RICHARD’S VISION OF THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST
The Judgment Seat of Christ
by Richard Crocker
2 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 of bad.”(KJV)
I was at the Evangel Tabernacle one Sunday about fifteen years ago, in the old church on Bertram Street, listening to a guest speaker. This speaker was exhorting the people to use the gift of tongues to press into God. He reasoned that if we ignored what many consider the least of the gifts, the gift of tongues, how could we expect God to give us any of the
greater gifts. It made sense. I took this message home with me and prayed in the spirit with new fervor.
Suddenly I was thrust out into another dimension. I was given a vision. This vision is not what I expected a vision to be in the sense that it did not leave me feeling joyous. On the contrary, it upset me to the point where I became ill and remained so for days. I was shown the Judgment Seat of Christ.
A great multitude of Christians were bowed low on their knees facing Christ who was seated on the judgment seat. Each was dressed in a white robe. Each had his face hidden, almost touching the floor. A sea of white robes. None could look up. None could face their Judge. It reminded me of the verse, “[only] the pure in heart… shall see God (Mat.5:8)”.
In my vision of the Judgment Seat of Christ, Jesus was grieved. Deeply grieved. Perhaps it was grief mixed with disappointment. Or grief mixed with anger. Of this I am certain – the Judge was not pleased. This was the day that these Christians were to receive rewards for their obedience on earth. Jesus ached to give His beloved many precious
rewards, the rewards that a Christian was meant to receive on this day “when each one of us will give an account (Rm.14:12).”
But Jesus could not give them out. He ached to, but he could not. His justice would not allow it.
Three times Jesus spoke, “I told you not to do it! I told you not to do it! I told you not to do it!” Jesus was emphasizing the “I”. It was like He was saying, “Yes, I know you heard many voices saying different things. But I, Me, the Eternal One, I told you not to do it!”
What was it that Jesus told them not to do? What command had they disobeyed? The Spirit gave the answer, bringing to the mind the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:19: “DO NOT LAY UP TREASURES ON EARTH.”
There was silence. No one had anything to say. Not one could look up. “He shall suffer loss (1Cor.3:15).” That is what these saints were now suffering – loss. They would be eternally poorer than what they could have been. If only they would have been obedient during their life on earth, how different this scene would be.
But they forfeited their rewards for earthly gain. They had not looked upon the unseen (“treasures in heaven”) with the eye of faith, but that which they could see (worldly treasures) with the eye of the flesh. They had hungered for the temporal, the passing, the useless.
And now they were in deep remorse, embarrassed in the presence of their righteous Judge. Oh, what agony. Oh, what remorse. Oh, what losses.
I do not believe that for every Christian the day of accountability will be the day of remorse. Certainly not. For some of it will be a time of great rejoicing whereby their cups will be overflowing with praise and joy and thanksgiving. Their rich rewards will never fade away. They will hear
their Master say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
But this is the vision I saw, nothing added, nothing deleted. This was the vision of the Judgment Seat of Christ that God chose to give me that day about fifteen years ago. Do with it what you will.