NAKED Christians at the BEMA

Jesus Christ Spoke Often of This...

For example....

15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (Revelation 16:15, NKJV)

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. (Revelation 3:18, NKJV)

12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. (Matthew 22:12, NKJV)

Note - in each context - that ...

Jesus is speaking of BELIEVERS at the JUDGMENT-SEAT OF CHRIST, the BEMA.

What is the BEMA?

The BEMA is from the Greek word βῆμα bema = Judgment-Seat which is spoken of often in the New Testament. For example,

10 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. (2 Corinthians 5:10, NKJV)

The New Testament speaks of two judgments - one for the UNBELIEVER and one for the BELIEVER. As Jesus said...

26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:26–30)

Jesus reveals that .

Jesus Christ will JUDGE ALL MEN

There will be TWO RESURRECTIONS - the Resurrection of LIFE and the Resurrection of JUDGMENT.

The Resurrection of JUDGMENT is for UNBELIEVERS and is spoken of in Rev 20:11-15. All UNBELIEVERS will go to the LAKE OF FIRE forever - with the Devil and his angels. This is often referred to as the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT.

All BELIEVERS will be judged for their WORKS at the BEMA = THE JUDGMENT-SEAT OF CHRIST.

Note that Jesus - speaking to BELIEVERS said....

12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. (Revelation 22:12, NKJV)

27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. (Matthew 16:27, NKJV)

25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who a victor, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:25–28, NKJV)

All who believe in Jesus for eternal life can never lose eternal life [John 6:35-40] and will not appear at the Great White Throne judgment to determine their eternal destiny [John 3:17-18; 5:24]. The BEMA = JUDGMENT-SEAT of Christ is for all believers but is not to decide whether they go to HEAVEN or HELL but rather to evaluate their WORKS. We will either be be REWARDED or FAIL TO BE REWARDED and SUFFER LOSS of reward and position in Christ’s future Kingdom. Note that the Apostle Paul says ...

10 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. (2 Corinthians 5:10, NKJV)

This will be a very thorough judgment - evaluating even our thoughts and motives. EVERYTHING will be REVEALED....

26 ... For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. (Matthew 10:26, NKJV)

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, Who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5, NKJV)

The BEMA is NOT to decide my ETERNAL DESTINY but rather to determine my REWARD and POSITION in Christ’s future ETERNAL KINGDOM.

Jesus’ Parable of the Wedding Feast in Matt 22:1-14 brings many of these things together.

The BACKGROUND of the Parable of the Wedding Feast...

This parable was spoken in the temple in Jerusalem just 2 days before Jesus Christ was crucified. It was spoken to the Chief Priests, Pharisees, and Elders of the people - that is to the LEADERS OF THE JEWISH NATION [Matt 21:23, 45].

Spoken to the Jewish Leaders Two Days before His Crucifixion

Jesus had just finished telling them a parable about a Landowner who sent his Son to the Vine Dressers = Leaders of Israel to partake of the productivity of the Vineyard = Israel. But they cast the Son out of the Vineyard and KILLED HIM. Then....

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:42–44, NKJV)

The NATION BEARING THE FRUIT OF IT = the ASSEMBLY including GENTILES. Thus Jesus was prophesying that GENTILES would share in His RULE ON EARTH = the coming Kingdom of God.

That is, Jesus was prophesying that the present JEWISH NATION would be REJECTED in having the opportunity to RULE WITH CHRIST but a different group A NATION = THE ASSEMBLY [consisting of both Jews and Gentiles] would be given this opportunity instead. They would be REJECTED because of their REJECTION of JESUS CHRIST. This parable is explaining this prophecy....

Here is the statement of the parable in its entirety...

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1–14, NKJV)

Note especially two words in this parable. One is the Greek word γάμος gamos = wedding celebration [but mainly is translated here wedding] and the Greek word καλέω kaleo = call [which here is sometimes translated invited].

Figures in the Parable...

I think this quote from the Grace New Testament Commentary is helpful in this regard...

22:1–3. Jesus then tells of “a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.” In the process he prepared a marriage feast. The king (God the Father; cf. 18:23, 35) “sent out his servants (the OT prophets) to call those who were invited (Israel) to the “wedding” (the future kingdom on earth; cf. Ps 22:26–29; Isa 25:6–9; 65:8–16; Matt 8:11; 25:10; Rev 19:7, 9) in honor of his son (Jesus; Matt 3:17; 16:16). The invited guests were probably the nobility of the country (cf. Exod 19:6). Yet “they were not willing to come” (cf. Matt 21:28–32). Despite the repeated rejection and growing hostility of the invited guests toward the OT prophets, the calls continued to be offered graciously (22:4–6)..

KING = GOD

SON = JESUS CHRIST

The WEDDING = Christ’s Millennial KINGDOM on EARTH

THOSE INVITED = The nation of ISRAEL

Original SERVANTS = The Old Testament PROPHETS

Second Group of SERVANTS = John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the Apostles and other Jewish witnesses in Acts

Those (Matt 22:5) who accepted the invitation but didn’t respond properly = BELIEVING JEWS who DIDN’T confess Christ or care about PREPARING themselves for the RULE OF CHRIST (e.g. John 12:43)

The REST (Matt 22:6) = UNBELIEVING JEWS and their LEADERS who CRUCIFIED CHRIST and KILLED THE APOSTLES and others who proclaimed that JESUS was the MESSIAH.

ARMIES of the King = The Roman Armies under the command of Titus who destroy Jerusalem in AD 70.

The Greek word διέξοδος diexodos = roads that exit a ciry [but is here translated highways]. In this parable it is therefore speaking of places OUTSIDE of the JEWISH NATION.

HIGHWAYS = Places outside Jerusalem - including GENTILES.

The word ἀνάκειμαι anakemai = those reclining to eat a a table [but here is translated guests].

GUESTS = Those RAPTURED at the SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. [This includes all believers in the Assembly of Jesus Christ (John 5:29, 1 Thess 5:10).]

King INSPECTS the Guests = the JUDGMENT-SEAT OF CHRIST = BEMA.

The New King James Study Bible correctly identifies the guest who did not have on the proper wedding garment. It states...

22:11 did not have on a wedding garment: Like the others, this visitor had been invited to the wedding, but he failed to prepare himself for it (see Rev. 3:18). In Revelation, the garment of fine linen worn by the bride of the Lamb is said to be the righteous deeds of the saints (Rev. 19:8). The man had ignored a basic obligation placed on him when he accepted the king’s gracious invitation to the feast—he was supposed to wear clean clothes. To come to a wedding banquet unprepared or in soiled clothing would have been insulting. In this parable, the garment may refer to the righteousness of Christ graciously provided for us through His death. To refuse to put it on would mean a refusal of Christ’s sacrifice or arrogance in believing that the “garment” was somehow not needed. If we want to enter Christ’s banquet, we must “put on” the righteousness He gives us (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). Because this man was unprepared, the king declared him unworthy. His refusal resulted in the man being sent out of the banquet hall.

To prepare for the Bema I must LIVE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE by faith. Note...

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses [righteous acts] of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:6–9, NKJV)

Note the use of γάμος gamos = wedding celebration and the the need of RIGHTEOUSNESS to RULE WITH CHRIST.

Notice also...

8 No, you yourselves do unrighteousness and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:8–10, NKJV)

ALL BELIEVERS will ENTER the Kingdom of God but only RIGHTEOUS BELIEVERS will INHERIT = OWN the Kingdom of God = RULE WITH JESUS CHRIST.

PERSON WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT = The UNPREPARED = UNRIGHTEOUS BELIEVER who was NOT GIVEN THE CHANCE to RULE with the King and was THROWN OUT OF THE BANQUET HALL [but not into Hell].

13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 22:13

This believer had “weeping and gnashing of teeth” = GREAT REGRET (Cf Heb 12:17) because he was FOREVER not able to RULE WITH JESUS [though he was not cast out of the Kingdom]. Note also Matt 8:12, 25:30 for similar situations [also dealing with BELIEVERS].

And note Jesus’ comment....

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14, NKJV)

That is,

MANY are CALLED to RULE WITH CHRIST, but relatively FEW are CHOSEN to RULE WITH CHRIST. [I must be QUALIFIED = HAVE A WEDDING GARMENT = EXPERIENTIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS in order to RULE WITH CHRIST.]

This is also mentioned in Matt 20:16 in a similar context.

Believer, will YOU be caught NAKED at the BEMA?