FROM A PRISON TO A COURTROOM

By Dr. M. R. Dowler

A large four-story building sits at the corner of 1^st Street and Maryland Avenue NE in Washington DC. That Neo-Classical designed structure is the formidable Supreme Court building, built in 1935 (believe it or not) under budget and ahead of schedule. Built adjacent to the Library of Congress, the Court’s west, and most familiar façade faces the US Capitol. But the present location of the Supreme Court has an interesting history.

After the capitol was burned by the British in 1814 the government bought a large brick building up the street for Congress to meet in. President James Madison was inaugurated in this remodeled structure. The Old Brick Capitol was abandoned after the original capitol was rebuilt. The building fell into disrepair until it was converted into a prison during the Civil War. Several of the people arrested after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln were incarcerated in the building renamed the Old Capitol Prison. The prison was torn down in 1929 to make way for the new Supreme Court building.

God has His own Supreme Court somewhere in the heavens in which He alone presides, and where every person will have to answer for their own individual actions, attitudes, words, thoughts and motives (Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:12). Simply stated, every human, saved or unsaved will one day stand before their Creator God and give account for their life on earth (Revelation 22:12). The Bible clearly teaches of two judgments (Ecclesiastes 3:17).

Theologically, the first judgment is for all born-again believers. It is called the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ. This judgment is not for sin. It is to evaluate the believer’s works, good or bad, done during their Christian life on earth (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Sin will never be judged in the life of a believer because Jesus took all their sins away on the cross. The second judgment is for the lost, unrepentant sinners. It is called the Great White Throne Judgment. Jesus Christ will judge the sins of every person there. Their fate has already been determined, and there is no reprieve (Revelation 20:12-15). So, in what courtroom will you stand? Think about it.