◄ What Does Hebrews 9:27 Mean? ►

In a passage that explains the realities of the New and better Covenant that God made with His people, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (when sin was once and forever put away by His own sacrificial death), we read that it is appointed for all men to die once, and after that comes the judgement. For different groups of people, this means different things: the judgement of Christians at the Bema seat of Christ, the judgement of Israel and the nations at the end of the Tribulation period, and the judgement of all unsaved people at the terrible Great White Throne of God.

At the judgement of the nations at the end of the Tribulation period, all unbelievers will be put to death to wait for the final great White Throne judgement. Those who have become believers during the Tribulation period will enter the Millennium.

For all unbelievers from Creation to the present, this is a shocking truth that many seek to ignore or dismiss, but it is a sure fact in the future for all who do not believe. After the Millennium, when there has been 1000 years of peace and prosperity and Jesus has ruled with a rod of iron, will be the Great White Thone of Judgement: "And I saw a Great White Throne...........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. 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............And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the Lake of Fire." What a sobering passage of Scripture that should renew every believer's resolve to tell all around us how to be saved and have their name in the Book of Life.

But for the Church, which is Christ's Body, God's judgement on our sin is past, having been poured out on Jesus on the Cross, and our future heavenly judgement is where every Christian will be rewarded for the work which we did in our bodies, whether good or bad. After the Rapture of the Church will be the Bema Seat judgement: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." All believers will be at this judgment seat. What an indescribable blessing that Christ died for our sins and we will just be receiving rewards. May we live for Christ every day, in the power of the Spirit, to the glory of God, so that we do not lose rewards that are stored up for us at the Bema Seat.

We are informed that it is appointed for men to die once. The sting of death is sin, but for the believer in Christ, death has lost its sting for we have been forgiven and clothed in Christ's righteousness. Death no longer has any hold on us, for we have received a new and eternal life in Christ. Our Lord Jesus shared our human frailty so that He could willingly give His life as a ransom for all who believe on His name. He shared our humanity so we could share in His life.

It is appointed for man to die once, but for the Christian, Christ's death became our death, and the judgement of God's wrath was poured out on Him instead of us. Death has lost its sting because Christ paid the price for sin on our account and was judged in our place.

Heavenly Father, what a sobering verse this is, knowing that all mankind will be judged. Thank You that my judgement will be at the Bema Seat with all other Church Age believers, where no judgement of sin is given, because Christ paid the price for sin on my account and was judged in my place. When I think of the Great White Throne Judgement of all unbelievers I shudder, because those who did not trust Christ and receive His free gift of salvation will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire. May I freely tell all I meet of Jesus' free gift so that many will trust Him and partake in the Bema Seat Judgement as believers. As for me, I pray that I may live a life that is honouring to You so that at the Bema Seat Judgement I may receive rewards and not suffer loss of rewards. In Jesus' name, AMEN.