Summary
Reese explores what the Book of Revelation teaches about good (and bad works), showing that although Revelation discusses them briefly, its statements are profound and consistent with two major biblical themes: God knows our works intimately and God will judge every person according to their works.
Reese emphasizes that Scripture consistently affirms divine judgment based on deeds (Romans 2:6-10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 16:27, etc.). However, God’s evaluation distinguishes between those who have accepted salvation through Christ and those who have not.
Reese concludes that Revelation confirms what the rest of Scripture teaches—everyone will be judged according to their works. Believers will receive varying rewards for faithful service; unbelievers will face varying degrees of punishment for rejecting God’s grace. Every action, motive, and attitude has eternal significance, urging believers to pursue good works that will endure forever. Reese indicates that his next post will address what kinds of good works believers should devote themselves to.
Introduction
The Book of Revelation records prophecies about “the end times.” Interestingly, Revelation has little to say about good works. But what it does say about good works, and bad works for that matter, is deeply profound.
We can summarize Revelation’s teaching about our works, good and bad, with two statements. 1) God sees our works and knows them intimately. 2) God will judge us according to our works.
This last truth, that God will judge us according to our works, is a major biblical theme that runs throughout the Old and New Testaments. Here are some examples:
“God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” Romans 2:6-10
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10
“For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” Matthew 16:27
See also Psalm 62:12; Proverbs 24:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14; 2 Chronicles 19:7; John 5:28-29; Luke 14:14; Galatians 6:7-9; Ephesians 6:7; 1 Peter 1:17; Revelation 2:23; 20:12-13.
Of course, God makes a distinction in his judgement between those who have accepted his gift of salvation from his wrath through faith in his Son’s propitiatory sacrifice on the cross and those who have rejected that offer. I will discuss this in depth in my conclusion.
Revelation
Passages referencing good works:
Revelation 2:1, 2 ““To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.”
Revelation 2:4,5 “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
Revelation 3:1, 2 “ “To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.“
Revelation 14:13 “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.””
Revelation 20:11-13 “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.“
Revelation 22:10-12 “Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy. Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Summary
We learn in the first four references to good works, or “deeds,” in the Book of Revelation that God knows our deeds (2:1,2; 3:1, 2). But in 2:4,5, God says our deeds must be accomplished with the right motivation: love. This motivation the Ephesian church had lost. In 3:1,2, the believers in the church at Sardis were also doing good deeds, but only as a means of maintaining their reputation. In 14:13, we see that “the dead who die in the Lord” will “rest from their labor” because their deeds “will follow them,” that is, be remembered by Christ at his bema seat.
The last two references to good works in Revelation (20:11-13; 22:10-12) occur in the context of judgement at the Great White Thone of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 20:11-13, we learn that there are multiple books books that will be opened and one book that is different from all the others, the Book of Life, The phrase, “each person was judged according to what they had done” occurs twice for emphasis. They are judged out of the books that record their life actions. But the Book of Life is not used for judgement, but as a record of those who have placed their faith in Christ as their savior from their sin.
“For God so loved the world the he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
The difference between the Great White Throne of Judgement and the Bema Seat of Jesus Christ
Put succinctly, the Great White Throne of Judgement is for unbelievers and the Bema Seat of Jesus Christ is for believers.
The primary text for the Great White Throne of Judgement, as we have just seen, is Revelation 20:11-15. This judgement is for unbelievers whose names are not found in the Book of Life. Christ judges these unbelievers according to their works and determines their degree of eternal punishment in the lake of fire. This happens at the end of the millennium and immediately before the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.
On the other hand, the Bema Seat of Jesus Christ happens after the rapture and before the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelations 19:6-9). It is for believers only and determines the extent of their reward. Passages referencing this judgement are 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12; and 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. This judgement determines rewards, not entrance into heaven. Christ’s purpose is to commend faithfulness.
Conclusion
” I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God.” Acts 20:27
After surveying the previous 65 books of the Bible, if there is any lingering doubt about the importance of good works, the Book of Revelation should lay that to rest. Everyone will be judged according to their works, both believers and unbelievers. But believers who have accepted God’s gift of forgiveness through faith in Christ will only be judged for their good works and rewarded accordingly, while unbelievers will be judged for both their evil and good works and will be judged accordingly. Thus, there are degrees of glory (rewards) for the believer in heaven, and there are degrees of suffering in everlasting judgement in the lake of fire for unbelievers who have rejected God’s offer of forgiveness.
Focusing only on believers now, everything we do has eternal significance. God sees it all, not only our deeds, but our motives, our attitudes, and our thoughts.
In light this most important truth, that our good works determine what kind of existence we as believers will have for eternity in heaven, how should we respond? What kind of good works should we set out to do?
I will address this question in my next post.
This post first appeared in New Commandment.org.
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