THE APOCALYPSE AND THE TEMPLE CODE

C. At this judgment

1. It will occur at the throne of Christ and is called the “judgment seat of Christ” (Rom. 14:10) 2. It will begin at the moment the Temple doors in heaven are opened (Rev. 11:19) 3 . It will be for the saints, prophets, servants, and those who feared God’s name (Rev. 11:18) 4. It will be to see who will be rewarded and who will not

Note: The word for reward in 11:18 is mis’thos and means “ a payment for your works ”

TYPES OF REWARDS (Matt. 10:41-42)

A. Three types

1. A prophet’s r eward

- receiving and believing the Word of God preached

2. A r ighteous man’s reward

- receiving a righteous man and his works

3. A disciple ’ s reward

- giving a cup of water, feeding, and caring for the needy

B. Rewards are given by levels of obedience

1. Punishment is also by degrees (Matt. 23:14-15)

a. Hypocrites will be judged more severely than others b. Faithful will be rewarded greater than others

2. Rewards for the righteous (1 Cor. 15:40-44)

C. The three vessels are the three levels of character (1 Cor. 3:10-15)

1. Notice the type of material (earthly and precious metals) 2. Notice the texture of the materials (some endure as a foundation and others will crack) 3. Notice the testing of the materials by fire as some become pure and others burn up

D. The word “crowns” in the Bible

1. The crown of wisdom and understanding (Prov. 4:1-9) 2. The crown of a good wife to her husband (Prov. 12:4; 31:10-31) 3. The crown of a silver haired person (Prov. 16:31; 20:29) 4. The crown of the grandchildren (Prov. 17:6) 5. The crown of thorns (Matt. 27:27-31)

E. The crowns of reward in the New Testament

The Romans and Greeks used crowns as symbols of victory and reward. Winners of the Olympics were given crowns woven with leaves and wild olive branches. In the Pythian games, the laurel was presented as the reward and in the Nemean games the parsley was used. Others used the leaves of pine and the Romans prepared a civic crown for the one who saved the life of a citizen. These crowns faded; but the crowns given by the King of kings will never fade and are called incorruptible.

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