![]() ![]() But the unconverted sinner is not gone-he is not annihilated. Having served its purpose, it will be as a thing that is done with. I think it is very important to notice that the earth, as we see it at present, will have vanished away. 20 In the 12th verse we read, "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." This judgment takes place not in time, but in eternity. Let us now look at the judgment of "the dead." Turn to Rev. He judges the quick at His appearing and kingdom. This, then-the judgment of the living-might be called the judgment seat of Christ. These Jewish messengers will preach the gospel in very much the same way as the disciples did when the Lord was here on earth and as the Gentiles reject or receive them, so they will be either blessed or sent into everlasting punishment. They will go out and preach the gospel of the kingdom that we read of in Matt. 24:14 14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come. Well, the brethren spoken of here are supposed to be certain Jews that will be faithful to Jehovah after the Church has been taken up. In verse 40: "The King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." Now it has been very wisely said, "If the sheep are all the good people, and the goats are all the bad, who are these brethren?" You will see that will not fit in at all. It is the judgment of living nations, or Gentiles, on earth, who will be living when Jesus comes back as King in glory. There is no resurrection mentioned in the chapter. ![]() But this passage does not speak of any one being raised. All good people are said to be the sheep, and all bad people, the goats. We know this parable of the sheep and goats is often brought forward to prove that there is to be a general resurrection. The judgment of the quick, or living, you will find in Matt. 25:31 31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: (Matthew 25:31). Then fear came into the soul, and you wondered whether you would find yourself at last on the left hand of the Judge. So you began to think that, after all, you would have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and the question of your sins be raised again. (John 5:24): "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life." You remember the joy it gave you when you could say for the first lime, "Thank God, I have His own Word to tell me I shall never come into judgment." Then you came across this verse, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ," and it seemed to upset the other altogether. ![]() Perhaps they have found peace from such a verse as John 5:24 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life. Many real Christians get troubled in mind about this passage. ![]()
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