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UNDERSTANDING THE KINGDOM OF GOD
THE BOOK OF REVELATION - PART 26

John S. Torell

 March 2, 2003

CHAPTER NINETEEN Part 2
Verses : 1-9

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
It is evident that this event is going to take place after the great catching away, but before the return in power of Jesus to the earth. In Revelation 19:7 we are told that the bride of Christ has made herself ready for the marriage feast of the Lamb. The final reckoning for the believer in Christ is going to take place at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The apostle Paul gives us details of this judgment - 2 Corinthians 5:1-11

Only believers in Christ shall be present at this judgment, and here it will not be a question if we are saved or not, it is a question of rewards and our eternal positions in heaven:

Only Christ can lay the foundation of salvation! 1 Corinthians 3:1-23

Jesus gave us some insight how this court system is set up - Matthew 5:17-26
The apostle Paul gives the believers in Christ a strong warning : Hebrews 10:26-31
The believer in Christ is given the opportunity to judge himself - 1 Corinthians 11:27-32
Look at this warning - Hebrews 2:1-3; 12:25

NOTE THIS!
The Roman Catholic Church has developed its own theology on this matter. Instead of calling it THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, they call it Purgatory. According to Catholic teaching, the torment in Purgatory can be shortened if Catholics still living on earth will pray for the dead, purchase candles, and set them up in the church buildings.

Protestants in general avoid discussing the problem facing a born again believer in Christ, who has unconfessed sins and dies without clearing these up on earth.

1 John 1:4-10, Isaiah 1:16-20

To properly understand salvation, we must understand how a wedding was done at the time of Christ.

1. Marriages were arranged in advance when the groom and the bride were still children.

2. When the time came for the groom to pick up his bride and take her with him, the wedding feast was held in the house of the groom’s father.

3. A wedding day was announced, but the bride and the guests had to be ready for a 24 hour period, when the groom would come for his bride. Guests had to catch the procession going to or from picking up the bride. Matthew 25:1-13

4. Wedding garments could not be purchased ahead of time, in fact they could not be purchased at all, but were given at the door as a gift from the father of the groom. Matthew 22:1-14

At the marriage feast of the Lamb, our wedding garments will be the righteousness of Jesus.

Revelation 1:5-6; 19:8-9

        Salvation is by grace - Ephesians 2:4-10
           Salvation is an instant event - John 1:12-13
                Salvation is not a gradual process, if so, we are back to works by man. Romans 10:1-13

Man is not holding God - IT IS GOD HOLDING MAN! John 10:27-30

Human life begins at the moment of conception. The differences between a one day old child in the womb of a woman and a 20 years old person is the size of the body and the development of a person’s abilities.  If we understand this, we can understand Philippians 2:12-16

Do you have an ear to hear with?

To be continued...

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