08.01. The Judgment Seat of Christ II

CHAPTER 8 - The Judgment Seat of Christ - Part II

After His encounter with the young ruler, Jesus told His disciples about the Kingdom reward that awaits everyone who leaves houses, farms and family for His sake. But what about those believers who do not give up all to follow our Lord? What awaits them at Christ’s Bema? We saw that they forfeit the blessing and glory of the Kingdom. However, there are some further details yet to be seen concerning this. The Scripture also tells us of other issues, besides Kingdom exclusion, that come out of Christ’s judgment of believers. We need to look at these other issues. Why? Because they are rarely ever taught, and yet they relate directly to our future welfare. Surely, we should have a desire to know the truth about our future, especially if it is significant truth. Our actions today will influence our welfare tomorrow. So please approach this chapter with prayer, an open mind, and a willingness to see what the Bible really says. “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). It is at the Judgment Seat where the consequences of the life we have lived as believers is decided. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). If the deeds done were good or bad, then the appropriate recompense can be good or bad. To argue otherwise is illogical and defeats any true judgment according to works. “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly” (Genesis 18:25)? All of the many passages in the New Testament that deal with the potential future rewards, positive and negative, can not be covered here in detail. I can introduce the reader, however, to many of these verses in this chapter in the hope that it will stimulate you to search further. It is your future.

Sharing Authority with Christ

        As previously stated, the important most important characteristic of the future Kingdom for the overcoming believer will be his experience of the fullness of the life of God. A second outstanding feature for these blessed believers will be the investiture of responsibility by Christ to reign as his fellow rulers during that age. Human beings were created to be productive and to rule over God’s creation (Genesis 1:26).

Those believers who have proven faithful to Christ in this age in various ways will be rewarded with rulership in the next age. We see this truth in a number of Scriptures. In Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23 (as well as in Luke 19:17; Luke 19:19) the good and faithful slaves are given authority over many things (in Luke, authority over cities). The faithful slave in Matthew 24:47 was put “in charge of all his [the master’s] possessions.” The martyred overcomers who refuse to worship the beast or to receive his mark also reign with Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4). To the overcoming saints in Thyatira, the Lord Jesus promises: “And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.” (Revelation 2:26) This promise finds its fulfillment in the millennium, as do all the promises to the overcomers in the seven churches of Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22. The overcomer in the church of Laodicea, who responds to the Lord’s call to abandon lukewarmness and “buy” (pay a price for) genuine spiritual experience, is similarly promised future authority: “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21) In summary, “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.” (2 Timothy 2:12) Particularly worthy of comment under this heading are the five crowns that can potentially be awarded to believers. A crown is a symbol of one having authority, ruling over a certain kingdom. Watchman Nee comments that “a crown represents a position in the Kingdom.” Each of these five crowns is awarded to a believer based upon some aspect of the believer’s faithfulness in the Christian life. The imperishable crown

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). Paul presented this crown as one to be gained only by the successful runner, not by all in the race. It is awarded on the basis of self-control, especially the keeping in control the body from which sin so easily emanates (Romans 6:6). When Paul wrote First Corinthians, he had still not finished his “race”, which lasts our lifetime. Thus, his gaining of the crown was still uncertain; he still risked being disqualified. It was only shortly before his martyrdom that he could declare: “I have finished the course” (2 Timothy 4:7). To live one’s life in self-control, with victory over the sinful passions of the flesh, is surely a great accomplishment worthy of a certain honor being bestowed by God. Let us be spurred by this prospect and not give in to our passions, but instead put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit (Romans 8:13). Of course, even as we learn the way of victory by the Spirit we will have some failures. These failures can be erased from our record through confession and the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus. (1 John 1:9) The crown of rejoicing

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19, NKJV) This crown is awarded on the basis of fruitful labor for the Lord in the lives of others. According to the context of 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20, this labor includes the sharing of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:4), as well as the shepherding of others in order to prepare them for the coming Kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12). Our joy in the next age will be especially magnified if we are those who help others to know the Lord and to grow in Him. The crown of righteousness

“In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). This crown is given to those who love His appearing. Do you yearn for the Lord’s appearing, or are you indifferent? Do you watch for the Lord’s appearing or is His coming just a doctrinal matter to you? Also, in context, I believe that the matter of the Lord’s appearing was an incentive to Paul for righteous living and proper service (2 Timothy 4:1), and, therefore, he fought the good fight, finished the course and kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). Based upon Paul’s righteous living, motivated by his love of the Lord’s appearing, he was assured of being awarded a crown of righteousness by a righteous Judge. What a marvelous recognition by the Lord in that Day! All who are living righteously in anticipation of His return will be awarded special position and responsibility in Jesus’ Kingdom. The crown of life

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10) This age is an age filled with trials and tribulations (John 16:33). All kinds of troubles can afflict us: sickness, the death of loved ones, poverty, dealings with difficult people and situations of all types, and even persecution for our faith. The experience of these trials could cause us to lose heart and wane in our love for the Lord and our service to Him. But, amazingly, some believers grow in their love and single-minded devotion to Him in spite of all these things. There is a coming day of reward when Christ will reward all these suffering ones who have remained steadfast. What an encouragement and incentive this should be for believers undergoing tribulation! This crown is promised to the believer who remains faithful under trial and does not succumb to it. He loves the Lord in spite of his trial and does not become bitter. And it is his love for his Lord that keeps him faithful. The crown of glory

Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:2-4). The crown of glory is a reward presented to the genuine, faithful, godly and pure shepherds of the flock. They have a pure desire to see others grow in the Lord. They sacrifice their time, their money (Acts 20:33-35), their energy and even their lives to see believers progress with Christ. They do this out of love, and out of the Lord’s will, not out of selfish desires. A special reward of glory awaits them for such a caring life. But, all of those who have claimed to be shepherds, yet do not meet these exacting requirements, will be disqualified. D. M. Panton comments on the conditional nature of any crown’s award: That a crown may be lost to a believer is as certain as any truth in the Holy Scripture. “hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11). For crowns are rewards, not given unless the conditions are fulfilled. “If also a man contend in the games, he is NOT CROWNED, except he have contended lawfully” (2 Timothy 2:5). As God has made holiness the passport to the crown, so the crown is only the manifestation of the holiness. A crown is given, not at the beginning of a race, but at the end; it is the circlet of glory granted only to the successful runner; and a successful runner is an athlete who has carefully observed the regulations of the race.

Degree of reward in the coming Kingdom can vary. As respects crowns, some believers may be awarded one crown and others may receive several. From the parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27), we see that one faithful believer gained ten minas from one mina and was given authority over ten cities. Another faithful believer gained only five minas and was given authority over five cities. Also, those who are persecuted and falsely accused on account of Jesus will receive a great reward in the Kingdom (Matthew 5:11-12), as will those who love their enemies and do good to them (Luke 6:35). The great reward is in distinction from a more common reward (Matthew 6:1-6). The Outer Darkness

In the last chapter we saw that some believers will be denied entry to Christ’s coming Kingdom. We also discussed this matter somewhat in Chapter Five under the heading, “Salvation from loss and ruin during the millennium to the enjoyment of Christ’s millennial Kingdom”. There, we looked at the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). In that parable we see that the lazy slave does not enter the joy of His master (i.e., the Kingdom) like the faithful slaves did (Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23). Rather, the master (the Lord) judges the slothful slave by taking away his stewardship (Matthew 25:28-30), and having him “cast out”. “And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness, in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). The phrase “the outer darkness” is used three times in Scripture (Matthew 8:12; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 25:30). It seems to be implied also in Luke 13:28 where the rejected ones are “cast out” of the Kingdom. All of the four references cited depict the place of outer darkness as one where the inhabitants experience “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The Lord Jesus used this picture of being cast out into the outer darkness as an illustration of exclusion from His millennial Kingdom. G. H. Lang, one of the great expositors of the twentieth century, explains the use of this illustration and its impact on the excluded one: A too little considered feature of the three references to “outer darkness” is that each pictures a house of feasting. . . . In Matthew 25:1-46 the lord of the house has returned thither from his journey, which is to be celebrated as a time of joy, implying a feast; it is to share this joy of their lord that the faithful servants are welcomed, whereas the unfaithful man is cast into outer darkness. In the second instance the man is bound hand and foot. This element of the one picture really gives the clue to the interpretation, when it is remembered that in the East such a festivity usually took place at night. Staying in a native quarter in Alexandria I was on the other side of the road from a large Oriental mansion. One night the whole house was brilliantly lit, a blaze of light from every room, evidently for some special affair. By contrast the street outside and garden around were in black darkness, and nothing further was required to correspond to the term “the darkness the outer”, which term equals the darkness which is without, outside the house. It were but an event to be expected that an Oriental despot, of royal or lesser rank, if offended with one of the slaves, should order that he be bound and thrown into the garden. There the unfortunate man, with common Eastern emotionalism, would bewail the dark and the cold, and the danger from hungry dogs and jackals, and would gnash his teeth at being deprived of the pleasures forfeited… It is outside the kingdom of heaven when pictured as the temporary festivity at the return of the Lord of the house or as the wedding feast of the son of the house. It is marked by loss of liberty (bound hand and foot), by forfeiture of privilege (the “joy of the lord”), by decrease of knowledge (the pound withdrawn), by deprivation of service and reward (“have thou authority”). It will be healthful that these solemn elements weigh upon our minds and warn and stimulate, though where and how the realities they picture will be experienced may not be known. The Judgment upon the Household Slaves

Now we come to the matter of specific negative judgments rendered to the believer at the Bema. I have already mentioned Kingdom exclusion and its correlative term, “outer darkness”. Beyond Kingdom exclusion, certain varying chastisements are possible for the disobedient believer. One of the clearest and most forthright passages concerning these chastisements is in Luke Chapter Twelve. “Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight. And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. And be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” And Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, shall receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging will receive but few. And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:35-48). In Luke 12:41 Peter had inquired to whom the Lord intended to apply His parable concerning being “dressed in readiness” (). This parable speaks of the disciple’s need to be prepared for the Lord’s sudden return. It is important to note the story that Jesus used for the lesson. The parable involves slaves who are waiting for their master’s return. The Lord said that those slaves who were on the alert and ready for the master’s return would be blessed. To whom, then, Peter asked in Luke 12:41, is this matter of readiness for the master’s return addressed? In His answer, Jesus spoke of the “faithful and sensible steward” whom the master has put in charge of “his servants”. Jesus is talking about the servants of His household. We see, therefore, that Jesus’ answer to Peter’s question (Luke 12:41) picks up the same theme as the parable Jesus had just spoken: the readiness of the household slaves for their master’s return. In Luke 12:42-46, Jesus is addressing those in charge of the household service, that is, the leaders among the servants. So, Jesus intended this portion of His answer to apply to Peter and other leaders. After dealing with the leaders, I believe Luke 12:47-48 (beginning with “And that slave . . . ) declare a general principle applying to all the servants of the household. Surely Christ’s word to be ready for His return is intended for every believer, for every “slave” in His service. So Jesus, in His reply to Peter, indicates that His word concerning readiness applies to all of the slaves of His household, but He has a particular word to the leaders concerning this matter. This is because leadership always carries a unique responsibility (Hebrews 13:17). In studying this portion of God’s Word, we should first recognize that in the New Testament God only considers believers as His slaves. Only those who belong to Him does He entrust with service to Him. Some stewards He puts “in charge” of His household service. If these leaders faithfully feed the flock (Luke 12:42), then they will be blessed when the Lord comes and will be given great responsibility (Luke 12:43-44). Note, however, that Luke 12:45 begins “but if that slave”. This indicates that the same slave (a leader) can either faithfully feed the flock or mistreat the flock. A second slave, a “false” slave, is not introduced. It is the same slave, but with a different attitude. This slave is now seen as thinking his master’s return is delayed (Jesus’ coming again) and begins to mistreat his “fellow slaves” (Matthew 24:49). Also, he starts to eat and get drunk. This signifies his indulgence in the pleasures of this world. Luke 12:46 graphically tells what will happen to such a leader. The Lord’s return will catch him by surprise, and Christ’s judgment upon him will be to “cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” I cannot explain to you what all of this means specifically. Please note that the word translated “unbelievers” very possibly instead means “unfaithful” here (see RV and AMP). It seems a mistake to reduce the obvious severity of the Lord’s language (“cut him in pieces”--literally, cut in two) to something like a strong rebuke. I do believe the Lord’s words indicate severe chastisement. If God inflicts judgmental sickness and death in this age (1 Corinthians 11:28-32), then He can inflict genuine and significant chastisement upon His return. Some have attempted to explore the exact meaning and details of the Lord’s judgments here, but I will not attempt to do so. The “cutting in two” may indeed be literal, but it does not have to be since the beating in Luke 12:45 is most probably not literal. Continuing on to Luke 12:47-48, we see the Lord’s pronouncements upon any slaves in His service, which are in relation to knowing and doing His will. The slave who knows the Lord’s will and is disobedient receives “many lashes”. It seems doubtful that these “lashes” are literal, but since a whipping is the illustration of the story, then the reality must also be “painful”. Also, just as “ignorance of the law” is no excuse in the human court, so ignorance of God’s will is no reason for escape from chastisement in the heavenly court. The slave who is disobedient due to ignorance receives a few lashes. Why will Christ discipline the disobedient? He tells us at the end of Luke 12:48 : it is a matter of stewardship and responsibility. Slaves are responsible to their master to carry out their duties. At the Bema, Christ’s believers are judged under the status of “slaves” (servants), not “sons”. Once again we see that preparation for the Lord’s coming judgment is related to obedience to His will. Leaders must be obedient in their calling. Additionally, every Christian is responsible to know and do God’s will. This word should be a real warning to us. We should be those slaves of our Lord who study God’s Word and listen for His voice so that we may know His will. Then, by His grace, we should live by faith and be a doer of the Word, not a hearer only.

Gehenna

There is another series of verses that also constitutes a serious warning of possible future judgment upon disobedient believers. These we may call “Gehenna truths”, because of their reference to a place termed Gehenna. I expect that almost every reader will be shocked at the idea that a judgment involving Gehenna could apply to a believer. This in not a novel interpretation, however, originated by this writer. There are several other Christian teachers that I know of who have endorsed this truth (see the endnote). Gehenna is a valley situated outside of Jerusalem. G. H. Pember describes this place in his commentary on the penalties outlined in Matthew 5:22, where Gehenna is referenced: Again, in regard to the penalties--in ordinary language, “the Judgment” and “the Council” were names given to the local Jewish Courts, which had cognizance of minor offenses, and to the Supreme Court, or Sanhedrim, at Jerusalem, respectively; while the Hell of Fire--literally, the Fiery Valley of Hinnom--indicated a prerogative of the Sanhedrim, by which they were able to order that the body of an executed criminal should be conveyed to the Valley of Hinnom, and there be cast, amid the sewage of the city and every kind of offal and corruption, into one of the numerous fires which were kept ceaselessly burning for the purpose of consuming the filth. Gehenna, a fiery valley, is a picture of a future severe judgment. Whether or not Jesus meant this judgment would be literally carried out in the valley of Gehenna, or whether He simply used Gehenna as an illustration to convey the gravity of a severe judgment of unknown actuality, I dare not say. Only God knows. The Greek word Gehenna has its derivation from the Hebrew term Ge-Hinnom, which literally means the “valley of Hinnom.” The term is derived from the Hebrew words gay (Strong’s #1516) and Hinnom (Strong’s #2011). Unfortunately, many English versions, but not all, translate this term into the English word “hell.” This is a grave mistake in translation, since the average English reader understands hell as a place of eternal punishment for the lost. This mistranslation can easily lead the reader to a wrong exegesis of the passages containing this word. The translators should have simply translated the word as Gehenna, or the “valley of Hinnom”, since it is a geographical place. While it is true that the Jews of Jesus’ time understood Gehenna to be a place of future punishment for certain persons, it is not true that this judgment was necessarily understood by them to apply strictly to the “lost” (as opposed to God’s people), or that it would be eternal in duration. In the Old Testament, God used this place as a judgment only upon His people, not the nations (Jeremiah 7:30-33). The Biblical identity of “hell”, the place which the Bible definitely describes as the final, eternal destiny of the lost, would be the “lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15) The question arises, however: Is Gehenna equivalent to the “lake of fire” (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:14-15; Revelation 21:8)? In answering this question, the first obvious observation is: If these places are identical why would the New Testament use two different terms? We should also note that all of the New Testament Gehenna verses are directed toward God’s people, either toward the disciples (believers), or toward the Jews. The “lake of fire” verses are directed toward unbelievers. Believers can be “cast into” Gehenna (Mark 9:47). However, the Bible never explicitly says believers can be “cast into” the lake of fire. The Scripture does definitely indicate that unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41 --cf. Revelation 20:10; Revelation 12:1-17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-20; Revelation 15:1-8). The Bible implies that non-overcoming Christians may be “hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11), and in Revelation 20:14 the second death is identified as the “lake of fire”. However, it is possible that this reference in Revelation 20:14 only involves the second death experience of the unbeliever. The second death for the believer (Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6) may be a different experience. Gary Whipple has written some interesting thoughts in this area, which should be considered. Also, as we shall see later in this section, the Gehenna judgment appears to be very much related to the millennial age, whereas the lake of fire judgment is related to the eternal age. In conclusion, noting all the differences above, it appears likely that Gehenna is a different place than the lake of fire. However, I would not state with absolute certainty that they must be two different places. It is important to note that rabbinical thought at Christ’s time identified the judgment of Gehenna with a punishment upon sinners. In his classic work The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim describes for us the teachings on Gehenna in the two schools of Jewish theology that were existent in Christ’s day. Both schools considered Gehenna as a place of punishment. This thought was probably derived from an eschatological (end-time) extension of Jeremiah’s prophecy on Gehenna (Jeremiah 7:30-31), or from the judgments of Gehenna that were placed upon certain dead criminals by the Sanhedrin. Both schools viewed Gehenna as a place for certain classes of sinners (including the Jews), with one class suffering temporal punishment there and another class suffering eternal punishment. Therefore, when Jesus spoke of the future punishment of Gehenna, this would not have been a new theological thought to His audience. Also, the minds of the hearers were conditioned to consider that such a punishment could be temporary or eternal in nature. With such a range of possibilities presented for Gehenna by the Rabbis, we must look to Jesus’ usage of the term and to Scripture to truly understand the term.

New Testament references to Gehenna

The first Gehenna verse to consider is Matthew 5:22 : “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say ‘Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court [literally, the Sanhedrin]; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’; shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell [literally, Gehenna].” This warning word is addressed to disciples (Matthew 5:1) in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was dealing with the sin of anger within us. As a picture of governmental judgment upon such sin, Jesus used the Jewish justice system of that day. The first judgment is at the gate and is a local jurisdiction. The second judgment concerns a more serious offense, and is one handled by the Sanhedrin, the highest tribunal among the Jews. The third and gravest offense was calling someone “stupid” or a “fool”, which is a more serious term of contempt than “Raca”. According to the verse, this offense deserves a sentence of Gehenna, which could be passed upon a dead person’s body by the Sanhedrin. After the threats of judgment in Matthew 5:22, Jesus immediately gave the lesson of application for the disciples in Matthew 5:23-26. That these verses constitute the lesson is seen by the use of the word “therefore” in Matthew 5:23.

If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent. (Matthew 5:23-26)

For His Jewish audience, Jesus used the picture of presenting the offering at the altar in Matthew 5:23. This picture has its realization in the New Testament believer’s experience when he comes forward to God in prayer at the throne of grace. If there the believer realizes his brother is offended with him (due to him calling him “Raca”, or a “fool”), he needs to immediately leave his prayer closet and seek out his brother in order to be reconciled. Then he can return to his prayer time with God. The lesson continues in Matthew 5:25. The “opponent” is the offended brother. The figure of being with your opponent on the way to the judge is explained by Pember: What follows is, apparently, taken from the usual mode of procedure in Roman Law, which was, of course, supreme in Palestine in the days of our Lord. According to its provisions, a creditor might, at any time, summon his debtor to accompany him to the Magistrate’s Court. While they were on their way thither, they were at liberty to come to an amicable agreement, if they could, and so to settle the business between themselves without the interference of the Law. But, as soon as they had appeared before the Judge, the matter passed out of their hands, and thenceforth both of them were subject to the decision of the Court. The application is simply this: We need to be reconciled with our offended brothers while we are still in this life. After death, the judgment comes (Hebrews 9:27), and Christ our judge can then order us thrown “into prison” (Hebrews 9:25). This casting “into prison” in Hebrews 9:25 in the lesson refers back to the judgment of Gehenna in Hebrews 9:22. Christ then solemnly confirms the warning: “truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent” (Hebrews 9:26). This verse implies that the penalty is only temporary, and the temporality of it will be confirmed by other related passages. Brothers and sisters, this is an exceedingly serious word to us from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. It shows that we must be very careful to clear up all offenses we have wrongly caused toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. Otherwise, we are in danger of the Gehenna judgment, a picture of a very severe dealing by God. Besides the sins related to anger and its ugly vented words, Christ also dealt with other sins that could cause us to be cast into Gehenna. Continuing on in Matthew 5:1-48, Jesus mentioned the sin of adultery in Matthew 5:27 and then taught that lust in the heart is its equivalent (Matthew 5:28). This sin is committed by looking upon a woman with the intention to lust for her (“looking at” differs from just “seeing”). Then Jesus declares that if this action of the eye is not severely dealt with, the penalty of Gehenna will ensue. “And if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell [lit., Gehenna]” (Matthew 5:29, NKJV). Jesus then continued: “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell [lit. Gehenna]” (Matthew 5:30, NKJV). So, the lesson is the same for the sinning hand. The portions on the sinning eye and the hand have a parallel in Matthew 18:8-9, which deals with the eye, the hand and the foot. The other parallel passage is in Mark 9:43-49. Both of these portions of Christ’s teaching are addressed to disciples. Therefore, these warnings are meant for disciples of Christ (“if your hand”). As indicated in the last chapter, these warnings could not be to unbelieving sinners. They would have no capacity to deal with their sin. Further, a sinner is not kept out of “hell” by the work of putting away sin. He needs the Savior with His redeeming blood to be kept out of “hell” (meaning eternal torment). Although the Gehenna fire cannot be quenched (Mark 9:43), this does not mean that the sinning disciple will remain in this fiery place forever. This verse signifies that while one is in Gehenna the fire will be unrelenting. Our destiny in eternity is a matter of grace by faith, not our dealing with sin in our lives. The Gehenna judgment upon believers takes place during the coming millennium. This is shown by the casting into Gehenna (marginal reading, Mark 9:43; Mark 9:47) being contrasted with the terms “to enter life” (Mark 9:43) and “to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 9:47). We have already seen that these two latter terms speak specifically of the coming 1,000 year Kingdom of Christ (see Mark 10:30; Luke 18:25; Luke 18:29-30). You may now be worried about how we “pluck out the eye” and “cut off” the hand. These terms signify getting rid of sin. We can deal with the root of sin before it bears fruit (an act of sin) if we, by the Spirit, are putting to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). We believe it is this experience that the Lord is primarily dealing with here. He wants us to grow in this experience. However, as long as we are in this body, we will end up sinning sometime. If we do sin, we can erase its record against us through confession and the cleansing of Jesus’ blood (1 John 1:9). To repent from sinful activity and confess it is also a dealing with sin (Proverbs 28:13). The other primary Gehenna passages for believers are Matthew 10:28 and its parallel in Luke 12:5. These portions were discussed in Matthew 7:1-29, but a few comments are made here. (If you wish to refresh your memory, read Matthew 10:16-33 and Luke 12:1-12.) Both of these passages are addressed to disciples. They involve disciples being hated by men and delivered up before courts. The Lord warns us that in such cases “a disciple is not above his teacher . . . if they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household” (Matthew 10:24-25). In other words, false accusations will be brought against the disciples at these tribunals. Although we realize these opposers will desire to put us to death (Matthew 10:21), the Lord Jesus tells us not to fear them. Rather, He explicitly warns us to fear God instead: “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell [literally, Gehenna]” (Matthew 10:28). “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell [literally, Gehenna]; yes, I tell you fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). What amazing portions of the Bible these passages are. Jesus is clearly warning His followers, even His friends, that when they stand before the courts they should not fear those who can inflict the penalty of physical death upon them. Rather, they should have a greater fear of God, because He can “destroy” (cause to suffer ruin or loss of well-being) both the soul and body in Gehenna. In context, it is the specific disobedience of the disciple in denying Jesus before the men of the tribunal that apparently leads to such a judgment. How costly it will be to refuse to confess Christ before such a court! I believe the time is rapidly approaching when disciples of Christ will be so tested. May we take His grace to be faithful to Him even unto death (Revelation 2:10). The only other verses in the New Testament using the term Gehenna are James 3:6 and Matthew 23:15; Matthew 23:33. James 3:6 talks about the tongue set on fire by Gehenna. This verse points to God’s view of the sinfulness of the tongue. It is capable of uttering filth suitable for the burning Gehenna. The verses in Matthew 23:1-39 call for a more detailed explanation in order to be properly understood. These verses open a door of insight into God’s judgment upon His people that probably only a few have fully understood. Therefore, it is worthwhile for us to spend some time on this matter in order to put Gehenna into complete Biblical perspective. The primary content of Matthew 23:1-39 is Christ’s strong condemnation of the Jewish leaders of His day for their personal lives and for their faulty leadership of God’s people. In this context, the two verses on Gehenna appear. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel about on sea and land to make a proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell [Gehenna, marginal reading] as yourselves.” (Matthew 5:23) (In other words, those who follow the practices of these leaders will also merit a Gehenna judgment.) “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell [Gehenna]?” (Matthew 5:33) Here, the judgment of Gehenna is not addressed to believers in Christ, but to unbelieving Jews. In considering this matter, we should keep in mind that God views all persons upon this earth as belonging to one of three groups, either to the Jews, the gentiles, or the church of God (1 Corinthians 10:32). Once a Jew is saved in the New Testament sense (through faith in Christ and the new birth), that person becomes part of the church of God and no longer carries the status of a Jew (Colossians 3:10-11).

Judgment upon the Jews considered

Just as Christ deals with Christians at His Judgment Seat in order to determine which believers will enter His 1,000 year Kingdom, so He must also deal with the Jews. After all, it was to the Jews first that the promises of the Messianic Kingdom were made, and it was the Jews who were looking for this hope (Luke 17:20; Acts 1:6). Recall from the discussion of the rich young ruler in Chapter Two that his hope was to have “eternal life” in the “world to come”, which the exegesis in that chapter identified as the 1,000 year Kingdom of Christ. It is only logical, therefore, that Christ must render a judgment concerning which Jews will qualify to possess this Kingdom. In searching the Scriptures we will see that a number of passages bear out that such a judgment is made upon the Jews prior to the millennium. Revelation 11:18 tells us that during the season when God’s wrath falls upon the earth at the end of this age, that “. . . the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to give their reward to Thy bond-servants the prophets and to the saints . . .” This judgment includes the Jews, as well as the New Testament saints, as we shall soon see. This verse in Revelation 11:1-19 is placed in the time frame when Christ possesses His Kingdom at the close of the age (Revelation 11:15-17). The parallel passage in Daniel also reveals the Son of Man taking His dominion (Daniel 7:13-14). It is in the judgment scene of Daniel 7:1-28 (Daniel 7:9-10; Daniel 7:13-14) that the following declaration is made: “until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom.” (Daniel 7:22) Also note other verses later in Daniel 7:1-28 : “But the court will sit for judgment, and his [the Antichrist’s] dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One.” (Daniel 7:26-27) The references to saints here must, at a minimum, include the Jews, since Daniel’s visions concern his people (Daniel 9:24; Daniel 10:14). One of the clearest Old Testament verses concerning God’s judgment upon the Jews occurs in Daniel 12:2. Immediately before this verse, in Daniel 12:1, we are told of the end time tribulation of the Jews and the marvelous deliverance of some of them alive out of this trial. Then, the angelic messenger to Daniel foretold the judgment upon all of the dead Jews: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting [olam] life, some to shame and everlasting [olam] contempt.” (Daniel 12:2, NKJV) According to Daniel 12:2, then, this judgment upon the dead Jews shows a positive possibility and a negative possibility. On the positive side, this judgment upon resurrection will result in a sharing of life in the 1,000 year Kingdom age (just as New Testament believers, in possessing the Kingdom, share in eternal life in that age - Luke 18:29-30). The word misleadingly translated “everlasting” is olam (which was defined somewhat in Chapter Two). The Hebrew word olam has a range of meanings in relation to time. The Theological Word Book of the Old Testament points out that olam is usually translated by the Greek word aion (age) in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), and that “neither the Hebrew nor the Greek word in itself contains the idea of endlessness . . . “ This work further states that, “Both words came to be used to refer to a long age or period . . . “ The New Testament also shows that only some Jews will be approved for participation in the coming Messianic Kingdom. After the Roman centurion acknowledged Christ’s divine authority, Jesus commented, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west [indicating Gentiles], and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:10-12) Taking into consideration that Jesus was contrasting the faith of the Gentile centurion with that of the Israelites, we must consider that the “sons of the kingdom” in this passage would refer to the Jews. It was to the Jews that the Kingdom should belong, as promised by the prophets. However, even though certain Jews of the Old Testament era (such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who are mentioned in the verse above) would be in the Kingdom according to Jesus, there will be some Jews that will be cast out into the outer darkness (outside the glory of the Kingdom). So just as we see a parallel to the New Testament saints in Daniel, which shows that approved Jews possess the Kingdom, so we also see a parallel of disapproved Jews being cast into the “outer darkness”, as are some disapproved Christians (Matthew 22:12-13; Matthew 25:26-30). With the groundwork laid above, we can now explain the matter of the Gehenna judgment upon certain Jews in Matthew 23:33. This judgment is a further Jewish parallel to a Gehenna judgment upon believers. You will recall that believers can be cast into Gehenna for certain sins, and this judgment should be viewed as a more severe judgment than “outer darkness.” The sins of the Jewish leaders in Matthew 23:1-39 were so offensive to Jesus that He indicated that they were worthy of the most severe judgment of Gehenna. In Matthew 23:14 the Lord Jesus warned that these scribes and Pharisees would receive "greater condemnation." To complete the picture of the Gehenna judgment, we must tie certain verses together. When the Lord mentioned Gehenna in Mark 9:43-48, He quoted from Isaiah when He described the place as one “where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48) This graphic description comes from the last two verses in Isaiah:

“ And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me”, says the Lord. “And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:23-24)

Isaiah 66:23 (and prior verses) describe the restored millennial earth where all the peoples will journey to Jerusalem to worship before Jesus. It is in this millennial setting that those worshippers will also view those who have transgressed against the Lord. This going forth from Jerusalem to look upon the transgressors would seem to picture these worshippers peering into the valley of Hinnom outside of Jerusalem. We must leave room, however, for the possibility that this view may not be of the literal valley of Hinnom outside of Jerusalem; it could be a view at another place and Jesus’ use of the term Gehenna in reference to this passage could have been symbolic. However, wherever the actual place is, this verse in Isaiah must refer to the future Gehenna, since Jesus quoted this verse in His warning of Gehenna. There are still other details to be tied together. In Isaiah 66:24 it states that the transgressors in that place “shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” (Isaiah 66:24, NKJV) The Hebrew word here for abhorrence is deraon (Strong’s #1860). Very interestingly, this same Hebrew word is used only twice in the entire Old Testament. Besides here in Isaiah 66:24, it is also used in Daniel 12:2, the verse on the future judgment of the Jews: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting [olam] life, some to shame and everlasting [olam] contempt” . (NKJV) The word translated contempt is again deraon. It seems that the judgment of Gehenna may be signified by this word. Yet, not all condemned Jews receive this greater judgment. This idea may be conveyed in the wording of the negative judgment of Daniel 12:2, which reads, “some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Note that two words are used in the negative judgment, leaving open the possibility that God is indicating two types of judgment here. It is possible, I believe, that God’s word is signifying the judgment of outer darkness by the term “shame”, and the judgment of Gehenna by the term “contempt” [literally “abhorrence”]. The wording would not seem to require that both terms apply to all those in the negative category of judgment. For instance, one could say, “ The trial was held for the eight suspects and the verdict was decided. Some were set free, while some went to Alcatraz and Leavenworth.” It also should be noted that the abhorrence that the peoples feel in viewing these judged persons could serve as a deterrence to rebellion during Christ’s Kingdom, especially to those born during the millennium who had not passed through the second advent. Let us summarize these thoughts on the Gehenna judgment. The Old Testament mention of the valley of Hinnom shows that it was a place of judgment upon God’s people, not the nations, who rebelled against Him (Jeremiah 7:30-34). Also, the Sanhedrin used this valley in Jesus’ day to carry out a punishment upon the worst criminals of Jewish society. Jesus used this very term to point to a future judgment upon Jewish leaders who lived hypocritical lives and misled others (Matthew 23:13-36). For such condemnable actions, Jesus declared to them: “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell [literally, Gehenna]?” (Matthew 23:33) This judgment will be given when the Lord Jesus judges His people in order to decide which ones are worthy of possessing His future earthly Kingdom (Daniel 7:18; Daniel 7:22) and inheriting age-lasting life therein (Daniel 12:2). Similarly, Jesus used this term to warn His New Testament believers concerning dealing with sin in their lives, and contrasted this judgment with “entering life” (Mark 9:43) and entering “the kingdom of God.” (Mark 9:47) It seems, therefore, that this judgment is Christ’s most serious judgment upon His disobedient people and involves a chastisement during the millennial age. This may be the most negative judgment Scripture reveals under the principle of reward according to works. (Another judgment, “the blackness of darkness” [literal translation for 2 Peter 2:17 and Jude 1:13], appears to be for apostate Christian teachers. This severe judgment is discussed by Gary Whipple in his book, Shock and Surprise Beyond the Rapture.) In comparison, the final judgment involving eternity is the “lake of fire”, which is meted out due to works. However, escape from such a judgment is provided for those whose names are written in the book of life, a matter of grace (Revelation 20:11-15). God wants us to have pure lives, which requires dealing with all sin. If we refuse to repent, confess and deal with sin, we may face Gehenna in the next age. If we deny Christ before men, particularly at the public tribunals where we may be summoned to suffer death for His Name, we may also be denied by Him and judged with Gehenna.