This is not an in-depth study of this subject, but rather a panoramic view, as we take a quick look at the future tribulation Judgment and what comes next.
Before we put the Judgments in order, we need to learn why God judges mankind and when the first Judgment took place.
As you read each section, you may think of additional Bible verses or points of view that could have been used, but please keep in mind that the purpose of this study is to provide you with enough basic information to help you see the whole picture concerning the Judgment to come.
This is a lengthy study…are you ready?
The Need for Judgment
Many Christians look at God as a God of love. And He is, but we need to remember that He is also a God of justice and judgment.
God does not condone sin. Judgment must be made as we learn from Bible history of a few examples, such as
- when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God passed Judgment on them when He banished them from Eden.
- God judged mankind because of their gross sin when He flooded the earth and saved only eight people out of possibly billions.
- After the flood, when the people decided to build a tower to reach heaven, God confused their language. This is a Judgment upon them for their disobedience and arrogance toward God.
And the Judgment list goes on, but I’m sure you catch what I’m saying.
God is pure, holy, just, merciful and forgiving…and loving. God IS love, and that is why He is just.
- Jesus took the Judgment of sin on Himself through His horrible death on the cross. Believers are no longer condemned, Romans 8:1.
- The cross also signified Judgment on the unbelieving world and on satan and his demons, John 12:31.
God judged Israel and the nations until Jesus, through His death and resurrection, became the Judge of all the earth, John 5:22, “The Father judges no one, but has entrusted all Judgment to the Son.”
There are still Judgments occurring today in this Church age with believers practicing self-judgment to assess their spiritual condition, and confess their sins, 1 Corinthians 11:28, 31. We are instructed to be more like Christ, which means to be spiritually discerning about our spiritual condition, Ephesians 4:21-23.
And then there are future Judgments to come.
The Imminent Rapture
[Women’s Bible Teaching takes a preTribulational approach to eschatology regarding the end times.]
To help us with perspective, it will be beneficial to understand some Bible facts about the Rapture before we look at the Judgments to come.
We are told that nothing needs to happen in the world, no signs or wonders will precede the Rapture event. This is called the doctrine of imminency, meaning the Rapture could happen at any moment, without warning. It could be today or years from now.
Every generation has lived with the expectancy of Jesus returning in the air before their death, and we are no different.
Let me repeat myself, there is nothing yet to happen before Christ’s appearance in the air. If there were, then there would be no imminent return of Christ.
This next statement may be an eye-opener for you, as it was for me. Jesus commanded believers to take the Gospel into the whole world, as has been done by every generation. We believe this, right?
However, Jesus did not put a condition on this command. He did not say that the Gospel had to be heard by everyone before He could return for the Church.
It is not a condition of the Rapture but rather a condition for the Second Coming of Christ, which are two different events. Many Christians believe that it is a condition of the Rapture, but it isn’t. Scripture supports the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
Let’s start at the beginning.
Greek Meaning of Rapture
The word ‘Rapture’ is not in the Bible. If you look for it, you won’t find it because it is an English word.
However, the Latin translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:17, which translates the Greek harpazo (to catch up or carry away) as rapiemur from the Latin rapio. The Greek harpazo occurs fourteen times in the New Testament with four variations of meaning, each of which contributes to our understanding of what Paul is describing in verse 17:
“Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with the dead in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” 4
Notice that Jesus will meet us in the air and not set foot on the earth.
Paul also taught the Corinthian believers that the Rapture is a sudden event. This event cannot be timed; in other words, we cannot put a date on it. Read 1 Corinthians 15:52, where we learn:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The key words we are looking at are “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”. No one can predict when this will happen. It is imminent, it can happen at any time, and as believers, we need to be prepared. How? Through salvation. That is the only thing that prepares us.
Also, keep in mind that the Rapture is a different event from the Second Coming, which occurs at the end of the Tribulation period.
Who is the Rapture for?
The Rapture isn’t for everyone, but only for those who have expressed their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (and innocent children too young or have the mental capacity to believe). Those who do not believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour will not be ushered into His presence on that day, in that moment. They will be left behind to endure the suffering and horrors of the Tribulation.
Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:1-3:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Basically, Jesus is saying that only those who believe in Him will be caught up in the air to meet Him to be with Him in the place that He has been preparing for us.
Let’s end with this: the Church will escape the Tribulation as Revelation 3:10 says
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Tribulation Judgments
Let’s look at a few of the future Judgments indicated on this timeline.
Source: Women’s Bible Teaching with Cindy Fraser
So we have established that the Rapture takes place before the Tribulation period begins.
As you view the Future Judgment Timeline, you will see that the Rapture is immediately followed by the first Judgment.
The Bema Seat Judgment
Let’s turn to 2 Corinthians 5:10, where Paul teaches that
For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is also known as the Bema Seat of Christ. It is the official seat of a judge. Herod sat in the bema seat when his wife said to him not to have anything to do with Jesus, as she had had a dream about Him in Matthew 27:19.
Jesus will sit on the Bema seat to judge the Church (both Jewish and Gentile believers) according to the things we have done.
Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 15:52:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The keywords to look at now are raised incorruptible and changed.
We know that as believers, Jesus judged us for our sins when He took them on His body on the cross. Though we are forgiven, we still have a sin nature to deal with.
Heaven is a place free from sin. No impurities are allowed. Zero tolerance toward sin. Our sin nature is not welcome there.
So, in the twinkling of an eye, our sinful nature, our sinful bodies are changed from corruptible to incorruptible. We are changed from sin-full to sin-less immediately before entering heaven.
Do you have that picture in your mind now?
Now, look at the timeline again. There is one Judgment that takes place in heaven upon our arrival because His Bema seat is located there.
Our Works Will Be Tested
Paul said that we will be judged according to our works, whether they were good or bad.
Turn the pages to 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, where we learn that our works will be tested by fire to see what sort of thing it is. Works of lasting value will survive, and then rewards will be given. But if our works are burned in the fire, we will not receive any rewards. Jesus calls these rewards “crowns” in Revelation 3:11.
Suffice it to say that we are not kicked out of heaven if our works are burned. Unfortunately, we won’t have any rewards, but praise God, we are still with Jesus.
The Tribulation Judgment & Jesus Second Return
Right after the Bema Seat Judgment, seven years of Tribulation will begin once the Church is removed from the earth. The restrainer is also removed from earth, giving way for lawlessness to abound.
The unbelieving Jews and Gentiles who are left behind will experience many horrors. Jesus spoke with John about this event in the book of Revelation as He told of evil spreading without restraint. What we consider today as evil is only a taste of pure evil things to come.
The first three and a half years will seem relatively peaceful. People may marry, babies will be born, death will occur, and life will seem somewhat “normal” even as lawlessness escalates.
Through all this, there will be natural disasters during the Tribulation, the likes of which have never been seen. Revelation 6 and 8 describe these disasters.
Yet, throughout these horrors, there will be people who will accept Christ as Lord and Saviour as they repent for their sin of unbelief.
These people will come from every tribe and nation to be part of the redeemed, but they will have to continue to the end of the Tribulation age. They will live in fear of “being caught” for they will be persecuted, and many will be martyrs for their faith, Revelation 6:9. These new believers are known as the Tribulation saints, both Jews and Gentiles.
Jesus Second Coming
When the Tribulation period is over, Jesus will return and will set foot on the earth. This is His Second Coming.
Zechariah 14:4 “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south.”
Matthew 24:29-31“Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
When Jesus returns this second time, He will bring with Him His army in heaven (Revelation 19:14) to the battle of Armageddon (Gog and Magog), Revelation 19:7-21.
The Judgment of the Gentiles (Sheep and Goats)
Those who are still alive at the end of the Tribulation years will see the Second Coming of Christ.
You may have wondered about the Scripture passage that talks about the sheep and goats. Let’s examine it together.
Matthew 25:32-33 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
When does this Judgment occur? Will we who are alive be in this Judgment?
Remember, we talked that the Church will already be in heaven and will have been judged at the Bema seat of Christ. Therefore, the Church won’t be part of this Judgment of the sheep and goats.
So, who is this Judgment for, what is it, and when will it happen?
Matthew 25:31-46 tells us that the sheep and goats are the Gentile nations who will be judged for what they did and didn’t do for the nation of Israel.
As you know, the Tribulation is a period of seven years. Three and a half years are considered good years, while the second three and a half years will be severe.
Neverthirsty.org (When and where does the Goat and Sheep Judgment occur?)
During the Tribulation years, many Jews and Gentiles will come to the saving knowledge of Christ and will accept Him as their Lord and Saviour. Many will even die for their newfound faith, Revelation 6:9.
The Son of Man will sit on His throne of glory, Matthew 25:31, and will begin separating the sheep from the goats. Does this mean they will be standing before Him in heaven? What do you think?
Sheep and Goats Separated
Remember the timeline, Jesus has returned the second time with His armies for the final Tribulation battle. Right after that, He begins separating the nations, separating the sheep and goats from each other. So, no, they are not standing before Him in heaven; this Judgment will occur on earth.
In ancient days, shepherds herded both goats and sheep together. While sheep are pretty docile animals, goats are generally rambunctious, causing trouble wherever they go. The shepherds would separate the sheep and goats since the two don’t get along very well, especially at nighttime. 1
Those who accepted Christ will be placed on His right side; they are the sheep. Those who did not accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour will be placed on His left side, a place of rejection; they are the goats.
This Judgment is also called the Judgment of Nations (or Gentiles). The Lord Jesus will sit in Judgment over the Gentile nations, who will be judged according to their treatment of Israel during the Tribulation years. Those Gentiles who treated Israel favourably (giving them aid, Matthew 25:35-40) will be granted entrance into the millennial kingdom. Those who persecuted Israel, the goats (Matthew 25:41-45), will be banished to everlasting punishment, Matthew 25:46. 3
Separation of the Sheep and Goats, Wheats and Tares
This is the Judgment verdict, the goats will be banished to everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his demonic angels, Matthew 25:41, 46; 7:23; 13:40.
Just as at the harvest time, the wheat and tares are separated. Along the shore, the good and bad fish are separated, and the corn and chaff are separated. The wicked and godly dwell together and are not visibly differentiated from each other, but one day, they will be separated forever. 2
Satan and his demons are judged and bound for 1,000 years and cast into the bottomless pit (Revelation 19:20; 20:1-3). There will be no satanic influence in the millennial years.
So, now the unbelievers are gone and only the sheep, the Tribulation saints, are left. These are those who will live during the millennial reign. And just as during the Tribulation years, babies will be born, but this time, those babies will grow up in peace, not knowing sin or its consequences. But because mankind still has a sin nature, we will see how that nature rises at the end of the millennial age.
The Millennial Reign
Immediately after the Judgment of the Nations, the Tribulation saints will be ushered into the Millennial kingdom, and for this study, referred to as the Millennial saints.
There will be no sin for the next thousand years, though everyone will still have a sin nature. That has not yet been dealt with at this point. Jesus will rule and reign over the earth along with the martyred saints, Revelation 20:6, and the resurrected Old Testament saints, Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:4-6.
The Millennial saints will have earthly bodies, so they will marry and repopulate the earth without the devastation of sin taking its toll. Everyone will enjoy the benefits and blessings of Christ’s reign on the earth. 5
Are you thinking that no one can marry at this point? Remember, these people are still living on earth in earthly bodies.
Jesus will reign in the temple in Jerusalem over the Millennial saints, so everyone will know who He is.
So, if you think about it, those who enter the millennial years will be saved, but by the end of this period, it is possible that millions more will not be saved. They will not have decided to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour, even though they lived in peace and the blessings of Christ’s reign on earth. Bottom line, don’t count on millions of people getting saved during this period.
This leads us to the release of satan and his demons from the bottomless pit.
The Great White Throne Judgment
This is the final Judgment, the Great White Throne Judgment, Revelation 20:11-15. Jesus has no tolerance for sin whatsoever, and at this point, He will not offer any more “second chances.”
Satan and his demons will be released for a short season from the bottomless pit to deceive many throughout all the earth, Revelation 20:3, 7. Millions and even billions will be deceived.
After this season, Jesus’ Judgment will be quick and final. Hell and Hades will give up their dead from all eras of history for this Judgment where their verdicts are read, and they are cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.
Satan, his demons, and all those who chose to follow him from the Millennial years, along with the beast and the false prophet, are all banished to the lake of fire for all eternity.
The New Creation
Once the final Judgment is completed, a new heaven and new earth will be created for us for all eternity, Revelation 21:1. The sin-bound old earth will be destroyed and replaced with a new earth that will survive time.
Do you remember the verse about no more pain or sorrow? It’s in Revelation 21:4,
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
It’s at this time that the new Jerusalem will descend from heaven, and believers will enjoy all eternity with God, Revelation 21 and 22.
Reference Sources:
- Grace to You, (gty.org), The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats
- Blue Letter Bible, BlueLetterBible.org, Commentary by Matthew Henry, Matthew 25:31
- Got Questions, (gotquestions.org), What are All the Different Judgments in the Bible?
- David Jeremiah, (davidjeremiah.blog), What is the Rapture?
- Got Questions, (gotquestions.org), Why Is God Going to Release Satan After the 1,000 Years?
Further Study/Reading:
A Comparison and Contrast Between Our Present World, the Millennium, and the Eternal State (http://www.middletownBiblechurch.org/proph/millenim.htm)
This has been quite the study. Thank you for joining me! I trust that you understand the tribulation judgments much better now. You are now equipped to share this information with those around you.
In Him We Live,
~ Cindy ~
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