All Doves:

This segment of "The Biblical Theme of The Bride" deals with the final aspect of this series of posts.  We will be looking at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Because this deals with the Feast of Trumpets and the Wedding of the Messiah, there will be one additional ancillary related post titled "The Feast of Trumpets".

The marriage parable shows how the Bride and Groom intimately know each other in the Bridal Chamber.  When we get to heaven, all our works will be known and judged.

Daniel 7:10  - "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened."

2nd Corinthians 5:10  - "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" = "bema" in Greek.  Every individual will stand before God, and be judged for what he did with Christ Jesus.  Christ Jesus will be our advocate.  1st John 2:1, states that, "My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"  The meaning of the English word "advocate" is comparable to our word "attorney".  If I had to go to trial tomorrow, I would want to have the best attorney money could purchase.  In this case, the believer has the ultimate of an attorney and it would be the equivalent of having an attorney "pro bono".  God is the judge, the prosecutor, and the defense attorney all wrapped into one!

Romans 4:10  - "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought by thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

Nehemiah 8:1  -  "And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel."

Nehemiah 8:2  - "And Ezra the priests brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, open the first day of the seventh month."  This is the Feast of Trumpets!

Nehemiah 8:3  - "And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law."

Nehemiah 8:4  - "And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood  [like a bema, judgment seat platform], which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam."

Nehemiah 8:5  - "And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:"

1st Corinthians 3:13  - "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

1st Corinthians 3:14  -  "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward."

1st Corinthians 3:15  -  "If any man's work shall be burned , he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

1st Corinthians 3:16  -  "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

Throughout this entire series of posts we have seen that this grand theme of "The Biblical Theme of The Bride" is both revealed in the New Testament, but has a Biblical basis built upon in the Old Testament.  I should note here that I have not covered all 850+ verses that make up this beautiful picture of Christ Jesus as the Bridegroom and the Church (Bible-believers) as the Bride.  At a guess, I would have to say that I have only covered 90% of the text material.  This could not all be done in a series of posts.  It is of such content size, that it could only be done in a book of 500 pages. 

The next post on this will deal with the Feast of Trumpets.

God Bless,

Pastor Bob