"Of the great final reward our Lord has sent us word through the prophet John: “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12).---The righteous receive their reward when Jesus comes, and their judgment takes place first,
---while that of the wicked takes place at a later period.
Hence Peter, in prophetic view of the consummation of the Christian’s hope, exclaims, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear” (1 Peter 4:17, 18)?
The cases of the living righteous will come up for review as probation ceases.
And when completed, the fiat will go forth, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11).
--1--The days of repentance are past,
--2--the righteous are sealed for the kingdom of God,
--3--and the judgment of the wicked will follow to determine what their punishment shall be."
StepsToLife