Are There Three Judgment Days or Just One?
The Bible tells of three judgment days. These judgment days are known as the Judgment Seat of Christ , The Throne of His Glory and The Great White Throne.
The Judgment Seat of Christ
Those within the “body of Christ” are saved and will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is a judgment of rewards, not a judgment of punishment of our sins, because when Jesus Christ died on the cross, He forgave the sins of the entire world.
Members of the “body of Christ,” are saved by believing the gospel of I Corinthians 15:1-4, known as the gospel of the death, burial and resurrection. These believers have believed that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried and rose on the third day.
I Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
In II Corinthians 5:10 Paul tells us that all believers of the gospel will appear 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.
In I Corinthians 3:10-15 Paul tells us about being judged for our rewards at The Judgment Seat of Christ.
I Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
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.
The Throne of His Glory
The judgment that will take place on The Throne of His Glory is known as The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats. This judgment will take place in Jerusalem at the end of the Tribulation. This judgment of the sheep and goats is a judgment of Gentiles.
Those who will preach the gospel of the kingdom to these Gentiles during the Tribulation total 144,000 and are from the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Those Gentiles (the sheep) who believe the gospel of the kingdom are the saved. Those Gentiles (the goats) who have rejected the gospel of the kingdom are the lost.
We see in Matthew 24:14 that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world to all nations and then the end will come.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
In Matthew 25:34-40 Jesus Christ explains that those saved Gentiles who had ministered to the needs of even the least of the 144,000 who had preached the gospel of the kingdom, had done so for Him.
Matthew 25:34-40
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And 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.
To get the full context of this judgment day, you will need to read the following references. In Matthew Chapter 24 we see reference to the Tribulation. Additional description of the Tribulation is also seen in Isaiah Chapter 24. In Matthew 25:31-46 we see reference as to who is saved and who is lost at this judgment. In Revelation Chapter 7 we see this judgment day being described and that the 144,000 are from the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
The Great White Throne
The Great White Throne judgment is the final judgment and the end of human history. It is the last event that will take place before time is done away with and the eternal state is ushered in.
The Great White Throne Judgment is ONLY for unbelievers of every time period of history. Here they face their doom, are judged according to their works, and are cast into the Lake of Fire.
Below are Bible verses relating to The Great White Throne and The Lake of Fire.
Revelation 20:10-15
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 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.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.