The Judgment
The appearance of the KING and the raptured assembly of the Kingdom, described heretofore, is the turning point of irreversible judgment upon backslidden saints: wherefore, behold, a Throne is set in Earth’s Sky!
To fully comprehend the magnitude of this event, one must understand the transition of the Kingdom of God being of this World in the Old Testament and then not of this World in the New Testament Gentile Church Age, then to consummate into a Kingdom which is once again of this World in the restitution of all things.
Let it be known to the reader that the appearance of the KING in this manner is, according to 2 Timothy 4:1, “His appearing and His Kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:1). This appearance marks the physical manifestation of the Kingdom of God, its invasion from Heaven to Earth! This being the case, Christ could say (contrary to the former time), “My Kingdom is of this world”. What a profound difference! For, this is an adaptation of what Christ denied in John 18:36 and a contrary manifestation to what took place in the 1st century. Hereby, the Jews were confounded at the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, remember? The parables, being snapshots of unutterable mysteries, were hidden from the eyes of unbelievers who in turn were offended that Jesus did not restore physical sovereignty to Israel and rule the World according to prophecy. Hence, the appearance of Christ is a transitioning point of permanent change wherein the Kingdom of God is no longer within the saints, merely (Lk. 17:21), or among the saints, spiritually (2 Cor. 6:16-7:1, Matt. 18:18-20), but it appears physically to exercise rule over all peoples while the saints do rule and reign with Christ (Rev. 11:17, 12:5, 19:15, 20:4, 2:27, Dan. 7:22, 27, Zech. 14:4-21); a finality foretold by the hard-to-be understood parables of Jesus!
This is all well and good for the saints, truly, unless any one of them is forced to “stand without” the shut door of the Kingdom at such a time as this (Lk. 13:25, Matt. 25:10)! Of a truth, it was spoken to Daniel, “Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five days” (Dan. 12:12)! I mean, this is all well and good for the saints unless there be any among them who are unbelieving believers (Heb. 4:1-11, 10:38-39, 1 Cor. 10:5). This would mean the forfeiting of their saintliness because in practice, they’re unholy saints (Heb. 12:14-17, Eph. 5:3-6, Col. 3:1-11). This would mean the revocation of their invitation to the Marriage because in truth, they’re unready invitees (Matt. 22:11-12, 24:44, Lk. 12:40, Rev. 19:7). Take in the awful forewarning, my reader: “the door was shut” (Matt. 25:10, Lk. 13:25). Not just anyone is getting into the door of this Kingdom when it will manifest itself physically on the earth!
“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that Day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, an pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” – Luke 21:34-36
The anticipation of Christ’s return to earth permeates the New Testament, howbeit not for the merrymaking of carnal relaxation as is often the case with the Family Reunions of fallen society. Rather, this is a point of reckoning for the saints (Matt. 25:19), a Day of judgment for the Church (2 Tim. 4:1), a threshold of finality that inspires fear and dread concerning the great occasion that the Day brings (Heb. 4:1-11, 2 Cor. 5:11). By saying this is a Day of judgment, I don’t mean that this is the Great White Throne Judgment recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. Rather, we are told that the 1st century ascension of Christ into Heaven was, in other words, “a Man travelling into a far country” (Matt. 25:14), while in description of the 2nd Coming of Christ, it was written, “after a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them” (Matt. 25:19). There is a divine reckoning that takes place, one in which the saints will “give account to Him”, as 1 Peter 4:5 states; and upon being reckoned with, the unprofitable servants will suffer the consequences (Matt. 25:30). Therefore, the Lord will appear to the joy of some and the shame of others, depending on the individual status of each saint (Isa. 66:5-6), “for many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14). The acts of judgment wrought by Christ at His 2nd Coming are, according to 2 Timothy 4:1 & 1 Peter 4:5, the discernment / judgment of “the quick” and “the dead”.
“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom” – 2 Tim. 4:1
“…Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” – 1 Pet. 4:5
Specifically speaking, “at His appearing and His Kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:1), this judgment will take place; this is a Day of judgment in its own right but not as one might expect (Acts 10:42, 17:31, Rom. 2:16). I say again, this is not the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. So, what is it? The 2nd Coming is “the time” when the Lord will execute judgments that are categorically different than the Great White Throne Judgment, albeit He will thereby “bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts”, but of who and how exactly (1 Cor. 4:4-5)? Well, from a redemptive perspective, this is the long-looked-for salvation which, according to 1 Peter 1:5, is “ready to be revealed in the Last Time”. This is the day of rest for which the saints labor (Heb. 4:11, 2 Cor. 5:9, Rev. 14:13), the finish line for which they race (2 Tim. 4:7-8, 1 Cor. 9:24-27), the overcoming victory for which they fight (1 Cor. 9:26, Eph. 6:10-13, 1 Tim. 6:12, 2 Tim. 4:7-8, Jn. 16:33, Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3:5, 12), as long as the formerly stated laboring, running, and fighting is found to be worthy of the Kingdom of God (1 Thess. 2:11-12, 2 Thess. 1:11, Luke 21:34-36, Rev. 3:4).
With the 2nd Coming of Christ in view, Paul called the Lord Jesus, “the Righteous Judge” (2 Tim. 4:8), and for good reason! For, did not Peter say to the Church, “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet. 3:14)? In other words, seeing that we look for such things, we should be diligent to be found of Jesus as “the quick” and not “the dead” (2 Tim. 4:1, 1 Pet. 4:5, Eph. 2:1, 5); I mean, lest Jesus Christ says to us what He said to the Church of Sardis, “…I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead” (Rev. 3:1). So, what happens if a saint is found to be unworthy, imperfect, spotted, blamable, or spiritually dead at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? Ah, my reader! Reconsider the words of the Lord Jesus when He descriptively foretold the 2nd Coming, saying,
“But He held His peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, and said unto Him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” – Mark 14:61-62
“When 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” – Matt. 25:31
At the appearance of Christ in the 2nd Coming, behold: there is a Throne set in Heaven! Nominal Earthlings will see what Ezekiel described (Ezek. 1:2-28), only in Earth’s Sky! Can you believe it? Yes, Christ will circuit the Earth while Seated on a Throne being carried like a chariot by the wheeled and winged creatures that Ezekiel described (Ezek. 1:2-28, 10:1-22)! Apparently, when the fulness of Deity is seated upon his Throne, not only does the Throne resemble “the fiery flame” but, moreover, the wheels are “as burning fire” (Dan. 7:9)! For, if this weren’t the case, and Christ didn’t in fact circuit the earth on the Throne, why is the image of Christ enthroned what petrifies the minds of those who flee the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 6:15-17) and not rather a dreadful exclamation of the Man on the White Horse (Rev. 19:11-16), except that the awful and majestic scene of Christ being enthroned is the most fearful sight their earthly eyes did ever see! This, taking place around day 1,264 or beyond, is but a matter of days before the awful moment when Christ will descend the Throne and mount a white horse to lead an army of holy angels into war against Babylon, as described in Revelation 19:11-16! For now, however, at the grand entrance of Christ’s Kingdom on Earth’s Skyline, it pleases the Lord that He would on this wise be dreadfully regarded by all men as: “Him that Sitteth on the Throne” (Rev. 6:16)!
While it may appear that the 2nd Coming of Christ in Matt. 25:31-46, & Matt. 13:36-43, 47-50 prophesy of the appearance of the Judgment Seat of Christ in Earth’s Sky as one and the same event as the Great White Throne judgment wherein the angels will cast the wicked into the Lake of Fire, an event which happens over a Millennia later (Rev. 20:11-15), this manner of time-gap prophesying is not out of the ordinary when it comes to prophecy of the Last Days. Admittedly, Day 1,260 isn’t “the End of the World” (Matt. 13:40, 49) according to Revelation 20:11-21:8, but it is the end of the 70th week of Daniel which marks the finishing of Israel’s iniquity (Dan. 9:24) and the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel (Matt. 24:3, Acts 1:6, 3:21).
Moreover, what happens to the saints who are found unworthy, imperfect, spotted, blamable, or spiritually dead at the coming of Christ is in accordance with this heavenly scene? Like the flaming chariots of holy angels caught Elijah and took him into Heaven in the twinkling of an eye, myriads of holy angels will be seen going forth from the Throne to separate and divide mankind (Matt. 24:31, 25:32) by gathering together out of Christ’s Kingdom all that do offend (Matt. 13:41), which is an effectual severing of the wicked from among the just out of the earth (Matt. 13:49, Rev. 11:15) in that, namely, the righteous are raptured into the sky as those who are worthy to stand before the enthroned and glorified Son of Man (Lk. 21:34-36, Matt. 25:31-34, Mark 14:61-62)! This separation of mankind in the earth is both lawful and punctual for the making of a new era of redemption that is being manifested in that, “The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). According to Holy Scripture, this is the beginning of the End of the World.
I say that this is the beginning of the End of the World for reasons twofold: Firstly, as you will soon see, when the full volume of divine wrath is poured out upon the earth via the 7 Vials, both the heavens and the earth will be effectively destroyed (Matt. 24:35)! Secondarily, by Day 1,290 the Devil, who is the King of Celestial Babylon (Rev. 9:1-11, Isa. 14:12) and the “the god of this [fallen] World” (2 Cor.4:4), will be bound by chains and banished from the World (Rev. 20:1-6). Hereby, “the World” as it once existed will come to a staggering halt! And, thereafter, Jesus Christ will reign for 1,000 years on the same planet by enacting divinely powerful blessings of healing and life to the earth (Ezek. 47:8-11)! Therefore, fittingly, and as a loud announcement of all that is about to transpire, the Throne of Christ will appear in Earth’s Sky first of all! Necessarily so, I mean, the enthronement of Christ that took place behind the veil of Heaven at Jesus’ ascension in 33 A.D. will at last be unveiled for all to see! Hereby, the controversy ends. This is a pointed fulfillment of prophecy because long ago the Davidic Throne was prophesied to one day flourish into an eternal and unrivaled dominion over all the Earth (Isa. 27:6, 11:10, Num. 14:21, Dan. 2:35, Ps. 72:19, Zech. 14:9, Ps. 22:28, Isa. 11:9, Hab. 2:14, Ps. 86:9, Matt. 13:31-32, 33). Thus, men shall be made to look upon the Davidic Throne in Heaven that Christ ascended in 33 A.D. as it invades Earth’s Skyline! The legal and rightful King of the World (Acts 2:25-36, Ps. 110:1, Ps. 2:8, Dan. 7:13-14) will on this wise descend into Earth to exercise rule. This is the awful “Judgment Seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:9-10, 2 Cor. 5:6-10), the much anticipated and often-spoken-about Seat that all men must one day stand before and be judged, however that time is not yet.