In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He [Jesus Christ -Yeshua] was in the beginning with God.

THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

Before Christ returns to earth the second time at the battle of Armageddon, He will first return in the air above the earth to resurrect those who are saved. This will occur at the rapture of the church prior to the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. Those who are dead in Christ will rise first followed by the rapture of the saved who are alive on earth. At the middle of the tribulation period, those who were martyred for refusing to worship the Antichrist will be resurrected into heaven. Judgment at the seat of Christ will take place after the resurrection of all who have been saved.

The judgment seat of Christ is not to be confused with a later judgment at the Great White Throne of God. This latter judgment will be for sinners who have rejected God. It will take place at the end of Christ’s Millennial rule on earth. Christ’s judgment of the saved will determine their reward in heaven while God’s judgment of the unsaved will determine their punishment in hell.

In Paul’s second letter to the church of Corinth (present day Korinth, Greece), he writes that all of the saints [the saved] must appear before the judgment seat of Christ to receive their rewards according to their works (Second Corinthians 5:10). In his first letter to the church (First Corinthians 3:8-15), Paul describes more specifically how works will be judged by Christ. The works of each saint will be tested by fire to determine if they are as gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw. Good works of gold, silver and precious stones will endure the fire. Bad works of wood, hay and straw will be burned up. Works will be judged as good or bad depending on the motive for them. If the purpose of a work was for selfish reasons or it did not build on the foundation of the gospel, then it will be consumed by fire and there will be no reward (Matthew 6:1-6, 16, 18). The worker of bad works will be saved although through the testing of fire. Works performed with the right motives will be gold, silver and precious stones that do not burn up but rather are refined to purity. Those who perform good works will receive their rewards according to the good works performed.