Our Appointment With God

Read Hebrews 9:19-28

Exegesis

V19 Moses had been given the Law by God and he (Moses) related that to the people.

Moses also made a symbolic gesture of sprinkling blood (Mercy Seat).

V20 “This is the blood of the testament”

No Testament (will) was in effect until death of the testator (blood shed)

V22 In the Law, almost all things were “purged” with blood (something died)

WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION (of sin).

It began with Adam and Eve, and has continued.

Now God, through Moses, put it in writing (the Law)

V23 The temple on earth (Jerusalem, the Temple) had to be purged from sin by blood for sin

The temple on earth and the functions in that temple was a shadow of things in Heaven.

The temple in Heaven needed a “better sacrifice” than the blood of caves, sheep, etc.

V24 Christ (The Great High Priest) did not make His sacrifice in the temple on earth.

Christ made the blood sacrifice in the Temple in Heaven itself.

V25-26 The earthly people had to sacrifice, with blood, EVERY TIME they sinned.

The earthly High Priest had to sacrifice, with blood, EVERY YEAR.

V27 All mankind must die ONCE – and once we have died, there is judgment (by God).

When Christ (Great High Priest) died, He made the one true blood sacrifice, in Heaven.

V28 Jesus Christ died as OUR blood sacrifice – ONCE FOR ALL.

And those that “look to him” by faith in His finished work, will appear before God without sin.

Verse 27 – “As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

In this physical life - there are only two options:

It is an option, because we, in this life, choose.

1 - We choose to trust in the finished work of Christ (blood sacrifice in Heaven).

2 - Or we choose to handle our sins, our failures, in our own way.

“There is a way that seemeth right unto man unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

However we choose, results in our Judgment (v27)

By the way, to not choose Christ IS to choose ourselves.

So AFTER this life is over – The UNBELIEVER has an appointment with God

Revelation 20:11-15 The Great White Throne Judgment

V11 God, Himself, is seated on the Great White Throne

You can try to run away, to flee, to hid, to disappear

But there is no place to hide from God on the Great White Throne.

V12 ALL unbelievers will stand before God in this judgment.

Small and Great, Rich and Poor, All races, All genders, Young and Old.

The “books” are opened.

The books that record our deeds, our motives, our intent.

ALL of them – seen or hidden, public or private

Another book is open, which is the book of life

Those in this judgment are judged by the things in the BOOKS.

Those things which are our works. Are we good enough before God.

V13 All those spiritually dead,

on earth, in the sea, or in Hell, itself have an appointment with God

And they are judged according to their own work.

Are your works good enough to withstand this judgement.

V14 All those that are spiritually dead, from earth or from Hell

Are cast into the LAKE OF FIRE. (eternal)

` V15 Whosoever’s name is not found in the Book of Life

is case into the Lake of Fire.

It isn’t the WORKS that send someone to Hell, then the Lake of Fire

It is that their name is not in the BOOK OF LIFE.

So AFTER this life is over – The BELIEVER has an appointment with God

We read in I Thessalonians 2:19-20, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?

Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”

And in Revelation 22:12, “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every

man according as his work shall be.”

Romans 14:10 and II Corinthians 5:9 speak of the “judgment seat.”

This is a transliteration of the Greek word “Bema”.

A “Bema” is a raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make

a decision and to pass sentence.

Paul’s used the word “Bema” with his references to the Greek athletic contests.

The victor was given a laurel wreath (poison ivy) placed on the head.

The Greek athletes appeared before the “Bema” to receive his perishable award,

so also the Christian will appear before Christ’s “Bema” to receive his

imperishable award(s).

The Greek judge at the “Bema” bestowed rewards to the victors.

He did not whip the losers,

neither did the Greek judge sentence the losers to hard labor.

The judgment at Christ’s bema is not concerned with the problem of sin.