(There are different judgments, for different and distinct purposes, and four are very important:

First is the judgment of sin upon the cross, and all who believe in Jesus have had their sins judged there, and washed by his blood.)

 

Ezekiel 18:20a The soul that sinneth, it shall die.

 

Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death;

 

II Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

 

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

  6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

 

(Then for those saved, washed in his blood, will be the judgment seat of Christ.

There could not be the judgment seat of Christ, unless there is first the judgment of the cross.

Because, then, all of us would be condemned before Jesus, to the eternal lake of fire.

So, no, first our sins our judged at the cross, and only then can our service be judged at the judgment seat of Christ.

At the judgment seat of Christ, there are either rewards, or lack of rewards, for our service to him, but not condemnation:)

 

Romans 14:10b  for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

 

II 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.

 

I Corinthians 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

  12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

  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.

  14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

  15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

 

(Then at the beginning of the kingdom was another judgment, the judgment of the nations.

This was not a judgment of individuals, to determine their eternal destination.

That is already done, either at the cross, or later, after the kingdom, at the great white throne judgment.

No, the nations, as nations, had to be judged.

This world has been divided into nations, ruled by kings, or other kinglike leaders.

There have been some nations that were established far more righteously than the others.

There have also been some nations that have been far more wicked than the others.

Some nations attacked, looted, and all but destroyed other nations.

But the nation that the LORD took out of Egypt, and established for himself, is Israel.

So, all the other nations are considered in light of the LORD’s nation, Israel.

They still, as nations, require judgment on how they treated Israel.

The nazis may have lost the war, but have they, as a nation, been judged, yet, on how they treated Israel?

These things cannot be swept under the rug, and they must be dealt with at the national level.

That is why Jesus has the judgment of the nations, at the beginning of the kingdom.

And their judgment looks to be related to how they treated Israel, not only like the holocaust, but during the time of Jacob’s trouble:)

 

 

(There remains one more judgment to consider, that is the great white throne judgment.

After the thousand year kingdom will be the great white throne, where those not saved, will be judged for their works.

But, since they didn’t have their sins judged at the cross, they will still be in their sins, and not written in the book of life.

These will then, sadly, go to the eternal lake of fire.

That judgment is described at the end of chapter 20.)

 

 

(So, the judgment of the cross, happened at the end of the dispensation of law, ushering in the dispensation of grace.

During the dispensation of grace, anyone who repented and believed on Jesus, had the judgment of the cross applied to them.

Then, after the blessed hope, while the world will be in tribulation, the saved will appear before the judgment seat of Christ.

Then, after Jesus returns at the end of the dispensation of grace, he establishes his kingdom.

This will begin the dispensation of the thousand year kingdom.

At the beginning of the dispensation of the kingdom, surviving countries will face the judgment of the sheep and goat nations.

Then, after the dispensation of the thousand year kingdom, there will be the great white throne judgment.

That will complete the judgments, as well as the dispensations.

And then everyone will be in an eternal state, either with Jesus, or in the lake of fire.)