Much the same as our courts today have established for judgments. In other words, seating that is raised above the level of the surrounding area. For example, the throne of a King is usually stepped seating. Thus bema simply refers to the raised seating of a judge or a king. It is therefore used to designate a stepped seating area for Judgment. The Greek word, which is translated seat, is from a root that means 'base' or the foot ( and by extension, step). However, the truth is a lot less complicated. The latter they believe to be the Judgment that God reserves for judicial verdict against transgressions by the wicked. The proponents of this doctrine call this the Bema seat judgment to distinguish it from what they term The White Throne Judgment. This phrase generally refers to the spurious Christian doctrine that teaches that believers must stand before God and be judged, not for their sins, but in order to determine the nature of rewards for their good works on earth. Ne of the more frequently asked questions is of the Bema Seat Judgment of Christians. Is the 'Bema Seat Judgment' Biblical? by Tony Warren Frequently Asked Questions About Christianity, Answered Honestly!