White throne Judgment

[Nathan]

Maybe I should have posted this in the Revelation room.  There had been a reference on another thread pertaining to 1 Corinthians 3 talking about the person that builds upon the foundation of Christ with various materials, wood, hay straw, gold . . .and it was the fire that would reveal the good material from the bad but regardless of what the materials the builder may have used, the builder would not be destroyed in the fire.

This has been my soap box for some time now when dealing with the book of Revelation in the statements that God is not going to destroy men, he's going to destroy the man in men.  I think this passage really brings that home.  But in reading this passage again, yet another thing has popped out at me and that is the doctrine pertaining to the Great White throne judgment.

This thing is welded by many like it's some sort of disasterous axe that God swings one last time for all the world to see the secret sins the rest of the world has been trying to hide all their lives.  God is going to bring everybody's sin out into the open for all the world to see and those who've failed miserably are going to be judged for their works . . .it's all about works.

Good people are going to be jugded by their works, bad people are going to be judged by theirs . .thus the name "Great white judgment Throne".  But I think once again, that's an inaccurate assumption.  Thinking that God is going to judge men for their "bad" or "wrong" actions.  This passage in 1 Cornthians 3 seems to be really pointing that out.


1 Corinthians 3
9For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.  10According 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.

11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

13Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day (Christ is the Day remember)  shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; (Fire of God, Fire "is" God It's his light that illuminates and Jesus declares what God is illuminating IN US.) and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

Here it is . . .
14If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (If you do well, you are rewarded, but if you don't do well, you are cast out?  Not hardly.)

15If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (If you do bad work, "you" are not destoyed, it's your "labor" that's being destroyed because you didn't build it in rest, you built it with minds of labor.  And God simply purifiies your works and you, yourself, survive.)

16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

So . . .the reward system . . .I think that's what John was seeing in Revelation 20.  He was seeing the works of man being burned, destroyed, purified, yet there's no mention that man will be cast into eternal torment.  They "will" be cast into fire, but they will not be "in" the fire as torment.

11And 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.

12And 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.

On the surface, this would "appear" to point toward a destructive end to the people.  But there's a reason why the book of life was specifically identified along side the other books.  Oh, by the way, the books are us, we are living epistles, we're walking books.

But what our minds can't seem to grasp is, when the book of life is opened, the judgments are applied through life, not death.  The fire of life is the purging and purifying fire that these books are judged through.  What's being judged/burned is the carnality in the books.  But the people themselves will survive the judgment, they may not walk in much glory on the other side, but they're far from spending eterntity in torment.

13And 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.

Gotta hang on to 1 Corinthians three as you walk through this judgment thing.  Religion has instilled and ingrained it's tainted understanding of what judgment is that it's hard for us to embrace the fact that it's the wood, clay and stubble, the materials we used to build our character rather than light, love and life. . .the golden aspects of the Father.

14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

If death and hell are both thrown into the purifying fire of the Father, what's left?  Glory.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9:  :goodpost: :dsunny:

[eaglesway]

IMO, Altho 1 Cor 3  illustrates the principle that the fire and THE DAY/LIGHT are the same(light eats darkness like fire eats wood hay and stubble), it was specificly written to those who are building on the foundation of the revelation of Jesus Christ- that revelation Peter received, that rock upon which Jesus is building His church. Christ and Him crucified. Losing the overcomer's reward is only a serious concern to them who are consumed with zeal for His house. They are seeking to be true in the inward man- broken and contrite of heart. It is all about dividing asunder soul and spirit and making manifest the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

IMO,These will not go before the GWT  because "His reward is with Him" and "He tries the reins and the hearts".

They are before His throne NOW, DAY AND NIGHT, sharing in the ministries of intercession and reconciliation.They are walking as children of light, walking in the Light AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT- having koinonea together. Jesus said this is how you will recognize them- they will be having koinonea together, as one heart and soul.

IMO, Others who have for various reasons come to the WEDDING (the union of the Bride with the Lamb....that Table at which we sit TODAY) undressed (The Bride has prepared herself in fine linen); or have not purchased oil for their vessels and are running out of LIGHT as THE CALL HAS ALREADY GONE FORTH (the BRIDEGROOM COMES) will lose that reward, they are asleep in the Day. But the loss will only mean that they are destined for some "lesser" glory. But it will only be "lesser" perhaps, in dimension,- but not in fulness, because God will be all in all and to be all in anyone He must fill all things.

Paul said a child, even tho he is an heir, while immature is no different than a slave. Little shoots need not fear the pruning hook, or the fire- they may look like slaves(appear to be in bondage) but God knows their hearts.


But big fat suckers producing no fruit and just sucking life off the vine do, but even so-

Paul said there will be different glories- but they will all be glories :o) After all, God will be ALL IN ALL. I have to believe that we, as the BODY, are the prototype of the entire creation(every being)- all to be set free into the GLORIOUS liberty of the sons of God.