expression "spiritual body" can mean that this body will be controlled by our spirit, which is reborn by God. In that body we would never sin. In that body, we will always do what pleases God. So, the righteous will be resurrected at the last trumpet, at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. They will be resurrected in a changed body. That body will be like the body that Jesus had after His resurrection from the dead. Moreover, the believers who will live at that moment will also change. Their bodies will become like the bodies of resurrected people. It will all happen in an instant. Then, the righteous, resurrected from the dead, and also the living righteous in changed bodies, will be raptured by the angels to meet the Lord Jesus Christ descending from heaven (Mark 13:24-27, 1 Thess. 4:16-17). After that, both the resurrected and the living changed righteous will always be with the Lord in their new bodies. The apostle Paul also wrote about this in his Epistle to the Philippians.
Phil.3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.”
Jesus Christ will come to earth again. For those who serve Him and wait for Him, this will be a very joyful event. For unbelievers, this will be a time of vengeance and punishment. Let's read another passage in the Bible describing to us the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
2Thess.1:6-10 “Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.”
The book of Revelation describes for us the Second Coming of Christ in even greater detail. It tells what will happen in heaven, right before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and how Jesus and His angels will prepare to come down to earth. In this book it is revealed to us that Jesus and His angels will be on white horses. Jesus will appear as the King of kings on a white horse, along with His army.
Rev.19:11-16 “I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
When Will Second Coming of Jesus Happen?
We do not and cannot know exactly when the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will take place. But at the same time, Jesus himself gave us some signs of His coming, and by observing them we can know that it is close.
Mark 13:32 “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Luke 21:24-28 “They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
The Apostle Paul in the 2nd Epistle to the Thessalonians wrote about another important sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ and our congregation to Him - the apostasy and appearance of the man of sin, the son of destruction.
2 Thess.2:1-12 “Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to him, we ask you not to be quickly shaken in your mind, and not be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God. Don’t you remember that, when I was still with you, I told you these things? Now you know what is restraining him, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
What Will We Do Together With Jesus?
What will happen next after the coming of Jesus Christ? What will happen to us believers after His coming? We have read in Scripture that we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). But what are we going to do with Him? Here is the answer that Scripture gives us.
2 Tim. 2:11-12 “This saying is trustworthy: “For if we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.”
Rev. 5:9-10 “They sang a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation, and made us kings and priests to our God, and we will reign on the earth.”
Rev. 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years.”
Life in Anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus
How should we live while waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth? Jesus repeatedly warned His disciples to be ready for His Second Coming and explained to them what that meant.
Matt. 24:44 “Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Mark 13:32-37 “But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Watch, keep alert, and pray; for you don’t know when the time is. “It is like a man, traveling to another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to each one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch. Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly he might find you sleeping. What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.”
Luke 21:34 “So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.”
The Apostle Peter in his Second Epistle also describes the Second Coming of Christ and explains to us what it means to be awake and ready for it.
2 Peter 3:10-14 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.”
The Apostle Peter instructs us that, first, we must live a holy life and have godliness. Next, we must be looking for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God (that is, the coming of Jesus Christ). We also need to strive to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.
God is the Righteous Judge
In the previous topic, we considered the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the resurrection of the righteous dead, or the first resurrection, that will take place at the coming of Christ. But Scripture teaches us that there will be a resurrection not only of the righteous, but also of the unrighteous.
Acts 24:14-15 “But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets; having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.”
The righteous will rise to reign with Christ. Unrighteous people will also be resurrected in due time to be judged at the great white throne. After this judgment, they will be thrown into eternal fire, into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. God is a righteous Judge. If someone does not turn to Him from their sins, and does not believe in His Son Jesus Christ, then for such a person God will be a righteous Judge. The Lord will judge each such person and punish him for all his sins.
Ps.7:12-13 “If a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow. He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows.”
2 Tim. 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing.”
Judgement Seat of Christ
The Bible teaches us that God will judge believers and unbelievers separately. All believing people will need to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Rom. 14:10-12 “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’” So then each one of us will give account of himself to God.”
2 Cor. 5:10 “For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
When will this judgment before the Judgment Seat of Christ take place? John wrote about this judgment on believers before the Judgment Seat of Christ in the book of Revelation. He described this judgment in the 11th chapter of Revelation, while the judgment of the rest of the people, or the judgment at the great white throne, is described by him much later, in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation. From this 11th chapter, we see that the judgment of the believers for their reward will take place immediately after the last seventh angel blows his trumpet. But we also know that at the last trumpet there will be a resurrection of the dead and a change of the living righteous, and their rapture to meet Jesus Christ descending from heaven.
Rev. 11:15-18 “The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!” The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who was; because you have taken your great power, and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came, as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints, and those who fear your name, to the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
1 Cor. 15:51-53 “Behold, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
1 Thess. 4:15-17 “For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever.”
This judgment of believers before the Judgment Seat of Christ will take place after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the first resurrection of the righteous dead. They will stand before this judgment to receive according to what they did while living in the body, good or bad. If the deeds of a believing person are recognized as good and valuable before Christ, then such a person will receive a reward. If the deeds of a believing person are recognized as bad, do not stand the test and burn, then the person will suffer loss. He will not receive any reward, but he himself will be saved, as if from fire.
1 Cor. 3:9-15 “For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.”
But it should be noted that in 2 Corinthians 5:10, bad deeds do not mean sinful deeds. They simply mean having no value before God, empty, vain, useless, unnecessary things. This is the meaning of the Greek word translated into English as “bad”. It has the meaning of uselessness or unfitness, but not of sinfulness. And it's not talking about obedience to God's commandments in your personal life, but rather about doing things in the church and using your gifts for that ministry. This is how the judgment of those who believe in Jesus Christ, or the judgment before the Judgment Seat of Christ, will take place.
Perhaps someone will ask: “What will happen to those people who called themselves believers and Christians, but lived a sinful life and did not serve God in holiness?” Those people who, although they were called believers, but did not live a holy life, sinned and never repented, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. They will not be resurrected in the first resurrection of the righteous, nor will they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. They will be resurrected along with other sinners to be judged at the great white throne and then thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). Everyone who is not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. The Lord warns believing people in His Word that if they sin and do not repent, and if they will not be victorious over sin, their names will be blotted out from the book of life.
Ex.32:31-33 “Moses returned to the LORD, and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold. Yet now, if you will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book which you have written.” The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, him I will blot out of my book.”
Rev.3:5 “He who overcomes will be arrayed in white garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
The Apostle Paul often warned believers that if they sin, they would not inherit the Kingdom of God. The only alternative to the Kingdom of God is punishment in the lake of fire. There is no middle ground. At the end of the present history of mankind, each person will either be saved in the Kingdom of God, or perished forever in the lake of fire.
1 Cor. 6:9-10 “Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortionists, will inherit God’s Kingdom.”
Gal.5:19-21 “Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.”
He Who Believes in Him is not Judged
Some Christians argue, based on two sayings of Jesus Christ, that believers will never be judged by anyone. How can this be reconciled with other passages of Scripture that we have read which clearly say that all Christians will have to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10, 2 Cor. 5:10)? To answer this question, we need to carefully consider these sayings of Jesus Christ. This will help us see what Jesus meant when he said those.
John 3:18 “He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”
John 5:24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
Since the Holy Scriptures cannot contradict themselves, these statements of Jesus Christ must be considered in the light of other Scriptures that speak of the judgment of believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10, 2 Cor. 5:10). They clearly state that believers will be judged and stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. But Holy Scriptures also clearly state that believing Christians will not be judged together with unbelievers, in the judgment of the nations (Matt. 25:31-46, 1 Cor. 6:2), and at the last judgment at the great white throne (Rev. 20: 11-15). Therefore, the words of Jesus must be applied to these two judgments, and not to the judgment before the Judgment Seat of Christ, where the question of the salvation of believers will not be decided, but their rewards or losses. The words of Jesus simply mean that no person who truly believes in Him, who proves his faith by acts of obedience to God, will come into judgment with unbelievers, and will not come into judgment, the end of which will be condemnation.
Bible verses for memorization:
“Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.”(Hebrews 9:27-28)