This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 10: All Found Written in the Book Will Escape: Daniel 12:1-3.

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In previous posts [Read #1; Read #2], we began to examine Daniel 12:1-3, breaking down the elements of these verses so we can better understand “the book” to which Daniel refers. We complete our observations here.

Daniel sees that people are resurrected one day. But what then?

… some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt. 

Notice first that everyone’s resurrection results in “eternal” existence somewhere. The Hebrew phrase hayye olam (eternal life) appears here for the first time in the Old Testament. Its Greek counterpart (zoe aionios) occurs numerous times in the New Testament, perhaps most notably in John 3:16: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (emphasis added).

While followers of Jesus possess eternal life, those who reject him are neither annihilated nor sent to temporary punishment until their sin debt is paid. The wicked possess eternal existence in hell – Daniel depicts it as “eternal contempt” – but not eternal life. Jesus makes this clear in the parable of the sheep and goats, who symbolize the righteous and the wicked. 

As Jesus judges those who stand before him, he tells the righteous (sheep), “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34). He tells the wicked, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!” (Matt. 25:41, emphasis added).

Jesus ends the parable with these words: ”And they [the goats/wicked] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46, emphasis added). The same Greek word, aionas, is translated “eternal” in both cases and describes the never-ending destiny of all people – either in Christ’s victorious kingdom, or in hell, separated forever from the source of life.

So, everyone faces a day of final reckoning. Jesus makes this plain. First, he declares that God the Father has entrusted all judgment to his Son (John 5:22). Then, Jesus tells us about a future day when all of us stand before him to give an account of our lives. 

Jesus says, “[A] time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out ​— ​those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29). 

Some take this to mean that our destiny depends on us – our good works, or our evil deeds. This cannot be the case, for Jesus sets the requirements for eternal life in the very same context in which he speaks of future judgment. In John 5:24 – just a few verses earlier – he tells us, “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life (zoe aionios) and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.” 

Further, the finished work of Christ, in which he paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, argues against works-based salvation (2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5). So, Jesus must be reminding us in John 5:28-29 that our lifestyles reflect our beliefs. That is, our words and deeds reveal our citizenship, either in the kingdom of God or in the domain of the evil one.

Even so, our works count for something. Heaven is not the same for every believer, nor do all those who reject Christ experience hell identically. Our final, personal, individual judgment before Christ is his way, as the righteous judge, of setting things right for eternity. 

Our short stay on earth is a dress rehearsal for life beyond the grave. And one day, we all stand before Jesus to give an account of what we did with the gospel, as well as our time, talents, opportunities, and other gifts of grace God has entrusted to us. The result is varying degrees of reward for believers, and varying degrees of punishment for unbelievers. 

It’s clear from Scripture that followers of Jesus stand in a different judgment than those who reject Christ. Paul tells us that Christians are summoned to the judgment seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). At the same time, John is given a glimpse of the great white throne, upon which Jesus sits to judge those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev. 20:11-15).

Resurrected unbelievers face “disgrace,” or shame, and “eternal contempt.” The Hebrew word translated “shame” is harapot, which designates a plural of intense fullness – great shame. The wicked experience the deepest form of shame as they stand before the Lord and, perhaps for the first time, understand the gravity of their sin, particularly the sin of rejecting the Messiah, their only means of salvation. 

The Hebrew deraon (“contempt”) refers to abhorrence, or an object of aversion. The only other place this word is used in the Old Testament is Isaiah 66:24, where the corpses of the wicked dead are considered “a horror to all humanity.” This contempt is everlasting. For the lost, there is no escape.

Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

There are varying degrees of rewards for the redeemed. While all who trust in Jesus are privileged to spend eternity with him – in heaven upon death, and then as glorified saints with Jesus in the new heavens and new earth – we should not expect to experience eternity in the same way. 

The judgment seat of Christ is the place where Christians, and likely believers of all ages, stand before Jesus to receive his evaluation of our lives. The result is everlasting reward, or loss of reward, based on the degree of our faithfulness to walk in the path of good works God set out for us in eternity past (Eph. 2:10). 

Paul writes about this in several places. For example, he tells believers in Rome, “For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:10-12).

To Christians in Corinth, Paul writes, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10). 

Note in these verses that it’s a single judgment seat upon which “God” and “Christ” sit. This is one of many ways Paul affirms the deity of Jesus (cf. Phil. 2:5-7; Col. 1:15-20; 2:9).

In both passages, Paul uses the Greek word bema to describe the “tribunal” or “judgment seat” upon which Jesus sits. This is a bench or platform from which public or judicial pronouncements are made. Pilate sits on the bema (Matt. 27:19; John 19:13), as do Herod (Acts 12:21) and Gallio (Acts 18:12-17). 

Paul does not specify the exact time of this judgment. However, it seems reasonable to conclude that it’s tied to our resurrection rather than to our death so that the full impact of our earthly lives – an impact that continues after our departure from earth – may be evaluated and rewarded.

This judgment does not determine a believer’s eternal destiny, for that’s sealed on this side of death with the person’s decision to trust in Christ. Rather, the bema is where Jesus rewards his followers based on how faithfully we manage the time, talents, spiritual gifts, and other good things he has given us. Every Christian is a winner because Jesus has secured his or her eternal life through his finished work on the cross. But not every Christian is rewarded equally.

Jesus urges his followers to lay up treasure in heaven, where it’s kept safe and endures (Matt. 6:20). Paul informs us that our works of faithfulness, which he likens to gold, silver, and precious stones, are refined in the fires of judgment and emerge purified (1 Cor. 3:11-15). And in the book of Revelation, Jesus reminds us that our faithfulness is rewarded (Rev. 2:23; 22:12). 

In addition to general rewards such as praise from God (1 Cor. 4:5), honor (Rom. 2:6-7), and an everlasting inheritance (Col. 1:12-13), which all believers may receive in varying degrees, the New Testament mentions five special rewards, depicted as crowns, believers may send ahead of us to heaven: 

• The crown of righteousness, for those who love the appearing of Jesus and live as if he could return at any moment (2 Tim. 4:7-8)

• The incorruptible crown, for those who persevere in their Christian walk (1 Cor. 9:24-27)

• The crown of life, or the martyr’s crown (Rev. 2:10)

• The crown of rejoicing, or the soul-winner’s crown (1 Thess. 2:19-20)

• And the crown of glory, for those who faithfully shepherd God’s people (1 Pet. 5:1-4)

Future posts provide further details about the rewards Christ gives his followers at the bema judgment.  

In 1 Corinthians 4:1-5, Paul describes God’s purpose for the bema, as well as our proper perspective of it:

A person should think of us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God. In this regard, it is required that managers be found faithful…. It is the Lord who judges me. So don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God.

This judgment is a full disclosure of our words and deeds, as Christ uncovers even our secret conversations, as well as our thoughts, intentions, and motivations. Like a purging fire, Christ’s impartial evaluation of our lives burns away our worthless works and purifies the righteous ones. For believers who have built well upon the foundation of their faith, they receive a “well done” from Christ and are given greater positions of authority and greater degrees of responsibility in his kingdom (cf. Matt. 25:21, 23).

Those who have squandered their Christian lives watch as their worthless works are consumed in the fires of judgment. Paul reminds such unfaithful believers, “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved – but only as through fire” (1 Cor. 3:15). John warns his readers to remain faithful to Christ, lest they be ashamed at his coming (1 John 2:28).

In contrast to the bema, before which the righteous in Christ appear, unbelievers stand before the great white throne, which is described in Revelation 20:11-15. It is unique among the thrones of God in Scripture. It stands alone. It bears no context. It offers no hope, grace, or mercy. It calls no one to repentance. It prompts no one to sing. It fulfills no covenant promises. It surrounds itself with no rainbows, flaming torches, seas of glass, or heavenly creatures. It is perhaps the most solemn image of God’s throne in the Bible, for it depicts the time and place where Christ – the creator, redeemer, and judge – meets face-to-face with the wicked, who must now give an account of their lives. It is the last stop on the road to hell.

John writes that books are opened as the wicked stand before Christ, including the book of life. We explore this judgment in more detail in Chapter 19, but we may note here that God keeps a record of our lives and holds us accountable for what we do with them. He knows our thoughts, which form the action plans for good and evil deeds (e.g., Matt. 5:27-28). He hears our words, which reveal the true nature of our hearts and for which we must give an account (Matt. 12:33-37). 

The books that record unbelievers’ deeds are opened to show them at least two truths: the full extent of their lifelong wickedness, and the failure of their good deeds to earn the favor of God.

Daniel writes, “Those who have insight will shine like the bright expanse of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3). Believers who are spiritually wise are to make others wise through their witness. Those who witness faithfully find themselves shining like the stellar heavens, like the stars forever. These truths connect Christ, believers, and angelic beings.

Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). In fact, John says Jesus is the “true light that gives light to everyone” (John 1:9). Further, Jesus tells his followers we are lights as well (Matt. 5:14). And Paul tells the Philippian saints they “shine like stars in the world” (Phil. 2:15). This shows that Christians are to reflect Jesus’s divine attributes. But there’s more.

When Daniel sees the righteous shining like the stars, he depicts them in ways similar to the “sons of God” of Old Testament times. Angels, cherubim, and seraphim are heavenly creatures who declare the holiness of God, guard the entrance into his presence, and stand ready to obey his every command. In Scripture, they’re sometimes likened to stars, convening as a divine council, and declaring God’s glory. Not all stars burn with the same intensity or shine with the same brilliance, but all reflect the majesty of their creator. 

In a similar way, followers of Jesus are adopted “sons of God” who displace rebellious angels in the heavenly realm and sit with Christ in judgment of them (1 Cor. 6:3). What a marvelous privilege to be called “sons of God” and to rule with him forever.

The degree to which we fulfill the purpose for which God made us on earth – as his imagers, reflecting his divine attributes – determines the degree to which we shine in the new heavens and earth as glorified imagers of the one living and true God.

Jesus may have Daniel 12:3 in mind when he explains the parable of the wheat and weeds:

The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin and those guilty of lawlessness. They will throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears listen (Matt. 13:41-43).

Stephen Miller writes:

This blessed and glorious state will continue “forever and ever.” … The decision to follow Christ and put his kingdom first will be rewarded. Some persons ask, “Is serving Christ worth it?” (cf. Mal. 3:13-15). God’s answer is a resounding, “Yes!”

Next: A Book of Remembrance – Malachi 3:16