After the Rapture: What Awaits You in Heaven

Introduction

This is the second part of a series on the end times. This teaching from Pastor Jean-Claude VILLA (La Riane Church) continues the message given on Friday night. On Friday, the topic was the rapture of the church: the coming of the Lord, the gathering of believers with Christ, not to be confused with his return. Today the camera angle shifts: we are already in heaven, and the preacher shows us what will happen there before Christ returns to the earth.

The position defended here is clear: the rapture is premillennial and pretribulational. The church will be raptured before the great tribulation, before the millennium. "For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Three events await you in heaven: the judgment seat of Christ, the rewards, the wedding of the Lamb.

The purpose of this message isn't to get you speculating about dates or scenarios. It's to put one very simple question to you: are you ready? Not "are you preparing?" Jesus doesn't say "prepare yourselves," he says "be ready." The difference is huge.

Outline of the message

1. A reminder: what the rapture really is

Before going further, Jean-Claude VILLA recalls the biblical features of the rapture, from 1 Thessalonians 4:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:52.

The Greek word. Translated "caught up together," it literally means seized, snatched away, captured. There's nothing violent about it: what the word highlights is the suddenness of it. It's the same word Jesus uses when he speaks of the thief: you don't notice your bag is gone, it's already long gone.

Three ways to describe this coming.

• Secret. Christ comes as "the Bright and Morning Star" (Revelation 22:16), the one that shines just before daybreak, when hardly anyone is watching yet. No one will see it happen, except the church, because it's the church that leaves.
• Selective. "Those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:29). It isn't works that save, but the text underlines a clear separation: those who belong to the Lord rise to life.
• Sudden. "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet" (1 Corinthians 15:52). The trumpet is a call (as in armies of old), but not everyone will hear it. The church, though, will hear it and go.

And the question that always comes up: "What happens to the bus if the Christian driver gets raptured?" The preacher's answer: "Leave that to the Lord. What matters is that you are ready."

2. In heaven: three events, not a judgment

Once raptured, the church experiences three things, one after another, in heaven:

1. The judgment seat of Christ (the bema).
2. The rewards.
3. The wedding of the Lamb.

None of these three events are threats. The preacher comes back to this point again and again: we don't appear as defendants dreading a sentence. We are already saved, already given a glorious, immortal, incorruptible body. "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

3. The judgment seat of Christ: a revealing, not a condemnation

"For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Paul is writing to the Christians of Corinth, not to the city's residents in general. So this verse is speaking about you, if you belong to Christ.

The Greek word for judgment seat is bema. It refers to a raised platform or stand, like the official reviewing stand at a parade. It's from there that the judges of the Games (the Isthmian and Olympic games) handed out prizes to the winners. Paul, preaching to Greeks, to Romans, to Christians from nations who don't know the Old Testament, translates the teaching into language they understand: the race, the fight, the victory, the prize.

The verb used, literally, is "to be revealed" (Greek phanerothēnai): "we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ." What's going to come to light isn't just what you did, it's also who you were, and the motive behind what you did.

"If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each man's work will be revealed" (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). The preacher, the witness, the servant can do very fine things, but in what spirit? To be noticed, so people say "that brother is amazing, that sister is wonderful"? Or out of love for the Lord and for fellow believers?

Whatever was done with a good motive is building with gold and precious stones. Whatever was done with a bad motive is wood, hay, straw, which will go through the fire. The Greek word for "bad" here doesn't carry the moral weight of sin: it points to uselessness, worthlessness, something of no service to God.

The result: the Lord isn't going to punish you for your sins (they're forgiven), he's going to clear away everything that has no value, so what does have value can remain. And then he rewards.

4. What will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ

The preacher walks through the main categories that will be examined.

Works. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them" (Revelation 14:13). The word "labors" (Greek kopos) speaks of what is heavy, what is hard to bear. The Lord recognizes that the Christian life isn't always easy. And our works follow us, they don't go ahead of us. They aren't what opens the doors of heaven for you.

Labor and motive. "For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name" (Hebrews 6:10). What counts is who you did it for.

Ministry. "Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment" (James 3:1). That warning is aimed first at teachers, but the word ministry means service, and we are all called to be God's servants, each with what God has given them. Before the Lord, there's no such thing as a "big" or "small" service. The parable of the talents doesn't say "well done for the ten talents, nothing for the five": to every faithful servant comes the same word, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21).

Using your gifts. "As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10). Whether you've been saved fifty years or three days, God gives you gifts for others. The body of Christ needs the hand, the foot, the mouth, the eye, as Paul insists in 1 Corinthians 12.

How you use material possessions. "Make for yourselves purses which don't grow old, a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail" (Luke 12:33). And also Luke 14:13-14: when you invite people over, invite those who can't repay you, your reward will come at the resurrection of the righteous. And 1 Timothy 6:17-19, for the wealthy: generosity, open-handedness, good works.

Steadfastness and hope. "Therefore don't throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. For you need endurance" (Hebrews 10:35-36). And Matthew 5:11-12: "Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven," when people mock you because of the Lord.

Faithfulness. "Here, moreover, it is required of stewards, that they be found faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). God doesn't ask you to be successful, or to have great abilities. He asks you to be faithful.

5. Judge yourself first

"But let a man examine himself" (1 Corinthians 11:28). This passage is set in the context of the Lord's Supper. Paul says that discerning the Lord's body isn't only about remembering Christ's body broken on the cross, it's also about discerning the body that is the church.

In Corinth, there were divisions: some ate to excess at the love feast, others had nothing at all. Paul is severe: "you come together not for the better but for the worse." And he adds: if you don't discern the body, you bring judgment on yourself.

In practical terms: there are Christians who can't stand each other, who don't speak to each other, who avoid each other in the meeting hall. And then everyone stands up to take the bread and the cup together. These things need to be settled with the Lord, and preferably now.

"Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28).

6. The rewards: crowns, not diadems

"Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor" (1 Corinthians 3:8). Each one. His own reward. There are rewards for everyone.

Watch out for a translation trap. In Greek, there are two words for "crown":

• Stephanos: the victor's crown, made of laurel, a mark of public honor, like a medal at the Olympic Games. A sign of honor, never of kingship.
• Diadema: the royal insignia. Throughout the whole Bible, including Revelation, the only one who wears diadems is Jesus (Revelation 19:12).

A classic trap: in Revelation 6:2, we see a rider on a white horse wearing a crown. Some say, "That's Jesus." No, it's the antichrist, who looks like Jesus. How do we know? He wears a stephanos, not a diadema. The true King wears diadems (Revelation 19:11-13). Be precise with the Word, or you'll get taken in.

So our crowns are stephanos: the Lord honors us, he doesn't make us kings. There is only one King.

The preacher goes through the crowns mentioned in the New Testament:

• The crown of life. "Blessed is a person who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life" (James 1:12; see also Revelation 2:10).
• The crown of righteousness. "From now on, there is stored up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day; and not to me only, but also to all those who have loved his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). Do you love his appearing? A crown is already reserved for you.
• The incorruptible crown. "Now every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one" (1 Corinthians 9:25).
• The crown of glory. "When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn't fade away" (1 Peter 5:4).

7. What do you do with these crowns? You lay them down

The preacher's question, almost with a smile: "What are we going to do with them? Put them on display? Stack them one on top of the other to make ourselves a tiara?"

No. "The twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power'" (Revelation 4:10-11).

That's the meaning of the crowns. They will be given to us because they are God's work in our lives. And we will give them back to him, because the glory belongs to him. The reward makes visible the grace of the Lord who saved us, redeemed us, transformed us. It bears witness to Christ.

8. The wedding of the Lamb: the union finally consummated

"Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:7-8).

Notice this carefully: "it was given to her that she would array herself" (the bride does not clothe herself on her own). And "his wife has made herself ready": this is where, in the background, the role of the judgment seat of Christ comes into view. That's where everything that cannot remain is cleared away, so that what remains can appear: fine linen, bright and pure.

A nuance in the Greek: it's not just linen, but fine linen, the fabric that doesn't wrinkle. Ordinary linen wrinkles. Fine linen doesn't. The Lord couldn't give us anything less than the very best for eternity.

The wedding takes place in heaven, between the judgment seat of Christ and the Lord's return to the earth. How do we know? Because when Christ returns (Revelation 19:14), his bride is already with him, dressed in bright, pure fine linen. If she is his wife and not his fiancée, the marriage has already taken place, in heaven.

9. The wedding of the Lamb and the wedding feast: don't mix them up

"Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Here, it's no longer about the bride and groom, it's an invitation extended to guests. Scripture makes a distinction between:

• The wedding of the Lamb, which concerns Christ and his bride, in heaven;
• The wedding feast, which takes place on the earth, at the Lord's return, and involves Israel and the nations invited into the millennial kingdom (Isaiah 25:6-7).

This is why the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) is so often misunderstood. The virgins are not the bride, they are, in the Hebrew setting, the bridesmaids who accompany the bride to the wedding feast. They go out to meet the bridegroom while the bride is already there. The lesson about watchfulness still holds true, but don't make the parable say what it doesn't say.

Brothers and sisters, we are not the bridesmaids. We are the bride.

10. Two brides in the Bible, not to be confused

In Scripture, there are two "brides":

• The bride of God is Israel. Read Hosea again, read the prophets again.
• The bride of Christ is the church.

This distinction matters greatly. The church, as such, was a hidden mystery in the Old Testament. Paul states this plainly in Ephesians 3:3-6: "which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News."

That mystery is the church. Israel's future was revealed to Daniel; the church's was not, because it didn't yet exist as a revealed entity. So don't go looking for the church in the prophecies of the old covenant: the prophets announce God's program for Israel and the nations. The teachings of the Old Testament do speak to us, of course, but the age of the church is never included in them as such.

The practical consequence for the end times: once the church is raptured, it is no longer involved in the great tribulation, nor in the persecutions still to come on the earth. It is with Christ. When he returns, it will return with him, and reign with him.

11. Are you ready? The only criterion that matters

"To be the bride of Christ, you have to be converted, you have to be born again." Not simply a church member, not simply someone who shows up to meetings. You have to have received the new life that is in Jesus Christ. "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Either you are in the church and you are raptured, or you stay behind. There is no third option. And if you are ready, then your priority now is to bring as many along with you as possible: think of your family, your loved ones, your co-workers, your friends. Speak to them about Christ. Invite them. And Jesus doesn't say "get yourself ready," he says "be ready." There's no posted deadline: the twinkling of an eye could be now.

Key takeaways

1. The rapture is secret, selective, and sudden. It doesn't announce itself. You won't see the last trumpet coming: Jesus says "be ready," not "get ready."
2. The judgment seat of Christ is not a judgment of condemnation. You will appear there revealed, with a glorious body, as one who is saved. What will be exposed is the motive behind your works.
3. What you did out of love remains; what you did to be seen goes through the fire. Gold, silver, precious stones endure; wood, hay, straw burn (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).
4. The crowns Christ gives are marks of honor, not royal insignia. Only the King wears diadems. Our stephanos will be laid down before his throne.
5. Don't confuse the wedding of the Lamb with the wedding feast. The first concerns Christ and his church, in heaven. The second concerns Israel and the nations, on earth, at the Lord's return.
6. The only criterion that matters is the new birth. Not your name on a church roll. New life in Christ.

Personal application

Take a moment before God and ask yourself these questions, honestly:

1. If the Lord returned tonight, would you be raptured? Are you born again, or just religious? Where do you really stand with Christ?
2. What is your motive when you serve, when you teach, when you give, when you sing? To be seen? To please God? The judgment seat of Christ will put this question to you, so you might as well answer it now.
3. Is there a brother or sister you no longer speak to, whom you avoid in the meeting hall? What needs to be settled before next Sunday's communion?
4. Do you love his appearing? Are you truly waiting for the Lord's return, or are you living as if the earth were your permanent home?
5. Who around you isn't ready? Who is it your responsibility to love, to invite, to keep gently reminding (even if it means being a little persistent), so they meet Christ before it's too late?

Verses cited

• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 · the rapture of the church and the gathering with the Lord.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:9 · "God has not appointed us to wrath."
• 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 · "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet."
• John 14:3 · "I will come again, and will receive you to myself."
• Revelation 22:16 · Christ, the Bright and Morning Star.
• John 5:29 · those who have done good rise to life.
• Matthew 24:30 · the Lord's return that every eye will see.
• 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 · the judgment seat of Christ.
• Romans 14:10-12 · we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
• Romans 8:1 · no condemnation in Christ.
• 1 Corinthians 3:8-15 · gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw.
• 1 Corinthians 11:27-31 · examine yourself first.
• Revelation 14:13 · their works follow with them.
• Hebrews 6:10 · God does not forget your work and your love.
• James 3:1 · teachers will receive heavier judgment.
• Matthew 25:21 · "Well done, good and faithful servant."
• 1 Peter 4:10 · employ in serving others the gift you have received.
• Luke 12:33 · a treasure in the heavens that doesn't fail.
• Luke 14:13-14 · invite those who cannot repay you.
• Hebrews 10:35-36 · steadfastness and endurance.
• Matthew 5:11-12 · great is your reward in heaven.
• 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 · that stewards be found faithful.
• 1 John 2:28 · remain in him, so as to have boldness.
• James 1:12 · the crown of life.
• 2 Timothy 4:8 · the crown of righteousness.
• 1 Corinthians 9:25 · an incorruptible crown.
• 1 Peter 5:4 · the crown of glory.
• Revelation 4:10-11 · the twenty-four elders lay down their crowns.
• Revelation 19:7-9 · the wedding of the Lamb and the wedding feast.
• Revelation 19:11-16 · the King and his diadems.
• Revelation 6:2 · the rider on the white horse (the antichrist).
• Matthew 25:1-13 · the parable of the ten virgins.
• Ephesians 3:3-6 · the mystery of the church revealed.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 · a new creation in Christ.

FAQ

Will the judgment seat of Christ condemn me for my sins?

No. Jesus says it himself: "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life" (John 5:24). The judgment seat of Christ is not a judgment of condemnation, it's a revealing. Your sins are forgiven in Christ (Romans 8:1). What will be exposed is the motive behind your works, so that God can clear away what has no value and reward what was done out of love for him.

Why does Jean-Claude VILLA insist on "be ready" instead of "get ready"?

Because that's how Jesus himself puts it. "Get ready" assumes you still have time ahead of you. "Be ready" assumes the coming could happen now, this instant. It's a state to be in, not a project to work toward. The rapture is described as "a moment, the twinkling of an eye, the last trumpet" (1 Corinthians 15:52): it doesn't announce its arrival. The preacher wants to pull you out of the "I'll get around to it later" mindset.

Practically speaking, what will the crowns we receive be used for?

They will bring glory to God. Revelation 4:10-11 describes it: the twenty-four elders fall down and throw their crowns before the throne, saying, "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power." The rewards show that all the spiritual fruit of your life is God's work in you. We receive them in order to give them back to him. The reward serves the glory of Christ.