Civil Court Versus Criminal Court

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

I have never heard anyone teach this, but I liken these TWO different future judgment to Civil Court versus Criminal Court. Interestingly, whether you are saved or lost, we will all be judged according to our works. The difference is whether someone will be tried in court as a safe redeemed child of God, or as an accursed criminal.

The Judgment Seat of Christ: Civil Court

2nd Corinthians 5:9-11, “Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 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. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

At the coming Judgment Seat of Christ only for the saints, which I humbly believe will take place immediately following the Pretribulation Rapture (1st Corinthians 15:51-58), it will be a CIVIL COURT for all of the redeemed throughout history. Some professed believers such as Evangelist Sam Gipp and Pastor J. Vernon McGee (1904-1988) teach that there will be a split Rapture, and that Old Testament saints won't be resurrected and judged until after the 7-year Tribulation period. I reject that theory. I do not find any such teaching in the Scripture. The aforementioned men base their speculative theory upon Daniel 12:3. 

The Bible is very clear in 1st Thessalonians 4:16b-17 that “the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” We shall be CHANGED in the twinkling of an eye (1st Corinthians 15:52), given immortal glorified bodies fashioned like unto the LORD's resurrected body (Philippians 3:21). Oh, what a glorious day that will be. No more neck pain! Amen!

In Civil Court you're sole risk is monetary (loss of rewards); but in Criminal Court you are at risk of losing your freedom and going to prison. We read about the saint's Civil Court in 1st Corinthians 3:11-15, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” I cherish this popular poem...

“Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, “Thy will be done”; And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say ’twas worth it all”; Only one life,’ twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” —Missionary C. T. Studd

All of our earthly hobbies, shallow pursuits, secular affairs and things done for self (wood, hay and stubble) won't be rewarded in eternity. Only that which we have done in Jesus' name for the Gospel's sake and the Kingdom of God (gold, silver and precious stones) will be rewarded. Christ is extremely ethical and I believe will reward even the least efforts done for His sake and the Gospel's. Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” So, even if you share my website articles with others to help them in the LORD, you will be rewarded in eternity. The reason why is because I am a servant of God. And if you help me as a fundamentalist Bible preacher, you are indirectly helping the cause of Jesus Christ. Even if you give a cup of water on a hot day, or a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter's day, to a soulwinning Christian, it is the same as if you gave it to Jesus (Matthew 25:40).

Only Christians will be tried in Civil Court, and their total risk is rewards. There will be tears, shame and regret at the Judgment Seat of Christ for our sin failures on earth as saints, but there is no condemnation to those who have faith in Jesus (John 3:18; Romans 8:1).

The Great White Throne of Judgment: Criminal Court

Revelation 20:11-20, “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. 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 death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

In sharp contrast to the Judgment Seat of Christ, at the Great White Throne of Judgment (which takes place at the end of the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Jesus Christ from the throne of David in Jerusalem), it will be a judgment only for the damned (the unsaved) of human civilization. Jesus Himself will be the believer's Attorney (1st John 2:1) and Judge at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:10); but God the Father will judge the dead at the Great White Throne of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-12). We must face the 'TERROR OF THE LORD' (Psalm 6:1).

We learn in Revelation 20:12 that death and Hell, and the bottom of the oceans, shall give up their dead. That is, the deceased remains of everyone's physical bodies will be retrieved by God to appear at this last judgment. This will be a CRIMINAL COURT, not civil court. It's not a matter of “if” someone is guilty, but what will be their eternal sentence in the horrific Lake of Fire.

Only unsaved sinners will be tried in Criminal Court, and their plight is to spend eternity burning in fire and brimstone (sulfur) forever. There will be tears, shame and regret at the Great White Throne of Judgment for our sin failures on earth as saints, but there is no condemnation to those who have faith in Jesus (John 3:18; Romans 8:1).

The Choice Is Yours Alone To Make Dear Reader

Which judgment will you appear at dear reader? If you are reading this, it is still not too late for you to settle with God out of court. God is freely offering you a full pardon and eternal life, just for the taking, literally, but only if you will accept His only begotten Son's sacrificial death on Calvary's cross as full payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried, but physically resurrected from the dead three days later. This is “the gospel” by which all who BELIEVE IT are immediately, irrevocably and forever saved (1st Corinthians 15:1-6; Romans 1:16). 1st Thessalonians 4:14, “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

I admit that I spend a lot of time thinking about where the deceased have gone in the afterlife. Lately, I've been thinking about rock star Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020). Tragically, Eddie and his family are staunch Roman Catholics, the dead man's religion! I can tell you with all biblical authority that there is no salvation in the Roman Catholic prisonhouse of religion. Catholics trust in their false church. They trust in Sacramental Salvation, confessing sins to their sins priests and their wicked demonic Catechisms.

According to this toxic article from the Catholic Answers website, salvation is a gift that you obtain by keeping the Seven Sacraments of the Catholic church. That's equivalent to saying that I am going to give you a birthday gift through you washing my car, mowing my lawn and washing my dirty underwear. Happy Birthday! The Catholic church is so full of Bologna! Mark 7:9b, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

Psalm 7:11 warns that God's anger rests upon the wicked every day. John 3:36 warns that God's wrath rests upon the head of every Christ rejecter. But there is no condemnation to he that believeth on the only begotten Son of God, apart from all human works. ...

John 3:16-19, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

Friend, if you have not yet received Jesus as your personal Savior, you are already condemned by God's law to spend eternity burning in the fires and brimstone of Hell forever.

2nd Peter 3:9 plainly teaches that it is God's will for ALL MEN (i.e., all humans) to repent (change your mind) to be saved. Since the only sin that can hinder you from entering into Heaven is unbelief, then logically that is the only sin which you must change your mind about to be saved. Repentance concerning the new birth NEVER means to forsake your sinning, nor even to be willing top forsake your sinful ways. To do so would be works, not grace (Romans 4:4). To get to Heaven we repent TO believe; not repent AND believe. There is only one step to being born again, which is to “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ...” (Acts 16:31b).

Heaven Is A Place

John 14:1-3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Listen to the wonderful Gospel hymn, “Heaven Came Down.” The word “heaven” is mentioned 582 times in the inspired King James Bible. The word “hell” is only mentioned 54 times!

Heaven is the final abode of the saints. While the term may be used to describe the dwelling place of the righteous during the intermediate state, the term more properly denotes the eternal state of the righteous after the resurrection, the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Millennium. All redeemed saints will spend eternity with Jesus. John 16:22, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.” What a glorious day it will be, when my Jesus I shall see!

Heaven Is A Real Place

Heaven is a real place. In the Scripture it is called “a place” (John 14:2), a country (Hebrews 11:14-16), a city (Hebrews 11:10, 16; 12:22; 13:14; Revelation 21:10-27), and a house or mansion (John 14:23). Heaven is more than a condition of the soul, more than a state of mind, more than mere thoughts and ideas. It is a literal dwelling place consisting of material reality. Colossians 3:1 tells us that God the Father and His Son sit on two separate literal thrones.

In addition to the biblical descriptions of Heaven, there are two other biblical truths of the Christian faith which demand that Heaven be a real place. The first is the bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ, and the other is the bodily resurrection of the believers. The nature of Heaven must correspond to these two facts. It is inconsistent, on the one hand, to believe in the bodily resurrection of flesh and bones with the capacity to eat and drink (Luke 24:39-43; Acts 10:41); and, on the other hand, to think of Heaven as only symbolic and allegorical.

Since Jesus ascended into the clouds in a literal physical body, seen visibly leaving by His disciples (Acts 1:11), He must have physically entered into Heaven in the universe.

Heaven Is A Glorious Life

What kind of life will we have in Heaven? Many things could be said at this point, but we can only mention a few selected statements.

First, it will be a life of individual perfection. We will have new, perfect bodies (1st Corinthians 15:42-58); our minds will be renewed (1st Corinthians 13:12); we will have moral perfection, for sin will be completely abolished from our nature and practice (1st John 3:2; Ephesians 5:27; Revelation 21:27). Imperfection is such a part of our experience now that it is almost impossible for us to conceive what our future life in Heaven will be like.

Second, it will be a life of harmonious social relations. People from all walks of life and from all races and nations will be in Heaven (Revelation 7:9), and yet there will be no quarrels, disagreements, crimes, nor wars to taint the fellowship. In Heaven there will be no fear nor mistrust of one another (Revelation 21:24-27). What a glorious day that will be!

Third, it will be a life free from all natural evils. The body will no longer be subject to sickness, decay, hunger, pain, weariness, nor death (1st Corinthians 15:53; Revelation 7:16; 21:4). The ravages of nature will no longer be a threat for there will be a new Heaven and a new earth with these evils taken away (Romans 8:18-22; Revelation 21:1).

During the Millennial reign of Christ, Christians alive today will all have our resurrected bodies (given at the Rapture), free from sin, pain, vulnerabilities, aging and diseases. The waters upon the earth which were poisoned from the asteroid Wormwood shall be healed ( Ezekiel 47:8-9). Wild animals will get along in perfect sweet harmony. The wolf and the lamb will be good friends (Isaiah 65:25).

Finally, we know that Heaven will be a life of unbroken fellowship with God. Our relations with God are so often hindered here on earth because of sin. Sin often hides the LORD's face from us, and our limited understanding causes us to look through a glass darkly. But then we shall see Jesus face to face and behold Him in all His beauty (Isaiah 33:7; Matthew 5:8; Revelation 22:4; 1st John 3:2). This will be one of the greatest joys in Heaven. Oh, happy day it shall be!

Heaven Is An Eternal State

It is sometimes said here on earth, “All good things must come to an end.” However, this is not true of Heaven. Jesus promises treasures in Heaven to those believers who labor for the Kingdom of God that will not dry rot, rust or be ruined by moths. Our clothes won't wear old. Heaven is the eternal state of the righteous. There will be no end to Heaven's blessings and joy. There will be no danger of ever falling from God's grace, nor having Heaven's blessings taken away from us. Heaven will be a world without end. Amen and amen!

A Prepared Heaven

(by Dr. Jack Hyles)

An awesome MP3 sermon series on “HEAVEN” by Pastor James Knox...

1. Heaven 01
2. Heaven 02
3. Heaven 03
4. Heaven 04
5. Heaven 05
6. Heaven 06

Here's some excellent life-changing MP3 sermons by Pastor Jack Hyles about “HEAVEN”...

1. Abel In Heaven
2. Heaven On Earth
3. How To Enjoy Heaven More
4. Heaven Is A Place
5. My Heavenly Body
6. A Prepared Heaven
7. The Heavenly Witnesses
8. What Makes Heaven Happy
9. Heaven Is Jesus
10. What Will We Do In Heaven?
11. The Music Of Heaven
12. As In Heaven
13. The Realities In Heaven
14. What Would Happen If The Lord Would Not Let Me Into Heaven?
15. When The Windows Of Heaven Are Open
16. The Little Boy Who Went To Heaven And Why
17. The Happiest Person In Heaven
18. The Streets Of Heaven Begin On Earth
19. Imperfect People In Heaven
20. How God Tidies Up Heaven
21. Forever Settled In Heaven
22. I Dreamed I Searched For Heaven

The Holy Spirit In Heaven
(Dr. Hyles, chapter 35 from his awesome book, “Meet The Holy Spirit”

Heaven's Door Is Wide Open—Put Down The Pick Axes, The Grappling Hooks, The Shovels & The Jack Hammers!

A Christian Review of The Movie, “Heaven is for Real”

Laying Up Treasures In Heaven

Heaven's Inhabitants (a printed sermon by Pastor Dwight L. Moody)

There Will Be No Need For The Sun In The Future

Revelation 21:23, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

According to astronomer scientists our sun will not burn out, but will instead transform into a red giant in about 5 billion years, then eventually shrink into a white dwarf. When the Sun becomes a red giant, it will allegedly expand and likely engulf Mercury and Venus, and possibly Earth as well. If Earth survives, it will experience extreme heat, causing the oceans to evaporate and making the planet uninhabitable.

The inspired Holy Bible teaches that God has established the earth on its foundations, indicating it will not be moved forever. Psalms 104:5, “Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.” Ecclesiastes 1:4, “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.” Although some interpretations of Scripture suggest that “forever” may refer to a long period rather than an absolute eternity, I humbly disagree. Forever means forever!

We know that at the end of the 1,000 year Millennium that God will purge the earth with fire. At that time the LORD will not destroy the earth; but rather, He will renovate it with fire and the earth will be transformed (2nd Peter 3:10). 1st Peter 3:11 says “all these things shall be dissolved.” Verse 13 speaks of a “new earth.” That is, a renovated earth.

Our text verse from Revelation 21:23 teaches that “the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.” Amen and amen! Jesus Himself will be the light of the heavenly city. Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

Our very Savior, the precious crucified, buried and risen Lamb of God, will be our shining light in the heavenly city. Malachi 4:2, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” Are you resting in the Son of righteousness dear reader for eternal life?

The Jews Are Looking For Their Messiah, Not A Savior

2nd Thessalonians 2:1-4, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

Jews traditionally believe in a future messiah, known as the “Mashiach,” who will be a human leader from the line of King David, rather than a divine Savior in Christianity. This False Messiah is expected to bring peace and restore Israel, but the concept does not include the idea of atonement for sin through Jesus' sacrifice. Scripturally, the Jews and Arabs alike will embrace the future Man of Sin, the Antichrist, as their messiah.

Tragically, both Jews and Arabs vehemently reject Jesus as the true Messiah. Consequently they will be woefully deceived and damned. In fact, the whole world will be deceived (Revelation 12:9). I humbly believe that the Rapture could happen at any time. Jesus foretold in mark 13:32-37 that no man, nor even the angels, know the time of His future return. 

Although some good preachers deny that this passage applies to the Rapture, I don't see what else it could refer to if not the Rapture. Mark 13:32-37 cannot refer to Jesus' Second Coming. Here's why. Daniel 12:11, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Christ's Second Coming can be calculated down to the exact day from the middle of the Tribulation. It will be 1,290 days (3 ½ years).

The path to Heaven is very narrow, and few there be that find it (Luke 13:23-24). There is only one true Savior and His precious name is Jesus (Acts 4:10-12).

The Mark Of The Beast: 666

Revelation 13:16-18, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

This prophetic truth about the number “666” from Revelation 13:18 is one of the most well known Scriptures (if not the most) by the heathen world. “Judge not” would be the other passage of Scripture. When Justin Timberlake was arrested for a DUI in 2024 after leaving a hotel where he dined, singer Billy Joel was asked the next morning when he ate at the same place what he thought about Justin's arrest. Considering that Mr. Joel is an avowed atheist, I found it amusing that he quoted from Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

That reminds me of Romans 1:18, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” I do not believe there is any such thing as an “atheist,” only wicked unthankful sinners who choose not to glorify God. The vilest sinner knows the truth of God's Word. They know they are sinners. They know there is a holy God who created the universe and all therein, who disproves of sin. They know there is a Judgment Day coming after they die (John 16:8-10).

I read a helpful passage today from Dr. John R. Rice's commentary on “Revelation”...

“Shallow preachers and sensation-mongers have made a great to-do about the number 666. Some have added up the Roman numerals represented by the letters used in the titles and be stretching a point made them come out 666, trying to prove that the pope is the Antichrist, or will be. Others have tried to find the number 666 in the nations of the European Common Market agreement. 

Some sightseeing buses in Israel have the numbers in their license number including 666. Oh, in the minds of some, that must have meaning, that the coming of Christ is near, the Antichrist is about to appear, etc. All this is foolish. It is not good exposition of the Scriptures. 

Note carefully the following facts. 

1. The Man of Sin cannot appear until after the Rapture. If he were alive today, nobody in the world would know it, and he himself would not know it.
2. The Man of Sin must first rise up after the Rapture and assume some power in one of the nations that was in the old Roman Empire. The Bible does not say how long it will be after the Rapture until he appears. It is an indefinite time. 
3. He will not be made known as the Antichrist even at the beginning of the seven years. He will overcome three nations of the old Roman Empire. Which ones we do not know. Then he will form a federation of the other nations of the Roman Empire and come into the world prominence, and only then can he be recognized as having some authority over Palestine and the world; only then can he make a treaty with a remnant that will then be in Palestine, allowing them to have a temple and priesthood and and animal sacrifices and begin the ancient Jewish worship, and Israel will be a nation. Note, it will not simply be that Jews will be allowed in Palestine, but it will be that the Jewish worship of the true God will be begun in Jerusalem in some temple that Jews will then prepare and with the priesthood and sacrifices. Until that covenant of seven years is made with Israel, nobody could possible know who the Man of Sin is. That is the first identifying mark.
4. Even then, he will not begin his awful reign, manifest with the Antichrist and claim to be God on earth, until the midst of the seven years. After three and a half years he will break that covenant. He will have agreed with Jews that they will have seven years of such worship but he will break that treaty and enter into the temple, commit the abomination of desolation, and claim to be God on earth. etc.

Without the Mark of the Beast, no one will be able to sell, trade or buy anything. Also, carefully notice that the Bible doesn't say that the mark will be 666; but rather, the number of the Antichrist (the Beast) himself, “and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.” That is very interesting! I humbly agree with Dr. John R. Rice that it is foolish to read into everything that contains the numbers 666. All store barcodes contain three bars of 6, 6, 6. Coincidence? 

Hey, here's another one to consider. The address of United Nation's headquarters is located at 666 11th Street NW, Suite 450 in Washington DC. I do not think these coincidences mean anything prophetic. People sometimes ask me if I think the Antichrist is alive today. I honestly have no idea. I agree with Dr. Rice that if the Antichrist is alive, he doesn't even know it yet. At the proper time, Satan will enter into him to empower the Antichrist.