Why are Christ's eyes described as fiery in connection with the believer's judgment?
Christ's fiery eyes depict penetrating judgment at His judgment seat, where believers are evaluated for reward, not salvation or sin. That testing fire exposes each believer's works—wood, hay, and stubble versus gold, silver, and precious stones—so only what withstands the heat remains, determining eternal responsibilities in the kingdom.
Les explains that this fire is not hell fire or the lake of fire. One description of Christ is that He has eyes of fire. As believers come before Him—Les places this at the judgment seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5—they are judged not for salvation and never to answer for sin, but to answer for reward. Those fiery eyes penetrate the whole Christian record: what did we build with? Gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, or maybe a mixture. When the fiery eyes are finished, only the three elements that will not melt in heat remain: gold, silver, and precious stone. On that basis God gives reward for eternity, which Les suggests will be responsibilities in the kingdom. This has nothing to do with the crowns.